ActiveRain Success Stories

"Active Rain Allows us to easily network with a large audience of realtors both in Florida and Nationally. We can easily promote current offers and immediate delivery home listings as well as the added network with brokers."

"I love the opportunity to interact with agents across the country and read their point of view on real estate subjects."

"I love Active Rain. I have only been a member since January 2009, but I have already seen the benefits. I am able to research hot topics in the industry quickly, it has helped me rank higher with google, and I have almost doubled my website traffic. I am also receiveng more leads than ever from my website. All of this in only a little over a month. I can't wait to see what happens next!"

"William Raveis Real Estate Announces Its New Affiliate, William Raveis Legends Realty Group

SLEEPY HOLLOW, NY– Chris Raveis, President of William Raveis Affiliates, recently announced the alliance of William Raveis Real Estate with Legends Realty Group, an independent brokerage in Sleepy Hollow, New York.

The addition of the Legends office to the William Raveis network shows their continued commitment to grow its affiliate program throughout the northeast. Legends Realty Group is the fifth company to join the William Raveis Affiliates network.

Marcene Hedayati remains as the Broker and Managing Partner of the new William Raveis Legends Realty Group. She, along with her four partners, Elvira Aloia, Mary Case Friedner, Phyllis Lerner and Karen Stroub, are looking forward to the opportunities afforded by this union. Prior to the affiliation with William Raveis, Legends Realty Group existed as an independent brokerage with 19 sales associates. During that time and since their inception in 2007, the group held number one market share in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow.

Hedayati is looking forward to phenomenal growth with the backing of William Raveis Real Estate, a highly respected, family-owned real estate firm. “The partnership with William Raveis gives us the ability to grow and expand into areas that would have been more difficult otherwise,” she said. “We will have the best of both worlds. We will be able to continue nurturing our current business practices and methods that have distinguished us from the rest and at the same time, enjoy the many tools and systems that you can only find in a larger company, not to mention their exceptional education program and second to none referral network. Most importantly, we are fortunate to have found a company that shares our philosophy and culture.”

William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance is one of the top companies in the nation. It was recently ranked in 2009 by sales volume in REALTOR® Magazine as the #1 family-owned real estate company in the Northeast and the 10th largest real estate company in the USA. The innovative firm is nationally recognized as an industry leader in technology, marketing and REALTOR® education. Its award-winning website, raveis.com, draws more than 10 million visits annually and includes more than 200,000+ MLS listings in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont."

"My true succes and the amount of return clients and refferal buinsess. Throughout my years of being a real estate agent I have generated great return to my clients and developed a diversified cliental both withen the unites and states and abroad."

"We wrote a blog post about a community in Colleyville, TX and 7 months later received a phone call from an interested prospect. We showed this couple homes for 1 day and found the perfect home. The offer was written and accepted for $900,000!"

"Active Rain has proven to be a great point of contact for me. Consumers have contacted me (accounting for over 1/3 of my business) as well as connections with Realtors in all parts of the country. Thank you Active Rain! Who knew all those years ago how fruitful my time spent here would be."

"ActiveRain has helped me disseminate articles 'faster than a speeding bullet'. My networking is now 'more powerful than a locamotive' & I can 'leap tall buildings(search engines)' in a single bound!"

"ActiveRain allows me to reach out to new clients, present clients, past clients, friends, colleagues and more! It is an incredible tool to use to help social network my business."

"Blogging has become a part of life me and my business. It gives me the edge I need in search engine results. Activerain offers the most effective and logical blogging platforms available to Realtors today.

I have worked with several clients who have specifically mentioned that they first heard about my services and brokerage through activerain posts they found on google. Its amazing how effective it is. Active rain is a champion of blogging technology."

"had another Keller Williams Realtor contact me last year about some customers wanting to rent in Tallahassee before they buy (down the road) and did I want the referral. It was a Saturday and I went out with them that afternoon and on Sunday and they found a rental that paid a $1000 rental referral to me (most pay real minimal referral amounts). These same customers are now buying a higher end home here in Tallahassee and of course that agent is certainly appreciated and will be rewarded with her own referral from the purchase of this home. Way to go activerain!"

"We have to love our favorite successes. A recent buyer closed with a 2% down payment, no mortgage insurance and a $3,000 forgivable grant. We had to give the buyer a principal paydown at close because we could not give any cash back. Buyer then had enough money to buy bedroom furniture and a table at which to eat in the new home."

"Before Activerain and Ricky Khamis came along my website and my business was in no where land. I couldn't even find myself, let alone BUYERS FINDING ME! Thank you Ricky and Activerain, you saved the day!"

"Many of my past clients have come by the site and have seen my profile. Active Rain is another avenue for people to find information on my services."

"Active Rain is another example of bringing quality/reliable people together in order to assure that all potential buyers and sellers get the proper attention that they deserve.
I have recently made what could be a great relationship with another Keller Williams Agent in Myrtle Beach. Tonyia Stogner is a professional and courteous R.E. agent that found me on Active Rain. After having a long conversation we were able to work together to assist her client and friend in starting her search here in MT. Pleasant. I look forward to continuing this relationship with Tonyia and find other agents around that country that put their clients first."

"My online presence in the Twin Cities has given my clients the visibilty in a tech savvy maketplace. Activerain is a component to the success in buying & selling real estate. I have been contacted numerous times thanks to Activerain."

"Since joining ActiveRain, I've noticed an increase in traffic on my website, resulted in an increased number of new clients, several of whom have mentioned seeing me on ActiveRain."

"How Do You Measure Success? This is how I do it in the RAIN...

I've finally decided to tell you MORE about one of the most important professional and personal success stories in my life... I am proud to share it with you. I also hope it may inspire someone else... someone that is facing just one or a multitude of issues which makes them wonder IF they will survive or ever see their glass half to full again.

Some of you know about Bruce Bourgault, my late husband—his battle with cancer, his success as a mortgage banker and the extraordinary life he lived. He was the man of my dreams, my best friend and now my steadfast angel. Without him I would not be a member of Activerain nor would I be a loss mitigator. I also would not be the person or have the life I have today without him.

In August 2006, Bruce was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. In the following weeks and months he survived surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He also survived my ministrations, worries and concerns to keep on top of any and all of his health issues... I drove the dear man bonkers - LOL! During this time he was a member of Activerain and the RAIN became his voice when he could not speak. I became his professional voice as his loan officer assistant. I was his care giver and he was my inspiration. Central Pacific Bank Home Loans offered him a new position as Vice President which he humbly accepted. I organized a mini-family reunion with our children and grandchildren... they all came to Hawaii to celebrate his remission and regaining his voice. It was the happiest of times!

All of our happiness came crashing down around us with the death of his mother. We traveled to Seattle to lay her to rest. It was the saddest of times coupled with the arduous task of traveling with medical equipment and nutritional supplies in tow. I was rabid about the potential of infection, the possibility of physical complications and the known entity of the emotional toll upon him. All-the-while Bruce was steady as ever ... an amazingly patient, impatient man married to an impatient woman. Once again my dedication drove him nuts, but he laughed about it and lifted my spirits when I was so terribly tired.

Bruce & Belle, Ewa Beach, Hawaii... Our crash continued as the cancer returned with a vengeance. We faced second opinions, more tests and more decisions which resulted in Bruce being in hospital for two months for more surgery(s), treatment and ultimately everything going wrong at the worst possible time—and he died which was NOT on our radar screen!

On October 25, 2007, I found myself without him, thousands of miles away from family and alone... so terribly alone wondering what in the hell I was going to do. I was blessed, as always, and discovered I was not really alone... friends and family, whether in person with me in Hawaii or thousands of miles away, surrounded me with their love.

So much of this love and support emanated from the RAIN. Bruce's blogging about mortgage banking AND his battle with cancer was a matter of public record on AR. I even blogged (under his name) about his progress and set backs when he was unable to do so. I also shared his death and plans for his Celebration of Life on AR. The prayers and support we received from the multitude of rainmakers sustained us together and eventually became the backbone for my loss mitigation practice.

After Bruce died I was faced with a myriad of issues...Many challenges lay a head which required life altering decisions. One of the most critical decisions I had to make was to sell our home and relocate to the mainland. I was ill and not financially able to carry the mortgage on our home even though I managed to do so for several months. The result was to become my own loss mitigator and assist in negotiating my own short sale with my Realtor. It was an eye-opening experience and not one I recommend under such circumstances, but sometimes there just isn't any other choice. The bottom-line is I survived, rediscovered my bedrock determination and began to turn my life around ever so slowly.

While in the midst of these challenges and changes I let my involvement with AR go... I had lost my energy, drive and any interest to do anything much beyond breathing or doing what insisted upon being done. I couldn't see myself participating successfully the way Bruce had done... the RAIN was his place, not mine. Then one day in August 2007, I decided to re-emerge on the RAIN and make it my virtual home for awhile and see what would happen. If you look at my stats you'll see what a slow start it was... it was pitiful - LOL! I was afraid and didn't really know what to do, but I kept returning, reading, commenting and finally began to blog while I was building my loss mitigation business.

Once I hit 10,000 points I realized I was enjoying myself... I hadn't paid attention to points or followed any particular or proved methodology to grow my business, but I was hooked by all of the support and knowledge that was available in the RAIN. It seemed as though, almost overnight, my business was growing, blogging came easier and faster, my photography was taking off and my fear of writing was receding. That's when I decided I should go for 20,000 points. I'm over 27,000 now and my next goal is 50,000. I'm not setting the blogging world on fire, but I have definitely made progress in the RAIN as well as in every other aspect of my life.


Rainbow at EwaBeach, HawaiiSo, I can see myself through my own eyes now and I like what I see—I have overcome many challenges and obstacles, my loss mitigation business has grown, I'm earning a higher than average income during lean times, I'm healthier, closer to my family and friends AND discovered a passion for photography... plus I've even been able to help a few people along the way to a better life.

A new chapter is just beginning... I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. I'm living a blessed life—one I thought that might not be possible again.

This is how I measure my success story—and I'm living it in the RAIN!

Thank you to all who have supported, encouraged and taught me so much.

I'm very grateful for everyone of you and every rain drop I've been given.

Cheers to the RAIN!"

"I have gotten many great tips from AR, and that is why i continue to be a member."

"Receiving inbound referrals from other AR professional agents is a great benefit of this community. I appreciate and can respect agents that can recognize a true and dedicated Realtor such as myself!"