Winter 2017 lore by REAL Trends

Winter 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ Volume 11 / Issue 4

Humanitarian

Jim Fite: This broker learned early on that if you give without wanting anything in return, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be rewarded in ways you never dreamed possible.

INSIDE Drive, Ambition and a Winning Spirit: Nick Bailey Finding the American Dream Plus: Five more fascinating stories of real estate professionals giving back to their communities and

leading interesting lives.

7,600

Winter 2017 Volume 11 / Issue 4

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COVER STORY Jim Fite: Putting Others First This broker learned early on that if you give without wanting anything in return, you’ll be rewarded in ways you never dreamed possible.

Feature: CENTURY 21 CEO and President Nick Bailey Drive, Ambition and a Winning Spirit. What started as an odd childhood fascination has turned into a lifelong passion. Find out what makes Nick Bailey tick.

Feature: Finding the American Dream This Syrian refugee came to the United States to chase his dreams and found success.

DEPARTMENTS Saving the World: Curbing School Violence

Illinois brokerage donates $2,700 to help a local high school implement a new app that allows users to submit secure and anonymous tips via their mobile devices.

Agent Profile: From Fighting Gangs to Real Estate Before she was a real estate professional, this agent fought crime as a Chicago-based special agent in the Department of Justice.

Personal Passions: Not Horsin’ Around Clydesdale horses are some of the most popular around, and Larry Doss is using that popularity to entertain the community.

How I Got My Start: Learning How to Adapt

This Colorado broker knows how to be resourceful and take advantage of new opportunities.

Personal Passions: Going Pro Imagine one tweet making (or breaking!) your real estate career. That’s the power of athletes and social media. Here are some tips for creating happy customers.

28 LORE

EDITOR’S LETTER

CELEBRATING SUCCESS

he one thing most real estate professionals have in common is their ability to build relationships in their respective communities. Those relationships blossom over time into full-blown charitable organizations, such as the teddy bear ministry built by Jim Fite of CENTURY 21 Judge Fite Real Estate. His need to give back to the community was the impetus for his development of a three-part giving program, including the teddy bear ministry, which you can read about on page 14. Throughout the pages of LORE magazine, you’ll read about the lives of real estate professionals and how they’ve built their businesses. There’s Nick Bailey, the new CEO of CENTURY 21, who has his finger on the pulse of real estate from both the business side and the technology side. His profile outlines what he did early in his career to build his leadership skills and shine. You can also read about Baird and Warner sales associate Al Zoubi, who escaped the war in Syria by coming to the United States to get a college degree in engineering. Find out his path to living the American Dream as a real estate professional. If you love the intrigue of federal agents and the cases they work on, you’ll love to read the story of Patti Gibbons, whose previous career was as an investigator with the Department of Justice. She’s worked on such high-profile cases as the Unabomber and the Olympic bombings in Atlanta, not to mention setting up stings to capture Chicago gang members. Those are only a few of the stories we’ve got in this jam-packed issue of LORE. When you have a moment, check out our Secret Lives of Real Estate podcast series, in partnership with Quantum Digital, where we take a peek into the lives of real estate professionals, leaders and trendsetters. Listen now at www.secretlivesofrealestate.com. Good Reading! Tracey Velt Editor of Publications REAL Trends

Lives of Real Estate

www.loremagazine.com Steve Murray

Publisher smurray@realtrends.com Tracey C. Velt

Editor-in-Chief tvelt@realtrends.com David Grassnick

Graphic Designer chiefcreative@msn.com Bryan Warrick

Creative Director bwarrick@realtrends.com Doniece Welch

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20 18 GATHERING OF EAGLES

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HOW YOU GROW YOUR BUSINESS | EPISODE 4 In REAL Trends’ latest episode of How You Grow Your Business, we explore how a real estate brokerage that started in 2011 went from an unknown to being recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in America three years in a row. Watch Peter Giese and other members of United Real Estate share how they are growing their brand through meaningful partnerships inside and outside of the real estate industry.

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COVER STORY

Jim Fite

PUTTING OTHERS

FIRST

This broker learned early on that if you give without wanting anything in return, you’ll be rewarded in ways you never dreamed possible.

By Tracey C. Velt

career in real estate wasn’t Jim Fite’s first choice, despite the fact that his father, Judge, founded CENTURY 21 Judge Fite Company in 1937. “At 16 years old, I was at the dinner table. My mom was an agent. My dad owned the company. As usual, we were talking about real estate,” says Fite, now CEO of the brokerage. Fed up, Fite slammed down his fist and said, “I will never be a Realtor®!” and stormed out of the room. The problem was that Fite didn’t feel like he was college material either. “My dad was big on

Christmas Lives ofThe Real EstateTeddy Bear delivery crew offering joy and love to children in the hospital during the holidays.

education, so I reluctantly went to junior college. I majored in cards the first semester and beer and girls the second,” he laughs. “I think I had some undiagnosed language and learning disabilities. This was before schools tested for that type of thing.” “My parents invested in my education. If they hadn’t done that, I don’t know where I would be today,” he says. When Fite announced to his dad that he was dropping out of college, his dad gave him a choice: finish college or read, study and think for one hour a day, five days a week and go

“I REALIZED THAT THE PEOPLE you touch mean the most. In our business, reputation is everything—it’s why we get up in the morning and go to work. People have to do business with people they respect and like. Those who have a purpose and give back will have an abundant life.” – Jim Fite

to school/classes/courses at least one day a month or 12 days a year for the rest of his life. “For the past 45 years, I’ve gone to school 12 to 20-odd days a year to study, and I read for an hour or more a day. He taught me that you should never quit learning.” After dropping out of college, Fite earned his real estate license in March 1972. “I was 18 years old, and it’s all I’ve ever done since.” By the time he was 22 years old, Fite had the desire to lead and build a great company. “I attended a program at Texas A&M that taught me how to manage a real estate company, along with coursework on investments, government involvement and human relations. “I came back all cocky and told my dad I was ready to take over the company,” he laughs. “About a month later, my dad called me on it. My sister, Jan, and I run the business, and we have for 41 years. He [my dad] was there when we needed him.” A Servant’s Heart In his personal life, Fite and his wife, Petey, have always been involved in multiple charities. “In this world, there are givers and takers. I believe that we do our best to be givers, not takers. We get back in the joy of giving and helping others.” They also have a Teddy Bear Ministry, which they started 32 years ago. “I was on an advisory board at the Methodist Health System in Dallas, and Petey and I wanted to teach a lesson to our two children, so we decided to do something for the children who were confined to the hospital during the holidays.” In the beginning, the Fite family would bring teddy bears to the children on Christmas Day. From there, the ministry blossomed. “We started going to two hospitals, then someone heard about it and wanted to donate bears. All of sudden, we’ve got bears all over our home,” he laughs. One year, after giving away bears to all the children, Fite, who was wearing a Santa suit, had one bear left over. This is when he had his aha! moment. “We asked the nurses if there was a patient who needed uplifting,” he says. They suggested visiting a woman who was in a coma. “I walked in as Santa, put a teddy bear in her arms and whispered ‘Merry Christmas and God bless.’ She opened her eyes, replied, ‘And, God Bless you,’ and was awake when we left. The nurses went nuts. LORE

COVER STORY

We saw a miracle that day. At that moment, we realized that this idea should be expanded beyond children,” he says. Thirty-two years after handing out his first teddy bear, Fite now has a crew helping him and the family. “We get bears donated from around the United States. We have 25 to 30 elves now, delivering bears to hospitals, youth centers and homeless shelters.”

go to the hospital in the morning and the lunch for the disadvantaged in the afternoon.”

He fondly remembers heading over to a luncheon at a youth center where they feed 1,500 people starting at 1 p.m. every Christmas. “It was bitter cold, and there was a line around the block — people of all ages. I got out dressed as Santa Claus, my wife as Mrs. Claus, and we felt like rock stars. Kids just swarm Santa. We started giving away bears and realized we didn’t have enough,” he says. Fite wondered what he would do, but then one of the elf helpers opened the trunk of Fite’s car and discovered it was full of bears they had forgotten earlier in the day. The last bear was given to the last child—another miracle. “Now, every Christmas, we

Giving Back as a Company With Fite’s desire to give back, it’s not surprising that when his company joined the CENTURY 21 system, they wanted to choose a charity for the company to embrace. “We were contributing to a bunch of charities, but not making as big an impact as my sister [Jan Fite Miller] and I wanted. By choosing one charity, we could have a big positive impact,” he says. Easter Seals is the charity of choice for CENTURY 21 corporate, so says Fite, “It seemed like a natural fit.” That first year, his company donated $5,000. This year, they will have donated $250,000, and over the last 19 years, he says, "we’ve raised over $2.5 million.”

He says that every year at the hospital, miracles happen. “Whether it’s giving someone the opportunity to have joy in their last days or handing a child a teddy bear, it has a huge impact,” he says.

continued on page 9

I n H i s Wo r d s : J i m F i t e Believes in: Giving back and hard work Motivated by: Being a positive example to others. I have been blessed beyond comprehension. Why else are we on this Earth but to be a role model to others? I work rather than retire because my mission statement motivates me to be a positive example to others by spiritually living life, having strong family values, giving to others, career success and financial stability. Routine: Every morning, before I get out of bed, I pray and ask for power to accomplish my mission that day. I do my best, and many days I fall short. I get up the next day and start again. Three things (other than family, friends and phone) I can’t live without: God, my company and my new lake house. Oh, and maybe emails, but I’m not sure that I can’t live without them.

Lives of Real Estate

continued from page 8

Then, after hearing about other brokerages who formed charitable foundations, Fite and Jan started “digging into how to form our own foundation,” he says. In 2017, the Judge Fite Charitable Foundation was formed. “We wanted to have it set up before our 80th anniversary celebration in March 2017. Our goal was to raise $100,000,” he says. The company is donating $5 from each closing to the foundation. “We’ve raised $37,500 just from that. Before we announced it, we wanted to tell the agents that 100 percent of our leadership team either pledged money or gave money,” says Fite. The leadership team did contribute, and they raised $96,360 from just 26 people. Fite says the money will go to agents and customers going through hardships. “Through the years, we’ve been asked by agents to give to this charity or that charity. We’ve had a lot of tornadoes, and we’ve had clients’ homes destroyed. We always gave personally,” he says.

One of the first requests was for a daughter of a Judge Fite agent who has diabetes. “The request was for money to train a service dog. Here’s a person in need in our company, and now we have a way to support people in our company.” For Fite, it’s all in a day’s work. “I’m blessed if I can give back.” His two children, Eric and DeAnne Fite, both work for his company. Eric is director of operations and president of Judge Fite Insurance, and DeAnne is an agent in one of the offices. “My six grandchildren, ranging from 3 years old to 16 years old keep us busy. I used to play golf back when I had my own time,” he laughs. “Petey and I love to travel the world. We take at least one three-week vacation a year and several small trips scattered to give us stress relief.” In the end, he says, it’s all about helping others. “I personally feel good when I am able to give and help others. I’m in a position to help others. More than that, I feel it’s my responsibility to do so.”

Goals: To be a devoted husband, father and grandfather; to annually travel with my wife to exotic locations; and to reach our company goals and tie them to my personal goals. Money comes and money goes, but in the end, all we have to leave behind are the people we touch and our reputations. That thought was cemented during the recent recession. Wants people to know: In our extended family, we’ve had some experience with chemical dependence. I’m an advocate for making alcohol and drug addiction an open-door conversation. I realize it’s not socially acceptable to talk about when a child is on drugs or someone has an alcohol problem. But, these are real problems that cross all socioeconomic, race and religious borders. If I hear of a family member or staff member who is having issues with this in their family, I will reach out. I will talk to them not as a counselor, but as someone who has walked the walk and seen the other side of hope.

LORE

FEATURE

C E N T U RY 2 1 R e a l E s t a t e C E O a n d P r e s i d e n t N i c k B a i l ey

DRIVE, AMBITION AND

A Winning

Spirit

Lives of Real Estate

By Tracey C. Velt

What started as an odd childhood fascination has turned into a lifelong passion. Find out what makes Nick Bailey tick.

hen Nick Bailey was just 10 years old, he loved to walk through new construction homes. “I had a fascination with housing and real estate,” says the 42-year old President and CEO of Century 21 Real Estate LLC in Madison, New Jersey. “My parents were not in real estate, so I’m not sure where that interest came from,” he adds. Over the years, that interest resulted in action. “I invested in commercial real estate when I was 17 years old. I bought my first house at 18 years old and got licensed [to sell real estate] at 21 years old,” he says. In fact, it appears that Bailey has a thing with the number “21.” In addition to getting his real estate license at age 21, his first job was with the CENTURY 21® brand and then, 21 years to the date he started in real estate, he joined the global franchisor as the CEO and president. “It’s ironic how many 21s there were in there. It was probably meant to be,” he laughs. Between his first stint at CENTURY 21 and his current one, there were a series of leadership roles in real estate and then with the tech side of real estate at Market Leader and Zillow Group and Trulia. “That’s been the coolest part of my journey—experiencing so many different facets of the industry,” he says. He notes that with Market Leader he learned how real estate professionals use technology. “We say [real estate] professionals depend on technology, but the vast majority of the agents don’t go deep within the software. They use it to make their lives more streamlined, to work with buyers and sellers and to save time. Knowing that is critical,” he says. “I learned what many agents don’t do or don’t want to use.” He notes that one of the biggest challenges for brokerages is adoption. “They invest heavily in these tools—time, training and dollars. And, then they have a hard time getting their associates to adopt them.” He is taking that experience to C21® in the way the company keeps the customer and the agent as the central focal point so everyone “stays aligned with innovation.” From Zillow, he says he learned how what the agent wants and what the consumer demands collide. “I call it the MLS book hangover, which is that the value of what they [real estate professionals] do has to justify their earnings and commissions, and they [make the mistake] of wrapping that around data and what’s inside of books.”

LORE

FEATURE

A Born Leader Bailey learned early on that he had leadership skills. “When I was in third grade, my teacher would name a student “Star of the Month.” The child would get a photo on the board and the teacher would write something complimentary about that student,” says Bailey, who notes he was a quiet kid. When it was his turn to be Star of the Month, the teacher told him the reason he got the star was for his leadership. “She told me that people are looking to me and will do things that I

do, and that I wouldn’t even know they were doing it. That has stuck with me. I learned that people are watching, even when you don’t realize it.” What makes Bailey unique, other than his experience in both the residential and the tech side of real estate, is his personal drive, resourcefulness and problem-solving skills. He grew up in Denver, Colorado, with parents who were successful in business, but worked hard for that success. “That work ethic served me well early

“I invested in commercial real estate when I was 17 years old. I bought my first house at 18 years old and got licensed [to sell real estate] at 21 years old.” – Nick Bailey

Bailey with Easter Seals Cindy Metzger and Sharon Watson.

Lives of Real Estate

on, and it’s still there today. When I was 13 years old and wanted to buy a car [Bailey is a selfdescribed car fanatic], my dad asked, ‘how will you pay for it?’” Bailey then set about figuring out a way to earn it, which, he decided, was detailing and washing cars. He built a car detailing business that was very successful in his local area. “When I was 14 years old, I would go to the banks, take the cars back to my house, do a full detail and clean and then bring the car back,” he says. His AHA Moment When he left for college, like many, he realized that paying rent was like throwing money away. So, he bought a home two blocks from college and rented out a few bedrooms. “It was a great investment,” he notes. “I had that inherent need, at a young age, to be responsible.”

Responsible and competitive, so much so that when he was 27 years old working as a RE/MAX management consultant he had an experience that would shape the way he looked at his career and goals. “Shortly after joining RE/MAX, Jes Jesperson (retired as CEO and from the board of directors for RE/MAX Holdings Inc.) became my mentor through their mentoring program.” One day, during a mentoring session, says Bailey, “he had a stern look on his face. He told me he was impressed with my leadership, but said, ‘As I look down through 15 other people who have the same job, I don’t see anything that makes you stand out.’” But, says Bailey, Jesperson didn’t give him advice. Instead, he told him to figure it out if he wanted to be a company leader. “I went to my desk and just stared straight ahead. I realized it isn’t about waving my flag or competing against my

What makes Bailey unique, other than his experience in both the residential and the tech side of real estate, is his personal drive, resourcefulness and problem-solving skills. He grew up in Denver, Colorado, with parents who were successful in business, but worked hard for that success. Bailey with his wife, Hannah and sons Jackson (12) and Max (8), love to ski.

LORE

FEATURE

peers for the next promotion,” he says. “It was a turning point for me. Now, when people ask me for advice, I go back to that story where he lit a fire under me but didn’t tell me how to fix things.” Winning is important to Bailey, but not at all costs. Instead, he says, “I like to win but I like those around me to win no matter how that looks. For example, I ran my first race a few years ago, and I knew I wouldn’t come in first place. But, winning for me was making sure I completed the race without walking. I was competing against myself. I like to win based on the personal goals I set for myself.”

Bailey notes that his wife, Hannah, is competitive as well. The two started dating in eighth grade and have been together ever since. “My wife races [both running and biking] and she’s an inspiration to so many,” he says. In the summer months, when the weather is nice, he says she rides her road bike 60 to 80 miles a day. “She’s also run a number of marathons. Her determination is incredible to

watch.” Fitness is a passion for the entire family; however, Bailey prefers to get in a good run or a session at the gym rather than compete. Both of his sons, Jackson (12) and Max (8) play sports. Jackson played competitive baseball and went to Cooperstown, New York as a 12-year old to play in the Little League Baseball World Series. He’s also into skiing and golf. “He is very creative and artistic,” says Bailey, who notes that Jackson’s drawings are fantastic, and he plays saxophone. Max, he says, is “wicked smart. He plays lacrosse and is the one you’ll see doing back flips on the trampoline.” One activity they all enjoy is snow skiing. “My oldest is officially a better skier than me!” For now, Bailey is focused on helping CENTURY 21 solve problems to make their agents lives easier and improve the process for consumers at the same time. “I think that we’re on the “back nine” of the data conversation. Consumers are saying they want a better experience when they buy and sell real estate.” And, he adds, “when you look at survey after survey, generally more than 50 percent of the time people will say they don’t look forward to doing it [buying or selling a home] again. That tells us we’ve got a lot of room to improve the consumer experience, especially in a time when I think we are in a consumer movement. Whether it’s shopping with Amazon, transportation with Uber, or how we interact with entertainment via Netflix, all of those things have made people’s lives easier and it creates an enjoyment of use. There’s still a lot of room for improvement in what we do for buyers and sellers.” With his determination and consumer tech background, we have no doubt Bailey will find a way to improve real estate, not just for CENTURY 21, but for all real estate professionals.

“I think that we’re on the “back nine” of the data conversation. Consumers are saying they want a better experience when they buy and sell real estate.” – Nick Bailey 14

Lives of Real Estate

Get to Know Nick Bailey Three Things You Can’t Live Without (other than family, friends or phones): A good haircut, washing my car (there’s nothing better than a sparkly clean car) and fitness (going for a run clears my mind and changes my outlook.) Leadership Lesson: Aligning an organization and leader around the vision. Establishing the vision and direction is hard, executing it is hard, but getting everyone on the same page is the biggest challenge of all. Mentor: For more than 15 years, Jes Jesperson has challenged my thinking. On a higher level, Ronald Reagan has been influential in my life. He was tough as nails when it came to how he got things done, but his demeanor and humor allowed him to connect with everyone. Goals: I would like to finish my pilot’s license. I started it but because of travel and my job. It’s taken me longer than I wanted to complete it. I would like to retire at the age of 55. And, finally, I do not want to be a crotchety old man! “I see people in later years who get bitter. I want my wife and I to be the retired cool people in the convertible Ferrari. LORE

FEATURE

Al Zoubi

This Syrian student came to the United States to chase his dreams and found success. by Tracey C. Velt

Lives of Real Estate

rowing up in a poor family in Syria, Muzaffar Al Zoubi (who goes by Al), now a broker associate with Baird & Warner Real Estate in Chicago, Ill., says that “life was tough growing up in Syria, especially with a low income like that of my family. When the war started, I had been working to support my family. My dad, Jehad, was a cab driver but couldn’t do his job anymore and my mom, Sahar, was a teacher.” Not only that, he says, but “warlords controlled prices and goods so prices skyrocketed.” But, Al Zoubi had big goals and the confidence and drive to reach them. As a young person, Zoubi figured he would go to college and start a business back home. He was pursuing a structural engineering degree from Damascus University. But, he says, “Once the war started, I couldn’t even finish my degree. The economy was bad and any kind of business or investment was going to be really tough. A lot of people had lost their jobs, especially those who had jobs in transportation

between the states of Syria. Companies were laying off people. I thought, ‘OK, what am I going to do now?’” He realized that the only way to escape the war and live out his dreams was to move to the United States. “I am a big believer in the American Dream,” he says. Zoubi heard about a scholarship to Illinois Institute of Technology and decided that he needed to find a way to get to the United States. With the support of his family, he earned a scholarship to IIT and was ready to come to America. He didn’t know a single American when he stepped off that plane. In fact, a school administrator came to pick him up. “I knew some English, but not enough. The first week, I would just sit in class with one goal—to understand some of what they were saying,” he laughs. He quickly made friends and within six months had a decent grasp of the English language. He graduated with a degree in structural engineering with a 3.8 GPA.

HEAR MORE more about Al Zoubi’s path from Syria to the United States in his Secret Lives of Real Estate Podcast:

CLICK HERE LORE

FEATURE

However, after working as an engineer for a couple years, Zoubi says, “I realized that my passion for math and engineering in school were different from the day-to-day tasks working as a full-time structural engineer. Crunching numbers in front of a computer screen for nine hours a day wasn’t how I wanted to spend the rest of my life.” So, in 2016, Zoubi took another leap of faith and decided to pursue a real estate career. Since arriving in the United States, Zoubi has been mentored by a successful businessman who he consulted with when he wanted to leave his engineering degree. “He helped me choose a career where I could be around people, where I could control my growth, and that was real estate,” he says. But, he didn’t go into real estate lightly, “I had to provide for my family in Syria (his sister, Noura, is in pharmacy school in Damascus) and a move to a commission-based career was difficult. But, I pursued the American Dream of happiness. Since I didn’t grow up in Chicago, I didn’t have the luxury of having referrals from family and friends,” he says. “All I had was a smile and passion for my new career,” he says. He hit the ground running and held open houses and did cold calling and door knocking. He says it’s paid off. “In 2017, my first full year in real estate, as of October 2017, I’ve closed 24 transactions. I have $1 million worth of inventory and some clients in the pipeline. I hope to close $8 million in sales in 2017.” He did that with the help of his mentor, Sheila Doyle, a veteran agent in his office. “I was so determined to gain her trust and I would do anything to learn from her. I don’t think I would be at this level without her,” he says. In March 2017, Zoubi found himself working “seven days a week non-stop. I realized that I lined up seven closings for May. It hit me that, finally, this is the kind of production I am looking for.” In addition to Doyle’s inspiration, Zoubi has an amazing ability to be focused and positive. “I wake up every morning with a goal that I’m going to make it in this business, not only for me, but for the people who love me.”

Lives of Real Estate

“In 2017, my first full year in real estate, as of October 2017, I’ve closed 24 transactions. I have $1 million worth of inventory and some clients in the pipeline. I hope to close $8 million in sales in 2017.” –Al Zoubi

I n H i s Wo r d s : A l Zo u b i Business Challenge: Real estate professionals have to act as the CEO, the CFO, understand how to manage our time, generate business and serve customers. It’s a challenge to run a business. Goals: Be named to the Realtor® magazine’s 30 Under 30 Believes in: The American Dream Three things he can’t live without (excluding family, friends and phone): Real estate, the United States and my dreams Hobbies: Basketball, travel and music

In the United States for five years now, Zoubi has gotten to know people in Chicago’s Syrian community. In fact, he regularly hears from those who are active in RefugeeOne, a non-profit organization that helps Syrian refugees build successful lives in the United States. “Since I am in real estate, they call me to ask me to find housing for families who came here to escape the war in Syria,” he says. For Zoubi, helping his fellow Syrians and working with those looking for homes, keeps him fulfilled. “I want to help others achieve their goals,” he says. Zoubi recently became a permanent resident in the United States. “I don’t know what the future has for me. But, I’m the kind of person who has blind faith. I’m optimistic and go for it.” With his drive and passion, Zoubi will, no doubt, rise to the top of the real estate heap.

LORE

S AV I N G T H E W O R L D

Rick and Tammy Owens, RE/MAX Alliance

HELPING TO CURB SCHOOL VIOLENCE

Illinois brokerage donates $2,700 to help a local high school implement a new app that allows users to submit secure and anonymous tips via their mobile devices. 20

Lives of Real Estate

By Bridget McCrea School violence disrupts the teaching and learning environment and can be frightening and disruptive for all students, not just the students directly involved in an incident. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 8 percent of students have been involved in a physical incident on school property during the previous 12 months. Many more students are affected by threats of violence on campus or by witnessing incidents involving other students, making some students feel apprehensive about attending class. Rick and Tammy Owens want to do something about the problem. As owners of RE/MAX Alliance in Edwardsville, Ill., the pair heard about a local high school that wanted to implement the new P3 Campus app, which allows students, parents and community members to submit secure and anonymous safety concerns via their mobile devices. According to Rick, Edwardsville High School lacked the $2,700 it needed to purchase and implement the app on campus.

Nationwide, about 6 percent of students missed at least one day of school (during the 30 days before the CDC’s survey) because they felt they would be unsafe at school or on their way to or from school.

“As soon as we learned about this, we knew that our agents would step up and help contribute along with a significant company contribution,” says Owens, who worked with RE/MAX Alliance brokers Randy and Kathy Malawy to establish an internal fundraiser for the initiative, which is known as the Text-a-Tip Program. “We didn’t know whether the contributions would cover the entire $2,700, but in the end, we raised enough for the school’s app use for at least one year.” Owens says his company learned about the app — and the high school’s financial need — from a local police sergeant. Through the app, students and teachers can report a wide range of concerns, from mental health issues to threats of violence or bullying. The app also allows users to communicate with the police department directly by sending photos, screenshots, videos, documents or audio recordings. “I thought it was important to get this in our school because the way kids talk these days is all through social media and texting,” Sergeant Mathew Breihan told Riverbender. “I know these kids want to help out each other, and they want to be in a safe environment.” LORE

S AV I N G T H E W O R L D When she learned about RE/MAX Alliance’s efforts, State Representative Katie Stuart awarded the company with her Good Neighbor Business of the Month Award. Owens says his company is honored by the award, but adds that its main objective was simply to help prevent on-campus threats and give students a techenabled way to interact with authorities and campus administrators.

“This was a great opportunity to give back to the communities we serve, to create a safer environment for our students and to create a safer and more attractive community for the residents of the area,” says Owens, “both in terms of retaining current homeowners and attracting new ones to the area.” Bridget McCrea is a Florida-based freelance writer.

“THIS WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY

to give back to the communities we serve, to create a safer environment for our students and to create a safer and more attractive community for the residents of the area both in terms of retaining current homeowners and attracting new ones to the area.” — Rick Owens

Lives of Real Estate

Paul and Jennifer May

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR

SECRET LIVES WINNER PAUL MAY Paul May, a real estate broker with Keller Williams Southwest in Las Vegas, won this year’s Secret Lives of Real Estate Sweepstakes with a story of how, while working as an REO (bank-owned) listing agent, a man he thought was a tenant at his listing tried to scam the system. May alerted the police and helped them set up a sting to catch the fraudster. “I emailed the tenant that I had a family emergency but my assistant would meet him, give him the check and collect the key and a signed form. Of course, my assistant was an undercover police officer. The tenant showed up and was promptly put under arrest for fraud,” said May. TO READ MORE

RANKINGS SEASON IS ON THE WAY

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Before you know it REAL Trends ranking season will be here. Each year REAL Trends ranks the top performing real estate brokerages, individual sales agents and teams based on the number of transaction sides completed and the total sales volume of their closed sales from the previous year. Submissions for the rankings start in the beginning of January 2018 for all broker-owners, individual sales agents and teams. Brokerages have until March 1, 2018 to submit their information. Teams and individual sales agents have until March 31, 2018 to submit their information. To find out more,

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AGENT

PROFILE

Patti Gibbons

From Fighting Gangs to Selling Real Estate By Tracey C. Velt

s a female on the streets of Chicago, Patti Gibbons had no trouble buying guns and drugs from gang members. “I did some undercover work in my position as a special agent with the Department of Justice,” says Gibbons, who transitioned into real estate in 2013 after spending 26 years as a special agent. “Being a female, the gang members liked to sell to me,” she laughs. Gibbons, who is now a broker associate with Baird & Warner Real Estate in Downers Grove, Illinois,

decided on a career in law enforcement after meeting someone who was a special agent. “I was young, but I loved everything about investigating— the adrenaline flow, search warrants, investigations, even testifying in court,” she says. Living on the Edge Though a career in law enforcement can involve dangerous situations, Gibbons recalls how she felt as a special agent, “We are fearless. We’re never going to die. I’m sure my family did not feel the same, but I felt fearless.”

Before she was a real estate professional, Patti Gibbons fought crime as a Chicago-based special agent in the Department of Justice. Check out her fascinating story.

Lives of Real Estate

Recalling a dangerous incident involving a shooting, Gibbons says, “We ended up killing the bad guy. That was one of the more dangerous moments in my career,” she says. “The shooting made me take a pause about my career. But I thought we were always doing good for the community, so I continued for the good for the city, and that made me feel better.” While her work with gangs was her most dangerous work, her work in arson was, she says, was what made the biggest impact on her personally. She worked on a task force investigating the Unabomber case. “His [Ted Kaczynski] first bombing was in the Chicago area, so we followed up on a lot of different leads. It’s tedious work, but it’s necessary to solve a case.” The hardest part of that case was not telling family and friends about the intriguing case. “I had a security clearance and was not allowed to discuss the case. That was hard, because I was excited to share how things were unfolding,” she says. Another case that deeply affected Gibbons was an arson case where a baby perished in the home.

G e t t i n g t o K n ow Patti Gibbons Can’t live without (other than family, friends and phone): Social media, my newspaper, Dunkin’ Donuts coffee in the morning and a Pinot Grigio at night Future Goals: To build relationships with builders, get in better shape and take more time off work Strengths: Her ability to ask the right questions

“That hit home because I had a young baby at the time.” She also worked on the Abortion City bombings in Atlantic City, the Olympic bombings in Atlanta and several major Hells Angels investigations. But not all of her job was fast-paced and exciting. “Nothing happens as fast as it does on television,” she laughs. “It’s painfully slow in reality. I think we [law enforcement] all chuckle about how TV portrays court cases.” Female Power Being a female in a heavily male career was an advantage, she says. “My mother told me at a very young age that I could do anything I want. I took her to heart on that. Nobody in my family was ever in law enforcement, but my mom and family were supportive,” says Gibbons. And, she says, she had some female bosses in the Department of Justice who opened doors and provided mentorship on how to be a part of a practically all-male world and survive. “That was helpful—to see there were others ahead of me who I could lean toward for help. That’s translated into real estate,” says Gibbons. “To get any kind of [real estate] deal done, you have to build relationships with customers, lenders, lawyers, inspectors and more.” The Move While Gibbons loved her career, she had an “aha!” moment in 2000 that motivated her to change her perspective and eventually move to real estate. “I was diagnosed with breast cancer almost 17 years ago, and that made me

Motivation: Getting the best and most fair deals for her customers Inspiration: My family who supported me through both of my careers

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AGENT

PROFILE

realize that no one knows how much time you have, so you should enjoy your life to the fullest.” She stayed in law enforcement for several years more until a vacation at the beach cemented in her mind what her new vocation should be. “I was on vacation with my daughter and some friends. One of the women brought her computer. She was a real estate agent, and she sold two houses while we were sitting on the beach! I thought, ‘I can do that.’” Gibbons went home, took the test and got her license. She sees her job in real estate as an extension of her previous career. “I see real estate as being a public service job. People need to sell and buy homes, and you want to see them reach their goals,” she says. Her career in law enforcement transfers to her career in real estate in other ways. First, she says, “I have an honest and trustworthy reputation, and my skills as an investigator [boost] my real estate career. I talk [to] and treat each customer differently based on their needs. I’m able to read [customers] a little better than most. I’m a good interviewer,” she says. Also, she genuinely likes people. “I had a listing presentation with a 96-year-old woman the other day. We talked for about two hours and spent a small portion of that time talking about real estate,” she laughs. For Gibbons, real estate allows her to leverage the best parts of what she learned from her career in law enforcement—building relationships and helping people. “In my second year of real estate, I was talking to customers and they said, ‘Well, you’re the expert,’ and I thought, ‘Wow, I’m the expert now,’ and that’s a great feeling.”

Lives of Real Estate

“I was on vacation with my daughter and some friends. One of the women brought her computer. She was a real estate agent, and she sold two houses while we were sitting on the beach! I thought, ‘I can do that.’” Gibbons went home, took the test and got her license.

PERSONAL PASSIONS

NOT HORSIN’ AROUND Clydesdale horses are some of the most popular around, and Larry Doss is using that popularity to entertain the community. Living in Eureka, California, Larry O. Doss, broker and president of Ming Tree Realtors, is no stranger to working a farm. “Our families have been in agriculture since we were kids. While real estate is our prime business, we still have a small beef ranch and raise cows and horses.” About 14 years ago, he acted on a dream—to own and drive a team of Clydesdale horses, which were made famous by Anheuser-Busch brewing company. “A friend had some old wagons sitting in a barn,” he says. Then, he bought a team of

horses. Three years ago, he says, “We decided to go showier and bought a red hitch wagon.” There are about 100,000 people in his small community, and Doss says that he loves to drive the draft horse team. “We ride in parades and festivals. We do weddings, too,” he says. His company colors are black and red, just like the wagon and the horses. “We almost don’t have to put the company sign on the wagon,” he chuckles.

LORE

HOW I GOT MY START

LEARNING HOW TO ADAPT This Colorado broker knows how to be resourceful and take advantage of new opportunities.

By Tracey C. Velt and Bridget McCrea

Lives of Real Estate

anting to become her own boss and break free of the constraints of her first job as a police fingerprint specialist, Monica Breckenridge began exploring real estate as an option. With a master’s degree in forensic science, her original plan was to become a homicide investigator, which required three years of on-the-job experience as a police officer. “I went through the whole process anyway and didn’t get selected for the program,” says Breckenridge, managing broker and owner of Pink Realty in Colorado Springs. “I was pretty bummed out.” “I wanted to be independent rather than relying on someone else for income,” says Breckenridge, who earned her real estate license in 2007. “I started out working the night shift at the police department while working in real estate investment. I had about two hours of sleep a night, but I saved enough money to quit my job and go into real estate full-time.” Marrying Investment with Real Estate Sales After getting numerous leads from homeowners who wanted to sell homes, she and her husband, Russ, opened Pink Realty in 2009. And with that, they married their investment business with a residential real estate office and branded it with the name and the color pink. “I liked the color pink and realized that we could make the sign pink and name the company and have it all blend together and stand out,” Breckenridge says. “A lot of people thought it was stupid at first but soon realized that it really was a brand and color that everyone would remember.”

“I started out working the night shift at the police department while working in real estate investment. I had about two hours of sleep a night, but I saved enough money to quit my job and go into real estate full-time.” – Monica Breckenridge

Breaking Through the Barriers With 15 agents on her team, Breckenridge, who was named to the REAL Trends The Thousand, No. 4 individual agent by Transaction Sides oversees the entire operation, which includes listing, buying, appointment scheduling, transaction and marketing teams. “This helps everything flow smoothly,” says Breckenridge, who started out back in 2007 handling mostly short sales and foreclosures, thanks to the real estate environment at the time. “Nothing was selling, and everyone was losing their homes; we jumped in when everyone was getting out of real estate,” she explains. Fast-forward to 2017 — the climate is markedly different, but the challenges of staying on top of the market haven’t subsided. “We’re continually planning for future trends and learning how to adapt to any market changes,” says Breckenridge. “Every six months, we have to refocus and change things up.” LORE

PERSONAL PASSIONS

GOING PRO Imagine one tweet making (or breaking!) your real estate career. That’s the power of athletes and social media. Here are some tips for creating happy customers. By Shannon O’Brien

Lives of Real Estate

here’s nothing quite as satisfying to a real estate professional as a glowing testimonial from a happy customer. Imagine, then, that your customer’s name is Shaquille O’Neal, and his testimonial comes in the form of a tweet to his 9 million-plus followers. Then came the retweets—dozens of them—“within minutes,” according to the L.A. Times’ Neal J. Leitereg. Those magical 140-characters, and the ensuing tweeted testimonial from pro-football’s Reggie Bush (3 million followers), skyrocketed Jordan Cohen’s burgeoning pro-athlete real estate practice into the stratosphere. Cohen is a sales associate with RE/MAX Olson & Associates in California. Real estate professionals who’ve made the choice to drill down their business to the narrow niche of working exclusively with pro athletes met plenty of challenges in the startup, but all that we spoke with ended up supremely satisfied with the choice. Here are some tips to get you started:

The sports relocation agent’s typical deal involves working with an athlete who has been traded or drafted. Some, however, get the big deals—the rare move of an entire team to a new city.

Know the Numbers The average professional athlete can expect to change teams as many as five times during a career. Mike Sillinger, for instance, was traded nine times during his 17-season NHL career, and the NBA’s Drew Gooden, basketball’s “Most Traded Man,” ended up on three different teams during just one season. It’s no surprise then that the sports relocation agent’s typical deal involves working with an athlete who has been traded or drafted. Some, however, get the big deals—the rare move of an entire team to a new city. In these cases, it’s not just the athletes and their families who’ll be packing up and heading for the new city. When the Rams returned to Los Angeles for the 2016 season, for instance, Darren Weiner, CEO of Celebrity Advisors LLC, counted from 125 to 200 people (management, office workers and more) who would be relocating with the team. That’s a lot of folks who will need a place to live. Of course, not all of them want to buy homes, but enough of them do to make professional sports relocation a very comfortable niche in real estate. Know the Clients If you think you wear a lot of hats in your average residential transaction, imagine coordinating a move for a group of upward of 100 people, all with varying needs. But even the individual athlete’s

LORE

PERSONAL PASSIONS move can be stressful for the sales associate. Depending on services offered, the sales associate may coordinate the packing and moving of possessions, scout out preferred schools for the kids, ship vehicles, set up utilities and more. Some negotiate the release of leases in the athlete’s current city, arrange for charter jets and hire private chefs and nannies.

Ikem Chukumerije, a broker with Million Dollar Living in Marina del Rey, California.

Depending on the athlete’s time frame, logistics can be a nightmare. “Some players will be granted a day or two to report to their new teams, but most are required to be on a plane within hours of getting the news. They have to split with the fevered pace of a fugitive on the run,” according to the New York Daily News’ Evan Grossman.

Building these relationships requires the ability to understand the unique needs of the athlete client. Then there’s the customer service aspect of the business. The road to success in the pro athlete relocation niche is paved with deals in which you exceed your clients’ expectations, according to 25-year veteran Ed Kaminsky with SportStar Relocation in Manhattan Beach, California. “It’s the only way to build the necessary relationships and garner referrals,” he says.

Often, the wife and kids are left behind until the house can be packed up and the move coordinated. Then, when they get to the new city, they’re looking for an endless list of resources, says

It’s All About the Relationships One theme that runs through all of the success stories is relationships—building and nurturing them, not only with the players but with their support systems as well.

Shannon O’Brien is a freelance writer.

MEET THE

SPORTS REAL ESTATE AGENTS Jordan Cohen So how does an agent who failed at his first two listing appointments end up as the number one RE/MAX agent in the country and produce more than $165 million in annual sales? Personality, tenacity and an unwavering belief in the power of preparation. Oh, it helps to have a client roster full of professional athletes and celebrities as well. The first athlete Cohen worked with came to him as a referral from a longtime friend. It was Don MacLean, when he was with the NBA. He bought a $1 million home. Fast forward to today, and his customer roster includes Kobe Bryant, Marcus Allen, tennis pro Pete Sampras as well as a list of Hollywood celebs.

Lives of Real Estate

After his first two failed listing presentations, Cohen went full-bore into the real estate learning curve, attending seminars, working with coaches and creating and practicing his own scripts for listing presentations. Although he offers up a list of strategies for agents who aspire to the luxury home niche, he says the overall key to success for any agent is “winning 10 times out of 10 on listing presentations.” You must, he counsels, establish credibility, personalize your presentation, invest in a high-end marketing budget and avoid being “too hokey.” The

latter, he expounds, includes handing out the cheap, branded gadgets (for example, pens, notepads or pumpkins) far too many agents rely on.

His annual six-figure marketing budget relies heavily on print advertising. “I don’t agree that print is dead,” he told the L.A. Times.

Ikem Chukumerije CEO of Sports Relocation, Ikem Chukumerije is serious about providing nationwide relocation to his professional athlete client roster. To that end, he is licensed to sell real estate in California, Washington, Utah, Nevada, Georgia, Florida and

New York. Last year, he served nearly 100 athletes. “When our customers contact us, they are in a certain amount of turmoil, especially those who have just been traded to another team,” Chukumerije explains to AOL Real Estate’s Krisanne Alcantara. “They usually have three days to move, and that means stress and serious concerns,” he continued. “I love listening to their needs and then telling them their concerns just ended. You can almost visibly see the stress leave their bodies.” With an enormous network that includes sports agents, coaches,

team management and even accountants who specialize in working with players, Chukumerije typically hears about trades and even entire team moves through his grapevine.

LORE

PERSONAL PASSIONS In fact, networking for the Rams’ move from St. Louis began six to eight months prior. “It’s all about

relationships,” he told James Rufus Koren, a reporter with the Los Angeles Times. “If we don’t

have connections to a player but someone else does, they get the business.”

Chris Dingman Chris Dingman, CEO of The Dingman Group in Newport Beach, California, has a system to deal with the multiple moving parts of the average pro athlete relocation process. It centers on a massive network of real estate agents “in every city and state that has at least one major professional sport,” he tells AOL Real Estate’s Krisanne Alcantara. Dingman echoes the sentiments of the other agents—it’s all about building relationships. Following up, he says, and building trust

helps maintain those relationships over the long term. He relies heavily on word-of-mouth. “The most successful way to go about getting their business is … do a great job and the guys are [going to] talk about you in the locker room, the wives are [going to] talk about you outside of the locker room,” he told Schmitt. Dingman’s been at it for more than a decade, fine-tuning his systems and processes along the way. His network includes financial advisors, accountants

and business managers—the people who surround the athlete and act as funnels for his bills.

"The most successful way to go about getting their business is … do a great job and the guys are [going to] talk about you in the locker room, the wives are [going to] talk about you outside of the locker room." – Chris Dingman

Lives of Real Estate

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