The Local Girl Who Refused To Lose
In a town where reputation is everything, one agent bet on grit, instinct, and outworking everyone
Everybody in Douglas County thinks they know the market.
They don’t.
They talk about it at the coffee shops.
They argue about it at Little League games.
They swear it’s the worst time to buy.
Or the best time to sell.
Meanwhile, one local girl quietly built a reputation that spread faster than gossip.
And in Roseburg, gossip moves.
Raised Here. Built Here.
She was born and raised in Douglas County.
Not just living here. Rooted here.
Timber country. Ranch land. Early mornings. Long days. No excuses.
That upbringing shapes a person.
You learn that nothing comes easy.
You learn to show up.
You learn that if you say you will do something, you do it.
“I don’t just know the streets. I know the history, the people, the lifestyle, she says. You can’t Google that.”
That edge matters.
Because in a town of 24,000 people, reputation is currency.
The Leap That Could Have Failed
For Erin Harding, real estate was never going to be a hobby.
It was a decision.
Real estate is not soft.
It is competitive.
It is emotional.
It will chew you up if you hesitate.
She didn’t hesitate.
“I remember thinking, if I’m going to do this, I’m going all in.”
There was fear.
Of course there was fear.
But there was something stronger.
Pride.
Independence.
The need to build something for her boys.
The refusal to ever say the word “can’t”.
She stepped in knowing word travels fast in Roseburg.
If you mess up, everyone knows.
If you win, everyone knows that too.
The Early Days
No shortcuts.
She answered every call.
Showed up prepared.
Treated every deal like it was personal.
Because it was.
“In a town like this, your reputation is everything,” she says. “My clients become family to me.”
Word of mouth started to do its thing.
Slow at first.
Then steady.
Then unstoppable.
The Deal That Almost Broke
Every agent has one.
The deal that tests your patience.
The deal that pushes you.
She had a buyer lose his job days before closing.
First time home buyer.
In his 50s.
A lifetime of thinking ownership was out of his reach.
Most people would have hung up their cleats and walked away.
Erin did not.
She helped him find a new job.
She saved the deal.
She handed him the keys.
“I was not going to quit on him.”
That is not sales.
That is true grit.
Instinct. Not Luck.
One client tells the story.
She told them to wait one more day before making an offer.
The next day, their dream home hit the market.
Coincidence?
No.
Instinct built from watching inventory daily.
Studying trends.
Knowing Douglas County block by block.
“Sometimes it’s data. Sometimes it’s intuition built from years in the trenches.”
That kind of confidence does not show up overnight.
It is earned.
Ranch Land. Timber. Legacy.
She works residential homes.
But ranch and timber properties light up her smile.
Because land here is not just dirt.
It is legacy.
It is livelihood.
It is generations of sweat.
Helping families buy or sell that kind of property carries weight.
And she treats it that way.
Mom First. Agent Always.
She is a mom of two boys.
That changes how you see a house.
You think about yard space.
Schools.
Safety.
How a place feels on a Tuesday night.
She does not just sell houses.
She helps families picture their life there.
The Growth
The first year was hustle mixed with doubt.
Now?
Confidence.
She trusts her negotiation skills.
She trusts her instincts.
She trusts her work ethic.
Looking ahead five years, she wants something simple.
“I want my name to stand for honesty, hard work and results in this community.”
In Roseburg, that is everything.
Where To Find Erin Harding
Buying in Douglas County?
Selling in Roseburg?
Just wondering what your place might be worth?
Start here.
Erin Harding makes it simple.
Start Online
Visit Erin’s website
You can:
Browse current listings
Request a valuation
Get pre-qualified
Clear.
Direct.
No fluff.
Stay Connected
On Facebook and Instagram she shares:
New listings
Market updates
Client wins
Behind the scenes moments
If you are even thinking about making a move, connect with Erin.
Why You Should Reach Out
Small towns grow when local businesses fight to win.
This one fights.
On answering the phone.
On chasing deals that look dead.
On protecting families when things get emotional.
Anyone can study a market.
Not everyone has lived it.
If you want someone who knows Douglas County because she has walked it, not Googled it, she is worth the call.
In a town where everyone talks about the market.
She works it.
P.S. Who is your favorite local business owner? Drop their name here. I’d love to feature them next.
Email Still Beats Social
You post on Facebook every week.
You boost a few posts.
You get some likes. A few comments.
And then nothing.
No calls.
No booked appointments.
No consistent sales.
Here’s the hard truth.
Email still outperforms social media for small businesses. Especially in a town like Roseburg.
And most Roseburg businesses are ignoring it.
The Big Lie About Social Media
Many local business owners treat Facebook like their website.
It feels easy.
You already have a page.
People are already there.
But you do not own Facebook.
And Facebook does not show your posts to most of your followers.
Organic reach is tiny. Often under 5 percent.
That means if you have 1,000 followers, maybe 50 people see your post.
Now compare that to email.
If you have 500 people on your email list, 200 to 300 of them will likely open your message.
That is attention.
Attention turns into sales.
Why Email Works So Well in Small Towns
Roseburg is relationship driven.
People buy from people they know.
Email builds that relationship quietly and consistently.
It lands directly in someone’s inbox.
No algorithm.
No guessing.
No fighting for attention.
When you send a weekly email:
You stay top of mind.
You tell stories.
You make offers.
You remind people you exist.
That is how leads compound.
One email might not bring in ten sales.
But 52 emails over a year will.
The Cost of Ignoring Email
Let’s make this real.
If you are not collecting emails:
You are losing future customers every single day.
Someone visits your website.
They leave.
You never see them again.
Someone walks into your store.
They buy once.
You never follow up.
Someone engages with your post.
Then they forget about you.
Meanwhile your competitor builds a list.
They send offers before holidays.
They promote events.
They announce new products.
Guess who gets the sale?
Not the business that posted a photo and hoped for the best.
Simple Steps You Can Take This Week
You do not need fancy software.
Start here:
Add an email signup form to your website.
Offer something small in exchange. A discount. A free guide. Early access.
Collect emails at checkout if you have a physical location.
Send one email per week. Keep it simple. Story plus offer.
Track replies. Pay attention to what people click.
That alone will put you ahead of most businesses in town.
Do not overcomplicate it.
Consistency beats perfection.
When DIY Stops Working
Here is where most owners struggle.
They do not know what to write.
They skip weeks.
They forget to make offers.
They treat email like a chore instead of a revenue engine.
That is when it makes sense to get help.
A good email strategy ties into your website, your offers, your seasonal trends, and your long term growth plan.
If you are serious about predictable leads, email is not optional.
It is foundational.
P.S. If you do not have an email list, you do not have a long term marketing asset. You have rented attention.
If you want help setting up a simple email system that actually drives sales, reach out and tell me about your business. I will point you in the right direction or show you how we can build it for you.
Stop guessing. Start owning your audience.
How to Respond to Negative Reviews
Without Making It Worse
Let’s talk about something uncomfortable.
Negative reviews.
Every business in Roseburg will get one.
It is not a matter of if.
It is when.
And most owners handle them poorly.
They ignore them.
Or they get defensive.
Or they argue in public.
That reaction costs you more than the review itself.
Why Reviews Matter More Than You Think
When someone searches your business, reviews are often the first thing they see.
One bad review will not kill you.
But a bad response might.
People are not just reading the complaint.
They are judging your character.
Are you calm?
Are you reasonable?
Do you take responsibility?
In a small town, reputation spreads fast.
Online and offline.
The Right Way to Respond
Keep it simple.
Respond quickly. Within 24 to 48 hours.
Thank them for the feedback. Even if it feels unfair.
Acknowledge their experience without arguing.
Offer to take the conversation offline.
Stay professional. Always.
Example:
“Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry to hear this was your experience. That is not the standard we aim for. Please reach out to us directly so we can make this right.”
That is it.
No defensiveness.
No long explanations.
No blame.
What Most Businesses Get Wrong
They try to win the argument.
You are not trying to win.
You are trying to build trust with future customers who are reading silently.
The review is for them.
Not the person who wrote it.
Handled well, a negative review can increase credibility.
People trust businesses that look human.
The Cost of Ignoring Reviews
If you do not respond:
It looks like you do not care.
If you respond emotionally:
You look unstable.
If you never ask happy customers for reviews:
The unhappy ones dominate the narrative.
That means fewer clicks.
Fewer calls.
Fewer sales.
All because of something you could have handled in five minutes.
What You Should Do Starting Today
Set up notifications for new reviews.
Create a simple response template.
Ask satisfied customers for reviews regularly.
Monitor your Google Business Profile weekly.
Keep emotions out of it.
Reputation management is not optional anymore.
It is marketing.
When It Makes Sense to Get Help
If you are getting consistent negative reviews, the issue might be deeper.
Messaging.
Customer expectations.
Operations.
Positioning.
Or maybe you just do not have time to monitor and respond consistently.
That is where strategy comes in.
At my agency, we help local businesses clean up their online presence, improve review flow, and build systems that protect their reputation long term.
If you want help, reply to this email.
Or reach out directly.
You do not need to figure it all out alone.
P.S. If you are unsure how your business looks online right now, I will take a look for you.
Reach out with your business name and I will give you a quick breakdown of your reviews, visibility, and where you might be losing trust or leads.
Reputation is revenue in a town like Roseburg.
Let’s make sure yours is working for you, not against you.
Ready to Turn Leads Into Customers?
You don’t need a huge budget or complicated tools to start getting more calls, bookings, and sales.
If you want a practical look at what’s working for your business online, where opportunities are slipping through the cracks, or how to start capturing more leads, I can help.
No fluff. No pressure. Just real advice tailored to your business.
Hit reply or reach out and let’s take a look together.
–Gary