Every day we receive new ideas, suggestions and requests to make ActiveRain better from our lovely members and we take those little golden nuggets to the Round Table.  With all hands on deck, we decide what is actually possible and what requests will make ActiveRain better.  Some of your gems don't get too far but others make it all the way through to production.

Here's what we have in store for our release on Wednesday May 23rd. This release will not require us to take the site down so there won't be any outages for you to worry about.

 

Expanded Q&A

We've had a Q&A board since shortly after our launch in 2006 but it was hidden and not given much love, from us, or from our members. In fact, almost every day some consumer would ask a question and often those questions would go whispering in the wind. Why? Mainly we didn't have the resources to focus on expanding the feature and getting it on the appropriate pages.

Today, we've breathed new life into the Q&A section and added it to the state pages for every state. If you go to the states menu on the top navigation bar and click on your state, you'll see the ability for anyone to ask a real estate related question. 

For our members, providing answers is a great way to generate leads, gain exposure and build rapport with consumers in your market who need professional opinions.  You're the professionals out there in the field each day and if you'd like to share your expertise then please by all means take a look at the Q&A.  Notice a new addition in the blue bar?


ActiveRain Question and Answer area

If you click the Q&A link in the blue bar, you'll be able to answer any questions as well as look over recent questions and answers. In addition, on the left hand side of your 'my home' page is a new link that says 'New Questions' and let's you know how many unanswered questions there are from your state. You can click that link to check out all the unanswered questions. Or you can browse through all the questions on your state page, as I know consumers would love to get as many opinions as possible when asking for professional assistance. 

It's not a first come first serve type of thing. Anyone can answer a question even if there have already been answers left for the question. Consumers are looking for awesome answers. I know as a community we are more than capable of providing them with awesome answers.




We hope that our members will keep this Q&A section focused on real estate related questions as opposed to asking questions about how to use some component of ActiveRain......but I suppose if someone decides to use it for that, our gracious members will probably help out with answers for those kind of questions as well. 

When someone asks a question, we get their email address. When you answer a question, your answer is emailed to them along with a link to your profile on ActiveRain. This is another great way to demonstrate your expertise online. To that I would suggest that everyone stick to answering questions in a state for which you have a license. 

We'd love to have you check it out and help us answer some of the hundreds of outstanding questions. There will surely be more to come in the future now that we've made it more readily accessible. 

 

Listings Tool

Ever been bummed about not being able to list your commercial or land listings?  Or did you put in a perfectly valid address yet get kicked out because the system wouldn't identify it as one?  Well it's been fixed!  Previously the Listings Tool required each field completed in order to activate; well that didn't work for your land or commercial listings that didn't have beds or baths.  As of today, the only field required to activate a listing is a City.  You're still allowed 20 listings so go get 'em tiger!

 

ActiveRain Staff

We have some new faces working for AR.  Check out our newly updated About page to see some familiar faces and some new ones too.  I'm very proud to be a part of such a wonderful team and you should feel good knowing we've got the best of the best working hard to keep this wonderful platform rolling!

 

SEO Upgrades

We made a few additional SEO updates that dealt mostly with some of the ways we displayed pages to search engines. Just some additional clean up as we head toward really putting our best foot forward to the Google monster. Nothing that impacts any of your content specifically. It had to do more with what happens when content is removed from ActiveRain or the search engines find a page that was eliminated.


~Kerrie

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99 Comments on New Release: Q&A, Listings Tool & the AR Staff

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All

MAY
24
2012
415,953 Points 5 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp

I like this idea.  Good job ActiveRain!  I am going to check it out and participate.

8:45am • #82
1,144,537 Points 124 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

I'm heading on over to my state to see what's going on. From the perspective of a broker I would be concerned about agents that are answering questions outside of the state they are licensed.  I see this on other platfoms and it is misleading and incorrect information which could open a can of worms  We need to keep a close eye on this as a community.

9:52am • #83
151,880 Points 1 Featured Post Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Good info.  There's always more to learn!  I appreciate this update!

10:03am • #84
470,318 Points 50 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

I like the new look, btw. I'll check out the Q&A but I would caution agents answering tax and legal questions. These are questions I get from consumers and clients frequently, and I always direct them to an attorney or their licensed tax preparer. Thanks for all your hardwork to make improvements to ActiveRain!

11:28am • #85
1,120,807 Points 25 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Kerrie glad to know that we can now add our land listings on AR. Thanks

2:45pm • #86
678,305 Points 18 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Kerrie - Thanks so much for all you all do on the AR team to make it better for us n the Rain.  Love the Q&A idea - now to check it out...   I agree with Karen Anne about the snippets....

8:14pm • #87
MAY
25
2012
1,403,366 Points 7 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Howdy and morning Kerrie and Bob

Kerrie and Bob, what in the world was up with the site going on with the curtain going up and the site going down last night the 24th, 2 times that I know of? And no forewarning that it was going to happen?


I also go along with Karen Ann and others that there should not be any points given to members that answer the questions that have been left by the public on the Q & A board.


The first reason has to do with, who can say that some members would not have family and friends, or folks that work in their office leave a question just so they can write an answer to it for points. Y'all know as will as I, there are some members that would do that kind of thing.


The second reason has to do with the fact, that if a member does take the time to check the questions left for their area and write an answer that really does help that person, then their reward will come in the form of that they have done the right thing by being helpful and more than likely getting new clients, which can add up to being money in their pocket.


Have a good one
Dale in New Hampshire

1:38am • #88

Dale - Let me apologize for the downtime last night.  Unexpectedly they had to for maintenance issues and if we knew about it beforehand we definiely would have communicated that to the Community.  I hope it wasn't too much of an inconvenience for you.

Thank you all for the comments, suggestions and replies.  We're listening!!

8:45am • #89
512,152 Points 13 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Great!  Active Rain you are the best!  Will enjoy exploring this new feature!

8:55am • #90
382,396 Points 5 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Kerrie, 

Always good new items at AR!  Hope you have an awesome Memorial Day weekend with Margarita in hand:-)

All the best, Michelle

11:36am • #91
1,029,193 Points 16 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

I am getting to this late.  I did notice something new today.  It seems our post have been Monetized. I can understand AR needing revenue streams.  However, how will putting those extra links in impact our Google Juice.?

7:52pm • #92
MAY
26
2012
205,395 Points 11 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp

Au Contraire. Please do. It's actually not a bad model. I've been a contributing member for years and actually like it better than their blogging platform.

6:17pm • #94
MAY
27
2012
623,515 Points 8 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

I just noticed the Q&A section the other day. That looks like a fun addition, I will check it out. :-))

7:36am • #95
MAY
30
2012
JUN
01
2012

Thank you for the update!

7:37am • #97
JUN
12
2012

 

 

I like the  Q&A section of active rain. will check out the Q&A and will love to answer the questions related to real estate.

7:17am • #98
JUN
17
2012
127,487 Points 1 Featured Post

Oh - did I mention how much I like Activerain!

9:32am • #99
JUN
21
NOV
02
238,720 Points 5 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

I was not aware of this feature Q&A. I will take a look.

 

7:35pm • #101

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