Active Rain Instructions – How To Post Your Listings

This is a RE-POST!  It was originally created within a group, and was requested to be redone. 
(sorry, I was brand new at the time, and had no clue what I was doing)

THESE ARE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ACTIVE RAIN MLS ONLINE GROUP:  PLEASE READ!!  I suggest printing this
instructional page for reference when placing a new listing, or updating an existing one here on Active Rain and
Localism.com websites.

STEP 1: First Join Group:

                Activerain MLS Online 

               
STEP 2: Create a NEW POST:
            
What Information Should I Include?

1.  Your Title: ALWAYS Use the Address, City, State, and Zip. This will help Buyers and Sellers Find Properties
2.  Your Entry: A Catchy phrase or “Value Statement” about the Property (All on 1 Line 1)
3.  2-4  small photos side by side, with space in between ( 1in. x 1in. ) NOTE: ***Not Too Big***
4.  Property Info: Bedrooms, Baths, Year Built, Square Footage and Price is all you need on this line
5.  A Brief Description of Features, Amenities, Community etc  (No more than 2-3 lines)
6.  A link to the property web page or virtual tour

(See Sample below:)

=================================================================================
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                                                                      SAMPLE:

(TITLE) – 2130 Havenhill Drive, Benicia, Ca 94510

(CATCHY PHRASE) – Benicia Waterview with detached studio/workshop

2130 Havenhill Drive  2130 Havenhill Drive  2130 Havenhill drive

 4 bedrooom, 2.5 Baths.    YrBlt. 2002  SqFt. 2850                                                                 $  749,500.00

One of a kind property with a large detached workshop and office/studio. Ample storage with a 4-car garage,
RV and/or boat parking. Floors include marble, ceramic tile and new carpet. Solid granite countertops in kitchen,
updated cabinetry. All bathrooms have been upgraded. Two fireplaces. Professionally landscaped yard with Jacuzzi spa.

                                                                                                                   Click HERE for more Details

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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INSTRUCTIONS CONTINUED:

FYI – TIP: Photos can be saved right off your Local MLS, (right click on photo to save) and maps can be obtained online at mapbuilder.com , cyberhomes.com and earth.google.com etc.

Be sure to add a link to your local MLS listing URL address or ie: 123AppleDrive.com, even the Virtual Tour, wherever you may have it posted on the web. Use the hyper link tool to prevent long and unattractive URL addresses in your listing.

STEP 3: Once you have your listing all put together like the sample above, you are going to want to post it on Active Rain.  First off, you will want to make sure that you do the following:

  • Use pertinent Tag words for the search engines…
  • The visibility should be set to Public
  • Put a check in the box that says for Consumers
  • Then check the one that says “Advertise A Listing” (Region Required)
  • DO NOT PUT A CHECK IN THE BOX THAT SAYS  “For Real Estate Professionals!!
  • Put a check mark in the box to add it on the Active Rain MLS Online Group
  • DO NOT POST ANYTHING BUT LISTINGS IN THE AR MLS ON-LINE GROUP!

                                                  
See Sample of How to Post Below:


  

Now, you want to select your Region:

  • It is important to take it down to the Neighborhood level
  • Another idea is post it initially in the City, and then move it to the Neighborhood later on

Now select “POST BLOG ENTRY” and you’re done!!

QUESTION?  What should you do when your listing expires, sells, gets withdrawn, or cancels?
YOU SHOULD TRY TO KEEP YOUR INVENTORY UP TO DATE, JUST LIKE YOUR REGULAR LOCAL MLS DATA!!

My recommendation for now, is to put the “Status Word” in the Title of the Post: (as seen below)

You can also add the “status” at the end of your title ie: 1295 Appleby Way, Seattle, WA. 47943 – PENDING so it will not mess up the SEO when the seller or consumers are searching by address. 

I don’t think that your listings should ever be removed, they are a part of your blog and as long as you update them and post the status in the Title Bar, this should work well for the group and consumers.  We are open to ideas, suggestions, comments or concerns.  I Hope this information helps you.

Finally, keep your “Listing” posts neat and clean!  The worst thing you can do is have clutter, sentences that run on past the screen, photos the sizes of postcards, and links that are not hyper linked properly, and posted to groups where they don’t belong. Also Postlets and vFlyer have some great looking formats to help you post attractive listings.  Feel free to share any others that you may be aware of here.

Lastly, There are many support documents and Blogs on how to use the AR editor effectively.  (Check the Help/FAQ Group) You can also leave a question or comment here if you need additional support.  Good luck to you, and thanks for joining and supporting the Active Rain MLS Online Network.

Here are some additional helpful links:

https://activerain.com/blogsview/18495/How-to-Add-Pictures
https://activerain.com/blogsview/15195/Ultimate-guide-to-building

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