What Is This Active Rain All About Exactly?
For us, at first it was mostly all about learning; new techniques, new sites, getting the sought after 'google juice'. There are so many wonders of Active Rain, so much to take in, so many wonders of the internet world. We began meeting a lot of people on active rain virtually and thought "wouldn't it be nice if you could meet some of these people personally." To actually get to know the people behind the comments and the posts. Hence the true wonder of Active Rain is, the people.
They say there are seven wonders of the world. The internet has created many more wonders by far of course.
An unexpected e-mail prompted us to make the 142 km, hour and a half drive, to visit one of the wonders of the world in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Of course we jumped at it. To make it an even more wonder-ful event, the plan was to meet face to face, belly to belly, with our first ever American Active Rain member, who turned out to be, Ed Silva from Prospect Conneticut and his lovely wife Cauna. Have you ever met someone and instantly felt a connection, like you have known them for years? That was our experience with the Silvas. Ed's wife was so gracious and patient, as our discussions all day, always came back to Active Rain and real estate. What can we say it was 3 real estate agents to 1; sorry Cauna.
We ate lunch overlooking the Falls and became aquainted. Then we had a shower together. Now we don't normally shower together on a first date, but this was courtesy of a ride on the Maid of the Mist, a truly amazing experience, bringing us up close and personal to the Falls on the Canadian side. Later we took a spin on an enclosed air conditioned ferris wheel that took us 75 ft. in the air for a stunning view of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
After that it was down to the business of discussing our favourite topics; Active Rain and real estate. Yes, we connected and yes we now have two more beautiful friends, but we also now have a personal connection to a very professional real estate agent in the Greater Waterbury/Middlebury/Prospect area of Conneticut to send referrals to, knowing full well our clients would be well taken care of. Any referrals you send to Ed Silva would be as well, feel confident and assured about that.
What is Active Rain about exactly? Active Rain is about the connections that can be formed, about the referrals that can happen and about the money that can be made.
What Is This Active Rain All About Exactly
Brampton Real Estate let Al and Peggy Cunningham, The House People help you with Homes For Sale in Brampton and the surrounding area.
Al and Peggy Cunningham, Brokers
RE/MAX Realty Services Inc.,
391 Main St., N. Brampton, ON L6X1N7
905-450-5500
Email: getsold@rogers.com
Brampton Ontario Homes For Sale
Brampton Area Face Book Fan Page
Brampton Area Real Estate Blog
I love it for the interaction of ideas and ways of doing business...I've grown to appreciate certain folks posts and the comments to them that make me 'think'...It's just good stuff, thoughts and ideas from folks in all types of markets...Thanks for the post...Enjoy the day.
I think it is great when AR members can meet together whether to share ideas or just to familiarize themselves with each other.
You hit the nail on the head Ernie, we really love the people.
It is such a great feeling Damon. We have met several Canadian AR members but Ed Silva was our first American AR member! Great guy.
Hey kids, just so you know I did link your story to my story. Only right that anybody who reads mine gets to understand both sides. The truth shall set you free.
How great for you all! There is nothing better than seeing someone in person that you have been conversing with for months or even years. That in person meeting further cements that precious friendship. Kudos to the 4 of you!
We will follow in Daddy's footsteps and do the same. What truth are you talking about Ed? The Formula?
It was great Debbie and awesome how it just felt like meeting up with long lost friends. Someday we hope to meet you up close and personal too Debbie.
I look forward to that day myself!!!
Al & Peggy,
Leslee and I checked out Niagra Falls in 1995 when we visited Toronto. We didn't even know what Active Rain was then. : )
Steve
I do like ActiveRain for the interaction. I have met several hundred folks because of this platform. And come to think of it, I almost didn't join...
Active Rain is one strong platform to brace your feet, broadcast about your property, the area it is in, and your brand, personality oozes around like mortar holding those real estate components together to build a local portal for folks to sample, enjoy, learn and connect with. Way way more effective than smoke signals to get the message out too. Especially on windy days where mixed communications happens.
Hi Al & Peggy, isn't that wonderful? I am ashamed, I live about 40 minutes max from Ed... and although we talk, I have not met him face to face.
You are so lucky! And so are the Silva's... :D
Hi Al and Peggy - You will need to see my comment on Ed's post.
You haven't been to Niagara Falls, USA??? See my sixth ever ActiveRain post for a great view from the other side.
http://activerain.com/blogsview/1095430/niagara-falls-canadian-falls-from-new-york
Al and Peggy - I'm glad that Ed and both of you had a fantastic time in Niagara Falls. What a great way to introduce yourselves in person and enjoy one of Canada's best tourist destinations! You may recall that the ferris wheel was the focus of one or two Name That Photo posts last summer (I think it was a Jenny challenge).
Al and Peggy, when you say "belly to belly", you don't mean that Ed and Al actually got that close do you? ........ LOL
I have met Ed more than once, in fact I drove up to the Boston RainCamp with him, but I have not had the pleasure of meeting his lovely wife. She has to be a special person if she put up with you guys talking about ActiveRain :)
We will have to arrange it Debbie, some how, some way! :)
Well we are glad you found out what AR is Steve and if you are ever in Niagara Falls again please give us a shout out and we will meet you!
Now what would AR be without your input Michael and your Monday motivations.
LOL! Good analogy Andrew, agree on all accounts
Oh Andrea you do have to make the effort to meet him, very nice guy and funny (but shh his wife in nicer LOL!)
Yes, ok, will check it out Marc and next time we go...we'll have to see if you want to come along!
Yeppers belly to belly sometimes!! LOL!! Ed's Cauna is a very very lovely lady, joined right in with all conversations .... we tried not to talk shop but seemed like it always came back there. Very nice people.
Great story of how AR can bring people from different countries together in friendship! I suggested this for a feature; since Ed's got featured, it's only fair to feature your side as well! I've never met Ed either, and I actually drove through Prospect yesterday and 3 days ago on the way to showings in Naugatuck!
Hey kids, just stopping back. Yes, my wife is definitely a person that can say she married beneath her potentials. Her out going personality is used by her employer to actually participate in marketing the Bank's business, to the extent that she is called the Rainmaker by the marketing people at her bank, long before I became a rainmaker.
Everybody is congratulating me on a feature and I show nothing on my board, is this an August fool? or am I a fool in August?
@Andrea, I offered to come over and buy you lunch at the golf course you look at all day. Don't you like tube steaks?
You will have to make the effort Pat & Wayne, he is a heck of a nice guy and by our way of judging a fantastic agent.
We can understand the bank using Cauna's outgoing personality Ed, she's a very personable person. Think we are the August fools Ed LOL! Anyway, maybe it is in the future keep watching for the gold star!! Oh come on, Ed, you can do better than tube steaks to entice a girl can't ya.....EH?
How exciting Al & Peggy,
Thanks for sharing your story with the rest of us. Last fall my husband & had lunch with Heather Chavez overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Heather & I talked so much Dave barely got a word in.
Let me know next time you are going the falls. Erie, PA is only two hours away from Buffalo & Niagara Falls.
Sounds like a wonderful day! And what a treasure that video is. Yes, Activerain is about generating business, but it's so much more about the friends we make.
Al and Peggy.. I'm glad you had the opportunity to meet Ed Silva and his wife Cauna. I thought Cauna was a figment of my imagination. Ed would always mention her, but either George Souto or myself have met here.
Kudos to all 4 of you. We are trying to get a small group of ActiveRain members together here in CT (to include Ed) but haven't been able to do so yet. I guess we have to live further away from each other to make it happen.
Love the blog. Thanks for sharing.
Al and Peggy!
Next time when I am in the area I will call...
That was a great post and beautiful pictures...
Thank you!
Yep, Active Rain "is about the connections"! ~ Susan
Sounds like kismet. Must admit you got me with the Shower on the first date, but glad to hear there actually is not a Group on ActiveRain called swingers.
or is there????
Good post today
Sounds like all of you had a wonderful time...I love the rain!
Al and Peggy - y'all are just another fine example of what I love about Canadians: Your kindness to others and your joy in knowing "strangers." My family started taking Canadian vacations a few years ago, from Tremblant to Vancouver Island (including a phenomenal time at Banff), and most of the family has decided we are moving in as soon as possible. The people have just been fantastic, EVERYWHERE. We've traveled the US, and met lots of fine people, but never with the enthusiastic hospitality of Canada. Great country!
My son was just in Hamilton over the weekend, via Niagara, to meet the girlfriend's parents -- so we are looking for a good reason to visit more often. (She's a doll, and "raised right" as we say down here.) So, if you ever get this far south, we'll be happy to show you around our area -- one of the important places of US beginnings. Lots of water too.
Thanks very much for a wonderful post.
Hi Al and Peggy -- Beyond fun and cool (okay...misty)...That ferris wheel would have raised my blood pressure at 75' up! :) I'm only 3 hours from NF and have never been. We keep saying one of these years we will get there. Thanks for sharing!
Wow what a fun day you guys had. I loved the slide show. How cool that "virtual" strangers are really "virtual" friends. I must go and read Ed's take on the day now.
This has been my experience with AR as well. I was lucky the last few weeks to meet several friends along my travels.
I enjoy meeting people here IRL (in real life).
Yes for me AR is all about the relationships and the sharing environment amongst Realtors, which you rarely get locally.
What a fun story. I have really enjoyed meeting the real deal ..i.e. the bloogers...in person this past year and have found they do line up with what I expected from their AR posts.
It's all about the learning and making friends, I agree. Seems the people here on AR are a bit friendlier than the local agents.
I traveled to Arizona on business this summer and went out of my way to meet 3 people who I had met thru Active Rain. It is so rewarding!
This is an added benefit of Active Rain. I know that the next time I am near St George Utah, hopefully next summer, I will make a point of visiting Wanda Kubat-Nerdin. There are so many really nice people on Active Rain that I would love to meet in person.
It does get a little better. Wait until you get to a RainCamp!