ActiveRain Success Stories

Denice Ulm, Realtor/Associate Broker, Valdosta GA (Garner Realty Group LLC): Real Estate Agent in Valdosta, GA Denice Ulm, Realtor/Associate Broker, Valdosta GA (Garner Realty Group LLC) said almost 12 years ago,
"No need to write a long rendition of my success with ActiveRain...! Just a simple thank you for the incredible information, networking, referrals (!), etc. Thanks!"
Amy Stockman, Lakeridge Surveying (Lakeridge Land Suveying & Mapping, LLC): Services for Real Estate Pros in Winter Garden, FL Amy Stockman, Lakeridge Surveying (Lakeridge Land Suveying & Mapping, LLC) said almost 12 years ago,
"Active Rain is a great networking place. I have met some great people here from around the country. Best place to network with industry professionals"
RoyalBankof Canada (Royal Bank of Canada): Real Estate Agent in Lloydminster, AB RoyalBankof Canada (Royal Bank of Canada) said almost 12 years ago,
"RBC- http://www.google.com"
Mike Wilbur (Guild Mortgage Company and Oregon Homes For Heroes): Mortgage and Lending in Salem, OR Mike Wilbur (Guild Mortgage Company and Oregon Homes For Heroes) said almost 12 years ago,
"My succes story is the first of what I hope is many to come with Activerain since I am only working on about a monthas a member. I am working on a loan for a gal that is buying a home from a realtor that I have known for years but never worked with. I marketed her a little her and there but not seriously as I felt she was one of the 'untouchables". Today she called me to ask about the buyer on her home and then proceeded to ask about doing her loan for her new purchase. Now I don't know if I will get it but she said she found my contact info on Activerain. That right there showed me the power of Activerain."
Vincent J Catania, Broker Associate, "I provide the Individual Service you Deserve! (Monopoly Real Estate of Pebble Beach Inc.): Real Estate Agent in Monterey, CA Vincent J Catania, Broker Associate, "I provide the Individual Service you Deserve! (Monopoly Real Estate of Pebble Beach Inc.) said almost 12 years ago,
"Short Sale, Bank-Owned & Foreclosure Avoidance Services"
Tina Smith (Keller Williams Realty Services): Real Estate Agent in Mandeville, LA Tina Smith (Keller Williams Realty Services) said almost 12 years ago,
"Thank you so much for visiting my Active Rain profile.
Tina Smith"
Dawn Bahr, Raising the Bahr in Real Estate (HomeSmart Elite Group): Real Estate Agent in Mesa, AZ Dawn Bahr, Raising the Bahr in Real Estate (HomeSmart Elite Group) said almost 12 years ago,
"ActiveRain has made me realize the potential of connecting with other agents and consumers. There is such a wealth of information available to become a knowlegable agent."
Karen Hurst, Rhode Island Waterfront! (RICOASTALLIVING.COM): Real Estate Broker/Owner in Warwick, RI Karen Hurst, Rhode Island Waterfront! (RICOASTALLIVING.COM) said almost 12 years ago,
"Just posted another Active Rain success story. Referrals from Active Rain are the best! I love having so many contacts to refer to also!

Active Rain is one of those places that you remember the day you started. Kind of like when something big happens and you always remember where you were when it happened. What I have learned from the bloggers at Active Rain simply cannot be measured. I have gotten clients through various avenues that lead back to Active Rain and I sincerely do not believe I would be where I am today without having joined."
ABC Home Lending: Mortgage and Lending in Eugene, OR ABC Home Lending said almost 12 years ago,
"ActiveRain will help the real estate community understand the loan programs offered and benefits of using ABC Home Lending to finance the purchase of a home."
Mark Zubek, 727-656-2651 Rental Manager/Broker Associate (Charles Rutenberg Realty): Real Estate Agent in Indian Rocks Beach, FL Mark Zubek, 727-656-2651 Rental Manager/Broker Associate (Charles Rutenberg Realty) said almost 12 years ago,
"On October 27, 2009 I decided to utilize Active Rain to take my carrer to the next level. I have a wonderful feeling about the group of people I have joined forces with and I am excited for the ride I am about to take!"
Happy Grasshopper (Happy Grasshopper): Services for Real Estate Pros in Tampa, FL Happy Grasshopper (Happy Grasshopper) said almost 12 years ago,
"I just signed up for Active Rain this morning - my first blog post has already been commented on by 3 members and someone has already visited my sales site. This is a great tool for those looking to connect with real estate professionals."
Kelly Sloan, Buyer and Listing Agent (Home Sweet Home Realty): Real Estate Broker/Owner in Blue Springs, MO Kelly Sloan, Buyer and Listing Agent (Home Sweet Home Realty) said almost 12 years ago,
"Check it out!! Every Monday, live radio broadcast noon to one, "There's No Place Like Home," hosted by broker and owner of Home Sweet Home Realty, Kelly Sloan. You can listen on the dial 1140 AM or 102.9 FM, KCXL or click below to listen on your lap top. http://lightningstream.surfernetwork.com/Media/player/view/kcxl_sl4.asp?StreamingServerName=nick11a&call=kcxl
There's even a number to call to listen on your cell!
Have a real estate or loan question? Want me to look up information on your home to sell or one to buy live on the air? Call the hot line, 816-792-1140 anytime Monday, noon to one. You can text message questions to 816-808-4000. Also, if you have a business related to real estate, call in...we share the air. Turn your Monday frown upside down and listen live, "There's No Place Like Home," Home Sweet Home Realty, where the only thing we overlook is Main Street!"
The Temple Team, Specializing in Lake Norman/Charlotte/Charleston (THE TEMPLE TEAM): Real Estate Broker/Owner in Mooresville, NC The Temple Team, Specializing in Lake Norman/Charlotte/Charleston (THE TEMPLE TEAM) said almost 12 years ago,
"I am new to Active Rain (joined January 2013) but I can already see the immense value it has brought to our Team! It is like the "Residual Income" of Social Media much like residual income is to Multi-Level Marketing. By Blogging it pays you over and over and over again for years to come ... it's AWESOME!http://www.thetempleteam.com/featured_properties"
Joanna Cohlan, Designing, Decorating & Staging Westchester Homes (Fresh Eyes For Your Home): Services for Real Estate Pros in Chappaqua, NY Joanna Cohlan, Designing, Decorating & Staging Westchester Homes (Fresh Eyes For Your Home) said almost 12 years ago,
"Debbie Gartner, the Flooriing Girl of Active Rain, helped make a staging project of mine in Armonk New York a great success. While the home is beautiful and the floors in good shape, while moving furniture out of the dining room I noticed that the brazilian cherry floor had large patches of finish missing. And, one of the bedrooms needed badly stained carpet replaced. Debbie to the rescue. She came and recommending a light refinishing of the brazilian cherry and, that hardwood floors lay under the damaged carpet. Upon my recommendation, the owners agreed to rip up the carpet in that bedroom and sand and refinish the floor, showing potential buyers that the bedrooms also had beautiful hardwood underneath. And the refinish on the brazilian cherry removed the dull red top coat and brought the lustre of the wood back to life. SCORE!!!"
Laura Ivy Blessing 512-789-5087, Above & Beyond Service (Ivy Blessing Realty LLC): Real Estate Agent in Austin, TX Laura Ivy Blessing 512-789-5087, Above & Beyond Service (Ivy Blessing Realty LLC) said almost 12 years ago,
"I am so happy that I upgraded my Rain account! This is a fantastic way to stay connected and market your business. Thank you Rain!

I received a lead in my first month of membership that covered the cost of this membership for 10 years!"
Janice Roosevelt, OICP ABR, ePRO,Ecobroker ( Keller Williams Brandywine Valley ): Real Estate Agent in West Chester, PA Janice Roosevelt, OICP ABR, ePRO,Ecobroker ( Keller Williams Brandywine Valley ) said almost 12 years ago,
"My blog, which focuses on providing insider area information, real estate tips and design, has gotten such great pick up because of Active Rain, I had the local Symphony contact me to ask to be included !!!!!"
M.C. Dwyer, MC Dwyer-Santa Cruz Mountains Property Specialist (Melody Russell Team at eXp Realty of California, Inc.): Real Estate Agent in Felton, CA M.C. Dwyer, MC Dwyer-Santa Cruz Mountains Property Specialist (Melody Russell Team at eXp Realty of California, Inc.) said almost 12 years ago,
"One weekend last October, I had the pleasure of showing my clients a property that I hoped was exactly what they wanted.

It was pouring rain, and they needed to get to their next engagement, but the property spoke to both of them. None of us minded getting drenched or being late!



They decided to write an offer, so we spent all day wrestling with contractual terminology and technology: e-mails, scans, electronic signatures, faxes, texts. My buyers were exhausted - this is not easy stuff for most people!



A few days later, I got to tell my clients that all their efforts, and their willingness to do whatever it took to write a great offer, helped them win over the other offers. My buyer was so excited, she told me she had to steady herself to keep from falling over.

This is the moment I live for!
Of course the other moment is when the home actually sells…and I get to hand them their new keys...but read on...


This short sale was priced attractively so that it wouldn’t stagnate on the market. Within a week of listing there were competing offers. Because we’d been looking at properties, my clients recognized the value of this particular property. Plus - this one felt very special to them. They wanted this property, so they decided they were willing to offer over listing price as well as some other attractive terms.

It was a long wait for short sale approval. More angst. Lots of hurry up and wait. The bank would give us 3 days to get them what they needed, or they threatened they would close the file! But then we often had to wait for weeks to hear back from them.

We got through all the inspections and all the other hurdles that go with every transaction. This is not an easy market for buyers, sellers or agents!

Then...more rain!

On the day of closing, when we got the keys, the rain had flooded the front yard, which was still dug up from the septic inspection. Silty mud had crept under the front door frame, into the house, so all of us were on our knees with mops, sponges, towels and buckets, cleaning up. With a few phone calls, I was able to line up some people who were able to come to the immediate aid of my clients, to help with the drainage and septic issues.

Now that it's a beautiful summer day in the Santa Cruz Mountains, I can look back on those rainy muddy days with a smile, because the joy of helping people finding their dream property makes it all completely worth it."
Karina Kfuri Leal, ABR®, SRES®, PSA, Sales, Rentals & Prop. Manag. - FALO PORTUGUES! (Leal USA Realty 561-350-3503 ( FALO PORTUGUES)): Managing Real Estate Broker in Delray Beach, FL Karina Kfuri Leal, ABR®, SRES®, PSA, Sales, Rentals & Prop. Manag. - FALO PORTUGUES! (Leal USA Realty 561-350-3503 ( FALO PORTUGUES)) said almost 12 years ago,
"I recently wrote a blog in Portuguese, so that prospect clients that speak Portuguese would also know that I can help them in that language. Right away, on the SAME day, a prospect buyer in Brazil, send me an email with his property search criteria e we already have a set appointment for his next trip to Florida.

Thanks ActiveRain!"
Robert McArtor, Top Listing Agent for Baltimore and Harford County (RE/MAX Components - Fallston Maryland): Real Estate Agent in Bel Air, MD Robert McArtor, Top Listing Agent for Baltimore and Harford County (RE/MAX Components - Fallston Maryland) said almost 12 years ago,
"Buyers and Sellers alike have met me through the years here on Activerain. I am glad that our Team was their Team of Choice when deciding on an agent to use here in Maryland. They didn't just hire an agent, they added our family as friends."
Michael Emerson (Keller Williams Realty): Real Estate Agent in San Juan Capistrano, CA Michael Emerson (Keller Williams Realty) said almost 12 years ago,
"My Activerain Success Story is a work in progress. What I have received is a wonderful repository for education, information and motivation, and how to be a better and more effective real estate professional. I know the benefit of Activerain is making me more valuable and productive for both the sellers and buyers I represent."