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First Impression-ist Masterpieces Now Hang in the Active Rain Gallery

By
Industry Observer
Last week something new began to be seen in the great hallowed halls of Active Rain. Beautiful blog masterpieces started to appear. Active Rain gave to us all another great new improvement to help us all better differentiate and further brand ourselves through our blogs. We now all have the access to a FREE tool, the ActiveRain Customizer, that allows us to easily create a visual masterpiece of our own blogs. 

I have scoured Active Rain's walls to find 15 fine examples of blogs that have a new and improved branded" look. I encourage you to click and open the examples below, to see in detail what others have already done. You will notice that some blogs have a look that is simpler, for they have been designed by "beginners," while others look more complex, because they have been created by seasoned designers. DON'T BE INTIMIDATED!!! It is quick, easy and fun to create a great first impression blog.     If you need some basic instruction to get you started?  Here are links to four blogs that will guide you along...

Again, this is just a small sample of all the creativty taking place, if you have created your own masterpiece... please post a link to it in a comment below. I am sure others will love to see all the fresh new looks being shown in the Rain.

Finally, I have to say that these visual changes all call to mind the stager's mantra... "First impressions matter!" Funny thing is that what my fellow stagers and I have been saying now doesn't only apply to how a property looks when it is selling in the marketplace. First impressions now also matter when you are presenting/selling yourself in your blog. 

So go and tap into your inner Monet... and enjoy yourself as you create a Impressionistic Blog Masterpiece.

Me

   

Comments (58)
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Kevin O'Shea
Coldwell Banker - White Plains, NY
White Plains, NY Real Estate

Thanks for the great info.  I will be looking into these, this is all new to me, but very interesting.

Thanks

Kevin

White Plains, NY

Apr 15, 2008 07:25 AM
Pam Dent
Gayle Harvey Real Estate, Inc. - Charlottesville, VA
REALTOR® - Charlottesville Virginia Homes / Horse
I loved all the examples.  I can't believe how maniy people have jumped on the band wagon already.  I'll have to follow soon.  It looks so much better.  The only downside is some take a long time to load.
Apr 15, 2008 02:24 PM
Linda Davis
RE/MAX Home Team - Gales Ferry, CT
I am honored to have made the masterpiece list!  For those afraid to jump in and try, the instructions are very easy to follow!!  And  I just kept trying until I got it right.
Apr 16, 2008 12:56 AM
Gary Barnett
Home Matters - Indianapolis, IN
Home Matters Property Stylist Group, Indianapolis
Good Morning Craig and thanks for the instructions.  I fixed Linda up with a purdy puddle last night and I have to say I am pretty puddly pleased with the outcome.  Can't wait to purdy my puddle.  Thanks a ton for pointing me to the "how to's".
Apr 16, 2008 12:58 AM
Patty Carroll
Vancouver, WA

Hey Craig,

Love your post.

Where do you get your great graphics/clip art?

Patty & Scott Carroll - RE/MAX Equity Group Vancouver WA

 

Apr 16, 2008 04:37 AM
Craig Schiller
Trempealeau, WI

Hi Patty & Scott.

Glad it helped. As for my art... I eather make it myself. Which I seem to be doing more and more these days. OR I scour the web looking for it. You just need to be careful about copy rights. But if you look hard enough you can find stuff.

But mostly now I make my own things.

Me

Apr 16, 2008 10:25 AM
Gena Riede
Riede Real Estate, Lic. 01310792 - Sacramento, CA
Real Estate Broker - Sacramento CA Real Estate (916) 417-2699

Craig, after seeing all the great things everyone has been doing with their AR site, I finally went in and tried my wee hand at it.

Tell me what you think... Sacramento with Gena Riede   any suggestions, Mr. Frame Man?

There are some great looking sites out there, yours being one.

Apr 17, 2008 05:57 AM
Gary Barnett
Home Matters - Indianapolis, IN
Home Matters Property Stylist Group, Indianapolis
OK pal, I got both Linda's and mine done, Tah na look and let me know if I've done you proud?
Apr 17, 2008 06:06 AM
Sasha Miletic - Windsor Real Estate
RE/MAX Preferred Realty Ltd. - Windsor, ON

Craig, all your themes seems to be good. Let me give it a try.

Best - Sash

PS: FREE blog traffic strategy video...click here

Apr 17, 2008 02:46 PM
Debra Kukulski, Broker Associate
RE/MAX Suburban - Cary, IL
SRES;SFR,CDPE;GRI;ABR;e-PRO Realtor, Northern IL
Craig and all of the featured bloggers here....they all look GREAT!  Now if I only had time to figure out how to do it to mine!
Apr 20, 2008 02:29 AM
Mesa, Arizona Real Estate Mesa Arizona Realtor
Homes Arizona Real Estate LLC - Mesa, AZ
AzLadyInRed

Okay, I love, love, love these works of art! How cool to see so many that I've not yet visited. A great addition to our Active Rain wall! ;-) Mine is located here: The Lady In Red - Teri Ellis

 

 

Pepper

Apr 20, 2008 10:24 AM
Toronto's 2 Hounds Design: Decorating + Staging
2 Hounds Design + Home Staging - Toronto, ON

Wow! there are some really great looking blogs out there in the Rain. Now I'm embarrassed...I need to hunker down and get past having to log back in constantly.

Thanks for the frustration motivation!

Apr 20, 2008 02:57 PM
Gina Dougherty
Fusion Design Consulting - Redondo Beach, CA
Home Staging Redondo Beach, CA- FusionDesignConsulting.com
Thanks for the links, it was really quick and easy.  I've only added basic colors and it's already a big difference!  Your so right, especially as Stagers, presentation is key. 
May 04, 2008 08:17 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
New Hampshire Home Stager
It is so much fun to check out all these other blogs!  Here is mine:   Sharon Tara's Blog
May 04, 2008 08:40 AM
Adam Luttrell
Shift Property Styling - Honolulu, HI
Shift Property Styling - Hobart, Tasmania

Nice one Craig,

Providing this post has given us all the opportunity to customise our blogs and present ourselves to the market in a completely new light. Having the links to the 'instruction manuals' also makes life that little easier for the more technically changed! I think that the AR Gods should be thanked for making the technology available to us.

I have completed my page and it can be found right here

Cheers

Adam

May 06, 2008 01:37 PM
Terrylynn Fisher
Dudum Real Estate Group - BuyStageSell.com - Walnut Creek, CA
HAFA Certified, EcoBroker, CRS, CSP Realtor, Etc.
Love the branding idea and puts a little spice in the blogs, it's fun to see how people perceive themselves and we are all selling something after all...Thanks for the illustrated posts.
May 06, 2008 06:57 PM
Refreshed and Refined Property Presentation Specialists
Columbus, OH

Craig, 

 Now if AR would help us with our profile and home pages.  I've always admired your fantastic home page.  So far all I've accomplished is pasting before and after photos without any cool shading/shadowing, boarders, fonts or graphics.  Being a one-woman show, I find it difficult to find time to learn new things like how to use HTML code etc. 

Thank god for pre-made templates!

Jodi

May 09, 2008 03:04 AM
Tracy Santrock
Fonville Morisey/Santrock Realty Group, Inc. - Cary, NC
Raleigh - Cary Realtor/Broker In Charge

Why is it that all of the stagers seem to have the most creative blogs?  Nice post and love your header!

Jun 08, 2008 01:35 PM
Virginia Tatseos
Stage-Show-Sell - Bloomfield Township, MI

I've been playing a bit too http://activerain.com/blogsview/591204/Is-Real-Estate-Shows

It's fun to try the different widgets.  The music came off after one day because I found it annoying . I'm a late night surfer and forget to turn off my speakers and nearly jumped out of my chair.

 Playing around with my signature too and have been able to post in color.

Jul 15, 2008 03:33 PM
Debbie Hutchins
Birmingham, AL

Thanks Craig,

Great info.

Debbie

Nov 11, 2008 06:56 AM
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These are the creative writings of Craig Schiller, a home staging professional, passionate real estate marketing professional and founder of the Real Estaging, one of the nation's leading home staging companies.

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