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"How Does Active Rain Make Money?" Chicago Wanted Answers.

By Craig Schiller

Industry Observer

June 18, 2007 12:22 AM

I swear EVERYONE, at this past weekend's Midwest West Celebration for Active Rain, wanted to know the answer to the GREAT mystery.... How does Active Rain make money? People even were grilling ME (as if I had an inside scoop). But like I told them... ask Matt. So sorry, you won't find that JUICY and complelling revelation here in this post.

However I DO have some other secret tid-bits about Matt & Lydia you might not know.

First, Matt does NOT like eating seafood. So I guess taking them to Navy Pier to a seafood restaurant, probably wasn't one of my best ideas! Also Matt has never seen fire-flies..., so when he did, he was so totally intrigued and delighted by them we had to find a jar to catch one... which he ended up releasing soon thereafter.

Lydia, (Matt's own TLW) had her own insect encounter here in Chicago. However Lydia was freaked by Chicago's Cicada infestation. This, I fear, proved NOT a good first impression of Chicago for her. To help her cope, she drank her Crown & Coke and tormented my cats. (Although she claims to LOVE cats.)

All in all... the gathering was a WONDERFUL and actively fun time! It is odd to see how quickly "strangers" can come together and start laughing and sharing as if they were the best of old friends. Equally amazing was to see how far some people traveled to be there. Lucky Lang came from Iowa, Lola Audu came from Michigan, and Kimberly Wester traveled from Indiana.

Not pictured are all the husbands and wives who accompanied their spouse to meet this quirky group of people. Let's face it... if you don't blog, and if you don't blog on Active Rain its hard to understand just what this place means to us. But I think they soon realized that whether you on-line or in person, Matt and company have created a wonderful way for people to connect and share ourselves and our lives. And that was why we came together to celebrate.

So, Matt and Lydia are next heading to Florida to celebrate and MAYBE finally provide an answer the Great mystery... How does Active Rain make money?

Celebrate It Forward...

PS: Here are links to festive recaps of this weekend's Chicago Active Rain 1st Anniversary celebration posts.

Lols's: Recipie for an Active Rain Celebration...Chicago Land Style!
Lucky's: Active Rain Birthday Party Chicago Style!!!
Sara Bonert's: THANK YOU Active Rain For The Chicago Birthday Party

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Lola Audu

Lola Audu~Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI Real Estate - Grand Rapids, MI

Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI ~Welcome Home!

Craig, Thanks for organizing this! It was great to meet you in person & to talk with so many other folks on Active Rain including Matt & Lydia. This was well worth the trip!

Jun 18, 2007 06:27 AM

Bryant Tutas

Tutas Towne Realty, Inc and Garden Views Realty, LLC - Winter Garden, FL

Selling Florida one home at a time

Craig, sounds like you guys had a really wonderful time. Boy I sure hope Lydia gets over her bug phobia before she gets to Florida. Bugs we have. In large quantity.

Jun 18, 2007 09:32 AM

Eileen Landau

BAIRD & WARNER, NAPERVILLE - Naperville, IL

ABR, CRS, e-PRO

Dear Co-conspirator Craig,

Perhaps the cake should go in the freezer for next year's party. We can save it for years! Who has to eat it? It will be a reminder of our beginnings.

Maggiano's was fantastic. Great food that just kept coming and coming. And, we enjoyed talking with those around us.

And, it certainly did seem like we knew each other, didn't it? And, we should plan another Chicago area lunch...just for the h_ll of it!

Jun 18, 2007 10:53 AM

Monika McGillicuddy

Prudential Verani Realty - Atkinson, NH

NH Real Estate Broker

Looks like you guys all had a great time. I am so jealous!

Jun 18, 2007 01:55 PM

Fran Gatti

RE/MAX Integrity - Medford, OR

Managing Principal Broker - RE/MAX Integrity

Thanks for sharing your celebration. I was there in spirit.

Fran

Jun 18, 2007 06:52 PM

Missy Caulk

Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI

Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

Craig, thanks for the pictures of the event. Yes, I think everyone has wondered it at one time or another, how do they eat and pay rent? And what is the future of AR?

If anyone can get it out of them it will be in Florida, with BB, TLW and Neal Bloom !!

Jun 18, 2007 11:56 PM

Sharon Simms

Coastal Properties Group International - Christie's International - Saint Petersburg, FL

St. Petersburg FL - CRS CIPS CLHMS RSPS

What's said in Florida stays in Florida!

So sad I'll be in Colorado that day...

Jun 19, 2007 03:29 PM

Josh Ketner

Coldwell Banker La Costa Realty - Seattle, WA

They make their money on activerain.net

Jun 20, 2007 10:47 AM

Sara Bonert

Zillow - Atlanta, GA

Real Estate Internet Marketing

Just gave the event a shout out on Zillow's corporate blog- http://www.zillowblog.com/zillow_blog/2007/06/active_rain_bir.html

The question of how they make money links to this post, so people we keep coming to you for answers to this holy grail question! :)

Jun 21, 2007 02:54 AM

Linda Davis

RE/MAX Home Team - Gales Ferry, CT

I'm impressed you halted traffic to take a photo of Matt and Lydia.

Jun 23, 2007 01:06 AM

Jordan M. Mackey

Overland Park Real Estate (No association with Inc) - Overland Park, KS

Overland Park Real Estate ::

Well danget :-P I saw the title and was like heck yeah! They are finally planning revealing their mysterious V.C funding or where the bill payments are coming from, but guess not even still we wait :-p

Jun 24, 2007 03:54 PM

William Johnson

Retired - La Jolla, CA

Retired

I want everyone to come for a giant celebration to San Diego in Nov of 2009 (NAR Annual Meeting). A national Rain Convention with all of us welcoming them.

Sounds like you all had a ball and I don't care how they make their money. For running this site whatever they make , however they make it, it is not enough. :)

Jun 24, 2007 06:40 PM

Brad Andersohn

Retired Executive Director of Education at eXp - Boulder Creek, CA

ActiveBrad - 707.646.1876

Great post Craig! Thanks for sharing. It almost felt like being there as I read through your memoirs. I love the layout, your design, your ability to pull me in as a reader, and your enthusiasm for the rain. I know that if the folks at AR make money from this network, they are more than deserving. It truly is a place to connect, get educated, make friends, and do business. Keep up the great work on your blog, I hope that someday I can get to your level of providing awesome looking posts with valuable and useful information. The best to you always, ME!!

Jun 24, 2007 07:05 PM

Angie Vandenbergh

Crye-Leike, Realtors - Memphis, TN

A Crye-Leike Blogger

A note about this article. It was featured in Active Rain's Week in Review 6/18/07---6/24/07

This post was one of the Top 25 picks for the week! Congratulations and thanks for writing a great blog!

Jun 25, 2007 02:09 AM

Chuck Dellorto

Coldwell Banker - Serving INDIANA & ILLINOIS - Highland, IN

"Talk To Chuck"

Craig - Sorry I missed the big party. I will be there next time (hopefully soon). Looks like you all had a great time.

Jun 29, 2007 05:23 PM

Anonymous

Michael Sumi

Active Rain is currently funded by Brio Realty. Brio plans to expand nationally and will be using Active Rain as its recruiting platform. Revenues will be generated through ad revenue and syndication of content from both Active Rain and Localism and the use of that content to sell advertising using either Google Adwords or via a merger with Inman, Move, or other company interested in social networks.

Jul 01, 2007 06:26 PM

#31

Matt Heaton

Timu Corp - CEO, ActiveRain - Co-founder - Bothell, WA

Michael, think your a little off in your analysis :) ActiveRain is not funded by Brio, though Brio Realty is a customer of our lead management platform. You'll see several subscription based services launched in the next several months, plus some advertising from vendors targetting our members. Content syndication does fall into our plan, but members content will not be syndicated out without their permission.

Jul 02, 2007 02:08 AM

Sharon Simms

Coastal Properties Group International - Christie's International - Saint Petersburg, FL

St. Petersburg FL - CRS CIPS CLHMS RSPS

Matt - thanks for adding your comments. Information is always better than speculation.

Jul 02, 2007 10:55 AM

Michael Hutchins - Consumer Advocate, Chicago

Michael Hutchins Ent. - Chicago, IL

Hi Craig. Sorry I missed it. I really wanted to be there. Next Year!

Jul 09, 2007 08:36 AM

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