If you are reading this, then you've probably figured out that our industry now has its own social networking site; CommonGround. CommonGround was built to become THE global community for property due diligence professionals and my hope is that this goal will be reached as rapidly as possible. What makes CommonGround different from other social networks is its exclusive dedication to the property due diligence industry.

Most of us are aware of the successes that MySpace and Facebook have enjoyed recently. What many people are not as aware of are that thousands of niche communities also exist for very targeted audiences of professionals who are involved in similar lines of work. These niche communities provide rich and highly focused content that help their members perform their jobs at a higher level. By joining a business community, members will be able to contribute and consume content, ask and answer questions and establish themselves as an industry thought leader within a certain geography or subject matter. These communities exist already for doctors, lawyers, IT professionals and even airline pilots. Why not for property due diligence professionals?

So log on and check it out. Take a few minutes to set up your own profile and start looking into the various discussions, blogs, downloads, podcasts and events. Pose a question or answer someone else's. For the next few weeks, the name of the game will be to get comfortable navigating the site and begin building your own personal network. After that, its anyone's guess where the community decides to take itself.

My hope is that this platform will provide our entire industry with a valuable service that improves the quality of environmental due diligence everywhere. But how we get there will be up to the community itself. Community members will determine the community's success themselves based on individual involvement and cooperation. Some people will be "lurkers" who quietly observe others without saying much themselves. Others will get very involved right away, constantly searching for ways to use the community to promote their brand or expertise. If we are to learn anything from observing other professional communities, it is that the people who benefit the most are the ones who get engaged early and stay engaged over time.