ActiveRain Success Stories

"ActiveRain Rocks! Since becoming a member in March of 2010, I have made many friends and formed quite a few excellent relationships with other ActiveRain members. One that stands out the most is Margaret Rome. She is always willing to offer a helping hand with anything professional, a word of advice as a friend or just offer a caring ear when needed. We have had countless phone conversations and some day soon, I hope to meet Margaret in person.....I know it will be like a "reunion" with someone I've never met in person before.....hard to believe that's even possible, but ActiveRain makes it possible.....with the right people."

"We love ActiveRain, we started blogging as a RainMaker and within days were constantly at the top of the SEO charts and have seen a definite increase to our website traffic. Not only did the traffic increase, my call to actions have been awesome and have a Short Sale Listing appointment that has turned into a Short Sale listing with listing prospect referrals and our buyer's agent has had some buyer prospects come too. Thanks ActiveRain!!!"

"Blogging on Active Rain, for me, started in 2006. The friendships, connections and referrals have been a huge benefit to my clients. My presence in the Baltimore area and around the country has greatly increased. It has been a lot of fun, educational and the motivating factor for writing my newly published book: "Real Estate the Rome Way" When I want to do something really special for a fellow agent, an invitation to Active Rain is my gift."

"I WAS QUOTED IN GQ MAGAZINE. HOW TERRIFIC IS THAT? Before I started blogging on ActiveRain, what were the chances I would end up getting quoted in a national magazine? This is my ActiveRain Success Story. It's not about a referral like most of the stories that have been written, but next to getting real estate business, this is about as much excitement and recognition for my writing as I've ever had. About a year ago, here on ActiveRain, I blogged about Stigmatized Properties. Almost a year later, author Gabrielle Moss, was researching the topic for an article she was writing on the subject and she came across my original article. ActiveRain provided the SEO necessary for the original article to be found. To think that I lived through nearly 40 years of hardly putting pen to paper. Once I started writing again, I remembered how much I liked it and after a while, it came easier and faster than ever before. You really do get better when you start writing on schedule. In my sixth grade autograph book, Mrs. Citron wrote, "and above all, keep writing." But when life got in the way, who had the time? So if no other good ever comes from this, I would still credit ActiveRain for reminding me that, as a child, I used to love to document my thoughts and experiences and now, I'm doing it again. My post describing my GQ quote and the original article it was based on: American Horror Story is described in Wikipedia as a "serial horror-drama" which premiered October 5, 2011 and is aired on channel FX. It follows the lives of a family who has moved from Boston to a beautiful home in Los Angeles where, unbeknownst to them, the murder of the previous occupants has taken place. The season finale was last night, December 21, 2011. Author of GQ article, Gabrielle Moss, thought it might be fun to write about real-life instances where Buyers purchase homes with a horrific past. A big thank-you to ActiveRain for providing enough SEO to allow my original article on Stigmatized Properties to be found on the internet. GQ article of Stigmatized Properties http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/201112/real-american-horror-story-murder-houses-sharon-tate Original article on Stigmatized Properties http://activerain.com/blogsview/2155819/stigmatized-properties-does-the-notoriety-help-or-hurt-the-sale-"

"Today I had my first closing from a lead that came directly from ActiveRain. I wrote several posts about down payment assistance and help with closing costs using the Georgia Dream Homeownership Program and that is how my buyer found me. In our initial discussion we talked his relocating from another state to Georgia to take a teaching position at a college in downtown Atlanta. He was undecided on buying in Fairburn versus buying a condo downtown. He finally went with the condo downtown. We closed on a fabulous condo with Buckhead views, and he is very happy. He has already referred another buyer to me. Thanks AR for making this platform available to agents and brokers like myself. I look forward to more success in the Rain! Last month I had my second closing as a result of the posts I wrote on AR about down payment assistance. I originally met the client in December of 2011. We immediately began to work together getting his financing in order with a recommended lender and finding the perfect two bedroom condo unit for him downtown. After a year long search, several offers on units in Atlantic Station and Twelve Centennial, we finally landed a deal on a unit in Twelve Centennial. The unit has the most wonderful unobstructed view facing north looking out on the city of Atlanta. This unit not only serves as a great home but also represents a smart investment for a future sale. Thank you AR for helping to to connect me with this buyer."

"In the last 2 weeks, I've sent two referrals to Realtors blogging on AR and received 2 referrals from out-of-state Realtors! One of those referrals has already resulted in an accepted offer! What a great way to network!"

"I joined the Active Rain network (I've yet to remember HOW I found it) in late 2007. Since then, I've posted 137 blog entries, received 968 comments, and have left 1227 comments on other people's blogs. This has been an incredible journey, one which I know I have only JUST BEGUN! I've learned about Flip Videos, how to take pictures and make them look almost magical, how to be on Twitter and Facebook and LinkedIN (so many places, so little time!) and I'm learning how to express myself in thoughts and words. But really, it's the people that make Active Rain so very special. To get a phone call from someone you've followed on their blog, and to help you with something that no one else would help you with....or for them to take time out of their busy day to talk "shop" about questions you may have.....that's the success of Active Rain...and that's MY Active Rain Success Story! (Chapter 1!)"

"Success in the Rain – Doing Rentals Every Day Mike Cooper wrote a blog “Commissions are not the only source of income for Realtors”. Mike made seven suggestions of different ways for realtors to make money outside of real estate sales commissions. One caught my eye and my imagination: “Finding tenants for listed rentals”. Mike wrote that he advertised every Friday that he had available rentals. I went a step further. I created a website (www.homeviewsca.com) with my own idx links where people could search for all rentals in the greater Long Beach area. And I place an ad on Craigs List every day. One example of my ads is at https://post.craigslist.org/manage/2494923383. I have three ads I rotate through craigs list. My results have been incredible. I get 5 to 7 calls a day from people wanting to see rentals. 15 minutes to show the property and take the rental application. About 3 applications are accepted every day and I make about $500-1000 a day just from the rentals. Nice income. But there is more to it. I have converted three of these would be renters to would be buyers. We have them pre-approved for a loan and now have to find homes. Great returns for reading a blog and some time creating the ads and the website. Thanks Mike Cooper."

"In 2007, I was contacted via e-mail by a professional, young woman who was looking for a Realtor who was a Foreclosure Specialist. She found me via my Active Rain web page. She was from the Chicago area and was an Attorney who was looking to purchase a condo. Happy to say, we scheduled an appointment, signed a Buyer Broker Agreement, had her pre-approved through a lender (she had EXCELLENT credit -- I might add), and we started looking for homes. Since she was unfamilar wth the area, I showed her homes that met her criteria, in various parts of the city that met her needs and wants. Nevertheless, we closed on a Condo Conversion Unit in Montgomery County on this past August 2008. YEAH Active Rain!!! Uniqca"

"The most rewarding aspect about what I do is to see my clients experience satisfaction in reaching and surpassing their goals and enjoying the experience along the way with me, and referring their family, friends and associates to me! I love making a positive difference! Many thanks!"

"ActiveRain has inspired me to grow my business in ways I had not considered. This place Rocks! Now give me my 500 points :)"

"12/22/10 After only three days from joining ActiveRain, I can see the tremendous potential of this site. I have already connected with friendly and knowledgeable professionals that ALL seem more than willing to share and assist in any way possible. Although I am just beginning and have much to learn, I look forward to working within this type of environment and will live up to the fine example that so many others have already provided. There is much to learn and I will be sure to update this content as I gain knowledge and explore the site. 1/5/2011 I just received a star for having a "FEATURED" post. I consider this to be a milestone since I have read about many members never having a post "FEATURED". I now realize that many members are confused by the "FEATURED" post selection process and I intend to research this topic to share with others. It is a positive event and needs to be experienced by as many as possible. It's amazing how the AR point and recognition system work so well to inspire agents to participate in various activities. A recent post generated quite a bit of action with some intense exchanges between a couple of high rollers. It was interesting to watch the converstion develop in the comment chain and I learned much more about the diversity within this group. Many members are quite willing to come forward to correct inaccurate information. This is an excellent way to assure that everyone's content is as accurate as possible. It was an interesting debate and another positive experience from my point of view. This is the kind AMBASSADOR that came to my defense when he felt that I was wronged: Tim Cash - Clarksville TN Real Estate Professionals. He has continued to reach out and follow me on my 30 day journey. He even friended me on my Personal Facebook Page. I have about 50 friends while he has over 3000 friends. He is someone that any new member can safety go to for direction and support. 1/18/2011 I have just completed my first 30 days as a member of Active Rain. WOW! I gave it a pretty good try and made a great effort to focus on this community as much as possible. I was determined to see how much I could accomplish from ground zero. It would be my only chance to know. Since I plan to actively assist new members and encourage their participation, I needed to personally experience as much as I could in order to know what they are capable of doing. My new direction within Active Rain will be quite different since much of my initial efforts have gone toward getting attention in my attempt to be noticed. I soon discovered that new members have a very soft voice and only a few people bother to listen. I am actually a much better listener, however, I needed to shout. This required me to operate outside of my normal comfort zone. I am now stepping back into the person that I truly am. I will soon be adding a rather long summary and a review of my experience to share what I have learned in only one month. Here are my results after after 30 days and My Review will be coming soon. Points: 23,770 Members Invited: 0 Blog Posts: 87 Rank in California: #966 Rank in Orange County: #126 Rank in Mission Viejo: #5 Featured Posts: 3 Comments Received: 423 Comments Left: 220 Blog Subscribers: 31 Blog Subscriptions: 22 Called Shots: 2 Associations: 21 New Groups Started: 2 1/31/2011 I stumbled upon Active Rain by linking off someone's outside post. I wish that I could remember who wrote it, what it was about and why it caught my attention. It no longer matters. I am here and I can't get out. I don't want out! I want to be all in. This is a gold mine of opportunities and I would like to stake my claim. Active Rain is a lot more fun and rewarding than Twitter. I don't need to worry about crossing the fine line between my Public Profile and Business Page on Facebook. Everyone here knows who I am and what I do. We all have something in common and the level of knowledge and willingness to share is amazing. There is peace and calm and compassion from almost everyone (NOT everyone) and I sense that almost everyone (NOT everyone) wants success for each other. Having joined quickly, I immediately began to engage in activities that would eventually drain me of my thoughts and consume my days. Post, Comment, Read, Post, Comment, Read. I even spent some time working on My Profile. I checked people out. I have spent countless hours creating posts, commenting on other posts, associating and subscribing which only led to even more reading and more commenting. It has become a never ending cycle that pulls and compels me to interact and engage. I like it! This is Active Rainville. We earn points and receive stars, tokens, medals and we make connections by associations and subscribing to others which will help our crops grow. Sorry, I got carried away. But, you must see the similarities. That is why Active Rain is so much fun. It applies the principles of a game with a reward system to a business model. This is the ultimate Social Site for me. Now, I need to figure out how to make money doing it, in order to justify staying up late and chatting with people (mostly ladies) across the country. I need a plan. Did someone just leave a comment suggesting that I become a RainMaker? 2/21/2011 My 60 Day Review Of Active Rain The time has passed quickly. It seems like just yesterday when I wrote My 30 Day Review Of Active Rain. Where to begin? Let me start by stating: I will not be doing a Review Of Active Rain EVERY 30 Days. In fact, my next and final review will be after 1 full year. I am definitely no longer a NEWBIE, in terms of confidence and production. I have now generated over 150 posts and can easily construct and deliver a post on any topic of my choice. After 60 days I have decided to give Active Rain A Five Star Rating. My evaluation is based upon a number of factors, but, I was overwhelmingly influenced by the quality and abundance of available content generated and provided by the active members. Since I have not been a RainMaker for the first 60 days, I am only able to provide my opinion of the Free Membership, that is immediately available to anyone that signs up with Active Rain. My recommendation to individuals that are now contemplating Active Rain membership is to join. Why wouldn't you? There is no cost to sign up and you immediately gain access to relevant resources which are beyond your comprehension. The talent pool is enormous and new topics and articles are added every day. In fact every hour and virtually every minute, a new article and topic is being written and discussed. You will be knowledgeable about everything relating to real estate, at all times. When, or if, you decide to upgrade to the RainMaker status, you will find even more membership advantages that will actually increase your online presence and help grow your business. Another important consideration are the selective associations formed with other Active Rain Members. This unparalleled interaction is a benefit that can not be measured, but certainly can not be underestimated. Membership creates a family-like relationship that is strongly manifested by the desire and willingness to reach out to other members that are seeking advise, asking for help or simply looking for support. Active Rain is a nurturing community filled with individuals that are watching out for their friends. Why wouldn't anyone want to join Active Rain? If they have doubts, have them contact me."

"Admittedly, after almost all my business coming from repeat customers and their referrals, I was a bit leery about wading in to the world of Internet marketing. Blogging seemed the easiest way to venture out in to the world. What better way to let potential clients find out about me, hopefully enough to start out on a higher level of trust than just dialing up a lender through the Yellow Pages. Active Rain has been a fantastic resource for my clients, and a wonderful tool in my chest. I've received dozens of calls and e-mails now, and appreciate the forum Active Rain has provided that has allowed me to provide useful information to local people searching for it. Thank you Active Rain! You have helped me to turn 2009 in to a fantastic year!"

"I HAVE BEEN A REALTOR FOR GOING INTO MY FOURTH YEAR AND IN THAT SMALL TIME FRAME I HAVE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS.I GUESS THAT IS THE REASON FOR BEING A MULTI MILLION DOLLAR PRODUCER ALL 3 YEARS."

"I have 15 deposit slips with a tiny little "AR" in the corner. That's my financial success here, my true success... is so much more. I haven't had a cigarette in 3 months because I became "accountable" and "committed to quitting" right here. The out pouring of love got me through the loss of my Grandmother last year. I felt love and warmth during my mom's recent surgery. Now when telemarketers call and tell me they can get on the first page of Google, I tell them "I have that now for free, bye bye". I know all the best local joints to eat when I got on vacation (anywhere). There is SO much success to be found at ActiveRain."

"I have had great response from my participation with Active Rain and Buyers and Sellers can find me using search engines worldwide now. I have found that buyers and sellers alike enjoy using the Active Rain services for reference and to research area data and local agents. It has been my experience that buyers and sellers alike now are very well educated regarding the real estate markets and with the wealth of data available to them they need only find a competent Realtor to assist them."

"I just connected with another "newbie" to AR (as far as blogging) and she gave me GREAT advice on finding a new digital camera for my real estate/blog photos, PLUS she made me feel really good about one of my new posts--a DOUBLE WHAMMY! She's creative director for a graphics design company and her name is Keeya Jones. I hope to do business with her in getting some of my photos printed for my office."

"Since becoming a member of AR in late August I have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people from across the country. If have been wanting to expand my marketing and business associations into larger metropolitan areas. The problem was the physical distance which put a dampener on the opportunities to get to know new people. Through Active Rain, I have been able to meet new friends/associates and build some really great relationships. As the result, I am working on the approval of two new customers that will be working with my new found friend in Southern Wisconsin. If it wasn't for Active Rain, I would not have had this opportunity. I am looking forward to many, many more. Thanks to all who make this possible and the AR staff who continue to bring this network up notch after notch after notch."

"It has not been a "walk in the park" as most worthwhile things are not. We started on ActiveRain near their inception. We have gotten close to realtors all across this country and in others. The sharing has been wonderful, as has the learning about what buyers in other parts of the world are looking for, also with regard to sellers. Our tech savvy blend of local Santa Clarita real estate has conformed well with ActiveRain and we are proud to be a part of such a "niche" market without the felling of restriction. Kudos to the AR community and the AR leaders. Thanks from Connor and Paris at REMAX of California's Paris911 Team."

"I have worked with many agent referrals who have found me through Active Rain"