Want to find out what's hot in the L.A. apartment market? Or why more big public builders are trying their hand at urban infill? Visit Urban Pacific Builders' blog spot at www.urbanpacific.blogspot.com, where managing partner Scott Choppin candidly shares his opinions on everything from current industry trends and new technologies to updates on company projects.
Yep, it looks like the technology-shy multifamily industry is slowly joining the world of bloggers. “It gives me the ability to talk about things I wouldn't be able to talk about anywhere else,” says Choppin, whose first blog entry appeared in July 2005. “I can respond to buyers, industry colleagues, the media, and myself.” And Choppin isn't afraid to get a little saucy now and then. “I use some salty language in there,” he says. “If you talk to me, occasionally salty language finds its way into my lexicon. That's who I am, and the blog is truly a reflection of who I am.”
The blog doesn't generate a huge number of responses, possibly because people lost interest due to large gaps between early entries, admits Choppin. He's the first to acknowledge that frequent updates are no easy task for a busy executive—but he's determined to find a little time. “I like having the blog as a unique characteristic of what we do,” he says. “We don't want to be perceived like every other residential builder out there.”
