Active Rain Meetups-One Of My Favorite Things To Do

Active Rain Meetups-One Of My Favorite Things To Do

If you haven't been to or scheduled to attend an ActiveRain Meetup, WHY NOT?  You don't know what you are missing!   

We are very lucky in Maryland to have some of the most prolific, intelligent, professional, kind, funny, open, honest, beautiful, friendly....well I think you get the idea....ActiveRain members around. 

OK, I know that most of the folks that are ACTIVE ActiveRain members don't come to the party if they don't have something going on, but these people are truly amazing on and off the computer.  I bet if you attended one (or more) of these meetups, you found the same!

I attended my first ActiveRain event a few years ago, when Margaret Rome held a very special Open House.  I have attended every one in the area since.  Many of these folks have become business associates, all of them have become mentors, and most of them have truly become friends.  Each meetup is different, but there is always a common thread...sharing, friendship, positivity, laughs, and lots of pictures!

 

 

 These are not folks that are complaining about not being busy enough and don't have anything better to do.  These are folks that have been and are very successful (SUPER BUSY) in real estate and in life.  They come from different companies, but they don't try to recruit each other or poo poo the others business model.  They celebrate each others successes, refer business, ask and answer questions....They care about each other, having gotten to know them first by reading their posts here on ActiveRain.  They are authentic.  What you see is really what you get.

Margaret Rome said "It's not about the company, it's about the person.  We don't care where they hang their license, but how they treat their clients and our referrals."  

 

I am a loan officer.  I don't attend meetups to solicit business, although over time many of these folks have referred clients to me, and I have referred business to them.  I don't go with a rate sheet or reasons why they should use me.  Every lender touts "great rates and great service", my goal is to meet folks and get to know  them in person, share a laugh (many laughs, really), good food and great conversation.  If there is a good fit, the business will come.  When it does, I am grateful and do everything in my power to ensure that the referrals are well taken care of.  When it doesn't that's OK too.

 

I made the mistake of telling Margaret that I didn't get a chance to post this yesterday because I didn't "have time".  As soon as it came out of my mouth I realized what a silly thing that was to say (especially to Margaret who somehow finds time to call members, mentor, post daily, AND sell a ton of Real Estate.  No one has any more or less time than I do.  We all have business, family, life... but everyone who is ACTIVE realizes the importance of this forum, of the connections.  

 

I have fallen down a bit on my blogging of late.  The meetup was a great way to reconnect.  The online Boot Camp will help too.

Take the time to get out from behind the computer monitor and connect, truly connect.  Blogging is a form of social media.  I think sometimes we're so caught up in the media, we forget the social. If there wasn't a meetup scheduled in your area, pick up the phone and invite someone (or a few someone's) for lunch or for coffee, or for a cocktail or a walk.  We are blessed to have folks (Margaret Rome and Martha Brown so far) who have been willing to take the lead in our area and the group is growing.  

 

I am proud to say that several folks I personally invited joined in the fun:

• Andrea Bedard (Fabulous and caring Montgomery and Anne Arundel County Realtor...specializes in military buyers and sellers-a lifestyle she is intimately familiar with) 
• Diane Phillips (a sweet, hard-working Carroll County and PA Realtor-, both wonderful people and bloggers whom I would highly recommend you follow if you are not already. 
• Denise Litzau of Property Title & Escrow (She was kind enough to take the group pictures, unfortuately I missed capturing her)-I have worked with these folks for years and re-connected recently....I sent Denise an AR invite, I will let you know when she starts blogging. She was impressed with this group!  They are offering $295 plus title insurance on purchases over $300K.  They also offer free tax assessment appeals.  Try them, you won't be disappointed. 

Margaret's client Lucy Clark was there too.  She is not only the previous owner of the Chocolate House...

http://activerain.com/blogsview/2124363/this-is-a-reblog-by-c-tann-starr-you-missed-the-bixler-church-open-house

she has started a business that includes custom floor plans and custom maps for Real Estate.  Lucy has a ton of ideas and will Floor You (and your clients).  This is pretty cool stuff that would fit really well with the Single Property Websites I offer to my realtor partners to add to their marketing of their listings.

All in all, there were 15 of us...we had a few more who RSVP'd, but were unable to attend.  Ellie McIntire (and a few others) managed to scoot before the group picture, but I got to catch her with Diane and her newly signed copy of "Sell Your Home the Right Rome Way." 

 

I bet the next Maryland meetup will be even bigger.  Martha Brown is already planning one in Annapolis for May when Jeff Dowler is in town.  You know I will be there, won't you join us? 

In the meantime...anybody want to have lunch?

ActiveRain Meetups-One of my favorite things to do!

 

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee  Maryland Mortgage Mama  NMLS# 196068  CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc.   410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure! 

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest.  Please contact me at 410-960-2061.