Some of the features that I like are:
- The Comments ~ it makes your blog conversational which is the way a blog should be. But you can also manage those comments so that if someone is just spamming, well they’re gone.
- Associates Category ~ you can add associates into appropriate categories. You network with the people that you can relate your business to on a different level. And it’s good promotion. I always say that real estate is a localized market and being on the financing side, it’s great to have associates in different areas in your corner.
- The Professionalism ~ on networks like Active Rain there’s a greater degree of professionalism. A while back myspace was the big thing but it was taken over by a wave of spam. On A/R, everyone is so professional and to me that’s very important. I’m here to do business and associate with those that are going to help my business grow; and that can be in the form of a referral or in the form of advice from one professional to another. I respect both of them equally.
- The Exposure ~ Active Rain has given me so much exposure. I’m fortunate enough to have developed an articulate client base out of my work and affiliation with Active Rain. With all of the talk on SEO and the monetary expenses that one can take on, I haven’t spent a dime and I’ve closed out 2 deals from my involvement in the network. I find that amazing! And I’m very thankful.
Well, I don’t know if I necessarily answered your question. My first point is obvious but what I was trying to deliver is that on networks like A/R, you’re not hit by too much spam when individuals leave comments for one another or when they post for that matter. Sure we get telemarketers calling us but other networks are bombarded with spam posts and that just doesn’t cut it for me.
Best,
Ricardo Bueno

I have used Active Rain and Real Town Blogs. I think they both are fairly good sites. Having new real estate social network sites isn’t going to hurt anything, it will just bring out competition.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

It was interesting to see how many people at ActiveRain didn’t like the idea, but I can certainly understand that. From a user perspective, a problem with multiple networks is getting spread too thin.

I think I have some ideas for how to roll this out and make it useful, and will share these in a new post.

[...] recently posed the question about whether the real estate industry needs another social networking web site, and got only one [...]

I have had a wannanetwork account for longer than I have had an activerain account. I found it confusing and not too valuable. Personally, my favorite social network today is facebook. I would rather keep my real estate content on my blog and find another way to interact with other Realtors.

I have a WannaNetwork site and can see what you mean to some extent — it’s not the kind of thing that I think will take off in a huge way, though I appreciate them putting it together and I suspect that the author is seeing a return on his time.

I decided to go in a somewhat different direction and publish a free listings database with a sort of a social networking aspect, i.e., you also get a free blog when you register — since the user management is handled by WordPress Multi-User.

In a way this makes it less of a social network, since it will have a front page interface of interest to consumers from the outset — search for listings. The appeal to Realtors(r) will be a free venue on which to publish their listings, though admittedly I don’t have anything as addictive as ActiveRain’s point system as a pull.

Then offer points!

OK. You get 25 points for telling me to offer points.

Must hire you to listen to me and tell me what to do — you’re good at it.

[...] recently posed the question about whether the real estate industry needs another social networking web site, and got only one [...]

[...] it grows up, here is a reprint of our article announcing the idea: I recently <a href=”http://www.sacramento-home.com/real-estate-events/2007/does-the-world-need-another-real-estate-socia…>posed the question</a> about whether the real estate industry needs another social [...]

[...] software will be when it grows up, here is a reprint of our article announcing the idea: I recently posed the question about whether the real estate industry needs another social networking web site, and got only one [...]