Much Has Been Written About ActiveRain Recently on the topic of it being a Real Estate site as opposed to a social site and many have given their opinion weighing in on both sides of the issue bringing valid points to each side but the debate will never be finished as ActiveRain is what each of us makes of it for ourselves individually.
As for myself ActiveRain is the Best of Both Worlds as it allows me to reach out to the consumer and to also interact with other Real Estate Professionals, Lenders, Home Inspectors,Home Stagers and the list goes on and on but the fact of the matter is each of us are easily found in one location and it's called ActiveRain.
I Can Reach The Consumer With Market Reports keeping them informed as to whats happening in the area that I work in plus the fact I can post listings showing the type of homes available and the price ranges. They can also read my blog and get an idea as to the type of person I am and get a feel as to how I do business and decide whether I am the Realtor (R) they would feel comfortable working with.
As To The Social Aspect of ActiveRain I have met many wonderful people here in the Rain and by talking about things not work related we can get to know one another as people and not simply business relationships which doesn't always show the true nature of a person. I have spoken with many from the Rain on the telephone further developing relationships that has and will continue to bring business for them and myself as well.
In 2007 I had 6 Clients Move Out of California to various parts of the country and every one of these clients asked me to find them an agent in their new location and with two of the relocation's it was hard to find a good agent that they would be comfortable working with. Since joining ActiveRain I now have gotten to know agents virtually everywhere in the U.S. and the social aspect of ActiveRain has given me the opportunity to select an agent that will be a good match with my clients.
The Debate May Go On But for Me It's Already Settled As it's A Win Win Situation in My Humble Opinion.
I agree there is a wealth of information and relationships being built on Active Rain every day. I enjoy reading your posts and your 'no nonsense' attitude regarding REO listings, etc...
MEL, A.R. is full of great information. Thanks for the compliment.
If you're getting "what you want" out of AR that's all that matters. The debate for what it is, or what it ought to be is pointless if you ask me.
I get much from AR in many ways some wouldn't understand. I'm sure you do the same. Best of luck to you!
Cameron...
I always liked your style here on the Rain, and when we talked on the phone I liked you even better. You are exactly the personality I expected, driven, concerned, professional and passionate.
If it were not for all of this, I would have never got to speak to you or Mel, or Amanda, or Jason, or Don, or April, or Clint, or Bill, or Eric, or Jesse or anyone I forgot to mention by name. Good folks all OVER the country. And all I can say is" WOW!"
Cameron, AR is great. It definitely is alot of sites rolled into one.
GREG, Agreed. I love your Rants as they always crack me up.
RICHARD, Theres a lot of good folks on A.R. and if I have a client moving your way I'll send them to You.
TANYA, This place is many sites in one. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Cameron, I think AR can be whatever we want it to be. With well over 100,000 members it's a very diverse community. I'm surprised sometimes when I see a new commenter on one of my posts. I go over to check out their profile only to find they have 150,000+ points!!!! It just shows how huge this place is. Social, real estate, politics, humor.......it's all good.
I try to stay out of the whole argument on what AR is or is not. Too many opinions involved.
cameron, it is all that you say, a place to learn, share information, meet new folks, and if need be reach out and be supported. Much like family.
Broker B, It's amazing how big A.R. is and the amount of content it contains. Hope TLW is recovering well.
JL, When did You quit voicing Your opinion?
PAUL, It is a family of sorts and I haven't been asked by anyone for a loan. LOL.
Cameron...I just wish it were more business, soon hopefully
Cameron, I totally agree with you! I do most blogs (try) towards consumers as localism or Real Estate info. But I love reading personal stuff and share some too. You make friends in the rain and like to read about them. Sometimes I throw a rant in for good measure but try to limit thouse. :o) You are dead on though!
I have several blogs with great domain names. But where do I blog? On Active Rain. However, I still link to my other blogs on my websites. In reality those links do nothing. In reading your post I am realizing that I need to just stick with Active Rain. It makes my phone ring. It is fun. And eventually the world will think of it as a real estate website.
Cameron...
Another Gold Star for you. Great job, this post was awesome!
I totally agree---AR is an aexellent tool for placing referrals. We feel like we already know that agent.
I'm with you Cameron. It is great to be able to refer buyers to agents that we have come to know something about, instead of picking a name from a roster. I love the social aspect of Active Rain. How else would I know that your wife is getting licenced, that Richard blogs in yellow underpants, that TLW was so wonderfully funny and Gary so kind. That Jesse has a slingback fetish, that Amanda has a hangover from too much birthday, that Mara has a birthday coming up, that I never, but never, want to low ball BB's listings, that Jason has two children and had a birthday in August, The C has two cute little boys (that I have met), that Melody is such a great person, that Pam has 5 children and a delightful sense of fun, that Elaine has a son and a daughter, that Neal is a tad younger than me and blogs in his screened-in pool, that Sylvie is a Republican, etc. I love it here. Due to the fact that this is not member's only, I only used first names to protect the innocent and not so innocent. Great post Cameron! xxoo
Thanks, Cameron. I'm with you, that it seems to be the best of both worlds. So much to learn everyday and really good people to learn it from.
Active Rain seems to be a great place to get started for many. It apparently is especially useful for those who are not blog or computer savvy as it teaches them some basic guidelines before pursuing realtor 1.0 or even 2.0. As mentioned many times before however, once established, one must move on to other areas on the internet to successfully market oneself. Active rain can be great for SEO, but not when used in sole purposes. All in all, Active Rain's impact on newcomers is great as you seem them transform into a more complete agent; an agent who can show customers that they are not stuck in the dark ages and are adapt to new technology as that is what new buyers are looking for.
I agree - Active Rain is the best of both worlds...I would never have known who to refer someone to if they were moving and now I have a vast network...
Cameron: I love the combination that AR gives us too. It's hard to pick which I like better...the agent interaction, or the ability to reach out to consumers relocating to my area.
Cameron - I would have to concur. This community brings a lot to the table and users can pick and choose what interests them according to their particular motivation. Anything else would be downright boring.
WILLIAM, It will bring business sooner or later maybe in the form of a referral.
CRISTAL, There are many avenues to be used on A.R. and theres nothing wrong with a Rant every now and then.
DEBBIE, If the phone is ringing keep doing what is working.
RICHARD, Thanks my Friend.
DIANE, I feel the same way.
SUSAN, You have the scoop on many people and seem to remember everything and I know you have a houseful of men who can't find anything without Your help.
CHARLIE, The best of both worlds.
CASTELLUM REALTY, A.R. can also be an addition to others avenues many are choosing.
SONJA, It's a huge network and agents have You to send referrals to as well.
CHRIS ANN, Do them both as each will bring business.
JASON, I never get bored reading Your posts. Usually my Ribs end up hurting from laughter.
Cameron- I love ActiveRain because for me it is the best of both worlds...socializing and business! I don't think I am a one sided person...I like balance. Thats why it works for me because AR has both aspects.
Cameron ... thanks for your AR article that It's Business, It's Social: A Great Combination. Keep up with the thought and good writing. Best wishes. Harrison
It's definitely a win win situation, I agree! It can never hurt to have another great networking option, and Active Rain certainly is that. Thanks for reminding us of how good we have it. :-)
Cameron, Great Post, as you said active rain is a lot of things and probably a little different to each.
We all get a little something out of it and learn a lot to, I know I have.
I love it.. when I need to send an out of state referral I can come on active rain and find an agent and assess them online before even calling them for the phone interview.. infact, I sent a referral from an active rain profile just today!
LORI, It is balanced and both sides can bring business.
HARRISON, Thank you and good luck to you.
KRISTIN, A person can never have too many networking possibilities.
CHARLES, This place has something for everyone.
MIOSHI, That is one of the points I was trying to make and You just took advantage of the opportunity we all have with A.R.
I've only been on the site about a week or two and have found it extremely useful, friendly, and a good place to socialize while learning. It love it.
A good assessment of AR in my humble opinion.
I'm fairly new to the A|R community and with the little amount of time I've contributed, I've seen results from the outside community. Buyers, sellers & the curious. Whether it's social or business, it's the content that matters.
Active Rain is just one more tool in the entire business plan. I have gained value in the same ways that you have described above.
Cameron: It's hard not to want to stay within our own business realm of real estate. I'm really not interested in too much else so the people all being somewhat real estate realted is appealing to me. I'm still not thumbs up on the whole Localism thing. We have the local yellow pages doing the same thing here in the AR style. Having people add a personal note to either the restaurant, business, etc. and personally I just don't care to participate in that either. I want to hear, read, write about what I know, which is real estate.
This is great information! It's definitely something I'll keep around for reference in the future!
DM
STEVE, Welcome to A.R. and thanks for stopping by.
SHEILA, Thanks.
LISA, I agree with you 100% and good luck.
JOAN, A.R. is but another tool and it's a good tool.
LYN, Thats one of the great things about A.R. as you can use it the way You choose.
DAN, Glad this is helpful.
Cameron, awesome post! I'm with you on this one. It is definitely the best of both worlds!:-)
(BTW, Susan M - too funny!)
Featured @ Club Chaos
C TANN, Thank you very much.
Cameron,
I'm with you on this one. Definitely a win-win, whatever the user wants to use Active Rain for. There are days that I want to talk to friends here. There are days that I just want to post to Localism. There are days that I just want to read and be left alone. AND the beauty of it is - you can do what you want when you want! Yippee for AR.
APRIL, Thats the beauty of AR, you can use it the way You want.
Nice read, Cameron, and the rewards are terrific from the interaction with so many fine members of the community. It's enriched my life. Have a great weekend.
DAVID, There are some great folks around this place.
congrats on the little yellow star!