About Active Comments

Active Comments is the ultimate in Social Networking – allowing Listing Agents to start and moderate discussions between Sellers, Buyer Brokers and Potential Homebuyers using a message board system for each listed property.

Web 2.0 is underway, with the Internet being populated with content from users around the planet. Active Website is very excited to help our Real Estate clients grow with this feature. What Potential Homebuyer wouldn’t love the opportunity to ask the Seller questions about the house, the yard, the neighborhood, the schools, the shopping…the list of possibilities is endless!

Active Comments allows both Listing Agents and their Sellers to write in-depth, first-hand descriptions of listed properties, including links to photos, community links, etc. They can then respond to inquiries from visitors to the listing. 

Active Comments Features

For example, if a Homebuyer is wondering about the location of the laundry room or the master bedroom, they can post the question and either the Listing Agent or the Seller can respond. The result is a discussion that lives on the listing within the client’s website, so any visitor who views the listing can read the entire discussion and participate if they would like.

Active Comments gives the Listing Agent and the Seller a huge advantage by allowing them unlimited space to talk about their property. And homebuyers have something they have never had before – a way to find out everything they want to know about their future home!

This feature gives our clients a competitive edge, not only by improving Search Engine Results, and driving traffic to the listing, but also by facilitating a major portion of the Home Search process – the Question and Answer exchange, completely online and in real time.

Here’s how it works:

You, as the Listing Agent, list a property on the MLS. Websites that contain Active Comments will enable you to log on to your Home Search account and start the interaction by introducing the property in your own words. Be as descriptive as possible, and use key words and phrases that Homebuyers might tend to use while searching, such as “granite countertops” and “stainless steel appliances”.

Here is an example:

Janet Smith Listing Agent

123 Main Street is a beautiful home that has been renovated.  The fully finished basement has plenty of room for a pool table or foosball, and has a counter area perfect for studying or a party!  The small refrigerator downstairs stays with the property as well. The backyard has a large wooden playset in ready-to-play condition, and a large grass area perfect for practicing soccer skills or croquet.  A gas line has been installed for a gas-powered grill on the large deck. The great room has a very open feeling, with an island between the kitchen and living areas providing an unobstructed view of the entire main floor.  The kitchen has been upgraded with gorgeous granite countertops and all stainless steel appliances, including a double convection oven, island cooktop, side-by-side refrigerator and Bosch dishwasher.  Glass mosaic tiles add a splash of color in the backsplash for a modern touch. There are 4 spacious bedrooms on the upper floor, and this house has a large, private master suite with 5 piece bath and walk-in closet. 20-inch Travertine tiles and a deep jetted soaking tub, make this master bath a relaxing retreat. If you are looking for a home in a well-maintained neighborhood, with a community pool, tennis court, and fantastic school system, you have got to check this one out!  Contact me for a showing, this one won’t last long!

Once you Post the Comment, your picture will appear next to your comment, indicating you as the Listing Agent.

 

At this point, you should also encourage your Seller, the current Homeowner, to login to Home Search and Post their Comments as well:

April Ruiz Seller

We are so sad to be leaving this house after putting so much work and money into it.  Our family, which includes 3 kids, has grown up in this house, and we have renovated to make it very comfortable for everyone.  My husband turned part of the basement into his office, with built-in bookshelves and lots of space for a big desk and filing cabinets.  I also have an area for scrap-booking that looks out into the backyard, so I could keep an eye on the kids while I relaxed. We have spent a lot of time making the backyard our little piece of paradise.  The privacy fence is great, and the large trees provide plenty of shade.  The vegetable garden is in the perfect place for growing great tomatoes, watermelon, corn, sunflowers, etc and the flower beds have tulips in the spring and colorful annuals throughout the summer and fall.  The waterfall and koi pond will be sorely missed by all of us! We are moving due to my husband’s job transfer, and we will really miss our neighbors, who are very friendly and inviting – they have become like family.  There are little kids all around the cul-de-sac, and the street often becomes a playgroup in the afternoons!  The HOA organizes lots of events throughout the year, and the swimming pool and tennis courts are great!

 

These comments can be viewed by every person who visits the listing, and they are welcome to login to Home Search and ask questions and Post Comments of their own.

A visitor asks:

Donald Maas Guest

I see the house is very near the lake – are mosquitos a problem during the summer?

 

The seller replies:

April Ruiz Seller

When you go down to the lake to fish or walk around, you might want to wear insect repellent, but I have never had a problem with them near the house.  I think that the Parks and Rec Department also sprays every year.

 

Another visitor asks:

Jane O'Toole Guest

Did your kids go to the Elementary School that is a couple of blocks away?  If so, did you like it?

 

The seller replies:

April Ruiz Seller

My kids do go there, and they are going to miss it so much.  The teachers are great, and the PTA is very good at getting everyone involved.  They are very focused on the arts as well as health and nutrition.  If you would like to give the principal a call, her name is Linda Hamilton and she would be happy to answer any questions you have about the school.  Her number is 303-999-9999

 

Another visitor asks:

Trina Lowell Guest

The koi pond sounds lovely, is it hard to maintain?The koi pond sounds lovely, is it hard to maintain?

 

The seller replies:

April Ruiz Seller

Here is a picture.  We put it in a few years ago, and it has never been a problem to maintain.  Koi food can be purchased at any pet store, and there are snails that keep the pond really clean.  We have several koi that are more than five years old!

 

As you can see, Active Comments provides an unprecedented forum where potential Buyers can connect with Sellers like never before!

Why does this provide a competitive edge?  It’s simple.  People feel very comfortable and connected while interacting online.  This is evident from the tremendous success of social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, and it’s becoming prevalent in every industry.  From product reviews on retail sites to comments within news sources, users like to feel connected, even if they rarely meet face-to-face.  It’s even more important with a purchase as big as a property!  By giving Homebuyers the ability to feel connected to a property and its owners before they ever schedule a showing, you are one step closer to a sale.

Because users are required to register for a Home Search account before they can Post an Active Comment, this is also a great source for both warm and hot leads – they provide their name, phone number, and email address – and they are actively searching for a property.  It doesn’t get much easier than that!