This month's AR Challenge, hosted by Debe Maxwell CRS and Lew Corcoran, asks the question: What can you do to help make Activerain even stronger?
I joined the AR community in its early years and was not too active for a long time. As I explored the platform, I discovered the groups feature and eventually found the AR Baseball Junkies. After forming a team, I quickly learned that engagement is the key to making Activerain work. Commenting on posts, answering questions, and building relationships are what transform the site from a blogging platform into a true community.
Over the years, I had read about the many Activerain meetups taking place around the country. A couple of years ago, I finally had the opportunity to attend one that Brian England organized in Washington, D.C. It was great to connect with fellow members in person and put faces to names I had known online.
Thinking about what could make the AR community even stronger brought back memories of networking through the old RELO referral network. Early in my real estate career, our company belonged to this relocation referral organization. Local groups of relocation directors would gather once or twice a year, and then everyone would come together at the annual convention for a networking event. We were part of the Baltimore-Washington metro group, and I made many lasting friendships through those gatherings.
It's a small world, too. During a Zoom meeting, I asked Debe if she happened to know John Summers, who had been a relocation coordinator at Allen Tate in Charlotte. Her response was priceless: "OMG, he works at my company and his office is right next door to mine!"
My vision for Activerain is to continue growing its reputation as a blogging community and promote it as a platform to give and receive referrals. Let's face it, every agent is looking for the next listing, buyer, or referral opportunity. Imagine if local AR metro groups and neighboring-state groups hosted meetups once or twice a year and encouraged members to bring a colleague or friend. Those personal connections could strengthen the community and attract new members.
Many real estate professionals pay annual dues to belong to referral organizations such as CRS and other networking groups. Activerain offers many of the same networking opportunities at no cost beyond being willing to participate and engage. The rewards of building relationships, creating friendships, exchanging referrals, and growing your business are invaluable.
In the end, I believe the strongest way to grow Activerain is simple: encourage engagement online, foster connections in person, and continue building a community where relationships come first.
North Carolina 2019 
SF Cali
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