One of my favorite stories involves a fellow ActiveRainer from California.

One Friday I had just a terible day. I went home and just poured my frustrations out into a blog. I hit SUBMIT and then headed to pour a glass of wine. Not five minutes later my cell phone rang.

The caller says, “Erica, this is Ced Reynolds. I know you just had a horrible day, but I'm calling to tell you tomorrow will be better.” He didn't just reply to my post with a comment. I could not believe someone read my blog and bothered to pick up the phone to call me. He called me personally to brighten my day, and it worked.

That's the power of online networking--and the power of Active Rain!

You start by reading other people's posts. You get to know things about them that go beyond their professional profiles. They post real estate related blogs, then you read something about their kids, or what they did last weekend, and you really feel like you know them.

The relationships I have made on ActiveRain and using other professional sites (LinkedIn, etc) are varied. I've received dozens of referrals from other agents. I've met like-minded folks who I do enjoy reading their posts and learn from their experiences.

And I've cultivated a few close-knit relationships where I probably know more about their lives, their kids and their spouses than most of my neighbors. When I read Active Rain blogs about a member's family or personal life, or a Facebook update with pictures of their kids, I feel closer to that member and feel like I know him/her even better.

We have something in common and can find plenty to discuss/debate. We grow as agents and as people when we can bounce ideas off and learn from one another's experiences.

Perhaps it will help to let you know I went from working in a large office with dozens of agents, to out on my own. Some of my earliest members-only posts were asking questions about setting up my office to how to recruit other agents. Online I found the camaraderie and networking that I no longer had in a large office. I was surprised at first at how willing others were to give advice and guidance.

I never would have felt comfortable calling another broker in town and asking for help, but online advice came from all over the country. I learned what other brokers were doing, and made contacts I could call on the phone to ask questions.

I also learned how great is is to vent (rant) online, and get your frustrations out to a group of people who probably understand just what you're going through, and who can sympathize. Sometimes you just need to blow off steam and your spouse is not always the best recipient of your ranting and raving.

Active Rain is now a daily habit for me. I start each day with coffee and blogging, reading posts from the day before. I sometimes end the day the same way.