Real Estate Magazine - Coach REALTORS®, June 2018

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Left to right: Whitney Finn LaCosta, General Manager; Robert LaCosta, Vice President of Ancillary Services; LP Finn, Chief Operating Officer

Coach REALTORS®:

Leading the Market With Stability, Strength and Savvy – Page 82

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WE’RE A COMMUNITY.

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In an industry where relationships make the difference, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is a global community beyond compare — where the people behind the world’s top independent real estate firms come together to do business, collaborate on ideas and share opportunities.

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This is home.

It’s a place called amazement.

Home is a word that signifies so much. You understand what it means for each of your clients, and they rely on you to lead them on their journey there. Our goal is to help your clients truly understand their home, so they can feel good, feel right, and know the miraculous feeling of home.

pillartopost.com Each office independently owned and operated.

{Contents} June 2018/Vol. 34, No. 6 • www.rismedia.com

ON THE COVER 82 Coach REALTORS®: Leading the Market With Stability, Strength and Savvy No business remains a leader in its market for almost 40 years without a strong core and a sharp eye. That’s been the key to success at Long Island, N.Y.-based Coach REALTORS® since the Finn family acquired the brand in 1980. “Coach REALTORS® has been in business since 1954, so we’ve witnessed market highs and lows, paradigm shifts in the industry and many, many competitors come and go,” says the company’s COO Lawrence P. (LP) Finn, III. “Through it all, we’ve grown smartly, invested wisely and built a firm that’s stable in any market and respected by an entire industry.” In this month’s cover story, Finn shares how he and his leadership team have evolved the firm to weather a constantly changing real estate landscape, and remain a force locally and a thought leader industry-wide.

54

54 Providing Value in a Competitive Market In this exclusive feature, Helen Hanna Casey, CEO of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, discusses the value Realtors Property Resource® (RPR®) brings to the table.

FEATURES 28 G lobal Spotlight: Living in the Lap of Luxury in the Philippines

38 P ower Broker Perspectives:

HIGHLIGHTS 24 Leading the Future One

Strategic Market at a Time

Here, learn how United Real Estate’s future-focused model is taking the real estate industry by storm.

30 HomeServices of America: Delivering on Its Mission for 20 Years and Counting

Larry Rideout, Donna Kreps

40 C ybersecurity Protocol? Many Don’t Have One, or Don’t Know If They Do

59 E xcellence Stems From Professional Development for Reliant Realty ERA Powered

68 Taking Charge of Delegation 70 ‘This Is Us’: Engel & Völkers Exchange 2018

78 R E/MAX of Reading: Empowering Others and Generating Success

86 U ncover Hidden Inventory: Coldwell Banker Can Predict Your Next Listing

100 RISMedia’s Great Spaces 104 A sk the Experts: Items to Keep in Mind as Summer Approaches

51 S trategies: American Home Shield® (AHS®); Clareity; Quicken Loans

Take a closer look at what’s driving HomeServices of America’s consistent growth and rock-solid reputation.

46 Tackling the Technology Challenge Brokers reveal what works—and why— at an RISMedia panel during the NAR Broker Summit.

46

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 3

49

HEADLINERS

105

15 Policy Matters: New Report Demonstrates Robust Competition in Real Estate Brokerage Market

43 S herri Johnson - Turn Open

16 N AR Power Broker

House Leads Into High-Volume Pipelines and Future Sales

Roundtable: Family Teams: The New Succession Planning Model?

45 D esirée Patno - Blockchain Won’t

18 R EBAC Report: Retirement

Make Real Estate Agents Obsolete

Planning: Should You Invest in What You Know Best?

49 D avid King - A Culture-Infused Brand

20 Executive Appointments

61 V erl Workman - Simplifying the

57 H ome-Buying Millennials

Team Concept

Face Fresh Set of Struggles

62 Cleve Gaddis - Don’t Be Limited

73 Are Buyers Stretched

by Your Greatness

Too Thin?

27

75 B log Spot: LLC Home Purchases: Forming Companies for Security or Fraud?

77 Webinar Recap: Lean Into Your Leads

96 T rending: Economic Forecast: Expectations High, but Less LongTerm Optimism

105 A mazon Experience Centers Look to Transform SmartHome Shopping

INTERVIEWS 91 M ike Hogan, Keller Williams Realty - Richmond West

92 J ohn Bobo and Felice KatzBobo, HomeSmart Professionals

92 G reg McClure, Realty ONE Group Complete 4 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

63 Samantha Knoerr - Leveraging Productivity With a HighPerformance Team

64 R ick Geha - Creating Leverage Through Teamwork

93 K aren Ryan, Weichert, Realtors® Coastal Properties

94 H enry Sakowski, CENTURY 21 Action!

98 A ndrew Duncan, RE/MAX Dynamic

EXPERTS 23 D ave McGhee - The Difference Between Average and Extraordinary? A Coach

27 Terri Murphy - Why You Really Don’t Have Enough Time

37 A dam Contos - Making the Multicultural Connection

EVERY ISSUE 6

RISMedia Online

9

Publisher’s Desk

12 Did You Know?

107 Service Profiles 115 Referrals 120 R E: Real Estate— Simplify and Strengthen Your Digital Brand With a .realtor™ Web and Email Address

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Don’t Miss RISMedia’s Real Estate

Exchange presented by

September 5 & 6 at the Harvard Club of New York City

READY, SET, NOW:

The New Real Estate Reality

Come and learn how to grow your business and cement your position at the top of the leaderboard.*

SPECIAL EVENT

Join us for RISMedia’s CEO Exchange Welcome Reception, Wednesday, September 5 at New York’s iconic Tavern on the Green for an unforgettable networking event.

*Seating is limited. Please visit www.rismedia.com/rismedia-ceo-exchange for information on attending.

#CEOX2018

{Online} Trending on View these and more at blog.rismedia.com!

How Long Do You Need to Work for That Down Payment?

Although some renters may currently be locked out of the housing market, data from the National Association of REALTORS® shows that more than 80 percent of renters dream of becoming a homeowner.

Congrats to the Newsmakers awarded at our inaugural Newsmaker

Awards Reception & Dinner! For event highlights and photos, like Facebook.com/RISMedia.

How to Save for a House and a Wedding at the Same Time Here are a few financial planning tips so you and your partner can strategically save for the wedding and home you’ve both always dreamed of.

City by City: Where Are the Single Homeowners?

Purchasing a home is a long-term goal for many, but for singles, with half the income to apply for a mortgage, homeownership can seem more like a dream than a reality.

X Real Estate

Exchange

Looking to Sell? Zillow Finds Most Profitable Home Amenities

Every homeowner has one question in mind before updating their house: Which upgrades will command top dollar when it’s time to sell? The answer can be complicated.

presented by

#CEOX2018 is coming! For details on this year’s theme, “Ready, Set, Now: The New Real Estate Reality,” visit RISMedia.com.

Affordability Crunch Felt From Teachers to Tech Workers Close to 70 percent of markets today are unaffordable. Incomes are being far outpaced by prices—a gap that persists even as employment gains ground—and inventory is rapidly vanishing.

#Cybersecurity

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6 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Are you safe, or suspect?

Check out the results (and accompanying infographic) from our survey, in this issue and on RISMedia.com.

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Pat Combs, REALTOR® 2007 NAR President Grand Rapids, MI

“Fair Housing

” still needs attention.

It’s not just a black and white issue. Pat Combs entered the real estate business a few years after the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968. She recalled it being a “contentious time” for both REALTORS® and the public. Armed with fair housing training from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of REALTORS®, Pat faced off against discriminatory neighbors and homeowners. Ignoring verbal harassment and physical threats, she devoted her time in the Grand Rapids Association of REALTORS® to help in creating better training programs in partnership with her local Fair Housing Center to ensure that fair housing truly was for all. Now, Pat says, “We need to ask ourselves “what we can do as REALTORS®, as United States citizens.”

April 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act. We salute REALTORS® like Pat Combs who have driven NAR’s contributions to the fair housing movement, and we understand there’s progress yet to be made.

Visit www.FairHousing.realtor to read more about Pat and to join the commemoration.

{Publisher’s Desk} Defining a True ‘Newsmaker’

I

n the real estate business, people make news for various reasons, whether it be an appointment to an important post, a sizeable acquisition or a big year in production. For more than 38 years, we’ve covered these folks in the pages of RISMedia’s Real Estate magazine and online at RISMedia.com.

Last month, we were thrilled to formalize this process with RISMedia’s inaugural Real Estate Newsmaker Awards, held at the prestigious National Press Club in Washington, D.C., during the NAR Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo. Not only did we award seven very deserving individuals that night, we also expanded and defined what it truly means to be a Real Estate Newsmaker.

While being appointed to leadership positions and achieving success through expansion and production are certainly legitimate, newsmaking accomplishments—ones we’ve honored for more than 30 years through our Power Broker Report, Reception & Dinner—RISMedia’s Real Estate Newsmaker Awards are designed to honor those individuals making headlines for their many and varied contributions to the real estate industry and the communities and consumers they serve.

We are thrilled to spotlight one of our 2018 Real Estate Newsmakers on our front cover this month. Not only has Ron Peltier steered HomeServices of America on its 20-year journey to become the No. 2 real estate firm in America, he is one of the industry’s rare individuals—grounded by integrity, and driven by the singular mission of serving the home-buying and -selling community. I couldn’t think of a better person to honor as one of our inaugural Newsmakers than this true real estate icon.

Read more about Ron and HomeServices’ past, present and future on page 30.

You can also read all about our first annual Newsmaker Awards Reception & Dinner—including details on our other winners— online at RISMedia.com and forthcoming in our July issue.

I am also excited to announce the expansion of RISMedia’s Real Estate Newsmakers for 2019, as we extend the awards to recognize hundreds of real estate professionals across the country and around the world. Nominations for RISMedia’s 2019 Newsmakers are now being accepted at RISMedia.com.

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Why RE/MAX? Their story is my why. Š2018 RE/MAX, LLC. Each office is independently owned and operated. 18_300074

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{Did You Know?} #REalityCheck

CONFIDENCE IN HOUSING IS AT A NEW PEAK, WITH ENTHUSIASM AMONG SELLERS SOARING, according to the April Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index® (HPSI). At 91.7, the Index plowed through its previous record, climbing 3.4 percentage points month-over-month and five points year-over-year.

Approximately 71% of REALTORS® believe energyefficient features are a highlight when marketing listings, cited as either “somewhat” or “very valuable,” and 40% of REALTORS® report their MLS has “green” data fields to showcase them.

Source: National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) REALTORS® and Sustainability 2018 Report

Inventory has dwindled down According to recent analysis by realtor.com®, the top five challenging markets for millennials are:

1. San Jose, Calif.

2. Seattle, Wash.

3. Salt Lake City, Utah 4. Minneapolis, Minn.

5. Omaha, Neb. 12 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

8.6% in the past year, and, of the available listings, 51.4% are priced in the top tier. By comparison, entry homes make up 21.9% of the supply.

Source: Zillow’s March 2018 Market Report

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© 2018 American Home Shield Corporation. All rights reserved.

{Policy Matters}

New Report Demonstrates Robust Competition in Real Estate Brokerage Market This column is brought to you by the NAR Real Estate Services group.

by Melanie Wyne

L

ater this year, a 10-yearold settlement and consent decree between the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) mandating how listings are displayed by online brokerages will expire.

Prior to that, on June 5, 2018, NAR will have the opportunity to demonstrate the breadth and depth of competition in the real estate and brokerage industry at a public workshop held by the DOJ and Federal Trade Commission.

To help show how the hundreds of multiple listing services, or MLSs, promote competition between real estate brokers, to the ultimate benefit of consumers, NAR asked independent expert economist Frederik Flyer to explain how an MLS works in a recently published report entitled, “Procompetitive Benefits of Policies Limiting Access to Local Multiple Listing Service Data.”

The report explains that the MLS

depends upon participating brokers voluntarily agreeing to share their property listing information with and compensate other participating brokers for the sale of those listings.

Quite simply, in order for the MLS to work to make listings available to consumers, brokers must be incentivized to participate. According to Flyer, “The MLS is not costless to build, and constantly needs updating and new distribution to maintain relevancy, and so, incentivizing those who ‘build’ the MLS and contribute the listings that it contains is important to the promotion of consumer welfare.” In support of this thesis, Flyer asserts: 8By protecting broker listing investments, current established brokers have incentives to make their listings available, and thus, enable new entrants to more effectively compete and expand as these new entrants gain access to these listings via the MLS. 8Reserving to brokers the opportunity to determine whether to share their property listings for display on third-party aggregators can benefit consumers of brokerage services, as maintenance and promotion of broker listing value encourages investment and expansion in the brokerage service industry. Obligating brokers to provide their information to businesses in different markets, without any explicit compensation or derived benefits in return, is not a sustainable economic model.

8Much of the criticism of limiting information access stems from the concern that consumers of internet-based data aggregators of real estate listings, such as Zillow and Trulia, will not have access to full MLS information. However, what’s important to

recognize is that these websites compete in a different antitrust market, as neither Zillow nor Trulia broker real estate transactions (and so, are not competitors of real estate brokers). There’s nothing exclusionary from preventing thirdparty data aggregators from using MLS data.

8Critics of information restrictions have openly wondered why the internet hasn’t played an even more significant role in the provision of real estate brokerage services… effective brokerage services still require substantial personal services for which there are no computer substitutes (currently), so comparing this industry to others with far less human capital requirements (such as the travel industry) leads to misleading inferences on the level of innovation occurring in brokerage services.

As Flyer concludes, “Policies that interfere with broker determination of how they will use and profit from their efforts, or that allow others to benefit from broker efforts (without compensation), means that brokers will face distorted incentives when making decisions on investments, including their investments in obtaining and sharing property listing information.” Policymakers within and outside of the real estate industry should remember that the future of the MLS and the procompetitive benefits it confers depends upon MLSs providing incentives for brokers to participate. For more information, access the full report at https://www.nar.realtor/procompetitive-benefits-of-policies-limitingaccess-to-local-multiple-listing-service-data. RE

Melanie Wyne is NAR’s Senior Tech Policy Representative.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 15

{The NAR Power Broker Roundtable} Family Teams: The New Succession Planning Model?

MODERATOR:

Christina Pappas District Sales Manager, The Keyes Company, Miami, Fla.; Liaison for Large Firms & Industry Relations, NAR PARTICIPANTS:

OB Jacobi Co-President, Windermere Real Estate, Seattle, Wash.

Jason Waugh President/CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Properties, Portland, Ore.

Debbie Lupole Team Leader, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty, Jacksonville, Fla. The Power Broker Roundtable is brought to you by the National Association of REALTORS® and Christina Pappas, NAR’s Liaison for Large Firms & Industry Relations.

Watch for this column each month, where we address broker issues, concerns and milestones.

Christina Pappas: I consider myself

one of the lucky ones. I grew up in the real estate business, the third generation following my grandfather and my father.

While the subject of succession planning comes up regularly for me and my one cousin in the business, there are many ways and many strategies for taking care of business—for us and our producers considering their exit strategies. Today, we’ll be hearing from a few very successful family real estate dynasties. OB, you are co-president of your family company along with your sister, am I right?

OB Jacobi: Yes, the second generation—and also with my sister Jill’s husband, our CEO, as the third

16 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

co-president of the company our dad established. Jill and I worked our way up, from sweeping the sidewalks and answering phones as teenagers, to sales and then into management.

Our dad wanted to be very sure we could walk before we ran, but his goal was always to ensure the longevity of the company and maintain the family asset through succession.

Several years before he was ready to retire, dad sold the franchise company to us on a five-year contract— and the interesting thing is that 60 of our 325 offices have family teams working in their second generation, as well.

“Our dad wanted to be very sure we could walk before we ran, but his goal was always to ensure the longevity of the company and maintain the family asset through succession.”

Jason Waugh: My dad felt much

are far more tech-savvy than I am, and that’s been a terrific plus.

the same way. We did meet with a third-party consultant to work out the dynamics of succession, but dad was very clear that the business would be mine one day if I earned it. I literally worked my way from the ground up.

But once I proved to him that I was up to the job, and that we share a similar vision for the company even though our styles are different, he was very pleased to let me take control.

CP: And how does this work in practice, Debbie, when an agent operating under a franchise umbrella develops a family team?

Debbie Lupole: For me, after 35 years as an agent, I had a pretty extensive book of business—and when I began to think about retiring, I hoped I could make succession work. My oldest daughter worked with me for a while, but she gave it up when she married and began to raise a family. Fortunately, her husband and my younger daughter love the industry as much as I do.

Our company leaders have been very supportive, and it’s wonderful to be working with my family. There’s such a comforting trust level. Also, they

– OB Jacobi Co-President, Windermere Real Estate

CP: Are you okay with sharing how you handle the financial details?

DL: We keep it simple. Every transaction is split three ways. They get the benefit of having an instant business, and I know I’ll continue to have an income even after I retire.

OBJ: In our company, we have so much interest in family teaming that we created an internship program for the high school and college kids of our agents. They get familiarized with every aspect of real estate, including title and escrow. My son and several of my nieces and nephews have participated in the program, so we have great hopes for the future of the company.

JW: We, too, see more family team-

ing in our company. In most cases, these are some of our most highly productive people, and we’re glad to provide information and a lot of support to help them transition in the most appropriate way for them. RE 8For an expanded version of this article and other NAR Power Broker Roundtable topics, please visit www.rismedia.com.

A Local Expert

Jim nailed it! He found us the perfect home in a great school district and backed it up with helpful information! Perfection!!

– Laura C.

Jim Walberg, REALTOR

®

Jim nailed it with local data from RPR

© 2018 Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Realtors Property Resource, LLC® is a member benefit of the National Association of REALTORS®.

{REBAC Report}

Retirement Planning:

Should You Invest in What You Know Best?

by Marc D. Gould

M

ost brokers agree that real estate is a great way to earn a living. To a large extent, you’re the captain of your ship, with lots of flexibility in deciding how you want to build your business. But that flexibility also creates special challenges, such as variances in monthly income. tion in your retirement portfolio: real estate.

Why Real Estate?

Most real estate professionals also lack access to important retirement saving benefits, like the pension plans and profit-sharing plans enjoyed by many public and private employees. Largely, each individual has to shoulder personal responsibility in planning for retirement.

Even though business owners and self-employed professionals can lean on retirement planning tools like Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) accounts and individual 401(k) plans, as a real estate professional, you may be a strong candidate for another attractive investment op18 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

There are many compelling reasons to become a real estate investor. First, it’s safe to assume that you already believe in the power of real estate as a safe and profitable investment.

You also benefit from superior market knowledge. You’re constantly watching the dynamics of supply and demand play out in your market, which is extremely helpful for spotting trends and values. Plus, you probably have access to number-crunching tools to test your assumptions that an investment will be profitable.

Becoming a real estate investor also makes it much easier to gain business from a particular type of client: other real estate investors. By investing yourself, you learn the motivations, strategies and tactics that successful investing requires. Experience may be the only legitimate way to earn credibility with investors.

In terms of tax advantages, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 includes a new 20-percent deduction for sole proprietors and owners of pass-through businesses, which will likely be interpreted as being available to real estate investors. As with

all tax-related issues, it’s important to seek the expert advice of a tax professional.

Learn How To raise your knowledge and confidence, consider taking REBAC’s oneday course, Real Estate Investing: Build Wealth Representing Investors and Becoming One Yourself.

It’s one of the best and easiest ways to get up to speed on the ins and outs of real estate investing.

REALTOR®associations across the U.S. offer this course in a classroom format (visit training4re.com for dates and locations). It’s also included in REBAC’s pre-conference courses on Thursday, Nov. 1, prior to the 2018 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in Boston (visit REBAC.net/courses/ conference-expo for details).

Total Financial Wellness When it comes to successful financial planning, real estate investing is just one piece of the puzzle. You may also be considering other retirement planning strategies, such as preparing your business to be a saleable asset. That’s why the National Association of REALTORS® has been developing a comprehensive financial wellness program: The Center for Financial Wellness, an online resource designed to meet the unique financial needs of REALTORS®. RE

Marc D. Gould is senior vice president, Member Development, for NAR and executive director of the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC). A wholly-owned subsidiary of NAR, REBAC is the world’s largest association of real estate professionals focusing specifically on representing the real estate buyer. With more than 30,000 active members, REBAC awards the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation to REALTORS® who have completed the designation requirements. To learn more, visit REBAC.net.

Do you think outside of ‘outside the box’?

Call us to earn your spot.

JOIN THE RELENTLESS ©2018 Century 21 Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. CENTURY 21® and the CENTURY 21 Logo are registered service marks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC. Century 21 Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated.

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{Executive Appointments} The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) announced the retirement of Realtors Property Resource® (RPR®) CEO Dale Ross, effective May 1.

Ross began at RPR in 2008 as chairman of the advisory council where he was charged with creating a proof of concept for the program, and went on to create and implement RPR for NAR’s 1.3 million members. Jeff Young, COO of RPR, will succeed Ross, assuming the combined duties of COO and general manager, and reporting to NAR CEO Bob Goldberg.

Young has been COO of RPR since 2015. He began at NAR in 2008, as vice president with the REALTORS® Information Network, and, in 2009, became senior vice president at RPR.

Zillow Group’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Legal Officer, Kathleen Phillips, retired from her position as CFO, effective May 31. She’ll continue on as chief legal officer through the end of 2018, and then continue on in an advisory capacity until retirement in 2020. Zillow’s vice president of Financial Reporting, Technical Accounting and FP&A, Jennifer Rock, will act as interim CFO until Zillow names a replacement. Phillips began at Zillow in 2010, leading the company through

its initial public offering, as well as 14 acquisitions as head of the Corporate Development team. She was COO prior to being named CFO in 2015.

Phillips is on the board of directors of Apptio, a business management SaaS, and TPG Pace Holdings Corp., an SPAC. She was previously general counsel at Hotwire, StubHub, Pure Digital Technologies and FanSnap.

Halstead has announced Juliet Clapp as executive director of Sales for its West Side office in New York, beginning June 1. Clapp, who has more than 14 years of experience in real estate, will work alongside Michael Goldberg, longtime executive director of Sales on the West Side.

Clapp, a native New Yorker, began her career in real estate as an agent, and went on to become a sales director.

Prior to working in real estate, Clapp had a background in financial planning, and served as vice president of a technology startup, which she helped take public.

ReferralExchange has announced Myron Lo as chief strategy officer, leading business development and strategy. Lo, who began at the company in 2013, will report to ReferralExchange

CEO Scott Olsen. ReferralExchange saw 71 percent growth in agent matches in 2017, creating over 215,000 referral connections around the U.S. A majority of agents in the network have more than 14 years’ experience and more than $5 million in sales, and have had 20 real estate transactions in the last 12 months. Lo formerly led Innovation at ZipRealty, and was CEO and founder of PriceHub. The Broker Public Portal (BPP) has added four new members to its Board of Managers: Bill Miller, CEO of Metrolist Services, Inc.; Kathleen Manchin, director of Industry Relations/Corporate Counsel at Keller Williams Realty International; Chelsea Goyer, VP of Recruiting, Partner Programs & MLS Relations at Redfin; and Christina Pappas, district sales manager of The Keyes Company. The BPP Board of Managers by charter includes a “fair and balanced group of executives who represent the interests of large brokers, medium brokers, small brokers, independent managers and multiple listing service organizations (MLSs).” The BPP is owned and operated by real estate brokerages and MLSs. RE

For more executive happenings, please visit www.rismedia.com.

I N 2 0 1 7 W E H E L P E D O U R P R O F ESS I O N A L S S A V E

SAVED

SAVED

$114M+

$54M+ IN TOOLS

IN TRANSACTIONS

THAT IS

$16.5K+

PER REAL ESTATE PRO FESSIO NAL*

W HAT CAN YO U DO W ITH $16.5K+ I N YO U R SPARE TI M E?

$5.4K+

W HAT CAN YO U DO W ITH $5.4K+ I N YO U R BUSI N ESS?

OR

OR

FLY YO U & 14 FRI EN DS TO PARIS

PER REAL ESTATE PRO FESSIO NAL

PAY O FF O N E YEAR O F YO U R M O RTGAG E!

BUY YO U R CLI ENTS G I FTS TO H ELP W ITH REFERRA LS!

U PDATE YO U R BRA N D

ON E DECISION CAN SAVE YOU THOUSAN DS V I S IT: EA R N M O R E.R EA LTYO N EG R O U P.CO M

*Based on producing agents (sold at least 1 home/year).

another business, and have sound advice to keep you on track. …utilizes a proven system. A system not only helps you get organized; it also gives you a step-bystep plan for achieving business and life aspirations. …is someone you get along with. A coaching relationship is a relationship, so you want to make sure your personalities mesh. You also want to ensure your coach is someone who will be honest with you, especially when you need it most, and even when it’s uncomfortable.

The Difference Between Average and Extraordinary? A Coach

by Dave McGhee

I

’ve been a long-time advocate for the coaching industry, even before I started as a coach for Buffini & Company. If you want to achieve your best and earn many times more than the average real estate pro, it’s essential to have the support and expertise of a great coach by your side.

HOW A COACH CAN HELP Somewhere along the path to success, many people hit a plateau.

They’ve achieved several of their goals; however, they aspire for more, and aren’t sure how to get there. Or, they’ve hit a crossroads in their business and aren’t sure how to proceed. Or, they’re new to the industry and want to build a strong foundation for a lasting business. In each of these situations, a coach can help.

Coaches provide clarity. It’s difficult to get a clear view of your business when you’re in the thick of things.

A coach will review your business, including your numbers, goals and challenges, and provide important insight you wouldn’t see otherwise.

They’ll help you narrow down the goals you’re pursuing and identify your priorities.

Coaches help to manage perspective. When you have a coach to offer outside input on your business, you’re exposed to possibilities you may not have considered. A good coach is an unbiased truth-teller, able to provide objective feedback.

Coaches help you process current and past experiences. When we’re in the middle of handling challenges, it’s tough to see past them. A coach can help you discover a range of solutions to roadblocks, whether you’re facing them now, or they’re nagging you from the past.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A COACH A good coach… …has a record of success. The ideal coach has helped others push past their limits and achieve greater success. They’ve been in your shoes before, whether in real estate or

Since you’re constantly evolving, your coaching needs will change as you grow and become more successful. As you gain more success, a coach can help you perform at a higher level and achieve even loftier goals.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF COACHING It seems simple, but you must allow a coach to ask the right questions and really get to those areas where you need help. You must also be willing to follow their advice and trust that it’ll help you achieve what you haven’t been able to on your own.

If you’ve been thinking of getting a coach, what are you waiting for?

Get a coach, get in the game, and get more out of your business and life than you thought possible. RE Dave McGhee is the vice president of Coaching at Buffini & Company. Over the last 12 years, McGhee has helped hundreds of small-business owners maximize their potential, increase their income and achieve more balance in their lives. As a Buffini & Company Certified Business Coach, his clients included executives and top producers who have ranked among the Wall Street Journal’s top 100, and the National Association of REALTORS® 30 Under 30. Today, he leads the team of Buffini & Company Certified Business Coaches, whose clients earn an average $358,486 per year. For more information, visit buffiniandcompany.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 23

Leading the Future One Strategic Market at a Time United Real Estate’s future-focused model takes the real estate industry by storm

by Paige Tepping

I

n an industry that thrives on competition, differentiation matters more than ever before.

While new business models aimed at shaking up the status quo continue to be introduced on a regular basis, United Real Estate is steadfast in its commitment to delivering what it believes is the most powerful national solution where owners, brokers and agents win consistently on every deal.

“As part of a larger organization—United Real Estate Group—we’ve been owned and operated by United Country Real Estate since 1925. When new ownership was put in place—with the intention of expanding the organization into urban/suburban areas with a new brand/business model—I was brought into the mix,” says President and Co-founder Peter Giese, who goes on to explain that building out a new franchise brand network while demonstrating that it’s possible to attract productive agents is the name of the game.

And it’s been full steam ahead ever since, as the brand’s future-focused model that provides full-service to agents, inclusive of a 100-percent commission structure, continues to take the industry by storm.

24 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Launched in Dallas, Texas, in 2011, the brand’s growth has been nothing short of impressive.

In 2013, with the blueprint in hand for rapidly recruiting, assisting and developing agents, United Real Estate began franchising—a move that’s increased the brand’s footprint even more extensively.

With 3,500 agents and 63 offices currently open, Giese notes that another 20 territories have been sold, all of which will be up and running within the next 30 150 days (at press time). “We’re on pace to add three territories a month, on average,” says Giese.

But it doesn’t end there, as United Real Estate continues to produce on a regular basis. In fact, according to Giese, the brand’s single-office Dallas location, with 350 agents, is closing over $400 million a year in real estate.

Even more impressive? The first franchise location in Lexington, Ky., went from nowhere to having 200 agents and being ranked No. 3 in the marketplace.

Supporting this rapid growth is no easy feat, but one the team at United Real Estate takes seriously.

“Our ability to support our franchisees in performing the functions they may not necessarily be good at (e.g., recruiting productive agents) is one key aspect of our continued growth,” notes Giese. “We’ve also developed the marketing, messaging and technology agents are

looking for, none of which means anything if there isn’t a talented broker to communicate that value.”

Another thing that separates United Real Estate from the rest of the pack is their value proposition, which has proven to be a key piece of the puzzle when it comes to recruiting and developing productive agents.

“For agents with another brand—or a local independent that’s large in nature—we educate them as to the fact that we’ll be able to deliver the same type of service and response time, as well as training, while putting them in a transaction-based compensation model that will put money in their pockets,” says Giese. “We then teach them how to invest that money in order to develop their personal brand and client list—a missing ingredient among other brands.”

United Real Estate’s values and guiding principles, which are constantly reinforced—and not just spoken about at the top level—pave the way for even greater differentiation. From integrity to sustainability, and everything in between, it’s the company-wide commitment to community service that stands to have the loudest impact.

“We believe the expectation from the next generation of buyers and sellers is that real estate individuals are going to be seen not just as leaders in real estate, but leaders inside the community,” says Giese. “We want to ingrain this through our culture, and one way we’re able to do this is by supporting Autism Speaks.”

In fact, agents have the ability to contribute a monetary donation to the foundation upon each and every closing. Upping the ante even further, no matter the location, local office leadership is heavily involved with Autism Speaks and the various events they put on throughout the year.

As the future continues to unfold, the sky’s the limit for United Real Estate. With their sights set on continuing to bring quality franchises to market, while supporting these offices to grow and develop into companies that are within the top 3 - 4 in their market area, there’s no end in sight for Giese and the entire team at United Real Estate. RE For more information, please visit www.growwithunited.com.

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Why You Really Don’t Have Enough Time

by Terri Murphy

Y

ou may have decided to get into real estate so you could be your own boss, set up your own working hours and make a lot of money.

So, how’s that working for you?

The challenge with entrepreneurship is being laser-focused on dollar-productive activities. When you first get into the business, you need to learn the skills, implement systems, install new programs, deploy various platforms, study scripts, market and process transactions. That’s a full-time job, and you haven’t even begun to work with buyers and sellers.

But here’s where most agents fail: They get too busy working in the business and fail to work on their business.

By nature, our business is radically unpredictable. Buyers decide to buy, and sellers decide to sell on their own timetable—and we want to be there at that magic moment—but the intensity of showing

Here’s where most agents fail: They get too busy working in the business and fail to work on their business.

buyers, servicing sellers and maintaining prospecting can be daunting unless you develop a plan to keep all the plates spinning and the income funnel full.

The plan is simple—but getting an agent to do it is the hard part.

No matter what’s happening, only you have the power to block your day. This begins with blocking out dollar-productive activities by using a My Perfect Week Planner.* The system visually helps you lay out a perfect week so that you’re able to establish a rhythm of daily habits that result in regular, consistent income. Think of blocking your time using a traffic light as an example: 8RED IS FOR NON-NEGOTIABLE TIME. These hours are reserved for your personal “big rocks” like sleep, family time, etc.

8YELLOW IS USED TO TIME-BLOCK A DAILY PROSPECTING HOUR. I can imagine you rolling your eyes right about now, but prospecting is the key to getting paid regularly. Pretend that this is sacred time, even if it’s 15 - 30-minute increments five days a week, and stick to it. Whether you’re prospect-phobic or sim-

ply believe prospecting is limited to cold calls, think conversation, not solicitation. Rotate through your sphere of influence with scheduled calls to update contact information and to share a save-the-date for your future client appreciation party. These approaches are easy and friendly.

8GREEN IS THE EASIEST TIME TO BLOCK ON YOUR WEEKLY CALENDAR. These are appointments that are related to earning or receiving money, and are usually the most fun. Block in green the hours you’ve earmarked for closings, listing appointments or working with buyers.

The goal is to increase the green in your weekly calendar. You wouldn’t want to miss a closing, so why not block out a small increment of time to talk to more people in order to make more sales so you have more green in your week?

Sit down at the beginning of each week to plan. Real estate has plenty of opportunity for busy work that will rob you of energy and income, so take control of your week before the chaos hits so that you can do those activities that serve and pay you first. It’s also a good idea to get a good coach to help you learn new habits to plan for success, and hire out the administrative work so that you can focus on being the CEO, building your business every day, one day at a time. RE *For a complimentary copy of My Perfect/Productive Week Scheduler, visit http://bit.ly/2raO1Dj Terri Murphy is a communication engagement specialist, author, speaker and coach. She is the author/co-author of five books, and founder of MurphyOnRealEstate.com. Contact her at TerriMurphy.com, MurphyOnRealEstate.com or Terri@TerriMurphy.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 27

{Global Spotlight}

Living in the Lap of Luxury in the Philippines

W

by Paige Tepping

ith two major offices in the Philippines and several regional hubs, 100+ employees (25 of which are engaged in real estate brokerage), Pinnacle Real Estate Consulting Services Inc. continues to see a lot of interest from investors in the Asia-Pacific region who are keen on Philippine opportunities.

Here, Managing Director Michael Mabutol provides a closer look into what’s keeping the luxury market moving in the Southeast Asian country.

28 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Tell us about the types of properties in your market, and which are most popular.

Most of our residential sales focus on the high- to midend segments, as these are the areas preferred by residential investors due to their potential rental income.

What types of buyers do you work with?

For houses, most of our buyers—especially for high-end products—are high-net worth individuals engaged in the leasing business. Mid-end homes are mostly being bought by Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) and families who either choose to upgrade their homes or engage in home rental businesses. In recent years, there’s been increased take-up from foreigners, most of which are coming from China, Japan, Thailand and Korea, especially for mid-end and high-end condominiums.

What are some of the most important trends in your market?

Activity is still mainly driven by the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector, which contributed to the growth of the middle class and enabled a lot of first-time homebuyers to purchase mid-end products. It also contributed to increased activity in the leasing of high-end houses and condominiums as expatriates continued to pour in.

What are your biggest challenges/opportunities for growth?

Please describe your current housing market.

Our current housing market is divided into several market segments: low-, mid- and high-end. High-end houses are priced around $6.5 - $7 million, while high-end condominiums range from $1 - $1.5 million. Mid-market houses are priced between $100,000 - $200,000, while mid-market condominium prices range from $60,000 - $80,000 USD. Our low-market, mass-housing segment homes are priced anywhere between $9,000 and $10,000 USD. While prices are generally rising, we do see an exception within the mass-housing segment due to the government placing a regulatory control in order to keep prices within a range that’s affordable to the masses. In terms of inventory, the high-end segment is still healthy and profitable, while the mid-market segment continues to grow.

The low-market segment’s supply is still behind in terms of actual need.

Since the growth in the real estate market is mainly driven by the growth of the BPO sector, the biggest challenge centers around how to sustain growth despite the shift in outsourcing policies of the United States, the United Kingdom and other sources of offshore businesses. The biggest opportunity for growth would be the Philippines’ independent foreign policy, as it basically opens more opportunities to countries like China and Russia.

How does being part of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® help advance your business?

LeadingRE helps us connect to would-be investors no matter where they’re located around the globe. It provides the platform for seamless interaction between real estate professionals, while creating a business community without borders that transcends location and distance. RE For more information, please visit www.pinnacle.ph.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 29

“At the end of the day, our success or failure is based on how the customer feels.”

– RON PELTIER Chairman & CEO, HomeServices of America Photo: David Sherman Photography 30 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

HOMESERVICES OF AMERICA: Delivering on Its Mission for 20 Years and Counting

W

by Maria Patterson hat started with the simple yet ambitious mission to deliver the

best possible homeownership experience to consumers in markets across America has today evolved into the nation’s secondlargest full-service real estate brokerage firm, HomeServices of America. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2018, the

Minneapolis-based company’s history is decorated with a series of momentous accomplishments, including the continuing acquisition of market-leading firms strategically located across the country, joining forces with Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and the now global expansion of its franchising arm, HSF Affiliates, to name just a few. But despite the inevitable challenges that come

provider of homeownership services,” says Peltier. “We spend all of our time continuously improving the delivery of those services because at the end of the day, our success or failure is based on how the customer feels.”

This core belief is what has propelled HomeServices’ growth over two decades. “The focus on our people and their expertise is our secret sauce and has accounted for our acquisition appeal and market success,” says Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Dana Strandmo. “HomeServices’ culture is about serving our consumers, the agents and the risks they take every day, and the employees who support that effort.”

As HomeServices’ Chief Information Officer Alon Chaver says, “HomeServices stands for some-

ALON CHAVER Chief Information Officer, HomeServices of America

thing deeply meaningful, and I think that really speaks to people. We’ve taken a strong stand on doing right by our customers. Excelling in delivering homeownership services, while being kind, ethical and compassionate, are the key ingredients to our high-quality operation.”

Excelling at serving consumers is exactly what led to HomeServices’ full-service business model, another instrumental factor in its growth and longevity over 20 years. “We’re

Expanding the Leadership Team HomeServices introduced six regional presidents to further support the rapidly growing, whollyowned real estate brokerage company network. They are:

with extraordinary growth and the complexities of an unpredictable industry, HomeServices has, remarkably, stayed true to its roots and the commitment that started it all: supremely serving homeowners.

Priority One, Then and Now: The People Arguably, the defining factor behind HomeServices’ consistent growth and rock-solid reputation over the years has been the steadfast leadership of Chairman and CEO Ron Peltier, and his relentless focus on the firm’s No. 1 priority: people.

“Our commitment to our customers and clients is to be the premier

CANDACE ADAMS

MARY LEE BLAYLOCK

JEFF DETWILER

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England, Westchester, and New York Properties

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties

The Long & Foster Companies

LARRY FLICK IV

ROSEY KOBERLEIN

GREG MASON

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® and the Trident Group

Long Companies

Edina Realty Home Services RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 31

committed to our affiliated business model of providing mortgage, title, property and casualty insurance services, and to our franchising network,” says Strandmo. “Buying a home is tough; being able to provide full service has been central to our growth.”

HomeServices’ consistent commitment to service has also positioned it as a champion for agents and consumers. “While a lot of players are focused on monetizing data and information, we keep the consumer at the forefront,” says HomeServices of America Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Mike Warmka. “Agents and consumers are the two most essential elements of the transaction.”

“The focus on our people and their expertise is our secret sauce and has accounted for our acquisition appeal and market success.”

– DANA STRANDMO Senior Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer, HomeServices of America

Carrying Out the Mission In order to effectively serve real estate consumers, HomeServices created a strategy to deliver a full suite of premier real estate services through top real estate firms in leading markets around the country—a plan that resulted in growing from four brands in 1998 to more than 40 brands and counting in 2018.

“We wanted to create a national footprint with great companies in different markets that ascribed to the 32 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

same culture and philosophy that we did,” explains Peltier. “We want to be the company that other good companies look to in order to secure their legacy.”

One of the first companies to join HomeServices in 1999 was Arizona-based Long Realty, now with 15 offices, serving Southern Arizona.

Founded in 1926, affiliating with a franchise brand was not an option for the firm, says Long Realty CEO, and HomeServices President of the Central Region, Rosey Koberlein.

“We joined HomeServices because it offered a business strategy where we could remain with our own identity, and that was critically important to us,” she explains. “And in all the years we’ve been part of HomeServices, the philosophy has stayed the same; we still get to run the company in the manner that works for Arizona, and I have the structure and foundation of this wonderful parent company.”

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties joined HomeServices in 2013, after searching for a partner that would understand that success in real estate is built around a trusted relationship, no matter how large the firm—even one as expansive as New England, Westchester, and New York Properties, with nearly 55 offices spanning New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

“Ron understands that real estate is a local business,” says the company’s President and CEO and Northeast Region President Candace Adams. “Even within the same company, you can have nuances by market that require local leadership.

Houses are what we sell, but in the end, it’s about relationships, and it has to be local leadership to understand that.”

The ability to retain one’s local identity and leadership while being part of something larger has resulted in a long line of companies waiting to join the HomeServices fold.

“Ron has a waiting list of companies that want to affiliate with us,” says Strandmo. “These are businesses that care about their people, their culture and the services they

“In all the years we’ve been part of HomeServices, the philosophy has stayed the same; we still get to run the company in the manner that works for Arizona.”

– ROSEY KOBERLEIN CEO, Long Realty, and President of the Central Region, HomeServices

provide, and they come to HomeServices because they know we’ll take good care of that going forward.”

At the end of the day, it all comes down to relationships and culture.

“Everyone in the industry knows Ron, and everyone knows who HomeServices is and what we stand for,” says Warmka. “It’s no secret what we stand for as a brand and what Mr. Buffett stands for. It’s about reputation and integrity and doing the right thing.”

It All Starts at the Top Talk to anyone at HomeServices and they will tell you that the firm’s consistent success and continued growth all starts with Peltier’s empowering and unwavering role as a leader.

“I’m a strong believer in people,” says Peltier. “I take a lot from sports—nothing good happens and you’re not going to be successful if you’re the only person making a difference. I’m a key proponent of finding great people and empowering them to do what they do best. Trying to micromanage or dictate is a recipe for failure, and, frankly, good people with real talent are going to reject that.”

HOMESERVICES OF AMERICA: AT HOME WITH FEMALE LEADERSHIP Ron Peltier’s unique ability to place complete trust in his executive team and local leaders stems from his confidence in choosing the best person for the job. At HomeServices of America, this has led to a strong cadre of female leadership throughout the firm, with numbers that defy typical real estate industry statistics at the management level. HomeServices boasts more than 20 female presidents and CEOs of companies and core service leaders, and more than 100 women with a variety of C-suite and executive titles.

– CANDACE ADAMS

What’s important to note is that this impressive contingent of female leaders at HomeServices was not the result of a diversity initiative or HR mandate, but simply happened organically, thanks to an inclusionary atmosphere that recognizes talent and affords opportunity to those who deserve it.

“Ron believes in and supports all sorts of talent, male and female,” explains Candace Adams, president & CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England, Westchester, and New York Properties, and President of “For me, personally having Ron overseeing all that I do is extremely valuable,” confirms HSF Affiliates CEO Gino Blefari. “Although Ron could dictate what we do at HSF Affiliates, he instead mentors and guides me. HomeServices provides us with incomparable resources, stability and guidance.”

Peltier’s leadership style has fostered an environment of open communication throughout HomeServices, making it a key part of

the Northeast Region, HomeServices. “He created an environment that allowed for significant growth, where many young people have been promoted and given opportunities.

And there have been more and more women who have positioned themselves to grow their careers and have been able to do so here.”

“Ron has this wonderful ability of always challenging you to be better, and he empowers you to do that,” says Koberlein. “He expects and wants you to be self-motivated, and that makes you want to be better.”

Adams agrees. “Ron believes in and trusts his leadership team and, therefore, he empowers them to make decisions. He provides the basic structure for them to do so, but doesn’t micromanage.”

Mary Lee Blaylock, president, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, and president of the West Coast Region, HomeServices, is a self-described “organic” product of HomeServices, starting at Edina Realty when she first received her real estate license in 1993 and rising through the ranks to start HomeServices Relocation in 2004. In 2014, Peltier asked her to make yet another jump and head the California brokerage operation.

“I grew up amidst the opportunity to work for Ron,” says Blaylock. “He afforded me opportunity after opportunity when I didn’t even know I was looking for them.”

“You have to let people blossom,” Peltier explains. “If you don’t do that, the company’s value proposition.

“There’s this beautiful sharing of information,” says Koberlein. “I know I can call any one of my peers, anyone within HomeServices or Ron directly.

That level of support and collaboration is what makes us unique as a national company.”

A Beacon Through the Downturn This open approach to leadership and communication at HomeServices helped guide the company

– MARY LEE BLAYLOCK

you’re wasting all that talent. People have a choice, particularly talented people. We’re working hard at trying to create a great company and an environment where people can deploy their skills and talents to help us execute our vision.”

Blaylock agrees. “As an industry, real estate has been dominated by male leaders for many years,” she says. “What’s unique about Ron and HomeServices is that there was never a question about male or female­—it was about who had the right business acumen, work ethic and personal ability to drive the company to the next level. He doesn’t care if you’re green, purple, male or female. He wants you to drive the company forward.”

Fortunately, Adams sees the landscape for female leadership in real estate broadening across the board.

“This industry is open for female leadership,” she explains. “Women are putting themselves out there to seize those opportunities more than they did in the past. I think they’re willing and able and a little more determined than they were in the past.” through the housing crisis, as well, positioning it as an industry thought leader for the long-term.

“When the housing crisis hit, we didn’t suffer really egregious losses because of the financial discipline we had in place,” says Strandmo.

“There were industry leaders calling Ron, and he was sharing some of the operational policies that helped us.

Those people ended up being sellers down the road because of the friendship and trust that was developed.”

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 33

– GINO BLEFARI

CEO, HSF Affiliates What’s more, HomeServices emerged from the housing crisis even stronger than before, thanks to the many invaluable lessons learned. One of those lessons, says Warmka, is that “you always have to be looking around the corner to see what’s coming. It doesn’t take much for the industry to change, but we want to be at the center of it when it does to ensure the longevity and viability of our brokers and agents, and for the long-term benefit of society and consumers.”

when dealing in the homeownership space.”

Peltier also sees the extension of the Berkshire Hathaway brand into the real estate space as a major milestone in the HomeServices of America journey. “Almost six years ago, we saw the importance of having a global brand, so we purchased the Prudential Real Estate network and received approval to use Mr. Buffett’s brand in commerce for the first time in Berkshire Hathaway history. Our entry into franchising and the use of Berkshire Hathaway as a brand was clearly a major milestone.”

A History of Highlights While surviving then thriving postrecession is certainly a monumental chapter in HomeServices’ history, there are many more to note.

From acquiring some of the leading firms in the business and affiliating with the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway, to branching into the franchise arena with HSF Affiliates, the HomeServices highlight reel is punctuated with many awe-inspiring moments.

While it’s hard to narrow down the long list of highlights, Peltier points to a few standouts, starting with the company’s ability to experience yearover-year growth throughout its 20year history, and, of course, joining the Berkshire Hathaway family.

“Being part of Berkshire Hathaway is one of the biggest highlights in our history,” he explains. “The fact that Warren Buffett continues to encourage the growth and evolution of our business model is, to me, the ultimate compliment. Everything he stands for—honesty, integrity, value, service—are the very values that we try to project, and I believe those are the values that consumers want

34 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“It doesn’t take much for the industry to change, but we want to be at the center of it when it does to ensure the longevity and viability of our brokers and agents, and for the long-term benefit of society and consumers.”

– MIKE WARMKA Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, HomeServices of America

Writing the Next Chapter As HomeServices of America prepares for the next leg of its journey, it looks toward continued growth, including international expansion through HSF Affiliates, which recently announced its first global franchisee: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Rubina Real Estate in

Germany. Technology and innovation will continue to play an increasingly important role, but in a responsible, balanced way.

“We’re continuing to develop our platform so that it integrates bestin-class technology into a coherent service experience,” says Chaver.

“We’re also leveraging a lot of deep learning, advanced AI and analytics to provide the right data to our consumers, agents and tech vendors so they can interoperate and cooperate better.”

As the industry becomes increasingly data-driven, HomeServices will take a leadership role in the proper usage of that data. “Right now, the most significant challenges facing the industry are issues around data and information,” explains Strandmo. “At HomeServices, we’re vigilant about adhering to procedures for handling customer information. We need to get that figured out as an industry. We need to act responsibly.”

Technology aside, what will ultimately propel HomeServices toward continued success and longevity will be an adherence to its mission and values.

“The vision and core principles continually guide me through every local approach I have,” says Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties President and West Coast Region President Mary Lee Blaylock. “If we really enhance and help each other from an organizational, local and individual standpoint, then there isn’t anything we can’t achieve.”

As Peltier says, “This is not a short-term play for us. There is no exit strategy. We plan on being a key player in this industry for a very long time. Our ongoing focus is to be a premier provider of homeownership services in every market we’re in.

People will keep buying and selling homes, and they’re going to want it done by people who are honest and ethical. We’re up for that challenge.”

RE For more information, please visit www.homeservices.com.

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{Business Building}

Making the Multicultural Connection

by Adam Contos

W

hat business opportunities might you be missing—opportunities that you pass by every day? You may be surprised.

Take, for example, the business potential found in the changing demographics across the U.S. and Canada.

The fact is, more than 35 percent of today’s buyers have a multicultural background, with foreign (non-citizen) buyers in the U.S. accounting for about 10 percent of existinghome sales—representing some $153 billion in residential property annually.

Here are some other stats with big business implications (as cited in NAHREP’s 2017 State of Hispanic Homeownership Report and the AREAA 2017 - 2018 State of Asia report): 8 Hispanics have been responsible for 46.5 percent of net U.S. homeownership gains since 2000. This is also the only demographic to have increased its rate of homeownership in each of the past three years.

8 Currently at 58.6 million, U.S. Hispanics account for more population growth in the U.S. than any other demographic.

8 The Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) population, at 22.5 million, is the fastest-growing demographic in the U.S. and Canada. In Canada, it’s also the largest minority demographic.

8 With a median household income of $87,000, people who identify as AAPI, on average, have higher incomes than the general population; however, AAPI homeownership lags behind the national average by 6 percent.

It’s easy to see the opportunity. Here you have two growing and increasingly influential demographic groups, who, at the same time, are still largely underserved when it comes to homeownership.

Making It Happen Much of the homeownership gap among minority groups can be attributed to cultural barriers. When working with these groups, real estate pros need to be prepared for issues that can arise with language barriers, loan options, home preferences, and more.

Fortunately, there are plenty of resources available. A good place to begin is with the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) and the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP).

The National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP) is yet another advocacy group to consider. The LGBT community is estimated to be 6 - 7 percent of the total U.S. adult popu-

lation, and family formation within this community continues to be a driving force in the housing market.

For real estate professionals, these advocacy groups offer extensive education, networking and resources to connect with and serve their respective communities.

RE/MAX is a proud sponsor of these organizations, which have a collective membership of more than 50,000 participants—and anyone can join.

The beauty of reaching out to underserved demographics is that it’s win/win. It opens up vast opportunities for real estate professionals to increase their business, while at the same time, it offers more families the ability to realize the universal dream of homeownership. RE

Key Takeaways: -C hanging demographics and underserved minority groups represent a large population to serve and work with.

-M ore than 35 percent of buyers have a multicultural background, and foreign (non-citizen) buyers in the U.S. account for 10 percent of existing-home sales, purchasing more than $150 billion in residential property annually.

-O rganizations such as NAHREP, AREAA and NAGLREP offer resources, education and networking opportunities to help real estate pros connect with and better serve different populations.

Adam Contos is CEO of RE/MAX, LLC. For more information, visit www.remax.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 37

{Power Broker Perspectives}

by Keith Loria

Larry Rideout:

Creating a Culture Where Everyone Wins With more than three decades of experience in establishing real estate franchises throughout New England, Larry Rideout, co-owner, chairman and founder of Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty, has earned his stripes as a real estate veteran.

A dozen years ago, Rideout acquired Gibson Domain, which has transformed into Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty. The Bostonbased firm is a consistent leader in Massachusetts.

What do you love most about the real estate business?

Larry Rideout: I’ve been in real estate since 1984. I love that every day is different and that there’s no limit to what you can accomplish.

How would you characterize 2017, and what are you experiencing in your markets so far in 2018?

LR: 2017 was our best year ever in both sales volume and sides closed.

That success is due to having experienced associates who stay focused in all types of markets. So far in 2018, we’re seeing inventory issues, but we’re again having our best year

38 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Rideout’s team is comprised of agents who are about ‘us,’ rather than ‘me.’

ever, which is exciting for me. There’s always some sort of disruptor, but we’ve stayed focused on closing deals.

Do you have any plans to grow the company in 2018?

LR: We recently appointed Colleen Barry as our new CEO, and she’s taken over running our office. We’ve made the decision to grow our company strategically both vertically and horizontally, and we may add a couple of offices. We believe that our greatest opportunities lie in growing into our feeder markets through mergers and acquisitions.

Define the company’s strategy.

LR: Our firm has a philosophy of providing “white glove service” to all of our clients and customers. Although we excel in luxury properties, we’re dominant in all price points.

VITALS: Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty

Years in business: 12 Size: 8 offices, 233 agents Regions served: Boston, Cambridge, Eastern Massachusetts 2017 sales volume: $1.75 billion 2017 transactions: 1,776 No. 126 in sales volume in RISMedia’s 2018 Power Broker Report www.gibsonsothebysrealty.com How do you find the right people to join the firm?

LR: We recently added a full-time recruiter, something we’ve never done before. We have a very strict culture here—people must fit into our company. We don’t just look at production; a new employee needs to match our culture. There are a lot of good associates that we would like to invite into our family.

What do you look for in an agent?

LR: We want people who will be collaborative and work together. We hire agents who are about “us,” rather than “me.”

We want everyone winning, and that starts with someone willing to grow with the team.

What attracts agents to the firm?

LR: Our leadership team doesn’t compete; our job is to support the agents.

We also have a marketing department that handles almost everything. We let the agents do what they do best—listing and selling—and we take care of the rest.

How is your firm handling the needs of millennial buyers?

LR: We’re very aware of our consumers’ needs in our marketplace. We also bring on associates that can and do connect with their peers. We have a fairly young team that understands millennials, and we recruit to that, as well.

How do you stay current on the latest and greatest tools to help your firm stay on top?

LR: My team and I go to a lot of conferences so that we can see what’s going on and find out what others are having success with. We bring that back to our marketing team and implement different strategies to see what value they have and whether they fit our model.

Donna Kreps:

A Dominant Force in the Midwest Ever since winning Rookie of the Year in sales in 1990, Donna Kreps, president of Residential Real Estate Services for the F.C. Tucker Company, has been a force in the industry. She’s been a top producer numerous times over the years, and is celebrating her 25th anniversary with the firm.

How did you get involved in the real estate industry?

Donna Kreps: I’ve been in real estate for 28 years and originally got into it on a whim. A friend of mine was going to go to real estate school and asked if I wanted to go with her.

That was on a Monday, and the next day we started classes, two days a week.

The moment I got into the business, I was in love with real estate. I sold my first house my first week in the business, three houses the week after, and it’s been an amazing career ever since.

VITALS: F.C. Tucker Company Years in business: 100 Size: 39 offices, 1,400 agents Region served: State of Indiana 2017 sales volume: $3.9 billion 2017 transactions: 19,000 No. 37 in sales volume in RISMedia’s 2018 Power Broker Report www.talktotucker.com

How has your market been so far in 2018?

DK: We’re a dominant player in our region, which is a very stable marketplace; the Midwest is historically very good, as we don’t see the highs and lows that the coasts see. We did struggle during the downturn, but our upswing has been fantastic. We’re up 17 percent from the year prior, and 2017 was our best year ever in our 100year history.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’re facing?

DK: We’re seeing some of the same things that most of the country is, which includes lack of inventory and a weak builder supply.

We have a lot of builders in the marketplace trying to catch up, but price points are a little high, and there’s a real lack of inventory for the first-time buyer.

What sets your firm apart in your market?

DK: Every real estate company sells homes for a living, but very few make it to 100 years. To have a firm that’s stayed independent throughout its entire history, and is still a dominant force in the marketplace, is rare. Our owner is still very involved and engaged.

We own a mortgage com-

pany and a title company, we have an insurance affiliation and are a one-stop shop. We also have our own in-house marketing division and four graphic designers on staff, in addition to a robust relocation department. Our operation spans a wide spectrum of services.

What attracts agents to the firm?

DK: Our company was one of the first in Indianapolis to embrace the team concept, and we have a very lucrative and promising compensation program for agents who want to build their own team within our structure. We also have exceptional training, which involves spending six weeks working with the new folks we hire, giving them a lot of tools to equip themselves to get started. All of this lends itself to seeing productivity out of new agents out of the gate quicker than most.

What are you looking for in someone interested in joining your company?

DK: Obviously, we’re looking for someone who wants to be a self-starter, who likes people and processes. I like the competitive advantage that people have, so I’m always looking for individuals who like to win. The nice thing about real estate is that any personality type can find success; however, they must understand that there are a lot of ups and downs. We like to help people brand themselves while associating themselves with our brand. We’re here to help people write their story. RE

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 39

Cybersecurity Protocol?

Many Don’t Have One, or Don’t Know If They Do

by Suzanne De Vita

I

n the age of breaches and fraud—and in an industry becoming more and more reliant on technology—agents and brokers are contending with ever-evolving issues related to security.

Disconcertingly, many either do not have a brokerage cybersecurity policy, or are not aware that one exists— a unique vulnerability, according to findings from the new RISMedia Research survey, “Cybersecurity: Are You Safe or Suspect?” Although 54 percent of the agents and brokers who participated in the have been a victim survey have a cyberseof wire fraud curity policy, 27 percent are “not sure,” and 19 percent have no policy at all.

Education is lacking, the findings reveal. Agents and brokers are divided on knowledge of the laws pertaining to data privacy and storage: 52 percent know their local statutes, but 48 percent do not. Of the brokers surveyed, 50.2 percent have no agent cybersecurity education or training, but 49.8 percent do—an almost even split. As demonstrated in recent years, information that is mishandled can have ramifications for agents and brokers, who can be held liable, and clients, who have been compromised.

Consumer education is key. Approximately 53 percent of those surveyed inform their clients about their cybersecurity practices/policy by email, 42 percent with a document(s), and 28 percent via their website. Many communicate their cybersecurity policy face-to-face or on the phone throughout the transaction.

14%

THE BIGGEST ISSUES The conversation around cybersecurity is focused largely 40 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

on wire fraud, in which criminals commonly “phish” for transactions—and it was the No. 1 concern cited by respondents (37 percent). Although the majority of those surveyed have not been directly impacted—just 13.7 percent reported they have—many have had attempts made.

“We’ve been able to intercept threats to date, but it’s becoming more frequent,” one respondent said. “This is a big concern.”

“I wasn’t directly involved in the case, but one person asked me to assist her to find housing after she lost thousands of dollars in a wire fraud,” said another respondent.

Of those who have been victimized, 62 percent could not retrieve what was stolen.

PREVENTION Despite the challenge continuously developing, agents and brokers are adopting practices to stave off threats, including antivirus software, backing up data and changing passwords regularly. Many also have an e-signature system, and some enable two-step authentication and/ or encrypt emails. One-quarter of respondents, roughly, have cyber insurance, which is above and beyond their errors and omissions policy.

“I do whatever I can to ensure cybersecurity,” one respondent said. “I try not to talk to unusual phone calls regarding internet network security, or give access to my computer to potential hackers.”

74% do not have cyber insurance

Most Critical Cybersecurity Issues

Do you know your broker’s cybersecurity policy?

YES - 54%

2 Computer Viruses/ Malware

1 Wire Fraud

3 Identity Theft

4 Email/Social Media Best Practices

NO - 19% DON’T KNOW - 27%

5 Cryptocurrency

How do you communicate your/your brokerage’s cybersecurity policy to clients?

Top Cybersecurity Practices

86%

71%

Update antivirus software

Back up data often

56% Change passwords regularly

of brokers provide agents with cybersecurity education/training

49%

53% Use a secure e-signature solution

53% Email

42%

28%

Physical Documentation

Website

NO

Are you aware of your state’s laws regarding data privacy/storage? ©

48%YES

52%

Copyright 2018 RISMedia. All Rights Reserved.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 41

Turn Open House Leads Into help convert the lead.

High-Volume Pipelines and FOCUS ON GETTING AP4.

POINTMENTS during the open house.

You have a 90 percent greatFuture Sales er chance of getting a yes to an apby Sherri Johnson

I

t’s officially open house season, and truly the best opportunity for your agents to fill their pipeline of listing and buyer leads.

Sunday is notoriously known as “real estate day” in every city in the country. Look at the open house as the best, free leadgenerating system to be in front of potential buyers and sellers and create new business.

Use these five strategies to help coach and train your agents on how to maximize open houses, and create listings and sales:

1.

PICK THE RIGHT HOUSE to hold open that will have a move-up buyer who also has a house to list.

This way, you’re getting two sales out of each client. Also, pick the price point that’s in the highest demand— that’s where all the buyers will show up every week, creating more leads.

2.

PREPARE the open house in advance. If you prepare well for an open house, you can drive

more traffic to it. Post it online up to three weeks in advance to create urgency and showings before the open house. Invite the neighbors with a phone call and postcard. Run a boosted Facebook ad targeted to buyers.

3.

OFFER VALUE during the open house. The agent who provides the most value gets hired, plain and simple. Offer a homebuyer guide or packet of information branded to you. Include information about mortgages, home inspections and steps in the buying process.

Also, add value in what you say to

pointment if you ask right then. Add value by offering to assist them before they put the house on the market. Letting prospects know you can save them time and money is one of my favorite value-adds. Remember, you’re just starting the relationship; you’re not going to go over their house to list it.

5.

WATCH MY WEBINAR, “How to Make $50K at Your Next Open House.” This webinar makes for your next in-office lunch-and-learn or special training session to share proven strategies with new or experienced agents. My entire strategy shows agents how to properly prepare, plan and execute the 2 - 3 most profitable hours of their week. Email yourock@ sherrijohnson.com to receive a free link to this priceless webinar. Your agents will have immediate results, and approach open houses with a new mindset to convert more leads into listings and sales in the next 6 12 months. RE Sherri Johnson, CEO & founder of Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting, is a national leader offering world-class real estate keynotes, consulting and coaching while delivering accelerated results. She boasts a distinguished 20 years of experience as a top agent and executive of a Top 3 National brokerage. She has recruited, trained and coached thousands of agents, and was responsible for leading over 700 real estate agents and over $1.6 billion in annual sales volume.

Johnson’s relevant, real-life and proven strategies, coupled with her high energy, produce immediate results and can triple your income regardless of your current production. Johnson is the national speaker for Homes.com for its Secrets of Top Selling Agents national tour.

Contact coaching@sherrijohnson. com or 844-989-2600 (toll-free) or visit www.sherrijohnson.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 43

OMAR

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INDEPENDENT REAL ESTATE AGENT

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Offers a collaborative approach, focusing on driving productivity Creates actionable leads for agents with the innovative Zap® platform Top ranked learning program focuses on tech resources and consumer engagement

At ERA, our best-in-class resources, tech tools and shared expertise empower affiliated agents to grow their business their way.

ExploreERA.com © 2018 ERA Franchise Systems LLC. A Realogy Company. All Rights Reserved. ERA Franchise Systems LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. ERA and the ERA logo are registered service marks owned by ERA Franchise Systems LLC. As an independent contractor sales associate affiliated with an ERA® franchise office, you have a variety of resources, tools, technologies and educational opportunities available to you. The ERA educational materials, programs, or meetings which may contain suggestions and best practices are not mandatory. Nothing in this document is intended to create an employment relationship. Note: This document may contain suggestions and best practices with regard to specific issues you may encounter for you to use at your discretion.

Blockchain Won’t Make Real Estate Agents Obsolete Commentary by Desirée Patno

B

lockchain is an emerging technology that’s impacting the way industries conduct business, especially real estate. Not much is known about blockchain among the general public besides its association with bitcoin. While real estate professionals should pay attention to this new trend—as it will significantly change transactions and data sharing—it will not make their careers obsolete. Agents have the invaluable ability to build relationships and empathy, which are pivotal to success in the industry. Blockchain is merely a helpful addition to their toolbox.

Blockchain is a series of computers, ranging from thousands to millions in number, which are able to simultaneously keep record of the same event or transaction in a ledger that’s publicly viewable. Bitcoin is an application of blockchain. The transaction of buying bitcoin with cash is witnessed by these computers, validating a person’s ownership of the bitcoin when attempting to sell the bitcoin for cash later.

The benefits of blockchain technology are tenfold, and it can be applied for any process that involves a trans-

action, record-keeping or agreement.

First, it keeps sensitive information safe: each record is encrypted and the ledger is difficult, if not impossible, to hack. Second, every computer’s record provides a consensus of the validity of any transaction. Third, blockchain allows two or more parties to engage in a transaction without the need of a middleman.

In terms of real estate, blockchain will make property data more secure and accessible to the public, in addition to making transactions efficient and safe. This increases the accessi-

bility of data integral to home-buying and -selling—and ensures independent industries are held accountable for sound business practices.

The Multiple Listing Service (MLS)—used to store information regarding clients, contracts, and more—is not centralized, difficult to access and often out-of-date. With blockchain, a nationwide database can be created, offering centralized and accessible property information.

Blockchain will drive an increase in smart contracts, which allows contracts, escrows, property records and more to be completed—and financial transactions to occur without the need of title companies or attorneys. Forbes analysts predict that the home-buying and -selling process might become as easy as using a shopping cart on a website. Blockchain has the capacity to ensure the homebuyer receives the deed or title, while the seller takes home the profit through cryptocurrency.

Some fear that these changes will make certain real estate professions unnecessary, but this is false. Real estate agents are still an integral part of the home-buying process as a dependable source of knowledge, advice and emotional support for clients during this important decision.

Agents are adept at handling hiccups in the buying process, such as when a client suffers a traumatic loss, loses their job or gets cold feet.

As human beings, they can relate to these troubles and provide practical solutions, while computers cannot.

Blockchain isn’t a replacement for real estate professionals; it’s a helpful tool for ensuring easy and secure transactions and data-sharing. RE Desirée Patno is president and CEO of the National Association of Women in Real Estate Businesses (NAWRB). For more information, please visit www.nawrb.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 45

Tackling the Technology Challenge Brokers Reveal What Works—and Why—at RISMedia Panel During NAR Broker Summit

by Maria Patterson

I

n the fast-moving world of technology, knowing what’s worth the investment—and what your agents will actually use—is an ongoing challenge for brokers and managers. During a recent session at the National Association of REALTORS®Broker Summit in Nashville, Tenn., RISMedia Founder and CEO John Featherston led a panel discussion with three leading brokers to find out how they uncover and implement the best possible technology solutions for their agents.

46 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Featherston opened up the discussion with advice for a sold-out crowd of 250 that pertained to not only technology efforts, but all aspects of the real estate business. “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out, and also enthusiasm,” he said. “Nothing great happens without enthusiasm and a belief in yourself—that’s what helps you get people into homeownership every day.”

The panelists who participated in “Adopting the Right Technology for Your Company” were: Christina Pappas, district sales manager for The Keyes Company, based in

Miami, Fla.; JP Piccinini, CEO and founder, JP and Associ- ates that if they see something cool to tell us about it—if ates REALTORS®, based in Dallas, Texas; and Rebecca they’re looking at it, someone else is. I spend two days Thomson of Thomson Real Estate Group, formerly with a month with the director of Technology, demo-ing products. We allow any associate to jump @properties, in Chicago, Ill. Heading up firms from different regions with “You have to separate on these calls, too.”

Piccinini also has technology built different approaches toward operatthe pretenders from the into the identity of the firm. “For ing their respective businesses, the panelists shared a variety of stratecontenders. Technology us, it’s our culture,” he said. “We’re gies for scouting out and maximizing to be a very tech-driven brohas to produce for you. known kerage, and we probably turn down the best technology.

One of Piccinini’s secret weapons, Whenever you launch any half the people we interview if they’re for example, is a simple one. “Ask new platform, you have to not tech-savvy enough. They have to have the mentality that they can do your kids—they’ll be ahead of the expect a return on your it—that it’s not going to hinder them.” curve,” he said. He also relies on a investment. Otherwise, Thomson also emphasized that it’s much more formal approach when it not just good enough to be a tech-focomes to evaluating new technology. trash it and move on. cused brokerage, but to be first to the “You have to separate the pretendDon’t have paralysis by table with new technology. “None of ers from the contenders. Technology analysis.” has to produce for you. Whenever you us can say that technology isn’t part launch any new platform, you have to of our business,” she explained. “It’s – JP PICCININI expect a return on your investment. about trying to get there first. If you CEO and Founder, JP and Associates REALTORS® Otherwise, trash it and move on. can be the first broker to adopt a new Don’t have paralysis by analysis.” tool, that can be your recruiting edge.

Thomson warned brokers to stay Agents want what they can’t have away from shiny object syndrome, a common occurrence somewhere else, so try to lock it in as an exclusive.” when it comes to new technology. “Brokers fall into the same trap,” she explained. “There are so many things Featherston also asked the panel to share some we can spend money on, but not everything is necessary. of their favorite technology programs. Here were The first step is to figure out, ‘How is this going to benefit some of their top choices: us?’ Then beta-test, then roll it out. Then, communicate that everyone has to be on board with the same platThomson: form.”

- Remine, data mining and predictive analytics “We always jump into what’s next, what’s cool,” agreed Pappas. “But you have to sit down and look at your busi- Adwerx, targeted ad program ness and ask, ‘What is the problem I’m having, and is - Konverse, an enterprise communication app for there a technology to fix it?’” According to Pappas, any agents and employees—one hub that houses technology a brokerage brings in should either fix or ease training, scheduling, vendor connections, etc. a problem or process, and/or drive business; if it doesn’t do one of those three things, she doesn’t consider it.

Piccinini: And even after a broker does his or her due diligence - Targeting custom audiences through Facebook on choosing a technology to bring into the fold, it’s far - Slydial, allows you to call and leave a message from a given that every agent will use that technology… without a phone ringing nor, in fact, should they. As Pappas said, at her firm of 3,500 sales associates, “Not everything is going to fit - ODASI, a custom-built app, designed to provide everyone, and that’s okay.” Instead, beta-test technology on-demand agent services where busy agents with the group that it best suits, such as teams, top procan hire less-busy agents for a variety of tasks ducers or the bottom one-third, for example.

When it comes to successful adoption of technology Pappas: among agents, panelists agreed that it must be built into - RealScout, helps buyers more effectively enthe DNA of the brokerage. At The Keyes Company, for exgage with agents ample, Pappas enlists agents in the process of scouting kvCORE transaction management, database out new technology. management, CRM platform RE “There are a lot of great associates who want to help grow your business,” she explained. “We tell our associRISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 47

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A Culture-Infused Brand Commentary by David King

I

t seems that in order to operate a successful company in 2018, you must have and talk about your great company culture, constantly. It’s the No. 1 corporate buzzword these days. We all know that today’s shopper is more educated than ever before, thanks to the digital environment and, of course, Amazon. I also believe that employees are now more aware of what goes on behind the curtain—and aren’t willing to be tied with a company that isn’t looking out for their best interests. While most experts are crediting the millennial generation for this uprising, I believe that the general awareness of today’s workforce, regardless of age, is going through a transformation. They’re tired of being taken advantage of, and are no longer willing to put up with the same old corporate culture of yesterday.

Coolture (Cool + Culture) I love branding. For me, that word is all-encompassing with who you are as a company. If you’re not careful and thoughtful about your company’s brand, you can quickly fall and lose everything you’ve worked for. Of course, having a great brand means having a slick website, great aesthetic, cool swag/apparel, etc. But for me, a great brand goes so much deeper than what you see on the surface. Do you truly care for your employees? Do you treat them with

respect? Are you providing them with a career path—with goals and objectives? That doesn’t mean that every employee needs to get a promotion during their next review, but do they honestly love what they do and who they do it for? Do they leave work at the end of the day without feeling defeated? That should be your goal as an employer.

In my short time at Realty ONE Group, I’ve had the opportunity to experience their “COOLTURE.” Before joining the organization, I was unsure if the term was just a tagline or a clever play on words in order to compete with every other company talking about their culture and why they think theirs is unique. I’ve been pleasantly surprised. When our founder, Kuba Jewgieniew, says that everyone matters, he means it. He truly cares for his employees and agonizes over every small detail that goes into making his company a better, more enjoyable and rewarding place for his employees to work.

He treats everyone with respect. He truly wants each person to succeed, both at work and in their personal lives.

At Realty ONE Group, our goal is for our culture to change. We want to improve upon it constantly. We want to add, change and/or tweak wherever we see room to make it better. Our coolture is what separates us from the pack. It’s what attracts new real estate professionals to join our ONE family. Just this past quarter, we opened 24 offices and expanded into five new states. Over 300 new real estate professionals joined our company, and our hope is that they not only love our coolture, but that they embrace and become part of it. RE David King is the chief brand officer of Realty ONE Group. To learn more about Realty ONE Group’s coolture, services, support and coaching programs, please visit www.RealtyONEGroup.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 49

POWER Here’s to You. You’ve built a successful business.

But it can be challenging on your own.

Leads

Recruiting

Welcome to We. The better solution, like everything Weichert,® begins with We. Through sharing and plugging into a proven system, we can do more together.

Sales & Business Marketing Management

Together We can do more. Visit weichertfranchise.com. © 2018 Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. 225 Littleton Rd. Morris Plains, NJ 07950. Weichert® is a registered trademark of Weichert Co. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a Member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. Each franchisee’s results may vary. We do not make any representation about a franchisee’s future financial performance or the past financial performance of company-owned or franchised outlets. This advertising is not an offering. An offering can only be made through a Franchise Disclosure Document and in states where authorized. If you are currently a member of another franchise organization, please disregard. In New York State, an offering can only be made by a prospectus filed first with the Department of Law of the State of New York. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law. This offering is registered in Minnesota under registration No. F-5056.

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{Strategies} Going Above and Beyond for Buyers and Sellers Alike AMERICAN HOME SHIELD®(AHS®) HOME WARRANTIES A MUST-HAVE IN TODAY’S REAL ESTATE ENVIRONMENT

by Keith Loria

W

ith more than three decades of experience under his belt, including thousands of transactions and hundreds of millions of dollars of production, Anthony Sampair—branch vice president with Coldwell Banker Burnet in Eagan, Minn.—is well-versed when it comes to the tools that help his clients.

That’s why he’s championed American Home Shield® (AHS®) since first utilizing the warranty service in 2000.

“Someone once noted that you can get a house inspected for $250 - $300, and if something goes wrong, you’re still paying for it. But, if you buy a home warranty, you protect your budget against breakdowns of the covered system components and appliances,” says Sampair, of a comment that still resonates with him today.

“Though inspections are important—and the inspection community has gotten much better than when we first started using inspectors—it’s still a valid statement.”

Plus, Sampair notes that clients are very satisfied when the home warranty comes into play—and satisfied

clients translate to happy customers and referrals.

“When an AHS home warranty is enrolled at the time of listing a home—or prior to the inspection—and something comes up during the inspection, often, it can be covered without turning into a deal-breaker,” says Sampair.

In Sampair’s view, an AHS home warranty plan is a small price to pay for the comfort of knowing your budget is protected against covered breakdowns, and, compared to all the closing costs, the best value a buyer or seller can rely on.

“We continually educate customers on the benefits of the home warranty, providing relevant examples and instances where it may be beneficial, such as AC coverage,” says Sampair. “When a seller hasn’t been using the AC during the winter months, and a sale occurs that includes AHS home warranty coverage, it provides a sense of comfort to the new homeowner. He knows that when he turns on the AC for the first time—which could be several months after the closing—if a covered failure occurs, it will be taken care of.”

Sampair is also impressed with the level of service the AHS team provides.

“Our local service representative, Tami Tushie, helps in every aspect of providing service,” concludes Sampair.

“Whether it’s training agents, providing customer service assistance to our clients or following up with contractors and homeowners, she’s truly fantastic.”

For more information, please visit www.ahs.com/realestate.

“When an AHS home warranty is enrolled at the time of listing a home—or prior to the inspection—and something comes up during the inspection, often, it can be covered without turning into a deal-breaker.”

- ANTHONY SAMPAIR Branch Vice President, Coldwell Banker Burnet

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 51

A Collaborative and Connected Environment CLAREITY DASH! CONNECTS THE DOTS BY GETTING AGENTS ON THE SAME PAGE

by Barbara Pronin

C

ory Kammerdiener was a nuclear engineer for the military for 14 years before he got into real estate. Looking for ways to improve message trafficking as far back as 1993, he was among the first wave of information-seekers to investigate—and utilize—the best properties of a budding internet.

So, it stands to reason that, as broker/owner of NewHomePrograms.com for the past 14 years, his goal was to make best use of today’s technology to improve his company’s office systems—and make life easier for his agents.

“We operate from offices in four Texas cities (Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio) and two in Florida (Tampa and Orlando),” says Kammerdiener. “We very much wanted to have all our software programs and other brokerage tools and resources on a single platform that was readily available and easy to use for our 57 widely dispersed agents.”

A sales rep introduced him to the Clareity®single signon (SSO) dashboard, known more familiarly to users as DASH!™, which centralizes a company’s diverse tools and resources. Originally designed for associations and MLSs, the customizable broker version enables agents to go to a single place to find their MLS, CMA, lockbox, marketing tools, training resources, internal communications, and more—without ever having to log out of one site and log into another.

“One sign-in, one password,” says Kammerdiener.

“It’s great for our team, and it’s an amazing resource when onboarding new agents. They can go to one place, open the browser and explore everything we offer as a company.”

Having all the tools on one back-end platform also allows Kammerdiener to organize resources and automate tasks. “It’s a morale booster for agents to be able to access everything with a single password,” he adds.

“They can pull credit for a lease agreement, do a background check and even create a new marketing site by just going to one website,” he notes.

DASH! is also a great recruiting tool.

“Potential recruits are impressed with the ease and thoroughness of the Clareity DASH! solution,” says Kam52 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

merdiener. “They can see at a glance the many programs and resources we make available to our agents, and how easy it is to complete a variety of tasks.

“The DASH! Platform is especially beneficial to companies that operate in multiple cities and do business with a number of different associations and MLSs,” explains Kammerdiener, “because it helps create a more collaborative and connected environment for all agents and administrators, no matter where they’re located.

“I recommend the system without reservation,” concludes Kammerdiener.

For more information, please visit www.clareity.com. © 2018 CoreLogic, Inc. All rights reserved.

CORELOGIC, the CoreLogic logo, CLAREITY, and DASH! are trademarks of CoreLogic, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Boost Referrals and Support Your Clients QUICKEN LOANS’ STRESS-FREE UNDERWRITING COVERS ALL THE BASES

by Zoe Eisenberg

M

ario Gonzalez is no stranger to real estate success. A broker partner with Carbonado Real Estate, Gonzalez has been working in the housing industry

“I was immediately impressed by the efficiency and knowledge of both the Home Loan Expert and the processors. I was blown away by the fact that I could easily reach both after-hours and over the weekend.”

- MARIO GONZALEZ Broker Partner, Carbonado Real Estate

since 2001. In 2017, he began using one of the largest mortgage lenders in the U.S., Quicken Loans, to assist his clients with confidently obtaining a mortgage. Immediately, he saw his business soar, from client support, to stress minimization, to negotiations and even increased client referrals.

Gonzalez was introduced to Quicken Loans by a client.

“Originally, I was very skeptical, thinking that my clients might be treated as ‘one-size-fits-all,’” notes Gonzalez.

After his first transaction with Quicken Loans, Gonzalez’s skepticism was quickly diminished, and he knew he’d found a game changer. “I was immediately impressed by the efficiency and knowledge of both the Home Loan Expert and the processors. I was blown away by the fact that I could easily reach both the Home Loan Expert and the processors after-hours and over the weekend.” Gonzalez explains that the staff at Quicken Loans is much more accessible than the loan officers working in small mortgage companies he had worked with prior.

In fact, it’s this superior support that Gonzalez finds most impressive. During the underwriting process, Quicken Loans sends Gonzalez and his clients regular updates, even offering a smartphone app (Agent Insight) so users can upload documents with ease and while on-the-go. “Suddenly, the anxiety and stress over the loan underwriting is the one thing that’s missing from my transactions, freeing my clients and myself from 80 percent of the transaction stress.”

Working with Quicken Loans’ team gives Gonzalez an edge when it comes to negotiation. Recalling one nego-

tiation win, Gonzalez says: “We had underwriting and appraisal done within 10 days, and, as such, renegotiated a $6,000 credit on an ‘as-is’ purchase that we had already negotiated a $10,000 reduction in price. We had the upper hand of professionalism that overwhelmed both the seller and the listing agent—all of this with very competitive interest rates and lender fees.”

Quicken Loans offers such speedy support for Gonzalez’s clients that he’s seen a spike in his client referrals and repeat business since he began working with them.

“My clients rave praises to family and friends who are amazed at such positive experiences.”

Another boon for Gonzalez is Quicken Loans’ dedicated multilingual team, especially their Spanishspeaking team of Home Loan Experts, Market Managers and other supportives. “I love the multi-language team of Market Managers,” says Gonzalez, pointing out that not all words or expressions are truly available in all languages. And even when his Spanishspeaking clients also speak perfect English, they still appreciate being able to communicate in their first language. “The mere thoughtfulness of providing a dedicated bilingual mortgage process means so much to my clients. My bilingual clients are further assured that their best interest is top-of-mind, and a thought or idea is expressed to them in both Spanish and English to ensure total understanding.”

For Gonzalez, Quicken Loans also helps him present himself as the best possible real estate professional he can be. “Lenders such as Quicken Loans help us with both our REALTOR® image, as well as providing our clients the very best version of the real estate industry.” RE

For more information, please visit www.RealEstate.QuickenLoans.com or call 866-718-9842.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 53

Providing Value in a Competitive Market

by Paige Tepping

Realtors Property Resource® (RPR®) a key piece of the puzzle for powerhouse brokerage

F

or Helen Hanna Casey, CEO of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services (No. 4 in sales volume in RISMedia’s 2018 Power Broker Report), providing value is the name of the game for staying ahead of the competition. And she must be doing something right, as the brokerage—sitting at 214 offices and 7,154 agents—continues to grow in size and scope.

54 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“We’re firm believers in the notion that people are with at her fingertips, Casey notes that it’s the RPR Broker us because they think we add value,” says Casey. One Tool Set (BTS) that drives value across Howard Hanna way they do just that is through their longstanding rela- on a daily basis. tionship with Realtors Property Resource® (RPR®) , the Nearly 7,200 broker/owners and managers have ennation’s largest real estate data and reporting website rolled in RPR’s Broker Tool Set. The program includes offered exclusively to REALTORS®. RPR serves as a one- five unique assets used to widen their organization’s stop shop for real estate professionals, with public re- sphere of influence through a variety of branding initiacords and listing information, neighborhood and school tives, timely market data, and a consumer-facing AVM data, transaction histories, photos, rewidget. As one of the most-used BTS “We’ve been using RPR branding options, brokerages can inports, and more.

“From my vantage point, RPR has since its inception. clude up to five custom pages into RPR reports in addition to their individual been incredibly helpful, as it gives me From the time their brand. Another popular feature allows access to data from other markets so I can see and understand what’s hapteam came out to talk program participants to use the RPR pening in specific areas,” says Casey, and reports to promote ancilto our management website lary services such as mortgage, title, underscoring just how important RPR’s team and showed us home warranty, insurance and other Market Data tool is to her day-to-day workflow. The tool allows Casey to crewhat they thought the service companies. ate customized market activity reports Over 90 percent of broker/owners future could be, we and managers say company branding that include productivity, listings, sales, and marketshare metrics. She can also were big believers.” is the most valuable of the assets offered in the BTS. The feature allows a compile stats across multiple MLSs for – HELEN HANNA CASEY brokerage to customize RPR to reflect a true picture of the company’s perCEO, formance, comparing company ofHoward Hanna Real its brand on its website, app and RPR fices to one another, and against Estate Services reports. the market.

“The branding that our sales associates use for their presentations is key,” “The research I can conduct says Casey. “It’s all been done for us, within RPR isn’t something I can so our associates don’t have to brand/ simply hop online and do,” adds rebrand material. It also ensures consistency as our Casey, who explains that the RPR brokerage continues to grow and new sales associates platform is something she had to get her hands on, fueling her decision to bring RPR into the come on board.”

Howard Hanna also uses the RPR AVM widget on its mix from the get-go.

“We’ve been using RPR since its inception,” says website. Casey says it’s been a boon for increasing trafCasey. “From the time their team came out to talk to our fic to www.howardhanna.com, where visitors can find out management team and showed us what they thought the what their home is worth by entering a street address. future could be, we were big believers.” In fact, according “Once an address is entered, two valuations are providto Casey, the decision to sign on to be branded with RPR ed,” says Casey, who notes that RPR’s Realtors Valuation Model® (RVM®) is traditionally the more accurate of the was an easy one.

But what really caught Casey’s attention was that the two.

“What’s being offered right now is great,” says Casey.

RPR platform was comprehensive without being overwhelming. “It’s a REALTOR® product, rather than some- “You have to take the time to look at the platform, see thing designed by people that don’t do what we do every the capabilities that are there, and play with it yourself, day, and it’s geared toward the interest of sales associ- as this is the only way you can find out how it works for ates and their needs,” adds Casey, making it a central you.” RE component in the firm’s continued success.

While she can’t say enough about the data that sits For more information, please visit www.narrpr.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 55

Home-Buying Millennials Face Fresh Set of Struggles

by Suzanne De Vita

A

cross ages, buyers are contending with a frenzied market— but for millennials, the challenges are different than in generations past, according to a new report by Trulia.

An astounding 98 percent of homebuying millennials surveyed for the report are being kept out of the market, with barriers including credit (cited by 26 percent of millennials), a down payment (31 percent) and prices (40 percent).

Given the hurdles, millennials are compromising on their wants: 84 percent, for example, would give up a feature in their home so that they could buy in their desired location, the report reveals. (The No. 1 dowithout feature? A garage, followed by a kitchen that has been updated.)

By comparison, just 25 percent of boomer buyers and 35 percent of Gen Xers would do the same. Strikingly, 24 percent of millennials would accept a higher crime rate in exchange for their ideal property.

The majority of millennials (89 percent), similarly, would give up a feature of their neighborhood so that they could buy their desired home, like activities (e.g., block parties), good schools and proximity to restaurants and shops. Only 15 percent

of boomers and 22 percent of Gen Xers would follow suit.

“For millennials, the dream of homeownership is alive and well, but with prices going up and inventory continuing to shrink, this new generation of buyers is facing more obstacles than any other demographic,” says Cheryl Young, senior economist at Trulia. “With tight budgets and fewer choices on the market, most millennials are forced to make tradeoffs, and are more willing than other generations to give up home and neighborhood features in order to find their ideal home.”

Aside from the concessions, many millennials are having to put off their search, the report shows. More than three-quarters (79 percent) have delayed their plans to purchase—a higher rate than both boomers (48 percent) and Gen Xers (64 percent).

Across generations, however, the obstacles overlap: a not-so-distant 32 percent of Gen Xers and 36 percent of millennials delayed due to down payment, and an almost-identical 26

percent of Gen Xers and 27 percent of millennials held off due to prices.

Beyond costs, millennials are postponing a purchase for fear of “not having a stable job”—a byproduct of coming up in the recession. Debt, however, is less of a roadblock; just 9 percent of millennials say student loans are stopping them.

Despite the hurdles, 86 percent of millennials are planning to purchase, and, of those, 35 percent are aiming to do so in the next year, and 57 percent are hoping to in the next two years, according to the report.

“In markets where the economy and job growth are thriving, we may see some of these financial challenges start to dissipate as millennials mature into their careers,” Young says. “If anything, millennials can hold out hope that the encouraging housing starts we saw in 2017 can lead to some relief in the starter home segment.” RE For more information, please visit www.trulia.com.

Suzanne De Vita is RISMedia’s online news editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at sdevita@rismedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 57

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Excellence Stems From Professional Development for Reliant Realty ERA Powered

by Zoe Eisenberg

T

he heartland of Tennessee is a tapestry of small-town charm and a sleek city buzz that’s humming to a country music melody.

For Reliant Realty ERA Powered, a prominent company in the ERA network, the vibrant landscape is the real estate promised land for growth.

In 2004, Casey Brown started Reliant Realty with minimal resources in a South Nashville mall, piecing together the essentials to support a team of dedicated agents.

“We were starting all the right conversations and created a foundation to encourage incredible growth,” says Brown, “and we learned quickly the importance of being able to adapt.

We survived the economic downturn in 2007 and forged ahead once we gained ERA’s support. We had the space to redefine our identity, take a closer look at our core values and really understand our full potential.”

After becoming an ERA Powered company in 2016, the company’s business model transformed, with a strong focus on professional development.

“It’s not always easy to differentiate yourself from the pack, but the training programs and educational

resources we have are the fundamental elements that make us a competitor at the national level.”

Weekly training opportunities for brokers and agents have resulted in a 40-percent boost in volume production per agent. In 2017, the firm completed nearly 4,200 transactions totaling approximately $1.22 billion in value.

“Reliant ERA Powered is the definition of resourceful. They know how to utilize every tool in the box to leverage their relationships and keep people coming back,” says Simon Chen, president and CEO of ERA Real Estate. “Take Zap®, for example; it’s our technology that fuels lead generation, and it doubles as a time-saver. Casey recognizes that by embracing this

technology, it helps his team thrive in other areas, as well.”

“That type of support, backed by tools that really work, is key. And that’s why being part of the ERA family was a no-brainer,” says Brown.

“This is a relationship business, but in order to maintain quality relationships, you need a reliable way to connect—and technology is how we do that.”

Middle Tennessee offers a diverse portfolio of properties, from trendy townhomes and urban living to luxurious condominiums. In a region that has no state income tax, the company is challenged with what can be an overwhelming increase in demand—but the firm’s answer to a steady population increase is quality over quantity.

“We’re successful because we’re remembering our core values, not because we’re just adding a bunch of people to our team,” says Brown.

“We have five amazing principal brokers and a senior leadership team and support staff that’s second to none. With a team like that, in addition to the support of ERA, we can stay true to our philosophy and continue to implement the right training, services and tools to address a high demand. We can be the best of the best, and our clients appreciate that.”

Brown also credits the firm’s success to ERA’s approach as a collaborative brand. He networks with other firm owners across the nation on a daily basis, and believes that having a space to share ideas and dialogue is priceless.

“We’re the first in our market to show the ERA brand’s value, and now we’re ready to share that with others through stronger mergers and acquisitions with their support.” RE For more information, please visit www.era.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 59

EXPAND YOUR NETWORK With over 15,000 members in 37 chapters across the US and Canada, AREAA is the largest Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) trade organization in North America. As a member, you’ll receive discounted pricing to all AREAA events, FREE webinar training to help fine-tune your skill sets, and be able to participate in International Trade missions.

Find out more about AREAA or join the AREAA family at areaa.org

E M P O W E R • E D U C AT E • E X PA N D

{Power Teams}

Simplifying the Team Concept

by Verl Workman

ize in those activities. He also suggested that it’s okay to pay top dollar to outsource projects and get them done correctly, rather than find the cheapest solution for your problem.

Here are three simple things everyone can do to create leverage:

B

uilding a team can seem like a daunting task, especially when you consider all the variables involved.

This includes everything from hiring, compensation, culture and training, in addition to whether or not you’ll be able to generate enough business to feed the beast you’re about to build.

5 6

hen you’re with family and W friends, are you on the phone with clients?

7

Are you coachable?

But it doesn’t have to be that hard.

Here are seven simple questions to ask yourself to determine if it’s time to look at building a team:

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should consider creating leverage in your business.

Leverage is created by automating your systems and processes with great technology, then outsourcing or hiring people to do the tasks that free you up to focus on higher ROT (return on time) activities.

In a recent session with my coach when discussing some of the challenges of growth, I described my issues related to having more business than I can handle. His advice was simple and profound. He told me that I either have to hire people and train them to do the tasks I want done, or I have to outsource projects to companies that special-

1 2

o you feel that you need D more time for family, friends and clients?

re you failing to follow A up on B and C leads simply because you can’t handle the business?

3 4

o you pride yourself on D delivering exceptional service to your clients? re you spending more than 10 A hours a week doing tasks that don’t create any new business?

o you wonder how agents D who aren’t as professional, caring or experienced are earning more and seem to have more free time?

1

ire a part-time assistant to H take care of managing transactions, marketing, and putting up signs and building flyers.

Take the time to train them in AMP (Admin Mastery Program), as well.

2

I dentify a virtual assistant to manage transactions from contract to close. You should be willing to pay $250 - $350 per transaction for this service.

3

ind one or two agents in your F office that would like to earn some extra money and hire them as showing assistants.

Pay them $20 - $25 per hour to show homes to clients you have buyer agreements with— and cap their pay at 20 hours.

This will cost you $500 max per buyer, allowing you to keep the client, write the offer and negotiate the contract.

By choosing two of these items, you will find 20 - 30 hours a week that will allow you to focus on the more important things in your life, such as being present with family and friends, and, of course, prospecting for more listings. Imagine what your business and income would look like if you actually had time to focus on money-making activities every day.

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@WorkmanSuccessSystems.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 61

{Power Teams} Don’t Be Limited

by Your Greatness

by Cleve Gaddis

E

ver feel like you work too much?

Miss important family events?

Like you should be home when working, and working when home? Like you’re always playing catch-up and never quite get ahead? Have you ever thought about growing a team in an effort to create more balance in your life, or hired an administrative assistant or buyer’s agent, only to have the effort go down in flames (and get on your last nerve in the process)?

You’re not alone. This story repeats itself with thousands of real estate agents each year. They can’t get off the never-ending real estate treadmill because they think their customers demand to only work with them.

Sorry to deflate the egos of these agents, but there are plenty of other people who deliver service that’s equal to or better than you.

Let’s be real. Selling a home isn’t rocket science. You don’t need a master’s degree or special training.

It’s actually pretty simple. Coming to grips with this is the first step to creating balance in your life.

It’s not too late to create a new reality, one where you’re able to have a life worth living and a business worth owning. The first step in achieving this reality is to create leverage by hiring both an administrative assistant and buyer’s agent.

Here are my five tips for hiring to fill these positions:

62 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

1. Hire an assistant (client care coordinator). This person should do everything you aren’t absolutely required to do yourself. They should handle nearly all phone calls, listing/marketing/closing activities, in addition to personal things like having your car washed and picking up your dry cleaning.

2. Don’t give up just because it’s hard. When you hire someone, don’t expect them to know exactly what to do at the outset.

You’ll need to spend scheduled time each week to teach them what to do to support you best. Give them the time and the opportunity to succeed.

3. Create systems for everything. Every activity that occurs three or more times needs to have a written system outlining the process. You’ll need to avoid the temptation to jump in and do it yourself instead of writing the system down, because once it’s written, you might not ever have to do the activity again. Let this be your motivation.

4. Hire a buyer’s agent. If you truly want to create leverage and a balanced life, you can’t work with buyers anymore because it’s simply too time-consuming. Spend the

time to hire someone good, then train them as well as you trained your assistant. If you don’t know what to teach them, begin with what made you successful.

5. Let them do their own jobs.

Don’t jump in and do work for your team members. Instead, let them do things on their own before giving them advice and guidance based on the quality of the completed tasks. Give them the opportunity to learn and improve.

If you’d like a couple tools to help with the list above, email me at Cleve@GoGaddis.com and I’ll send you an outline of the system for hiring an assistant, as well as a tool for teaching a buyer’s agent how to categorize and successfully follow up with leads. These two systems should give you a great head start in systemizing. Just get started... you’ll be glad you did.

Cleve Gaddis is a master coach with Workman Success Systems and team leader with Gaddis Partners, RE/MAX Center in Atlanta. He learned sales the hard way, selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door, and now puts those skills to use in helping his team close $60 million annually. He loves to share his systems and strategies to help others succeed. He hosts the Call Cleve Atlanta Real Estate Show heard weekly on NewsTalk 1160 WCFO. Contact him at Cleve@GoGaddis.com.

{Power Teams} Leveraging Productivity With a HighPerformance Team

by Samantha Knoerr

H

ave you ever had one of those days where you wish you could clone yourself to get more done? How do you handle listing properties, negotiating contracts, prospecting for new business, showing homes to buyers and covering all the details, while factoring in time to grow your business—and still have time for yourself? The answer is… you can’t! The proven solution? Leveraging with a high-performance team.

To create a successful team, you must first identify the positions needed. Then, it’s all about hiring the right people and learning to let go. While team leaders have a hard time letting go because they feel as though no one can do things the way they do, or that everyone wants to work with them, the truth of the matter is that clients just want to be taken care of.

Chances are, someone else can do some tasks better than you.

When you create solid job descriptions and learn how to hire based on key competencies and behavioral styles specific to each position, you’re on your way to leveraging your success and theirs.

Your next step is to build operational excellence that will ensure that everyone clearly knows their role. This comes with establishing systems that monitor and

measure all team activities to keep the team at optimum performance. High-performing teams have high accountability and trackable measures in place, like the Daily Success Habits form.

This form helps the agent track their activities during the day to ensure that they’re focused on money-making activities. Another key form is entitled My Perfect Week, which helps team members schedule and prioritize their week with dollar-productive activities that then plug into daily habits for high productivity. With systems and clearly defined roles in place, the team leader can focus on the two highest money-making activities: business and people development.

When each team member has clearly defined responsibilities for their position, and for each company project, they’re on target to produce more sales at a higher level because everyone understands their function. To keep those action plans in place, a smart team leader implements checks and balances with a project management program called Agile. With the Agile Project Manager, efficiency is increased by not having to reinvent the wheel for various annual

activities.

The results are impressive when you harness the power of leveraging team productivity. Teams provide a higher standard of practice to stand out and enjoy increased referrals driven by their exceptional customer care from raving fans.

A team allows for members to enjoy greater life balance while being able to provide for their family with a higher profit level. With proper delegation and clear job duties, agents perform better, become lifelong employees, are less fatigued, and can show their love to the consumer. It’s a win/win for all.

A successful team concept creates a powerful domino effect like increased productivity, elevated customer care, life balance and endless opportunities.

Download a free copy of the Agent vs Closing Coordinator job duties summary here: workmansuccess.com/highperformanceteam.

Samantha Knoerr, a Workman Success Systems business consultant, is the chief operations officer to the Christy Buck Team with Infinity Real Estate Group in Houston, Texas. The team ranks in the Top 20 teams in the state, as well as the No. 1 team in the area since 2014. Knoerr has been in the business for 11 years and oversees every aspect of the company. Contact her at samantha@christybuckteam.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 63

{Power Teams} Creating Leverage Through Teamwork

by Rick Geha

I

f you’ve ever read one of my columns before, you’ll know that by the time this is published, I’ll have just celebrated my 38 th year selling homes. While I hired my first assistant 27 years ago—and have understood the power of leverage ever since—it’s important to remember that I’m standing on the shoulders of giants, as this wasn’t my idea.

Since 1991, when I learned from a real estate coach that taking one day off a week would allow me to get more done in six days than seven, the world has become more intent on honoring family, honoring time off, understanding priorities and values, and working to spend less time working without sacrificing the business and the money.

The old adage is that if you have lots of money, you have no time. If you have lots of time, you probably have no money (or not as much as you’d like). Let’s change that.

I’ve preached the fact that teamwork in real estate isn’t a fad, as have fellow coaches and other industry speakers. It’s a system.

Not only is it a way to handle the leads that come in, but also, a way to handle the things you don’t get paid to do—and a way to give the things you’re weak at to others who are more qualified. In addition, teams are the quintessential way to creating leverage so that everyone benefits.

64 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

The following points are what I consider to be vital when it comes to leveraging teamwork:

1. Find a coach experienced in understanding teamwork at a very high level. Make sure you do your homework to research their methods, their coaching ability, how they will hold you accountable and who their coach is.

2. Develop and stick to your core values. It’s also important to know the value propositions of your team. Remember, you’re the main value proposition, and your personal core values are the best place to start.

3. Know the true meaning of leverage. Even if you already have a team, you must understand the power of a job description and a suitable compensation program. Also, learn what it means to hire slowly and fire quickly.

4. Don’t believe everything you’ve heard. I’ve lost count of the number of professionals with excellent track records that have succumbed to the myths in real estate and, therefore, are running teams at a non-profit level. If you don’t truly believe that you’re worth working for, no one else will either.

5. If you skip No. 1 above, you can still find accountability partners. Who do you know that’s running a successful and profitable team? Take them to lunch and pick their brain. You’d be surprised by just how willing team members are to share.

6. Understand the different behavioral styles. Once you start to understand behavioral assessments at a high level, beginning with your own, you’ll be on the road to understanding how to start

surrounding yourself with a great team.

These six points will help you begin the marathon that’s involved with building a true business that’s not only run like a business, but also profitable like a business is intended. Working through these steps will get you to the point where you’re working on the business, not in it—but it all begins with investing in yourself.

Rick Geha of The Rick Geha Real Estate Team began his real estate career at age 22, and has been selling for over 36 years; he has run, managed or owned real estate offices for the past 23 years. His love of people and mentoring their passions has led him to a successful career as a speaker, trainer and coach. Over the past 15 years, he’s led more than 1,000 classes and workshops throughout the U.S. and Canada and has presented keynote addresses to thousands of professionals from all industries and walks of life.

Rick is proud to be someone who’s spent nearly three decades helping people worldwide discover and walk their path to personal freedom and is currently a coach with Workman Success Systems.

Contact him at Rick@RickGeha.com.

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{Power Teams}

Taking Charge of Delegation Editor’s Note: The following article is excerpted from RISMedia’s forthcoming 2018 Power Teams Guide to Forming and Running a Winning Agent Team. Stay tuned to RISMedia.com for more details.

by Liz Dominguez

L

eading a team requires a variety of skills, such as business expertise and managerial abilities. The most powerful?

Delegation. A successful team uses the strengths of its individual members in order to perform as a collective, seamless operation. There are many variables that team leaders need to work around before implementing a delegation strategy, including individual members’ personalities, skill levels and strengths, along with garnering team-wide support of the company’s pre-determined objectives and core values. Every team handles delegation differently, but the distribution of responsibilities is essential to running a successful business.

Creig Northrop, president and CEO of the Creig Northrop Team at Long & Foster Real Estate in Maryland, relies on delegation daily. With over 30 years of experience in real estate—18 of which have been spent on his team of currently 135 members, co-run with his wife, Carla—he’s aware of just how large a role delegation plays in the team structure.

“Delegation has helped immensely. It allows me to focus on what I’m best at and allows the experts on my team to do the same,” says Northrop. “I’m a ‘now person.’ That means I like to get back to my clients as quickly as possible. By delegating 68 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

some tasks, I can better focus on the needs of my clients. One person can’t do everything as well as a group of skilled experts can.”

Team leaders often get overloaded with tasks when they’re afraid to trust others with the responsibility.

This typically leads to the loss of important information or confusion in the shuffle to get everything done.

“Without delegation, other business tasks get in the way of my main areas of focus, which are my clients and growing the business,” says Northrop.

Alan Hoffman, broker/owner of HomeGate Realty of Reno, has worked in real estate for the past 30 years. Delegation has proved useful in his 11 years as a team leader of currently four members.

“Delegation has helped the business, the client and the bottom line in all facets,” says Hoffman. “There’s a responsibility to each other. Customer service is always five stars, and the client has the very best experience. It’s also increased our GCI by over 400 percent.”

An increase in business is the most common result derived from delegation because of how much time is saved, allowing team leaders to go on more appointments and lead-generate without interruption.

Rob Zwemmer, chief energizing officer of the Zwemmer Realty Group at Luxury Homes by Keller Williams, began his real estate career in 2005 as part of a team. In 2011, he formed his own team, hand-picking local REALTORS® that shared his vision, goals and work ethic. Currently, his team is made up of nine members, including support staff and marketing/creative specialists.

“My business has grown exponentially with the delegation of tasks and assignments carried out by my team members—it’s helped our business sales volume increase,” says Zwemmer, “…not to mention the valuable time saved that could be better spent generating leads, closing deals, etc. This has allowed me to have a personal family life and a business worth working and living for.”

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) recommends industry professionals consider the following when delegating: 8 Don’t expect everything to be done as you would do it. Instead, focus on the positive results.

8 Take learning curves into consideration when delegating and assigning deadlines.

8 Assign jobs based on skills and experience level.

8 Discuss workload to ensure you’re not overburdening your team.

8 If possible, delegate tasks that interest individual team members.

RE

Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s associate content editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at ldominguez@rismedia.com.

‘This Is Us’

Engel & Völkers Exchange 2018 Engel & Völkers Vancouver was awarded this year’s Engel & Völkers Cup, the brand’s highest honor, during its Awards Gala at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture.

I

n the modern real estate industry, new technology and business models have been prompting brands to mobilize in an attempt to stay relevant among an ever-evolving demographic of agents, homebuyers and sellers. This year alone, the industry has seen brands ultimately change who and what they are at the core—but Engel & Völkers declared it will not waver. It is, and will forever be, a real estate company.

This declaration was made at the company’s annual Exchange event, held this year in Seattle, Wash. Anthony Hitt, president and CEO of Engel & Völkers Americas, opened the event by highlighting 2017 as the company’s most successful year to date, both on an international level and certainly in the Americas, during a mainstage tête-à-tête with the global CEO of Engel & Völkers, Sven Odia.

A departure from last year’s event, which focused on new business models and technology, Hitt explained the intent behind the 2018 Exchange theme, ‘This Is Us.’ “Yes, it’s important we know what’s going on around us—we can’t be vulnerable or naive—but when we lose sight of our goals, our business and who we are, we lose,” said Hitt. “Our greatest competition is ourselves.

We won’t stop what we’re doing because someone else is doing something different, and lose track of our longterm vision. It won’t help us be what we want to be now, 70 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

by Paige Tepping

in five years, 10 years and beyond.

“That said, Engel & Völkers is not where we are today because of one person, one technology or a top producer…We’re at our best at this very moment because of each and every person in this network, and we will be better in the future because of the high caliber of individuals who have become part of our story. It’s ‘us’ who have made Engel & Völkers what it is.”

Just as real estate professionals must value their clients’ stories to help fulfill an important aspect of their lives, they must understand their own, and integrate the

Engel & Völkers network members having photo fun at Exchange 2018.

Engel & Völkers story for optimal results. This includes harnessing its modern approach to luxury, delivering consistently bespoke experiences, engaging with the brand’s collaborative global network and embracing its culture of leadership.

Nodding to Engel & Völkers’ European roots and reinforcing the company’s synergistic international makeup, network members from Madrid, Milan, Hamburg and the Balearic Islands participated in a panel led by Engel & Völkers Private Office Managing Director Constantin von Dalwigk, shedding light on the brand’s current worldwide positioning and regional nuances as it relates to real estate in other global markets.

Engel & Völkers also brought together industry movers and shakers to discuss the very real truths of the real estate industry needing to be malleable and pre-

Exchange attendees up and out of their seats during one of many dynamic mainstage presentations.

pared for ever-developing communities, technologies and clientele, including executive speakers from Zillow Group, the National Association of REALTORS® and the Asian Real Estate Association of America. Thought leaders from American Express Global Business Travel and Luxury Daily—as well as three unforgettable keynotes by Scott Stratten, founder of UnMarketing; Matthew Hussey, human dynamics coach; and Kirsty Spraggon, host of KirstyTV—challenged attendees to think differently about what piques the modern consumer’s interest, and what we must do to set ourselves apart while creating business attraction, providing nuanced experiences for our audiences and being courageous every step of the way.

Lastly, caring for the communities that Engel & Völkers serves is an inherent part of the network’s service DNA, and the brand was proud to welcome CEO of Special Olympics International Mary Davis and Special Olympics athlete Andy Bryant as honored guests at Exchange, sharing moving messages on the power of inclusion.

The value of Exchange continues, as it was also a hub for business-critical, bottom-line conversations that led to the development of leads and relationships with impact. The company recorded nearly a dozen in-network referrals having taken place at the event.

“Exchange displays a small representation of a greater network. It evokes a feeling of being part of an interconnected fabric of outstanding people—being part of a storied history that does not minimize its network’s achievements,” said Hitt.

Engel & Völkers took a moment in time to celebrate its strength, which will continue to lie in triumphing its story and people—what they call, ‘us.’ RE For more information, please visit www.evusa.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 71

Mortgage Debt-to-Income Ratio: 979 percent Mortgage Debt-to-House Value Ratio: 75 percent 5. S ANTA ANA, CALIF. Overleverage Score: 62.30 Mortgage Debt-to-Income Ratio: 976 percent Mortgage Debt-to-House Value Ratio: 71 percent

Are Buyers Stretched Too Thin?

By Liz Dominguez

W

ith a nationwide inventory shortage, home prices are spiking, spurring bidding wars in tough-to-negotiate sellers’ markets—and yet, these conditions aren’t dissuading buyers from throwing their hat in the ring, even if that means stretching themselves thin to reach that homeownership goal.

According to a CoreLogic study completed for The Wall Street Journal, around one in five conventional mortgage loans given out this past winter were allocated to borrowers who are spending over 45 percent of their monthly income on their mortgage and other debts—a proportion that has tripled since 2016 and the first half of 2017.

These proportions vary by state, with standout locations such as California and Hawaii featuring exorbitant mortgage debt-to-income ratios.

Using median mortgage balances compared against the median home value and income of over 2,500 cities, WalletHub recently narrowed down the cities with the highest mortgage debts. Here are the top five:

1. WILLIS, TEXAS Overleverage Score: 65.77 Mortgage Debt-to-Income Ratio: 417 percent Mortgage Debt-to-House Value Ratio: 190 percent 2. EWA BEACH, HAWAII Overleverage Score: 65.33 Mortgage Debt-to-Income Ratio: 1003 percent Mortgage Debt-to-House Value Ratio: 76 percent 3. DUMFRIES, VA. Overleverage Score: 65.29 Mortgage Debt-to-Income Ratio: 643 percent Mortgage Debt-to-House Value Ratio: 145 percent 4. KAHULUI, HAWAII Overleverage Score: 63.66

Even as buyers stretch for affordability, the real estate industry is wary that these challenged market conditions will impede their ability to buy. In order to assist homebuyers, lenders are searching for ways to ease borrowing restrictions by creating incentives, such as allowing lenders to provide partial credits. Fannie Mae recently updated its Single Family Selling Guide to allow lenders to supply partial closing costs and contribute to fees under certain conditions; however, these solutions do little to offset the large debt buyers are taking on.

With the debt-to-income thresholds being raised—Fannie Mae increased it to 50 percent from 45 percent last summer—more buyers will be at risk of becoming “house poor.” With the demand for homes increasing and mortgage rates predicted to rise, could this easing of credit restrictions for loan worthiness be a sign of another bubble?

According to the CoreLogic data, the number of new buyers with debt-toincome ratios between 46 and 50 percent is still below the 37 percent peak registered in that range in 2007; however, the levels of buyers within that range are slowly approaching that of 2004 - 2005, and should be monitored. RE

Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s associate content editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at ldominguez@rismedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 73

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{Blog Spot} LLC Home Purchases:

Forming Companies for Security or Fraud?

by Liz Dominguez

E

verything about today’s world is public. Lives are on full display because of social media, and tech puts everyday life data like personal running stats in public view. So, it’s no wonder homebuyers are looking for privacy through any means possible—and forming a limited liability company (LLC) to purchase property is gaining ground quickly. Here’s why many turn to LLCs to buy homes.

PRIVACY Concealed identity? Check. Hidden home address information? Double check. This is the No. 1 reason many high-end buyers decide to form an LLC. With celebrity or multi-millionaire status comes the potential to lose privacy and, so, home-buying anonymity becomes necessary to lead a semi-private life.

selves in their apartment and seeking compensation from the landlord.

With an LLC, only the company’s assets are in danger, reducing liability if something happens to someone inside the property. And although liability insurance can have wider limitations than the protections an LLC provides, it may be a more affordable option.

PROTECTION Most popular among real estate investors, the protection benefits that LLCs offer can save personal assets from being targeted in a lawsuit—think tenants hurting them-

TAX BENEFITS Everyone loves a tax benefit, and that’s why LLCs are so attractive.

Under the new tax law, small business LLCs qualify as pass-through entities and are only taxed on 80

percent of their pass-through income; however, since the tax law is still so new, those interested in forming an LLC should meet with a financial advisor to see if they meet the pass-through requirements.

SIMPLICITY Lastly, an LLC is easy to set up and manage. Owners can either oversee the LLC themselves or hire thirdparty managers. In many cases, state registration and maintenance fees are lower than those imposed on other businesses. They have even less cash flow and distribution restrictions than S corporations.

But it’s not all rainbows with LLCs. Their anonymity can draw in a fraudulent crowd. The question is, how many buyers are filing LLCs for illicit purposes? Government officials have reported that LLCs have been used for a variety of illegal practices, such as drug trafficking and human smuggling; that’s why New York is looking to implement public disclosure laws for LLCs, according to The Wall Street Journal.

And according to USA Today, of the $1 million-plus real estate transactions that were reported to the federal government in Miami from August 2016 to March 2017, half were from individuals who were already being monitored for suspicious financial activity.

Homebuyers should consult a tax advisor before forming an LLC to purchase property. Depending on the state, affordability may vary, as do protections (LLC University provides a state-by-state list of LLC filing and annual fees). Buyers should consider that with the rising potential for fraud, sellers may be suspicious of accepting an offer from an LLC. RE This article originally appeared on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall.

Visit us at blog.rismedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 75

Webinar Recap:

Lean Into Your Leads

by Zoe Eisenberg

“I

f you dominate with lead conversion, you don’t have to worry about where your business is going to come from,” began Verl Workman during a recent RISMedia webinar.

Entitled “Leads: How to Make an Impression and Win,” the session was moderated by Workman, a real estate coach and founder of Workman Success Systems, and sponsored by Buyside.

However, after you’ve identified what tools will offer value, you still need to implement them, and if you’re adding a ton of tech tools into your brokerage, it’s important not to overwhelm your team with adoption. Sajja solved this problem by hiring a local tech company to use their Buyside data to make a game so that the agent can play while they learn.

KNOW YOUR CORE FOCUS In order to boost your business, you need to know what your core focus is. “We’re a listing-centered company, so we’re always looking for an edge on how to make a better value proposition for our listing agents when they go into presentations,” said Sajja. Ask yourself: What is the game you want to win?

You need to know this to succeed.

The webinar featured a panel that included Karina Lopez, VP of Marketing and Operations at ONE Sotheby’s International Realty; Rajeev Sajja, VP of Digital Innovation at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS®; and Alissa Harper, VP of Growth at Buyside.

The hour-long webinar detailed how to leverage leads to pump up your business. Here are a few of the top takeaways from the conversation: ORGANIZE YOUR LEAD DATA It doesn’t matter how many leads are coming in—if you don’t have a system to organize them, they can’t help you.

“Brokers deal with a lot of data. If

it’s not organized and structured, we can’t make good decisions,” said Sajja, who went on to quote Arianna Huffington: “We’re drowning in data and starving for business.”

Sajja suggests implementing a data and analytics tool like Buyside to help aggregate that data so you can make informed decisions.

MAKE ADOPTION FUN “Being in this industry, we can all appreciate the challenges with new marketing and tech tools being introduced to agents, who are inundated with new tools and data each day,” said Harper. “As brokerage leaders, we need to wade through what’s going to offer value and bring new business.”

LEAD WITH WHAT’S VALUABLE While this may seem obvious, many brokerages make the error of not leading with their most valuable asset—often, a specific tidbit of information. “Know what is most and least valuable for your client, and lead with that,” stressed Lopez. What does this mean for her?

“Don’t lead with what your company can do, but with the value of your client’s home, which is what they really want.” RE

To view the webinar in full, visit https://bit.ly/2rzllnZ. Zoe Eisenberg is RISMedia’s senior content editor.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 77

{Broker Spotlight}

RE/MAX of Reading:

Empowering Others and Generating Success

by Barbara Pronin

RE/MAX of Reading Leadership Team from left to right: Joe Peterson, Kelly Pieja, Keith Malone, Jim Williams, Jack Fry, Tavia Ritter, Kate Flowers, KJ Fry.

78 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

RE/MAX of Reading’s support staff enables its agents to exceed national productivity averages.

W

ith more than 3,800 transactions produced by 140 agents last year alone, RE/MAX of Reading has sold more homes than any other single-office RE/MAX company in the country. But for broker/owner Jack Fry, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. What he’s most fiercely proud of is the generous spirit that pervades his Berks County, Pa., firm, and the commitment to a hightouch culture that empowers others and generates success.

Fry, who grew up with a dad in the real estate business, earned his license while still in school, and, fresh out of college in 1973, joined his father’s independent company in the Reading area. Four years later, a member of the Million Dollar Club, he won a state award for sales from the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS®.

At the 1978 National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) convention, Fry found himself in tune with the RE/MAX real estate system and, with his father as a 50/50 partner, bought the RE/MAX of Reading franchise in 1980. There were two

agents on board.

“I was impressed with the approach and objectives of the brand,” says Fry, “and its commitment to independent agents. Everyone carried their own weight. I liked the RE/MAX synergy.”

The two worked hard to get the franchise off the ground, but when his father died suddenly that same year, Fry became the sole owner and broker of record. He was 27 years old.

Today, he leads a company with more than 140 full-time agents and an administrative staff of 16. The

“The arithmetic is easy. High, positive energy and a culture of caring will always equal success.”

- JACK FRY Broker/Owner, RE/MAX of Reading

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 79

office regularly holds more than 30 - 35 percent marketshare for all listings sold in the scenic Berks County and Greater Reading countryside region some 45 minutes from Philadelphia, and the company is ranked by service guarantor QSC as one of the top three companies in the country in customer satisfaction.

But something more than dedication has driven the company’s achievement.

“By 1993, when the nationwide average was six transactions per agent per year, we were doing three times that number,” says Fry. “The phones were ringing, and everyone was busy, but I sensed an undercurrent of negative energy. I realized that I didn’t like our own culture very much. Then I had an epiphany. If I was unhappy with our company culture, it was my responsibility to change it.”

“We have a United Nations of real estate agents here with a variety of backgrounds and experience, but we have almost no turnover outside of retirements because people work together and flourish here.

We enjoy working in this environment.”

- JIM WILLIAMS General Manager, RE/MAX of Reading

80 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

He called a meeting, attendance mandatory, and thanked everyone for their considerable achievements.

But he also called for a new way of conducting business.

“I was inspired to run a high-touch company, to put the emphasis on service and accountability, and I knew it had to start with me,” says Fry. “I told them I was taking full responsibility for beginning a new era of positivity—for building a culture that embraces change, supports positive energy, and excels at serving others.”

His plan, he says, was to make company business transparent to every agent, downplay ego and negativity, provide a new kind of coaching and training, and create a workplace that thrived on support and service.

The new vibe wasn’t for everyone.

Within 30 days of this momentous meeting, 10 percent of the firm’s 56 agents had summarily left the company. But among those who remained, Fry sensed a positive change in energy, and in the following year—with no discernible change in the market—they added 13 serviceminded agents, and business grew from an average of 18 transactions per agent to 28. The new culture was making a tangible difference.

“By being transparent about operational expenses, and sharing the basics about how the company operates, I gained the trust of my agents,” says Fry. “And gaining their trust empowered me to lead, which, in turn, empowered my agents.”

Among those who stayed was manager Jim Williams. An industry veteran primarily responsible for recruiting, coaching and training, Williams was a firm advocate for the firm’s new policy.

“I’d been with the company four years when this new era began,” says Williams, “and I quickly began to see the change.”

“It’s not about who’s right,” be-

came the company’s mantra, notes Williams. “It’s more about what’s right.”

Fry and Williams introduced new individual and team training based on the self-help lead generation and accountability philosophies of Brian Buffini and Tom Ferry.

“The goal was to help our agents become the best people they could be,” says Williams, “and to meet and surpass their own goals by passing that positive energy on to others.”

As business grew, so did the need for improved and expansive marketing concepts, with a focus on technology and the growing field of social media.

Enter Tavia Ritter.

A veteran in retail customer service with a keen eye for technology and the value of social media networking, Ritter came to RE/MAX of Reading in 2006.

“I loved this place from the beginning,” she says. “I liked the people and the purpose, and the energy that was being produced.”

Ritter created new profiles and automated communication platforms for agents to use with their customers, as well as introduced a strong digital footprint focused on recruiting.

“It’s all about relationships,” she says. “We’re all on the same page about what we stand for, and what each of us does best. We know the value of personal communication, and our agents stay in touch with their customers long after closing.”

Technology makes that easy.

“The agents aren’t out there looking for the next shiny, new toy,” says Ritter. “We do all of that for them so they can go out and do what they do best.”

In fact, there’s a multimedia room that seats 100 where group training is ongoing, but individuals can also get special attention when they need it.

Annual company meeting, reviewing business plan and annual expenses for the year.

“In a sense, that’s our advantage,” says Williams. “We have a United Nations of real estate agents here with a variety of backgrounds and experience, but we have almost no turnover outside of retirements because people work together and flourish here. We enjoy working in this environment.”

In great measure, he adds, it comes from the top.

“Jack is one of the most trusting and caring individuals I’ve ever been around,” he says. “It’s our pleasure to share that caring attitude with our customers.”

In recruiting both new and experienced agents, Williams looks for team players who enjoy working with others, are focused on achieving goals, and motivated to do the very best job for their customers.

Recruiting efforts are helped by the company’s reputation in the real estate community as a workplace of high-achievers who seem genuinely glad to come to work.

“We put each other and our customers first,” says Fry. “We’re completely transparent, and we have great producers who don’t let ego stand in the way. That’s rare, I know—and I’m very protective of the

culture we’ve created.”

Part of that protection means providing his agents with an abundance of services, including transaction coordinators who free the agent from paperwork, a service desk to handle promotions and marketing, and an IT department that reliably brings in state-of-the-art but easy-to-use technology and practical social media training.

The firm also has an unparalleled leadership team. Under Fry’s presidency, with Williams as general manager and Ritter as IT officer, Joe Peterson serves as compliance/ dispute resolution manager and KJ Fry and Keith Malone as team managers. Kelly Pieja is the firm’s chief financial officer, while Kate Flowers heads human resources and agent services.

“You do the As,” Fry tells his agents. “We do the Bs and Cs so that you can be out there doing what you do best.”

In return, Fry expects that each agent will touch the consumer at the highest level, doing everything within their power to help customers achieve their real estate goals.

But it goes deeper than that.

Every RE/MAX of Reading agent

is deeply involved in the community, supporting national organizations like the American Cancer Society, the Children’s Miracle Network and Women in Crisis, as well as a myriad of local causes—more than 100 in all. And they’re not simply donating funds. They’re out there coaching kids, stocking food pantries, teaching literacy, and more.

“Paying it forward is more than just a phrase here. If there’s a need, we support it,” says Fry. “When you have it in your heart to help, it permeates into the community.”

Not only does this kind of work ethic and caring approach become its own reward, but also continues to drive agent productivity and enhance the bottom line. In a region with an average sales price of about $180,000, RE/MAX of Reading has received the Pennsylvania/Delaware Regional Award for highest transactional volume—over $650 million— for several years running.

What’s on tap for the future?

“We’ll continue to stay aware of changes in the market environment and vigilant in our effort to be first with the best to the consumer,” says Fry. “Tavia is our eyes and ears in terms of technology and marketing, and Jim’s longstanding commitment to our company ideals will help bring the best and brightest agents to us for the long haul.”

In the 16 years since Fry’s decision to change the company’s focus, the market has seen change upon cyclical change. But steady and consistent growth remains the hallmark and strength of the franchise he guided from its fledgling stage to the company it is today.

“The arithmetic is easy,” concludes Fry. “High, positive energy and a culture of caring will always equal success.” RE For more information, please visit www.goberkscounty.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 81

{Broker Spotlight}

Coach REALTORS®:

Leading the Market With Stability, Strength and Savvy

by Maria Patterson

Patricia J. Petersen, Chairman & President (right), Left to right: Robert LaCosta, Deirdre O’Connell, CEO, Vice of Ancillary DanielPresident Gale Sotheby’ s Services; Whitney International RealtyFinn LaCosta, General Manager; LP Finn, Chief Operating Offficer

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“We’re all involved in any major decision-making, and our solidarity is, I think, one of the things that keeps us focused.”

- LP FINN COO, Coach REALTORS®

N

o business remains a leader in its market for almost 40 years without a strong core and a sharp eye. That’s been the key to success at Long Island, N.Y.-based Coach REALTORS®since the Finn family acquired the brand in 1980. “Coach REALTORS®has been in business since 1954, so we’ve witnessed market highs and lows, paradigm shifts in the industry and many, many competitors come and go,” says the company’s COO Lawrence P. (LP) Finn, III. “Through it all, we’ve grown smartly, invested wisely and built a firm that’s stable in any market and respected by an entire industry.” Here, Finn shares how he and his leadership team have evolved the firm to weather a constantly changing real estate landscape, and remain a force locally and a thought leader industry-wide.

Maria Patterson: Please describe your firm’s history and current positioning in the marketplace.

LP Finn: Coach REALTORS® was founded in 1954. Larry and Georgianna Finn acquired the brand from the original owners in 1980, and they remain a guiding force for us today as chairman and president, respectively. My sister, Whitney Finn LaCosta, serves as general manager and oversees the daily activity of the branch offices, and her husband,

Robert LaCosta, oversees our mortgage and title operations, Coach Title Insurance Agency, and our coowned lending institution, Academy Mortgage Corporation. We’re all involved in any major decision-making, and our solidarity is, I think, one of the things that keeps us focused.

Coach REALTORS® is ranked within the top 200 brokerages in the United States in RISMedia’s Power Broker Report, consistently among the ranking’s billion-dollar producers.

MP: How many offices and agents does the firm currently have?

LPF: We have 19 offices and over 650 sales associates serving over two million residents in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. We posted over $1.4 billion in sales in 2017. A large percentage of those sales were multimillion-dollar properties. We’re proud to be a market leader and a member of the finest real estate networks in the world: Christie’s International Real Estate, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, Mayfair International Realty, Luxury Portfolio International® and Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate.

MP: What has been your approach to growth over the years, and what are your current goals in terms of expansion?

LPF: In one word: stability. Coach REALTORS® has been in business since 1954, so we’ve witnessed market highs and lows, paradigm shifts in the industry and many, many competitors come and go. Through it all, we’ve grown smartly, invested wisely and built a firm that’s stable

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Reaching new heights at the Coach REALTORS® rock climbing event: February 2018.

in any market and respected by an entire industry. We’re going strong, staying true to the principles that got us here, and will continue on this path of smart growth that benefits our agents and the brand.

“We’re going strong, staying true to the principles that got us here, and will continue on this path of smart growth that benefits our agents and the brand.”

- LP FINN COO, Coach REALTORS®

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MP: How would you describe the current state of your market?

What are the greatest challenges and opportunities?

LPF: Our greatest challenge is also our greatest asset: staying true to our proven principles. Many newer brokerages, online influencers and even sales agents believe in rapid change or the adoption of new business practices. We feel that pressure to change, but we know these unproven ideas are often “one-trick ponies”—each looks good in a rising market, but they’re usually built upon sand and, therefore, lack staying power. Experience has shown us that longevity and continued success can’t happen without a commitment to our core values of financial stability, agent support, a focus on professional growth and brand recognition.

MP: What are you doing differently to set your firm and its agents apart from the competition?

LPF: We differ from other brokerages in many ways. An important difference is our exclusive membership in world-class brokerage networks such as Christie’s International Real Estate. These networks provide our

agents with a real advantage over other brokerages and truly unique market position. Sales agents with Coach REALTORS® can provide their sellers with industry-leading property marketing and access to an exclusive pool of upper-tier buyers. Our agents also love the digital suite of services each network provides.

These online tools allow an agent to rapidly grow his or her business by gaining new clients or increasing their average selling price. The networks also offer unsurpassed support, training, and, above all, brand awareness.

MP: What most attracts agents to your firm, and why do they stay?

LPF: Sales associates are attracted to Coach REALTORS® because of our unwavering dedication to their careers. A real estate salesperson flourishes when he or she has a strong, successful brokerage behind them—a brokerage with vision, meaningful training, great marketing support, a success-oriented company culture, and a full suite of market-leading sales tools and resources. I also cannot say enough about our management

team. These talented individuals are the backbone of the Coach organization. The branch managers within Coach are amazing people filled with professionalism, integrity, caring and a desire to see the sales agents succeed.

MP: How are you helping agents stay ahead of the curve on technology?

LPF: We just re-launched Coachrealtors.com. The new website offers consumers a truly wonderful online experience and also provides our agents a robust intranet. The new intranet helps agents manage all aspects of their business while automating many daily activities. There’s way too much to list here, but I can assure you that it’s really amazing!

MP: Please describe your firm’s culture and leadership philosophy.

LPF: We understand that every agent at Coach REALTORS® is a valuable business partner. They’re the people out there representing the Coach REALTORS®brand, and we take seriously our longstanding commitment to provide them with a workplace that’s supportive, fair, friendly and fun— not to mention technically advan-

taged. Speaking of fun, in February of 2018, we hosted The Best Week Ever, which consisted of 18 events over five days that focused on body, mind and career. Events ranged from yoga to rock climbing, from financial planning to building listing inventory, from our awards dinner to an early morning inspiration breakfast featuring Mount Everest summiter Gary Guller. This is just one of the many reasons we have agents who have been building and sustaining successful careers with us for 20 or 30 and even 40 years.

ing, role-based, just-in-time learning modules with distinct, relevant content tied to specific agent needs and objectives. Institute helps our agents to be better at every aspect of the business, whether it’s negotiation, luxury marketing, investor relations, home staging, prospecting, or effective use of social media, to name just a few. In fact, in January 2018, Training Magazine ranked LeadingRE’s Institute No. 1 among the Top 125 learning and development programs across all industries throughout the world.

MP: What is your approach to coaching and training?

LPF: We’re proud to provide each sales agent at Coach REALTORS® with unlimited, no-cost access to Institute, powered by Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®.

Institute, which is both online and mobile-device compatible, is an ondemand real estate learning center with hundreds of courses and direct access to the creative thinking of some of the top real estate minds in the industry. We cannot say enough about this comprehensive learning platform. It’s filled with engag-

MP: What are some of your most innovative marketing strategies? How are they helping you connect with consumers?

LPF: Our firm’s Director of Social Media Shannon Heyman is really doing some impressive work. Social media is more than just “posting stuff” online—there’s a science to it and each action is measurable. Our social media program is reaching a large number of online users each day, and we’re seeing large-scale engagement, far above the competition. That positive engagement is driving buyers and sellers straight to Coach agents each day.

MP: What’s on deck for the future of the firm?

LPF: We’ll continue to grow vertically, adding to the sales teams in each branch office as our marketshare continues to increase. To do that, we’re actively recruiting new and experienced agents who are a good fit with our company culture.

We especially look for candidates with excellent people skills and the desire to learn and grow. We’re also open to timely and strategic acquisitions and to new partnerships that help us do an even better job of what we do best. RE

Coach agents showing support for The Best Week Ever: February 2018.

For more information, please visit www.coachrealtors.com.

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{Spotlight}

Uncover Hidden Inventory:

Coldwell Banker Can Predict Your Next Listing

by Maria Patterson

I

n a real estate market facing a severe lack of homes for sale, agents could really use a secret weapon—something to shake up the status quo of the listing and selling game… something to help them compete in a low inventory market.

“Finding homes is the No. 1 challenge in my market,” says Andrew McGranaghan, a third-year agent with Coldwell Banker Wallace and Wallace, REALTORS® in Knoxville, Tenn. “Dealing with a lack of listings, handling multiple offers and appraisal issues and everything that comes along with a severe inventory shortage is frustrating for the buyer and stressful for the seller. We have a good market with a lot of activity, but low inventory creates a major challenge.”

Coldwell Banker believes it has come up with the solution: CBx Seller Leads. Introduced in May as an extension of the brand’s CBx Technology Suite, CBx Seller Leads identifies households that are most likely to sell—before they raise their hand and reach out to an agent. According to Coldwell Banker Vice President of Product Development and Communications Zoe Horneck the original

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CBx product, for years, offered the brand’s brokers and agents a way to harness big data, win listings, serve existing sellers and more easily find eager buyers. Now, Coldwell Banker has taken it to the next level, expanding the value of big data for real estate by adding proprietary algorithms and machine learning to the data in the original CBx product to fuel the entire CBx Technology Suite and give brokers and agents access to market intelligence they can’t get anywhere else.

USING DATA TO PREDICT THE FUTURE McGranaghan was among the beta testers for CBx Seller Leads. “Coldwell Banker used big data from previous sales, publicly available demographic information and other characteristics of sellers to compile a database that identified households that might sell soon, before they actually showed an interest in selling…meaning I could be the first agent to reach them. And there are a lot of advantages to being the first agent to contact the seller.”

CBx Seller Leads lets agents know which households might soon be ready to sell, and ranks those households by how likely they are to sell.

CBx Seller Leads does this through two proprietary algorithms that use machine learning and aggregate data streams from multiple sources.

What’s more, agents are clued into the reasons why someone may be headed toward selling, such as an empty nest, a new job or a baby on the way.

“Not only does the program predict someone’s next move; it gives agents context to personalize their interaction with the homeowner to help seal the deal,” says Horneck.

“The same data that drives our original CBx Listing Experience tool now provides a way to rate households in terms of how likely they are to list—and how soon. This allows our brokers to distribute high-value prospects to agents who can start nurturing those leads and developing them into sellers.”

The driving force behind the creation of CBx Seller Leads was agent need, something of top priority to Horneck given her background not only in digital customer experience, but also as a licensed real estate agent. While the first offering in the CBx Technology Suite was met with great enthusiasm, Coldwell Banker Real Estate continued to look for new ways to turn the raw data into valuable insights and information to meet the needs of the network.

“We continued to look for ways to make agents more productive,” says Horneck. “On top of that, we were faced with the industry issue of low inventory. We found that the old methods of generating leads were falling short. Just working your sphere of influence and using paid lead-gen services wasn’t delivering.

We knew we had the ultimate currency: data. If we could project when someone was likely to move, it would help fill that listing gap for agents.”

Felicia Hengle, president of Ohio Operations for Coldwell Banker Schmidt Family of Companies, understands this firsthand. Overseeing 15 offices and 410 agents, she’s RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 87

acutely aware of the challenges today’s real estate professionals are up against.

“Market conditions have been favorable for a while here, but there continues to be a shortage in seller inventory,” Hengle explains. “One of the reasons why CBx Seller Leads is so timely, and certainly a value proposition to our agents, is that it allows them to identify sellers before they raise their hands. Using predictive analytics and big data to put seller leads in the hands of agents is transformative. Plus, these leads are free. Agents will buy leads all day long, but these are actually far more qualified.”

One of Hengle’s top agents participated in the beta test for CBx Seller Leads and was blown away. A specialist in the luxury market, Anthony Colantuono was also an early adopter of the CBx Listing Experience; according to Hengle, “it’s the one thing in his arsenal that helps him get business every single time.”

The CBx Listing Experience app is used to help agents win listings with an interactive pricing component that allows for listing-specific adjustments based on the seller’s input regarding upgrades and special features of their home. “The seller can be involved with the agent in obtaining a price for their home,” says Hengle. “Then, using big data and predictive analytics, the app can help identify where the most likely buyer is going to come from, allowing the agent to better target their marketing and drive those potential buyers to the property, decreasing market time. Anthony is so impressed by the accuracy of the pricing component, that he actually goes out and teaches other agents how to use the CBx Listing Experience.”

Now, with the addition of CBx Seller Leads, the CBx Technology 88 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Suite drives even more business for agents. And the proof is in the pudding. Coldwell Banker piloted CBx Seller Leads in 16 different markets; during the pilot, leads converted at twice the industry average.

MAKING MARKETING MATTER “Based on their online behavior, CBx Seller Leads identifies the likelihood of a potential seller turning into an active lead in a given period of time,” explains Hengle. “It might not be today or next month, but CBx Seller Leads gives you a predictive way to stay in contact with the prospect. If an agent is very listings-driven, they can really showcase their skillset, demonstrating how they market listings and what they do to get them sold.”

CBx Seller Leads goes beyond identifying potential sellers by getting granular about who they are. Prospects are grouped by profiles, allowing brokers to distribute the leads to agents who have expertise in working with particular types of sellers. “If one broker has an agent who works really well with empty nesters, for instance, the leads for that profile can

“You control the market if you control the listings. Any tool like this that gets you in touch with sellers before other agents is a huge advantage.”

- ANDREW MCGRANAGHAN Coldwell Banker Wallace and Wallace, REALTORS®

be assigned to that expert agent,” explains Horneck. “The agent would then start nurturing those leads immediately, whether that be by knocking on doors, making phone calls or sending letters and postcards. We like to think of it this way: We provide

all the accessories—you pick what you wear for the day.”

For McGranaghan, a program like this helps him see real ROI on his marketing efforts. “As a REALTOR®, you’re trying to figure out what will work with marketing and advertising, and this is light-years ahead of the typical throwing darts at a board.

With CBx Seller Leads, you can be extremely targeted and very personalized in your marketing approach based on the information Coldwell Banker provides. You can design a letter or a call campaign based on why it’s a good time to sell and be really targeted in your messaging. It’s far more strategic than the current methods out there.”

The ability to focus his prospecting strategies gives McGranaghan an important competitive edge. “You’ll see much better results from your advertising and call campaigns,” he explains. “If I reach more sellers, but actually make fewer calls, that’s a huge win. Now I can go out and sell without spending so much time prospecting.”

THE FIRST ONE THERE, WINS The end game, of course, is winning listings in a market environment where homes for sale are sparse, and that’s usually all about getting there first. That’s what makes CBx Seller Leads stand apart—it allows agents to not just get there first, but actually before everyone else.

“There are no triggers,” explains Horneck. “Typically, with other paid lead-gen programs, a potential seller will raise their hand by requesting an estimate on their home or refinancing. Those are triggers that would set off that lead. We don’t use triggers. We use data to find similarities with selling behavior, then use profile types to know how to market to that prospective seller.”

According to Hengle, this presents a significant competitive advantage for agents. “They’re going to be a step ahead by having already established contact with the seller before the seller even goes out to market,” she explains. “Most sellers interview only one agent and go with that agent, so if you’re the first one there, your chances are exponentially increased.”

McGranaghan agrees. “[CBx Seller Leads] allows you to establish yourself as the local expert so that when the homeowners finally come to the realization that this is the right time to downsize, for example, they think of you first. It’s so important to be the first person to reach a potential seller before they’ve shown an interest in selling. By the time they get on Zillow, it’s too late to establish yourself as the expert.”

BUILDING BUSINESS ON MANY LEVELS CBx Seller Leads is also a great tool for buyer’s agents looking to break into selling. A broker can send them a few seller leads to work and help them quickly get productive on the listing side of the business.

The program also serves as an important recruiting and retention tool for brokers, whether to help new licensees hit the ground running or target listing specialists on agent teams. “It’s a way for experienced agents to increase their sphere of influence, and something brokers and managers can talk about when bringing in potential recruits,” says Horneck.

Hengle concurs. “From a leadership perspective, this is a powerful recruiting and retention tool. It’s a secret weapon,” she says. “No other broker has a technology platform like this. It’s unmatched in the industry.”

Simply put, for McGranaghan, CBx Seller Leads is a game changer. “In

a competitive market like this, with listings being key, you have to list to last. You control the market if you control the listings. Any tool like this that gets you in touch with sellers before other agents is a huge advantage. That, combined with the brand recognition of Coldwell Banker, helps agents win more listings, which in turn, drives buyer traffic to you from having that listing, and you can pick up multiple sales from each seller.”

At press time, Horneck was excited to start hearing feedback on the national rollout. “Feedback is really big for us. Our team can’t wait to learn from it and see how everyone is using it,” she says. “We want to optimize the tool as much as possible and continue to build out our tech suite to help our agents and brokers.”

“Ultimately, technology driven by big data and predictive analytics is vital to long-term success,” says Hengle. “At its core, real estate is still a relationship-based business, but technology now drives so much of what we do. The most successful agents use technology as a tool to propel them to success, and something like CBx Seller Leads gets them in the door—first, even—and then they can blow away prospective sellers with their know-how and expertise. If you’re a real estate company that has not embraced cutting-edge technology, you will be left behind.

There’s so much data and information available to us now. Successful companies are the ones that use it to set themselves apart from the competition. With CBx Seller Leads, the cutting-edge technology is here and available to us. Embracing it is key to sustaining and growing your business.” RE

For more information, please visit www.coldwellbanker.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 89

{Broker Best Practices} Come for the Leads, Stay for the Culture: Building a Better Team, Today by Zoe Eisenberg

Mike Hogan CEO Keller Williams Realty - Richmond West Richmond, Va. www.TheMikeHoganGroup.com Years in real estate: 17 Number of offices: 4 Number of agents: 32 Your team appears to be in growth mode. What contributes to a healthy team that picks up marketshare?

No. 1, by far, is the talent we’ve hired. Not only are our agents the top performers in their respective markets, but also, they have grit and an incredible work ethic. No. 2 is a predictable supply of leads that allows our team to focus on those prospects that have raised their hand to ask about buying or selling real estate, and No. 3 is our team structure. Our team is designed so that all components of the transaction process are completed by specialists. We supply transaction coordination, listing coordination, marketing support, etc., which frees our agents to focus on building relationships and converting leads to buyers.

What do you look for when bringing team members on board? First and

foremost, they must fit our culture.

We have a great team environment, and I’ve learned the hard way that one person with a crappy attitude can spoil it all. Secondly, I’m looking for someone that can blend into any situation and build relationships across multiple backgrounds—and that doesn’t just mean someone that can talk a good game. It means hiring people that genuinely care about what they’re doing and who they’re helping. I also look for individuals that are driven.

What are team members looking for when they decide to join your team? Leads are always the big draw. Lead generation is one of the hardest things to do in any sales position, so having a solid flow of leads is a big draw for us. To go along with leads, however, is coaching and accountability. Agents want guidance and training. And last, but not least, we make selling real estate fun.

How important are online leads as a value proposition to your existing agents and recruits? Online leads are vital to our organization’s recruiting. We’ve figured out how to convert online leads where others struggle with it. Offering leads and a proven system for converting those leads is the biggest valueadd we can offer.

That being said, the science behind online leads is to have the right mix to make sure we’re optimizing our lead flow. While we work with a few different lead sources, the need to diversify our lead generation platforms is what led us to realtor.com®.

When a team gets involved with online leads, what can make or break their success? Systems, systems, systems. They must have systems for upfront management of leads to make sure leads are distributed to agents quickly. Speed to lead isn’t just a cool catchphrase, so it’s critical that the system include auto-response mechanisms. The system must also allow for action plans to start drip campaigns automatically and remind agents when to follow-up with leads that don’t respond immediately. In addition, there has to be a system for agents to respond to leads in as close to real-time as possible, as well as a system for long-term nurturing of leads.

How difficult is it to begin bringing in leads for your agents? Once your systems are in place, you can call your realtor.com® rep or simply inquire on their website. Agents must be prepared to talk about the zip codes that interest them, in addition to being open to other zip codes should the ones they’re interested in be sold out. Agents also need to understand that the prime zip code they’re targeting may not be the one that brings them the highest ROI. You also need to be prepared to go big, as a couple hundred dollars in ad spend a month isn’t going to generate the kind of lead flow it takes to make a team sustainable. My realtor.com® rep is always available. While I’ve never had a service issue, if I have a question—and I have many—I can always get someone to help me.

For more information, please visit www.realtor.com/brokerwin.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 91

Paying It Forward John Bobo Broker

Felice KatzBobo Agent HomeSmart Professionals Lakeside, Ariz. www.theboboteam.com Region served: Lakeside, Flagstaff, Payson and Lake Havasu Years in business: John: 9; Felice: 4 Number of offices: 4 Number of agents: 50 No. 1 tip for getting the right listing price: Never price a home without viewing it first.

Most creative marketing you’ve ever run: Lighted yard signs (lit from the inside out, not just shining light on them). They set our listings apart from other brokerages since no one else in the area is using them.

You recently opened your 4th office. What made you target the Lake Havasu area? Our corporate of-

by John Voket

fice is located in Lakeside, Ariz., which acts as the hub for our branch offices in Flagstaff and Payson. While the majority of our locations are primarily second-home communities, Lake Havasu and surrounding areas are seeing tremendous growth, so we saw this area as the logical next step for our brokerage and team expansion. Next, we’ll be looking at a branch office in Bullhead City, as well as future expansion to Yuma.

As you proceed with the launch of a new mentoring program, what are the most important benefits participants will gain?

Newly licensed agents only know what they learned to pass the test, so one-on-one mentoring is the best possible way for them to learn

the realities of the job.

While the newcomers will work directly with an experienced agent who oversees everything they do, mentors will benefit at the same time by sharing their knowledge and experience. Better trained agents are happy agents, and we expect they will pay it forward by sharing their experiences as future mentors.

Please describe some of the HomeSmart tools that are producing the best results for your company.

The free HomeSmart social media marketing materials we have access to are some of my personal favorites, as they provide our team the opportunity to reach out to clients without asking for anything in return. Our RealSmart Agent (RSA) system is another tool that’s producing good results for the company.

In addition to making our team members’ transaction coordination quick and easy, it frees up their

time so they can focus on listing and selling homes, rather than paperwork.

That’s why our tagline is “Real Estate Made Easy.”

What philanthropic/ volunteer initiatives do you take part in that help keep your team top-ofmind in the communities you serve? We participate in White Mountain ClotheA-Child twice a year, a foundation that helps children get the school clothes and necessities they need. Our brokerage also began adopting local families that were in need this past holiday season.

One of the most humbling experiences for our entire staff, everyone chipped in to help with shopping and wrapping to surprise the children of these deserving families. John also volunteers as an emcee or auctioneer for charity events, while I spend a lot of money buying items that he’s auctioning.

For more information, please visit www.homesmart.com.

Spending Money to Create Profit

by John Voket

Greg McClure CEO/Broker Realty ONE Group Complete Rocklin, Calif. www.realtyonegroup.com/realestateagent/greg-mcclure-6389034 Region served: Greater Sacramento, Calif.

Years in real estate: 21 Number of offices: 2, with 1 opening in July Number of agents: 400 +/Best time management tip: Time-block all your activities, put them on a calendar and share it with your 92 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

significant other so that you stay out of trouble.

Most effective way to motivate agents: Creating self-awareness. Make them look at how much time they’re truly spending every day on their real estate business.

Can’t-live-without tech tool: My smartphone and Google calendar.

What is your key to staying profitable? Don’t be afraid to spend money to create profit. The more value and resources you can provide to increase productivity, the more return you’ll see on the back-end. So many brokers are afraid to spend money, but when I spend money on a new tool or program and it increases each agent’s productivity by one deal per year, times 400 agents, that’s a big number.

Building and Maintaining a Positive and Professional Culture

by Paige Tepping

Karen Ryan Broker/Owner Weichert, Realtors® Coastal Properties, a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® Hilton Head Island, S.C. www.weichertcp.com

Talk about your technique for recruiting the best agents. We don’t refer to it as recruiting agents, but rather, we refer to it as a growth strategy. I went from about 20 agents to just under 400 in less than four years, and right out of the gate, I tried to identify agents who would be early adopters of our business model. Once you get them to start talking about it, you can get mass adoption. That being said, it’s important to find the early adopters in your market and figure out how to get your message to them. Most of our early adopters were recruited because of strong social media skills, and once they came on, they became huge brand advocates for us.

Can you explain the Realty ONE Group commission structure? This industry has two preeminent commission structures, one being the 40- or 50-year-old model still being used by most of the legacy brands.

The other is a newer virtual model where there’s no brick and mortar, no broker, a few cheesy tech tools and no real support. But Realty ONE Group gives you the best of both, with a legacy commission structure and brick and mortar offices, robust training, tools and technology. We give people the power to invest in themselves and the economic freedom to run their business the way they want to run it.

How do you make money with this model? We’re like the Southwest Airlines of real estate. We run a very efficient operation. Like Southwest and its new fleet of planes, we do it with great technology, better service and no extra baggage fees. We’re a highly efficient organization built to run today—not built to run 50 or 60 years ago. We make money through volume, and we pass that efficiency on to our agents while supporting them in running their business.

Region served: Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Okatie and Beaufort, S.C. Years in real estate: 20 Number of offices: 4 Number of agents: 130 Favorite relationshipbuilding strategy: Staying connected in my community, with friends, with colleagues, at church and with my family. The more balanced I am in all of these areas, the more success I find at the office.

Best advice for new agents: Participate in your office training and sales meetings, know your inventory, surround

yourself with positive people and get out and get involved. The more you’re out of the office meeting people through activities you’re passionate about, the better chance you have to connect with others who share that same passion.

What factor has the largest influence on the real estate industry today?

First and foremost, the steady stream of disruptors being introduced within the technology arena is giving consumers a lot of information to research. Another factor that’s influencing the industry centers around the fact that social media and video have changed the way people interact with homes online. And last, but not least, today’s buyers are more informed than ever before, yet they still need the knowledge a professional brings to the table.

What are some of the current trends you see in your market right now? We currently have a very robust market with multiple offers on properties that are priced right.

In addition, agents have gotten better at using social media and video to sell listings and garner clients.

How does your company make its agents’ jobs easier? At Weichert, Realtors® - Coastal Properties, we feel that the role of the broker is more than simply hang-

For more information, please visit www.realtyonegroup.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 93

ing an agent’s license, so we provide everything an agent needs to list and sell properties. Whether it’s training for new and experienced agents, administrative support, marketing support, leads, mentoring, a CRM and web support, we provide it all. There are so many demands on agents today that they need a company with support to have their backs.

In what ways does your brokerage’s office culture play a role in your real estate career? Not only do we have a positive and professional culture within our company, but we also work hard to surround ourselves with positive agents who strive for greater professionalism. If someone develops a bad attitude and can’t be coached, they’re not a good fit for us.

Success comes from maintaining this environment, because when agents are happy and knowledgeable, success follows.

How are you preparing your agents for the future of real estate? Our ongoing training keeps the bar high for everyone within the company. We have many divisions and specializations, including residential, commercial, luxury, young professionals, military and senior living. Today’s agents must be on top of the changing market and their niche in order to be successful.

For more information, please visit www.leadingre.com.

94 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Using Technology to Convert InternetSavvy Leads

by Liz Dominguez

Henry Sakowski Broker/Owner CENTURY 21 Action!

Chicago, Ill. Region served: Chicago, Hardwood Heights, Norridge Years in real estate: 30-plus Number of offices: 1 Number of agents: 175 Favorite part of your job: Collaborating with my agents and the clients and customers they serve, and treating our team like family.

What attracted you to the real estate industry? It was kind of a coincidence because I didn’t even know what real estate in the U.S. was when I came to this country.

I came here as a refugee, so I didn’t speak the language, and it was difficult to communicate. I enrolled in classes without knowing they were for real estate after I was told I could get some books for free. I took the classes with the help of dictionaries, but I passed the exam and became an agent.

Why make the move from independent to CENTURY 21 Action!? I was lacking a few things as an independent, and, in my search, I found that the CENTURY 21® System had all the things I was looking for, especially flexibility and technology. It has energy, and that’s what I needed for my agents.

Tell us why you became a Certified Distressed Property Expert. When the market collapsed, we had to do

something to make a living and help our customers. Very few in the industry knew how to help distressed property owners. We built a niche helping clients sell these properties when the market was flat and buyers were difficult to find. I started to organize all the agents from the area, not just my office, and we talked about the challenges and how to deal with them. I can proudly say that I was the first to do this at the time. The agents began to educate themselves and started to believe that they could still survive during a very difficult time.

What is the biggest challenge in the Illinois market right now? Locations dealing with multiple-offer situations. Buyers want the property they’re dreaming of, but many lose out. It’s our role to help them learn why and move them forward in the process.

In fact, buyers are more educated today due to easy access to various databases and the internet. We have to invest in technology and learn how to translate the information they’re getting online. They think they know everything about the market, so we have to ask ourselves: How are we helping our clients get a better understanding of what’s going on?

How are you using technology to overcome this obstacle? Previously, we used the tools provided by associations and the MLS, but fewer and fewer tools were available to us as an independent brokerage.

The technology provided by the CENTURY 21 System helps us have a growing online presence, secure leads, interact better with homebuyers and sellers, and provide extraordinary experiences.

For more information, please visit www.century21.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.

1-800-724-6000 rismediacontentsolutions.com

{Trending}

Economic Forecast

Expectations High, but Less Long-Term Optimism

by Liz Dominguez

T

he latest Urban Land Institute (ULI) Real Estate Economic Forecast predicts modest fluctuations across the board for 27

economic/real estate indicators. The three-year forecast is completed semi-annually, surveying more than 48 economists and analysts at 36 real estate organizations.

96 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

A leading concern? Rising interest rates. ULI forecasts interest rates to be 0.4 percent higher in 2018 and 2019 than previously estimated. The 10-year U.S. Treasury rate is also expected to rise, to 3.1 percent in 2018 and 3.4 percent in 2019, and then stay flat in 2020.

However, according to a recent ULI webinar—featuring Mark Wilsmann, managing director and head of Equity Investments at MetLife Real Estate; Martin Stern, senior managing director at CBRE; Richard Barkham, global chief economist at CBRE; Diana Reid, executive VP at PNC Financial Services; and Stuart Hoffman, senior economic advisor at PNC Financial Services—economists aren’t as optimistic for the long term.

“After 10 years of negative inter-

est rates, that monetary tightening is happening in both the U.S. and China,” said Barkham. “I think it’ll slow a little bit more than in these forecasts. Because there’s more debt in the global economy than prior to the financial crisis, there’s some downside risk after mid- to late 2019. On balance, I would take a little bit more of a pessimistic view after 2019.”

With rising rates incentivizing buyers to act fast, housing shortages will continue to prove a challenge. ULI’s forecast has 2018 single-family housing starts pegged at 923,000 homes—lower than the previous estimate—with an increase to 987,500 starts in 2019 before falling off to 925,000 in 2020. Hoffman believes multi-family homes are more at risk, as millennials are aging and looking for properties they can better afford.

While new construction or redevelopment projects could ease the growing stress on the market’s low inventory, a shortage in workers and rising costs for building materials are impeding the effort.

“There’s less construction financing and less interest in doing new development deals for both cost and financing rationale,” said Reid.

“Every lender and every development is looking at demographic changes, city changes…what’s going to be the demand? How much rental, how much for-sale housing, how much office space, how much industrial?”

Hoffman believes that job growth is a key driver in demand and that companies are “facing a war for talent.” Reid echoed his sentiments, and also believes the search for top talent will impact the rental market.

“Costs of construction are going up and getting worse, and there’s a focus on how to solve that,” Reid said. “The size of the population that’s looking for rental housing at

affordable rates so they can have a good, clean place to live when they get the job, and become part of a growing workforce, is really at a crisis moment, and there will be more of a focus on that.”

ULI’s forecast expects job growth to fluctuate in 2018 and 2019, rising up to 2.2 million new jobs the first year and only 1.89 million the following year. Long-term optimism is low—ULI predicts 2020 may see a drop-off to only 1.38 million—but still above the long-term average.

Real GDP growth runs along the same vein, forecasted to increase to 2.8 percent in 2018 (above October’s 2.4 percent prediction) before dropping to 2.5 percent in 2019 and 2 percent in 2020. Predictions can change, however, as the U.S. economy has multiple influencers, including the current political climate—pending trade conflicts, the new spending bill and the new tax law have already impacted predictions since the last survey.

“The tax cut has set the seeds for the next two or three years,” said Stern. “We’re on a sugar high—every forecast is a little better than it was before—but with that, it’s clear that we’re not going to get the kind of growth rates that aren’t going to have increases in debt. There’s a little bit more upside risk toward interest rates that could tend to slow the economy in 2020, not a lot of cap rate appreciation in property, and we need an infrastructure program that doesn’t add to the deficit.

The forecast is right, but I’m seeing a little more upside risk than others are seeing.” RE

Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s associate content editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at ldominguez@rismedia.com.

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 97

{Power Teams}

Team-Building: A Balanced Approach

by Maria Patterson Andrew Duncan The Duncan Duo RE/MAX Dynamic Tampa, Fla. www.theduncanduo.com

Years in real estate: Since 2005 Team members: 48 When and why did you form a team?

I had gone to a conference and heard team leaders speak about running a team. I liked the idea of running a business instead of just having a job. My wife (Angela) had been working for Bank of America and was getting tired of the corporate world and was ready for a new challenge. It was my second year working in the industry and I had more business than I could keep up with; I was working crazy hours and getting frustrated.

So, she decided to come join me. We started the team in 2007.

What are some of the biggest competitive advantages to having a team?

I think the first competitive advan98 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

tage is leverage—being able to hire people who are better than you at certain things, so you can focus on what you’re good at. Every great athlete knows that you have to have a team—great people contributing to your success. When you get to the point when you’re not in production anymore, you can catch trends before they happen, like new technology and systems. You get to think like a CEO and a business owner, instead of a salesperson.

Is it difficult to make the jump from top producer to team leader?

As the team grows, you have to learn about new things. You have to become skilled at being a leader, not just a salesperson. As we’ve grown, it’s stretched me. The reality is, both of us have stepped up into what the organization needed at that time, and every year, that seems to be a little different.

Advertising and marketing are a huge part of your strategy, from videos and commercials to your radio show.

How did you get so good at it?

I studied business in college, so I al-

ways had a fascination with marketing. My first couple of years in the business, I watched what top agents did. How is that team doing 20 - 30 transactions a year? How are they getting the phone to ring? A lot of the ideas I had were ideas someone else had done in different markets— I would take it and put our own spin on it. So many people in the real estate industry are givers. I built a relationship with these individuals and established a core group of real estate agents and business owners and learned from them. It was all about seeing what other people were successful with in other markets and finding a way to do the same thing in Tampa, putting our own spin on it.

Do you also attend conferences and seek out educational opportunities?

We go to as many events as we can—and not everything is within the real estate industry, like the Inc. Conference. We like to look at other industries and apply what we learn to real estate. When we go to a real estate conference, we’re looking for specific things. The national broker-

age events do a great job of educating the many, but we want to be in a room with the few. We’re looking for specific break-outs. We go to four or five events outside of the area a year, then a lot of local business events. We’re constantly looking for ideas, and locally, we’re looking for talent.

When it comes to bringing on new team members, what are you looking for?

We really like to bring in new agents—they don’t have any bad habits, and they’re more coachable.

We love people who have been successful in other industries. When we go to networking groups with other real estate agents, every single person in the room is hawking someone to buy or sell a home. We’re hawking someone who can help someone else buy or sell a home. Bringing on new agents is way more lucrative for our company.

How do you handle the challenges of running such a large, successful agent team?

For me, I’ve had a business coach for eight years: Bob Corcoran. He really coaches my life. He knows to hold me accountable. When we have our challenges, we can talk to family and friends, but they’re going to avoid the conflict. You need someone who’s willing to peel back the layers and

helps keep that balance. Bob makes us schedule vacations and take time off. Everyone that gets to this level needs that. If you don’t have that, it can be a real pressure cooker.

“As we’ve grown, it’s stretched me. The reality is, both of us have stepped up into what the organization needed at that time, and every year, that seems to be a little different.”

– Andrew Duncan The Duncan Duo

be unafraid to tell you when you’re doing something stupid and when you need to fix it. Having a coach to help you go from 100 sales to 1,000 sales while also having quality of life

Good points! That said, what advice do you have for someone thinking about starting a team?

What we do is really hard, and that goes unnoticed. To get to where we are today involved a lot of challenges. If you’re thinking about running a business like ours, understand the mental aspect of it. It’s been great, but you need to understand some of the downside of what you have to deal with—it’s not for the faint of heart!

What’s in store for the future of the team? Do you intend to keep growing?

I know market expansion is the “it” thing, but I want to keep doing well in Tampa Bay and gain as much marketshare expansion as we can by growing organically, building other real estate-related businesses and becoming more advanced in real estate investing. We also want to continue to give back to the Tampa Bay community through our charitable foundation. We’re going to focus on what we’re good at and what we enjoy. If it doesn’t check one of those two boxes, then why are we still doing it? RE

{RISMedia’s Great Spaces}

Sunny Beach Town Spots

June has the weather in most of the country warming up, with long beach days on the horizon. To celebrate, we’re running down some of the most stunning homes set in our favorite sunny beach towns.

by Zoe Eisenberg

100 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

This sunny estate in Turks and Caicos recently sold for a whopping $1,995,000.

Listed by: RE/MAX Real Estate Group Turks and Caicos Islands Listed for: $1,995,000 Photos by: RE/MAX Real Estate Group Turks and Caicos Islands

Luxe Living at Villa Moonshadow If you’re looking to ogle a sunny estate, don’t miss the recently sold Villa Moonshadow, a luxury oceanfront home in Turks and Caicos.

While the price tag hung at $1,995,000, the new owners got a whole lot of bang for their buck.

The villa, located in the Ocean Point Drive community on Sapodilla Bay, has five bedrooms, four bathrooms and 4,000 square feet of plush living space. Nestled snugly between two of Provo’s swankiest beaches—Sapodilla Bay and Taylor Bay—the estate features tropical décor and cathedral beamed ceilings.

Outside, you can find ample lounging spaces, with an incredible pool overlooking the ocean, open and covered decks, a screened porch and a private stairway that leads straight to a 24-foot deep-water dock. Oh, and did we mention the beaches?

Island living has never looked so good.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 101

Spanning 3,235 square feet, this plantation-style home has it all.

Sweet Spot on the Southern Coast Located in the gated Helms Port community in Wilmington, N.C., this charming, custom-built home spans 3,235 square feet with four bedrooms, five bathrooms, and no amenities overlooked. From hardwood floors to soaring ceilings, oversized windows and a double-decker porch, this plantation-style spot has it all.

Helms Port community features include a resort-style pool and community clubhouse, outdoor fireplace and living room, kayak launch and a private strip of sandy beach.

Listed by: Sherwood Strickland, Sherwood Strickland Group, Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage Listed for: $1,100,000 Photos by: Mark Steelman, Unique Media & Design

102 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Modern architecture and free-flowing space abound in the Hamptons.

Modern Hampton Hang Have you always dreamed of summer days in the Hamptons? Now’s your chance, if you’re a fan of modern architecture and free-flowing spaces.

This 4,500-square-foot masterpiece has five bedrooms, five bathrooms, stacks of wide windows and 22-foot tall ceilings. Outside, you’ll find an outdoor kitchen, hot tub, spa shower and a massive gunite swimming pool with flagstone coping. Situated on 2.15 acres, the home was designed by award-winning architect Bruce Nagel, whose notable projects stretch across the East End of Long Island, N.Y. Listed by: Richard Swift, Town & Country Real Estate Listed for: $4,700,000 Photos by: Elliott Kaufman RE

Family Fun in the Florida Sun This three-bedroom, three-bathroom townhome in sunny Miami is the perfect Florida home for family fun.

Located in Toscana at Venetian Isles, the Mediterranean-style space has new tile flooring, a brand-new kitchen, a large master bedroom and bath, and a sweet backyard just begging for a barbecue. Built in 2003, the 1,704-square-foot home is bright and spacious, and the Venetian Isles community offers a pool, beach, playground and community clubhouse.

Listed by: Miguel A Salvat, YES Real Estate Services Listed for: $315,000 Photos by: Yanibel Marquez

Fun and sun go hand-in-hand in Miami.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 103

{Ask the Experts}

-INSULATION IS OFTEN LACKING IN A HOME’S ATTIC, leading to excessive heat loss or gain and high energy bills. Consult a professional to determine if more insulation should be added.

Dan Steward President Pillar To Post Home Inspectors www.pillartopost.com

Q:

As summer approaches, what do buyers and sellers need to be aware of?

A:

With the summer season right around the corner, here are a few critical components that can’t be overlooked by buyers and sellers alike.

-SOOT BUILDS UP IN CHIMNEYS QUICKLY, which can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, in addition to posing a fire hazard.

A certified chimney sweep should be hired to routinely clean your chimney to prevent build-up.

-DETERIORATION AND ROT can remove caulk and grout around a bathtub, which can cause leaks and lead to extensive damage to the surrounding walls. You can determine if there’s insufficient grout by checking between tiled enclosures for voids. Caulk integrity can be determined by gently pressing and checking for any sponginess, a sign of weakened integrity.

-A LOOSE TOILET SEAT, while uncomfortable, may be a sign of a bigger issue. In fact, a seat that rocks could indicate that the seal at the base has failed, which can allow water to leak to the floor below, causing significant damage. If the seat feels loose, have the toilet inspected by a professional—and have the seal replaced if necessary.

Q& A

-THE ELECTRICAL OUTLETS in our homes are sometimes incapable of handling the large number of gadgets we now throw

104 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

at them. To prevent problems from overloaded outlets, consult a certified electrician to install additional outlets to handle the increased load.

-PLANTS TOO CLOSE TO A HOME’S SIDING can cause moisture damage and premature wear.

Make sure to keep vegetation in control by keeping plants neat and trim.

-DOWNSPOUTS OFTEN RELEASE AGAINST WALLS, which can cause the foundation to deteriorate, causing water to enter the basement. Redirect these downspouts away from the structure.

-LIKE CHIMNEYS, OVEN OR RANGE FILTERS CAN BECOME CLOGGED, posing a major fire hazard. Check filters for built-up grease, and consult a professional to check the connections to determine if the model needs exterior exhaust.

-SEALS AROUND KITCHEN AND BATHROOM SINK FIXTURES can become loose, leading to water damage in cabinets below. Visually examine seals and test them to see if they feel loose. If so, repair or replace them immediately.

-ROOFS DON’T LAST FOREVER. When purchasing a home, consult a professional home inspector to determine both the age and condition of the roof. Failure to do so may result in a significant amount of expensive damage to the home. RE

Amazon Experience Centers Look to Transform Smart-Home Shopping

by Liz Dominguez

A

mazon is making moves yet again. As a way to market its smart-home business segment without having to invest in conventional store locations, the online marketplace giant has partnered with Lennar Corporation to provide connectivity demos of Alexa-enabled products—everything from video doorbells and smart shades to lighting and scheduled deliveries—within the homebuilder’s model homes, calling these showrooms Amazon Experience Centers.

“Amazon’s ability to bring a home to life with Alexa smart-home experiences, entertainment and services—coupled with their obsession with customer experience—is a natural extension of our Everything’s Included approach to home-building,” said David Kaiserman, president of Lennar Ventures, in a statement.

“We picked Amazon because of our shared commitment to customers, their Amazon experts across the country and their ability to connect customers with thousands of service providers through Amazon Home Services.”

These centers are already open to the public in certain Lennar communities, including Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington,

D.C. Within these model homes, prospective buyers can test-control thermostats, lights, shades, locks, televisions and more using Amazon’s trademark smart speaker, Echo, and Alexa AI. “We wanted customers to experience a real home environment that showcases the convenience of the Alexa smart-home experience, great entertainment available with Prime and Home Services,” said Nish Lathia, general manager of Amazon Services, in a statement.

“We’re excited to extend our relationship with Lennar with the launch of Amazon Experience Centers. As one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, Lennar offers the potential to enable this experience within easy driving distance of mil-

lions of customers.”

Along with its smart speaker offerings, Amazon is also promoting Prime and Home Services, creating an intelligent home environment that’s being touted as a moneyand time-saver. For example, with Amazon’s Dash series, homeowners would be able to simply press a button to reorder any essentials, such as household items, favorite snack foods, pet supplies, and more.

No doubt Lennar will see increased traffic to its model homes because of the partnership, but is this just Amazon’s next step in a larger campaign to fully entrench itself in the real estate industry?

Its recent progressions pointing to—yes—talks of a robot give a glimpse into Amazon’s planned future for AI-run households. RE

Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s associate content editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at ldominguez@rismedia.com RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 105

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In other words, you get everything you need to get the listing, get the deal and get ahead. All for less than most agents spend on smartphone service. Find out how top producers stay on top – and how you can join them there. Visit us at Top5inRealEstate.com today.

Top Training & Coaching | Top Tools & Technology | Top Resources & Services

Index of Preferred Providers The leading companies providing services to the real estate and relocation industries

RREIN Service Providers

ABR®..................................................................................... 108

Ascent Real Estate, Inc........................................................... 112

American Home Shield........................................................... 108

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate... 112

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices......................................... 108

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, REALTORS®....112

Buffini & Company................................................................. 108

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty................... 112

Century 21 Real Estate LLC.................................................... 108

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS®.....112

Certified New Home Specialist ............................................. 108

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties............ 112

CINC (Commissions Inc)......................................................... 108

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties............ 112

Cole Realty Resource............................................................. 108

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties.................112

Create for the Human............................................................. 108

Calcagni Real Estate.............................................................. 112

CRS Data............................................................................... 108

CENTURY 21 Award................................................................ 113

DocuSign............................................................................... 109

CENTURY 21 New Millennium................................................. 113

Engel & Völkers...................................................................... 109

Coach REALTORS®................................................................. 113

The Entrust Group.................................................................. 109

Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS®............................. 113

ERA Franchise Systems, LLC................................................... 109

Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty.................................. 113

Homes & Land....................................................................... 109

Diane Turton, REALTORS®....................................................... 113

Homes.com........................................................................... 109

Fillmore Real Estate............................................................... 113

HomeSmart International....................................................... 109

First Team® Real Estate.......................................................... 113

HomeTeam Inspection Service................................................ 109

GARDNER, REALTORS®........................................................... 113

HSA Home Warranty............................................................... 109

Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate.............................................. 113

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®........................ 109

J. Rockcliff REALTORS®........................................................... 113

Motto Franchising, LLC®......................................................... 109

Jordan Baris, Inc., REALTORS®................................................ 114

Moxi Works............................................................................. 110

Kinlin Grover Real Estate........................................................ 114

National Association of REALTORS®........................................ 110

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc................................................ 114

The Personal Marketing Company........................................... 110

Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty.................... 114

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors................................................ 110

McCOLLY Real Estate.............................................................. 114

Quicken Loans....................................................................... 110

Page Taft................................................................................ 114

Real Living Real Estate........................................................... 110

Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate.............................................. 114

Realogy Holdings Corp........................................................... 110

Randall, REALTORS®.....................................................................114

realtor.com®.......................................................................... 110

RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central......................................... 114

Realtors Property Resource®.................................................. 110

RE/MAX Gateway................................................................... 114

TM

Realty Executives International............................................... 111 Realty ONE Group.................................................................. 111 RE/MAX, LLC.......................................................................... 111 RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network®.............................. 111 Sellstate Realty Systems Network, Inc..................................... 111 Top Producer® CRM................................................................ 111 Workman Success Systems.................................................... 111 Xpressdocs............................................................................ 111 Zillow Group........................................................................... 111 zipLogix.................................................................................. 111

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 107

ABR®

CERTIFIED NEW HOME SPECIALISTTM

(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.

(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 contactus@sellnewhomes.com.

AMERICAN HOME SHIELD (800) 735-4663 • www.ahs.com/realestate American Home Shield, a subsidiary of The ServiceMaster Company, founded the home warranty industry in 1971 and remains the industry leader. Servicing more than 1.3 million customers across 49 states, the company also issues and administers preventive maintenance contracts on major home systems and appliances in 48 states. The Memphis-based company operates three customer service centers, employs approximately 1,600 people and has a national contractor network made up of more than 10,000 independent home-service contractors.

CINC (COMMISSIONS INC)

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES

COLE REALTY RESOURCE

(800) 666-6634 • www.berkshirehathawayhs.com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is a brand-new 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.

(888) 231-0732 • www.colerealtyresource.com • Omaha, Neb. Cole Realty Resource helps thousands of agents and brokers find success. Agents can connect with neighborhoods to stay top of mind and promote open houses or Just Listed/Sold properties, while brokers use this tool to recruit, retain and cheerlead new agents, allowing for confident prospecting. All of this is achieved through a combination of innovative technology, industry knowledge of end-user practices and comprehensive data providers. Let us help you become a top agent today!

BUFFINI & COMPANY

CREATE FOR THE HUMAN

(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 generation 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.

(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.

CENTURY 21 REAL ESTATE LLC (877) 221-2765 • www.century21.com • Madison, N.J. • Nick Bailey, President & CEO Century 21 Real Estate LLC is a leading global residential franchise real estate sales organization, with approximately 8,300 independently-owned and -operated franchised brokerages and nearly 119,000 independent real estate professionals in 81 countries and territories worldwide. The Century 21® System capitalizes on brand marketing, promotions and sponsorships, and fundraising efforts with Easter Seals, to build brand awareness and preference. Technology initiatives include both English- and Spanish-language consumer websites, www.century21.com and www.century21.com/espanol, a recently redesigned intranet site, www.21Online.com, and the Century 21 Learning System®, a web-based learning platform. Century 21 Real Estate LLC is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp.

108 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

(855) 246-2717 • www.commissionsinc.com • Marietta, Ga. • Matt Hart, Director of Sales CINC is the premier lead acquisition and conversion marketing platform designed for top-producing teams, agents and brokers.

Their solution includes a consumer website that integrates with local MLS data, a complete customer relationship platform for nurturing leads, and a trio of three mobile apps supporting all aspects of the home sale process. Each month, CINC generates over 290,000 new homebuyer and seller leads for its clients.

CRS DATA www.crsdata.com Since 1989, CRS Data has provided you with a wealth of tax data.

Our new, customized MLS Tax Suite integrates seamlessly into your MLS system and gives REALTORS® current tax data, detailed maps and robust features on all browsers and mobile devices.

Find listings and FSBOs quickly, evaluate them effectively and give clients professional presentations. We’re proud to provide a personal customer service experience to support our intuitive MLS Tax Suite. Learn more by visiting www.crsdata.com.

DOCUSIGN (866) 219-4318 • www.docusign.com/nar • Seattle, Wash.

• Suzanne Alberti, Marketing Campaigns Program Manager - Web DocuSign is part of the National Association of REALTORS®’ Second Century Ventures investment portfolio and is the official and exclusive provider of ESIGN services for NAR members under the REALTOR Benefits® program. Offering the exclusive REALTOR® Edition, DocuSign is the safe, secure way to electronically send, sign and store real estate documents. DocuSigned documents are legally binding and backed with an audit trail.

ENGEL & VÖLKERS (212) 234-3100 • www.evusa.com ​Since its beginning in 1977 as a specialty boutique providing exclusive, high-end real estate​services in Hamburg, Germany, Engel & Völkers has become one of the world’s leading companies specializing in the sale and lease of premium residential and commercial property, yachts and private aviation. Engel & Völkers currently operates a global network of over 10,000 real estate advisors in more than 30 countries, offering both private and institutional clients a professionally tailored range of luxury services.

Committed to exceptional service, Engel & Völkers supports its advisors with an array of premium quality business services; marketing programs and tools; multiple platforms for mobile, social and web; as well as access to its global network of real estate professionals, property listings and market data. Each brokerage is independently owned and operated.

THE ENTRUST GROUP (800) 392-9653 • www.TheEntrustGroup.com The Entrust Group (“Entrust”) has been the industry leader in account administration services and education of Real Estate IRAs for 35 years. Entrust offers real estate brokers and agents a costeffective, individualized approach to retirement savings using a self-directed IRA account with the AgentIRA Program. As part of this program, Entrust works with real estate professionals by assisting their clients with the purchase of real estate investments with retirement funds. The AgentIRA Program provides real estate brokers a strategy to attract, develop and retain high-quality talent. Learn more at www.theentrustgroup.com/agentira.

ERA FRANCHISE SYSTEMS, LLC (800) 869-1260 • www.era.com • Madison, N.J. • Simon Chen, 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 website. The ERA network includes approximately 2,350 independently-owned and -operated offices with over 40,000 brokers and independent sales associates throughout the U.S and 31 other countries and territories. ERA Franchise Systems, LLC is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp.

HOMES & LAND (800) 726-6683 • www.HomesAndLand.com Homes & Land, one of the industry’s most trusted and recognized brands, offers real estate professionals a marketing solution that combines the prestige of print and a suite of digital products. With a network of 220+ magazines in communities throughout the U.S. and Canada, Homes & Land connects top agents and brokers with quali-

fied homebuyers and sellers. Publishers provide custom advertising in an upscale magazine, global reach through HomesAndLand.com, and website partners including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, duPont REGISTRY and Robb Report. Visit HomesAndLand.com/Magazine-Directory to find your local publisher.

HOMES.COM (866) 697-3308 • http://connect.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 fastestgrowing real estate companies in the nation with 125 offices in 16 states and nearly 14,000 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. We invite you to experience the difference the team approach makes. For more information give us a call at 844.HOMETEAM or visit us online at hometeam.com.

HSA HOME WARRANTY (800) 367-1448 • www.onlinehsa.com • Madison, Wis. • Mike Clear, President HSA Home Warranty provides home warranty coverage in 48 states and E&O insurance in all 50 states. The HSA Home Warranty repairs or replaces mechanical systems and appliances that fail due to normal wear and tear during the coverage period. With HSA Home Warranty, real estate professionals minimize their risk by lowering their exposure to liability. They avoid post-sale disputes about who should pay for the repair, and they can get the problem fixed quickly and conveniently by making just one call to HSA.

LEADING REAL ESTATE COMPANIES OF THE WORLD® (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 500 firms that span over 50 countries with 120,000 sales professionals, visit LeadingRE.com.

MOTTO FRANCHISING, LLC® (866) 668-8649 • www.mottomortgage.com • Denver, Colo.

Created in 2016 as the second member of the RE/MAX Holdings,

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Inc. family of brands, Motto Franchising, LLC powers the growing network of independently-owned Motto Mortgage brokerages with a franchised business model structured primarily for real estate brokers interested in expanding into mortgage origination via an affiliated business. Motto Mortgage offices have access to loan products from top wholesalers and strong regulatory compliance support. The result is a different kind of business, created to innovate and disrupt the industry.

MOXI WORKS (206) 673-4591 • www.moxiworks.com Moxi Works is a residential brokerage services company that makes agents significantly more productive and brokerages more profitable by helping them effectively run their businesses. Moxi Works’ integrated tools are centered on a sphere-based selling process that drastically increases agents’ repeat and referral business, while lowering overall technology costs for the brokerage.

Brokerages with Moxi Works collectively sell over $72 billion worth of homes annually.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (800) 874-6500 • www.NAR.realtor • Chicago, Ill. • Bob Goldberg, CEO • Matt Lombardi, SVP, Marketing, Communications and Events •M arc Gould, SVP, Member Development • Mark Birschbach, SVP, Strategic Business Innovation and Technology • Karen Bebart, VP, Member Marketing and Communications 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, the official member benefits resource for discounts and special offers on products and services just for REALTORS®. Program partners are industry leaders who understand the unique needs of real estate professionals and are committed to your success.

Visit www.nar.realtor/RealtorBenefits. NAR is also proud to make the .REALTOR domain available exclusively to members to help them stand out in the marketplace as the trusted source for real estate for consumers. Visit http://about.REALTOR. And, for a lifetime of learning, REALTOR® University can take your career to the next level with continuing education courses, earning a designation or certification, or a Master in Real Estate degree.

Visit www.REALTORU.edu. The REALTOR® Store features print and ePublications, including top-selling “The Little Red Book: Safety Rules to Live by for REALTORS®” and the “2017 NAR Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers.” Visit www.NAR.realtor/Store. Additionally, NAR’s venture capital arm, Second Century Ventures, has invested in companies that push forward innovation in the real estate industry and can benefit NAR’s members. Visit www.secondcenturyventures.com.

THE PERSONAL MARKETING COMPANY (800) 458-8245 • www.tpmco.com • Lenexa, Kan. The Personal Marketing Company creates marketing systems for agents to become known in their market and attract clients for long-term success. Our marketing development team brings proven marketing expertise, cutting-edge technology and personal service to develop customized marketing solutions which can include: direct mail, email marketing, contact management, prospecting and farming, newsletter programs, FSBO and expired campaigns,

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client follow-up systems and marketing planning services.

PILLAR TO POST HOME INSPECTORS (800) 294-5591 • www.pillartopost.com • Tampa, Fla. · Alice Soon, Marketing 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.

QUICKEN LOANS (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 eight years. Along with being the second 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.

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. The Real Living brand was recognized

by Entrepreneur magazine. Real Living Real Estate is a network brand of HSF Affiliates LLC, majority owned by HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate.

REALOGY HOLDINGS CORP. (973) 407-7470 • www.realogy.com • Madison, N.J. • Mark Panus, SVP, Corporate 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 include Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker®, Coldwell Banker Commercial®, The Corcoran Group®, ERA®, Sotheby’s International Realty®, ZipRealty®, NRT LLC, Cartus, Title Resource Group and ZapLabs LLC. Collectively, Realogy’s franchise system members operate over 15,000 offices with approximately 289,000 independent sales associates doing business in 117 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® (888) 914-7771 • http://blog.narrpr.com • Chicago, Ill. • Dale Ross, CEO • Marty Frame, President • Jeff Young, COO 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.

in eight states, Sellstate is quickly growing into one of the premier real estate franchise systems. Unparalleled technology, design, commission structure and a passive income system, which pays a monthly payout average of over $1,100 per month, all go into making Sellstate the company of the future.

REALTY EXECUTIVES INTERNATIONAL

TOP PRODUCER® CRM

(800) 252-3366 • www.RealtyExecutives.com • Scottsdale, Ariz.

Established in 1965, Realty Executives International is one of the largest and most established real estate franchise systems in the world, with over 8,000 agents and 500 offices globally. The company offers disruptive, flexible pricing models for unrivaled mobile technology, business tools, training and service, while providing protected territories to qualified franchisees. The privately-held company has been ranked as a leader in the real estate industry by publications like Entrepreneur, Success and Inc. magazines.

(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.

REALTY ONE GROUP (949) 346-9549 • www.RealtyONEGroup.com • Lou Gonzalez, President, Realty ONE Group Affiliates Known as the UNbrokerage, Realty ONE Group is the fifth-largest real estate brokerage and one of the fastest growing real estate franchisors in the nation. With over 10,000 real estate professionals across the country and global expansion on the horizon, Realty ONE Group empowers real estate professionals with business tools, technology, coaching and 24/7 support that aligns with the brand’s core belief in being pro-agent with a YOU-First Focus. One-hundred percent family-owned and debt-free since day ONE, Realty ONE Group is committed to creating a dynamic “coolture” that focuses on helping their professionals achieve greater success, faster, and continues opening doors for their clients, real estate professionals, and franchise owners every day.

RE/MAX, LLC (303) 770-5531 • www.remax.com • Denver, Colo.

RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, who still manage the company today. From a single office in Denver, Colo., RE/MAX has grown to be a global real estate franchise network with more than 100,000 sales associates in nearly 100 countries. 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.

RISMEDIA’S TOP 5 IN REAL ESTATE NETWORK® (203) 853-2167 • www.Top5inRealEstate.com RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate® is a membership network of leading real estate professionals who wish to “raise the bar.” Top 5 in Real Estate is a network of select real estate professionals from throughout the U.S. and Canada who have met the Top 5 in Real Estate’s stringent series of various career qualifications and who are committed to the future development of their professional skills and services to the consumers and the communities they serve.

SELLSTATE REALTY SYSTEMS NETWORK, INC. (866) 661-3847 • www.JoinSellstate.com • Fort Myers, Fla. Sellstate is a revolutionary, forward-thinking real estate franchise system that brings technology and creativity to a higher level.

Labeled in RISMedia’s Real Estate magazine as “The World’s First Complete Real Estate System,” Sellstate brings a model that truly benefits both the broker and agent to the industry. Already located

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 and creating operational excellence. 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 in order to achieve top performance and industry excellence. 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.

XPRESSDOCS (866) 977-3627 • www.xpressdocs.com • Fort Worth, Texas As a trusted direct marketing provider for real estate professionals, Xpressdocs produces high-quality marketing materials efficiently and economically—from print and digital to mailing services and a custom technology platform, Xpressdocs has you covered. Our unique marketing platform helps clients maintain control over branding, the quality of the materials used and messaging, all while providing a self-serve online website to customize and order marketing materials and execute campaigns at the local level.

ZILLOW GROUP www.zillow.com Zillow Group houses a portfolio of the largest real estate- and homerelated brands on the web and mobile. The company’s brands focus on all stages of the home lifecycle: renting, buying, selling, financing and home improvement. Zillow Group is committed to empowering consumers with unparalleled data, inspiration and knowledge around homes, and connecting them with the right professionals to help, and helping real estate agents, lenders and rental professionals maximize business opportunities and connect with consumers.

ZIPLOGIX (866) 693-6767 • www.zipLogix.com With more than 20 years of experience developing real estatefocused software solutions and 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 is led by zipForm® Plus, the exclusive and official forms software of the National Association of REALTORS®.

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RREIN Member Profiles ASCENT REAL ESTATE, INC. (619) 325-4100 • www.ascentrealestate.net Owned and operated in San Diego since 2005, Ascent Real Estate embodies an enviable combination of entrepreneurial energy, comprehensive industry experience, and local market knowledge.

This mix lets Ascent “out national” its local competition, thanks to its exceptional professional team and world-class infrastructure, and “out local” the national competition, thanks to its laser-like focus on the specific markets in which it operates. Our highly productive sales team of approximately 140 agents has elevated Ascent as a leader in marketshare in the Metro San Diego area. Our agents receive ongoing training and education, and they go above and beyond to deliver the diligent and ethical standard of care we are committed to providing. And, as an exclusive San Diego affiliate of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, Ascent Real Estate is a hyper-local brokerage with a global reach.

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 look forward to helping you sell your home or find that dream home you are looking for. We believe in each other and ourselves. 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 (formerly Prudential Florida Realty) is a full-service brokerage servicing 17 counties throughout Florida and is a wholly owned subsidiary of WCI Communities, Inc. It is a franchise member of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. The company is the fifth largest brokerage in the nation among the affiliate network brokers and offers residential and commercial services, seasonal rentals, property management, 112 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

REO and foreclosures, corporate relocations, referral services, mortgage, title, insurance, home service plans, and personal concierge services. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty is the No. 1 Fundraiser for The Sunshine Kids, having raised over $2.3 million since 2001.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES FOX & ROACH, REALTORS® (610) 889-7705 • www.foxroach.com Now the nation’s second largest provider of total home services, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® has 4,000 sales associates in 65 sales offices throughout the Tri-State area. Through its affiliate, the Trident Group, the company provides one-stop shopping and facilitated services to its clients, including mortgage financing and title, property and casualty insurance. For more information, go to www.foxroach.com.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES GEORGIA PROPERTIES (770) 992-4100 • www.BHHSGeorgia.com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties has 22 locations and 1,100 agents, and is an independently-operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Under the leadership of CEO Dan Forsman, the company is known for innovation and delivering exceptional value to associates and their clients. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties was ranked No. 1 in homes sold, buyers represented and overall transactions in 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 for the Greater Metro Atlanta area.

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.

CALCAGNI REAL ESTATE (203) 272-1821 • www.calcagni.com • www.land-consulting.com Calcagni Associates is the premier independently-owned and -operated real estate company servicing central Connecticut for over four decades. We understand the benefits of providing service that goes beyond what is expected and pride ourselves on establishing lifelong relationships with our clients. In addition to residential real estate, we also specialize in land consulting and new construction, and have divisions that handle bank-owned properties and commercial real estate.

CENTURY 21 AWARD

DIANE TURTON, REALTORS®

(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.

(877) 388-7866 • www.dianeturton.com Founded in 1985, the Diane Turton, REALTORS® name has earned renowned recognition as the premier real estate company in the markets that they serve. With 18 strategic locations on the New Jersey shoreline, the Diane Turton brand is the recognized leader in providing complete residential and commercial real estate ownership services and support. Diane Turton, REALTORS® caters to all real estate requirements, including title, insurance, relocation and referral services. The company is staffed with nearly 375 sales associates along with a full-time management/support team.

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, 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 18 locations and approximately 750 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 hand-selected brokerages in the United States.

COACH REALTORS® (800) 321-7356 x139 • www.coachrealtors.com · LP Finn, Operating Officer, LP@coachrealtors.com Coach REALTORS® is a Long Island-based, full-service real estate company with 18 office locations and over 600 sales associates serving Nassau and Suffolk counties, N.Y. Coach REALTORS® is an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates, a division of the famed auction house, and a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, and has been recognized by Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate for over 14 years.

COLDWELL BANKER D’ANN HARPER, REALTORS® (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.

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 in 2012 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.

FILLMORE REAL ESTATE (800) 528-6673 • www.fillmore.com Fillmore Real Estate is the New York metro area’s largest independently-owned real estate broker. Specializing in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Bronx and parts of Westchester, Fillmore has residential, commercial and rental divisions. For more information, visit us at www.fillmore.com or call us at (800) 528-6673.

FIRST TEAM® REAL ESTATE (888) 236-1943 • www.FirstTeam.com First Team® Real Estate is the No. 1 privately-held real estate company in Southern California with 2,000 agents and employees across 60 locations. First Team wins marketshare in any economic climate through innovation and proprietary marketing tools, and by successfully targeting the luxury market with First Team Estates®. Contact First Team today to find out how we have helped thousands of families realize their dream of homeownership— and how we can help you find yours.

GARDNER, REALTORS® (800) 566-7801 • www.GardnerRealtors.com Since 1943, GARDNER, REALTORS® continues our tradition of excellence as the leading full-service real estate company in the Southeast Louisiana and Southern Mississippi Region. The GARDNER Real Estate Family includes over 800 real estate professionals in 24 neighborhood offices that serve over 100 communities. Our professional services include residential and commercial sales and leasing, relocation and corporate services, asset management/REO and property management, plus the convenience and added value of one-stop shopping for mortgage, title and home warranty services.

We are proud to be home grown, locally-owned and internationally known. Also, we love to give back to the communities we serve through GARDNER LOVE, which is the philanthropic arm of GARDNER, REALTORS® and The Gertrude Gardner Foundation.

GLORIA NILSON & CO. REAL ESTATE (732) 450-2300 • www.glorianilson.com Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate, owned by Dick Schlott, has serviced the most discerning buyers and sellers of residential real estate in New Jersey for over 35 years with more than 700 sales associates within our 23 offices throughout New Jersey and Bucks County, Pa. As an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, along with our luxury lifestyle magazine, we offer our clients and associates the most cutting-edge marketing services both globally and locally. For additional information about Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate, please visit www.glorianilson.com.

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 techRISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 113

nology, 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® (800) 4-JBARIS • (973) 736-1600 • www.JordanBaris.com info@jordanbaris.com Founded in 1952, Jordan Baris Inc., REALTORS® 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. 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.

LONG & FOSTER REAL ESTATE, INC. (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, North Carolina, to Fair Haven, New Jersey, and from Martinsburg, West Virginia, 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 $31.2 billion worth of homes and helped people buy and sell homes nearly 88,000 times in 2016.

Visit www.LongandFoster.com for more information.

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 114 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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 First Team® Real Estate 108 Pacifica Ave., Ste. 300, Irvine, CA 92618 Contact: Gayle D. Glew CRP, CRB, Director, Relocation and Corporate Services Tel: (855) 858-8028 (Toll Free) Email: gayleglew@firstteam.com • URL: www.firstteam.com Coverage Areas: Southern California counties of Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego Offices: 36 • Associates: 1,865 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 Calcagni Real Estate 330 South Main St., Cheshire, CT 06410 Contact: Steven Calcagni, President Tel: (203) 272-1821 ext. 302 Email: Steven_Calcagni@calcagni.com • URL: www.calcagni.com Coverage Areas: New Haven County, Central Connecticut Offices: 4 • Associates: 140

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 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® 1 International Plaza, Ste. 100, Philadelphia, PA 19113 Contact: Linda Zanzinger, Vice President, Relocation/REO Services Tel: (610) 595-3149 Email: Linda.Zanzinger@foxroach.com • URL: www.foxroach.com Coverage Areas: Greater Philadelphia Region, Greater Allentown and Easton Region, Southeast Pa., Southern and Central N.J., Northern Del. Offices: 65 • Associates: 4,000 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 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: 17 counties throughout Florida, including Southeast Florida, Southwest Florida and Orlando area Offering mortgage, title, insurance, home service plans and 1031 exchange services Offices: 39 • Associates: 1,350

GEORGIA 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: 22 • Associates: 1,100 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 115

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+

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

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+

LOUISIANA GARDNER, REALTORS® 3332 N. Woodlawn Ave., Metairie, LA 70006 Contact: Nancy Harmann, Director of Relocation & Corporate Services Tel: (504) 200-5080 • (504) 402-9567 (Cell) • (800) 256-5677 (Toll Free) Email: NHarmann@GardnerRealtors.com • URL: www.GardnerRealtors.com Coverage Areas: Southeast Louisiana, including Greater New Orleans and Greater Baton Rouge, and Southern Mississippi, including the MS Gulf Coast Offering a full range of services including Residential, Commercial, Leasing, New Homes, REO, and Loss Mitigation; plus individual and corporate Relocation, Property Management and National/International Referral Network services Offices: 24 • Associates: 800

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+ 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+

116 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

MISSISSIPPI GARDNER, REALTORS® 3332 N. Woodlawn Ave., Metairie, LA 70006 Contact: Nancy Harmann, Director of Relocation & Corporate Services Tel: (504) 200-5080 • (504) 402-9567 (Cell) • (800) 256-5677 (Toll Free) Email: NHarmann@GardnerRealtors.com • URL: www.GardnerRealtors.com Coverage Areas: Southeast Louisiana, including Greater New Orleans and Greater Baton Rouge, and Southern Mississippi, including the MS Gulf Coast Offering a full range of services including Residential, Commercial, Leasing, New Homes, REO, and Loss Mitigation; plus individual and corporate Relocation, Property Management and National/International Referral Network services Offices: 24 • Associates: 800

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 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® 1 International Plaza, Ste. 100, Philadelphia, PA 19113 Contact: Linda Zanzinger, VP, Relocation/REO Services

Tel: (610) 595-3149 Email: Linda.Zanzinger@foxroach.com • URL: www.foxroach.com Coverage Areas: Greater Philadelphia Region, Greater Allentown and Easton Region, Southeast Pa., Southern and Central N.J., Northern Del. Offices: 65 • Associates: 4,000 Diane Turton, REALTORS® 511 Forman Ave., Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742 Contact: Dawn Fetherston, Director of Relocation & Corporate Services Tel: (877) 388-7866 Email: info@dianeturton.com • URL: www.dianeturton.com Coverage Areas: Monmouth County, Ocean County and Middlesex County (N.J.) Member Organizations: Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, Luxury Portfolio, Luxury Real Estate Offices: 18 · Associates: 375 Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate 826 Alexander Rd., Princeton, NJ 08540 Contact: Patricia (Tricia) Kobos Tel: (888) 467-MOVE (Relocation Line) • (609) 750-7605 (Direct) Email: pkobos@glorianilson.com • URL: www.glorianilson.com Coverage Areas: Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean and Somerset counties, N.J.; Bucks County, Pa. Offices: 23 • Associates: 700+ Jordan Baris, Inc., REALTORS® 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+

NEW YORK Coach REALTORS® 66 Gilbert St., Northport, NY 11768 Contact: Jose Matos, Inbound Referral Coordinator Tel: (800) 321-7356 ext. 138 Email: jmatos@coachrealtors.com URL: www.coachrealtors.com/buying-and-sellin/relocation.cfm The Coach REALTORS® Relocation Department understands the complexities and challenges of employee transfers and is very responsive to the many needs of relocating families. Coach’s relocation division is supported by three full-time referral coordinators: Jose Matos, Kathy Brandofino and Roseanne Tourto. These three professionals draw upon more than 50 years of combined relocation experience in order to make the client transition a comfortable one.

Offices: 19 • Associates: 650+

Coldwell Banker Prime Properties 10 Osgood Ave., Green Island, NY 12183 Contact: R. James Long, Broker/Owner Tel: (518) 640-4008 • Fax: (518) 456-8980 Email: jim.long@ColdwellBankerPrime.com Coverage Areas: New York State, primarily Capital Region and Central New York Offices: 16 • Associates: 500 Fillmore Real Estate 2990 Avenue U, Brooklyn, NY 11229 Contact: John Reinhardt, President/CEO • Tel: (800) 528-6673 Email: JohnReinhardt@Fillmore.com • URL: www.fillmore.com Coverage Areas: Brooklyn, Staten Island, Bronx and parts of Westchester Offices: 16 • Associates: 400

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 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® 1 International Plaza, Ste. 100, Philadelphia, PA 19113 Contact: Linda Zanzinger, Vice President, Relocation/REO Services, Tel: (610) 595-3149 Email: Linda.Zanzinger@foxroach.com • URL: www.foxroach.com Coverage Areas: Greater Philadelphia Region, Greater Allentown and Easton Region, Southeast Pa., Southern and Central N.J., Northern Del. Offices: 65 • Associates: 4,000 Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate 826 Alexander Rd., Princeton, NJ 08540 Contact: Patricia (Tricia) Kobos Tel: (888) 467-MOVE (Relocation Line) • (609) 750-7605 (Direct) Email: pkobos@glorianilson.com • URL: www.glorianilson.com Coverage Areas: Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean and Somerset counties, N.J.; Bucks County, Pa. Offices: 23 • 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+

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2018 117

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

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 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

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

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: Karen Taylor, Director of Relocation, (864) 678-5244, ktaylor@cdanjoyner.com, Jo Anne Conner, Network 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+

TEXAS Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS® 18756 Stone Oak Pkwy., Ste. 301, San Antonio, TX 78258 Contact: Pam Poitevent, Sr. VP Relocation Services Tel: (800) 521-1408 (Toll Free) • (210) 483-7035 (Direct) Email: ppoitevent@cbharper.com • URL: www.cbharper.com Coverage Areas: San Antonio metropolitan area including New Braunfels, San Marcos, Seguin, Spring Branch, Bulverde, Canyon Lake, Schertz, Universal City, Boerne, Bandera, Kerrville and surrounding areas Offices: 8 • Associates: 350+

VIRGINIA 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+

118 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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®...................................................................................14

National Association of REALTORS®............................8, 25

American Home Shield...................................................13 Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA)....60

National Association of Women in Real Estate Businesses (NAWRB).................................42

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices...............................BC

The Personal Marketing Company..........................56, 72

Century 21 Real Estate LLC.............................................19

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors...........................................2

Clareity..............................................................................21

Quicken Loans................................................................ IBC

Create for the Human...................................11, 20, 90, 99

Realtors Property Resource®...........................................17

ERA Franchise Systems, LLC............................................44

Realty ONE Group............................................................22

Homes.com........................................................................7

RE/MAX, LLC.....................................................................10

HomeSmart International................................................26

RISMedia’s Automated Content Engagement (ACE)....................................................................9, 66-67,119

HomeTeam Inspection Service............................................48 HSA Home Warranty............................................................ IFC Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®.................. 1 National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP)®..................................................35 NAR’s Military Relocation Professional (MRP) Certification......................................................................36

RISMedia’s Content Solutions.........................................95 RISMedia’s Real Estate CEO Exchange...........................5 RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network®.............58, 106 Sherri Johnson...................................................................76 Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc...........................50, 74 Workman Success Systems........................................65, 69

RISMedia’s Automated Content Engagement

We write it. We post it. You take all the credit.

Learn more at ace.rismedia.com

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Simplify and Strengthen Your Digital Brand With a .realtor™ Web and Email Address

E

very business wants to create a powerful and effective brand on the internet. Fortunately, REALTORS® have access to a powerful digital

branding tool to help them do so—a .realtor™ web and email address.

Exclusive Branding Opportunity New top-level domains, including .realtor™, began rolling out in 2014. At the end of 2017, web addresses using new top-level domains grew to 20.6 million domain registrations, including those owned by Google, Amazon and Sony.

Of these, .realtor™ is unique in that it’s only offered to members, firms and boards of the National Association of REALTORS®(NAR) and the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). Why not leverage the power of a brand that’s highly recognizable to anyone interested in purchasing or selling real estate? A .realtor™ top-level domain is an easy and effective way to communicate who you are and what you do. After all, an agent who uses “KathleenFreeman.realtor” instead of “KathleenFreeman.com” instantly says, “I’m a real estate professional.”

Emerging Trends Web addresses (also called URLs) have grown increasingly important for digital branding. With the availability of hundreds of new top-level domains, companies have many more options to create URLs that support their brand—and are easy to share.

Take, for example, the promotion of a movie. It’s now common to use a “.movie” top-level domain to create a memorable URL, like “The Hunger Games” (thehungergames.movie), “I Feel Pretty” (ifeelpretty.movie), or “The Post” (thepost.movie).

“The Hunger Games” uses “.movie” as the main site for their film series. In other cases, like “The Post,” the short and memorable URL is utilized in marketing materials and set up to redirect to a much longer address—foxmovies.com/movies/the-post. REALTORS® can do the same thing. Simply register and promote your .realtor™ web address on social media and in marketing materials.

Search Engine Rankings In addition to offering important branding opportunities, a .realtor™ web address can also play a role in 120 June 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

improving your search engine rankings. Consumers frequently use the term “REALTOR” when searching online, and search engines pay attention to the most popular keywords.

As a result, if you’re already satisfying other important search engine requirements, using the term “REALTOR” in your website address is a factor that can boost your position in search results. For example, try searching “Kathleen Freeman REALTOR” on Google and www.KathleenFreeman.realtor will be one of your top results, if not the first.

More Than a Domain With a .realtor™ top-level domain, you get more than an address on the internet that says “REALTOR®”— you also get a professional email address. Instead of relying on a generic address, like “jennypage@yahoo. com,” you could opt for “info@jennypage.realtor.” Which sounds more like a real estate professional?

Additionally, you can take advantage of numerous other enhancements, including:

8 Easy-to-build IDX-powered websites from Placester®, a REALTOR Benefits® Program Partner (for U.S. members only) 8 A free realtor.com® profile website (for U.S. members only) 8 The option to easily add on-the-go business tools with G Suite from Google Get Your FREE .realtor™ Domain Individual members can claim their first .realtor™ web and email address at no cost, for the first year, then $39.95 per year. (For firms, the cost is $79 per year; bulk discounts are available for both individuals and firms.) Get yours today at www.get.realtor/RIS. RE

Coming Soon: The .realestate Top-Level Domain Watch for exciting developments later this year, when the .realtor™ web and email address is joined by another new top-level domain: .realestate. Visit www.get.realestate for more information.

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