Once upon a time there was a lonely real estate agent. She worked from her home office. And as much as she enjoyed it, sometimes it was lonely. Every morning she checked her email, made her phone calls and reviewed her paperwork.  When clients wanted to see properties, she made appointments and showed them houses. When potential clients wanted to list homes she prepared CMAs and met with them. Several times  a month she paid her bills and reviewed her paperwork.

Life was good, but it was boring.

One day, while reading a real estate publication, she came across an article that talked about a website called ActiveRain. Always trying to be cutting edge, this lonely real estate agent logged on to the ActiveRain site and became a member. She snooped around the site and read some interesting things. She decided to write a blog post and held her breath as she posted it live to ActiveRain. And one by one, people read what she wrote. 

Each day, she would log on to AR and read what others were writing. Sometimes she would send them an email but most often she would post comments and they would respond. These same people started posting comments on her posts and she would respond. Eventually, more and more people posted comments and she had more and more people that she was communicating with on AR. Soon she had ActiveRain Associates.

Eventually, she decided not to renew her newspaper advertising. She had never gotten any direct clients from the advertising and her improved web presence as a result of ActiveRain gave her credibility with the kinds of clients that she sought, anyway.

Little by little, the lonely real estate agent realized that she wasn't lonely anymore. Her home office had become her office at the center of the real estate industry. She had access to the best and the brightest from all over the country. When she had a technical question, it was just minutes before she received a collaborative answer. She could share her ideas with potential clients and publish information that was helpful to buyers and sellers. When she was frustrated, she could look to her new colleagues for sympathy and advice and when she needed new ideas there was no shortage of people ready and willing to help.She could share her ideas with potential clients and publish information that was helpful to buyers and sellers.

This lonely real estate agent had become a real estate agent with a huge network of caring and talented real estate agents to work with and found a large community of potential clients with whom to communicate.

Thanks, ActiveRain...you have changed the way I do business. Life is good and it is NOT boring!