Mike Mueller, Social Media.ist

A few weeks ago, we launched the Ambassador program on ActiveRain. One goal of the program was to work with our most passionate members to welcome, and educate all new ActiveRain members. We hoped that once educated, a high percentage of these new members would choose to upgrade their account to the Rainmaker level.

Happily, this is exactly what happened: a very high percentage of new members contacted by our Ambassadors chose to upgrade! However, even with our Ambassadors' help, we were unable to reach all corners of the Rain and properly educate and welcome the sheer amount of new members joining every day.

We found ourselves still short of finding a way to educate and train all of our new members. Going back to the whiteboard for new ideas, our big epiphany came when we realized that our best loan officers build their businesses by creating solid relationships with successful real estate agents, and this program would provide a perfect opportunity for loan officers to take the first step in building those relationships with new members of ActiveRain. Compensation would be valued not only monetarily, but in the depth and success of the relationships established through this opportunity.

Here's the facts:

• Yes, our Certified Lender Program puts loan officers through a crash course, using the ActiveRain system to maximize an agent's exposure to the consumer audience.  Loan officers can then take that knowledge and pass it onto new ActiveRain members.
• Yes, there is a fee to loan officers to participate: Initially, we planned to offer the program for free, but we realized that the strongest commitment would come if our successful LOs put some skin in the game alongside us.  LOs who meet the requirements of the position will not only earn their committed funds back, but a little extra to help with the bills in this recession.
  
• Yes, we are offering this to our highest point-earners first, through private communique to those hand-chosen people. We will open the program up to a wider audience in the next few days, after we have reached out to these earners.
• Yes, this is a huge. This will be an enormous opportunity for loan officers to build an advantage by nailing down strong, resilient relationships with real estate agents based on reciprocity, mutual respect, and a shared desire to increase one another's businesses.

If you are interested in additional details, and you are a loan officer, you may contact Doug Ching with ActiveRain, who is spearheading this effort. You may also leave your question here, and Doug or I will answer it for you as quickly as we are able.  As always, we truly appreciate the support and commitment our members have given to this community, and with the combined efforts of our Ambassadors, Certified Lenders, and Members alike, ActiveRain will continue to change lives in the Real Estate Industry.

Aside and finally, the Ambassador program is still very much front and center for us, and the Certified Lender Program does not affect our current Ambassador program. We believe the main strengths of the Ambassador Program is on a grassroots level, fueled by Ambassadors doing what they've been doing all along: giving presentations in their local areas and adding value to the network through increased member ranks.