Hello ActiveRain Community:
I'm excited to announce that I have come to an agreement with Zillow Group to purchase ActiveRain and return it to the independent status that was the foundation for the thriving community you all know and love today.
Over the past five years, ActiveRain has been in the capable hands of some of the most innovative stewards in the business. Market Leader, Trulia, and most recently, Zillow Group have all done a great job of investing the resources that have allowed the community to flourish. On behalf of the community, I would like to thank everyone who was involved in ActiveRain over the years. They saw the value in a thriving community, and we believe they did a great job of keeping it vibrant. I look forward to building on this energy and with all of you, making ActiveRain a top resource for real estate agents and the homeowner community.
Two Philosophies That Work for Me
One philosophy I've employed in my businesses is to take an existing idea and build on it. Some of the ideas we’ve implemented first took root because of something I read on ActiveRain, or some conversation I had with another member. In the spirit of that philosophy, I offer every ounce of my experience to continue to build this awesome community with you.
A second philosophy my team and I follow is to share everything; this has forced us to learn new things, and adapt new business practices. To me, sharing everything is one of the pillars of ActiveRain. Every day, I see people sharing lessons and insight. You come here to share what you know, and the entire community benefits—so as a member of this community, I say “thank you.”
Excited for What's To Come
The deal is set to close at the end of June, so I’m not at liberty to discuss much of what we’re planning for the future of ActiveRain, but we already have some cool ideas in development. Here are a few details I can share:
- Bob Stewart is returning! Many of you know Bob as the former ActiveRain Community Manager and Trainer. He’ll be a key part of the new focus and energy of ActiveRain.
- We will be investing heavily into ActiveRain University and additional training to make this the best Real Estate Resource online.
- The domain name will also be restored to ActiveRain.com and will no longer be a subdomain of Trulia. Trulia, Zillow and my team believe this is in the best interest of your content and the sites SEO.
A Couple of Things ActiveRain will NOT be:
There is always fear created when a product or service you love changes hands. There will be lots of technological enhancements but there will be a few things we will never do:
- We will never promote one franchise or brokerage over another. ActiveRain is a community for all brokerage models and all brands no matter how large or small.
- ActiveRain will not be used to promote only one or two products, services, or trainings. This community deserves to know about all products, all services, and all trainings. Those products and services will be judged by our community, not by advertisers or owners.
As we work to finalize the deal between now and June 30th, I welcome any questions or feedback you have. In true ActiveRain style, I expect you to not hold back in the comments!
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