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Thomas takes this tenet to heart. “Our clients are our agents. We don’t inject ourselves into the actual users of our real estate services—the buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants. The relationship that is most important is the relationship between our agents and their clients. Our priority is making sure that our agents are well-enough educated to meet their fiduciary and professional responsibilities to their clients,” he says.
Giving Back to the Communities That Built Them
And so Zack Shore marched on. The firm was offered another franchise opportunity, this time with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, after Warren Buffet and his famed firm purchased Prudential Realty in 2012. After taking time to observe the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices organization as an outsider, Thomas made arrangements to join as a franchisee in December 2015. “When an astute businessman like Warren Buffet lends his name and feels strongly about real estate services, you know he regards it as an important asset—one he is committed to promoting, growing and protecting,” Thomas says. Today, across its five offices, Zack Shore holds the largest market share on LBI, but you won’t catch the group resting
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on their laurels. “The data and our reputation is important to our agents. We use it to attract new people who will be able to keep the business running for the next 95 years,” McKeon says.
Leading through Service Though the company’s name may have changed slightly over the decades, their commitment to hiring and retaining top-notch talent has remained a constant. Zack Shore’s 115 agents are also empowered to establish their own ways of working, whether it’s independently or in teams. “We’re here to support our agents. They handle their clients better than anyone else. If they need support, we’re here to offer it. We are all about them,” McKeon says.
It’s clear that after nine and a half decades, community is a crucial component of Zack Shore’s success. “We believe that community is built by the people who live in it,” McKeon says. As part of this belief, Zack Shore is a Mission of Hope Giving Partner with David’s Dream and Believe Cancer Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises funds to provide financial assistance, wellness services and hope to New Jersey families affected by a cancer diagnosis. This means that for every transaction and lease that is written, Zack Shore and its agents donate a percentage of their money. In 2019, Zack Shore and its agents donated nearly $30,000. “We are happy to support an organization that helps members of our community every day,” McKeon says. With its rich history, family-oriented culture, and strong community values, Zack Shore will undoubtedly continue to evolve for decades to come, helping individuals and families with all of their real estate needs on LBI and beyond.