Celebrating 40 Years
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{Contents} August 2020/Vol. 36, No. 8 • www.rismedia.com
ON THE COVER 52 Becoming the Trusted Neighborhood Resource How Content and Information Empower California Broker A lot of real estate professionals strive to put community first, but probably not quite the same way Jason Farris does. After all, not many can say that their real estate brokerage started out as an information-packed local blog. But that’s exactly the case for Farris, who expanded his popular FresYes.com into an 80-agent brokerage serving the Fresno, Calif., area. “I wanted a place that best reflects the people, the places and the lifestyle that we call home. FresYes.com is that place,” writes Farris on the blog. At the root of the company and its success? Information and content. Thanks to technologies like a good CRM and data from companies like Cole Information, Farris is able to build trusting relationships with clients. In this month’s cover story, he tells us how.
HIGHLIGHTS 26 Unstoppable Meet the Unstoppable Team that is leading Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices into the future.
32 Global Spotlight: Opening the Doors to France Join us as we take a peek at the current state of the market in France.
56 Low Housing Stock and Large Down Payments Stand in the Way of the Next Generation of AAPI Homebuyers 32
35
In this exclusive feature, get informed about the state of AAPI homeownership pre-COVID-19.
62 Shining a Spotlight on Cyber Security Here, learn why cyber security should be top of mind for real estate professionals across the board.
HEADLINERS 13 P olicy Matters: Demand for Broadband Access Increases During Health Pandemic
14 N AR Power Broker Roundtable: A Market in Flux: Setting Strategies for a Strong Second Half
18 Executive Appointments 21 R EBAC Report: A Peek Inside Your Agents’ Minds - Part 1
25 M arket Recovery Survey: Buyers Making Their Way Back
RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 3
43
41 S tudy: The 10 Best and Worst Cities for First-Time Buyers
85 M eet the Newsmakers: Thad Wong, Vinnie Tracey, Delroy Gill
86 I ntel: Commercial Real Estate: Industry Practitioners Forecast a Strong Recovery
93 B log Spot: How Is Working With an Agent Better Than Finding a Home on Your Own?
99 W ebinar Recap: Is Now the Right Time to Become a Real Estate Agent?
59
94 R ISMedia’s Great Spaces That Works: Trusted Strategies to Cultivate a Successful Niche
INTERVIEWS 80 Norma Hinojosa, RE/MAX Elite 81 J onathan Edmiston, HomeSmart Expert Realty
82 E d Rapisarda and Cara Fox,
35 P utting the Community First
22 B uffini & Company – Learn to
Streamline the Home-Buying and Home-Selling Experience
46 S trategies: American Home Shield® (AHS®); Constellation1; Homes.com
52 B ecoming the Trusted Neighborhood Resource
66 W hat Transformation Would Your Business Experience If You Could See Clarity Through Chaos?
76 S anitary Kitchen Remodeling Tips for 2020
78 K ick Your Referral Game Into High Gear and Build a Pipeline of Future Business
88 P ower Broker Perspectives: Budge Huskey, Bo Menkiti
4 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
65 S cott Oakley – Be Selective When Choosing Your Moving Concierge Partner
84 S herri Johnson – Expressing Personal Opinions in Public
90 Darryl Davis – How to Show Homes Safely During a Pandemic
91 D esirée Patno – Housing Characteristics That Shape Financial Well-Being During a Crisis
Realty ONE Group Fox
FEATURES 45 G oing Above and Beyond to
Continue Past the ‘Busy Seasons.’ Don’t Get Left Behind
98 W ebinar Recap: Niche Marketing
EXPERTS
With Education and Care
61 G rier Allen – The Momentum Will
Reconnect With Your ‘Why’
24 A llen Alishahi – How to Go Above and Beyond for Clients as COVID Reverberates Across Real Estate
36 T odd Sumney – If You Can Find Your Spouse Online, You Can Find Your House Online
39 A ndrew Strauch – How Deeper MLS Integration Continues to Fuel the Success of BPP With Homesnap
43 A my Gorce – Serving Brokers Better: Trestle and the New NAR Policy
51 T he Experts at Real Estate Express – Real Estate Teams: Are They for You?
59 L ane Hornung – The 4 Pillars That Will Drive Real Estate Forward
92 T erri Murphy – ‘Lead Loop’ to Higher Lead Conversion
POWER TEAMS 69 V erl Workman – The 3-2-1 of Growing Your Business
70 C leve Gaddis – Don’t Annoy People You Know
71 N urturing Success, With a Team as the Vehicle
EVERY ISSUE 6
RISMedia Online
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Publisher’s Desk
16 Trending in Real Estate 100 Service Profiles 107 Referrals 112 RE: Real Estate—Even in Virtual Times, REALTORS® Can Lend Their Voice to Advocate
Always Include an HSA Home Warranty SM
Including coverage from HSA not only helps maintain a smooth transaction for you and your clients, it can also help homeowners feel confident about their decision and strengthen your relationship with them — possibly leading to repeat and referral business.
Contact your local Account Manager for more information or visit onlinehsa.com. Š 2020 Home Security of America, Inc. All rights reserved. 20-0640
RISMedia.com in the Spotlight: August
{Online} Trending on View these and more at blog.rismedia.com!
How to Make Getting Into Real Estate Investing More Affordable From flipping homes to obtaining passive income off of rentals, there’s always a buck to be made in adding real estate to a growing investment portfolio. What’s sometimes concerning is that it usually takes a considerable amount of money to get started purchasing properties.
most basic patio into a relaxing and appealing outdoor lounge area.
Zillow Survey: Home Offices Top List of Reasons to Move in Wake of COVID
With all U.S. states at least partially reopened, it’s become clear that most Americans who have the ability to work from home want to continue doing so even after the pandemic ends. According to a recent Zillow survey, many would consider a move to more comfortably do so.
Tell Us Who’s Making News in 2020! Nominations are now open for RISMedia’s Class of 2021 Real Estate Newsmakers! Head to rismedia.com/newsmakernomination to nominate a candidate. Deadline: Sept. 15!
Essential Steps to Take When Buying and Developing New Land
An undeveloped piece of land is like a blank canvas onto which you can paint your dream home. Before you can begin building, though, you need to make some important determinations about the piece of land you intend to buy.
4 Details That Can Turn Your Patio Into a Great Place for Entertaining
From comfortable seating to safe and attractive railings, here are a few key upgrades that will turn even the
How Much of a Down Payment Is Necessary to Buy a Home? Do you know how much of a down payment is necessary to purchase a home? Many folks have misconceptions about a down payment, and with incorrect information, the buying process can quickly become an expensive experience.
Get the Scoop on Teams Keep up to date on the latest team news. From starting a team to expanding one, you’ll find everything you need at RISMedia.com. Simply search keyword “Teams.”
Connect With RISMedia @RISMediaUpdates
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6 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
COVID Market Impact Learn about the latest market shifts. Read our breaking news at rismedia.com/category/ news/national.
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But creating or expanding a team involves many challenges that must be tackled head-on in order to reap the rewards. In RISMedia’s Ultimate Real Estate Team Guide, dozens of leading teams from across the country discuss strategies for building and running a winning team, sharing best practices on:
• Navigating the legalities of forming a business entity • Tackling financial challenges • Hiring, motivating and delegating • Creating work-life balance • Determining marketing ROI • Choosing the right technology • Creating a profitable social media plan • Successfully generating and converting leads
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STAY SAFE ON THE JOB YEAR-ROUND WITH TIPS AND TOOLS FROM NAR AT NAR.REALTOR/SAFETY
SAFETY PRESENTATION MATERIALS PowerPoint presentation template, talking points, handouts and more
ARCHIVED SAFETY WEBINARS Open Houses, Social Media, Identity Theft and more
SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT Follow @nardotrealtor on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for weekly safety tips to share
MARKETING MATERIALS Flyers and web banner ads
VIDEOS AND MONTHLY ARTICLES Watch and share the new video, “Safety Tips for Real Estate Professionals”
OFFICE FORMS For REALTORS® and clients
For questions about NAR’S REALTOR® SAFETY PROGRAM, contact safety@nar.realtor
{Publisher’s Desk} The Resilience of Real Estate
G
iven the grave news we encounter daily in these extraordinary times, I am particularly grateful for the one-on-one conversations I’ve been having with brokers and business leaders over the past several months. While it’s easy and understandable to become focused on the macro as we live through a global crisis, the real picture is found in the micro...the countless individual stories that speak to the remarkable resilience of the residential real estate industry. Our latest reader survey says it all—78 percent of respondents continued to transact business throughout the initial wave of the coronavirus. And at the time of this writing, many couldn’t keep up with the unleashed pent-up demand of the early summer, such as the participants in this month’s NAR Power Broker Roundtable (page 14). According to Craig McClelland of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, written business in June was up 24.7 percent over last June (if only there were enough listings to keep up with the demand). So while real estate took a hit early on in this crisis, the course correction has been impressive, thanks to the ingenuity and rapid response of real estate’s leaders. What this trial has proven, once again, is that with great leadership, any adversity can be overcome. And perhaps no one exemplifies great leadership more than the team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. In this month’s cover story (pg. 26), CEO Chris Stuart talks to Allan Dalton about the deep bench of exceptional leaders responsible for steering the firm toward ongoing growth. Find out why they believe they’ve created something truly “unstoppable.” I’m excited to announce that we’ll be discussing Leading During Challenging Times at RISMedia’s annual CEO Exchange on Sept. 17, brought to you this year in a thoughtfully put-together virtual format that really delivers. We’ll have the same winning formula that brings together top brokers from across the country for panel discussions, compelling one-on-ones and keynote presentations, as well as some targeted breakout sessions that will foster interactive discussions on critical topics. If you haven’t registered to attend yet, please contact Deb Ryan (dryan@rismedia.com) to reserve your spot. In the meantime, thanks to all of you who have been sharing your success stories, so that we can then share them to inspire real estate professionals across the nation. I invite you to continue to do so! Email me, johnf@rismedia.com, or our editorial team, editorial@rismedia.com. Wishing you good health and fortitude,
John E. Featherston CEO & Publisher
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Automate Your Social Media RISMedia’s ACESocial (Automated Content Engagement) branded content helps you resonate on social media, automatically delivering your expertise to your followers, every day and with every post. • Consumer-focused real estate and lifestyle posts, including articles, infographics and professionally produced videos • Automated distribution to your social media sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) and website • Your branding (logo, headshot, URL, and more) on all content landing pages • MLS listings on your landing page, complete with lead generation form
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EDITORIAL Executive Editor Maria Patterson Online Managing Editor Beth McGuire Managing Editor Paige Tepping Senior Online Editor Liz Dominguez Blog/Social Media Editor Jameson Doris Content Editor Paige Brown Contributing Editors Lesley Grand; John Voket; Barbara Pronin; Keith Loria; Andrew King
CREATIVE SERVICES Vice President Kelli McKenna Production Manager Susanne Dwyer Junior Designer Janet Yung-Balbin Digital Content Specialists Liz Ruggiero; Aidan Whalen
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Chief Information Officer Edward T. Kingston Web Designer Kevin Kirwan Web Developers Hema Yemmireddy; Firas Abbas Director, Client Solutions Peter Di Salvo Information Technology Manager James Jones
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PUBLICATIONS & SERVICES Real Estate magazine Annual Power Broker Report & Survey ACESocial (Automated Content Engagement) www.rismedia.com (Daily e-News) blog.rismedia.com (Housecall) RISMedia’s Real Estate CEO Exchange Power Broker Forum, Reception & Dinner Real Estate Newsmakers Reception & Dinner Copyright® 2020 by The Relocation Information Service, Incorporated-RISMedia, Norwalk, Connecticut. All rights reserved. Editorial and executive offices at 69 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851. Telephone: (203) 855-1234. Magazine subscription rate $83.40 per year, including postage ($166.80 for two years); Canadian subscription rate $200.00 (U.S.) per year, including shipping and handling ($400.00 for two years). All subscription and advertising correspondence call 1-800-724-6000. Material in this publication may not be stored or reproduced in any form without permission. Requests for permission should be directed to Managing Editor, RISMedia, Inc., 69 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of specific authors and columnists and are not intended to or do not necessarily represent the opinion or views of the publisher, his staff, other authors, advertisers, or subscribers.
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{Policy Matters} Demand for Broadband Access Increases During Health Pandemic This column is brought to you by the NAR Real Estate Services group.
by Amy Bos
T
he COVID-19 pandemic has transformed nearly every aspect of American life. Businesses have transitioned to conduct some of their operations online, and schools across the country have adapted to accommodate distance learning. Telehealth services are increasingly prevalent, allowing providers to treat patients safely without putting themselves or their patients at risk, and real estate services have quickly pivoted to staging virtual open houses and adding video to website listings. Today, as many states continue the process of reopening, the need for high-speed internet has never been greater. Since the pandemic hit, average broadband usage across the country is up more than 40 percent, according to some estimates. In addition to straining existing broadband infrastructure, the sudden increase has highlighted the so-called digital divide between those who have ready access to computers and the internet, and those who do not. According to a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) report, more than 21 million Americans, most of whom live in rural areas, lack access to reliable broadband internet. Numerous other estimates put this number much higher. The National Association of REAL-
TORS® (NAR) has long supported the expansion of broadband capability throughout the United States. High-speed internet is a crucial tool for economic development and an important factor that can help make rural areas more attractive for businesses and families. Broadband not only adds to the value of a property, but it also facilitates virtually every real estate transaction in America. Consumers increasingly use online services for at least a portion of the buying or selling process. In the future, new technologies will only increase our members’ reliance on fast, efficient and cost-effective broadband services. In recent months, federal and state governments—together with various public-private partnerships—have stepped up efforts to address the widening digital gap. For instance, states and tech organizations have created thousands of new drive-in WiFi hotspots throughout the country. Congress passed the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act earlier this year, which includes funding for broadband connections, distance learning, telehealth and telework. The Broadband DATA Act, which was recently signed into law, will help provide the FCC with more precise data about where broadband is available and where it is not—and at what speeds. Fi-
nally, the FCC launched the Keeping Americans Connected Initiative, which ensures businesses and families do not lose their broadband or telephone connectivity as a result of these exceptional circumstances. These actions are just a preview of what will be needed in the months ahead, with a number of other legislative measures currently under consideration at both the federal and state level. The growing bipartisan support for new investment in broadband infrastructure is a positive sign that policymakers have finally made bridging the digital divide a priority. COVID-19 is a national emergency of extraordinary scale. Connectivity will play a crucial role in our response. NAR has urged Congress to provide additional resources to support mobile broadband deployment. Such investments will support job growth and expanded connectivity so that our nation remains competitive and has the required network functionality in place to deal with new challenges in the future. RE For more information, please visit https://www.nar.realtor/broadband-access.
Amy Bos is NAR’s technology policy representative. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 13
{The NAR Power Broker Roundtable} A Market in Flux: Setting Strategies for a Strong Second Half
Jim D’Amico
Jim D’Amico: The name of the game is listings, John—drawing more sellers into the market because there are not enough homes to sell. We’ve been focused on that for months now, as we saw our website traffic ticking up, mostly with buyer interest. We’ve been steadily beefing up our marketing and outreach, doing everything we can to position ourselves as the go-to company for advice and guidance in this tough-to-navigate market.
President/CEO, Century 21 Northeast, Danvers, Mass.
Rei Mesa: On July 1, we launched
MODERATOR:
John P. Horning Executive Vice President, Shorewest REALTORS®, Milwaukee, Wis., Liaison for Large Firms & Industry Relations, the National Association of REALTORS® PARTICIPANTS:
Rei Mesa President/CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty, Sunrise, Fla.
Craig McClelland Vice President & COO, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, Atlanta, Ga.
Nancy Malone Principal Broker, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Woodmont Realty, Nashville, Tenn. The Power Broker Roundtable is brought to you by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and John P. Horning, NAR’s liaison for Large Firms & Industry Relations. Watch for this column each month, where we address broker issues, concerns and milestones.
John Horning: While many during the
down days in March and April expected that pent-up buyer demand would drive a busy late spring market, few could have forecast the frenzied market we find ourselves dealing with today. What exactly is fueling the frenzy? How long will it last? And, most important, what strategies are we shaping now to ensure a strong second half?
14 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
a company-wide listing campaign in an effort to bring in more listings, as one of the challenges we face is a lack of inventory. We are looking to overcome this challenge by promoting a safe-listing campaign through the use of technology and safety protocols within our branch offices and among our trusted in-house mortgage, title and insurance partners. We want sellers and buyers to see us as knowledgeable and responsible, while precisely following safety guidelines and getting people moved smoothly and sensibly.
Craig McClelland: Our written business in June was up 24.7 percent over last June, and listings are down 15 percent—so yes, we need to bring sellers in. We’ve got a huge push to “buy before you sell.” Video home tours and 3D floor plans are great aids, especially when a home is vacant, so our aim is to get sellers moved out first so their homes are best suited for virtual viewing. Nancy Malone: For us, everything old is new again. Our agents are going back to basics, working their databases, pushing out emails and postcards, making lots of calls. We think those old-fashioned tactics supported by all this fabulous technology is what will bring more sellers off the sidelines. The message is simple: You’ll get your best price. Cash offers
are commonplace. The time to sell is now.
JH: The second half of the equation,
though, is getting buyer offers accepted in this multiple-offer environment. We recently had 31 offers on one property, and 30 unhappy competitors. How do we help a buyer stand out?
CM: There are plenty of programs
around to make buying easier, even for first-timers, although in most cases, especially in the mid-price market, the winning buyer will be paying more than the list price.
NM: Agents need to be on top of the
market, equipped to alert their buyers early when a new home becomes available. We like VideoBomb, a new app our franchise has partnered with.
JH: Handwritten notes and seasonal gifts
sent to homes, along with supporting data on all the reasons why this is a great time to sell, are also back-to-basics tactics that work.
JD: Nobody knows what’s coming tomorrow, but right now we’ve got strong buyers, some of them willing to buy sight unseen—and sellers are getting top dollar. Agents need to mix it up and keep trying different approaches to reach the largest number of sellers. RM: With today’s historic low interest rates and pent-up demand from the stay-at-home orders, it is an exceptional time for sellers to put their properties on the market. CM: We’ve got a situation here, no
question about it, and an opportunity to finish the year even stronger than a year ago. It’s a time to be inspired, inventive, resourceful. RE
8For an expanded version of this article and other NAR Power Broker Roundtable topics, please visit www.rismedia.com.
WE’RE HERE FOR YOUR CLIENTS — AND FOR YOU. An American Home Shield® plan is more than a home warranty. Our goal is to empower every homeowner to feel confident and in control in their home — and to make sure you have what you need to help get them there. Including our coverage in transactions can help them run more smoothly and leave you with satisfied clients — which can build your repeat and referral business and increase your listings.
Visit ahs.com/realestate or contact your local Account Manager for more information. Limitations and exclusions apply. See agreement for details. © 2020 American Home Shield Corporation. All rights reserved. 20-0641
Trending in Real Estate
As of June, 26 percent of responding agents and brokers reported their business was down more than 50 percent in the wake of the coronavirus. However, according to RISMedia’s Reader Survey, “Coronavirus: How Are You Navigating Your Business Through the Crisis?,” nearly 78 percent of respondents said they have been continuing to close transactions throughout the pandemic.
According to the Urban Land Institute, commercial real estate prices are projected to fall by 7 percent in 2020, which is relatively low compared to the 13.6 percent and 20.8 percent price decreases during 2008 and 2009, respectively.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will extend several loan origination flexibilities until Aug. 31, 2020 to ensure continued support for borrowers during the COVID-19 national emergency. The flexibilities were set to expire on July 31, 2020. Extended flexibilities include: • The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC)’s Rent Payment Tracker found 77.4 percent of apartment households made a full or partial rent payment by July 6 in its survey of 11.4 million units of professionally managed apartment units across the country. This is a 2.3-percentage point decrease from the share who paid rent through July 6, 2019.
16 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
• •
Alternative appraisals on purchase and rate term refinance loans Alternative methods for documenting income and verifying employment before loan closing Expanding the use of power of attorney and remote online notarizations to assist with loan closings
{Executive Appointments}
The managing partners of WAV Group recently announced public relations professional, Myra Jolivet, as the newest member of their WAV Group team. Jolivet will provide WAV Group clients with a broad range of communications services from media relations and media training to public relations consulting and strategic planning. Her focus will be to help clients build crucial relationships with the media, the real estate industry and a variety of influential communities.
Realtor.com® has named Mickey Neuberger as its chief marketing officer. In his role, Neuberger will drive realtor.com®’s marketing strategy in its mission to make buying, selling and living in homes easier and more rewarding for everyone. Neuberger brings 25 years of experience to realtor.com®, having held various senior marketing and product leadership roles at organizations such as 24 Hour Fitness, Loyalty Lab, Travelocity and, most recently, eBay. Cinch Home Services announced the appointment of Jason Kling-
hoffer as senior vice president of Direct to Consumer (DTC). Klinghoffer’s immediate priorities include growing Cinch’s national customer base, building consumer awareness around new products and offerings, and acting as a change agent to continue accelerating Cinch’s digital transformation. Klinghoffer will work closely with Cinch leadership to develop and implement a multi-year DTC growth strategy, operational plan and financial outlook. Corcoran Group LLC announced the appointment of Stephanie Anton, previously of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, to lead marketing and growth for Corcoran as its senior vice president. For Corcoran to ensure partnership and support as the brand continues to develop its franchise business presence across the U.S. and around the world, Anton will build upon the world-class support services available to Corcoran affiliates, backed by Realogy. Anton will also take her array of global experience to serve an additional role with Corcoran’s parent company, Realogy. As managing director of Global Services for Realogy Franchise Group, Anton will be responsible for
strengthening Realogy’s global franchise infrastructure.
John L. Scott Real Estate has announced a new role on the executive team: vice president of Residential and Employee Operations. Tina Goedde, who previously served on the executive team as the company’s vice president of Talent Resources, has been promoted into this new role, which oversees human resources, residential operations and facilities management. Howard W. “Hoddy” Hanna, III announced a new executive director for the Howard Hanna Children’s Free Care Fund, Kristen Normile. Normile has been employed at Howard Hanna for the past seven years as the regional administrative assistant for the Pennsylvania Southwest region. Normile will combine her prior 501(c)(3) fundraising experience, organizational skills and comprehensive plan to serve Howard Hanna’s offices in this position. RE For more executive happenings, please visit www.rismedia.com.
Your Brand,Our Content MORE LEADS In today’s real estate market, success depends on being closely engaged with your prospects and clients whenever and wherever they prefer. Our Content Solutions makes it easy for you to stay top-of-mind and highly relevant by providing world-class editorial news, home-buying tips and compelling lifestyle information automatically delivered through your marketing and communication channels. Whether you’re driving interest via your website, blogs, social media, email or newsletters, we provide the content you need to build trust, develop relationships and grow your business.
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{REBAC Report} A Peek Inside Your Agents’ Minds Part 1 by Marc D. Gould • Learn how to generate leads instead of buying them • Use social media more • Build my personal brand and provide world-class service to my clients
D
uring this time of social distancing, it may be challenging to stay in close contact with your agents and understand their wants and needs. With this in mind, I decided it would be valuable to share several of the insights we gained in our annual member survey. Each year, the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC) asks its members (ABR® designees) about their work with buyers, their marketing efforts and their top learning priorities. Managing brokers will be particularly interested in several key topics: Buyer Representation Agreements Among surveyed members, the vast majority of ABR® designees use some form of a buyer representation agreement, typically an exclusive right to represent (69 percent of respondents). However, 18 percent said, “I trust my clients will compensate me for my service, expertise and time.” If your state doesn’t require signed buyer agreements, or your brokerage does not require them, the share of your agents working from “trust” is probably significantly higher than 18 percent.
Many agents shy away from using buyer agreements because they lack confidence, but a written agreement can be incredibly valuable in establishing mutual expectations, preventing misunderstandings and instilling loyalty. The Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) Designation Course addresses common obstacles for using buyer agreements and helps agents boost their knowledge and skills in all aspects of buyer representation. Thirst for Knowledge When asked about improving their skills as a buyer’s agent, the top response—by a wide margin—was “marketing my business—expanding my reach and building a strong professional reputation.” The significance of marketing skills was also reflected in numerous verbatim comments elaborating on training priorities, including:
As a managing broker, it is safe to assume that your agents are hungry for any knowledge that will help them build their business, especially during these times when business practices and marketing skills are evolving to meet new pandemicrelated challenges. Share as many timely and helpful marketing tips as possible and consider supporting your agents’ efforts to develop new skills. You may also want to take advantage of online courses offered by the Center for REALTOR® Development. As part of NAR’s Right Tools, Right Now campaign, all online courses are discounted 30 percent through Aug. 31, 2020. Visit onlinelearning.realtor for details. Additional Insights Please join me next month when I’ll be sharing more insider perspectives on what agents want in part two of this column. RE Marc D. Gould is senior vice president of Member Development for NAR, overseeing a wide range of professional development programs for REALTORS®, including the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC). REBAC is the world’s largest association of real estate professionals focusing specifically on representing the real estate buyer. With more than 27,000 active members, REBAC awards the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation to REALTORS® who have completed the specialized education and documented experience in working with consumers purchasing a home. To learn more, visit REBAC.net. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 21
Learn to Reconnect With Your ‘Why’ To arrive at your own “why,” start by asking yourself some questions. Go deeper than just finances and material items. What is it you want to do with the income you earn? What is the ultimate goal for your business?
by Buffini & Company
I
f your real estate business hit a few bumps during the COVID-19 pandemic, you’re not alone. This year hasn’t been easy for anyone, and there may have been times when you felt like changing careers entirely, wondering why you got into real estate in the first place.
We’ve got news for you: You can get back on track! In order to get back on the horse and find your motivation once more, you must reconnect with your “why.” Your ‘Why’ Is Your Purpose Your “why” is what drives you. It’s what gets you out of bed in the morning to do the work that you do. Of course, you can be passionate about your job—that’s always a plus!—but typically, there is a deeper motivation for choosing to spend your days in this business. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to lose sight of that during tough times. Defining Your ‘Why’ Your “why” isn’t just the dollar amount you wish to make this year. 22 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
Instead, it’s the reason you want to make the cash. Perhaps you are saving up for the kids’ college funds, a plentiful retirement or a vacation home to spend more time with your family. A good education, financial security, quality time with family—these are all strong motivations for any business professional. To arrive at your own “why,” start by asking yourself some questions. Go deeper than just finances and material items. What is it you want to do with the income you earn? What is the ultimate goal for your business? Write these down in a journal to help you arrive at a clear picture of your “why.” Keep Your ‘Why’ Top of Mind Once you know why you want your
business to thrive, keep those motivations top of mind. There are a few ways to put your goals front and center. Create a vision board with pictures of your dreams and goals and hang it where you can see it. You may also consider journaling regularly to sort out your thoughts. Make sure you consistently consume personal growth podcasts and books to stay inspired and motivated on your journey. You may also look into a real estate coach to remind you of your “why” during tough spots in your career. No matter how difficult things are for your business, reconnecting with your “why” is absolutely necessary to keep moving forward. At Buffini & Company, our real estate coaches make your “why” a top priority. They help you identify your major goals and keep you on track when you’re feeling stuck. To see what Buffini & Company One2One Coaching can do for you, sign up for a free business consultation today. RE To learn more, please visit https://buffiniandcompany.com/coaching/one2one/.
Lyon, France — Home of LeadingRE member Groupe Immobilier Mercure France
Delivering the highest quality service to home buyers and sellers is what defines our invitation-only community. Our members are market leaders with distinctive personalities, deep local knowledge and the agility to address market-specific trends. They come together as Leading Real Estate Companies of the WorldÂŽ to leverage their inherent strength with global connections, industry-leading resources and international business opportunities.
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How to Go Above and Beyond for Clients as COVID Reverberates Across Real Estate Commentary by Allen Alishahi
A
s states began to reopen their economies over the last few months, it quickly became commonplace for agents to provide masks, gloves and hand sanitizer to clients when hosting open houses or in-person showings. But this is just the beginning of how we can go beyond the normal call of duty. As challenging as our jobs have been recently, it has also opened up a few pockets of opportunity for how we can serve our clients. The first place to look is in-person showings. Even if you do have an inperson showing, it is worth taking a video as you go through each room with your clients. If they happen to be on the fence about buying after taking a tour, and would want to tour the property again to look at it more closely under normal circumstances, they’ll have the video to go back to instead of having to arrange another in-person visit. As you’re touring the property, take a variety of different video clips—not more than a minute or two each—so that they don’t take 24 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
up all the memory on your phone or device and can upload quickly. Once the showing is finished, upload the clips to a cloud-based storage site such as Google Drive or Dropbox and send the link to your clients. Use file names that incorporate the buyer’s last name, such as SmithKitchen123MainStreet, to add a small sense of ownership to the property while your buyers are in the process of deciding whether to make an offer. Hopefully your clients have been able to maintain their employment throughout this challenging time, but
since this is a topic on everyone’s mind, demonstrate your in-depth knowledge of the local area by letting them know about companies within driving distance that may be a good fit for them if their situation does change. Not only does this highlight how well you know the area, but it also shows that you care about your clients and appreciate what skills and expertise they bring to the table. Additionally, if your clients are comfortable discussing day-to-day financial decisions with you, it may be helpful to share your knowledge regarding ways they can conserve costs while living in the neighborhood—whether it’s the hidden away gas station that offers lower prices or low-cost activities where they can take their kids or friends visiting from out of town. Customer service has always been a core principle of real estate, and COVID hasn’t done anything to change this part of our business. What it has done is shown us new ways to provide value to our clients that can last long after the pandemic has receded. RE Allen Alishahi is president of ShelterZoom. For more information, please visit www.shelterzoom.com.
Market Recovery Survey: Buyers Making Their Way Back by RISMedia Staff
T
he real estate rebound is coming as buyers continue making their way back onto the market, according to the recently released 2020 Market Recovery Survey from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).
The survey, which received over 2,000 responses from REALTORS®, shows that market recovery is happening at this very moment. Of those surveyed, 92 percent said their buyers have either already returned to the market or they never left. Seller activity has increased as well. Eighty-nine percent of REALTORS® said their clients have either returned to the market or they never took their home off the market. However, the seller comeback has been slower in small and rural markets. “The residential market has seen a swift rebound of activity as numerous states have begun to ease man-
datory stay-at-home orders,” says Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist. “Many potential buyers and home sellers were kept at bay in the initial stages of the coronavirus outbreak, but REALTORS® nationwide were able to quickly pivot, embracing technology and business practices to ensure the home-buying process continued in a safe manner. “A number of potential buyers noted stalled plans due to the pandemic and that has led to more urgency and a pent-up demand to buy,” adds Yun. “After being home for months on end—in a home they already wanted to leave—buyers are
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reminded how much their current home may lack certain desired features or amenities.” What are these changes in buying trends? Thirteen percent said their buyers shifted from wanting a multifamily to seeking a single-family property. And perhaps due to a surge in work-from-home situations amid the stay-at-home orders, 33 percent said their buyers adjusted their commuting needs, with 22 percent less concerned about their commute. Only 5 percent said their buyers are now more concerned about parking or commuting distance. Things could change as some states begin to roll back or pause reopenings due to increases in coronavirus cases (at press time). However, 39 percent of those surveyed said they are “at least somewhat prepared” for a second wave, while 19 percent said they are “very prepared.” RE For more information, please visit www.nar.realtor.
E L B A P P O T S UN : s e c i v r Se e m m a o e H T y g a n i t aw n h e l t e a r H n e ir ,U h g s n i k r r e e v B a w n U n ga n i d l i u B
From top left: Mike Fortes, VP, Solution Strategy; Wendy Durand, VP, Global Marketing & Communications; Gino Blefari, Chairman; Rosalie A. Warner, SVP, Network Services; Steven Ladd, CPA, SVP & CFO; Michael Jalbert, EVP, Business Development; Patti Mansur-Brown, VP, General Counsel; Chris Stuart, CEO; Denise Doyle, VP, Global Conference & Meeting Services; Edward Maldonado, VP, Operations; David Beard, VP, Corporate Counsel; Teresa P. Smith, VP, Diversity & Inclusion; Allan Dalton, SVP of Research & Development; Karen Cain, VP, Program Management Office; Bob Watson, VP, Network Services
26 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
by Allan Dalton
“U
nstoppable” is a one-word mission statement, selected by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CEO Chris Stuart, to describe one of his many global network goals.
The inspiration behind this power-packed proclamation is none other than Warren Buffett. When the so-called “Oracle of Omaha” remarked, “Get on a train that is going 80 miles an hour; don’t get stuck on the sidelines,” Chris, who ironically worked for years at Oracle, took this sagacious advice as...if you will...an oracle, inferring that Mr. Buffett was using this transportation metaphor to ask, “How fast and how resolute are we to achieve our goals? Are we unrelenting, unwavering or even unstoppable?”
According to our CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices must continue to be unstoppable. Such superhero-like and overtly aggressive statements by Chris are surprising to many who know him—especially given his highly scientific, strategic and scholarly presentations and speeches. Chris is certainly more professorial than pompous, and decidedly more erudite than egotistical. Rather than resorting to brandrelated hype, Chris is instead renowned within the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices global network for his elevated and comprehensive consumer-centric rhetorical style. Our leader routinely speaks of “closing the real estate loyalty gap,” “creating a sustainable real estate ecosystem” and becoming a Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices “Forever Agent.” Chris also recently announced the development of The Real Estate IQ Institute, dedicated to increasing the “influence quotient” of all those within the network.
While the academic nature of Chris’s vision might seem at odds with the locker room-like and feisty fanfare surrounding the use of “unstoppable,” one can find an explanation in his background. Many know of Chris’s brokerage and high-tech pedigree from his years at Oracle and his senior management brokerage years at Intero. Often overlooked is that Chris is from Texas, where he played high school football. His background as a bio-science graduate, along with his years on the gridiron, explains his fusion of grit and genius...two staples of his remarkable leadership. When I ask Chris if he believes that Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is unstoppable, he rationally responds, “Only time will tell if we are truly unstoppable. We only focus on being unstoppable in terms of our unwavering commitment to enhancing the lives of consumers through the efforts of our clients, brokers and agents.
Editor’s Note: RISMedia invited Allan Dalton to pen this month’s cover story—given his status as a long-time executive, thought leader and author—in order to provide an insider’s view of the leadership mission at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Thanks to his unique vantage point within the organization, along with his deep industry knowledge, Dalton offers an insightful look into the brand and its strategic vision. We would never convey to consumers that we are unstoppable. Our fate or fortune is not a public concern. I want our network brokers and agents to realize that we can only achieve unstoppability through providing consumer solutions. Unstoppable for us must never imply being arrogant, pompous or selfcongratulatory. Unstoppability also requires that I surround myself with people who want to serve our network and cannot be—or who do not want to be—stopped. Our network is replete with the highest quality of brokers and agents who not only deserve our unstoppable efforts, but demand the same.” I also asked Chris to introduce his Unstoppable Team, and unsurprisingly, he begins with his mentor. Gino Blefari is described by Chris as the real estate industry’s GOAT (Greatest of All Time), an attribution usually reserved for generational athletes or entertainers. Chris’s admiration for Gino, the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and CEO of HomeServices of America, knows no bounds. “The impact that Gino continues to have on the real estate industry is unrivaled,” Chris explains. “Gino’s RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 27
A Note From Chris Stuart
Earlier this year, as the leadership team considered the focus for this article, I encouraged us to leverage the great diversity and broad experience across our leadership team. Looking back, as the world has forever changed as a result of COVID-19’s impact on our global economy and the social change at hand, that direction now seems more important than ever before. I’m honored and excited to lead the great team at HSF Affiliates. The diversity of our people, our thoughts, our experiences and our priorities creates a dynamic and challenging environment. The resulting culture within the organization is one of transparency, accountability and growth. And from within that culture, we create the rigor and focus needed to expand and support our fast-growing, global real estate networks. incomparable and varied industry background began with his becoming the top-producing agent in highly competitive Santa Clara County, Calif. Gino then became president of the largest CENTURY 21 brokerage in the world at the time. Amazingly, 28 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
seven of the top 11 offices in CENTURY 21’s global network were in his company.” The ‘GOAT’ subsequently founded and led Intero Real Estate from being a start-up vision to a North American Top 10 brokerage. Of note is that
this epic growth was attained without acquisitions. Instead, his company owed its success to Gino’s legendary ‘West Coast Real Estate Offense,’ a behavior-changing accountability system, which Gino is currently employing to help numerous brokerages achieve documentable, exponential growth and profits. After the sale of Intero to HomeServices of America, Gino became CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, and is now CEO of HomeServices of America. “Gino’s illustrious real estate road, while well-traveled, represents a journey that is unlikely to ever be traversed again,” adds Chris. “I believe his best years are still ahead due to his legendary regimen, discipline, work ethic and talent. Gino is the very definition of what it means to be unstoppable.” Chris’s team is composed of several other “unstoppable” executives who support the network and its members, such as Chief Financial Officer Steve Ladd, whose financial rectitude is essential for the company and the brand. “I refer to Steve as the financial conscience of our organization,” says Chris. “His mission is to help both our brokers and our organization maximize profitability. Steve does an impeccable job managing the inevitable tension that exists in all companies between revenue pursuits and expense vigilance. He is all about doing everything possible toward driving profitable growth.” In explaining the value of his Executive Vice President, Business Development Michael Jalbert, Chris is equally laudatory. “Michael is a gift to every existing and future network broker who appreciates the inextricable link between their success and global growth. He is peerless in our industry when it comes to inspiring the combination of domestic and global expansion. His track record of building out brands and brokerages throughout the world is a tribute to his strategic
brilliance, brand loyalty, meticulous diplomacy, deep business and franchise background. His communication skills and leadership ability to inspire his global team of franchise consultants makes Michael and his team unstoppable.” Chris also shares high praise for Senior Vice President of Network Services Rosalie Warner, a former president of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates. “Rosalie represents the gold standard for how a leading executive of a global brand should deliver consultative and administrative services to its network,” he says. “Rosalie is our executive glue. She not only makes sure that our metaphorical trains all run on time, she is also instrumental in helping us build our unstoppable trains. Rosalie is where effectiveness and efficiency meet to deliver incomparable value to our network.” When I ask Chris about myself, I am humbled (although a little disappointed with his brevity!): “Allan, given your many years of brokerage and brand-effective leadership, you provide our organization with an invaluable resource for both agents and brokers alike. You are also, due to your legacy of creating innumerable consumer-centric systems, a great sounding board for my strategic vision, including collaborating with me on the development of the Real Estate IQ Institute. Allan, in a word, you are unrelenting.” Chris describes Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion and Women in Leadership Teresa Palacios Smith as an unstoppable force for progressive and necessary change. “While Teresa is passionately intent on correcting injustices in the entire industry, country and world at large, the impact she is having on our brands regarding her mission to make real estate more diverse and inclusive is truly inspirational,” he says. “The former president of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals and the
founder of Woman Who Lead, Teresa is an incomparable crusader for equality across all professional and human segments of the industry. She is an epic change-agent for social, professional, economic and societal justice. Beyond all of Teresa’s brand and association contributions, she is respected as a mentor for a wide variety of network agents and brokers.”
“Only time will tell if we are truly unstoppable. We only focus on being unstoppable in terms of our unwavering commitment to enhancing the lives of consumers through the efforts of our clients, brokers and agents.” - CHRIS STUART CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
“Gino deserves credit for having the sensitivity and notable foresight, back when he was CEO of HSF Affiliates, for creating my position,” Teresa adds. “He has long been a strong advocate for diversity, inclusion and women leadership.” For Chris to satisfy his quest for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices to become and remain an unstoppable brand and network, worldclass marketing driven by a marketing maestro is required. He believes he has just that in Vice President of Marketing and Communications Wendy Durand. “Wendy has impeccably defined and delivered on our brand promise,” Chris explains. “She is indispens-
able in helping me merchandise and then market our value proposition, and meticulously drives our brand’s cultural and business values. She promulgates our value proposition across vast media, social media, and global broker and agent channels, and has proven to be extremely deft in coalescing the marketing efforts of our brokerages’ marketing directors. Wendy also provides vital guidance to our ad agency and media partners, like the Wall Street Journal, and is our greatest consumer influencer in transforming our luxury marketing.” Chris describes Vice President of Operations Edward Maldonado as one of his resident geniuses and an indispensable part of the team. “Edward is universally respected,” he says. “His high-level operational acumen speaks to his ability to take complex challenges and opportunities and break them down into workable solutions. Perhaps more than any other executive on our team, he never seeks recognition. His humility is one reason why he is so effective in leading collaborative teams in his endless pursuit of problem-solving and the development of opportunities for our organization. No one on the team applies metrics, science and recommendations more than Edward.” When it comes to Vice President of Program Management Karen Cain, Chris uses the “five i’s”—“Karen is intelligent, inspirational, involved, integrated and indispensable,” he explains. “She is at the heart of virtually every initiative within the organization—every aspect of our value proposition that requires planning, systems, measurement and execution. Karen’s ability to execute, while always remaining highly positive and team oriented, is second to none. I can’t recall ever approaching Karen with any task where she did not immediately grasp the need then help build out the necessary strategy and solution.” RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 29
With a leadership team that’s second to none, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices continues to top the charts among today’s consumers. Vice President of Global Conferences and Meeting Services Denise Doyle, according to Chris, is unparalleled in her field. “Denise possesses the unmistakable ability to demonstrate supreme respect, love and devotion to our global network of brokers and agents,” he explains. “These qualities manifest in her excellence in staging both global extravaganzas and regional gatherings. She accomplishes all of this while also being a fierce negotiator with the unending number of convention and meeting operators with whom she transacts. Our ‘General of Galas,’ Denise is unstoppable in ensuring our network receives value through highly organized educational, networking, recognition and entertaining events, including our epic annual global business conference.” In commenting on his Vice President, Solution Strategy Mike Fortes, Chris says, “Mike is a remarkable combination of strategist and solutionist. I know of some executives who are strategy-centered, but cannot drive their strategy into a solution, while others can only be part of the solution without being part of a strategy. Mike, because he looks at challenges and opportunities from the perspective of both the consumer and the needs of the network, is brilliant in the development and execution of our technological needs. He is a tireless worker who is always there to serve the needs of our network.”
30 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
Given the high value Chris places on his organization’s educational and consultative deliverables, he expects much from Vice President of Network Services Bob Watson...and Bob exceeds expectations. “What Bob provides our global network is anything but elementary,” says Chris. “His level of sophistication begins with how he has deeply examined our brand culture, including my vision and strategies. From there, Bob has built delivery systems to carry out our cultural offerings globally. He has simultaneously trained and led both our educational and consulting teams in their successful execution. Other than Michael Jalbert, nobody in our organization has been more valuable in assimilating our brand value and culture globally than Bob. This is in addition to his immense value domestically. “I would be remiss,” Chris adds, “if I did not include two of the more invaluable, and at times most valuable, executives on our entire team: our accomplished attorneys, David Beard and Patti Mansur-Brown. Each of them is enormously valuable to the proper and legal functioning of everything for which our organization is responsible. I have saved them for last because more than any other executives in our organization, they prefer to remain out of the limelight. “I refer to our Vice President and Corporate Counsel David Beard as our legal solutionist. I don’t always
understand how he accomplishes the results that he does, but I do appreciate how he expertly balances and protects our organization in terms of risk and our business objectives. “David works closely with our highly esteemed Vice President and General Counsel Patti MansurBrown,” Chris continues. “Patti is the ultimate defender of our brand. Her level of legalistic vigilance ensures that our entire existing, pending and future network members understand and comply with our legal guidelines. Regarding issues related to brand usage, along with her steadfast and unwavering dedication to ensuring that all our internal and external communications comply within legal and ethical guidelines, Patti is legendary and deeply appreciated. Patti keeps all of us out of trouble, even though at times it can be a thankless task, but one for which I am forever grateful.” Chris ended our interview as he began—with the word “unstoppable.” “In an age where much attention is devoted to naming teams, such as The Avengers or The Dream Team, I like to define what we have developed as ‘The Unstoppable Team,’” he says. “Think about it—within the word ‘avengers’ is the concept of vengeance; and when it comes to ‘dream teams,’ I believe more in reality than in dreams. I completely support the idea and the ideal that Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is real estate’s 80-mile-an-hour train...we’re unstoppable.” RE
For more information, please visit www.bhhs.com. Allan Dalton is Sr. Vice President of Research and Development for HSF Affiliates LLC. HSF Affiliates operates both Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and Real Living Real Estate brands. Dalton is CEO of the Real Living brand and the former CEO of realtor.com®.
{Global Spotlight}
Opening the Doors to France by Paige Tepping Working with clients to buy and sell properties along the French Riviera, Riviera Keys operates between Menton and Saint-Tropez. Founded in 2004 by Managing Director Harald Starke, the firm’s team consists of professional, multilingual real estate advisors who have many years of experience working with international clients. Here, Starke provides a glimpse into the real estate market along the Mediterranean coast of Southeastern France.
Starke
Please describe your current housing market. Harald Starke: Our inventory is currently decreasing, but as far as prices are concerned, we’re holding steady, with the average home price in our market right around 1M euros.
32 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
How would you describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your real estate market? HS: While our market is very active with a lot of local buyers, there are no foreign buyers at the moment due to the fact that there are no international flights coming into the Nice airport (at press time). Tell us about the types of properties in your market and which are most popular. HS: Condos and villas are the most popular property types in our market, with 60 percent of our buyers purchasing condos and 40 percent purchasing villas. What types of buyers do you work with? Are they predominantly local or mixed from other countries? HS: In a normal year, two thirds of the buyers we work with come from outside our area, while the remaining third are typically local buyers. We’re currently working mainly with
local buyers; however, we’re doing a lot of showings via FaceTime and other video platforms. The buyers we work with who come from outside the region are predominantly from the big cities in Northern Europe, like Paris, Stockholm and London.
What are some of the most important trends in your market? HS: The biggest trends we’re seeing are buyers searching for apartments with large terraces or villas comprised of only one floor. What are your biggest challenges/opportunities for growth? HS: Our biggest challenge and opportunity for continued growth comes down to finding the right sales agents who are bilingual or trilingual, with experience in the area. How does being part of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) help advance your business? HS: The French Riviera is an international market, so it is of great importance for us to belong to a global network so that we can reach an international audience. RE For more information, please visit www.rivierakeys.com.
RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 33
{Real Estate’s Social Media Leaders}
Putting the Community First With Education and Care by Paige Brown
Yolanda Williams-Davis
in my opinion, many caring real estate professionals,” she states. A real estate broker and community developer for 61 Houses in Southfield, Mich., for more than 15 years, After spending more than 20 Williams-Davis has become a truly years working in the real esrelevant and trusted resource, tate industry, it comes as as well as a regarded leader no surprise that Yolanda in her community. Williams-Davis is pasWilliams-Davis has dissionate about helping covered the importance people navigate the homeof creativity, flexibility and buying and -selling proeducation. Participating in cess—and everything in Williams-Davis workshops and sharing edbetween. She believes ucational information with that real estate is an important tool her clients and prospects positions that helps with community develop- her as a relevant and prominent rement, and brings her background in source in the market. human resources and motivation de“I believe very strongly in educatvelopment to the table. ing, educating, educating,” she says. “I’m known as a real estate and “I will say to anyone who is aspiring human resources ingenuity expert,” to become a professional that you she says. “I look to help individuals have to have a heart to learn, and obtain valid information so they can you have to have a heart to teach. make sound real estate decisions.” If we’re going to make this world a Williams-Davis began her jour- better place, and we’re going to help ney in real estate when her sons individuals make sound real estate approached her about purchasing decisions, we have to teach.” their first homes. “There weren’t, Williams-Davis practices with a Real Estate Broker & Community Developer 61 Houses Real Estate Brokerage Services Southfield, Mich.
heart for community, development and engagement, so her buyers and sellers can depend on her not only for an educational experience, but also a personal one. And this is felt on both sides. “Every experience is a blessing because there are millions of real estate professionals in this country,” she says. “Any time I can assist individuals who are purchasing or selling, I service them with such excellence and such care. Every transaction is an important transaction to me. It’s a valuable transaction to me. You didn’t have to choose me as your REALTOR®. I go hard for every single client I have.” When it comes to educating her clients, prospects and community through social media, Williams-Davis finds relatability to be one of the most important aspects. “I use social media for sharing resources and helping enhance them for those who need a little extra help. I also use it to share real estate opportunities, as well as putting something out there about careers and business ownership.” In addition to her community activity and education across her social media platforms, she utilizes RISMedia’s ACESocial to help provide and share consumer real estate and lifestyle content. The ACESocial platform has also helped her when it comes to time management. “I decided to become a member of ACESocial because time is of the essence, and how you manage your time is very important,” she says. “I didn’t want to continue worrying about my to-do list and making sure there was relevant content out there on my Facebook page. ACESocial accomplished that for me.” RE
For more information, please visit facebook.com/ 61Houses and rismedia.com/acesocial. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 35
If You Can Find Your Spouse Online, You Can Find Your House Online Commentary by Todd Sumney
I
remember when online dating sites first hit the market. I’ll admit, I thought it was a bit strange and believed it would never be popular; however, a recent survey showed that nearly 40 percent of couples met online—and online dating is by far the most popular way U.S. couples connect.
Do you remember when Uber first began? Did you think it sounded weird that someone would summon a stranger to pick them up in their personal car and drive them somewhere? Did you think that consumers would prefer the old way of hailing a taxi or car service? Fast forward to today—do you even know anyone who has never taken an Uber or similar service? So how do you feel about live virtual showings via online meeting software like Zoom, Google Meet or Facebook Live? How about live virtual open houses, live virtual REALTOR® tours or even virtual listing appointments? In the last few months, we have 36 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
all experienced the many restrictions imposed on businesses, professionals and consumers nationwide that some would think would prevent real estate transactions from happening. Yet time and time again, I have seen many real estate professionals adapt, pivot and embrace new opportunities like virtual real estate events and activities, enabling them to serve and help the consumer while following safe guidelines and mandatory restrictions. I’ve also seen some real estate agents take the opposing stance and say, “Those virtual events are a fad,” and, “They will never catch on because the consumer will always prefer to tour and see real estate in
person.” Some have said, “I don‘t need to learn how to do that. I’ll just wait until things return to normal.” I’m sorry, but live virtual real estate is normal now. It is now normal for news interviews and talk shows to be conducted every day and night via virtual online meeting software. In fact, I recently heard a late-night TV host use the word “Zoom” 14 times in one interview. It is now normal for consumers to shop for furniture and other household items via online meeting software. It is also normal for consumers to have dinner or happy hour with family and friends virtually. The consumer has adapted to, and embraced, virtual showings and is still buying and selling real estate virtually. So, if you have not embraced learning how to take your real estate business virtual, have not practiced doing so, and have not made it a part of your everyday business, you are missing a huge opportunity. Are you resisting change? Does it scare you? Are you afraid of learning and trying something new like a live virtual open house? Don’t be! I have received many notes in the last few weeks from real estate agents who have pushed beyond their comfort zone, attended HomeSmart’s free training webinars that are open to all agents in the industry, shown homes virtually, closed transactions virtually and achieved success. And you can, too! Just visit HomeSmart.com/Virtual-Open-House to learn more about how you can drive your real estate business virtually. RE Todd Sumney is the chief industry officer for HomeSmart International, responsible for driving the adoption of HomeSmart tools and resources, and representing HomeSmart throughout the industry, franchise system and agent population. For more information about joining HomeSmart as an agent, please visit HomeSmart.com/join, or visit HomeSmart.com/franchising for franchise opportunities.
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How Deeper MLS Integration Continues to Fuel the Success of BPP With Homesnap Commentary by Andrew Strauch
T
he Broker Public Portal (BPP) with Homesnap, which is owned and operated by MLSs and real estate brokerages, continues to innovate by generating massive listing exposure and free leads for agents. Bright MLS, an avid supporter of the BPP with Homesnap, added a new integration with Homesnap. The new service allows agents to market their listings and their brand right from within Bright MLS. This deeper integration between Homesnap and an MLS is the first of its kind. Now, agents can create and monitor property listing campaigns from within Bright MLS. Agents using this service are seeing their listings sell faster and at higher prices, and it couldn’t be simpler. Homesnap’s widget (embedded within Bright MLS) provides digital ad options, giving agents more lead generation and business growth tools. Undisturbed Agent Workflow With the Homesnap widget, Bright MLS agents get even more value
from the MLS, saving time with an integrated, undisrupted workflow. When we implement something new, our mantra is “Do no harm.” New features must be nonintrusive and intuitive, just like checking a box. The digital ad options offered by Homesnap within Bright MLS are available when you enter the listing, modify pricing, modify status or at any other time through the dashboard. Ads can be scheduled to appear on sites like Facebook, Google and others. With real-time data integration through the widget, Bright MLS is able to communicate the right information to Homesnap, so they are able to present the right offer and the right advertisement for the agent at the time of listing creation or edit. The Homesnap widget sits within
our listing management dashboard. If the agent doesn’t have an ad already running for the listing, the widget will present one. The widget also shows ad campaign progress, and for additional information, agents can click over to Homesnap for detailed reports on every campaign. Bright MLS has always enjoyed strong Homesnap adoption, but with this integration, our adoption rates are now near 70 percent. Easy for Any MLS to Accomplish From a development standpoint, this project was not a large undertaking. The scope included coordination, plus some data integration and testing. We were able to leverage Homesnap’s engine, providing it the data it needed to run properly. Together with Homesnap, we created ad program enrollments that are prominent enough for agents to notice, but not so prominent that it disrupts their workflow. Today, our agents are happy with the new digital services, and Bright MLS is happy to be providing a less cumbersome service for agents. It’s hard to understand why other MLSs don’t offer this integration with Homesnap. It’s not difficult to implement, it provides a valuable service to your customers and it generates revenue for the MLS. Why wouldn’t you integrate with Homesnap? You can learn more about our integration with Homesnap at bit.ly/ homesnap-blog, by visiting brokerpublicportal.com and homesnap.com, or by emailing Eugene Gligor at egligor@ homesnap.com. RE An eight-plus year real estate industry veteran, Andrew Strauch is vice president of Premium Revenue at Bright MLS, a leading multiple listing service serving approximately 95,000 real estate professionals who support 20 million consumers throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, including Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 39
Study: The 10 Best and Worst Cities for First-Time Buyers by Jameson Doris
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urchasing your first home is a major milestone and an exciting time in most people’s lives. And while first-time homebuyers regularly make up a large chunk of the market, according to WalletHub, 39 percent of all U.S. single-family home purchases were made by first-time buyers in the fourth quarter of last year.
5. Gilbert, Ariz. 6. Tampa, Fla. 7. Las Vegas, Nev. 8. North Las Vegas, Nev. 9. Peoria, Ariz. 10. Lincoln, Neb.
However, in the midst of the pandemic, many who are ready to take the homeownership plunge for the first time in their lives may be second-guessing themselves. With any major decision, various factors need to be weighed. For example, many Americans have been hurt financially due to COVID-19, but on the other hand, mortgage rates have hit record lows. To aid buyers in coming to a determination on whether or not to purchase their first home in the immediate future, WalletHub set out to compile a list of 300 popular U.S. cities of varying sizes and rank them from best to worst locations for first-time buyers to move to. WalletHub’s study looked at 26 key indicators across the topics of market attractiveness, affordability
and quality of life. The personal finance site considered metrics that ranged from cost of living to property-crime rate. Some notable takeaways include the fact that seven of the 10 worst cities in the country for buyers to purchase their first home are located in California. Also, Akron, Ohio, has the most affordable housing of the 300 cities—ranked with a ratio of 1.90, which is 7.8 times cheaper than in Berkeley, Calif.—the city with the least affordable housing, with a ratio of 14.82. Best Cities for First-Time Buyers
Worst Cities for First-Time Buyers 1. Berkeley, Calif. 2. San Francisco, Calif. 3. Santa Barbara, Calif. 4. Detroit, Mich. 5. New York, N.Y. 6. Oakland, Calif. 7. Los Angeles, Calif. 8. Daly City, Calif. 9. Miami Beach, Fla. 10. San Mateo, Calif. RE To learn more, please visit www.wallethub.com.
1. Henderson, Nev. 2. Boise, Idaho 3. Thornton, Colo. 4. Chesapeake, Va.
Jameson Doris is RISMedia’s social media/blog editor. Email him your real estate news ideas at jdoris@rismedia.com. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 41
Serving Brokers Better: Trestle and the New NAR Policy Commentary by Amy Gorce
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e can all agree that listing data is the lifeblood of a brokerage firm. Real estate brokers in this country increasingly rely on the ability to retrieve their own listing data back from the MLS in a useful, consistent format. While many MLSs already provide this data to broker participants, others have not made it a priority for a variety of reasons, including a lack of standards and policy leadership. Thankfully, that’s changing. The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) recently approved a new policy that requires affiliated MLSs to provide brokers a feed of their own listing data without restrictions on how it is used. This is very different from a traditional IDX or VOW feed, and it codifies brokers’ rights to have reasonable access to a “broker back-office” (BBO) feed of their own data. The policy takes effect at the beginning of 2021. As one of the nation’s leading listing distribution platforms, CoreLogic
Trestle is perfect for this job. Using Trestle, brokers can easily get their back-office data in RESO-standard format from their MLS free of any CoreLogic-imposed fees. For large brokers that operate in more than one market, I’m pleased to report that Trestle will soon aggregate BBO data from multiple MLSs into a single, convenient feed. And Trestle has other resources brokers can benefit from, including syndication management tools and CLIP™, a unique lineage-enabled property identifier for all parcels
in the U.S. I’m especially excited about the recent addition of public records data in Trestle 5.0, which puts brokers on even data-access footing with the nation’s big real estate portals. And this is just the beginning. The Trestle roadmap includes plans for additional property data and analytics that will create massive new opportunities for brokers in marketing, lead generation and other areas. If you don’t have access to Trestle yet, I encourage you to talk to your MLS about it. It costs nothing for them to join, and it will ensure perpetual, timely compliance with NAR and RESO policy changes. At CoreLogic, we are proud to champion industry initiatives that make brokers’ lives easier, and are ready to support them in Trestle and beyond. RE CORELOGIC, the CoreLogic logo and TRESTLE are trademarks of CoreLogic, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Amy Gorce is principal, Business Development at CoreLogic. For more information, please visit www.corelogic.com. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 43
Going Above and Beyond to Streamline the Home-Buying and Home-Selling Experience In Cinch Home Services, real estate professionals find a convenient and accessible partner by Jameson Doris
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ike so many in real estate, a deep love of community and a commitment to those who live in his area are what drew Tommy Camp to the industry. He got his start as a sales associate and was hooked when he learned how rewarding it was, even for someone new to real estate, to have a significant, positive impact on the lives of the clients he served.
easier has been a tactic that has served Camp well throughout his real estate career. Partnering with Cinch Home Services—formerly HMS National—has also proven to be a critical component in his quest to go above and beyond for buyers and sellers alike. According to Camp, the partnership was formed in large part because of Cinch’s customer-centric approach and their focus on providing a great customer service platform for the brokerage’s clients. “We know that buyers and In 2005, Camp joined Berksellers prefer to do business shire Hathaway HomeSerwith those they know, like vices Carolinas Compaand trust, and when given nies as president and the opportunity, they preCEO because the vision fer to streamline all of the and core values of the comelements of the transacpany aligned so closely with tion,” says Camp. Camp his personal values and vision Why Cinch? For Camp, the as a leader. benefits are two-fold. For sellers, a In his quest to exceed his clients’ home warranty greatly reduces the expectations, to build lasting rela- potential for callbacks to the seller tionships based on trust and to re- after closing. And buyers like the define the home-buying and home- peace of mind that a warranty proselling experience, he has relied on vides, along with the convenience superior services. In fact, offering of calling Cinch’s customer service services that make his clients’ lives number when the need arises.
Cinch’s customer service is what truly separates them from the competition. Aside from the highly-touted customer service platform the company provides buyers and sellers, brokers and agents are taken care of in equal measure. While Camp can easily reach Adam Brown, vice president of National Sales, with any questions or concerns, local Cinch representatives are also very responsive whenever any of his sales associates reach out. “[Brown] is a great sales leader with the backing of the Cinch infrastructure, customer service platform and team that serves us across our markets in North Carolina,” says Camp. In addition to Brown, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Carolinas Companies works closely with Pat McGroder, Cinch’s regional leader in the brokerage’s market, as well as representatives Linda Ball and Sharon Lougee. “We find them all to be clientfocused and committed to partnering with us to fulfill our brand promise: We Make Great Neighbors,” adds Camp. “We have found Cinch to be an outstanding home warranty partner and an exceptional value for our clients.” In addition to the exceptional customer service, much of the value in working with Cinch comes down to being able to customize their products. The company provides home warranty offerings to match the desired level of coverage and budget of each consumer—making Cinch a go-to for any buyer or seller. RE To learn more about how you can partner with Cinch Home Services, please reach out to Adam Brown, vice president, National Sales, at adbrown@cinchhs.com or visit cinchrealestate.com.
RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 45
{Strategies}
Driving Value to Subscribers: The Key to Empowering Real Estate Professionals and Consumers Alike CONSTELLATION1 POWERS PLATFORM THAT SETS MID-ATLANTIC MLS APART FROM THE COMPETITION by Paige Tepping
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or Andrew Strauch, vice president of Premium Services and Broker Rewards at Bright MLS—a multiple listing service (MLS) serving more than 90,000 real estate professionals in the Mid-Atlantic U.S.—the key to driving value to members is strong partnerships.
Thanks to a 10-year partnership with Constellation1, Strauch and his team have been able to usher in a new era of MLS. They empower both real estate professionals and consumers to get more out of the MLS as the industry continues to undergo exponential change. 46 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
An all-in-one brand of award-winning front office, back office and data services for brokerages, franchises and MLSs, Constellation1 simplifies the process of finding and implementing the right real estate technology by providing a portfolio of solutions tailored to the real estate industry. “When bringing a product to market, it’s necessary to not only have a partner that provides a very strong product suite, but also, a total product solution that works with how we support our customers,” says Strauch. Strauch notes that Bright MLS ultimately chose Constellation1 as its broker and agent website partner for a number of reasons. The most telling? Strauch says it’s because Constellation1 offers premium products that are not only reliable, they’re also backed by a strong team. “A lot of vendors offer website CRM and marketing systems. Constellation1 provides us with more than just a website,” he explains. “What makes Constellation1 different is that they not only have strong products, but are also willing to partner with Bright in a way that works for us. We need something simple, but powerful, that appeals to a large percentage of the agents in our footprint, and Constellation1 has the products that fit that profile.” While the benefits of working with Constellation1 are numerous, Strauch places the open lines of communi-
“What makes Constellation1 different is that they not only have strong products, but are also willing to partner with Bright in a way that works for us. We need something simple, but powerful, that appeals to a large percentage of the agents in our footprint, and Constellation1 has the products that fit that profile.” - ANDREW STRAUCH Vice President, Premium Services and Broker Rewards, Bright MLS
cation he has with the entire management team at the top of the list. “We have a very open, honest, proactive and responsive relationship with the management team. If we ever run into any challenges, I know that we can reach out and come up with a solution in a mutually productive and beneficial way in a very short timeframe,” says Strauch, who appreciates the flexible approach the team took when determining how best to go to market together. “They have a roadmap they are always perfecting, and we have a voice in that roadmap,” says Strauch. “We’re constantly evaluating the products and services they’re releasing to see if it makes sense to add them to the suite of services we offer our agents and brokers.” Does Strauch have any advice for MLSs that might not be working with Constellation1 yet? “Keep them in mind if you’re planning on launching a product. They have the infrastructure in place to partner with MLSs to make it happen,” says Strauch. “We’ve been with them for a decade for a reason. Our partnership works well and has gotten us to where we are today.” For more information, please visit www.constellation1.com.
RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 47
Embracing the Realities of Today’s Real Estate Environment HOMES.COM HELPS REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS GENERATE AND CONVERT LEADS by John Voket
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eveloping relationships with prospective clients and unveiling properties that meet their needs are routine aspects of a real estate professional’s daily work. But in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, real estate professionals have had to think outside the box in order to get deals done…sometimes without even meeting the client in person. Taking advantage of virtual tours to connect with clients and uphold social distancing guidelines, Angela Barney—a broker associate with West USA Realty in
48 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
Scottsdale, Ariz.—was able to successfully carry out a deal from first contact to closing with a client she never met in person…and who never visited the $800,000 property they purchased from one of her Homes.com listings until after the contract was signed. While Barney began marketing some of the properties she was listing around her Phoenix, Ariz., market with Homes.com early on in her career, more recently, she invested in several zip codes through the company’s Local Connect program. “In most cases, your leads are what your leads are, but I always had particularly good success with Homes.com,” says Barney. “I’m not sure what Homes.com does differently, but they are producing fantastic leads.” One of those leads was a prospect who reached out to Barney from China and ended up purchasing one of her listings sight unseen. “We did a virtual tour with some real social distancing,” says Barney, who walked around the house with her phone in order to take in all the features. “He wanted to make an offer right away, but I suggested a video tour so that he and his wife could get a good feel for it,” she adds.
“We did all our communicating over the phone and transacted the entire deal through the internet,” says Barney, who also utilizes Homes.com’s concierge and website hosting services. “I think he got a good deal on the home, and his wife absolutely loved it.” A well-traveled individual herself, Barney is comfortable fostering and maintaining relationships with clients outside the U.S. “This gentleman does a lot of business travel, so he already had a home in China and another on the East Coast of the United States, but what’s interesting is that a lot of buyers who go on my Homes.com site end up finding something they fall in love with and are willing to transact all this information sight unseen,” explains Barney. “Maybe this is something that will be happening a lot more in our industry,” she adds. “It’s exciting that more people are more willing to buy something like a new home without seeing and touching it.” While the connection Barney made with this client may have culminated in an unusual transaction, she notes that it’s not unlike the solid referrals she receives through Homes.com leads. “Not only has Homes.com been around for a long time, but they also have a great reputation in our industry,” says Barney. “Their information is accurate, they keep their information fresh, and that’s why I believe my buyers and sellers come to the site.” For more information, please visit https://marketing.homes.com.
Helping to Protect Buyers and Sellers From the Unexpected AMERICAN HOME SHIELD® HOME WARRANTIES BRING ADDED SECURITY TO THE REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION by Keith Loria
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lex Milshteyn first started in the real estate business back in high school, and 20 years later, he’s serving as associate broker for Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel Real Estate. Located in Ann Arbor, Mich., the firm consists of nearly 800 agents and serves buyers and sellers in the lower part of the state. Early in his career, Milshteyn had his first taste of working with American Home Shield (AHS®) , and he
“AHS is reliable, and that’s one thing I’ve always been able to say about them. They’ve helped a lot of my clients, and they’re always ready and willing to jump on things in order to get them resolved.” - ALEX MILSHTEYN Associate Broker, Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel Real Estate
knew right away that the warranty company was something special. “There are a wide variety of services they offer under their home warranty, which is super beneficial to clients,” says Milshteyn, who points to his dedicated AHS sales representative Lori Hoover as one of the aspects he enjoys most about his relationship with AHS. “If, at any point, one of my clients has an issue, I can always reach out to Lori,” says Milshteyn. “My clients don’t have to go around in a circle with an 800 number. They simply reach out to me, and I’m able to get them some answers.” Getting clients interested in the home warranty is easy, notes Milshteyn, as all he needs to do is educate buyers and sellers alike about the benefits associated with home warranty protection. Protecting buyers and sellers from the expense associated with something going wrong with a covered system component or appliance during the real estate transaction, AHS has been a home warranty leader for more than 45 years. Committed to keeping up with the ever-evolving real estate industry, AHS introduced a variety of new services, including rekey service—something Milshteyn’s clients rave about when he checks in with them after a sale. “When you close, you’ll want to rekey your home, and most of my clients have no idea how to do that,” says Milshteyn. “Now, all they have to do is call AHS, and they will send out a technician to rekey the locks. “AHS is reliable, and that’s one thing I’ve always been able to say about them,” says Milshteyn. “They’ve helped a lot of my clients, and they’re always ready and willing to jump on things in order to get them resolved.” For more information, please visit www.ahs.com/realestate.
RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 49
THERE’S NEED TO GET NO I BACK TO YOU IN TEAM. When you put HomeTeam Inspection Service to work for you and your clients, you get a team of home inspectors on the job. Which means you get more expertise. More insight. And most important, more time to work through the process that exists between the in-contract sign and the closing table. Look to us for accurate information, detailed reporting, and the time you need to get the deal done.
There’s a better way to navigate the home inspection process. And it begins the moment you take a closer look at HomeTeam.
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Real Estate Teams: Are They for You? Lack of Brand Differentiation Your team will have a brand identity that may keep you from pursuing your own interests. Make sure the team you join is focused on the real estate niche you want to work in so you can transition to a personal brand should you choose to do so.
by the Experts at Real Estate Express
More Personalities While there will no doubt be people on the team with whom you bond, you’ll also find folks who aren’t your cup of tea. You’ll need to put your people skills into high gear to ensure that you work well with your teammates so that you can be productive and successful.
I
n many markets, the model of the lone real estate agent has given way to a team-oriented approach. Before you jump on the team train, consider the advantages and disadvantages of joining one so that you don’t let down the team, your clients or yourself.
PROS OF WORKING WITH A REAL ESTATE TEAM Working with a real estate team can be a great way to launch your career or scale up from your current approach. Help With Lead Generation Many teams have a strong team lead with a steady flow of referrals from past clients and a robust lead gen program in place. They will then distribute leads for follow-up from team members, who will become the primary contact for that client. Shared Support Staff Many teams share the cost of support staff like an assistant, transaction coordinator or lead nurturer. This may allow you to add leverage to your business less expensively than if you were maintaining staff on your own.
Shared Resources You may be able to share the cost of a web presence, content creation, graphic design, branding, special events or other resources with your team lead and colleagues. This can allow you to create promotional materials and initiatives that you might not be able to afford on your own.
CONS OF WORKING WITH A REAL ESTATE TEAM As with any group working together, real estate teams can have their share of struggles. Group Identity If you’re looking to make a name for yourself, you may have some trouble doing so on a team. Since the team’s identity is normally centered around the name recognition of the team lead, it may be harder to create your own professional identity.
Smaller Commission Cut When you’re part of a team, both your broker and your team lead will take part of your commission, meaning a smaller cut for you. This will need to be offset through the larger number of clients you can expect to work with.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS Whatever your decision, consider both your short-term needs and long-term goals. Talk to a trusted mentor or colleague who has worked both individually and at the head of a team to get their insight. Do an honest self-assessment to decide whether a team dynamic will work well for you. RE Real Estate Express is one of the nation’s premier online real estate schools, providing pre- and post-licensing courses, continuing education courses, and professional development to hundreds of thousands of real estate agents across the country. Real Estate Express, along with its sister schools McKissock Learning, Superior School of Real Estate, Allied Schools, The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing and Hondros Education Group, helps real estate professionals achieve sustainable success throughout each stage of their real estate career. Learn more at realestateexpress.com. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 51
{Broker Spotlight}
BECOMING THE TRUSTED NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCE
How Content and Information Empower California Broker by Maria Patterson
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lot of real estate professionals strive to put community first, but probably not quite the same way Jason Farris does. After all, not many can say that their real estate brokerage started out as an information-packed local blog. But that’s exactly the case for Farris, who expanded his popular FresYes.com into an 80-agent brokerage, FresYes Realty, serving the Fresno, Calif., area. “I wanted a place that best reflects the people, the places and the lifestyle that we call home. FresYes.com is that place,” writes Farris on the blog. At the root of the company and its success? Information and content. Thanks to technologies like a good CRM and data from companies like Cole Information, Farris is able to build trusting relationships with clients. In this exclusive interview, he tells us how. 52 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
MP: So how did the blog turn into a real estate brokerage? JF: In the beginning, it was just me
Maria Patterson: First, Jason, please tell us a little bit about your background. Jason Farris: I’ve been a licensed agent for 15 years, but I cut my teeth selling agricultural land with my uncle. He eventually recommended that I transition over to residential real estate, feeling that the agricultural market wouldn’t sustain prices. So I made the switch to residential and worked for the first company I interviewed with because I didn’t know the difference between Broker A and Broker B.
MP: When did you catch on to the potential of information for building business? JF: Shortly after I switched to residential, social media started taking off—Twitter, blogging, phones with video capability...that’s how I differentiated myself from other agents in the marketplace. The more I did that, the more business came my way. In 2009, I started FresYes.com.
and a few agents. Then we were recruited by the largest company in the market and helped them build out a new office based around these new ideas of social media and websites, and sharing and interpreting information instead of holding onto it. Shortly after that, my business grew and I took on an assistant and created a team before people were talking about teams. I outgrew the brokerage and left to go out on my own in 2015. I started out with myself and seven others. Over the course of the next 2.5 years, I went from seven agents to 80 agents.
ies in the park and get thousands of people to attend. FresYes is a brand partner with the local theater company, and we work with a local promoter on a big music festival. We do blood drives. We ran a story about a local nurse who formed a non-profit to support frontline workers and local restaurant owners. We organized the FresYes car scavenger hunt. We informed people about a peaceful protest for Black Lives Matter. Our uniqueness is that we actually do put the community first. We’re basically a media advertising company that happens to employ skilled real estate agents. We’re about exposure and branding and telling the story.
MP: How did you recruit so many agents in such a short period of time? JF: The funny thing is, I didn’t. People
MP: What is the business strategy behind this type of community-first approach? JF: I realized early on that I couldn’t
came to us because we were doing something different. We were built on a platform of communication first and sharing information and stories about the community.
out-advertise Zillow or realtor.com®. But what people can’t get through those sites is what it’s like to actually live somewhere. We have more staff than most offices our size and a full-on marketing team. We have clients who list with us because they want to be included in our social media and newsletter. When an agent wants to join us, I don’t care about the number of homes they sold. I care about the effort they’re putting forward for their clients.
MP: Such as? JF: Like a story about the offensive lineman at the local high school, and congratulating the Clovis West girls softball team when they won the championship. We take videos inside local restaurants. We host mov-
MP: The name is so unique. How did you land on that? JF: I love to travel and every city you go to has a good and bad side. But in my city, everyone focuses on the bad stuff. I decided I was going to be that person who focuses on the good stuff, so I chose the name “FresYes.”
Jason Farris leads the weekly sales meeting in the lobby/ patio area inside the FresYes Realty Group’s office.
RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 53
MP: Where do you think your drive comes from? JF: I’ve always worked in the service industry. I served people in the restaurant industry, I opened an entertainment business, I was a clown and a magician. I’ve always been right there in front of people, and you have to lift yourself up and have high energy and positivity. And I’ve always written well. For me, it’s always about the emotion and how you can affect people by words and energy.
Farris and a few members of his team at the annual FresYes Fest.
MP: So in a company that is clearly very unique, what would you single out as your most unique value proposition at FresYes? JF: It sounds cliche, but I really believe in investing in people. And authenticity is a big thing. It drives me crazy when an agent acts one way in the office and another in public. I want people to be who they are— there’s something magical about that. My only expectation of agents is that they make connections with other people, building relationships and building trust.
MP: How are you building business in today’s market? What’s the current landscape like? JF: Our market is a seller’s market, Happy FresYes agents enjoying the nice weather on the patio during a company barbeque.
MP: You’re really helping to redefine the role of the real estate agent… JF: Yes...less people in Fresno now think of real estate agents as used car salesmen. And I’ve watched as other brokerages follow suit. Everyone has been forced to think about how they position themselves. I know agents who said, “I got tired of losing the listing to you, so I took a step back and watched what you do. You really made me better.” I make all my decisions based on helping to make people better, not money. If you do the right thing long enough, the money will come. 54 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
MP: I imagine your philosophy and business model served you well in the height of the coronavirus crisis… JF: Yes—when all this happened, we didn’t have to pivot. We kept doing what we’ve always done. We put out lists of community resources, we created online menus highlighting what our favorite dishes are, and lists of local businesses to support. We were already positioned to do things this way, and it’s been exciting because people really care about small businesses in the community.
for sure. There is an absolute lack of inventory, so sellers are enjoying multiple offers. Buyers have access to low interest rates, so if they’re prepared, they’re going to get a good home. The biggest thing for us right now is that we need consumer confidence to come back. They need to be confident that they’re not going to get sick if someone comes into their home. And I’m concerned about our agents; less transactions mean less money for agents. Just because things are opening back up, it doesn’t mean people have a paycheck in their pocket.
MP: So what advice have you given agents in the time of COVID-19? JF: The coach in me says, do the
work regularly. So I tell them to contact as many people as they can and find out what their needs are so that they think of you when they’re ready to buy or sell. There’s never been a better time for relationships. Get to know your client. People think you can’t scale that, but you can.
Cole Information: Driven by Data • For more than 70 years, Cole Information’s data-centric applications have helped small businesses search, cross-reference and enrich business development efforts. • Cole Information offers an online platform that provides current contact information, such as email addresses and cell phone numbers, for confirmed homeowners as well as 250-plus data attributes that can be used to create targeted marketing campaigns.
MP: How so? JF: The richest source of business is
• Cole Information’s data-driven marketing solutions boost real estate prospecting across the country.
your CRM. You need to learn about the interests of the people in your database, and leverage technology more so you’re not sending out drip emails that all sound the same. When you reach out, you have to reach out in a meaningful way with information—that’s the future of real estate. If we can’t prove to people that they can trust us, then we won’t succeed.
• For decades, Cole Information has been a go-to resource for tens of thousands of agents throughout the nation.
MP: So what would you point to as the keys to your company’s success and growth over the years? JF: Information and content. We’re constantly creating content because we’re in the attention economy. How can you get someone’s attention? By knowing their interests.
MP: When did you realize that Cole Information could help you get someone’s attention and start building a relationship? JF: My coach and I realized that every time I went into a listing appointment, I got the listing. So I made it a goal to do more listing appointments. I needed to figure out how to connect with more people, and Cole was critical in my prospecting. If I called someone and told them something they already knew, it didn’t matter to them. I had to tell them something they didn’t already know that would be valuable to them. So if I took a listing at 1234 Main St., my assistant would put the information through Cole, and I’d get a list of 200 of the nearest neighbors and their phone numbers... sometimes even before I got back to
the office. I would contact all those people within 48 hours, because if you give the neighbors too long to talk, they’re all going to know Mark is selling his home. In order for me to provide value, I had to be the one to tell the neighbors first. It was key for me to make those calls as quickly as I could.
When I tell them the house sold for $350,000 and hear their reaction, I say “Oh wow does that surprise you? If I can get $350,000 for your house, would you be interested, because there are still six people looking?” Then I repeat the process when someone else lists their home with me. It’s always the same formula.
MP: How does such a call go? JF: “Hey, this is Jason Farris. I just
MP: What’s the biggest advantage of using Cole Information? JF: Agents need to realize this really
listed your neighbor’s home for sale. If you have any questions or concerns, call me directly on my personal cell.” I never ask if they know anyone who’s looking to buy, because why would they introduce that person to someone they don’t know? That’s a common mistake—agents want to go straight to marriage.
MP: So how do you build that relationship? JF: When the listing goes to pending, I call again: “I want to give you some exciting news. The home is under contract and I wanted to make sure you have the chance to say goodbye to your neighbor.” Of course, people almost always call back to ask, “What price did they get?” That gives me the chance to say, “Unfortunately, I can’t tell you that until it’s under contract, but I will call you as soon as the property is officially sold.” Then I keep my promise and call them. That’s how I build trust.
is a contact sport. The program is available to anyone willing to invest a small amount of money. So many products start off doing one thing well and then they want to get a bigger piece of the pie. Instead of staying the path and being simple and easy to use, they overcomplicate things.
MP: How do you plan to continue to grow your business in the year ahead? JF: For us, we’re leaning more toward being a media company. We’ll be doing more video, more podcasting and representing other brands. If, for the same price, you can be treated like you’re Rolex or BMW and be on all these information platforms, I think people will gravitate to that. RE
For more information, please visit www.coleinformation.com. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 55
Low Housing Stock and Large Down Payments Stand in the Way of the Next Generation of AAPI Homebuyers by Sabrina Baranda Ruiz
T
he Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) is a national nonprofit trade organization dedicated to improving the lives of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community through homeownership. AREAA is a powerful national voice not only for its members— housing and real estate professionals—but also, the communities they serve. AREAA represents more than 17,000 members across 41 chapters.
The 2019 - 2020 State of Asia America Report, an annual AREAA publication, provides a snapshot of the state of AAPI homeownership pre-COVID-19. The report presents disaggregated regional, demographic, socioeconomic and housing data for the most diverse and fastest-growing population in the United States, providing a compre-
56 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
hensive resource for industry professionals, leaders and decision-makers as they map ways to better serve this community. Using Census estimates, AREAA presented disaggregated data for the AAPI community, showing the vastly different socioeconomic situations between Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. There is approximately a $26,000 earning gap between Asian American and Pacific Islander households, while there is roughly a $126,000 difference in median house value. The housing rate of the two groups also has a difference of more than 15 percent. Looking more specifically at AAPI subgroups, there is an earnings gap of $74,510 between the highest earners, Indian Americans, and the lowest earners, Burmese Americans—a 62 percent difference. There is also a 38.7 percent difference between Taiwanese Americans, who have the highest homeownership rate, and Micro-
nesian Americans, who have a homeownership rate of just 29.4 percent. When benchmarked against non-Hispanic whites, there is only a difference of 1.5 percent for Taiwanese Americans. Three groups—Taiwanese, Vietnamese and Japanese Americans—are above the national average (according to the Census) of 63.9 percent, and six groups—the previous three, plus Chinese, Laotian and Filipino—are above the aggregated Asian homeownership rate. In 2018, Asian Americans generated 223,906 conventional loans, which amounted to $86.4 billion in loan value. Asian borrowers continue to be the highest minority users of conventional (GSE-backed) loans by number (223,906) and dollar amount ($86.4 billion). Just 6 percent and 2 percent of Asian loan applications are for FHA loans and VA loans, respectively. There are a few possible reasons for this:
Millions of young New Americans, and people of color, including AAPIs, pay their bills on time, yet are not considered “credit-worthy,” according to federal housing finance standards. These “credit-invisible” or “credit-thin” applicants have a harder time getting loan approval, face higher financing costs or are steered toward more expensive loans. Using alternative credit scoring could allow as many as 300,000 potential AAPI homebuyers to have credit scores that meet underwriting requirements and score as many as 40 million previously unscored consumers. Additionally, consumers with low credit or thin credit history could increase their scores, and loan underwriters could have a more accurate financial predictor of one’s ability to repay a loan, leading to better lending options for consumers in general. Additional findings from the 2019 - 2020 State of Asia America Report:
• A prevailing belief that 20 percent or more is required for down payment
• AAPI homeownership rate varies widely in the top 20 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) by AAPI population. AAPI homeownership in Riverside is more than 70 percent, while homeownership in New York metros is just 50 percent.
• Not wanting to pay PMI • A desire to avoid the additional paperwork and requirements of FHA loans, or sellers’ aversion to working with FHA-financed buyers in highly competitive markets • Additional closing costs associated with VA loans The report also found that more than 4.1 million AAPIs were potentially “mortgage ready” as of 2018, which, in rough estimations, could amount to $145.9 billion in potential loans. Additionally, it found another 0.8 million AAPIs would be mortgage-ready if not for their limited, but clean, credit history (meaning they do not have enough credit history to generate a score). Adding these two groups together, we would be looking at $174.4 billion in potential loans by better serving the AAPI homebuyers of tomorrow. However, continued housing shortages in the high-cost areas AAPIs wish to buy in—and the length of time it takes to save enough for a down payment—continue to make the goal of homeownership that much more elusive for AAPI buyers. Affordability also continues to be an issue. With a median house price of $444,307 and concentrations in some of the least-affordable housing markets, AAPI borrowers, even with some of the highest incomes of any borrower group, have the longest time to save for a 20 percent down payment at 24.6 years. Additionally, one of the greatest reasons for denial for Asian borrower applications after DTI is incomplete credit applications. When they do have credit scores, Asian borrowers have the highest median credit scores overall and across most enhanced loan types. However, because AAPI families prefer to make their purchases in cash in order to avoid debt (only making large purchases when cash is available), AAPIs have historically struggled with credit qualification as a result of limited credit history.
• Homeownership varies widely by AAPI subpopulation, too. Japanese homeownership is around 65 percent, while Nepalese homeownership is less than 30 percent. • Many AAPI are buying houses and moving to large MSAs in California, Texas and the Northeast. • AAPI loans are more likely to have three or more borrowers compared to non-Hispanic whites, possibly due to multigenerational households. • In aggregate, AAPI borrowers tend to be younger, have higher credit scores and income than the overall population. Some of the least affordable areas for AAPIs are: » San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. » Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, Hawaii » San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, Calif. » Urban Honolulu, Hawaii » Flagstaff, Ariz. » Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Calif. » San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, Calif. » Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash. » Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Mass.-N.H. » New York-Newark-Jersey City, N.Y.-N.J.-Penn. » Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va. The 2019 - 2020 State of Asia America report is sponsored by RE/MAX. For more information, or to receive a copy of the State of Asia America Report, please visit areaa.org/saa. Sabrina Baranda Ruiz is policy & communications manager at AREAA. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 57
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The 4 Pillars That Will Drive Real Estate Forward Commentary by Lane Hornung
F
or over a hundred years, selling a home involved one option: offering it for sale on the open market. While that’s still how most homes sell today, innovations in fintech backed by billions in capital are giving sellers more options than ever. If agents don’t bring more options to the table themselves, they will be left behind.
The four pillars that will help drive our real estate market forward include the bridge, the instant sale, the listing concierge and the open market. At zavvie, we have built all four of these options into the newest version of our Offer Optimizer brokerage solution. Here’s how they work. A New Bridge A bridge sale is simply the ability to buy a home and move into it before you sell your current one, “bridging” the homeownership gap. Real estate agents know many clients would love to do this, but can’t. Lenders offer high-interest bridge loans as a solution, but many who need them can’t get approved. Fintech models are offering a new kind
of bridge solution, such as Easy Knock’s. The startup already operates in all 50 states. It’s not a bank, lender or an iBuyer. Easy Knock buys your house and leases it back to you, which allows you to purchase and move into your new home first, then sell your existing property. This is going to be a game changer for a lot of consumers. The Instant Sale Consumers want to see what an iBuyer will offer for their home. It’s even better when they can see all iBuyer offers, which zavvie provides. It doesn’t matter how many homes iBuyers are buying; They are meeting a consumer desire head-on. Mike DelPrete, a global expert in real estate tech, notes that while Zil-
low bought 6,500 houses last year, 264,000 consumers requested an instant offer. Most of these offer requesters are high-intent leads, ready to sell and buy again. Zavvie, known for pioneering a complete iBuyer solution, is now powering top brokerages’ spread of seller options, which still includes iBuying. Innovative brokerages, like zavvie sister company 8z Real Estate in Colorado, understand the lead generation value of emboldening agents with the most selling options, as does Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. The Listing Concierge The listing concierge can unlock inventory that is “stuck.” Many sellers can’t list their home for sale without making improvements, and they don’t have the funds—so no listing. A listing concierge provides a turnkey service to handle all the improvements needed, from hiring vetted contractors who make the repairs to paying for everything. The concierge gets paid at closing, and sellers don’t have to invest anything out of pocket. The Open Market The open market will continue to be the option most sellers choose. Brokerages are proving this with the expanded options that zavvie now features in Offer Optimizer. The bottom line is that brokerages must offer sellers all the options, including each of these four pillars, to get a seat at the table, much less win the listing. Which ones are missing from your toolkit? RE Lane Hornung is CEO and founder of Colorado-based 8z Real Estate, one of the nation’s most successful brokerages, and is CEO/co-founder of zavvie, one of the only complete iBuyer solutions for real estate brokerages.
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The Momentum Will Continue Past the ‘Busy Seasons’— Don’t Get Left Behind Commentary by Grier Allen
R
eal estate activity has picked up across the country. The predicted pent-up demand is being unleashed and creating what appears to be a spring-summer super season. Summer is passing, but the typical “summer season” activity is still heating up, and for those not experiencing it yet, it’s on the way. As Lawrence Yun, the National Association of REALTORS’® chief economist explained, “Look for the peak of the housing market’s annual cycle to be delayed, not canceled.”
We’re in constant communication with our clients, and they are busy. With the pandemic still gripping our world, and spikes threatening many states, we’re not dealing with “business as usual.” There is still volatility, and new challenges and regulations to adapt to and work around, in addition to the pressing demands of clients and transactions. Time and focus are scarce. But transactions are not going to slow, and you need to be positioned to help your prospects and seize opportunities. Yes, inventory is low, but movement is inevitable. Some are looking to relocate to suburban
areas, some need that playroom/ home office/additional square footage, and some are simply desperate for a change of scenery. The data is there, too. Chip Collins, owner and broker-in-charge of Collins Group Realty, generated 1,100 leads in May alone—twice the number as May of last year. Every market is unique, but trends across the board show surges in search activity and average session times, clear indicators of prospects getting serious about transacting. On average, our visitor traffic is up 15 percent compared to the same week in 2019, with form submis-
sions up 15 percent from January. Prospects generated from these submissions, directly requesting a virtual showing or inquiring about a property, increased 40 percent from May to January, and 50 percent in June. Opportunity is still building, but you have to get out of the overwhelm to capture it—and, most importantly, convert it. Lean into tools that keep you agile and adapting. Take busywork off your plate and focus on what moves you forward. Virtual tools and teams are critical to ensure you can confidently service clients and protect lead generation investments. Leverage them to build certainty into your systems and prioritize time. Virtual tours, virtual open houses and video chatting will only become more necessary for success as we navigate this environment and cater to varying restrictions and comfort levels. Virtual teams can handle your lead response and nurturing and alleviate time-consuming qualifying. They let teams focus on action-ready prospects and deliver peace of mind. Many clients leverage our lead concierge service, Success Assurance, to do just that. Even those using an ISA model have seen incredible results. Doug Gieck, VP of Production at 8z Real Estate, explained that in the crush of to-dos, this is something he’s offloaded. “It took a lot of trust, but the results have been monumental. Not only did conversion rates double, but I don’t have to worry that things are slipping through the cracks.” Many things are out of our control right now, but there are solutions to bring control and confidence into your business and help you scale to meet demand without sacrificing service or sanity. RE
Grier Allen is CEO of BoomTown. For more information, please visit https://boomtownroi.com.
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Shining a Spotlight on Cyber Security Why real estate professionals need to become aware and informed...fast by Maria Patterson
E
veryone has heard at least one story about cyber fraud—a wire transfer intercepted by a hacker; an agent who clicked on a malicious link; or a brokerage held hostage by ransomware.
to it, give it a lot of effort or put money toward it.” Yet, says Grant, a real estate professional’s world is fraught with opportunity for cyber fraudsters. “The second you become a real estate professional, you are set up for failure in the cyber security world,” he explains. “You are legally required to store documents and communications safely, but While such harrowing tales are alarming and the typical real estate professional has zero increasing, the majority of real estate profestraining on the topic.” sionals still fail to prioritize cyber security. For That’s why, as an instructor dedicated to many, in fact, it’s not even on their radar. teaching cyber security strategies, Grant is This is something Craig Grant is determined to committed to making real estate professionals Grant change. According to Grant, a national speaker aware and prepared. who is the president and founder of the Real Estate “Real estate professionals don’t realize that cyber Technology Institute (RETI) and RETI University, as well fraud is a year-round issue,” says Grant. “They may as a certified GRI and e-PRO®instructor, “My No. 1 con- have heard a few horror stories, but they think it can’t cern is that cyber security is not on 95 percent of real happen to them. I try to show them that it doesn’t matestate professionals’ radars. They don’t pay attention ter what size your company or market is; you’re all tar-
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gets because of the amount of data you’re collecting and the size of the transactions.” As part of his educational effort, Grant is heavily involved in updates to the National Association of REALTORS®’ (NAR) e-PRO®program. “I’ve been an instructor since 2009, and I’m now working with NAR to revamp the content, especially in terms of cyber security issues.” At press time, the updated course was preparing to launch this October. Additionally, Grant has coauthored cyber security courses for CRS and built out GRI modules for 12 different states. One of the most critical, yet overlooked, components of cyber security, says Grant, is investing in cyber insurance. “The typical real estate agent, broker and even association staff member thinks they’re covered by their E&O insurance, but it doesn’t cover one penny related to reputation damage or ransomware,” he explains. “According to NAR research, 88 percent of real estate businesses would be out of business in six months without cyber insurance.” CyberPolicy—an NAR REALTOR Benefits® Program partner—offers a comprehensive and customized cyber liability insurance program for REALTOR®-owned brokerages. Created specifically for real estate professionals, the plan provides access to preparedness tools, premium discounts and specialized coverage, which also extends to clients. Additionally, members receive support to help quickly restore business in the event of a cyber attack or fraud. According to Grant, cyber insurance policies are affordable and offer peace of mind. “I explain to real estate professionals that they’re a target, and I point out their weaknesses, such as needing better antivirus software and stronger passwords. What drives it home is the idea of wire transfer fraud. That’s when they start to understand the need for cyber insurance.” Grant emphasizes that it’s incumbent upon real estate professionals to educate their clients as well. “The second they start working with a new customer, real estate professionals need to educate them about wire fraud and have them sign agreements regarding wire transfer instructions, and add a legal disclaimer to their email signatures. This will protect them in front of a judge.” Grant shares his other top tips regarding cyber security for real estate professionals: • Start taking it seriously and attend classes. “Learn about cyber security and start practicing it. Most small business owners are asleep at the wheel.” • Have a top-level antivirus on every device. “The average person doesn’t realize they are at risk on a
“The second you become a real estate professional, you are set up for failure in the cyber security world. You are legally required to store documents and communications safely, but the typical real estate professional has zero training on the topic.” – CRAIG GRANT President and Founder, Real Estate Technology Institute (RETI) and RETI University
phone or tablet, so hackers go after those devices like crazy.” • Get cyber liability insurance. • Learn methods for creating and remembering unhackable passwords. • Understand the dangers of WiFi. “WiFi is the easiest thing on the planet to hack. Whatever environment you’re in, make sure it’s secure.” • Build your business in the Cloud. “If you can’t download everything in the Cloud, and you’re attacked with ransomware, then you’re paying that ransom.” REALTORS® can gain further insight into cyber security and technology through NAR’s Tech Edge events. According to Grant, “Tech Edge is one day of packed learning. There are several short, 20-minute presentations, so you’re not sitting through four-hour classes. They’re presented by people who really understand technology—REALTORS® and vendors with boots on the ground.” This year’s NAR Tech Edge events have pivoted from several one-day, in-person events across the U.S. to a three-part virtual series. The last video of the series, available on Aug. 27, will focus on data security. While there is a lot to learn in the arena of cyber security, Grant emphasizes that the most important lesson is to realize it can happen to you. “Realize that everyone is a target,” he says. “You have to be more vigilant and aware of what’s going on.” RE For more information, please visit epro.realtor. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 63
Be Selective When Choosing Your Moving Concierge Partner Some services limit support for core services Commentary by Scott Oakley
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hile the fun of home-buying typically comes from discovering and falling in love with your new home, there may not be much fun at all in home-selling unless it is simply the first leg of home-buying. Transaction management solutions have evolved to make the closing process easier, but the biggest hang-up for consumers remains the classically painful process of moving. Mover automation companies have sprung up to enable brokers to deliver concierge services that contribute to the process of an efficient move. Some firms have even begun to include allowances to defer the cost of moving as a defining component of their services, finding this to be a differentiator that combats commission discounting. Each moving automation and/ or concierge service is uniquely designed. Regulated vs. deregulated markets should be an area of serious consideration in the selection of a new moving concierge service. Reg-
ulated means that consumers may only have one choice for a utility, so the state regulates the service to ensure consumer fairness. While 34 states have regulated the utility services provided to residents, 16 states have been deregulated, offering multiple consumer options for either electricity or gas, which creates a market driven by competition. In competitive marketplaces, moving automation or concierge companies that help connect your customers are paid a fee for doing so. This incentive drives many service providers to focus only on deregulated markets.
If you are in a regulated state, you may find that your moving concierge partner does not provide the full service of connecting electric and gas because there is no revenue source. Ultimately, this undermines the service that your customer receives from your firm when getting support for the challenging move ahead. This is only one of many service areas that you should evaluate to determine the comprehensiveness of your moving service. No doubt, a dedicated moving service will compete to provide the most effective, comprehensive and service-friendly platform to delight your clients. Another key area of your moving service platform should be the ability for your brokerage to connect local community providers who are well-known in the area with excellent reputations. There is typically a fee for connecting to a moving service, and those fees may be prohibitive to some smaller companies. Be sure to dig in and ask careful questions about how flexible your moving concierge will be when it comes to supporting local businesses. Launching a moving service for your homebuyers and sellers may be among the more critical actions that you take in 2020. Choosing the right partner is the first step on a long journey. Be sure to develop a plan to survey your customers on the moving experience and the suppliers they pick. Regularly check up on the list of suppliers being offered to ensure that the relationship is working out well for all involved. And always remember to ask for referrals. RE
Scott Oakley is CEO of MooveGuru. For more information, please visit www.mooveguru.com.
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What Transformation Would Your Business Experience If You Could See Clarity Through Chaos? by Marion Weiler
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he real estate sector has undergone significant transition and disruption over the past years, which is felt by brokerages of all sizes, the real estate community and the industry at large. Not only has the industry experienced a fierce battle amongst brokerages for the most fought-after talent for years, but the intensity of innovation in terms of cutting-edge tools and resources available to its agents on the front lines is skyrocketing. So much so that real estate professionals often find themselves seemingly drowning in resources and suffering from technological overwhelm while racing to understand its benefits and learning to effectively utilize them. Above this sea of innovation and tools, as well as coaching resources primarily positioned to improve sales and marketing skills, a rather unfilled gap in the brokerage environment has been that of optimizing and effectively managing the agents’ own business operation,
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and providing guidance for agents to become effective business owners and business leaders. But where to start, especially when you find yourself in disruption and chaos, and you are looking to address challenges through effective cost management, organiza-
tional optimization and sustainable planning? Evaluating the current state of the business, finding areas for improvement and optimization, and identifying solutions to chart a path forward are the areas to address in order to guide agents to run a more efficient, strategic and intentional business. Critically important in this process is getting crystal-clear about what needs require alignment, consciously deciding to take back control despite the confusion, as well as acknowledging destructive business and thought patterns. By focusing on what you can control and taking charge of the situation, you gain clarity and control, which allow you to move forward in a constructive way.
Unhealthy financial habits, the lack of business planning and budgeting while unclear on the ROI on initiatives, leaves many in the industry in a place where taking inventory becomes non-negotiable in an effort to run a sustainable business. Not surprisingly, not all expenses carry the same significance, and determining what expenses cannot be eliminated or reduced— in other words, expenses that are a must, versus nonessential expenses that can be cut easily; those that do little or nothing to make your business a success— is key during this part of the process. Business owners would be remiss if they leave it at evaluating finances and cutting costs during challenging times. Identifying and implementing creative solutions while looking for opportunities to create additional revenue streams are essential when transforming a business. Those who aren’t afraid to ask for advice or help, and involve experts inside and outside of their organization, tend to make the greatest progress. Evaluating services that can be transformed, expanded or re-marketed to meet a current client need (or the way services are delivered to spike revenue), can be the cornerstone to ensure offerings are as relevant as they have been in the past. Business optimization and planning is a long-term undertaking and will ultimately transform businesses, leading to sustainable results. Committing to it will allow business owners to run their real estate business more cost-effectively. It will also create bigger margins, improve relevancy and relationships, and allow for more control, focus and clarity. By evaluating strengths as well as current structures, systems, processes and initiatives in place, it will become evident whether long-term goals and sustainable business growth are supported. With or without a crisis, the world and economic environment is ever changing. Like any business, the sustainable success of a real estate business depends on how agile and adaptable it is. Furthermore, the peace of mind that comes from managing a business proactively cannot be underestimated. And not only that, it puts the business owner back in the driver’s seat, which allows for better overall performance. RE
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For more information or free resources on how to bring clarity to chaos and how to effectively manage and optimize your real estate business, visit www. weilerinternational.com. Marion Weiler is a senior business management and marketing executive, and principal at Weiler International, advising executive teams and business owners, particularly in the real estate and construction industries, whether during crisis management or business growth. She is a former senior executive of several global firms, most recently serving as SVP of Marketing for a Sotheby’s International Realty affiliate in New York.
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{Power Teams}
The 3-2-1 of Growing Your Business by Verl Workman
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ystems are the key to the success and scale of any business. One of the challenges we often see is that when an agent gets busy, they stop doing the necessary things that helped them create the business in the first place. When they only focus on doing deals, they no longer take the time to source and maintain leads. Focusing on deals is great for a short time, but this will create peaks and valleys in your business. Through coaching, top-performing agents and teams have learned that successful habits (systems) are the key to consistency and steady growth. Let this article serve as a motivator to help you understand that forming great habits will allow you to build your database, keep you consistent in prospecting, and eliminate peaks and valleys within your business.
whether or not they use you as an agent, so your job is to be at the front of their mind so that they view you as a trusted resource when they make the decision to move.
The Results At the end of 30 days, you will have:
• Learned 20 new things
THE 3-2-1
2 – Find two new people who will buy or sell in the next 30 days. After you have contacted three past clients or three people in your SOI, prospect until you find two new people who will buy or sell in the next 30 days. You can use any method of prospecting, but you must have a conversation and qualify these people for the opportunity to earn their business. Once you qualify them, add them to your SOI to be contacted at a later date.
3 – Call or talk to three people in your sphere of influence—or three past clients—every day. Our database or sphere of influence (SOI) consists of people we know from our business ventures, day-to-day life, etc. When it comes to our real estate business, we hope that we will be able to do business with these individuals if they end up having a life event that causes them to move. These life events will occur
1 – Learn one new thing about your technology. As we all know, technology is changing constantly, giving us access to new and innovative ways to do business. We seldom use all of the powerful features that are available to us, so challenge yourself to learn one new thing about your technology and start implementing and using it within your business.
• Contacted 60 past clients or individuals in your SOI • Prospected 40 new clients
After 90 days, you will have: • Contacted 180 past clients or individuals in your SOI • Prospected 120 new clients • Learned 60 new things Make these activities non-negotiable and you will find that success will follow. Your business will grow consistently, giving you the confidence to add systems to your business and eliminate those unwanted valleys, allowing you to take on more clients without the fear of dropping the ball. RE
Verl Workman is the founder and CEO of Workman Success Systems (385-282-7112), an international speaking, consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and building successful power agents and teams. Contact him at Verl@WorkmanSuccess.com, or visit workmansuccess.com to learn more.
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{Power Teams} Don’t Annoy People You Know by Cleve Gaddis
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few years ago, I started coaching a new client. Let’s call her Sheila. Sheila had been in real estate for nearly 20 years, had higher production than most of her peers, but was disappointed that she wasn’t able to exceed annual earnings of $100,000. Every week felt like starting over, which was unacceptable after investing 20 years of her life into real estate. Nearly 60 percent of Sheila’s business came from past clients and referrals, while the other 40 percent came from clients converted from leads purchased through a nationally known real estate website. Sheila wanted to grow her business, and not only was she poised to increase spending on these leads, she also planned to double her efforts toward following up with these leads. But the thought of calling more strangers who didn’t seem to want her help, or even know why she was calling, made her feel depressed. We decided to focus our attention on her sphere of influence (SOI), which consists of people in her personal and professional network with whom her opinion holds some weight. These are people who know, like and trust Sheila. After 20 years, we both realized this group was significant, but the thought of “annoying” people she knew and trying to convince them to buy or sell homes made her feel sick, so Sheila decided to take a different approach. Rather than selling her SOI, Sheila decided to serve them. She commit-
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ted to never mentioning buying or selling homes to anyone in her sphere. Once Sheila made this decision, her worries disappeared, and she was off to the races. Below are the steps she followed: 1. Create a spreadsheet of 100 people who know, like and trust her. 2. Plan monthly themes for the next year. Topics included mortgages, identity theft, title insurance and market updates. 3. Commit to making a minimum of two connections per month with each contact—some via email, others by text, telephone or in person. 4. Genuinely try to help educate her contacts on all things real estate in her market. After following this program for 24 months, Sheila’s business has doubled. She has received referrals or done business with 22 of the 100 contacts on her spreadsheet, and nearly everyone seems to enjoy the information provided each month. Instead of feeling anxious
about prospecting, Sheila says she feels energized. Also, her earnings haven’t dipped below $8,000 in any given month. Sheila also stopped buying online leads, saving herself nearly $12,000 per year in unnecessary expense. More than anything, she is relieved to not have to call total strangers and worry about how they will react. To receive a copy of the same spreadsheet Sheila used, request one by email at Cleve@WorkmanSuccessSytems.com. RE
Cleve Gaddis is a master coach, speaker and trainer with Workman Success Systems. He works with some of America’s most profitable teams and specializes in helping family-owned brokerages and teams navigate their unique challenges. Gaddis hosts the Your Move Atlanta weekly radio show on 640 AM, a Fox News station on iHeartRadio. He learned sales the hard way, by selling vacuum cleaners door-todoor. To have Gaddis speak live to your company, team or group, connect with him at Cleve@ WorkmanSuccess.com. Learn more about Gaddis and coaching opportunities by visiting workmansuccess.com.
{Power Teams}
Nurturing Success, With a Team as the Vehicle by Suzanne De Vita
B
roker Nanci Caflisch has her own real estate team, but not in the conventional sense. As she says, “I have had several agents join my team who, after a year or two, I push to be independent.”
Not the average goal of leaders of which are on her team, the Wisconreal estate teams, who generally sin Home Team. Below, she chats look to recruit and retain talent for with RISMedia about her business, community involvement, leadership, their team. “Most team leaders don’t want and more. their team members to leave,” Caflisch says. “My approach is to Suzanne De Vita: How did you get find people who are strong candi- involved in real estate? Nanci Caflisch: I had a different dates—who have the right career path for many years, personality and level of but I always knew I would trust—and bring them enjoy real estate. Eventuonto my team, help build ally, I decided to learn the them to be successful craft remotely through classagents and encourage them Caflisch es on VCR tapes. From there, to start their own teams and brokerages under the RE/MAX I studied for the exam and earned my real estate license, all while my brand.” As broker/owner of RE/MAX then-newborn was sleeping. It was a Grand in Baraboo, Wis., Caflisch bal- challenging start, but I never regretances many responsibilities, with ted my decision. I started with a local brokerage 13 agents at the brokerage, three of
for 10 years, where I led a team. While teams were not very common at the time, I found it to be a great way to pool resources and an advantageous marketing tool. After that, I went out on my own. At the time, there were no national franchises that were locally-owned in my community. When an opportunity arose for us to purchase a RE/MAX franchise in our area, we were ready to take it on. SD: How’s your market today? NC: My markets reach out to a 30mile radius—we’re in a small town with a population of about 12,000, so we serve half a dozen or more communities. The market here is extremely strong. Inventory is limited, and properties are selling rapidly. In the current health climate, I have observed a decline in new leads coming in, but I expect many of the effects to only be temporary. I believe the market will eventually bounce back and be busier than ever. SD: You’re big on coaching, instead of retention. Why is that? NC: I’m in a small community, so there isn’t a huge pool to recruit from. For most team leaders, retention is key. My approach is to find people who are strong candidates— who have the right personality and level of trust—and bring them onto my team, help build them to be successful agents and encourage them to start their own teams and brokerages under the RE/MAX brand. I recruit to grow my brokerage, rather than just my team. I have had several agents join my team who, after a year or two, I push to be independent. SD: How do you manage your people, both in the brokerage and on your team? NC: It’s challenging. Fortunately, we have a lot of systems in place to make it easier. When everybody RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 71
{Power Teams}
knows their responsibilities, everything flows seamlessly. From the time a listing starts to when it’s under contract, we have a system to help manage the process. Additionally, I have great people working with me. My admin handles everything on the back-end so that I can focus on coaching and supporting my agents. SD: Do you hold meetings as a team? If so, what do you focus on? NC: We have bimonthly meetings, but we have very open communication and talk on a daily basis. I follow up weekly to review incoming leads, response times, current transactions, etc. We discuss the ROI of our lead generation system, talk through any obstacles agents are having and coordinate our next pop-bys. SD: How do you distribute leads to your team? NC: Generally, our strategy is to evenly distribute new leads among the team. When a lead comes in, we typically alternate between team members. For some of the lead generation sites, it will go to whoever answers first. Since I have some team members in different offices within Wisconsin (one in Baraboo and another in Sauk City), I also place leads geographically. SD: What’s your approach to branding? NC: I am focused on branding the brokerage, rather than my team specifically. I try to keep our brand in front of the public, from print and digital down to sponsoring high school sports and Little League teams. SD: You’re active in your community, too… NC: Being involved in your community is one of the best methods for building a network and filling your client pool. I can attribute a lot of
72 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
my success to being involved in my community. I am past president and current secretary of our local Chamber of Commerce, and I sit on the city’s Economic Development Commission. I’m also a co-chair for a large tourism function that brings close to 30,000 visitors to our area every year. I’m overcommitted, but I enjoy it. I do it because I want to give back, and I’ve been able to establish rapport with a lot of people I wouldn’t have met otherwise.
“For most team leaders, retention is key. My approach is to find people who are strong candidates—who have the right personality and level of trust—and bring them onto my team, help build them to be successful agents and encourage them to start their own teams and brokerages under the RE/MAX brand.” – NANCI CAFLISCH Broker/Owner, RE/MAX Grand
I also encourage my agents to get involved in activities and organizations that they are passionate about in order to build stronger connections within the community. For example, to support our community during this current crisis, we’ve donated food to our local children’s museum that is offering free meals to kids, and assisted the local police department in putting together craft kits to hand out to families. SD: Lastly, how are you building your business this year? What are your goals? NC: For the brokerage, my goals are
to improve business practices. At the start of the year, I designed a business plan called “Focus 2020.” I sat down with every agent and had them outline their goals and business management strategies, all of which was included in their “Focus 2020” action plan. As part of the program, I also share market ideas, coach them and help them develop systems to improve their business practices. The purpose of the program is to improve accountability, but I’ve tried to include fun aspects, too, like a “power hour.” For this exercise, I provide each agent with a RE/MAXbranded hourglass to use when they want to dedicate a significant amount of time (a “power hour”) to one focus area. The Focus 2020 program is an ongoing initiative—I want to complete one year of it and see where we end up. Within our market, my goal is for the brokerage to continue our momentum and supersede our past accomplishments. We’ve held marketshare in our area for the past seven years, but I don’t want our agents to get complacent. I felt it was time to ramp up their energy after a strong 2019, and it seems to be going well. I also have a goal to add a property management division, an insurance sales division, and also try to increase education programs offered to agents. In line with our education goals, in 2019, I implemented a Tuesday training. We’ve had almost 100-percent attendance weekly. Our training consists of RE/MAX-specific content, best social media practices, the newest and greatest apps, best practices for staying productive, lead generation techniques, and much more. I have always practiced the “You learn, you earn” motto. RE
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Compared to those older and wiser baby boomers, millennials are more likely to land in the ER due to a DIY home improvement project gone wrong, says a survey from SoFi. Despite that, they are also way more eager to show off their project on social media.
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Sanitary Kitchen Remodeling Tips for 2020 by Brooke Chaplan
R
emodeling your kitchen may be a dream come true. You likely have a ton of ideas about new appliances, countertop colors, etc. However, one aspect that should get your attention during the design process is the sanitation of your cooking space.
Here are some useful tips to ensure your kitchen stays as sanitary as possible. Touchless Faucets Gone are the days of having to turn the knob or lift the faucet to turn the water on. Now, there are touchless faucets you can install in your kitchen. Simply wave your hands underneath the faucet and it will start the water flow. Easy-to-Clean Materials One of the easiest materials to maintain is stainless steel. Unlike cast
iron, stainless steel doesn’t stain from food or beverages. When it comes to the raw materials for your backsplash and ceiling, consider tile, a very easy material to clean. Separate Storage Areas While you may do your best to clean your cutting boards, they’ll still contain some leftover residue. If you simply stack your cutting boards on top of one another, then you’re crosscontaminating. Instead, have separate storage areas designed during your remodel for individual cutting boards.
Opt for Enclosed Garbage Bins There are some things you can do to minimize the amount of odor and germs that occur in your kitchen, beginning with enclosing your garbage bin. If possible, have your bins installed in a pull-out cabinet. If your new design doesn’t allow for this excess area, consider a step-on container that seals up after each use. When it comes to the design, you should ensure that you’re taking the sanitation needs of your family into account. The above are just four of the many ways you can remodel your kitchen with sanitation in mind. RE Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. This article originally appeared on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. Visit us at blog.rismedia.com.
Kick Your Referral Game Into High Gear and Build a Pipeline of Future Business by Paige Tepping
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n this exclusive interview, Quicken Loans®’ Regional Vice President of Mortgage Banking Tony Nuckolls discusses triedand-true techniques for real estate professionals who want to up their referral game and build a pipeline of future buyers.
Paige Tepping: Please provide a into the mortgage business…and I brief overview of your history in haven’t looked back since. the industry and how you ended up where you are today at Quicken PT: When it comes to gaining referrals and building a pipeline, what is Loans. your best advice? Tony Nuckolls: I’ve been in the TN: For real estate profesmortgage/real estate industry for nearly two-and-a-half sionals looking to gain decades. My mother was referrals and build a a licensed agent, so I pipeline, it’s all about expectations, service and grew up driving around to follow-up. Providing clear various open houses and expectations from the getlooking at real estate, which piqued my interest at a young Nuckolls go is important, which means age. After graduating from college, that real estate professionals must I was given the opportunity to jump be upfront with their clients and 78 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
ask for referrals in exchange for the value they will continue to provide for years to come. Make it of paramount importance that your clients thank you for your continued service by referring their friends, family, neighbors and coworkers to you. While most real estate professionals are doing the same old thing and getting the same old results, taking a different approach begins with setting clear expectations for all parties involved. PT: What should real estate professionals avoid doing if they want to up their referral game? TN: More often than not, real estate professionals cast their net too wide and ultimately water down their message. While I agree that mass marketing works on a national scale, real estate is a local
business, so being very narrow and intentional with what you want to cultivate from your brand is key. It’s not about being on every billboard or shopping cart, but rather, allocating your time, energy and resources to being involved in communities or groups where you can foster strong relationships. Establishing yourself as a real estate professional in a network or business association will go a long way toward driving referrals to fill your pipeline. PT: How can real estate professionals ensure they’re building a business where they’re constantly getting referrals? TN: By focusing on the tried-andtrue things that work. In today’s digital age, it’s all about creating community. Everyone you meet is part of some type of community. Take the time to sit back and reflect on what types of communities you are a part of, the communities you want to be a part of and the communities you don’t want to be a part of. Then, associate yourself with those communities that you can deliver value to, placing yourself among individuals who see value in what you provide. There are so many communities that you can be a part of, and by involving yourself with a booster club at your child’s school, for example, you’re gaining a different type of return: return on involve-
ment—or ROI. Real estate professionals have an important role in their community, so it’s essential to get involved in a way that’s genuine, authentic and real. PT: Why is it so important, especially in today’s environment, for real estate professionals to focus on referrals in order to continuously work on building their pipeline? TN: Those who have the biggest budget typically win, so if you’re looking to build a solid pipeline and a referral-based business, you need to be able to zig when others zag. There is so much noise out there today and so few people listening, that you have to be willing to go in a different direction. To that end, it’s critical that you find intimate and tight-knit communities where you can go deep and provide value so that you don’t have to compete with the broad-brush approach of those with the big dollars. Establishing trusted referral sources is key, and clients who had a great experience will provide the type of referrals you’re seeking, which is where you’ll get repeat business. While every interaction can lead to a transaction, it can also lead to a relationship where you’re positioned as an advocate. If you’re enough of an advocate, you’ll never be left wondering where your next listing is coming from.
PT: How can real estate professionals stay top of mind with those in their pipeline? TN: It all boils down to what the agent really wants and what their ultimate goal is. As Stephen Covey says, it’s important to begin with the end in mind, and to do that, agents must set up a cadence of communication. Let your clients know that once the transaction has been completed, you’re going to mail them something every month that details how to maintain their home. Ask if they’d like to be added to your email list so that you can provide them with information pertaining to the neighborhood to keep them educated as to what is happening in the community. In addition, plan small client appreciation events or coffee meet-ups in order to stay in touch and keep the lines of communication open. And don’t forget to pick up the phone. Make it all about the relationship and provide the experience they’re looking for. While people will often forget what you say, they might remember what they hear, but they will never forget what they experience. RE For more information, please visit RealEstate.QuickenLoans.com.
Paige Tepping is RISMedia’s managing editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at paige@rismedia.com.
RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 79
{Broker Best Practices} Leading by Example
Norma Hinojosa Broker/Owner RE/MAX Elite Mission, Texas www.homesrgv.com Region served: Deep South and Coastal Bend areas of Texas Years in real estate: 16 total, 14 as a broker Number of offices: 4 Number of agents: 125 Best learning experience: “I became a broker in 2007 when real estate was at its peak. Because of my inexperience, I couldn’t foresee what was coming with the recession of 2008. There were so many lessons learned in those years that I’m thankful for today. I’m not sure I’d have the success I have if it wasn’t for those years.” Finding balance during coronavirus: I love to hike, and I love to be outdoors. It’s not all about work and profit, and it’s okay to show our agents that. We have to do whatever it takes to center ourselves and find perspective. We can’t make the thoughtful decisions and meaningful changes that are necessary with a head full of noise. How has business been so far in 2020...both before and since the outbreak of COVID-19? Pre-COVID, there was growth quarter
80 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
by Maria Patterson
after quarter. Since March, we’ve been hunkering down and anticipating this major downshift that hasn’t quite happened. It hasn’t been as hard on our economy or our sales (at press time). May was our most difficult month so far—we saw a 15 - 20 percent drop in the number of closings. Sellers took their listings off the market and inventory was low. We still have a strong pipeline in escrow, and we’re having agents do as much virtually and digitally as possible. We’ve had an unexpectedly strong second quarter. That said, we don’t feel we’re out of the woods yet, and we’re doubling down on essential activities. What strategies are most critical for keeping business flowing in the time of coronavirus? One of the things we did early on was to encourage agents to do short-term business planning, or four- to eight-week business plans. This allows for flexibility and adaptation in what is a rapidly changing environment. Short-term planning makes change a lot more manageable and eliminates a lot of emotional and mental overwhelm. The plans you started with in January need to be put on the back burner, and it’s important to come up with a shorter (perhaps temporary) plan in tune with the current circumstances. What would you say is the most important factor to ensure profitability...no matter what market conditions may be? Profitability is only one component of long-term sustainability. In a crisis, it’s easy to become fearful and make the mistake of hyper-focusing on profitability and sacrificing other fundamentals that ensure our longterm sustainability. I’ve been very careful about not compromising for
the sake of short-term profitability. We’ve cut some wasteful spending of course, but I can’t cut services for my agents. I’ve kept all my staff and haven’t reduced their hours even though they’re home. We even hired a full-time support person in one location to make sure agents have everything they need. We’re not sacrificing services for our agents and staff, and certainly not for our clients. My focus is longterm sustainability. What role does agent training and technology play at your firm? Consumers are becoming more and more tech-savvy, and we have to stay ahead of their expectations. Training has been of huge importance to me. We have a full-time director of agent development, and new agents go through a 14-class program in addition to weekly training. For the average family, the purchase or sale of a home is likely the most important thing they will buy or sell in their lifetime. They trust real estate agents with that responsibility. Our state requires six classes, a test and a background check to get licensed; that’s insufficient and inadequate to prepare someone for a task that carries so much weight. Training is essential. What is the biggest challenge for the remainder of 2020? The biggest challenge is that we’re so impatient and ready to put all this behind us that we make changes without seeing a full picture. I’m not sure this is a race to who can “shift” the fastest; in fact, it’s not a race at all. There’s danger in that we don’t yet fully understand the permanent changes that will come about from all this, and in our rush to adapt to stay ahead, we might be making permanent or unneces-
sary changes in the middle of what is a temporary crisis. Of course, this storm will leave the landscape looking differently, and things will never be as they were, but it’s still unfolding, and we don’t yet know fully what that landscape will look like when it’s all said and done. The challenge is remaining patient and discerning as things unfold.
And what’s the biggest opportunity ahead? Agents are looking at residential real estate again for how important it really is. It’s personal—it’s someone’s home. When the market is doing well, we tend to look at the business from a transactional point of view, and when you do that, so much is lost. We need to remem-
ber just how important our role is. The market has this way of selfcorrecting and reminding us of that. I think it’s huge that we’ve been reminded about what matters, and in the end, we’ll be thankful for the lessons we’re learning and those yet to be understood.
Managing Expenses and Maximizing Sales
Best recruiting technique: Provide value along with coaching and mentorship opportunities.
by Paige Tepping
How has COVID-19 impacted your business? From an operational standpoint, it hasn’t. One of the things that attracted me to the HomeSmart model was the “hybrid” option where agents can come into one of our brick-andmortar offices or work 100-percent remotely if they want/need to. I feel like our company has been leading the way with live virtual showings, open houses and listing presentations. While we usually see an influx of properties hitting the market around late April or early May for a summertime closing and move, this year, we didn’t get that inventory push. Therefore, we implemented those virtual real estate tactics to enable our agents to still serve our market in spite of it already being low with supply and now further constrained by COVID-19 restrictions hindering the normal flow to enter the market.
How does being a part of HomeSmart help you and your agents do your jobs well? HomeSmart provides so much free training coupled with free and automated marketing, as well as a ton of free tools and technology. The amount of free podcasts, webinars and online training they offer is amazing, especially recent trainings on live virtual events and tactics for agents to implement in the midst of COVID-19. No other company gives agents everything they need to build and grow their business without taking a huge portion of their commission.
Jonathan Edmiston Broker/Owner in Charge HomeSmart Expert Realty Durham, N.C. www.NCHomeBroker.com Region served: All of North Carolina. Our main office is in Durham, but we have agents from Franklin to Wilmington and everywhere in between. Years in real estate: 21 Number of offices: 2, with more coming Number of agents: 75 Key to staying profitable: Manage expenses and maximize sales. No. 1 piece of advice for new agents: Get a mentor/coach.
Having recently opened a second office, what would you point to as the biggest factor in the growth of your business over the years? Being a person of value and delivering value to others. Being authentic, transparent and truly caring about others. People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
For more information, please visit www.remax.com.
What is your secret to staying relevant in the ever-changing real estate landscape? For me, it comes down to serving my agents and helping them achieve their individual goals. Techniques can change over the years, but the principles remain the same. At the end of the day, real estate is about sales, and people like to do business with those they know, like and trust. If you can build those relationships with a foundation of trust, your business will flourish. What sets HomeSmart Expert Realty apart from other brokerages? Our culture, which is a mix of business and family, or “bamily.” It’s an environment where everybody belongs, and we collectively strive to help everyone accomplish their
RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 81
individual goals. The 100-percent commission model allows agents to keep more of their hard-earned money, and our training, tools, technology and support allow agents to close more deals.
Looking ahead, what’s on the horizon for HomeSmart Expert Realty? We are planning to open a North Raleigh office this quarter and a South Raleigh office either Q4 2020 or Q1 2021. We just hired
a team leader in Winston Salem/ Greensboro and also have plans for expansion in the Charlotte market.
Set the Example for What You Expect
Cara and I run the company according to the following motto: “Surround yourself with great people under a common goal and get out of their way.”
competition. While we are aware of what the competition is doing, we focus on ourselves and how we can become better.
by Lesley Grand
Ed Rapisarda Broker/Owner
Cara Fox Broker/Owner Realty ONE Group Fox Vacaville, Calif. www.rogfox.com Region served: Sonoma, Napa, Solano Counties and surrounding areas of Northern California Years in real estate: Ed: 10; Cara: 20 Number of offices: 1, with expansion plans in place Number of agents: 61 Motto that you live by: My wife 82 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
How does being a part of Realty ONE Group help you and your agents do your jobs well? For our agents, we are able to put more money back into their hands— which, in turn, allows them to build their own unique business. With the extra savings, they are given tremendous freedom to have their own autonomy and create excellent careers by utilizing our guidelines. For Cara’s and my part, we see ourselves more as a concierge service for our agents who are our clients. And by being part of Realty ONE Group, we are able to give agents excellent support, training and office space, as well as a great place to work and build their careers.
For more information, please visit www.homesmart.com.
What is one of the most innovative things you are doing today? Every day, we strive to deliver that “wow” factor. Our culture is inclusive in nature, and we offer leadership, business support, technology and a winning commission structure. This is a family-like environment. What is the one thing your agents say is the best thing you do for them? We are all about broker support. We answer their calls 24/7 and go out of our way to let them know that each and every one of them is very important to us.
What is your best advice for hiring and retaining agents? Set the example for what you expect and lead from the front. Not only are we honest, but we also give our agents a lot of feedback while being open to their feedback as well. We also try to be accountable for our own actions. In addition, we check in with our agents frequently to find out what’s going right and what’s going wrong. I feel like we are a family. It’s amazing how much can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.
How has your market weathered the impact of COVID-19? With all of the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, we didn’t know what would happen, so we faced COVID-19 with the mindset that there may well be opportunities, so we needed to find them. To that end, we’ve been holding Town Hall meetings with our employees so that we all have a good feel for the organization, our culture and what’s happening. To address the issue of selling houses while sheltering in place, we turned to virtual open houses. And, perhaps most importantly, we tried to give buyers as much information as possible upfront so that they could make their decisions as easily as possible.
How do you stay ahead of the competition? We do not focus on our
For more information, please visit www.realtyonegroup.com.
Expressing Personal Opinions in Public by Sherri Johnson
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ore so than in most professions, the business of real estate significantly overlaps with REALTORS®’ personal lives. Due to this overlap, it is essential that you and your team members are mindful of the impact that personal posts, videos or other communications can have on your business. This is always true, but it is especially important during an election year rife with significant social, health and economic issues. Please note that this article will not judge specific issues or opinions—it will simply provide a few topics for consideration and discussion with your team. Social Media Strong opinions, especially about current events, are often expressed on social media. Whether done as a comment or by sharing the thoughts of others, what may seem either obvious or totally acceptable to one person may be offensive to someone else. Decide with your team how you view individual stances on certain topics being taken via social media. Common areas to consider include politics, social dynamics, family is-
84 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
sues or community issues. All of these may or may not have direct connections to real estate, but as they inherently can be sources of conflict, you need to decide whether your team will encourage team members to voice their opinions or whether you would prefer that they avoid publicly choosing stances. The ultimate choice will still likely rest with the individual, but if it could potentially affect your work and your working relationships, have a discussion about mutual expectations ahead of time. Verbal and Written Communications The same decision-making about social media topics and posts ap-
plies to other daily communications. Whether opinions or comments are made purposefully, off-the-cuff or in jest, agents need to know that their words about controversial topics can be received in a wide variety of ways. It should go without saying that anything communicated at a company function, in the course of your real estate work and/or through company email or letterhead should be subject to a higher threshold of review as to the appropriateness of the message. Legal and Professional Responsibility Sometimes the prism through which messages or opinions are viewed is not simply a matter of personal comfort level; it may also be subject to legal and industry scrutiny. Review the National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice and Equal Housing Opportunity Laws, and ensure that no communications run contrary to legal and professional regulations. Also, consider that while some publicly shared opinions may not explicitly violate these regulations, they may still be interpreted by others as being questionable, especially when dealing with particularly touchy topics. Simply put, be smart and follow all legal, professional and moral guidelines in all forms of communication and business practices. RE Sherri Johnson is CEO and founder of Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting. With 20 years of experience in real estate, Johnson offers coaching, consulting and keynotes, and is a national speaker for the Homes.com Secrets of Top Selling Agents tour and the Official Real Estate Coach for McKissock Learning and Real Estate Express. She is also an RISMedia 2020 Real Estate Newsmaker as an industry Influencer. Sign up for a free 30-minute coaching strategy session or visit www.sherrijohnson.com for more information.
{Meet the Newsmakers} Spotlighting RISMedia’s 2020 Real Estate Newsmakers
TRAILBLAZERS
LUMINARIES
TRENDSETTERS
Thad Wong
Vinnie Tracey
Delroy Gill
Co-Founder & Co-CEO @properties
President Realty ONE Group Affiliates
REALTOR® LIV Sotheby’s International Realty
“One motto we have always lived by is, ‘If you’re not growing, you’re dying.’”
“It’s not enough to just do it better than others. You have to care about the people, their families and their overall success.”
“I enjoy taking the full burden of what seems to be such a huge task in the eyes of the buyer or seller, and making the entire process feel easy and seamless.”
T
had Wong is co-founder and coCEO of @properties, the Chicago area’s and Illinois’ largest residential brokerage firm and among the top 12 nationwide. In addition, Wong is a partner in Proper Title, Illinois’ second-largest independent title insurance brokerage, and a venture capital investor in several real estate technology companies. In 2019, @properties launched pl@tform, a proprietary endto-end suite of technology tools for brokerage CRM, transaction management and marketing. The company also entered a partnership with Ansley Atlanta Real Estate, opened seven new offices and recruited more than 300 new agents in the Chicago area. “One motto we have always lived by is, ‘If you’re not growing, you’re dying.’ @properties continues to grow, and not just by our geographic footprint or number of agent licenses. We are growing in terms of the way we view the role of the agent and the importance of offering service and value beyond the real estate transaction,” Wong says.
A
s president of Realty ONE Group Affiliates, Vinnie Tracey continues to create new and successful opportunities for franchisees and real estate professionals around the world. He also plays an integral role in opening new offices for the growing California-based franchisor. Tracey joined Realty ONE Group in 2017. His comprehensive experience includes serving as president of RE/MAX International for close to 40 years. In that role, he oversaw all operations, having previously expanded headquarter company holdings as executive vice president of Corporate Development and executing all RE/MAX franchising operations as executive vice president of Franchising. He’s a friend and mentor to brokers and agents, regardless of their brokerage affiliation. “You have to care about the people, their families and their overall success,” says Tracey. “You’ll build deep, meaningful relationships and, in the end, provide them with the best experience possible.”
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elroy Gill, a REALTOR® with LIV Sotheby’s International Realty, helps clients in the Denver area buy and sell homes in top neighborhoods. Born and raised in London, England, Gill’s goal is to help clients achieve wealth through real estate. “Educating homeowners and the joy of seeing their smiles after the transaction is what I live for,” says Gill in his company biography. At the 2019 Global Networking Event in Vancouver, Gill and fellow broker Stuart Crowell helped lead a session discussing ways to use social media effectively and stay relevant. Gill and Crowell are also the founders of the grassroots collective Denver Gents, whose mission is to create an impact through fashion. “We are structured as a male organization so we can create the biggest impact on young gents, similar to an organization that has a Big Brothers program,” Gill told 303 magazine.
To nominate a 2021 Real Estate Newsmaker, visit rismedia.com/newsmaker-nomination. DEADLINE: Sept. 15, 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 85
{Intel}
Commercial Real Estate
Industry Practitioners Forecast a Strong Recovery by Liz Dominguez
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he COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on industries and markets across the globe, and that includes commercial real estate (CRE) in the U.S. From industrial to multifamily to retail to office space, all segments felt the shockwave on some level, with some areas influenced more than others. According to a survey from the Counselors of Real Estate, a commercial trade group for CRE designees and an affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS®, COVID-19 stands to be the leading concern in commercial real estate for the foreseeable future. The survey found that several areas would be impacted: • Leisure and hospitality, retail, air travel, and construction will experience a slow and partial rebound into 2022. • Reduced migration will hurt demand for residential, hospitality and retail real estate. • Many classic retail formats and retailers will not recover, requiring redevelopment. 86 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
• Forced adoption of technology will lead to the construction of smarter buildings. Here’s what the industry has to say: “The most dramatic impact is in the hospitalities—they’ve been crushed, and people are questioning if they’re going to have discretionary income,” says Kevin Taub, vice president of the Property Owners Association of New Jersey (POANJ) and a sales associate at Marcus & Millichap. “Average daily occupancies have been dropping dramatically.” While major companies—for example, Disney, Taub remarks—may be able to take a hit, with the precautionary measures that are currently required to slow the spread of COVID, others may not fare as well.
“They have to do incredible social distancing and take massive efforts to make sure everything is clean— that cost is going to be prohibitive,” Taub says. Cleanliness is a significant factor when it comes to coronavirus impact in the CRE space. According to Thomas Bisacquino, president and CEO of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP), personal safety became a priority overnight at the start of the outbreak, shifting the landscape for all building owners “in the blink of an eye.” “People are now saying, ‘I need to social distance and I want to know how well the building is sanitized,” says Bisacquino. But for building owners whose tenants are lagging behind on rents, meeting those cleanliness standards becomes a massive financial roadblock. Delays in Rent Payments “We are seeing a seismic shift,” says Bisacquino. “Many tenants had their revenue stream curtailed rather quickly and severely, so their ability to pay rent has become an issue.” How have tenants navigated the new financial strain imposed by coronavirus-related shutdowns? Several practitioners report challenges with tenants being able to pay their rents, but also flexibility among landlords and various programs in place to help alleviate the burden. “Building owners and landlords are offering financial incentives to tenants, along with payment plans, to work with them during the crisis,” says Sharif Hatab, a licensed residential and commercial real estate asso-
ciate in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS®. Bisacquino reports that landlords and property owners are doing everything they can to preserve their relationships with existing tenants, and for many, that means offering rent deferrals, but not abatements. “Whether it’s for 30 or 60 or 90 days, that’s up to the individual tenant and landlord,” says Bisacquino. To preserve existing long-term landlord and tenant relationships, says Chris Dendtler, partner at TRC Capital Partners and landlord at 1001 McKinney in Houston, the defer-and-extend strategy creates “a real win-win.” “Landlords care about term, and where tenants are willing to extend their leases now for three to five years, landlords are likely to agree to free rent or deferred rent immediately as a concession,” says Dendtler. “Flexibility in lease terms is also attractive to tenants who don’t know what their business will look like 12 months from now.” A Change in Office Trends When it comes to office buildings, an entirely new challenge has emerged—work from home became the norm with stay-at-home orders, but the trend could linger post-COVID. “The widely reported expectation is that office tenants will allow greater numbers of their employees to work from home for the foreseeable future,” says Dendtler. However, some industry practitioners are not so sure the remote work trend will flip the office space industry on its head. Instead, what may change is the office footprint and layout, with businesses continuing to offer brick-and-mortar locations. “It remains to be seen whether tenants will, in turn, seek more office-intensive, rather than open, floorplans—a trend which could more than offset lost demand from the increased adoption of remote work,” says Dendtler.
Bisacquino agrees, stating that while some individuals enjoy teleworking, many also prefer the social interaction that comes with offices, and with social distancing measures in place, that might mean tenants are looking to increase their space, not get rid of it. An Industry-Wide Impact As the commercial segment trickles into nearly every aspect of everyday life, it becomes almost impossible to determine how the coronavirus has impacted and will continue to influence individuals from owner down to tenant and then down to consumer. Retail was hit hard, says Taub— especially mom-and-pop shops. “Everyone who had some kind of liquidity stockpiled had to burn through it to preserve the business,” says Taub. It’s not all negative news, however. In the industrial segment, adds Taub, “the need for industrial space has been exploding because of huge online purchasing happening.” A survey from the Real Estate Economic Forecast, published by the Urban Land Institute (ULI), states that the industrial sector will lead all property types in rent growth from 2020 through 2022, averaging 2.2 percent per year. Overall, ULI predicts that hotels will be hardest hit, with the average occupancy rate dropping 40.1 percent in 2020, while retail closures will lead to an availability increase of 300 basis points to 11.6 percent in 2020, continuing to rise in 2021 before plateauing in 2022. Taub says while the multifamily sector was hit, it was not as dramatic as people expected, depending on asset class. Recovery and Long-Term Outlook While it’s difficult to predict what’s to come as many states (at press time) are seeing a spike in coronavirus cases in their advanced reopening phases, the industry remains hopeful. According to ULI, commercial real
estate prices are projected to fall by 7 percent in 2020, which is relatively low compared to the 13.6 percent and 20.8 percent price decreases during 2008 and 2009, respectively. Additionally, according to a report from CommercialCafe, a commercial real estate listing website, online traffic for commercial real estate search keywords has increased since March. Since the first week in May, there have been six consecutive weeks of near-continuous growth, with an 11-percent increase between May 31 and June 6. “The commercial space was strong prior to COVID, and I see it recovering quickly after,” says Hatab. “The economy seems to be leveling off closer to pre-COVID numbers, and the commercial space normally follows the economic trend.” Bisacquino reminds the industry that the U.S. is currently dealing with a health crisis and not a financial crisis. “It really is a very different kind of scenario from the 2008 - 2009 downturn, and that’s why a lot of folks are relatively bullish with their outlook and remain optimistic.” Taub agrees, stating that the commercial segment is ahead of the curve in technology, which is helping to weather the storm. However, he says recovery will largely be dependent on regional factors. “It’s going to be a regional kind of situation as states work through their second waves,” says Taub. “Unlike the last economic downturn, this was not caused by a lack of liquidity or inability of banks to output funds; this was caused by a stimulus outside the economic world, so there are pent-up funds for acquisitions and plenty of opportunistic funds.” RE
Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s senior online editor. Email her your real estate news ideas to ldominguez@rismedia.com. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 87
{Power Broker Perspectives}
by Keith Loria
business and joined Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, where he was named president in 2016 and became CEO this year.
Budge Huskey:
Ready for Pent-Up Demand Budge Huskey’s father was a real estate broker, developer and builder for more than 60 years in Central Florida before he passed away, so it’s safe to say that Huskey grew up in the business. Still, at 17, when he left for college, like many second-generation members, he told himself the very last thing he would ever do is enter the real estate business. So after college, he went on to receive his MBA at Wake Forest and enrolled in a finance program in Switzerland, winning an internship competition for a position with a London-based insurance brokerage house. That was Huskey’s intended career path until his father convinced him to return to Florida and join Huskey Realty, where he spent 14 years. In 1997, he struck out on his own, assuming the position of branch manager for a company-owned Coldwell Banker office, eventually becoming president and CEO of the brand. After years in the corporate franchising role, Huskey decided it was time to return to his roots in the real estate brokerage
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How has COVID-19 impacted the firm thus far? Budge Huskey: After 35 years in the business and several economic cycles, I thought I had seen it all. COVID was fundamentally different, as it had nothing to do with the structural health of the real estate market, but was rather a pandemic. Seemingly overnight, it was like turning off a tap even though real estate was considered an essential business from day one. It forced us to move very quickly to establish remote operations and leverage platforms to conduct business with real estate customers virtually. The good news is that our team evolved and performed to a very high level, and fortunately, we’ve maintained all employee positions. What has the pandemic done to business overall? BH: Initially, new business dropped as much as 85 percent vs. the prior year, though we’ve witnessed consistent improvement as a result of our ability to perform our services with strong safety protocols. In May, we saw new business down only 20 percent, with some sectors actually outperforming last year at this time. Customers are becoming more comfortable with the new norm, and our technology has allowed them confidence in taking action. Not only is there strong local demand, but also, enormous interest from northern markets due to both the motivation to leave higher tax states as well as the desire to accelerate plans as a result of COVID. What strategy do you have in place to recover? BH: Our overarching strategy is to do a year’s worth of business in nine months. At the end of the first quarter, our sales volume was 40 percent higher than in 2019, which was indicative of the robust level of
buyer demand across all our markets. The interest hasn’t faltered, and our markets remain incredibly desirable. We know there is considerable pentup demand, which we expect to see translate into sales in the months ahead. Of particular note is that home values have remained stable during this episode due to relative balance between supply and demand.
How are you motivating agents through this time? BH: Our global real estate advisors are all experienced and highly professional. Ultimately, they are selfmotivated. With that said, we quickly established an eight-week program of intense training on virtual platforms, live-streamed virtual open houses and all the systems necessary to complete a real estate transaction whether in person or remote. We provided national trainers on a weekly basis who engaged and inspired our people in order to ensure we were all focused on leveraging this time to improve individually and as a company. We are stronger as a result. What is your firm’s unique value proposition in your market? BH: Our people are the foundation of
VITALS: Premier Sotheby’s
International Realty
Years in business: 22 Size: 40 offices, 1,300+ sales associates Regions served: Florida’s Gulf Coast from Naples to Tampa Bay, Central Florida including Orlando; and in the North Carolina regions of Charlotte, Lake Norman, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, Linville and Asheville 2019 sales volume: $5.2 billion 2019 transactions: 6,790 www.premiersothebysrealty.com
our value proposition, as they are highly experienced and perform at a level that is far above the national average for our industry. They are focused on delivering an exceptional customer experience, aided by the incredibly high standards set by both the Sotheby’s International Realty brand and our company. We are a marketing firm first and foremost, with a team of more than 30 marketing professionals and the capabilities of a true agency with millions invested each year to ensure we are the choice of an astute real estate customer.
Bo Menkiti:
Empowering Agent Entrepreneurs As Founder and CEO of The Menkiti Group and Keller Williams Capital Properties, Bo Menkiti has been responsible for a portfolio of projects that consists of more than 1.5 million square feet of space delivered. Over 16 years, Menkiti has also invested more than $200 million into low- to moderate-income neighborhoods. Under his leadership, Keller Williams Capital Properties has grown to 1,000 associates across eight offices in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, and closed $2.29 billion in transactions last year. A graduate of Harvard Uni-
versity, Menkiti has served on numerous civic and public service organizations, including the District of Columbia Association of REALTORS®. How has the D.C. market fared so far in 2020? Bo Menkiti: This is a year of uncertainty. Early on, there was a sense that the market was ripe for some correction. I think all the coronavirus and election talk has brought a lot of change in the air. There’s also the industry itself, which is rapidly evolving. I think our market remains strong in the Washington, D.C., Metro area, and the key for us is to help our associates navigate and thrive in this changing environment. What are some of your most successful recruiting strategies? BM: We say that we are fundamentally focused on empowering agent entrepreneurs. We look at them as small business owners, and we are focused on helping them drive their business forward and achieve their goals with the community and clients they touch. For us, that means helping folks enhance their business understanding—whether it’s the financial side, the people side or the technology side. Speaking of technology, what has the company done to ensure that you’re offering your agents the latest and greatest to stay ahead? BM: Keller Williams has just delivered the first end-to-end platform, all the way from a consumer app to a CRM system, so our agents are able to engage technology across their business. What we find out in the marketplace is that a number of agents sort of patchwork together different tech solutions, but we can offer this all-inone solution so they can be more efficient and more effective. What makes your firm unique? BM: It’s really about the way we look at real estate agents. I think there are
two competing ideas out there. One is all about saying to the agent, “We’ll make life a whole lot easier for you,” and the other is about going straight to the consumer. Where we are different is that we are going to try to bring that technology and support of the transaction to the consumer to provide them with the end-to-end platform, but we’re going to do it with the agent at the center of it. That requires us to have a business-minded agent who can operate the system.
How are you preparing agents for the millennial buyer? BM: There’s a shifting dynamic in the real estate industry. If you go back 30 years, the real estate broker was in control of everything and the agent was dependent on the broker. Our agents are currently living in a world that is all about them. We have to take that underlying focus and concern for our associates, which is core to our company, and help them shift, because this new buying generation is all about themselves. They are about the consumer experience. A lot of our millennials are asking fundamental questions about how they will be serviced as consumers. There’s a real need for financial education as well, which puts this whole new generation on a path of financial independence, so it is key for our agents to be able to interact on that level. RE
VITALS: Keller Williams Capital Properties Years in business: 14 Size: 8 offices, 1,000+ agents Regions served: All of Washington, D.C., Southern Maryland and Northern Virginia 2019 sales volume: $2.3 billion 2019 transactions: 4,757 www.kwcapitalproperties.com
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How to Show Homes Safely During a Pandemic As real estate professionals, we are literally writing the book on what real estate of the future will look like. By leading the standards in our communities, we can help contribute to beating this thing.
Commentary by Darryl Davis, CSP
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s real estate professionals, I believe there has never been a more important time to lead by example in our communities and set high standards for safety. For that reason, we should all:
1. Assume everyone has COVID-19 and behave accordingly. 2. Take care of buyers and sellers with stellar professionalism (no sloppiness). 3. Get on board with virtual listing and showing technology now. We developed a plan for our coaching members called S.A.F.E. ShowingTM to help them show houses safely. So, what does S.A.F.E. ShowingTM mean, exactly?
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Sanitizing the home after every showing. Not only do you keep the sanitizing wipes handy, but also, schedule cleaners specifically to sanitize the whole house after all the showings are done.
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Airways (nose and mouth) covered with masks. If a prospective buyer doesn’t have a mask al90 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
ready, one will be provided.
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Footwear removed/wear disposable slippers over shoes. One of the biggest offenders when it comes to spreading the coronavirus has been the bottoms of shoes. The droplets land on the floor and people unknowingly walk through it, then leave a trail of particles in their path. Ask people to remove their shoes or wear booties through the house.
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Eyes only. There will be a notouch policy in place, and sterile nitrile gloves can be provided for everyone coming into the home. Arrive early so that all doors and cabinets can be opened for viewing, and all lights turned on to avoid switches or doorknobs being touched. The best way we have devised showings is to book them on one day of the week between 10 a.m. and 5
p.m., scheduling each at the top of the hour. Each showing should be approximately 30 minutes, possibly 45, which gives you 15 minutes between showings to take care of any sanitizing that needs to be done. As real estate professionals, we are literally writing the book on what the real estate business of the future will look like. By leading the standards in our communities, we can help contribute to beating this thing. Step up! We’re here to help. RE Darryl Davis has spoken to, trained and coached more than 100,000 real estate professionals around the globe. He is a best-selling author for McGraw-Hill Publishing, and his book, “How to Become a Power Agent® in Real Estate,” tops Amazon’s charts for most-sold book to real estate agents. He is the founder of the Next Level® real estate training system The Power Program®, which has proven to help agents double their production over their previous year. Davis is currently hosting free weekly webinars to help agents navigate the new real estate reality. To learn more, visit www.DarrylSpeaks.com/OnlineTraining.
Housing Characteristics That Shape Financial WellBeing During a Crisis Commentary by Desirée Patno
isfaction. Superficially, this indicates that being satisfied with one’s place of living influences financial well-being, but it is also possible that individuals with higher financial resources and financial well-being have more housing options that meet their needs. 2. Adults who spend a high percentage of their income on housing tend to have lower financial wellbeing. Adults who spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing have an average financial well-being score below those who spend 30 percent or less of their income on housing. Families that have to spend so much of their income on housing often have little money left over for other necessities.
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he current global pandemic has put stress on nearly nine in 10 Americans’ personal finances, according to a new survey by the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE). More than half of Americans who participated in the survey reported that they are worried about not having enough money saved, while nearly half—48 percent—stated that they are concerned about being able to pay their bills. With one in every 10 Americans now seeking unemployment benefits, it is no surprise that more Americans are worried about job security, with 28 percent reporting they are “stressed.” About 75 percent of Americans are making efforts to adjust their finances due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and this includes cutting expenses for two out of five Americans. In doing so, 26 percent have reported that they are putting off major financial decisions, and 22 percent have refocused their attention on increasing contributions to their savings. Financial well-being is “a state of being wherein a person can fully meet current and ongoing financial
obligations, can feel secure in their financial future and is able to make choices that allow them to enjoy life,” according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Financial security is not synonymous with having wealth, as consumers can experience financial well-being—or lack of it—across a wide range of incomes. Instead, it is tied to financial skills and confidence in those skills. One of the factors that influences one’s financial well-being is one’s housing characteristics. Below are some key findings: 1. Adults with high levels of housing satisfaction tend to have higher financial well-being than those with lower levels of housing sat-
3. Homeowners have higher financial well-being than non-homeowners. While homeownership may increase one’s financial wellbeing in the long run, it is likely that those who are able to buy a home are in a more secure financial position in terms of income and savings. Now is the time for financial educators and services in the real estate industry to work together to help families recover from the economic loss they have suffered at the expense of the COVID-19 pandemic. Helping Americans not only helps the financial well-being of households, but also the nation’s economy as a whole. RE Desirée Patno is the CEO and president of Women in the Housing and Real Estate Ecosystem (NAWRB) and Desirée Patno Enterprises, Inc. (DPE), as well as chairwoman of NAWRB’s Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Council (NDILC). With 30 years of experience in housing, Patno is a champion for women’s economic growth and independence. In 2017, Entrepreneur.com named her the Highest-Ranking Woman and 4th Overall Top Real Estate Influencer to Follow. For more information, please visit www.nawrb.com. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 91
‘Lead Loop’ to Higher Lead Conversion into their CRM with the correct categorization (ABC lead identification management).
by Terri Murphy
8 The next step is to share the action
plan set up for the lead, which encompasses multi-channel types of touches depending on the categorization of the lead: A for appointment, B for leads 30 - 90 days out and C for leads that are over 120 days out from making a real estate decision. 8 Each touch includes the critical com-
ponent of providing something of value and not just focusing on a sale or buy. 8 The “double-loop” process is the next
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ow successful is your lead follow-up? Have you been diligently following up on current leads and not getting the conversion you expect? If you aren’t deploying a “lead loop process,” you are likely leaving thousands of dollars on the table. Real lead conversion takes a process and a system to attract, engage, connect and convert any prospect to real profits. Many agents depend on automated systems to fill the initial step to connection with automated messaging and updates that are scheduled on a specific timeline. Although a convenient system, automated updates often stop short because of a critical missing piece. It’s not just about “follow-up,” and that’s where most sales professionals get stuck. When leads are inspected from a different perspective, lead conversion skyrockets, according to master coach and top team sales leader Cleve Gaddis. When you turn lead accountability into lead awareness, agents establish a benchmark for their efforts 92 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
on lead conversion. Just following up week after week with data will at some point be less effective and give less value. If the buyer or seller has no interest in your message, you are likely to lose the contact. According to Gaddis, follow-up needs to be fine-tuned through a process of lead “awareness.” Gaddis shared this sequence for lead conversion through awareness called “lead looping.” In a recent interview, he shared how he keeps his team focused on the leads from the past week and then “looping back” to inspect the status of leads from a seven-, 14- and 30-day window. 8 First, they identify that the team mem-
ber’s leads were uploaded into the lead tracker spreadsheet. 8 Secondly, team members share
that the leads were also entered
step as the agent chooses one unconverted lead from their CRM from the week before and then highlights action plans that were launched, as well as the connection processes deployed to move the lead forward in the conversion process. 8 The second loop has the agent
choosing one unconverted lead from 30 days prior, then walking through the same process. This double-loop process helps the team member create plans and methods to move the leads forward to measure their performance. The key to getting a real return is to change how we see lead conversion and establish the process and awareness to best serve our prospects and improve our bottom line. To see the interview with Gaddis, visit https://bit.ly/31ra3Wg. RE Terri Murphy is a communication engagement specialist, author, consultant and master coach with Workman Success. She is the author of five books, a TED Talk speaker and radio host on KWAMtheVoice.com. For more information, visit TerriMurphy.com or email Terri@TerriMurphy.com.
{Blog Spot}
How Is Working With an Agent Better Than Finding a Home on Your Own?
buyers and show them your property when they’re available. If you go the For Sale by Owner (FSBO) route, then you must handle screening buyers and scheduling showing times yourself.
by Meghan Belnap
LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY One thing most people don’t realize when they choose to go the FSBO route is that they’re legally responsible for anything they don’t disclose to the buyer. Even inadvertent omissions can cause you to incur a lawsuit. Agents and brokers have insurance that covers them if they miss something a buyer finds a nuisance or danger after signing a home contract.
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elling your home without an agent is often an appealing idea because you can forego the commission rates. The major downside, however, is you lose out on all the important qualities and experience an agent has when they do the work themselves. Here are four reasons why selecting a reputable, local real estate professional is beneficial for sellers. NEGOTIATION SKILLS Your real estate agent knows how to get the buyer to make the purchase as close to the asking price as possible. They do this work for a living, so agents understand the ins and outs of contract and price negotiations. Another factor is market conditions. Agents have to stay on top of changes so that they can make the most money on commissions. They know what items they can negotiate and what things are best to avoid. NO EMOTIONAL CONNECTION One of the biggest things about hiring a professional that sellers find appealing is the fact that an agent
is not biased. They’re not connected to your property, so they see it at face value. Things like older home equipment, cracks in the sidewalk or areas that you can improve before the open house are more visible to the agent than the person who has lived in the home for years. With no emotional connection, the agent can make decisions that many homeowners are unable to.
ACCESSIBILITY Does your schedule afford you the time to talk with every person interested in your home? Probably not. Additionally, agents must accommodate the schedules of prospective
Agents spend a lot of time and money developing their real estate expertise. Knowing the local market and laws is a necessary part of the business. If you’re not a legal professional, you could put yourself in danger of a lawsuit if you decide to sell your home on your own. RE Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. This article originally appeared on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. Visit us at blog. rismedia.com. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 93
{RISMedia’s Great Spaces}
New York Celebrity Hideaways In this month’s Great Spaces, we take a look at two grand properties in New York that serve as perfect escapes for stars who need a break from the limelight. by Jameson Doris
Rihanna Drops Hefty Sum for Summer Getaway in the Hamptons Would you be willing to spend $415,000 to rent a home in the Hamptons for one month? Probably not, but if you’re mega-star Rihanna, that figure likely sounds like chump change. The singer and businesswoman is renting a summer cottage in Southampton, N.Y., to the tune of nearly half a million dollars, and she’ll only be utilizing the home from mid-July to mid-August.
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Rihanna’s broker, Dylan Eckardt of Nest Seekers, revealed that the Grammy Award winner recently put a $1 million security deposit down on the property. The 8,900-squarefoot residence sits upon two acres of land and includes a boat, two jet skis, a private beach and an 85-foot dock overlooking the North Sea Harbor. The five-bedroom, six-and-a-half bathroom property, which is currently on the market for just under $11 million, is situated fairly close to a public road, but a wall of massive trees
shields the home from view, making it the perfect hideaway for Rihanna. Other unique features include a heated pool, a sprawling living and dining room area that’s part of an open floor plan, an industrial-grade kitchen, and extra-tall windows that were installed to allow sunlight to flood in. Listed by: Danielle Lise Desrochers, Douglas Elliman Listed for: $10,995,000 Photos by: Douglas Elliman
Top left: With views to die for, this property comes with a boat and two jet skis that can be used to explore the harbor. Top right: Extra-tall windows throughout the property bathe the home in natural light. Bottom: Interested in this lavish cottage? After Rihanna moves out, it can be yours for a cool $11 million.
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Yankees Bad Boy Billy Martin’s Lake House Up for Auction One of the greatest hotheads in the history of baseball, Billy Martin was in the major leagues for 27 years—11 years as a player and 16 as a manager. During that time, he gained a reputation for his on- and off-field antics until his untimely death, in 1989, at the age of 61. Now you have the unique opportunity to own Martin’s lake house in Port Crane, N.Y., which was recently listed at auction with a starting bid of $500,000. In addition to the house, which sits along its own body of water, the sweeping property’s 84.58 acres also includes an eight-acre lake. Built in 1960 outside the town of Fenton, N.Y., this is where Martin found balance in his life—escaping to the property to get away from the stresses of baseball. Its quiet location provided the ultimate space for Martin to enjoy serene forest views.
If seclusion is what you’re looking for, look no further than this getaway. At more than 5,000 square feet, this home can be summed up in one word: spacious. 96 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
This aerial shot gives you a sense of the breadth of this property, which encompasses nearly 85 acres.
At 5,187 square feet, the fourbedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom house includes a 1,600-square-foot master bedroom suite, a large office, fireplaces in the master suite and living room, as well as another bedroom suite named for Mickey Mantle—one of Martin’s closest friends. Additional features that were built to highlight the incredible views surrounding the property include multiple decks, walls of glass and oversized windows. Additionally, a 1,120-square-foot barn sits on the property, as well as forested grounds and wildflower meadows surrounding the lake. Listed by: Michael R. Franklin, Franklin Ruttan Unique Property Specialists Listed for: $500,000 starting bid (plus 10-percent buyer’s premium) Photos by: Franklin Ruttan Unique Property Specialists RE
The massive bedroom suite includes a luxurious master bathroom and sitting area separated by a small hallway. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 97
Webinar Recap:
Niche Marketing That Works: Trusted Strategies to Cultivate a Successful Niche
by Paige Tepping
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or real estate professionals who want to reach prospective clients, what does it take to successfully cultivate a niche in today’s competitive real estate landscape? Being consistent and sticking with what works.
During RISMedia’s recent webinar— “How to Find the Money and Put Yourself in the Middle of It - Niche Marketing That Works”—panelists Christy Buck, broker/owner of The Christy Buck Team at Infinity Real Estate Group, and Cory Kammerdiener, broker/owner of newhomeprograms.com LLC, discussed the ins and outs of niche marketing. Moderated by Cleve Gaddis— coach with Workman Success Systems—and sponsored by BoomTown, the webinar took an in-depth look at a variety of niche marketing strategies. Topping the list for Buck? A builder program to drum up buyer business. “We’re super intentional when it comes to developing relationships with the sales associate sitting in the office at a building site. They see us out there on the weekends, 98 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
knowing their inventory as well as they do, knowing when homes will be built, taking their inventory sheet and building it into BoomTown,” said Buck. While working with builders is an age-old tactic, Buck’s unique approach has laid the foundation for a buyer program that benefits everyone. But it doesn’t end there. In fact, Buck and her team have also established a niche marketing strategy around their Top 50. “Not only does every agent have to have their Top 50 built, but they also need to maintain relationships with those individuals by intentionally touching them every month,” said Buck. For Mac Hill, BoomTown’s advocacy and influencer manager, a good CRM is key when it comes to staying
in touch. “It comes down to getting those individuals into the system and then organizing it properly so that it can be sorted and filtered quickly and easily. From there, it’s all about leveraging follow-up campaigns and tailoring them to your past clients,” said Hill Past clients aside, Kammerdiener established his very own niche upon jumping into the profession 17 years ago. He realized very quickly that many Americans were being kept from homeownership due to not being able to pass through the automated underwriting system because of bad credit; and so, an idea was born. “I began educating myself on the five factors associated with credit scoring so that I could understand the algorithm,” said Kammerdiener. “And that became my niche. Will you use me as an agent if I can fix your credit for free?” Today, Kammerdiener educates prospective buyers through a credit enhancement program and another designed specifically for first-time buyers. While establishing a niche market is instrumental for real estate professionals who want to hone in on a very specific audience, choosing that niche is just the beginning. Agents and brokers must also take into consideration the way in which they message their audience. “Area ads are the No. 1 type of ad we’re going to run on Google,” explained Kammerdiener. “When people are so set on a certain area, and they see an ad with a lowball price, those are the types of ads people are going to click on.” RE To view the webinar in full, visit https://bit.ly/2YzsYwo.
Paige Tepping is RISMedia’s managing editor.
Webinar Recap:
Is Now the Right Time to Become a Real Estate Agent? by Liz Dominguez
M
any across the U.S. are in search of new jobs, or even perhaps new careers, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Should “real estate agent” be in the running if you’re looking to branch out?
A recent webinar sponsored by RISMedia and Colibri Group—“Is Now the Time to Become a Real Estate Agent?”—addressed all the questions you might have about what it takes to achieve success as a real estate agent, even in the middle of a pandemic. Read a summary below of the Q&A between Tina Lapp, president of Hondros Education Group, part of the Colibri Group of businesses, and Darryl Davis, owner of Darryl Davis Seminars.
IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME? According to Davis, the real estate profession is “the best you can get into.” And in terms of market environment amid a crisis, Davis said real estate is currently “very healthy.” “We have low supply but high demand. We’ve seen sales go down, but property values have gone up. The industry is healthy—agents just have to be skilled in this business in
order to succeed,” said Davis.
HOW DO YOU GET STARTED? 1. Get licensed and pick your concentration: commercial or residential. 2. Register your license with a broker. 3. Sign up with the National Association of REALTORS® and local associations. 4. Start training immediately through coaching or mentorships. 5. Never stop learning. “I’m an advocate for education and lifelong learning in real estate. It’s always a good opportunity to learn and expand,” said Lapp.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND Davis emphasized that a career in real estate is not without start-up costs or challenges.
Between coursework, licensing, joining associations, office costs, marketing materials, and more, “a minimum of 2k to 5k is what you’ll need to start running your business,” said Davis. In addition, Davis reminded individuals to manage their expectations when it comes to income. “The first-year average for real estate income is 15k, and there are highs and lows with cash flow, so you’ve got to learn money management.” Successful agents, however, can make as much as doctors and attorneys, said Davis. But cash flow and expenses are not the most important thing. According to Davis, individuals must have an “entrepreneur mentality” in order to succeed. “You are your own boss,” said Davis. “You are running your own business just like any other business. It’s easy entry into the business, but then you’ve got to overcome fear.” What fear? Davis said the biggest misconception new agents have is that they can simply get licensed and start practicing. However, those entering the profession have to get out of their comfort zones to prospect. “That means knocking on doors and making some calls,” said Davis. “Real estate is all about building relationships with people.” By pushing that fear aside, Davis said agents can “get excited about the new possibilities.” “Be patient and forgiving about the mistakes you’ll make when you start out,” said Davis. “Real estate is always a great career to be in regardless of the outside circumstances of the world.” RE To view the webinar in full, visit https://bit.ly/2Dd4tMZ.
Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s senior online editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at ldominguez@rismedia.com. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 99
Index of Preferred Providers
The leading companies providing services to the real estate and relocation industries
ABR®..................................................................................... 101
HSASM Home Warranty............................................................ 102
American Home Shield®......................................................... 101
Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®........................ 103
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices......................................... 101
Lone Wolf Technologies........................................................... 103
Broker Public Portal with Homesnap....................................... 101
MooveGuru............................................................................ 103
Buffini & Company................................................................. 101
National Association of REALTORS®........................................ 103
The CE Shop.......................................................................... 101
Pillar To Post Home Inspectors®.............................................. 103
Century 21 Real Estate LLC.................................................... 101
Quicken Loans....................................................................... 103
Certified New Home Specialist ............................................. 101
Real Living Real Estate........................................................... 103
Cole Realty Resource............................................................. 101
REality® Software................................................................... 103
Constellation1........................................................................ 101
Realogy Holdings Corp........................................................... 103
Create for the Human............................................................. 102
realtor.com®.......................................................................... 104
CRS Data............................................................................... 102
Realtors Property Resource®.................................................. 104
Darryl Davis Seminars............................................................ 102
Realty ONE Group.................................................................. 104
Earnnest................................................................................ 102
RE/MAX, LLC.......................................................................... 104
ERA Franchise Systems, LLC................................................... 102
Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting................................... 104
Fathom Realty........................................................................ 102
Top Producer® CRM................................................................ 104
FCA US LLC............................................................................ 102
Weichert Family of Companies................................................ 104
Homes.com........................................................................... 102
Workman Success Systems.................................................... 104
HomeSmart International....................................................... 102
Zillow Group........................................................................... 104
HomeTeam Inspection Service................................................ 102
zipLogix.................................................................................. 104
TM
RREIN Service Providers Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate... 105
Jordan Baris, Inc., REALTORS® Real Living............................... 106
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, REALTORS®....105
Kinlin Grover Real Estate........................................................ 106
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty................... 105
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc................................................ 106
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties............ 105
Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty.................... 106
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties............ 105
McCOLLY Real Estate.............................................................. 106
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties.................105
Page Taft................................................................................ 106
CENTURY 21 Award................................................................ 105
Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate.............................................. 106
CENTURY 21 New Millennium................................................. 105
Randall, REALTORS®.....................................................................106
Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS®............................. 106
RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central......................................... 107
Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty.................................. 106
RE/MAX Gateway................................................................... 107
J. Rockcliff REALTORS®........................................................... 106
100 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
ABR® (800) 648-6224 • www.rebac.net • Chicago, Ill. • Marc Gould, Executive Director Brokers are busy with many competing priorities. They should feel comfortable with their salespeople who have earned the ABR® designation when working with buyer-clients. Real estate professionals can hone their skills in representing the needs of homebuyers in real estate transactions and earn the coveted Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation, giving agents knowledge and confidence to navigate the market.
AMERICAN HOME SHIELD® (800) 735-4663 • www.ahs.com/realestate American Home Shield® founded the home warranty industry more than 45 years ago and remains the industry leader, with more than 1.8 million customers who depend on us every day. We offer not only home warranty plans that help protect against unexpected covered breakdowns of home systems, but we offer services that buyers can take advantage of day one of their contract. Current additional services offered are: rekey service, electronics plan, TV mounting service and pre-season HVAC tune-up service. We’re also leveraging our network of more than 15,000 licensed and qualified contractors to test even more services, like: pest control coverage, house cleaning services, garage door tune-ups, electrician services, and more. Discover the shield difference—contact your local AHS® Account Manager today by visiting ahs.com/find-rep.
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES (800) 666-6634 • www.berkshirehathawayhs.com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is a real estate brokerage network built for a new era in residential real estate. The network, among the few organizations entrusted to use the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name, brings to the market a definitive mark of trust, integrity, stability and longevity. The brand, grounded in the financial strength, efficiency and tradition of its HomeServices of America parent company, will change the face of residential real estate.
BROKER PUBLIC PORTAL WITH HOMESNAP (202) 996-2921 • www.brokerpublicportal.com • Bethesda, Md. • Gayle Weiswasser, SVP, Communications & Business Development, gweiswasser@homesnap.com Broker Public Portal (BPP) is a collaborative venture between real estate brokerages and MLSs to create a national consumer home search experience that connects home searchers directly with the agent who best knows the home they are interested in. Homesnap is the public-facing brand of the BPP, the only national home search platform powered by real-time MLS data and following Fair Display Guidelines. The goal of BPP with Homesnap is to provide an industry-friendly home search alternative that provides interested leads, for free, to the listing agent or broker and that delivers accurate, real-time MLS information to home searchers.
BUFFINI & COMPANY (800) 945-3485 • www.buffiniandcompany.com Headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif., Buffini & Company is the largest real estate coaching and training company in North America. Founded by real estate expert and master motivator Brian Buffini, the company provides a unique and highly effective lead-gener-
ation system and comprehensive business coaching and training programs, which have helped entrepreneurs in 37 countries improve their business, increase net profit and enhance their quality of life.
THE CE SHOP (888) 827-0777 • www.theceshop.com • Greenwood Village, Colo. Founded in 2005, The CE Shop has become the leading provider of online real estate education through an encyclopedic knowledge of the real estate industry. Our ever-expanding course catalog of prelicensing, exam prep, post-licensing and continuing education products are trusted throughout the industry and offer agents across the country the education they rely on.
CENTURY 21 REAL ESTATE LLC (877) 221-2765 • www.century21.com • Madison, N.J. • Michael Miedler, President & CEO The approximately 139,000 independent sales professionals in over 11,600 offices spanning 83 countries/territories in the CENTURY 21® System live their mission everyday: to defy mediocrity and deliver extraordinary experiences. By consistently chasing excellence, giving 121% and always elevating, the CENTURY 21 brand is helping its affiliated brokers/agents be the first choice for real estate consumers and industry professionals.
CERTIFIED NEW HOME SPECIALISTTM (800) 428-1122 • www.sellnewhomes.com SellNewHomes.com is the online headquarters for Certified New Home Specialist™ and Residential Construction Certified™ training, sales systems and marketing tools, created by Dennis Walsh & Associates, Inc. Based in Newport Beach, Calif., the company is owned and operated by nationally recognized new-home, real estate and construction experts Dennis and Teresa Walsh. The Walshes have established Certified New Home Specialist™ as the No. 1 brand of training and support products for new-home sales success. To learn more, email contactus@sellnewhomes.com.
COLE REALTY RESOURCE (888) 231-0732 • www.colerealtyresource.com • Omaha, Neb. Cole Realty Resource helps thousands of agents and brokers find success. Agents are staying top of mind by connecting with the neighborhood by promoting open houses or just listed/sold properties, while brokers recruit, retain and support new agents, allowing for confident prospecting. All of this can be achieved through a combination of innovative technology, industry knowledge of enduser practices and comprehensive data providers.
CONSTELLATION1 (800) 503-5163 • constellation-1.com • Milwaukee, Wis. • Markham, Ontario • sales@constellationreg.com Constellation1 is an all-in-one brand of award-winning front office, back office and data services for brokerages, franchises and MLSs. Constellation1 simplifies the process of finding and implementing the right real estate technology by providing a portfolio of solutions tailored to the real estate industry. Regardless of a brokerage’s, franchise’s or MLS’ technology needs, Constellation1 is of service, providing industry leading front office sales and marketing tools, including lead generation and relocation management; back office software like accounting, eSignature and
RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 101
transaction management; and extensive IDX feeds and datasets. For more information, visit constellation-1.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
CREATE FOR THE HUMAN (914) 909-6701 • www.createforthehuman.com • John Lim Create for the Human is a groundbreaking philosophy from John Lim, CEO of Life In Mobile and an innovator in real estate technology, that helps real estate and real estate-related companies humanize their digital marketing. Through education about the implementation of four main principles, Create for the Human offers companies the opportunity to exponentially increase their marketing success and bottom line by reaching behind their consumers’ devices and screens to capture and truly engage buyers, sellers, brokers and agents.
website. The ERA network includes approximately 2,300 independently-owned and -operated offices with over 40,000 brokers and independent sales associates throughout the United States and 31 other countries and territories. ERA Franchise Systems, Inc. is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp.
FATHOM REALTY (888) 455-6040 • www.FathomRealty.com • Cary, N.C. Fathom Realty is a national, cloud-based real estate brokerage powered by a proprietary technology platform called IntelliAgent. Agents enjoy a higher net income through Fathom’s 100-percent commission, transaction-fee compensation model, allowing them to invest more money into growing their business. Fathom agents also earn stock grants based on their contribution to revenue and company growth. For more information, visit www.fathomcareers.com.
CRS DATA
FCA US LLC
(800) 374-7488 • www.crsdata.com For more than 30 years, CRS Data has provided a wealth of property tax data through the MLS Tax Suite. This beautiful system integrates seamlessly into your MLS system, offering REALTORS® current tax data, detailed map layers and robust features that are accessible on all browsers and mobile devices. Consistent product enhancements help ensure that the MLS Tax Suite performs as the industry’s leading and most innovative service. We’re proud to provide a personalized customer experience that is unmatched. Learn more by visiting www.crsdata.com.
(888) 898-1115 www.nar.realtor/fca FCA US LLC is a North American automaker based in Auburn Hills, Mich. It designs, manufactures and sells or distributes vehicles under the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, Ram, FIAT® and Alfa Romeo brands, as well as the SRT performance designation. The company also distributes Mopar and Alfa Romeo parts and accessories. FCA US LLC offers extra benefits to membership of the National Association of REALTORS®.
DARRYL DAVIS SEMINARS (800) 395-3905 • www.ThePowerProgram.com Darryl Davis Seminars was founded by real estate expert, coach and international speaker Darryl Davis, CSP. For more than 30 years, Davis has been helping agents double their production by learning the listing and sales skills of real estate. These money-making skillsets are vital when agents are working with buyers and sellers to move their career to their Next Level™. His fast-growing membership platform, www.ThePowerProgram.com, helps real estate sales professionals design lives and careers worth smiling about. He is the best-selling author of three books with McGraw-Hill Publishers, one of which, “How to Become a Power Agent® in Real Estate,” is the No. 1 book sold to REALTORS® on Amazon.
EARNNEST (888) 870-2336 • www.earnnest.com • Greenville, S.C. • Melissa Kandel, Chief Marketing Officer One hundred-percent digital earnest money, no checks required. Earnnest is the largest digital earnest money service in the United States, allowing buyers to securely and electronically deposit funds directly to an escrow holder. Earnnest keeps agents, buyers and escrow holders in the loop with automated emails and tracking information.
ERA FRANCHISE SYSTEMS, LLC (800) 869-1260 • www.era.com • Madison, N.J. • Sherry Chris, President & CEO Since 1971, ERA Franchise Systems, LLC, a global residential real estate leader, has set new standards in customer service, technology and training for the real estate industry. Top-notch offerings from ERA Real Estate include the Sellers Security® Plan, a comprehensive home protection plan, and ERA.com, its award-winning consumer 102 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
HOMES.COM (866) 697-3308 • http://marketing.homes.com Homes.com offers brand advertising, lead generation, online reputation and marketing solutions to connect you with over 12.5 million consumers monthly. With a high average visit time, consumers visiting Homes.com are more engaged and more likely to buy when compared to visitors of other national real estate websites. Connect with these motivated homebuyers and sellers with the most powerful suite of tools for your real estate business—and convert more leads to closed transactions.
HOMESMART INTERNATIONAL (800) 865-9025 • www.homesmartfranchise.com Founded in 2000, HomeSmart International is one of the fastest-growing real estate companies in the nation with nearly 170 offices in 28 states and more than 16,000 agents. HomeSmart International offers franchisees, brokers and agents efficiency and innovation, coupled with the systems and technologies necessary to succeed in today’s evolving real estate industry.
HOMETEAM INSPECTION SERVICE (844) HOMETEAM • www.hometeam.com You can depend on HomeTeam for a faster, more efficient home inspection every time. Unique to home inspection companies, HomeTeam brings a team of inspectors on-site. Each team member focuses on his or her area of expertise, which keeps us efficient and saves you time. Fast, Trusted and Accurate—that’s the HomeTeam promise.
HSASM HOME WARRANTY (800) 367-1448 • www.onlinehsa.com HSASM Home Warranty has provided outstanding products and service to real estate professionals and homeowners for more than 35 years. The home warranty helps sellers and buyers protect their
budget from the cost of repairing or replacing the covered home system components and appliances in their home. HSASM also offers additional services to help buyers maintain their homes, including rekey service, an electronics plan and pre-season HVAC tune-up service. With HSA Home Warranty, your clients get reliable budget protection backed by exceptional service, and you get a provider who works hard to better serve you. Contact your local HSA Account Manager today by visiting onlinehsa.com.
TORS® to evaluate, enhance and showcase their highest level of professionalism with the Commitment to Excellence program. Visit C2EX.realtor. The REALTOR® Store features publications, webinars and research reports, including the top-selling 2018 NAR Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers. Visit Store.realtor. Additionally, NAR’s venture capital arm, Second Century Ventures, has invested in companies that push forward innovation in the real estate industry, while benefitting NAR members. Visit secondcenturyventures.com.
LEADING REAL ESTATE COMPANIES OF THE WORLD®
PILLAR TO POST HOME INSPECTORS®
(312) 424-0400 • www.LeadingRE.com Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is a selective global community of the highest-quality independent real estate companies. We exist to make our members better by connecting them to opportunities and people around the globe, supporting them with a global referral network, professional development programs, and unique events. For more information on our more than 550 firms that span over 70 countries with 135,000 sales professionals, visit LeadingRE.com.
(800) 294-5591 • www.pillartopost.com • Tampa, Fla. · Stephanie Bowling, Director of Marketing (416) 620-3572 Founded in 1994, Pillar To Post is the No. 1 home inspection brand in North America with over 550 franchisees located in 49 states and nine Canadian provinces. The Pillar To Post difference includes a printed on-site report allowing for faster closings, each inspector carrying $1 million in E&O insurance to cover both the agent and the broker, and convenient scheduling options to meet every client’s needs.
LONE WOLF TECHNOLOGIES
QUICKEN LOANS
(866) CRY-WOLF • https://www.lwolf.com/ Lone Wolf Technologies is the leader in real estate technology, from back office, accounting and insights to transaction management. We provide agents and brokerages with everything they need to lead in real estate, all in one place—so they can amaze their clients, manage their business and improve their profits.
(866) 718-9842 • AgentRelations@QuickenLoans.com For more than 30 years, Quicken Loans has been celebrated for providing an amazing mortgage experience. In fact, J.D. Power ranked Quicken Loans highest in client satisfaction for mortgage origination the last nine years. Along with being the largest mortgage lender, Quicken Loans leads the industry in technology with Rocket Mortgage, the first-ever completely online mortgage experience. Whether applying for a mortgage online or with a mortgage banker, Quicken Loans is committed to client experience.
MOOVEGURU (770) 549-1257 • www.mooveguru.com • Roswell, Ga. The leader in mover automation platforms, MooveGuru helps real estate agents, brokers and mortgage professionals to support their moving customers through their moving journey. As a free service, we help consumers connect utilities and send moneysaving offers from great brands like The Home Depot, Pods, Budget Truck and others. We support more than 60,000 real estate agents and more than 900 brokerages throughout the U.S. Contact us at info@mooveguru.com.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (800) 874-6500 • www.NAR.realtor • Chicago, Ill. • Bob Goldberg, CEO • Victoria Gillespie, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer • Katie Johnson, General Counsel, Chief Member Experience Officer • Mark Birschbach, SVP, Strategic Business Innovation and Technology • Marc Gould, SVP, Member Development The term REALTOR® identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. NAR members have access to the REALTOR Benefits® Program, NAR’s official member benefits resource, providing savings and special offers on products and services just for REALTORS®. Program partners are industry leaders who understand the unique needs of real estate professionals. Visit NAR.realtor/RealtorBenefits. NAR is also proud to offer the .realtor™ and .realestate top-level domains to members to help them create a robust digital presence that supports their identity as a REALTOR®, and everything they do for their business. Visit get.realtor. NAR offers a number of designations, certifications and opportunities for continuing education that support member development. Visit OnlineLearning.realtor. NAR empowers REAL-
REAL LIVING REAL ESTATE (866) 373-6228 • www.realliving.com Real Living Real Estate is a full-service real estate brokerage network with a comprehensive and integrated suite of resources for franchisees and their sales professionals, as well as the consumers who work with them. Real Living Real Estate is a network brand of HSF Affiliates LLC, majority owned by HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate.
REALITY® SOFTWARE (877) 785-4321 • www.REstats.com Established in 1987, with offices in California, Miami and New York State, we are North America’s oldest and most experienced creators and masters of real estate statistics. We emphasize simplicity. REality® gives brokers and agents cutting-edge information that gets deals done. We provide unique technology that helps multi-offices realize how to better position their marketing presence, often saving over hundreds of thousands in expansion plans. We stress the visual in our programs, making them easy to use. Words do not describe the amazing results. Twelve minutes with our legendary CEO or his executive staff will truly amaze you.
REALOGY HOLDINGS CORP. (973) 407-2162 • www.realogy.com • Madison, N.J. • Trey Sarten, VP, External Communications Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) is a global leader in residential real estate franchising with company-owned real estate brokerage operations doing business under its franchise systems, as well as relocation and title services. Realogy’s brands and business units RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 103
include Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Climb Real Estate®, Coldwell Banker®, Coldwell Banker Commercial®, The Corcoran Group®, ERA®, Sotheby’s International Realty®, ZipRealty®, Realogy Brokerage Group (Formerly NRT LLC), Cartus, Title Resource Group and ZapLabs LLC. Collectively, Realogy’s franchise system members operate over 16,300 offices with approximately 300,000 independent sales associates doing business in 113 countries and territories worldwide.
ENGAGE WITH REALTOR.COM® (800) 878-4166 • www.realtor.com Realtor.com® is real estate’s most accurate site, with listings pulled directly from over 850 MLSs and most listings updated every 15 minutes. Homes for sale on realtor.com® only display the real listing price established between seller and broker, not inaccurate machine-generated estimates. Visit realtor.com®.
REALTORS PROPERTY RESOURCE® (877) 977-7576 • www.narrpr.com • Chicago, Ill. • Jeff Young, Chief Operating Officer/General Manager Realtors Property Resource® (RPR) is a national, parcel-centric database that is a free, exclusive benefit for REALTOR® members of the National Association of REALTORS®. The database provides REALTORS® with all available information about every parcel of residential and commercial property in the United States, giving brokers and agents valuable tools and features to make them better informed in order to increase their efficiency in the marketplace.
REALTY ONE GROUP (949) 297-2020 • www.RealtyONEGroup.com • Laguna Niguel, Calif. • Eddie Sturgeon, EVP, Global Growth Founded in 2005, Realty ONE Group is an industry disruptor, radically changing the face of real estate franchising with its unique business model, fun coolture, technology infrastructure and superior support for its real estate professionals. Realty ONE Group has been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top 5 Real Estate Franchise and has been on Inc. 500’s list of the Fastest-Growing Companies for seven consecutive years. Realty ONE Group is surging ahead, opening doors, not only for its clients, but for real estate professionals and franchise owners.
RE/MAX, LLC (303) 770-5531 • www.remax.com • Denver, Colo. RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by original disruptors Dave and Gail Liniger, who changed the real estate industry forever. Headquartered in Denver, Colo., RE/MAX is now a global franchise network with over 130,000 sales associates in more than 110 countries and territories. The consumer website remax.com is consistently ranked among the most visited real estate websites, and LeadStreet provides referrals to RE/MAX sales associates with no fees from RE/MAX. To learn how RE/MAX can take your career to the next level, visit www.joinremax.com.
SHERRI JOHNSON COACHING & CONSULTING (844) 989-2600 • www.sherrijohnson.com Sherri Johnson is the premier national real estate coach offering world-class coaching, keynote speaking and consulting services. No other real estate coach matches her 20-plus years of experience as a top agent, manager and executive of a Top-3 national broker-
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age, having personally led over 700 agents to $1.6 billion in annual sales volume. Sherri’s unique and proven coaching programs—including her exclusive Goldmine PipelineTM strategy—produce immediate, reliable results for agents nationwide, regardless of current production level.
TOP PRODUCER® CRM (800) 821-3657 • www.TopProducer.com Top Producer® CRM is the super fast, super easy real estate marketing system that makes it a breeze to build your loyal client base. Keep your sales pipeline running smoothly, follow up automatically and manage your business in minutes with Top Producer® CRM.
WEICHERT FAMILY OF COMPANIES (800) 401-0486 • www.weichert.com • Morris Plains, NJ Since 1969, Weichert, Realtors® has grown from a single office into one of the nation’s leading providers of homeownership services, made up of 18 full-service real estate-related companies dedicated to putting customers first. Its network of real estate brokerages includes more than 500 offices, serving markets in 42 states, with thousands of agents. As a Weichert agent, you have access to industry-leading sales and marketing tools, powerful technology, national and international referral networks and top-notch coaching and training, as well as a unique culture of support and sharing, from interactive staff to collaborative affiliates across the country. Franchises available.
WORKMAN SUCCESS SYSTEMS (385) 282-7112 • www.workmansuccesssytems.com • Salt Lake City, Utah Workman Success Systems delivers comprehensive team solutions to agents, brokers and companies, private and group coaching solutions for every level of business, and proven seven-figure income-earning systems. Workman Success Systems Founder, Master Coach and Speaker Verl Workman delivers the necessary performance skills, the latest and most effective tools, and proven dialogues and systems that work. To hire Verl to speak at your next event, visit www.workmansuccess.com/speaking. Sign up for a free coaching consult by going to www.workmansuccess.com/consult.
ZILLOW GROUP www.zillow.com Zillow is the leading real estate and rental marketplace dedicated to empowering consumers with data, inspiration and knowledge around the place they call home, and connecting them with the best local professionals who can help. Zillow serves the full lifecycle of owning and living in a home: buying, selling, renting, financing, remodeling, and more. Our mission is to give people the power to unlock life’s next chapter.
ZIPLOGIX (866) 693-6767 • www.zipLogix.com With more than 20 years of experience developing real estatefocused software solutions used by more real estate professionals than any other program, zipLogix has been established as the industry standard. This experience delivers a completely integrated real estate solution system that’s led by zipForm® Plus, the exclusive and official forms software of the National Association of REALTORS®.
RREIN Member Profiles BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES AMBASSADOR REAL ESTATE (402) 493-4663 • (800) 477-7653 www.BHHSamb.com • agents@BHHSamb.com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate is dedicated to providing progressive, quality real estate services in Nebraska’s metropolitan Omaha and Lincoln surrounding areas. We service all types of markets: single-family residential, new construction, condos, corporate relocation, third-party relocation, acreages and commercial real estate. With approximately 400 licensed agents, we have an agent to meet your needs regardless of the style, price or age of the property you are looking for. We understand that trust is earned and that good, professional service is an essential part of that.
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES C. DAN JOYNER, REALTORS® (800) 476-6650 · www.cdanjoyner.com Locally-owned and -operated, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, REALTORS® has been serving communities in Upstate South Carolina since 1964. With more than 400 agents on board and 10 offices serving the Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson areas, we are ready to assist with any commercial and residential real estate need. In addition to residential and commercial sales, we also offer corporate services, relocation and property management. With a passion for fostering long-term relationships with our customers and clients while upholding the highest level of professionalism, it’s easy to see why we’ve been the No. 1 real estate company in the Upstate for more than 20 years.
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES FLORIDA REALTY (954) 693-0100 • (800) 386-1554 www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com • Sunrise, Fla. • Rei Mesa, CRS, CRB, President & CEO Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty serves 21 counties throughout Florida with more than 40 locations and approximately 1,800 sales professionals. The full-service brokerage company, founded in 1999, is part of HomeServices of America, the nation’s premier provider of homeownership services. The company is a franchise member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ network, one of the few organizations entrusted to use the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name. The company offers residential and commercial services as well as seasonal rentals, property management, REO & foreclosures, corporate relocations, referral services, title, home warranty plans and personal concierge services. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty ranks in the Top 10 in the network and is the overall No. 1 fundraiser for The Sunshine Kids Foundation in Florida, having generated more than $3.6 million. Visit www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com.
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES GEORGIA PROPERTIES (770) 992-4100 • www.BHHSGeorgia.com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties has over 1,600 associates and 26 locations across the Greater Metro Atlanta and North Georgia area. The company generated over $4.1 billion in sales volume in 2019. Trendgraphix reports that Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties is ranked No. 1 in home
sales for the Greater Metro Atlanta area. Led by president and CEO Dan Forsman, the organization offers a full suite of real estate services including residential real estate, luxury real estate, new homes services, condo/high-rise services, commercial real estate, corporate relocation, property management, mortgage lending, title and settlement services, home warranties and insurance. Equal Housing Opportunity. Visit http://www.BHHSGA.com.
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES NEVADA PROPERTIES (800) 735-4488 • www.BHHSNV.com With more than 260,000 homes sold and 35 years in the industry, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties is the leader in Las Vegas real estate. Consistently rated among the top brokers in the nation, our agents successfully help families find their dream homes. With six area offices, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties is a full-service brokerage focused on quality service and the development of its agents. Call today to see how we can help increase your business.
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES SELECT PROPERTIES (314) 835-6000 • www.bhhsselectstl.com Since 2002, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties has helped keep the St. Louis real estate market local. With 11 offices in the metro area, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select ranks as the No. 1 locally-owned real estate firm in St. Louis. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select prides itself on providing the highest-quality real estate brokerage services to its clients and customers and in being recognized in the community for high standards and ethics.
CENTURY 21 AWARD (800) 293-1657 • www.century21award.com CENTURY 21 Award is the premier Southern California-based, full-service real estate company serving San Diego, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties from 15 distinctive office locations. Our 1,000 professional agents and staff are fully equipped to assist you with all of your real estate needs. Our services include residential, commercial, relocation, property management and bank-owned properties.
CENTURY 21 NEW MILLENNIUM (800) 727-6888 • www.c21nm.com CENTURY 21 New Millennium is a full-service real estate brokerage in the greater Washington, D.C., area. The company, which specializes in residential and luxury properties, joined the CENTURY 21® System in 1998 and has established a sound and successful organization providing traditional residential and commercial services, on-site mortgage, title, and property management, and access to a vast network of relocation and other real estate service providers worldwide. It has earned the status of No. 1 CENTURY 21 Firm in the World for the past three years. With 20 locations and approximately 900 real estate professionals, New Millennium is consistently included in REALTOR® Magazine’s Top 100 Companies List for all real estate firms nationwide regardless of brand. It is also a past winner of the prestigious Cartus Masters Cup, the Network’s highest honor. The Cartus Broker Network is the largest relocation network in the world and includes more than 775 handselected brokerages in the United States.
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COLDWELL BANKER D’ANN HARPER, REALTORS®
LONG & FOSTER REAL ESTATE, INC.
(210) 483-7002 • www.cbharper.com Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS® is the largest full-service real estate company serving the entire greater San Antonio metropolitan area, New Braunfels, Boerne, Bandera, Kerrville, Fredericksburg and Hill Country markets, representing buyers and sellers in all phases of their transactions. Since opening in 1986, the company has become a trusted name in the real estate industry. With eight offices, over 350 sales associates and over 100 support staff, the company’s extensively trained representatives have knowledge and expertise to service all aspects of the real estate business. Core services include global relocation, property management and rentals, commercial sales and leasing and mortgage financing.
(866) 677-6937 ∙ www.LongandFoster.com Long & Foster Real Estate, the nation’s No. 1 independent brand by sales volume, is part of The Long & Foster Companies, a subsidiary of HomeServices of America, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. HomeServices is the nation’s second-largest real estate brokerage and one of the largest providers of integrated real estate services. Long & Foster Real Estate is the exclusive affiliate for Christie’s International Real Estate throughout select parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, and it is a founding affiliate of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, a prestigious global network of real estate professionals that includes the Luxury Portfolio International division. Long & Foster Real Estate has over 220 offices, stretching from Raleigh, N.C., to Fair Haven, N.J., and from Martinsburg, W. Va., to the Atlantic Ocean, and it represents more than 11,000 agents in seven Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states, plus the District of Columbia. The company, which has a productive commercial business in addition to its residential side, sold more than $31.1 billion worth of homes and helped people buy and sell homes nearly 85,000 times in 2017.
COLDWELL BANKER KAPPEL GATEWAY REALTY (844) 861-5631 • www.KappelGateway.com Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty was created through the merger of Kappel & Kappel Realty, Inc. and Solano Gateway Realty, Inc. Both firms, founded in 1972, are the market leaders in Solano County, combining more than $600 million in sales dollar volume and welcoming more than 240 agents in seven offices, with branch offices in Vacaville, Fairfield, Dixon and Green Valley. Eighty-five percent of our business is derived from returning and referred clients, a true testament to our clients’ high level of satisfaction with our services and our trusted real estate professionals.
J. ROCKCLIFF REALTORS® (925) 251-2501 • www.rockcliff.com • www.rockliffcares.com J. Rockcliff REALTORS®, located east of San Francisco, is the East Bay’s premier real estate company. Recently named No. 1 in residential sales (in the East Bay) by the San Francisco Business Times, J. Rockcliff specializes in service. With leading-edge technology, state-of-the-art marketing across multiple mediums, the most experienced management team in the Bay Area and dedicated, ethical and professional agents, our goal is to provide a client experience that is second to none. With almost 600 agents and nine offices, J. Rockcliff REALTORS® is the fastest-growing real estate company in the East Bay.
JORDAN BARIS, INC. REALTORS® REAL LIVING (800) 4-JBARIS • (973) 736-1600 • www.JordanBaris.com info@jordanbaris.com Founded in 1952, Jordan Baris, Inc. REALTORS® Real Living is among the most respected full-service real estate brokerages in Northern New Jersey. With a team of close to 150 associates, the firm operates offices in West Orange and South Orange, with teams focused on Essex, Morris, Union and Hudson counties. Jordan Baris, Inc. REALTORS® Real Living offers real estate brokerage to buyers and sellers of residential and commercial properties, developers, tenants and landlords; title services through JB Title Agency, LLC; and global relocation services through its membership with the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®.
KINLIN GROVER REAL ESTATE (508) 420-1130 • www.kinlingrover.com Kinlin Grover has 16 real estate offices covering Cape Cod from the bridges to Provincetown, specializing in the marketing and sale of waterfront, village, commercial properties and fine homes. From the very beginning, the Kinlin Grover mission has remained constant: “to help our clients make the best real estate decisions and to uphold the highest standards of ethics and professionalism.” In addition, Kinlin Grover Vacation Rentals is the largest real estate firm on Cape Cod with over 600 privately-owned Cape Cod vacation rental homes. We value every client and pledge to deliver unsurpassed service as trusted advisors, expert facilitators and skilled negotiators.
106 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
LUSK & ASSOCIATES SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY (717) 291-9101 • www.LuskandAssociates.com When you work with Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty, you can count on specialists who can answer your questions, apply in-depth knowledge of current market conditions and access extensive resources that can expedite the sale of your home.
MCCOLLY REAL ESTATE (800) 348-2100 x206 • www.mccolly.com Since 1974, McCOLLY Real Estate has found your place to call home, from the shores of Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana to Lake Street Beach in Chicago. McCOLLY is a proud LeadingRE member with bilingual agents in 14-plus languages among 450plus REALTORS® in 18 offices. McCOLLY Companies is the One Source for All Purpose Real Estate with its ancillary companies of McColly Insurance, Community Title, McCOLLY Auctions, McCOLLY Bennett Commercial, McCOLLY New Homes Division and Luxury Home Portfolio™.
PAGE TAFT (203) 453-6511 • www.pagetaft.com Since opening its Guilford office in 1980, Page Taft has expanded its presence with offices in the historic towns of Madison and Essex, Conn. Page Taft agents foster long-term relationships with clients based on a strong foundation of trust and an unsurpassed commitment to excellence. These unique strengths set us apart from our competitors and make us your most valuable resource in fulfilling your real estate needs.
PATTERSON-SCHWARTZ REAL ESTATE (877) 456-4663 • www.pattersonschwartz.com pattersonschwartz@psre.com Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate is Delaware’s largest independent REALTOR® with over 50 years of service to the Delaware real estate market and surrounding communities in nearby Pennsylvania and Maryland. With nine offices and 415 sales associates, we are committed to excellence, integrity and quality service. We offer a full range of services, including residential home sales, purchase and rental, relocation services and property management.
RANDALL, REALTORS® (401) 364-3388 • www.randallrealtors.com Randall, REALTORS® has been a consistent leader in the marketing of Southern New England properties for more than 28 years. Specializing in waterfront properties and second homes, our
agents boast a 98.5 percent client satisfaction rating. Through our extensive marketing network, we offer tremendous exposure for our property listings and continue to deliver successful sales and representation for our clients. In addition, Randall, REALTORS®’ Vacation Rental Department offers a large selection of vacation rental properties serving the Southern Rhode Island shoreline and Eastern Connecticut.
RE/MAX 440 AND RE/MAX CENTRAL (215) 453-7653 • www.pahomesforsale.com • Tom Skiffington, Broker/Owner, tom@tomskiffington.com RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central is a first-class, professional real estate company. Our goal is to provide the most prompt, courteous and professional services to all our customers and clients. We
are the leading RE/MAX in Pennsylvania and Delaware with the highest sales volume and transactions. RE/MAX 440/Central has 10 different offices in Bucks, Montgomery and Lehigh counties.
RE/MAX GATEWAY (703) 652-5760 • www.gateway2realestate.com The real estate market is ever changing. It takes constant evaluation, review of recent trends to forecast a potential future and education of agents through mastermind groups and real estate information exchanges. These are areas in which we excel at RE/MAX Gateway. Contact us today if you are looking to advance your career in real estate through a multitude of educational experiences and resources, or if you need real estate advice in order to make informed decisions when buying and selling houses.
YOUR BROKER-TO-BROKER SOURCE FOR REFERRALS FROM REAL ESTATE’S LEADING RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE COMPANIES CALIFORNIA Ascent Real Estate, Inc. 410 Kalmia St., San Diego, CA 92101 Contact: Gina Lancelot • Tel: (619) 325-4100 Email: info@ascentrealestate.net URL: www.ascentrealestate.net Coverage Areas: San Diego Offices: 9 • Associates: 180 CENTURY 21 Award - Orange County 22342 Avenida Empresa, Ste. 110, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 Contact: Joshua Tucker, Director of Relocation Services Tel: (760) 217-2491 (Toll Free) • Fax: (619) 374-2706 Email: jtucker@century21award.com Coverage Areas: Orange County Offices: 15 • Associates: 1,200 CENTURY 21 Award - San Diego, Riverside 7676 Hazard Center Dr., Ste. 300, San Diego, CA 92108 Contact: Joshua Tucker, Director of Relocation Services Tel: (760) 217-2491 (Toll Free) • Fax: (619) 374-2706 Email: jtucker@century21award.com Coverage Areas: San Diego, Southern Riverside Offices: 15 • Associates: 1,200 Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty 750 Mason St., Ste. 101, Vacaville, CA 95688 Contact: Rachel Guerin Tel: (707) 427-5344 or (844) 861-5631 • Fax: (707) 446-9830 Email: info@kappelgateway.com URL: www.KappelGateway.com Coverage Areas: Vacaville, Benicia, Davis, Dixon, Fairfield, Napa, Rio Vista, Suisun City Vallejo and Winters, Calif. Offices: 7 • Associates: 240 J. Rockcliff REALTORS® Headquarters Office: 4115 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Ste. 201, Danville, CA, 94506 Contact: Robin Dickson, CRS, GRI, Executive Vice President Tel: (925) 251-2501 (O), (925) 324-1323 (C), 877-JRCKCLF (572-2523) (TF) Email: rdickson@rockcliff.com URL(s): www.rockcliff.com • www.rockliffcares.com Coverage Areas: Alameda County: Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Dublin Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Oakland, Piedmont, Pleasanton, San Leandro, Sunol, Union City; Contra Costa County: Alamo, Antioch, Bethel Island, Brentwood, Byron, Canyon, Clayton, Concord, Crockett, Danville, Diablo, Discovery Bay, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill Port Costa, Richmond, Rodeo, San
Pablo, San Ramon, Walnut Creek; San Joaquin County: Country Club, Lathrop, Lodi, Manteca, Mountain House, Stockton, Tracy, Silicon Valley/San Jose area
CONNECTICUT Page Taft 89 Whitfield St., Guilford, CT 06437 Contact: Karen Stephens, Executive VP • Tel: (203) 453-6511 Email: kstephens@pagetaft.com URL: www.pagetaft.com Coverage Areas: Connecticut Offices: 3 • Associates: 60 Randall, REALTORS® 4009 Old Post Rd., Charleston, RI 02813 Contact: Jean Fournier, Dir. of Relocation & Referral Services Tel: (401) 486-9677 Email: jfournier@randallrealtors.com URL: www.randallrealtors.com Coverage Areas: Connecticut and Rhode Island Offices: 9 • Associates: 175
DELAWARE Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+ Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate 7234 Lancaster Pike, Ste. 220B, Hockessin, DE 19707 Contact: Brian Pomije, Relocation Manager Tel: (302) 234-3600 (Office) • (302) 234-5207 (Direct) • (800) 443-2295 (Toll Free) Email: bpomije@psre.com URL: pattersonschwartz.com Coverage Areas: Delaware (New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties), Pennsylvania (Chester and Delaware counties), Maryland (Cecil, Kent and Harford counties) Offices: 9 • Associates: 415
FLORIDA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty 1580 Sawgrass Corporate Pkwy., Ste. 400, Sunrise, FL 33323 Contact: Rei Mesa, CRS, CRB, President & CEO RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE August 2020 107
Tel: (954) 693-0100 or (800) 386-1554 • Fax: (954) 236-6962 Email: ReiMesa@BHHSFloridaRealty.com Relocation Contact: Sharon Sapp, Vice President, Relocation, Referrals & REOs Email: sharonsapp@BHHSFloridaRealty.com URL: www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com Coverage Areas: 21 counties throughout Florida, including Southeast Florida, Southwest Florida and Orlando area Offering mortgage, title, insurance, home service plans and 1031 exchange services Offices: 40 • Associates: 1,750
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+
GEORGIA
Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate 7234 Lancaster Pike, Ste. 220B, Hockessin, DE 19707 Contact: Brian Pomije, Relocation Manager Tel: (302) 234-3600 (Office) • (302) 234-5207 (Direct) • (800) 443-2295 (Toll Free) Email: bpomije@psre.com URL: pattersonschwartz.com Coverage Areas: Delaware (New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties), Pennsylvania (Chester and Delaware counties), Maryland (Cecil, Kent and Harford counties) Offices: 9 • Associates: 415
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties 863 Holcomb Bridge Rd., Roswell, GA 30076 Contact: Kathy Connelly, SVP Corporate Services • Tel: (678) 352-3321 Email: Kathy.Connelly@BHHSGeorgia.com URL: www.BHHSGeorgia.com Coverage Areas: Metro Atlanta and North Georgia Offices: 26 • Associates: 1,600
ILLINOIS McCOLLY Real Estate 800 Deer Creek Dr., Schererville, IN 46375 Contact: Deborah Horton, CRP, RCC, Director of Referral/Relocation Services Tel: (800) 348-2100 ext. 206 Email: dhorton@mccolly.com URL: www.mccolly.com Coverage Areas: Alsip, Aroma Park, Beecher, Blue Island, Bourbonnais, Bradley, Burbank, Burnham, Calumet City, Channahon, Chicago, Chicago Ridge, Clearing, Country Club Hills, Crest Hill, Crestwood, Crete, Evergreen Park, Flossmoor, Frankfort, Glenwood, Grant Park, Harvey, Hazel Crest, Hegewisch, Hickory Hills, Homewood, Kankakee, Lansing, Lemont, Lockport, Lynwood, Manteno, Matteson, Mokena, Momence, Monee, Morgan Park, Mount Greenwood, New Lenox, Oak Lawn, Orland Hills, Orland Park, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Park Forest, Peotone, Richton Park, Riverdale, Roseland, Steger, Tinley Park, University Park, Worth Offices: 18 • Associates: 450+
INDIANA McCOLLY Real Estate 800 Deer Creek Dr., Schererville, IN 46375 Contact: Deborah Horton, CRP, RCC, Director of Referral/Relocation Services Tel: (800) 348-2100 ext. 206 Email: dhorton@mccolly.com URL: www.mccolly.com Coverage Areas: Beverly Shores, Cedar Lake, Chesterton, Crown Point, DeMotte, Dyer, Dune Acres, East Chicago, Gary, Griffith, Hammond, Hebron, Highland, Hobart, Kouts, La Porte, Lake Station, Lake Village, Lakes of Four Seasons, Long Beach, Lowell, Merrillville, Michiana Shores, Michigan City, Miller Beach, Morocco, Munster, Ogden Dunes, Otis, Portage, Porter, Rensselaer, Roselawn, Schererville, Schneider, St. John, Sumava Resorts, Thayer, Valparaiso, Westville, Wheatfield, Whiting, Winfield Offices: 18 • Associates: 450+
MARYLAND CENTURY 21 New Millennium 5990 Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315 Contact: Todd Hetherington, CEO • Tel: (800) 382-1101 • Fax: (703) 822-0136 Relocation Contact: Jeff Hetherington, Director of Relocation Email: move@c21nm.com URL: www.c21nm.com Coverage Areas: Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Southern Maryland markets. Our areas of expertise range from Fortune 500 executives to specialized training in military and government relocation. Offices: 16 • Associates: 700+
108 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
RE/MAX Gateway 4090B Lafayette Center Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Scott MacDonald, President Tel: (703) 652-5760 • (703) 727-6900 (Cell) Email: scottmacdonald@remax.net URL: www.gateway2realestate.com Coverage Areas: Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland Offices: 6 • Associates: 170
MASSACHUSETTS Kinlin Grover Real Estate 4 Wianno Ave., Osterville, MA 02655 Contact: Lucy Cundiff, Director of Agent Services Tel: (508) 420-1130 Email: lcundiff@kinlingrover.com URL: www.kinlingrover.com Coverage Areas: Southeastern Massachusetts Offices: 16 • Associates: 275
MISSOURI Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties 1650 Des Peres Rd., Ste. 205, Saint Louis, MO 63131 Contact: Angie Ignatowski, Relocation Director Tel: (314) 835-6000 • (314) 835-6050 (Direct) Email: aignatowski@bhhsselectstl.com URL: www.bhhsselectstl.com Coverage Areas: St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, Lincoln County Offices: 11 • Associates: Over 500
NEBRASKA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate 13340 California St., Omaha, NE 68154 Contact: Katie Adams, CRP, GMS, VP Corp. Relocation & Business Development Tel: (800) 477-7653 or (402) 547-5137 Email: Katie.adams@BHHSamb.com URL: www.BHHSamb.com Coverage Areas: Omaha and Lincoln Metropolitan Area, including Omaha, Bellevue, Ralston, LaVista, Papillion, Gretna, Elkhorn, Fremont, Lincoln, Council Bluffs and surrounding communities
NEVADA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties 3185 St. Rose Pkwy., Ste. 100, Henderson, NV 89052 Contact: Eileen Mitchell, Dir. of Relocation & Referral Services
Tel: (800) 735-4488 Email: relo@BHHSNV.com URL: www.BHHSNV.com Coverage Areas: Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Summerlin and Pahrump Offices: 6 • Associates: 1,050
NEW JERSEY Jordan Baris, Inc., REALTORS® Real Living 50 Mt. Pleasant Ave., West Orange, NJ 07052 Contact: Carol Abdo, Relocation Director Tel: (973) 736-1600 (Office) • (800) 4-JBARIS (Toll Free) Fax: (973) 736-5159 Email: relocation@jordanbaris.com URL: www.jordanbaris.com Coverage Areas: Essex, Union, Hudson and Morris counties. Specifically West Orange, South Orange, Maplewood, Livingston, East Hanover, Roseland, Short Hills, Montclair, Bloomfield, Belleville, Newark, East Orange, Orange, Irvington, Jersey City, North Bergen, Union, Vauxhall, Parsippany-Troy Hills Offices: 2 • Associates: 150 Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+
NORTH CAROLINA Coldwell Banker Advantage 7610 Six Forks Rd., Ste. 100, Raleigh, NC 27615 Contact: Benina Drake, CRP, SVP Relocation & Referral Services Tel: (800) 274-5345 • (919) 846-3330 (Direct) Email: BDrake@AdvantageCB.com URL: AdvantageCB.com Coverage Areas: Apex, Cary, Clayton, Creedmoor, Chapel Hill, Durham, Falls Lake, Fayetteville, Ft. Bragg area, Henderson, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Lake Gaston, Lillington, McGee’s Crossroads, Pinehurst, Pittsboro, Pope Air Force Base area, Raleigh, Southern Pines, Wake Forest and Zebulon Offices: 17 • Associates: 325 Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+
PENNSYLVANIA Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+
Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty 100 Foxshire Dr., Lancaster, PA 17601 Tel: (717) 291-9101 • Fax: (717) 393-2336 Contact: Sandy Zercher Email: sandra.zercher@sothebysrealty.com URL: www.LuskandAssociates.com Coverage Areas: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; Susquehanna Valley, Pennsylvania; South Central Pennsylvania Offices: 1 • Associates: 40 Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate 7234 Lancaster Pike, Ste. 220B, Hockessin, DE 19707 Contact: Brian Pomije, Relocation Manager Tel: (302) 234-3600 (Office) • (302) 234-5207 (Direct) • (800) 443-2295 (Toll Free) Email: bpomije@psre.com • URL: pattersonschwartz.com Coverage Areas: Delaware (New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties), Pennsylvania (Chester and Delaware counties), Maryland (Cecil, Kent and Harford counties) Offices: 9 • Associates: 415 RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central 701 West Market St., Perkasie, PA 18944 Contact: Tom Skiffington, Broker/Owner • Tel: (215) 453-7653 or (215) 643-3200 Email: tom@tomskiffington.com URLs: www.pahomesforsale.com • www.lehighvalleyrealestate.com Coverage Areas: Pennsylvania counties: Bucks, Berks, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Lehigh, North Hampton, and New Jersey Offices: 10 • Associates: 170
RHODE ISLAND Randall, REALTORS® 4009 Old Post Rd., Charleston, RI 02813 Contact: Jean Fournier, Dir. of Relocation & Referral Services Tel: (401) 486-9677 Email: jfournier@randallrealtors.com • URL: www.randallrealtors.com Coverage Areas: Connecticut and Rhode Island Offices: 9 • Associates: 175
SOUTH CAROLINA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, REALTORS® 745 N. Pleasantburg Dr., Greenville, SC 29607 Contacts: Nichole Moore, Director of Relocation, (864) 678-5362, nmoore@cdanjoyner.com, Jo Anne Conner, Destination & Broker-to-Broker Mgr., (864) 678-5227, jconner@cdanjoyner.com, URL: www.cdanjoyner.com Brookfield GRS, SIRVA, AIReS Relocation, Graebel, MI Group Coverage Areas: Greenville, Greer, Taylors, Duncan, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Fountain Inn, Powdersville, Easley, Piedmont, Anderson Offices: 10 • Associates: 400+ CENTURY 21 New Millennium 5990 Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315 Contact: Todd Hetherington, CEO • Tel: (800) 382-1101 • Fax: (703) 822-0136 Relocation Contact: Jeff Hetherington, Director of Relocation Email: move@c21nm.com URL: www.c21nm.com Providers of world class real estate services in the Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Southern Maryland markets. Our areas of expertise range from Fortune 500 executives to specialized training in military and government relocation. Offices: 16 • Associates: 700+ Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com
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URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+ RE/MAX Gateway 4090B Lafayette Center Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Scott MacDonald, President Tel: (703) 652-5760 • (703) 727-6900 (Cell) Email: scottmacdonald@remax.net URL: www.gateway2realestate.com Coverage Areas: Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland Offices: 6 • Associates: 170
WASHINGTON, D.C. CENTURY 21 New Millennium 5990 Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315 Contact: Todd Hetherington, CEO • Tel: (800) 382-1101 • Fax: (703) 822-0136 Relocation Contact: Jeff Hetherington, Director of Relocation Email: move@c21nm.com URL: www.c21nm.com Providers of world class real estate services in the Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Southern Maryland markets. Our areas of expertise range from Fortune 500 executives to specialized training in military and government relocation. Offices: 16 • Associates: 700+ Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+ RE/MAX Gateway 4090B Lafayette Center Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Scott MacDonald, President Tel: (703) 652-5760 • (703) 727-6900 (Cell) Email: scottmacdonald@remax.net URL: www.gateway2realestate.com Coverage Areas: Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland Offices: 6 • Associates: 170
WEST VIRGINIA Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+
INDEX OF SERVICE PROVIDERS ABR®...................................................................................12
Pillar To Post Home Inspectors®.........................................2
American Home Shield...................................................15
Quicken Loans................................................................ IBC
Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA)....40
Referral Book....................................................................76
The CE Shop......................................................................67
Real Estate Express...........................................................37
Century 21 Real Estate LLC.............................................17
Realty ONE Group.......................................................... IFC
Create for the Human...................................11, 18, 77, 79
RE/MAX, LLC.....................................................................10
Darryl Davis Seminars, Inc...............................................64
RISMedia’s ACESocial..........................9, 44, 74-75, 111, BC
Homes.com........................................................................1
RISMedia’s Content Solutions.........................................19
HomeTeam Inspection..........................................................50
RISMedia’s Housecall.......................................................83
HSA Home Warranty................................................................ 5
RISMedia’s Ultimate Real Estate Team Guide........7, 110
Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®................23
ShelterZoom......................................................................60
NAR’s Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) Designation.......................................................................20
Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc.................................38
National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP)®..................................................34
Women in the Housing and Real Estate Ecosystem NAWRB...............................................................................42
National Association of REALTORS®............................8, 25
Workman Success Systems........................................68, 73
®
Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting.........................31
OneKeyTM MLS...................................................................58
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{re: Real Estate} Even in Virtual Times, REALTORS® Can Lend Their Voice to Advocate by Janelle Brevard
F
or Chicago-area REALTOR® Nykea Pippion McGriff, the road to engaging in advocacy on issues important to REALTORS® was a natural progression.
“For me, it started with the housing crash. I was relatively new and trying to discover ways to stay in the business,” says Pippion McGriff, adding that the REALTOR® Party was lobbying around passage of the Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act. “It’s because we were able to get that federal act passed that I was able to stay in business.” With one successful effort under her belt, Pippion McGriff’s interest was piqued. “I started paying attention to everything that came out of the National Association of REALTORS® and the Illinois Association,” says Pippion McGriff, who is now a federal political coordinator for the REALTOR® Party and a Golden R RPAC Major Investor. As Congress breaks for its August recess, and more lawmakers at the federal, state and local level are accessible virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the month poses an ideal time for REALTORS®, even those who have not lobbied before, to communicate with policymakers about their issues. Chonya Johnson, a former congressional aide and author of “The 5 Minute Advocate,” says the key for newcomers to advocacy is to remember that “you can’t treat advocacy like a one-night stand. It is an ongoing, continuous process of making sure your elected officials are aware of your concerns.” Conciseness is key, says Johnson. “Stick to the message. Keep it simple. You have other opportunities where you can advocate for your issue. It’s not a one and done.” She advises newcomers to advocacy not to shy away from engagement. “It’s not like they haven’t done it before. They just don’t recognize that they’ve done it before. Everyone has bills. If you see something on a bill that’s not right, you’re picking up the phone and calling that company. That’s advocacy. You’re asking the question ‘why?’” Johnson says even with restrictions some areas may face for in-person meetings during COVID-19,
112 August 2020 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
REALTORS® can still write letters, make phone calls, send emails and participate in a lawmaker’s virtual meetings. “Look at yourself as a trusted resource in your organization who can advise [your lawmaker] on issues,” Johnson says. Pippion McGriff, of the REALTOR® Party, says that REALTORS® can even engage through something as simple as the regular Calls for Action, which allow members to click a button and automatically email all their federal representatives about a particular issue important to REALTORS®.
“Today is the day to start. Find an issue that you’re really passionate about and start talking to your clients. Your clients’ needs will drive what you’re going to lobby your legislators.” - NYKEA PIPPION MCGRIFF REALTOR®; Federal Political Coordinator, REALTOR® Party; Golden R RPAC Major Investor
“Today is the day to start,” she says. “Find an issue that you’re really passionate about and start talking to your clients. Your clients’ needs will drive what you’re going to lobby your legislators.” Pippion McGriff says that because of her engagement, she is also a strong believer in the importance of the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC). “You have to be at the table,” she explains. “You can fuss about it on the sidelines, but what’s important is being at the table and having access to legislators.” RE
Janelle Brevard is chief storyteller for the National Association of REALTORS®.
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REALTOR ®
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