AR so Far: The Raindrops are Excellent.

We still think of ourselves as kinda new around here. We didn’t do a lot of things right at first, like reading the Community Guidelines and that’s why it took us a while to get up and running. We also had a misplaced attitude.

We had an outside blog first, before finding AR, one that we were quite proud of. We first thought AR was for people who didn’t have outside blogs. As such, we did not allow ourselves to see AR's real potential and opportunity. We were wrong. Becoming an active member of the AR community drives traffic to your outside blog. It increases your readers, your business and your potential for referrals.

More importantly, at least it is to us, are the friends we’ve made on AR so far. And that grows daily, not as a collective quest, but as a natural flow of community participation and events. It doesn't get much better than this.

As we pass 50,000 points, not a significant place in AR growth in particular, but for us a breath perhaps to take and reflect, we thought we’d share a few things that we have figured out about AR so far:

• There are a lot of smart people here.

• There are a lot of good writers here.

• There are excellent agents here. A lot of them. And mortgage brokers. And home stagers.

• We are dealing with the cutting edge professionals in our industry.

• There is a lot to learn... about a lot here.

• Some people are very serious about their AR. That's good. Ignore it if it gets overbearing.

• Active participation in AR will increase your professional skills. It will also increase your business. (We'll repeat this a few more times.)
  

Getting Started:

• Read the Community Guidelines.
• Start making comments immediately.
• Write about anything. Just jump in, the water’s fine.
• People will help you if you make a mistake. This is a safe place.
• Find someone who’s work you like. Ask them questions. You’ll find a new friend and a mentor.

• There is a tremendous air of politeness and professional courtesy here.
• Once one gets it, the politeness carries over into how we treat others in our market.
• It also carries over to our clients, especially in a tough market.

• The points system is genius.
• They are worth nothing much more than keeping one involved.
• Watch out, gathering them is seductive.
• More points equals greater participation.
• Greater participation equals terrific new relationships and expanded industry knowledge.
• This will spill over into increased confidence, presence and client trust.

• The comments system is more genius than the points.
• Awarding Points for Comments is even more genius than that. It really keeps you involved and comments in their wake causes you to meet more people, learn new things and attract others to you.
• Read the comment trails. They tell you more about who AR people are.
• Comment trails are frequently more helpful and informative than the original post.
• When someone comments on your post, thank them, then comment on something they did, and then comment on their outside blog. You will make friends when you do that.
• It is always a very good thing to comment on other peoples outside blogs. (it is worth repeating)
• Participating in AR will attract people to you and increase your business. (we said we'd say it again)

• Don’t do it. Plain and simple.
• Don't even post other people's work with permission. That keeps us from better knowing YOU, and keeps you apart from, instead of a part of.
• Your work will be just fine, no matter what you think, and don’t put yourself down or be timid about it.
• The more posts you write, the better you will be at it.

Featured Posts:

• They too are seductive.
• Don't worry about them.
• Write from your heart. They will take care of themselves.
• Sometimes you will think what's featured shouldn't be. That's part of it.
• Sometimes your work will be overlooked. That's part of it too. (we're all Bozos on the same bus).

Dealing with AR:

• Lydia Heaton and Caleb are a helpful pleasure to deal with.
• Rich Jacobson is one of the conscious centers of AR. So is Colleen and Laurie. Read them.
• Lenn is too. Pay attention to what she says about copy right. And don’t forget Ardell. She’s got something to say, and look how much help she was for Kevin.
• BB and TLW are about as funny as it gets. BB is also an excellent agent... you don’t get to be that loose and creative without foundation.
• We’ve never met, nor connected with Jeff Turner yet, but everybody we know who has met him says he’s really a nice guy.
• Irina Netchaev was instrumental in getting us started. So was Rich, who helped us with our first mistake, and when he did, he made a friend... even if from afar.

We’ve only been here for a few months. There are so many good ideas, so much information, and we’re only just starting, but here’s who’s work, good ideas and help we subscribe to so far: (check'em out, put in your 2 cents, be nice and see what happens.)

Click Here (for something cool)

	Miami Redlands Real Estate Thoughts Miami Redland Real Estate | Maggie Dokic - Miami, FL
	"The Lovely Wifes" Blog.... "The Lovely Wife"...Broker Bryant's...Wife! - Dundee, FL
	America's Most Opinionated Mortgage Broker Brian Brady- Mortgage Rates Report - San Diego, CA
	Idaho Real Estate >> ID Real Estate Specialist George Tallabas - Boise ID Real Estate - Nampa, ID
	Celebration Florida Real Estate | Celebration FL Homes-Condos | Orlando Realtor Orlando Homes Colleen Kulikowski - Celebration, FL
	Central Oregon Real Estate Information Central Oregon Real Estate | Thesa Chambers, Broker, Sunriver Realty - Sunriver, OR
	Carlsbad Homes and Real Estate Tidbits >> Carlsbad REALTOR Speaks Out Jeff Dowler ~ Carlsbad, California Real Estate - Carlsbad, CA
	SEATTLE Area Real Estate - Active Rain ARDELL DellaLoggia - Seattle, WA
	Houses and More Bonnie Erickson - Saint Paul, MN
	Eric's New Orleans Real Estate Eric Bouler - New Orleans, LA
	Rick & Ines's Blog Rick & Ines - Miami Shores Real Estate - Miami, FL
	Living At The Lake Judi Barrett - Idabel, OK
	Realtor Diane Bell's Hilton Head and Bluffton Real Estate Blog Diane Bell Hilton Head Real Estate, Bluffton - Hilton Head Island, SC
	Broker Bryant's Real Estate Ramblings Bryant Tutas - Poinciana, FL
	Rich Jacobson ~ West Sound WA Real Estate Rich Jacobson ~ West Sound WA Real Estate - Silverdale, WA
	Asheville, N.C. Real Estate Talk ~ janeAnne's Conversations on ECO-Wise Land Legacies & Homes janeAnne "Green-o-Lina" Narrin, e-PRO, ECO Owner/Broker - Asheville, NC
	Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com in Maryland and Virginia Lenn Harley - Rockville, MD
	Laurie's Blog Laurie Mindnich - Southold, NY
	The vacation home blog Summit County, Colorado Realtor l Joanne Hanson - Frisco, CO
	South Beach Condo Blog Kevin Tomlinson - Miami Beach Real Estate - Miami Beach, FL
	Ann Arbor and Saline Michigan Real Estate Ann Arbor Real Estate |Missy Caulk - Ann Arbor, MI L
	Crye-Leike Blogger Angie Vandenbergh, a Crye-Leike Blogger - Memphis, TN
	Beth Butler and the Real Estate Genome Beth Butler - South Miami, FL
	Crescent City/Del Norte County, CA. News you can use Fran Gatti - Crescent City, CA - Crescent City, CA
	Mary Pope-Handy's Silicon Valley Real Estate Commentary Mary Pope-Handy, ABR, CRS, ePRO, SRES - Los Gatos, CA
	Real Estate Musings from St Pete, Florida Sharon Simms St Pete Florida CRS CIPS CLHMS - Saint Petersburg, FL
	The Real Estate Tomato Real Estate Tomato - Paradise, CA
	The Title and Escrow Guy - Brad Andersohn Brad Andersohn - Concord, CA
	Carole's Cleveland Blog Carole Cohen - Cleveland, OH
	Sacramento CA Real Estate Blog Gena Riede, Real Estate Broker, Sacramento CA - Sacramento, CA
	Park City Real Estate Julie Olsen, Park City Real Estate - Park City, UT
	For What it's Worth! Ed Rybczynski - Mortgage Fraud Speaker & Expert - Parkville, MD
	Silicon Valley Housing Blog by Steve Leung Steve Leung - Cupertino, CA
	Long Beach CA Real Estate Blog Downtown Long Beach Condos Long Beach Real Estate, Laurie Manny - Long Beach, CA
	Marin County Real Estate Kyle Frazier - Novato, CA
	Hawaii Randy's Blog Randy L. Prothero (R), CRS, GRI - Mililani, HI L
	Paul Chaney, The Blog Coach Paul Chaney - Lafayette, LA
	The Art Of Marketing You marti garaughty - The Art Of Marketing You - Montreal, QC
	FRANKLY Real Estate Blog FRANK LL0SA- Northern Virginia Broker .:. FranklyRealty.com - Arlington, VA
	Elite Properties Sacramento - Broker's Blog John Lockwood - Sacramento, CA
	Pasadena Real Estate Views Pasadena CA Real Estate - Irina Netchaev - Pasadena, CA
	Plausibilities, Ironies, and Twisted Tales Suzi Gravenstuk - Long Beach, MS
	Tony Marriott's Phoenix Arizona Real Estate Blog Tony Marriott, Associate Broker, CRP, CLHMS, CRB, CRS ~~ Phoenix Arizona - Phoenix, AZ

  Michael's Bellingham Real Estate Blog Michael Eisenberg, Bellingham Realtor - Bellingham, WA