June July 2018 Newsletter

JUNE/JULY 2018

N e w s l e t t e r

ISSUE 88

2018 HUNT/United Way Campaign Begins September 4th Regional News

As we look back at the success of our 2nd Annual CommUNITY Day, we now look ahead to our upcoming United Way Campaign.

Contributing and giving back to the communities in which we work and live is one of the most important cornerstones of the HUNT Mission. In 2017, through the deep generosity and support of many throughout our company, we were able to achieve our ambitious first-year goal of contributing $50,000, which went directly to United Way chapters and organizations of your choosing within your local communities throughout New York and Phoenix, Arizona.

We are excited to announce our 2nd Annual United Way Campaign kicks off September 4th and goes through November 21st. This year’s goal is to contribute $60,000! More information will be coming via email and from your Branch Director in the coming days.

We truly appreciate your support in this year’s campaign.

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The Capital Region has a new Career Development Manager in town. Welcome, Catherine McDonough!

Read more on page 4≥

HUNT Mortgage Start Your Mortgage Engine! Introducing the secure, state-of-the-art online application portal.

Read more on page 8≥

“Time to Take Stock” The month of July is the end of our third quarter of our fiscal year. With three months remaining in fiscal 2018, it is important take a moment to reflect on how far we have come in this year alone. In March I wrote about 2018 being a “Break-Out Year” for us at HUNT Real Estate Corporation and all of our Core Businesses. So, how have we done?

1) We are continuing to build on our best year in our history—2017. Many new faces are appearing in all corners of our organization, from our real estate sales agents to our Mortgage Consultants to our Title personnel, to our Insurance Producers and support staff. Even Fisher Homes will close out a long-standing project this month, completing its 28th house in a very popular patio home community in our Buffalo/Niagara Region. And our experimental alternative brokerage in Arizona is building momentum in that very competitive region.

2) The economy remains powerful and seemingly without end to the growth potential.

Unemployment is at an all-time low; job participation is at an all-time high; the main measure of economic growth, the gross domestic product, grew by an amazing 4.1% in the last quarter, with momentum seeming to be building still. We are in the longest “recovery” in history, which gives most thinking people pause to consider when the next recession will set in.

While it is out there sometime in the future, for the immediate future (through 2019) it is fairly safe to say that the fundamentals of the economy will remain strong. Even though mortgage interest rates are up almost a full percentage point in just the last 8 months or so, demand remains strong for both the broad middle of the housing market (where supply is still low) and for new mortgages. Watch for what is being written now and in the near future about some of the markets we are NOT in to see what might lie ahead.

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A Message from the CEO

3) Many of the new faces I referred to in March are, in fact, maturing in their roles, adding important depth in many areas of our organization. A prime example of that is how our Career Development has coalesced to create what will be the finest, most comprehensive, company-wide education and training system in the industry. Look for its unveiling in the next month. This type of collaborative effort is not limited to our Career Development Department.

Watch for the product of months and months of work in our Technology and Marketing Departments, too, as more opportunities are unveiled to help everyone become more productive and to generate more business.

4) All around me I’m witnessing the new attitudes and practices of our Culture: Our Culture of Curiosity (the “elixir of life”); our Culture of Transparency (more detail is being shared with more people about our business so that you can advise on from your vantage point); our Culture of Freedom and Responsibility (the opportunity we all have to build a real professional career individually or as part of a team—and to give back to our local society as most beautifully evidenced during our recent 2nd Annual CommUNITY Day); our Culture of High Performance (where we all want to learn, understand what we need to accomplish and know what produces the best results in the shortest possible time); and our Culture of Collegiality (a true expression of our trust and respect for one another and where everyone’s contributions are appreciated).

5) More and more of us are embracing our individual plans as well as the plan for our business units within the organization. Although we planned on growth overall in our Residential Brokerage of more than 13%, on a “same-store” basis, we are 8.74% ahead of last year in new business and 10.24% ahead in

closed. If you include our ERA Key Region, we are an amazing 51.56% ahead of last year and across the $2 Billion mark, with 3 months to go! Our rate of growth this year is our fastest in over 20 years, which is definitely something we all should be proud of.

6) I promised in March that 2018 would be a break-out year, but only if we made it so. Here are some examples of how many of you have made it so: a. ERA Key Realty Services becoming part of our organization as mentioned above, thanks in large part to the hard work and collaborative efforts of Charlie Hunt, and Bruce, Cheryl and Jeff Taylor, among others b. The creation of HUNT Property Solutions—our re-entry after many years into the property management business, teaming up with Bill Hibbard and his fine group c. We have quite successfully dealt with the latest competitors’ tactics d. The launch of the new Seller Select e. Implementation of Adwerx and Buyside f. Experienced Agent recruitment successes—particularly in CNY/NNY and Rochester Regions g. Introduction of the Jared James “Blueprint”, under Jonathan Orlow’s direction h. Creation of the Team HUNT and Real Estate Trainers Facebook pages i. Substantial Year-over-Year improved performance at NTA; HUNT Mortgage top line j. Systemic and Strategic Improvement at HUNT Insurance under Jimmy Farah’s leadership k. Key Hires at HUNT Mortgage in our Mortgage Consultant Ranks l. Launch of HUNTlearning.com m. Widespread social media Agent exposure n. And last and definitely not least… (drum roll, please) …Our First Platinum Model Branch!! HAMBURG (Buffalo/Niagara Region) Is Fiscal 2018 a “Break-Out Year”? I think so. Let’s close the year as I know we can—fast and strong, leading us into fiscal 2019 and our first 5-Year Plan. More on that to come!!

Peter F. Hunt

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer - HUNT Real Estate Corporation

A Message from the CEO

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News Around the Regions

Arizona

Capital Region

Greetings from Arizona!

Please help the Capital Region welcome their new Career Development Manager, Catherine McDonough!

My six months with HUNT haven’t been easy, but they have ultimately been rewarding.

As I look back at what we have accomplished, such as our highest sales volume month in the history of the Arizona region, I’m encouraged for what the future will bring.

I have never been more excited with the potential of the Phoenix market, and the opportunities that we have to breathe new life into HUNT Real Estate ERA in Arizona. I have the privilege of working with some of the best experienced agents in the market, as well as witnessing firsthand the excitement of brand new agents that have just finished real estate school. As our team grows, so does the support and camaraderie among our agents and employees, and I am proud to be a part of our Arizona HUNT family.

While there are challenges ahead of us, I am confident that our Arizona team of hardworking agents, both current and new, and our dedicated employees, will continue the path towards success.

If you ever visit the Phoenix area, please stop one of our offices and introduce yourself. Be prepared if you stop by in the summer - some may say it’s a dry heat, but us locals say it’s HOT. As I close my first newsletter article, I would like to say on behalf of your family in Arizona, THANK YOU for all your support, and watch for Phoenix Rising.

Robert Shaw, Arizona General Manager

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Regional News

*** I have a degree in both business and interior design, so a career in real estate made perfect sense. I ran several small businesses that were quite successful, but it was after completing a large home renovation and addition that I decided to take the leap. In 2013, I became a Licensed Real Estate Salesperson for Realty USA. After just the first few transactions, I realized that this industry is where my talents belong.

Little did I know that I would soon be invited to help contribute to the growth of an amazing company, HUNT Real Estate.

I am very excited to be working with HUNT and helping new agents achieve their dream of a career in real estate. What a joy it is to help others take the first steps toward this career!

Catherine McDonough, Career Development Manager

Check out our blog for photos and more News Around the Regions:

HUNTSince1911.com

Central & Northern NY Region

Rochester Region

The Syracuse Region came together on July 25th for the annual picnic celebration. The event was held at the Greenwood Winery in East Syracuse with entertainment by Steve Laureti. The rainy weather was not going to keep us down, the party was moved inside and our CNY agents and staff had a great day.

Thank you again to everyone who came out and joined the party!

Temps are Hot and Agents are on Fire in the Rochester Region! We closed out a spectacular sales month in July and it’s not slowing down! To maintain sanity in this busy time, it’s important for agents to celebrate their successes, so we are doing just that for the month of August. One of these celebrations will include “Margaritaville”, a HUNT Core Services agent appreciation event to be held at Ellison Park with food, drink & music!

*** The CNY region had 6 new agents graduate in the month of June! After their training, they are now prepared to build a sustainable career through our model agent summer training program.

Nikki Henry, Administrative Sales Manager

N E WS

To have your news, events

or announcements featured

here, email them to

marketing@huntrealestate.com.

*** A special Thank You to all of our HUNT Agents and Employees who volunteered for the Annual HUNT CommUNITY Day! This year we spent the day at FOODLINK. Everyone worked very hard, and what an honor to give back to such a special organization. We spent the day bonding and being educated on the amazing FOODLINK operation. Afterwards, we were also able to enjoy some social time with each other. *** GRAR’s Realtor Night at the Rochester RedWings was well attended by our HUNT agents. Thank you to HUNT for the tickets that we were able to provide. It was a beautiful evening for a picnic and a ball game.

Catherine Peters, Business Development Manager

Regional News

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HUNT Welcomes New Agents LaShawnda McNeil - Lockport Miriam Barker - Buffalo Metropolitan Jennifer Haskell - Hamburg Calvin Phillips - KenTon LaToya Barton - Amherst Danielle Bauchle - Lancaster Jessica Innes - West Seneca Anthony Massaroni - Clifton Park Jillian Voit - Akron Elizabeth Tollini - Amherst Donald Grovine - Liverpool Pauline Leo - Oneida Peter Riccardi - Greece Kirsten Klamm - Liverpool Joseph St. Amant - Orchard Park Tyler Page - Wheatfield James Mallare - Lancaster Michael deMaintenon - Oneida Elaine Nelson - Old Forge Vanessa Zwara - Grand Island Kathleen Flinn - Glendale Venita Jackson - Grand Island Matthew Werner - Williamsville Village

Experienced Agents Gwendolyn Starling - Liverpool Christian Voigt - Williamsville/Clarence Joseph Birbiglia - Cicero Garret Hebert - Clifton Park Sarah Massett - Camillus Debbie West - Lewiston Nicholas Seaman - Brighton/Pittsford Lynn McGuire - Clifton Park Catherine McDonough - Glens Falls Lois Duva - Glens Falls Anrew Cohen - Perinton Neal Scott - KenTon DaMario Peterson - Buffalo Metropolitan

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Welcome New & Experienced Agents

Lindsa Ewart - KenTon Sam DeFranks - Buffalo Metropolitan Erin Parks - Hamburg Asia Becton - Grand Island Rebeka Banks - Glendale Kimberly Kowal - West Senca Keoki Bell - West Seneca Mary Bowen - Williamsville Village Alyssa Davis - Amherst Pete Kremer - Lancaster

Thanks for the Referrals Keep Them Coming!

There is still time to win a special prize and earn extra income by participating in our Relocation referral contest! To be eligible, place a qualified outgoing referral or a USAA or Navy Federal agent generated referral by August 31st!

There are a few virtual postcards to choose from in AgentAchieve. To the left is just one example. Send your personalized postcard to your friends and family, then send your referral to: http://bit.ly/OutgoingReferral The link will be directed to Grace Bindemann and she will connect your client with a certified professional. Contact Grace for more information: Grace.Bindemann@huntrealestate.com.

Mary Croglio, Director of Relocation 716-880-1303 mary.croglio@huntrealestate.com

Training Focused On Creating Sustainable Careers Our career development team is hard at work pulling together knowledge from all of our regional trainers, business development managers, general managers, as well as Peter Hunt himself, to produce consistent programming in all regions. Our aim is to create facilitated training that is sensitive to each of our varying markets, yet is anchored with core content that will remain consistent company-wide.

Our goal is to focus training around how a HUNT Agent creates real value to customers, using our HUNT Homeownership Cycle. This cycle not only oers tremendous value, support, and resources to each customer, but creates sustainable careers for our HUNT Agents. If we can train to use this cycle correctly, we will grow not only profitable, but sustainable careers.

Link to HUNT Agent is Your Resource Flyer: http://bit.ly/HUNTAgent

Rachel DiNunzio, Director of Education and Agent Development 716-880-1513 rachel.dinunzio@huntrealestate.com

Core Businesses & Departments

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Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Mortgage Engine A few months ago, we introduced a secure, state-of-the-art online application portal called the HUNT Mortgage Engine (ME).

Through this portal, our clients can apply for a mortgage and upload their financial data with safety and ease.

Linda Mallia, President HUNT Mortgage 1-888-433-8373 linda.mallia@huntmortgage.com

This integrated method of applying for a mortgage loan can save borrowers time and avoid a great deal of hassle. ME has an integration with numerous financial institutions and document vendors that allows the borrower to instantly share and upload the necessary financial documents for their mortgage application, reducing the time it takes to locate documents. The system can also assist borrowers in understanding the process and timing of their mortgage application, so there will be no more confusion over which documents they have sent and which documents might still be needed.

ME rivals any online application portal in the industry. There is a national mortgage company that spends a great deal of advertising dollars and includes celebrity spokespeople to promote their online application. Ours is better - but we do not have any celebrities saying that is so. (Of course, that also means we are not paying any celebrity to say so!) Instead, we simply offer competitive rates and costs that we have now combined with state-of-the-art technology, delivered locally by our highly skilled and highly trained associates.

We would love to hear feedback from our clients and our valued HUNT partners on your thoughts regarding the new HUNT Mortgage Engine.

HUNT Branches Come Together for 2nd Annual CommUNITY Day On July 12, over 250 HUNT Real Estate Corporation agents, staff and Core Businesses employees teamed up with United Way chapters and community organizations to take part in our 2nd Annual CommUNITY Day. Twenty community service projects were held across New York State and Phoenix, Arizona, which included serving meals at a homeless shelter, helping out at summer camps for kids, painting and landscaping community centers, and holding donation drives for food, diapers and school supplies.

“We value our partnership with the United Way because of their deep-rooted commitment to improving our community and creating more opportunities for the people who live here,” said Peter Hunt, Chairman & CEO of HUNT Real Estate Corp. “Our mission states that we will ‘contribute to the society in which we operate,’ and we see no better way to show our support for our neighbors than to give back to the communities in which we live and work.”

For over 20 years, HUNT has been one of the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County’s largest charitable supporters. We are pleased to be able to expand our relationship with the United Way by making our HUNT CommUNITY Day an annual day of action for our agents and staff throughout the company.

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Core Businesses & Departments

Dan Mirsky, Marketing Director 716-880-1514 dan@huntrealestate.com