This month, Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400 and I want to know what makes you exceptional?
It is estimated that in the United States alone, there are OVER 3 MILLION real estate agents, with over 1 million REALTORS. While the number of US adults that are real estate agents is somewhere around ~.75-1%, it should be noted that there are estimated to be just about ~20,000 cities, towns, and villages in the US, with about three quarters of these areas having populations of 5,000 or fewer people. This means that to succeed and thrive in real estate, it’s important to … (93 comments)
activerain: What a Long, Strange, Trip It's Been
- 06/01/22 03:06 PM
One Million Points! After this post and May's contest points come through, I'm guaranteed to join the prestigious 1M point club! And a long, strange journey it has been.
My ActiveRain blog began in March 2010 with a member's only post called "No Fund!". I find it somewhat amusing that at the time, I thought to use my blog to provide news - industry-related news, updates, and 'need to knows', and today, the site continues to get some push in that direction from it's owners. In 2010, I don't know who owned ActiveRain, but I know Kerrie La Guardia was the boss. … (23 comments)
Recently I was talking to one of my oldest, best, and most talented friends, Dave Fitzgerald. Just catching up, shooting the breeze, and seeing how he was. I've always known Dave to be a good guy and in the area of the arts, pretty talented. He's gotten into photography over the years, and from what he's shared, has gotten really good really fast. The surprise came when he shared his website, and I saw that some of what he's done has been real estate focused.
So it's no surprise I thought ActiveRain should be a spot he … (8 comments)
Well, I've got to thank the hosts and Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400 for filling me in on this month's Activerain Zoom calls. I haven't been active in the rain for many reasons, mostly because I'm busy as heck, but these calls have been so worthwhile to see some familiar faces, and to finally put a face to the voices I hear over the phone. I've talked with Debe Maxwell, CRS , Eileen Burns and George Souto over the phone, and have had the pleasure of hanging out with Jeff Dowler, CRS in person, but to be able to get some facetime via zoom has been … (25 comments)
This month Jeff Dowler, CRS asked us to take a trip down memory lane and think about what's changed - 10 years ago feels like a lifetime, and so much has changed I could probably write a book (and maybe I will!), but professionally, 10 years has moved the needle a lot. Personally, the needle has moved quite a bit, too. Let's dive in:
- 10 years ago I was living in Northern Delaware in a suburb of Philadelphia (about a half hour from the city). I'd bought my first home that year at the age of 23. Fast forward to … (21 comments)
800,000 points. 5 years ago, that seemed like a lifetime away when I entered the world of ActiveRain and slowly learned my way around. 100,000 came as a struggle. 200,000 came faster. Then I hit some momentum. Lots of featured posts, the phone was ringing with people that found my blog, and I was making money while building relationships. I learned SO much. And SO quickly. I learned about real estate in different areas of the country. I learned how I could help real estate agents build their business. I was able to provide some … (37 comments)
Today I had a meeting with a local, young, and successful agent in my office. In an hour's time we talked about a lot. Website creation, SEO, blogging, social media, video marketing, referral business, long-tail keyword use, and network growth - all in an hour.
Like a lot of agents (and business owners in general), the question that came up first was "where do I start?". My answer, as it has been for the past few years, was simple. ActiveRain.
Why?
There's been a lot of flack that ActiveRain has "fallen off". It … (56 comments)
Activerain has exorcised the demons! The photo upload issues that have caused so much stress for so many for such a long issue has been taken care of. If you haven't been able to post photos recently, either in the form of uploading new photos to your editor OR trying to use the 'featured photo' feature, if you clear your browser cache and try again today, you should be relieved.
My recent blog about my trip to Channel Islands was screaming for some photo love, and I just did a test to see if the … (19 comments)
I recently wrote a blog about ActiveRain's guiding principles and the responsibility we have as users of the site & members of the community to maintain the platform, improve the platform, and ensure the platform maintains value for consumers and our fellow members. When reviewing the Activerain community guidelines, it is clear the principles and guidelines are tied in with each other. One of those guidelines is often a hot topic at Active Rain. Points.
One of the ActiveRain community guidelines states "The point system is intended to encourage and reward genuine effort. Points … (8 comments)
If you've been hanging around ActiveRain this past month, chances are you've seen this crazy 'W' word floating around. Usually once a year, we're invited to review, reflect, and write about the Weltenschauung of ActiveRain, or the guiding principles that make the AR community such a unique and beneficial place to us all.
For me, the heart and soul of ActiveRain lies within the community, and the foundation of that community is our business. For that reason, it's principle #1 that resonates most strongly with me.
1. We understand that the value of the ActiveRain community rests … (24 comments)
Monday Motivation, the Weekly Forecast, "Wednesday on the Hump", Friday Market Wraps - for a while, I was on fire here in the rain. Hell bent on hitting the 500k point mark - and doing so before Nicole Doty - Gilbert Real Estate Expert ; ) - I was spitting out blog posts several times a week, commenting, and participating with the best of them. The next 100k has come a LOT slower. Work's been busy, along with a crazy social life and a packed schedule, blogging fell a bit by the wayside. Activerain … (52 comments)
Local ActiveRain Real Estate Network members met yesterday, 4/28 at Saddle Ranch saloon in Costa Mesa, CA for great weather, good drinks, food, and some great company. It was a small gathering, but as usual, a fun one!
In attendance were Christine Donovan , Sharon Paxson , Jill Murty, Realtor - Orange County, CA , Jay Valento, myself, and Christine's special guest. There were beers, apps, and s'mores by the fire, and some good discussion about (you'd never guess this part) real estate, ActiveRain, dogs, souless real estate agents (the ones that don't like puppies), and more.
When thinking of who to call for this month's challenge, I tried to come up with people I've never spoken with in person before. I was actually pretty shocked to realize I'd never had a person to person, voice to voice conversation with Beth - we've communicated back & forth for a couple years now in the rain, and are facebook friends as well. After talking with Beth for a bit, I was glad we had the chat!
Beth lives & works in the suburban Orlando, FL market, primarily in Clermont, FL, and … (13 comments)
I've come a long way since writing my first post back in 2010. I've moved across the country, changed employers (only recently...I'm not a nomad by trade), and have seen a wild ride in the real estate market. I also learned to blog (kind of), have met a ton of great people (and some not so great ones) through the interwebs, and sometime in September 2013 decided consistency in writing would probably be a good thing. At that point, 500,000 seemed like a major goal that was really far out of reach, but I made it … (89 comments)
This month's contest held by Dick Greenberg invites us to show the world our wallpaper. On the surface, it's a pretty simple request, but in thinking about it and reading other submissions, I realized someone's wallpaper is the thing they want to see multiple times each & every day. For most, it's personal, and as Karen Fiddler pointed out, a glimpse into someone's soul. Pretty cool contest!
I have 3 devices that I use most often, and 3 different wallpapers.
My Cell Phone
Marley was my first dog. My parents brought this guy home when I was 11 years old, … (15 comments)
Referrals. They're the lifeblood of many a business, and in the real estate industry, they play an important role in business growth. They come from all over - sometimes they're self-generated through marketing, sometimes they come from a friend or family, and sometimes they come from online ActiveRain friends.
I caught up today with an agent I've known and have worked with for years in Pennsylvania. We discussed some upcoming changes to my business (that announcement will be coming in a couple weeks), some new benefits being offered to our real estate partners, and of course, … (22 comments)
Just signed up for an ActiveRain membership? Congratulations, you're ahead of the curve.
Many people I've noticed come to AR, set up a profile, then forget their login and never come back. To that group, I say: "You're doing it wrong".
In reality, that's the first step I'd suggest people do, though - create (and complete) your profile, add your service areas, and let people know a little bit about yourself. What do you do? Where are you from? What makes you different? Let us know!
Last month I was largely MIA in the rain & missed out on some great contests, including a cloudburst that I was sure I'd get done! Thankfully, June brings us another cloudburst amongst some other really cool contests.
June's Cloudburst
Think you can write 20 blogs, leave 125 comments, make a few phone calls, and teach us a few things about your area and technology all by June 30? I think you can, and if I'm right, the AR point patrol will reward you with 3000 big ones to be used at the ActiveRain points store, whenever … (22 comments)
Here's a peak inside my ActiveRain diary over the years:
March 2010 - "Sure I'll sign up for this site, I don't know what I'm doing, but let's blog (what's a blog?)!
2010 - September 2013 - "ActiveRain? Oh, I forgot about that, I think I wrote a blog or 2 this year..."
September 2013 - present - "Why didn't I do this sooner!?!?"
I'm on a mission to hit 500,000 ActiveRain points. Do I expect the 'point store' to be up and running when I get there? Nope! But they do serve as motivation. Sure, there's the $10/month reduction … (17 comments)
When: Monday, May 11th, 4pm Where: Yard House Restaurant, 1875 Newport Blvd, Costa Mesa CA 92627 (In the Triangle...easy parking, yay!) What: Your local Spring meetup
Christine Donovan and I will be hosting an ActiveRain Spring meetup on May 11th, and we'd love it if you were able to join us. Located minutes from all the major freeways, the PCH, and literally right off the 55, the 4pm start time will help avoid most of the post-work traffic and make your Monday something to look forward to!
I've come to love our Orange County meetups, and if recent … (22 comments)
What Makes You Exceptional?
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