Real Estate Magazine - RE/MAX Realty 100 - March 2018

www.rismedia.com

– Page 74

RE/MAX Realty 100:

Surrounded by the Best to Be the Best – Page 80

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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} March 2018/Vol. 34, No. 3 • www.rismedia.com

ON THE COVER 80 R E/MAX Realty 100: Surrounded by the Best to Be the Best Jeff Benson learned a lot over the years that factored into the success of the Milwaukee, Wis.-based real estate firm he opened in 1979. From his early days as a teacher to the sales savvy he developed in the automotive world, many things helped prepare him for his ultimate role as broker/owner of RE/MAX Realty 100— but perhaps none more than the life lesson instilled by his parents: “Put other people’s interests first and everything will turn out the right way.” In this month’s cover story, Benson shares how creating an environment where a like-minded, results-focused team could thrive has led to four decades of growth, no matter what the market dished out.

HIGHLIGHTS 26 The Great Debate: What the

49 O ne for All, All for One: ERA iRealty’s Diversity Mission Pays Off

MLS Can Be, and What It Should Be

53 Putting Brokerage Fears to Bed

In this feature, industry professionals speak candidly about what’s in store for the future of the MLS.

57 S trategies: American Home Shield;

30 Step Inside the New C21® Brand

Clareity; ReferralExchange

74 S ocial Skills: Marketing Your Testimonials to Attract New Business

Take a peek into what it looks like to be “C21® #Relentless.”

76 R eputation and Relationships

40 The Real Deal: Pam O’Connor Builds a Network, Influences an Industry, and Impacts Lives

89 RISMedia’s Great Spaces

As the president of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® prepares for her retirement, take a look back on her storied career—and how she’s set the company up for continued success.

26

Win the Day

96 A sk the Experts: The Importance of Pre-Inspections, What You Need to Know About Native Ads

86 Facebook Files Patent: Homeowner Data Could Reveal Socioeconomic Status Here, learn how a recent patent filed

by Facebook would allow the platform to inch even closer toward its customer base through data analytics.

FEATURES 24 G lobal Spotlight: Cabo: Taking Luxury to a Whole New Level

28 Buyers Caught in Deadlock: NAR

89

44 P ower Broker Perspectives: Patrick Conner, Jason Waugh RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 3

68

74

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24

HEADLINERS

INTERVIEWS

15 Policy Matters: Changes Coming

50 M ichael Nourmand, Nourmand

to USDA Rural Housing Loan Eligibility

16 N AR Power Broker Roundtable: Transacting Business in the Age of Wire Fraud: Protecting Your Clients and Your Company

18 R EBAC Report: Are New Homes Included in Your Spring Growth Forecast?

20 Executive Appointments 39 T op 5 Single-Family Home Trends to Watch Out for in 2018

68 F orming a Team? How to Choose the Right Business Entity

73 Home Prices Still on an Upturn 95 B log Spot: How Home Automation Is Taking Over the Remodeling Industry

& Associates

70 T om Gale, Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage

84 M ark Fields, CENTURY 21 Mark Fields and Associates

84 P hilip Romero and Joshua Robertson-Tucker, CENTURY 21 Award

EXPERTS 23 B rian Buffini - Create a Lucrative Business With What’s Right Beneath Your Feet

37 T erri Murphy - Supercharge Your Marketing Message and Convert More Prospects to Profits

61 R ick Geha - Maximizing Your Most Important Technology

62 S arah Michelle Bliss - You’re Only as Good as Your Last Referral

63 M ark Mathis - Thinking About Building a Team?

4 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

40

EVERY ISSUE 6 RISMedia Online 9 Publisher’s Desk 12 Did You Know?

99 Service Profiles 107 Referrals 112 R E: Real Estate—Looking for Low-Hanging Fruit? Point Your Agents Here

Introducing

Inaugural Awards, Reception & Dinner Thursday, May 17, 2018 The National Press Club • Washington, D.C. 7 p.m. Reception 8 p.m. Dinner and Award Presentations

A select gathering of the nation’s leading brokers and real estate executives brought together to honor RISMedia’s First Annual Newsmakers—those individuals and entities who made headlines in 2017 for their newsworthy contributions to the real estate industry.

This event is by invitation only. Please contact Director of Events Management Cindi Gallucci for more information: cgallucci@rismedia.com.

Join us earlier that day for...

RISMedia’s Power Broker Forum at the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo

Adapt, Compete, Win: How to Wow Customers—and Agents— in a Changing Real Estate World

10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

The Marriott Wardman Park Hotel • Washington, D.C.

For more information, please visit rismedia.com/rismedias-newsmakers.

{Online}

Catch the latest buzz

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

Social Skills: The 25 Most Popular Real Estate Hashtags

What hashtags should you be making use of? Here is a rundown of the most widely used hashtags in the real estate game. Use them to grow your audience and bolster your online presence.

The Pet Owner’s Guide to Home Automation

For humans with furry or feathered friends, questions inevitably arise about home automation and pet safety. Will the smart home hurt them? Or will the connected devices provide pets the same benefits as humans?

Cost vs. Value: The Home Improvement Projects With the Highest ROI in 2018

A strong housing market isn’t necessarily all good news for sellers. As evidenced by Remodeling magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report for 2018, average return on investment for home improvement projects dipped across the board.

Cyber Crime: Protecting Yourself and Clients Against Identity Theft Identity theft is defined as the fraudulent possession and use of an individual’s private, identifying information for financial gain. Unless the proper precautions are taken, anyone can be at risk—including you.

Be cyber safe!

Get best practices, facts and tips on RISMedia’s Housecall.

CES 2018: Smart Home Trends to Look for This Year

Held in Las Vegas, CES is one of the largest tech shows in the world, and, at this year’s event, smart home products had a far greater presence than at any previous CES event. Here are the top smart home trends to look out for in 2018.

Connect With RISMedia @RISMediaUpdates

@RISMedia

@HousecallBlog

Linkedin.com/company/RISMedia

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6 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

COMING SOON: RISMedia’s 2018 Power Broker Report & Survey Find out how to leverage your #PowerBroker status on RISMedia.com.

IN

American Home Shield® stand out from the crowd.

As the founder and leader of the home warranty industry, American Home Shield is committed to providing our customers with protection for covered major components of the home systems and appliances that make a home work.

Why American Home Shield?

• Over 45 years of experience • A nationwide network of more than 14,000 independent professional contractors • Award-winning recognition for our service • Ability to request service 24/7/365 days a year Find out for yourself what it means to

Visit ahs.com/realestate for more information. © 2018 American Home Shield Corporation. All rights reserved.

N A

See what makes

N MOR ED I ET UD H CL

{Publisher’s Desk} Paying Tribute to the Positive

I

n a time when negative news seems to dominate our airwaves and newsfeeds, we wanted to do our part to accentuate the positive. Upon that simple premise, our brand-new event was born: RISMedia’s Power Broker Newsmaker Awards.

Generate More Business from Social Media!

RISMedia’s Power Broker Newsmaker Awards will recognize and honor the industry’s real newsmakers—the people who are positively affecting our industry and the millions of consumers we serve. Over the past three-plus decades, RISMedia has covered, chronicled and celebrated the professionals making news in real estate. We are privileged to now formalize these honors with the first-annual RISMedia Power Broker Newsmaker Awards Reception & Dinner, taking place on May 17th at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., during the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo.

Our inaugural Power Broker Newsmakers Reception & Dinner will host more than 125 of the nation’s leading brokers and real estate executives to honor the recipients of RISMedia’s 2018 Newsmaker Awards, to be announced that evening. Seating is limited, so if you’re interested in attending this invitationonly event, please contact our Director of Events Management, Cindi Gallucci, cgallucci@rismedia.com.

Automated Facebook posts lead prospects to your personalized landing page!

Relevant Content Auto-Posted and Branded for YOU!

Your Name & Company on Personalized Landing Pages!

Your Company Logo!

In the meantime, we’ll continue to highlight our industry’s most notable Newsmakers throughout Real Estate magazine and online at rismedia.com and our Housecall blog. In this issue, for instance, be sure to check out the news CENTURY 21 is making as it prepares to leave “the sea of sameness” behind and reinvent the iconic brand for the future of real estate. Read all about it in this month’s cover story starting on page 30.

In this issue, you’ll also find out how a group of Newsmakers recently got together to work toward long-needed change to the industry’s MLS system. On page 26, see our recap of a recent discussion hosted by the California Association of REALTORS®.

Your Headshot & Contact Info!

Mobile View RISMedia’s Automated Content Engagement

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This month, we also pay tribute to a longtime industry Newsmaker: Pam O’Connor. As she plans to retire from her post as president of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, O’Connor shares some of her career highlights and leaves us with some parting words of wisdom (page 40). Her contributions to LeadingRE and the industry as a whole will not soon be forgotten.

Your Headshot & Contact Info!

Join me in celebrating the positive and honoring the Newsmakers—both those in our industry at large and those making a difference in your own backyard.

John E. Featherston CEO & Publisher

Your Company Logo!

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i

MY WHY? i I see my goals as inevitable triumphs. Because, like the diehard agents at RE/MAX, I don’t let anything stand in my way. Not setbacks. Not surprises. Not even myself.

This is my tribe.

Why RE/MAX? The culture is my why. Š2018 RE/MAX, LLC. Each office is independently owned and operated. 18_241062

Find your why at joinremax.com

CEO & Publisher John E. Featherston Executive Vice President Darryl D. MacPherson

EDITORIAL Executive Editor Maria Patterson Online Managing Editor Beth McGuire Managing Editor Paige Tepping Online News Editor Suzanne De Vita Senior Content Editor Zoe Eisenberg Associate Content Editor Liz Dominguez Blog/Social Media Editor Jameson Doris Contributing Editors Lesley Grand; John Voket; Barbara Pronin; Keith Loria; Andrew King; Deborah Kearns

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Chief Information Officer Edward T. Kingston Web Designer Kevin Kirwan Director, Client Solutions Peter Di Salvo Digital Marketing Manager Edwin Melliza Information Technology Manager James Jones Research Analyst Jaxson Corsi

DESIGN Art Director Kelli McKenna Production Manager Susanne Dwyer Senior Designer Christy LaSalle

MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLIC RELATIONS Marketing & Communications Director Jim Jarvie

CLIENT SERVICES & EVENTS MANAGEMENT Client Services & Events Management Director Cindi Gallucci

SALES Senior Vice President Anne Kraft Senior Vice President Kara T. Stripay Senior Vice President Paul Purvis Director, Business Development Brett Johnson Director, Business Development Andy MacPherson RIS CONSULTING GROUP Vice President, Managing Director John Sculley, CRP Projects Director Peg Guinta, CRP Email: consulting@rismedia.com

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PUBLICATIONS & SERVICES Real Estate magazine Annual Power Broker Report & Survey RISMedia’s Automated Content Engagement (ACE) www.rismedia.com (Daily e-News) blog.rismedia.com (Housecall) RISMedia’s Real Estate CEO Exchange Power Broker Forum, Reception & Dinner at NAR Annual Power Broker Forum & Reception at NAR Midyear Copyright® 2018 by The Relocation Information Service, Incorporated-RISMedia, Norwalk, Connecticut. All rights reserved. Editorial and executive offices at 69 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851. Telephone: (203) 855-1234. Magazine subscription rate $83.40 per year, including postage ($166.80 for two years); Canadian subscription rate $200.00 (U.S.) per year, including shipping and handling ($400.00 for two years).

All subscription and advertising correspondence call 1-800-724-6000. Material in this publication may not be stored or reproduced in any form without permission. Requests for permission should be directed to Managing Editor, RISMedia, Inc., 69 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of specific authors and columnists and are not intended to or do not necessarily represent the opinion or views of the publisher, his staff, other authors, advertisers, or subscribers.

{Did You Know?} #REalityCheck

In January, homes in the San FranciscoOakland-Hayward metropolitan area lasted a median 39 days on-market; in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro, a median 33 days; and in the Vallejo-Fairfield metro, a median 44 days.

Source: realtor.com®

According to a new report by Zillow, the top five markets that have gained the most value since the worst of the housing crisis are: 1. San Jose $615,100 2. San Francisco $435,700 3. Los Angeles $248,000 4. San Diego $217,500 5. Seattle $206,400

Owner households, or homes owned by their residents, comprised 56.4 percent of all homes occupied in the fourth quarter of 2017—a boost from 55.7 percent in the third quarter. Renter households, or homes rented by their residents, comprised 31.4 percent— unchanged from the prior quarter.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau’s Quarterly Housing Vacancies and Homeownership Report

78% of buyers aged 25 - 49 are interested in 5,000-square-foot-plus homes. They also have a preference for Brick Georgian, Modern, Victorian or Tudor homes, but with commercialgrade kitchens and security systems.

Source: Luxury Portfolio International®

12 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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© 2017 Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Realtors Property Resource, LLC® is a member benefit of the National Association of REALTORS®.

{Policy Matters} Changes Coming to USDA Rural Housing Loan Eligibility This column is brought to you by the NAR Real Estate Services group.

by Sehar Siddiqi

A

ccess to affordable, safe mortgage financing is a struggle for many rural Americans. Large banks and mortgage lenders often do not operate in rural areas. The condition of many homes, while typical for rural areas, do not meet the property requirements associated with the Federal Housing Administration or Department of Veterans Affairs mortgage financing programs. Without the home loans provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Housing Service, the housing markets in many rural communities would be non-existent.

The USDA Rural Development agency operates the Rural Housing Service, which provides Section 502 Direct and Guaranteed Loans to low- to moderate-income homebuyers in designated rural or “rural in character” areas throughout the country. Section 502 loans are used to build, repair, renovate or relocate a home, or to purchase and prepare sites, including providing water and sewage facilities. The Guaranteed Loans are provided by private lenders and insured by the Rural Housing Service. Guaranteed Loans are self-funded and budget neutral, meaning the fees paid by borrowers fully pay for the program, placing no burden on American taxpayers. The Direct Loans benefit very low-income or low-income bor-

rowers with funds loaned directly by the Rural Housing Service, without the use of private lenders.

Currently, USDA is in the process of reviewing agency designated “rural” geographic areas for eligibility for all Rural Development programs, including Section 502 loans. These reviews occur every five years, with the last review conducted in 201213. For 2018, USDA is analyzing over 700 areas currently eligible for Rural Housing loans to see if they are now ineligible for USDA Rural Development programs due to a rise in population, as determined

by American Community Survey (ACS) data. This review is conducted through each state’s USDA Rural Development Office. A community with a population that has grown over the “rural” threshold could be found to be “rural in character” and thus eligible for USDA Rural Development programs.

Prior to this review, USDA did not provide a consistent and openly stated standard for state offices implementing a “rural in character” analysis. NAR previously commented on the need for transparency in the review process. Last fall, USDA released new guidance on how state offices would assess whether an area is “rural in character.” Areas that could qualify as “rural in character” must have a population between 2,500 and 10,000 and successfully meet the standard “rural in character” analysis; however, USDA will consider some areas with a population between 10,000 and 35,000, if the area meets the standard “rural in character” analysis

and has a serious lack of mortgage credit for lower- and moderate-income families.

USDA will take into consideration several factors in the analysis to determine if a community is “rural in character.” For example, USDA will discount population numbers that stem from transient college or university students or from a prison located in the geographic area. In addition, USDA will assess the economic vitality of the area. Economic vitality factors include whether the area’s economy faces high unemployment due to loss of a major employer or whether the population is shrinking due to out migration.

USDA will also look at an area’s access to a variety of lenders and mortgage financing options or if USDA plays an outsized and/or necessary role in mortgage lending.

Should an area lose Rural Development program eligibility, conditional commitments for Section 502 loans issued by the Rural Housing Service prior to the implementation date of changes in eligibility will be honored. USDA expects to have the geographic area reviews finished by April 15, 2018 and any changes in eligibility implemented

by June 4, 2018. To find out if an area in your state is under USDA eligibility review, please click on the direct link for your state at https:// www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/stateoffices and look for the relevant notice. RE Sehar Siddiqi is the National Association of REALTORS®’ federal housing policy representative.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 15

{The NAR Power Broker Roundtable} Transacting Business in the Age of Wire Fraud: Protecting Your Clients and Your Company MODERATOR:

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

Michael Volin Vice President-Legal, Title Resource Group, A Realogy Company, Camden, N.J.

Joan Docktor President, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS®, Devon, Pa.

Mike Pappas President/CEO, The Keyes Company/Illustrated Properties, Miami, Fla.

Mark Stark CEO & Broker/Owner, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties, Las Vegas, Nev. 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: The FBI cites wire

fraud—and specifically business email compromise (BEC) scams—as the fastest-growing crime in the world, with losses to large and small companies and individuals soaring into the billions. Cyber criminals are constantly on the lookout for new victims who they hope will wire them funds, and real estate transactions—for obvious reasons—are among the most vulnerable. We’ve invited to our panel this month a few savvy industry executives,

16 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

as well as a guest from the legal team at Title Resource Group (TRG). Michael, how do we begin to defend ourselves?

Michael Volin: One of the first things

we need to understand, Christina, is that, in spite of all the precautions we take, cyber criminals are pervasive and persistent, and anyone can become a victim. That said, our best protections come from shoring up our personal and corporate security and from educating consumers early and often during every single transaction.

Joan Docktor: As a full-service

company, with title, mortgage and insurance, we know we’re vulnerable, and so we’re very strict in terms of security. We drill the basics into our agents and employees. We enforce password policies and use two-factor verification. Our agents sign a pledge of understanding regarding policies, in fact, and we send out test emails to agents to make sure they have an understanding of what hackers may send. We know that customers can get confused, so we require our agents and staff to contact them and reinforce the points at which they may be susceptible. No sensitive information is ever sent to a customer via email, for example. We’ll either use a secure portal, or, better yet, FedEx it.

Mike Pappas: Ah, yes, back to the

future. Hand-delivered instructions.

Seriously, though, in our offices, associates are never responsible for telling a customer where to send money. That’s done only by our title company or closing agent, verbally or through secured emails, and we drum that into every associate and communicate this with every customer.

Mark Stark: In our firm, I’m the only one who can send wires—and even then, the bank will call and I need to enter a code. In addition, our

title and escrow customers are told over and over, do not respond to any emails regarding wiring instructions, as they will always be done in-person at escrow or personally delivered to you. Lastly, you can always call your escrow officer to verify any information or ask questions.

MP: The sad fact is that hackers these days create authentic-looking signature blocks that can replicate yours almost exactly, and customers can get confused—or forget. When it comes to wiring funds, there’s no such thing as too much education about fraud.

MV: Instructions to the customer should clearly say, ‘Call us at the number you know is accurate—because you’ve called it before—before wiring any funds. Never use a number you receive in an email, even if it looks like it’s from us, and after talking to us, call again to be sure the funds were received.’

CP: That’s one reason why our general

policy is, ‘Don’t close on Friday afternoon.’

There may be nobody there to verify after 5 p.m.—or on a weekend.

MV: So let’s assume for a minute that a customer does get taken, and funds are wired to a criminal.

An immediate call to your bank and law enforcement is your best hope of ever seeing that money again.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center—known as the IC3—has personnel taking complaints all over the country. There’s information online worth taking a look at. Type IC3 into your browser.

MS: And if you don’t already have it, think cyber insurance. It’s a musthave in today’s world. RE

8For an expanded version of this article and other NAR Power Broker Roundtable topics, please visit www.rismedia.com.

Find your path at C21.com

THEY SAY ROBOTS WILL REPLACE US. BUT NO ROBOT HAS THE SAVVY AND SWAGGER OF A CENTURY 21 AGENT, BACKED BY A GLOBALLY-CONNECTED SUPPORT NETWORK ®

ROBOTS DON’T HAVE THE MOST RECOGNIZED NAME IN REAL ESTATE.* AND THEY’RE NOT THAT GREAT AT LEAD GENERATION, UNDERSTANDING CLIENTS’ NEEDS, OR E N V IS IONI NG T H E F U T U R E . R O B O T S S E R I O U S LY L A C K I M A G I N AT I O N .

TAKE THAT ROBOTS ©2017 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. *Study Source: 2016 Millward Brown Ad Study.

{REBAC Report}

Are New Homes Included in Your Spring Growth Forecast?

by Marc D. Gould

T

he busy spring selling season is right around the corner. It’s a time when business picks up for residential real estate, including new-home builders. New-home sales hit their fastest pace in 25 years late in 2017, and builder sentiment reached an 18-year high. This year, new-home sales are expected to increase by 7 percent, while existing-home sales are projected to grow 2.5 percent.

Residential agents, largely preoccupied with helping buyers and sellers of existing homes, often overlook new construction. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, as a broker interested in helping your agents find every potential angle for gaining more business, new homes belong on your radar.

Intentionally Ignored?

Before encouraging your agents to get involved, it’s helpful to acknowledge what might be holding them back. New homes are avoided for a variety of reasons, one being lack of information. Often, these properties don’t appear in the MLS, so finding them requires additional research such as driving around, monitoring local ads, and searching builders’ websites or property portals.

18 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Your agents may also feel like they don’t know enough about newhome transactions, and that getting involved requires a steep learning curve. On top of that, it’s difficult to feel confident and persuasive in telling buyers they will add value to a new-home purchase if this is an area where agents are lacking knowledge or experience.

Maybe your agents’ biggest concern is that they will be cut out of the transaction. As a rule, reputable builders don’t try to trick agents out of earned commissions; however, your agents should always take steps to prevent such disagreements. This includes learning how to effectively use a buyer representation agreement (a core topic that’s central to the ABR® designation coursework) and officially registering buyers with the builder’s representative.

On the Flip Side New homes also offer several advantages. Since builders typically provide warranties on the structure and appliances, agents are less exposed to liabilities from undisclosed conditions. Additionally, a builder’s errors and omissions insurance will cover major structural and site defects, further minimizing an agent’s liability exposure.

It’s also fun. After all, it’s probably safe to assume that most agents would rather help buyers make smart decisions on appliance upgrades and new flooring finishes than to negotiate over roof repairs or septic system upgrades.

Steps to Take When consulting with buyers, encourage your agents to be proactive and ask about new homes. By initiating the discussion, they will accomplish two important goals: 1) demonstrate their interest in considering all options that might satisfy their clients’ needs; and 2) introduce their role in a new-home purchase (and help ensure they remain included in any transaction).

Regularly checking out new-home construction in your market, meeting with sales representatives and understanding builders’ preferences in working with real estate agents are additional helpful steps.

Gaining Confidence If your agents want to expand their skillset—and their income potential—to include new-home sales, the easiest way to gain this knowledge is via REBAC’s New-Home Construction and Buyer Representation course.

This recently updated one-day course counts toward earning the ABR® designation and is an excellent complement to the ABR® designation coursework. Visit REBAC.net for additional details. 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.

Quicken Loans truly exceeded my expectations - constant updates, follow up calls and accurate closing schedules.

I really enjoyed the care-free loan process for my buyers.

Miracle Holt Real Estate Agent, Atlanta, GA

Experience the confidence that comes from working with Quicken Loans.

RealEstate.QuickenLoans.com Equal Housing Lender. Licensed in all 50 states. NMLS #3030. ©2000 – 2018 Quicken Loans Inc. All rights reserved. Lending services provided by Quicken Loans Inc., a subsidiary of Rock Holdings Inc. “Quicken Loans” is a registered trademark of Intuit Inc., used under license.

{Executive Appointments}

Realogy Holdings Corp. has appointed Dave Gordon as executive vice president, chief technology officer, effective Jan. 22, the company recently announced. Gordon, who has more than 20 years of leadership experience in technology, innovation and business operations in the financial services industry, is reporting to Ryan Schneider, CEO and president of Realogy. Most recently, Gordon served for the past three years as U.S. chief technology and operations officer at BMO Financial Group, which has approximately 45,000 employees serving more than 12 million banking customers. Gordon was also responsible for the company’s U.S. innovation pipeline, which included projects involving digitization, data analytics and artificial intelligence. zipLogix™ has appointed Scott Strong CEO, with former CEO Joel Singer continuing on as a member of the board of directors. Previously, Strong was an executive at Siemens; prior to that, he was CEO of BLUE Software, and senior vice president and global operations director of the Software division at Matthews International (Schawk).

Under his nearly 18 years of leader-

ship, Singer grew zipLogix from a paper-based forms company to today’s premier digital transaction management solution for real estate professionals. Its relationship with the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) provides more than 1.3 million REALTORS® nationwide with access to zipForm® Plus, zipTMS® and zip Vault®.

Former Keller Williams CEO Chris Heller has joined loanDepot as CEO of mello Home, the lender’s newest platform. Heller was CEO of Keller Williams for seven years.

Announced in January, mello Home connects homebuyers and homeowners to contractors and mortgage and real estate professionals. For agents, the brand offers buyers, preapproved by loanDepot, in exchange for a fee once the transaction closes. Heller began at Keller Williams in 2010. In April 2017, Keller Williams announced that he would no longer act as coCEO alongside John Davis and become an operating partner and regional owner.

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) has named Jessica Edgerton executive vice president of Operations, the network

recently announced.

Edgerton, based in the network’s Chicago, Ill., office, is overseeing operational areas of the company, including technology; marketing; learning and development; preferred vendor relationships; and events. Additionally, she will interface closely with the finance department to ensure smooth, financially-healthy business operations. Edgerton previously served as Associate Counsel for the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), where she interfaced with NAR’s communications, conventions and technology teams, as well as its membership.

RE/MAX, LLC has named Shawna Gilbert vice president of Global Development. Gilbert, who has been with RE/MAX for eight years, is leading the Global Development team. Gilbert worked in the finance industry before joining the RE/MAX Global Development team in 2010 as a region development consultant. During her tenure with the company, Gilbert has overseen operations in Canada and Asia Pacific. RE

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Create a Lucrative Business With What’s Right Beneath Your Feet

by Brian Buffini

O

ne of my favorite books is “Acres of Diamonds,” by Russell Conwell. Although it was first published in 1890, the lessons it covers prove just as true today as when Conwell first presented them more than a century ago.

At its heart is the parable of a wealthy man named Ali Hafed who lived near the Indus River in presentday Iraq. Hafed was “contented because he was wealthy, and wealthy because he was contented.”

But all that changed one day when he was told about diamonds and their immense value. Determined to find the diamonds he’d heard about, he sold his farm and left his family to go in search of them. In the end, however, he was unable to find any, and he threw himself into the sea, penniless and exhausted.

Meanwhile, the man who bought his farm discovered a sparkling stone in a stream on the land. The stone turned out to be a diamond; Hafed’s farm was on top of a diamond mine all along.

Here are five lessons from Conwell’s story that will help us unearth the diamonds beneath our feet:

1

OPPORTUNITY IS IN YOUR BACKYARD. Many of us be-

lieve that in order to be successful, we have to do extraordinary things.

In reality, you just have to know where to look. Start with where you are and what you have. Find the best in what’s around you and believe in the great opportunities available on your doorstep. We often overlook the real value of something because we’re familiar with it, so we must retrain ourselves to look and think about the familiar in new ways.

2

BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. A century ago, Americans believed the American Dream no longer existed. Business leaders complained to Conwell that they couldn’t succeed and build wealth in their own town. Conwell asked them about the relationships they’d nurtured and whether they knew who their neighbors were and what they wanted or needed. Everything you need to succeed in business and life comes from who you already know. Relationships are at the heart of success; therefore, you must invest in the relationships closest to you.

tention to what your customer wants. Many businesses fail because we assume we know what our clients need instead of asking them or observing their needs. Conwell said, “We must know what the world needs first, then invest ourselves to supply that need, and success is almost certain.”

4

MONEY IS NOT THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL. When you achieve

success, people may make judgments about your character or criticize you, wondering, “Can you be rich and still be a good person?” Of course you can! In fact, according to Conwell, you can do more good with money than without it. When you achieve wealth and success, do some good in the world.

5

GREATNESS IS FOUND EVERYWHERE. According to

Conwell, “Greatness consists not in the holding of some future office, but in doing great deeds with little means, and the accomplishment of vast purposes from the private ranks of life.” If you want to achieve greatness, begin with who and where you are. RE Brian Buffini was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and immigrated to San Diego in 1986, where he became the classic American rags to riches story.

After becoming one of the nation’s top REALTORS®, he founded Buffini & Company, an organization dedicated to sharing his powerful lead-generation systems with others. Based in Carlsbad, Calif., Buffini & Company has trained over 3 million business professionals in 37 countries and currently coaches more than 25,000 business people across North America. Today, Brian’s a New York Times best-selling author and reaches over 1 million listeners a year through his popular “Brian Buffini Show” podcast. For more information, pick up a copy of his latest book “The Emigrant Edge,” or visit buffiniandcompany.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 23

{Global Spotlight}

Cabo: Taking Luxury to a Whole New Level

A

relative newbie to the real estate scene, REmexico Real Estate is taking the Cabo market by storm. With a total of three offices, 12 active agents, two managers and a five-person support staff, the firm’s brokerage model is laser-focused on luxury home sales and marketing. Here, Managing Partner Blake Harrington discusses the state of luxury real estate in Cabo, current trends affecting the market and what REmexico Real Estate’s future looks like.

Please describe your current housing market.

Blake Harrington: We’re seeing steady prices with no real movement in either direction. Cabo’s market was drastically affected by the 2008 recession in both real estate and tourism. There was a definite lag time between the recovery in the States and Cabo, but with tourism soaring in the area today, our real estate market has rebounded nicely and is showing more consistent and solid trends.

Additionally, our inventory levels remain high; however, our market has always sustained a fairly high market time compared to markets in the States. What’s very 24 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

exciting to see is the quality of the new inventory. The Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Discovery Land Corporation, Ohana Real Estate and other name brands are entering our market with truly spectacular offerings where no detail is spared in design, construction and service. It’s a very exciting product coming to our market.

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

BH: The properties we sell are within luxury gated developments filled with amenities. Cabo isn’t just a real estate investment, but, rather, a lifestyle investment. When owners come to Cabo, they want to play, so many of the homes we sell have amenities such as a golf course, beach club, gym and fitness center, in addition to restaurants and services galore. Mexico offers such a beautiful year-round climate that people want to be outside and active, and most of the homes we sell come with access to these exciting amenities.

What types of buyers do you work with?

BH: While most of the clientele we service are Americans, it truly depends on what the need is. For example, many of our buyers are Americans from the West Coast or Texas. Wherever direct flights come in from, we get

Far left: Casa Escarpa, listed for $2,595,000 Top: Casa Wilderotter, listed for $2,495,000 Bottom: El Dorado penthouse, listed for $7,499,000

Caption

those individuals. For listings, we work with a great group of Mexican sellers who build beautiful custom homes and for whatever reason need to either downsize or move locations. We take pride in the fact that we service both local Americans and Mexicans as we build our brand.

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

BH: As previously mentioned, some of the most important trends in our market are the new developments that are bringing true quality to our region. When you have the likes of The Ritz and Four Seasons, you also bring a quality clientele from all over the world. Our design trends are also changing. In the past, it’s always been the Mexican Villa/Hacienda style, which is charming and warm. Today, we’re also seeing a more contemporary design trend that’s using more clean lines and light/earthy colors. It’s doing wonders for brightening up our town.

What are your biggest challenges/opportunities for growth?

BH: We’re incredibly proud of the sales and support team we have at REmexico Real Estate. We’ve kept our staff small, by design, to create a family atmosphere, which encourages growth and facilitates the practice of

agents helping one another. As a brokerage, our goal is to increase our sales staff by 20 percent in the next two years. That being said, we remain committed to having the right people for our brokerage. Honesty, integrity and a real commitment to Baja is what we’re looking for. Cabo can be a challenging place to move to, so we focus on hiring agents and staff that are already living in Baja and understand the way things work in Mexico.

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

BH: Where do I begin? We could not be prouder to be a member of LeadingRE. LeadingRE and Luxury Portfolio International® have shown our sellers that we have the most powerful broker-to-broker referral marketing machine in our hands and available to put to use for their listings. Long gone are the days of simply putting a For Sale sign in the front yard and putting the listing on the MLS. Today, a full global approach is needed, especially in Cabo, where we’re getting attention from all over the world. LeadingRE has elevated our marketing plan for each listing while helping us obtain more listings that are of higher quality. RE For more information, please visit www.CaboRealEstate.com and www.luxuryportfolio.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 25

The Great Debate: What the MLS Can Be, and What It Should Be

by Suzanne De Vita

A

sk any agent, broker or constituent in real estate: There are challenges facing the Multiple Listing Service.

A discussion on the future of the MLS—what it can be, and what it should be—hosted by the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) recently illuminated those issues, and strived for solutions.

“An MLS should be defined not only by its data, but its access to the data, so brokers can get easy access to and keep the products and services they want and not necessarily what the MLS decides to provide to its members,” said Rebecca Jensen, CEO and president of Midwest Real Estate Data LLC (MRED), during the discussion, held on Jan. 10 in Los Angeles.

Jensen is board chair of The MLS Grid—a consistent data feed, licensing and rules for brokers, MLSs and vendors—as well as on the board of the Broker Public Portal (BPP). The 26 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

BPP and The MLS Grid are two of a few initiatives in play, along with Upstream, which is backed by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and Realtors Property Resource®(RPR®).

Addressing the inefficiencies is key, the panel said.

“Our goal is to really work on the challenges…to find a way, through the efforts of all these organizations, to provide consistent data efficiency, to try to break down data silos that are huge pain points in brokerage communities,” said Jeremy Crawford, CEO of the Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO), which has developed data standards used by hundreds of associations, brokerages, MLSs and vendors.

“As someone who lists and sells real estate, I need it to be more efficient—I need to not have to go to multiple sources,” said Jeanne Radsick, broker of CENTURY 21 Tobias Real Estate in Bakersfield, Calif., and member of the National Association of REALTORS®(NAR) Mergers & Con-

solidations Task Force. “I think the first step is we need to have one system.”

“We are playing a long game,” said Mark McLaughlin, CEO of Pacific Union International, based in the Bay Area and a member of 12 MLSs. “The solution for our businesses to drive efficiencies and economies of scale is very important to us, especially in the race to zero. The only way to do that is to have one database.”

“It’s all about how you define ‘one database,’” however, said Craig Cheatham, CEO and president of The Realty Alliance. “As I talk to our brokers, it’s not about one MLS or one database; it’s ‘I just want to have access to my data, or my marketplace’s data.’”

Is it beneficial, even, for the existing inefficiencies to be streamlined?

“Fundamentally, the MLS needs to serve [agents and consumers],” said David Silver-Westrick, partner at Keller Williams OC Coastal Realty in San Clemente, Calif. “We serve them less and less with every year—

not because we don’t intend to solve their problems, but because the world has moved on, and we’re unwilling to…reimagining our relationship with consumers, and agents’ relationships with consumers, has got to be at the base of what we do.”

Concerning, however, is the pace of progress.

“There’s an opportunity that is fast fading in the MLS community as a whole to make meaningful change, and if we do not do it shortly, then we will forever be chasing others that will most likely take the handles and move forward,” said Art Carter, CEO of the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS) and chair of RESO. Is the answer consolidation? Archaic hierarchies are a hurdle, with resistance starting at the top, according to a few panelists.

“The issue boils down to an obvious reality,” said Wes Burk, broker/ owner of Patterson Realty in San

Luis Obispo, Calif. “I think that the MLS structure itself is a legacy organizational chart, and I think it’s led fundamentally to a bureaucratic roadblock to what should be our primary objective, which is serving the consumer.”

Fear is another obstacle.

“It’s really human factors that stand in the way of this—of greater cooperation and consolidation,” said David Charron, chief strategy officer of Bright MLS, which is a consolidation of nine Mid-Atlantic MLSs. Bright MLS adheres to the RESO Data Dictionary.

“The elephant in the room is a lot of people are employed doing this stuff,” Silver-Westrick said. “The pushback we get is natural enough. I think what we have to discuss is a lot more revolutionary than evolutionary.

We’re talking about perfecting a VCR in a world of streaming and virtual reality. We need to leapfrog that.”

As a construct, the MLS is still

valuable, agreed the majority of panelists. Across the board, collaboration—and compromise—is needed.

“We have to remember that the MLS is a terrific concept,” said Dale Ross, CEO of RPR®. “That should not be thrown out—that has to be enhanced.”

“We get tension between who does the resolution,” Cheatham said. “Is it [The MLS] Grid? Is it Upstream? Is it RPR®? We need to be in a room and be open to letting go of our project…It can’t be the superstars of the MLS world again and again talking about the problem and getting painted with a broad brush.

We’ve got to be open, because our industry is at stake.” RE

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

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Buyers Caught in Deadlock: NAR

by Suzanne De Vita

B

uying a home is a mark of the American Dream—but even though the desire exists, realizing it is a struggle, according to the Aspiring Home Buyers Profile recently released by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

Homebuyers are hopeful, however.

Demand is ever-increasing, and, of aspiring homeowners, the majority do want to own. In 2017, approximately one-quarter (and as much as 32 percent) of aspiring homeowners identified their motivators for purchase as children, marriage and/ or retirement, the Profile reveals. A similar share (26 - 30 percent) indicated they would buy if their finances improved.

Less motivating is a raise in rents, the Profile shows. Despite 51 percent of renters anticipating their rent will rise, 42 percent would not move.

Twenty-five percent would find a less pricey rental. Just 15 percent would make the move to own.

Affordability is the obstacle—and according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist at NAR, aspiring homeowners at the lower-end of the 28 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

market have the worst of it. At the close of 2017, in fact, 56 percent of aspiring homeowners did not have the means to purchase, while the amount of aspiring homeowners who believed it is a good time to buy declined (down to 58 percent from 62 percent).

“A tug-of-war continues to take place in many markets throughout the country, where consistently solid job creation is fueling demand, but the lack of supply is creating affordability constraints that are ultimately pulling aspiring buyers further away from owning,” says Yun. “These extremely frustrating conditions continue to be most apparent at the lower end of the market, which is why the overall share of first-time buyers remains well below where it should be given the strength of the job market and economy.

“Housing demand in 2018 will be fueled by more millennials finally deciding to marry and have kids and the expectations that solid job growth and the strengthening economy will push incomes higher,” Yun says.

“However, with prices and mortgage rates also expected to increase, affordability pressures will persist.

That is why it is critical for much of the country to start seeing a significant hike in new and existing housing supply. Otherwise, many wouldbe first-time buyers will be forced to continue renting and not reach their dream of being a homeowner.”

The Aspiring Home Buyers Profile is based on findings from NAR’s 2017 Housing Opportunities and Market Experience (HOME) surveys.

RE For more information, please visit www.nar.realtor.

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

30 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

STEP INSIDE the New ® C21 Brand

Discover the self-starters, go-getters and midnight-oil burners who bring the new mission to life every day: Defy Mediocrity and Deliver Extraordinary Experiences

by Paige Tepping

SINCE COMING TO MARKET IN 1971 AS THE FIRST FRANCHISOR OF INDEPENDENTLY-OWNED AND -OPERATED REAL ESTATE OFFICES, CENTURY 21 REAL ESTATE LLC HAS CONSISTENTLY PROVEN ITSELF TO BE A LEADING GLOBAL REAL ESTATE BUSINESS ORGANIZATION. BUILT BY ENTREPRENEURS FOR ENTREPRENEURS, IT HAS BEEN AN ENGINE FOR BOTH OWNER AND AGENT GROWTH FOR 47 YEARS. UNDENIABLY, THE CENTURY 21® BRAND HAS THRIVED ALONGSIDE ITS SYSTEM MEMBERS THROUGH SEVERAL REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY AND MARKET PARADIGM SHIFTS, AND NOW, THE GLOBAL FRANCHISOR IS COMMITTED TO LEAVING THE “SEA OF SAMENESS” BEHIND. Its current growth narrative is being driven by a unique recruitment campaign it calls, “CENTURY 21 #Relentless Wanted.” The campaign is a focused effort to highlight the mindset that defines the “relentless” CENTURY 21 agent, and it’s a natural progression to the branding work

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 31

the company started in 2016 that focused on the importance of tech innovation, human knowledge and shared experiences. The campaign invites revenue generators across all industries to join the “go-getters” in the CENTURY 21® System, and speaks to the necessary skillsets entrepreneurs need to possess to compete and win in today’s dynamic real estate market.

With the conversation started and the iconic brand already having success building relationships with potential new agents, brokers and other like-minded entrepreneurs, we decided to address our readers’ curiosity and give you an inside peek into what it looks like to be “C21® #Relentless.”

PATRICIA MILLER

CENTURY 21 ALLIANCE

dar. Before work can begin, a newer agent needs help with a contract, another one can’t get onto the MLS, and a third has jammed the copier.

I’m not the managing broker, but will always help out where needed. The beauty of the CENTURY 21 brand is that it ensures that resources and knowledge are available so agents can thrive in today’s changing marketplace. To that end, when a successful agent shares knowledge with a less experienced one, the synergy promotes success for all.

Years ago, before fax machines, I had a contract that I needed to have signed ASAP. I was in Northern California and my client was in Oregon. FedEx would take too long, so I hopped into our Cessna 172 and flew three hours to Medford. The client met me at the airport, signed the contract and gave me a peanut butter sandwich for the flight home.

Fax and email is less costly, but it was a beautiful day, and the flight was great fun.

SCOTT LINDENBERG

CENTURY 21 VANGUARD

The phone rings and it’s another agent checking availability. “I can’t believe you really answer your phone!” “Of course I do,” is my delighted response. “If I’m available, I answer.” This spirit of cooperation is what sets top agents apart.

When you want an answer, you want it now—not five hours from now. I strive to provide my clients extraordinary service 100 percent of the time. It’s not always easy, but it’s rewarding when past clients become current clients and refer friends and family.

A typical day starts with checking email, social media and my calen32 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

The phone rings and I answer it prepared to provide the best service possible. “Hello,” said a tired voice from the other line. “I’d like you to sell my house,” she said.

“But please have an open mind.”

We scheduled a listing appointment and I did all the research I could on

about the house or the 2.7-acre parcel it sat on. I showed up early for the appointment to scan the neighborhood and walk the lot. As I drove around the heavily-wooded lake, I found a small opening in the trees to Millie’s driveway. I backed in and drove through an overgrown 1,000foot driveway to find a 5,500-sq.-ft, three-story estate near a lake. As Millie and I walked through the home, I took five pages of notes on its features and its problems. The house was stunning, but it also needed a lot of work to get it ready for the market. Over the next six months, we put down hardwood floors, painted cathedral ceilings, expanded ductwork, and groomed the landscaping to be ready for a May 5 listing date. Three days before our photo shoot, Millie called to explain there was no water in the lake. “Scott, there’s no water in the lake,” she explained. “We’re getting the dam repaired and it won’t be restored until August.”

After weighing our options, we decided on a unique, eye-catching way to list the property: “The Lakehouse With No Lake.” The home sold in 47 days at 95 percent of the list price.

Prior to this transaction, I had never sold a waterfront home nor one that was a third of this price. Millie trusted me because I was a relentless ally, in constant contact, found solutions, and always stayed positive.

Even if you’re a wet-behind-the-ears agent, be creative, be relentless, and do whatever it takes to get the job done. Jump in head first. The water’s just fine.

SARAH STOVALL

CENTURY 21 RESULTS REALTY SERVICES

the address the seller (Millie) gave me. In conducting the due diligence, I learned there was little information

It’s the everyday passion and commitment to my clients that makes the difference; that shows, in action, how relentless works for them, and in the end, for me, my company and our global brand. For example, I just recently listed my first church for sale.

It is a property type that I had

MELVA GARCIA CENTURY 21 YARLEX INTERNATIONAL REALTY, INC.

never marketed before, but I convinced the seller that my comprehensive marketing system and our global reach via the CENTURY 21 brand would expose the property to more potential buyers. He said he had complete faith in our ability to go “outside the box” to market the property, so that’s exactly what I did!

In fact, I found a buyer with a completely different culture than my seller, and the challenges of working together with two very distinct personalities resulted in a two-and-a-half month negotiation between the buyer and seller. Oh, did I tell you the buyer and the seller also had two dynamically different theologies between the churches they each ran? And to make matters worse, the buyer’s agent lost total control of their client? And to top it off, an appraisal came in low by $200,000? As you can imagine, the negotiations were long and fierce with a lot of emotional feedback being thrown at both sides. I kept my cool and remembered that every person negotiates differently and to leave my emotions at the door.

I knew that I had to work with both parties to maintain a manageable level of emotion and expectation.

The inspection brought about many items that needed repairing, so I brought in subcontractors to keep the price affordable to get as many items done as possible. This action kept the deal alive despite a seller who was not willing to budge and a buyer who was willing to walk.

It took two weeks to work through negotiating on behalf of the seller.

The buyer demanded owner financing for the difference, but we held

Rodrigo and Michelle arrived in Miami from the Northwest and they didn’t know anyone in the Greater South Florida area, especially real estate agents. They didn’t have any idea about the city or the people or the many advantages of living in, what I call, “paradise.” Before meeting them in-person for the first time, my associate María and I set the couple up with a temporary apartment so they could settle in right away. Before starting with them on the home-buying journey and understanding what they were looking for in a home, we made every effort to learn about them, their family, their preferred language (Spanish) and cultural backgrounds (both from Mexico).

This approach made an immediate, highly-positive impression that Rodrigo and Michelle appreciated. From the start, we were able to openly communicate, answer their many questions, calm their nerves and guide them through the transaction process. Not only did we find them the home of their dreams, but we were able to negotiate a much better price. Knowing that they felt understood made the couple feel valued, and the experience, in their own words, “made us feel like we were home.” They trusted us, and we them, and today, I’m proud to say they’re building family memories, and both María and I consider Rodrigo and Michelle friends.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Melva Garcia served as the official spokesperson for the brand’s “Empowering Latinas” program where 70 award winners received a scholarship to help offset the costs of earning a real estate license in Florida. Plus, CENTURY 21 affiliated brokers in the greater South Florida region have agreed to mentor the scholarship awardees and offer them an opportunity to hone their craft with a local franchise affiliate. For more information, go to www.C21empoweringlatinas.com.

firm. The final answer: We got the deal closed without any owner financing for the full price that we negotiated. The buyer paid the $200k difference in cash at the closing.

Now that is C21 RELENTLESS!

MIKE FERRANTE, MBA

CENTURY 21 HOMESTAR - 21 MIKE TEAM I’m a huge fan of comics, especially superheroes, so when I think about great stories, I think of heroic feats.

In real estate, while you’re not saving the world from annihilation, you are advising clients who are involved in life-changing decisions, from something as simple as picking up a buyer who has no transportation to view potential houses to talking a cli-

ent off a ledge. These sorts of everyday acts are special to me and are my way of acting like a superhero, because I know most salespeople wouldn’t go that extra (relentless) mile. I’m proud to say that some of my best stories involve some of my smallest sales.

Let me tell you about Doug and Luellen, a referral from another cli-

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 33

ent whose home we sold in a suburb of Cleveland. Because of this particular client’s extraordinary experience with our team, she convinced her friends Doug and Luellen to have us sell their home. You see, their home had been a rental for a few years and the property was distressed, at best. Plus, Doug and Luellen lived out-of-state and felt a bit helpless to manage the process of selling. They had placed their faith in a contractor who not only performed shabby work, but also accepted payment for work that was still incomplete. Due to the poor condition of the home and the low values in the area, I coached the sellers and set proper expectations based on their goals: to pay off the mortgage, to unload their liability and responsibility of a house they owned 1,000 miles away from their current home, and to hopefully walk away with some profit.

No matter the price or location of a listing, we put forth the same effort we would exert for all sellers, and, in effect, we had to sell this home three times. The first two deals fell through due to financing issues after months and months of waiting for rehab loans that never materialized.

Determined to make this sale happen for our new clients (and our referral), we sold the house to a cash buyer for under $50,000. Along the journey, we had to arrange city inspections, orchestrate unexpected repairs due to plumbing issues, and give encouragement to a wonderful senior couple who were ready to give up hope that their house would ever sell. Doug ended up in the hospital due to heart issues (non-related to the house sale) during the process, and Luellen fainted in a parking lot, giving her daughter a scare and prompting an ambulance ride.

Both of them are thrilled with the service and attention to detail we provided in selling their home. The journey of more than one year to sell this house made us feel like we were 34 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

THE CENTURY 21® #RELENTLESS MANIFESTO: “WE LOVE THE SELF-STARTERS. THE DOERS. THE MIDNIGHT-OIL BURNERS. THE BUSY BEES AND WORKHORSES. WE LOVE PEOPLE WHO THINK COMPLACENCY IS A STRANGE AND FOREIGN WORD. THE PEOPLE WHO GIVE 121 PERCENT AND DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY OTHERS DON’T. THEY ARE NOT FINE WITH FINE. THEY ARE NOT OKAY WITH OKAY. THEY ARE NOT GOOD WITH GOOD ENOUGH. THEY GO ALL IN, AND THEN SOME. YES, THAT’S WHAT WE LOVE, AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHO WE WANT (WHAT YOU NEED TO POSSESS) TO JOIN THE RELENTLESS.”

part of their family, sharing their frustrations and finally the success of completing the sale. The result of being relentless? We’ve made friends and lifelong clients in Doug and Luellen.

BARBARA MULLANEY

CENTURY 21 AMERICAN HOMES

With over 15 years of experience as a real estate agent and the last five with the CENTURY 21 brand, the difference between this com-

pany and any other is culture, and the emphasis on collaboration and growth-building. Recently, I had the opportunity to potentially list a $2.5 million oceanfront property, knowing this would be the highest-priced listing of my career. I was nervous, especially competing against the other top agents in Long Beach. As I began preparing my listing presentation, I went into autopilot doing my due diligence as I would with any other listing presentation: inquiring about the sellers’ financial situation and motivation for selling, researching for liens on the property, getting a general condition of the home and what is necessary to get it into “show shape,” and securing relevant comps for the market analysis, to name a few. When I met with the sellers, I was confident in my preparation. The sellers appreciated the 121-percent effort, and I earned the listing. What I learned from this experience, looking back on it, is that I needed to approach this listing the same way and with the equal effort that I gave my first rental. Bottom line: I always need to be relentless in showing potential clients that I am the best person for them and their specific real estate needs.

As a result of this level of passion and commitment, the TV show “Island Life” on the HGTV network approached me to film an episode that aired this past January, and then again for a future episode airing this spring. Besides being a very proud moment in my career, it was even more exciting to showcase our city of Long Beach. Ultimately, I take pride in my consistent, professional, and honest work ethic, but also my partnership with the CENTURY 21 brand, which has led me to these successes that I never dreamt possible—and that continually motivate me to this day. RE

For more information, please visit www.century21.com.

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Supercharge Your Marketing Message and Convert More Prospects to Profits

by Terri Murphy

W

hat if you experienced an epic response to your marketing message? You know, an abundance of prospects contacting you to serve their real estate needs?

Achieving this goal takes intentional connection.

Instead of sending out massive standard mailings, posting information that gets little or no response or spending too much money on lead generation platforms that show a meager return on the investment, intentional connection is the communication transformation you need.

on delivering messaging that resonates with what the consumer will find engaging, not what the industry dictates. This strategy isn’t revolutionary, but critical to getting, retaining and engaging the attention of your target market.

Here are a few tips to power up your visibility to help you shine in your marketplace: 8Think Relevance. What interests your community is information about them. While it’s important and interesting to learn about what’s happening in one’s marketplace, in order to snag their attention, shoot for hyperlocal versus global details. We know that today’s savvy consumer can get whatever they want by searching the net, but when you deliver interesting and specific information that’s pertinent to their area, community or neighborhood, you’re more likely to grab their attention and begin building your brand as their local resource.

Being heard in a noisy and fractured marketplace is more challenging than ever. If you’re looking for strategies that guarantee an epic response and high visibility, you need to accelerate the impact from standard to supercharged.

Transforming your marketing doesn’t require fancy platforms, lots of money or hiring a creative team. What it does take is focus

8Specialize. Expertise is the key to connection, especially for the younger generation of buyers and sellers who have learned to get what they want when they want it.

In order to respond to that need, focus on specificities like geographic farming or age demographics. This strategy of narrowcasting versus broadcasting your messaging helps to monitor and measure which of the

many communication and marketing channels is working to get the attention and engagement of your target market. One of our most successful agents is laser-focused on marketing and messaging to the seniors in her area. By marketing directly to this specific market segment, she directs her messaging to the value of trading one’s big home for a single-level home, leveraging her services for both buyers and sellers in this vertical. Her marketing includes both traditional and online marketing specifically designed to target this segment of her marketplace, and it’s working like gangbusters.

8Coordinate the messaging with congruency. Think purposeful posting when it comes to social media. For example, if your goal is to become the celebrity authority in a specific development, be prepared to cover all channels of messaging. Create a lifestyle video for your YouTube channel and cover local events with video and photos. Post regularly on Facebook and Instagram to be present where your tribe may get their information. Integrate this same messaging as the local resource and expert with traditional market updates, interesting facts and upcoming events. Offer a reason for commentary that promotes conversation for higher engagement.

Marketing requires messaging that’s relevant, engaging and valuable. To boost your brand and visibility, start connecting with intention and value to be the rock star of your marketplace. RE 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 March 2018 37

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Top 5 Single-Family Home Trends to Watch Out for in 2018

by Yuka Kato

E

ach year, home and garden site Fixr.com conducts a survey of influencers within the building and design industry—those professionals who are helping to shape the trends that impact homeowners and homebuyers alike. This year’s survey results have shown some surprising (and not so surprising) trends that real estate professionals can use to help sell homes more quickly and influence homebuyer behavior.

Pay close attention to these five trends to help make the most of all your real estate transactions in 2018: Smart Home Technology The No. 1 trend influencers say homebuyers are going to be looking for in 2018 is smart home technology. Smart homes have taken off in the last few years with the introduction of systems like Apple Home and Amazon’s Alexa. Adding smart home features to a home makes it much more attractive to younger homebuyers.

Adding smart home technology to a home costs anywhere from $5,000 to $9,000, on average, but can increase the value of a home by about 5 percent. Keep in mind that this is only true if the upgrades

were made in the last five years; after that, the technology becomes outdated. The most sought-after items include smart lights, thermostats and security features.

Open Floor Plans The second most popular trend is a continuation from years past: the open floor plan. Particularly on single-story homes, open floor plans continue to be one of the most requested options among homebuyers. An open floor plan allows you to configure the space in ways that work for you, rather than working around what’s already there.

As long as you aren’t removing load-bearing walls in the structure, opening up rooms and removing walls can bring up to 60 percent ROI at time of resale, while also making the home much more attractive to buyers.

Solar Energy Solar energy isn’t a new trend, but it’s one that’s making big gains in today’s market. In fact, homebuyers are much more likely to want to invest in a home with solar power today than they were just a few years ago.

The national average cost to install solar panels on a home is between $20,000 and $25,000.

The ROI on solar power does vary by state, but because the cost is usually offset over time by reduced energy costs, most people find the investment worth it in terms of decreased energy bills and how much more attractive it makes the home to younger buyers.

Tiny Houses Wondering where to steer potential buyers? Consider showing them tiny houses. First-time homebuyers, as well as minimalists, are showing considerable interest in the tiny house movement, making this a trend that can’t be ignored.

More than half of the influencers surveyed believe that the tiny house trend is growing. Tiny houses can be built for anywhere between $10,000 and $40,000, which makes purchasing land and building a more attractive option than finding one already for sale.

Voice Control Systems Artificial intelligence (AI) and voice control systems round out the top five growing trends in the homebuilding and design industry. Nearly all influencers agree that smart home systems that are controlled via AI or voice will be one of the biggest trends of 2018. While the controller may be personal to the user—Google, Alexa and Apple Home are just a few of the offerings—the systems they can control (lights, thermostat, door locks and appliances) can all be added to the home and ready to use in a timely manner. RE This article originally appeared on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. Visit us at blog.rismedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 39

THE REAL DEAL Pam O’Connor Builds a Network, Influences an Industry, and Impacts Lives

by Maria Patterson

E

veryone knows real estate is a “relationship business,” but unfortunately, the phrase is overused and often unsubstantiated. Talk to people who have known Pam O’Connor over the course of her 30-plus years in the real estate and relocation business, however, and they will tell you that she brings the meaning of relationship to a whole new level. When it comes to caring, O’Connor is the real deal.

“They say that what makes a leader special is their ability to show that they really care,” says John Reinhardt, president and CEO of Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Fillmore Real Estate. “I have to tell you, Pam really cares. There were times in my life when I knew I needed a Pam fix—some straightforward guidance, support and direction. It was likes Mom’s chicken soup…you always seemed to feel better.”

As she prepares to retire from her post as president and CEO of Chicago-based Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) on March 31, O’Connor’s professional and personal commitment to the network’s more than 550 global member firms, along with her col40 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

leagues at LeadingRE, will be sorely missed and never forgotten.

But for O’Connor, it’s all part of her master plan.

“I’ve worked for some time to put the right people in place,” O’Connor explains. “They’re clicking on all cylinders, the company is operating very successfully, and it’s time to pass the baton. LeadingRE has been very, very good to me. I wanted to leave it in a good place, and I believe I’m doing just that.”

That baton will be passed to current COO and Luxury Portfolio International® President Paul Boomsma, the successor to the president and CEO role, who has worked closely with O’Connor since 2005 when he came on board for the launch of Luxury Portfolio International®.

“After working for Pam for 13 years, I do feel that I’m now suited to carry on the path that she began,”

O’Connor presents at LeadingRE’s 2017 Conference.

says Boomsma. “It’s not an easy job; however, she’s worked hard to put a great team in place and started planning for succession a number of years ago. As she said, ‘It is part of the job to prepare for the future.’

We are very excited to celebrate her career and the role she played in making LeadingRE what it has become today.”

And over the years, Boomsma has been afforded a birds-eye view of O’Connor’s expertise as a leader and mentor. “Pam is the master of maintaining relationships and is a wealth of knowledge on all matters of the industry,” he explains. “She is a consummate diplomat, a fantastic communicator and writer, and always goes out of her way to help our members succeed. She has a heart that extends from business to the lives and families of our members, and I think her ‘Culture of Caring and Giving’ is consistent throughout our staff and in the actions of our members, as well.”

Her tenure at LeadingRE represented a pinnacle in O’Connor’s career, where she was able to apply the experience she gained while working at the All Points and RELO®networks.

As O’Connor explains, “Given the internet’s capacity to help people find any good brokerage anywhere, and the popularity of local brands with today’s consumer, it was a perfect time to develop and diversify this hybrid network to offer franchise-like global connections and business resources for firms that want to build their own brands.”

“LeadingRE came into existence, grew and evolved into what it is today all under her guidance,” says Boomsma. “She was the architect of the growth and along the way raised the flag high for the independent broker. During a time of many mergers and acquisitions, LeadingRE brokers flourished to be stronger than ever. She brought the importance of being a strong local broker with broad global reach into reality. Pam pushed LeadingRE to have more global opportunities than any other organization.”

“Pam has not only been a leader in our industry, she has been a visionary,” says Helen Hanna Casey, CEO of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. “When others believed that relocation networks might be pushed out of the industry, Pam believed that she and her team could build a better system that could be the premiere network in the world.

She engaged and excited all of us to the possibilities. She is a mentor and inspiration, but most of all, I am proud to call her a friend.”

Bringing Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® from vision to reality was not without challenges, of course, and O’Connor leaned into her industry acumen and relationship-building expertise throughout the journey. Assembling a star-studded roster of brokerages after what O’Connor refers to as NRT’s “shopping spree” of independent firms 20 years ago, is understandably an

At RISMedia’s 2017 CEO Exchange (from left to right): Allen Tate Companies’ Pat Riley; Pam O’Connor; John L. Scott’s Jennifer Lind; and Fillmore Real Estate’s John Reinhardt.

accomplishment she holds near and dear to her heart.

“From the earliest days of the formation of this network, Pam has been blessed with the ability to navigate and bring consensus and the best out of each of her followers,” says Pat Riley, president and CEO of North Carolina-based Allen Tate Companies. “Bringing together in mind and spirit all of these strong, very independent principals and thinkers is an art form for which she is a master. Each new board chair through the years...coupled with the legacy seat holders...presented an opportunity for Pam, not a challenge.

She is the ultimate bridge-builder, consensus-maker, and public relations wizard.”

And it’s not just the network of brokerages she’s created that O’Connor looks to with great pride; she also considers one of her greatest accomplishments “being fortunate enough to hire the best people”—the internal team that keeps the LeadingRE engine running in order to create “a culture based on relationships and standards of performance that I believe is unique in the business.”

Those relationships that O’Connor and her team worked so hard to build are what she will miss the most. “We have such amazing mem-

“LeadingRE has been very, very good to me.

I wanted to leave it in a good place, and I believe I’m doing just that.”

- PAM O’CONNOR President & CEO, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®

bers in this network, many of whom are close personal friends as well as colleagues,” she says. “They are not only special because of what they are—smart, talented, innovative operators—but also because of who they are—gutsy, tenacious, caring, trustworthy, and authentic. They’ve made my job so much fun for more than 30 years.”

O’Connor will be equally missed by the many members of LeadingRE. “Pam’s impact is immeasurable.

She has such strong relationships with broker/owners and the relocation industry,” says LeadingRE Chairman of the Board Joe Horning, president of Wisconsin-based Shorewest REALTORS®. “She brings everyone together for the betterment of the network.”

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 41

O’Connor joins a panel discussion at RISMedia’s 2017 CEO Exchange.

LeadingRE’s members readily attest to O’Connor’s unparalleled level of hands-on care. “Rest assured, if Pam didn’t have the answer, she absolutely knew the right people to go to, and when you told them that Pam sent you, her clout opened doors for you,” says Reinhardt. “Her generosity with others has made her one of the most cherished leaders in the industry.”

And this level of commitment at the member level translated to the success of LeadingRE as an organization. “She has helped us achieve incredible growth, in part by providing a full range of tools and services to support the success of our members—online learning through Institute, high-end marketing through Luxury Portfolio International®, leadership development through the MAESTRO program, and so much more,” says Horning. “Our global expansion is another key part of Pam’s legacy. When we adopted the name Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, we took it seriously, and our membership now extends to 65 countries.”

Pacific Northwest-based John L. Scott Chairman and CEO Lennox Scott agrees. “Pam O’Connor led Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® from just being a national broker-to-broker referral network to that of providing world-class services for major independent real estate companies, from training broker associates, office leaders and CEOs to setting up an international luxury home marketing and corporate services program. I am grateful for Pam’s leadership, inspiration and friendship.”

Fortunately, O’Connor’s retirement will not keep her completely on the sidelines, as she intends to remain active through consulting and participating on select industry boards. And her passion for the broker’s cause is not something that will diminish anytime soon. Her best advice for brokers? Believe 42 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

PARTING GIFTS

As she prepares for the next phase of industry involvement and life post-retirement, O’Connor shares some business insights and personal wisdom.

MARIA PATTERSON: What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned over the course of your career?

PAM O’CONNOR: If it looks too good to be true, it probably is, and there aren’t many true shortcuts. In most cases, you just have to do the work.

MP: Who are some of your greatest role models?

PO: My mother, widowed at 37, who taught me never to be a victim. So many who taught me the business…

Allen Tate, Rob Sibcy, Wes Foster, Michael Saunders, Ron Peltier, and so many others. My girlfriends, who inspire me to be a better person every day.

MP: What are some of the biggest changes you’ve witnessed in the real estate industry over the years—both good and bad?

PO: The internet, which generated virtually all changes to the business in the last 30 years—all for the good, in my opinion. On the flip side, the disproportionate focus on money—discounting, buying agents, etc.—rather than value and culture, in yourself. “You operate in one of the most difficult business environments—without the power of the paycheck. You have survived and even thrived in back-breaking, 50 percent-loss-of-revenue recessions.

Year in and year out, you face those who are determined to take over

that we’re seeing from most of the new entrants in the business today.

MP: What was one of the biggest challenges you faced at LeadingRE, and how did you handle it?

PO: Getting our members to weave LeadingRE into their brands as a qualifier, and we’ve made good progress in that area, due in part to rebranding with a new, easier-to-use logo, and also, getting agent buy-in with their increased direct participation through our agent SUMMIT conferences, back-office support tools and other communication.

MP: What are you most looking forward to in retirement?

PO: Definitely staying busy with work and play—just a different kind of work. Writing a book, doing some projects that interest me, serving on a board or two, doing some volunteer work, and traveling to places my job hasn’t yet taken me, including a Danube River cruise in the spring from Budapest to Prague. I don’t plan to be sitting at home eating bon bons! your business, only to discover how difficult it is to do what you do. So don’t let the interlopers distract you.

Keep creating culture, adding value, innovating, and taking care of your people, and you’ll be just fine.” RE For more information, please visit www.leadingre.com.

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{Power Broker Perspectives}

by Keith Loria

Patrick Conner:

Focused on Relationships, Inside and Out

Dan and Paula Conner started the family-owned brokerage London Properties in 1971, and their son, Patrick, grew up around the business, though he never had any thoughts on joining the company. Yet, in 2018, Patrick is president of the Fresno, Calif.-based firm.

“I came back from college in 1992 and we had a new subdivision going on at the time, and I was drawn in,” explains Conner. “I really like helping people grow. Having grown up in the business, I saw a lot of salespeople make it—and a lot who didn’t—and I’m always looking at what the brokerage could do to better support people and attract the right people who may have a higher likelihood of succeeding.”

Last year, London Properties, which ranked No. 226 in sales volume in RISMedia’s 2017 Power

44 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

This past holiday season, London Properties gave away 400 bicycles, helmets and locks to underserved children in the Fresno community.

Broker Report, saw strong numbers in terms of units and volume, and a big part of that success comes from its strategy of bringing in top people.

“One thing we have focused on in the last 3 - 4 years is the type of people we are attracting to the company and getting them on board with the right activities,” Conner

VITALS: London Properties Years in business: 47 Size: 9 offices, 345 agents Region served: California Central Valley 2017 sales volume: $1.034 billion 2017 transactions: 3,053 www.londonproperties.com

‘We create a great environment that encourages people to get to work,’ says London Properties President Patrick Conner.

says. “For us, in 2017, a bunch of things crystalized in terms of those we brought in and helped grow their business.”

When looking for new people, Conner goes back to a book he read a couple of years ago, Patrick Lencioni’s “The Ideal Team Player,” which helped him decide which managers and agents were most compatible.

“The idea is to recruit people who share the same qualities and values,” he explains. “We always try to compete on value, rather than price, and we have a lot of systems set up for salespeople—we tend to create these systems rather than going out and paying for ancillary systems.”

For example, London Properties has an inhouse marketing depart-

ment (Reliance Marketing) with five full-time people, so associates don’t need to go online to find companies to do their bulk mailing, advertising, brochures or client follow-up programs.

By curating data, industry news and market reports, then “packaging” it for associates via marketing material (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly), the company can save agents a ton of time and help them be that trusted advisor their client needs.

“We also have our own CRM,” says Conner, “which is really important to us and our salespeople. We even do all of our associates’ websites.”

The right tools and training, he adds, help associates deliver better service to their clients and focus on their income per hour.

“We create a great environment that encourages people to get to work,” adds Conner. “We do this with weekly ‘skills group’ classes, high-energy and informative sales meetings, smart and resourceful sales managers, and technology/marketing training classes.”

Conner calls the firm more “relational” than “transactional,” and over the past two years he has deployed the Ninja Selling system for training.

“There are a lot of great trainers out there and that has been key for us,” he says. “We’ve embraced materials more focused on these relational sales.”

London Properties has also had a mortgage company for 30 years, and 14 years ago opened up an insurance agency, so it does personal insurance for home and auto, which helps with providing a complete customer experience.

“We’re trying to increase the touches to our clients for our overall team,” he says.

In 2018, London Properties hopes to continue to add the “right people”

to the environment. The firm is finishing up a renovation of a historic home in Hanford, a neighboring city of its Fresno main office—a space that will become its 10th office come April.

“The biggest opportunity for us is to continue building relationships. The internet and various platforms offer some great information to clients, but at the end of the day, buyers and sellers are still looking for a trusted advisor to help them navigate the process,” explains Conner.

To that end, this past holiday season, London Properties partnered with Fresno schools and gave away 440 bikes, helmets and locks to underserved kids; the firm’s associates, staff and clients all participated in the cause. The team also participates in monthly blood drives and contributes regularly to the local food bank.

“Our focus and opportunity is growing stronger relationships so that all the white noise that people hear disappears.”

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 45

Jason Waugh:

Delivering Exceptional Experiences

The firm’s launch party when it converted to the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand

This summer, Jason Waugh, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate Professionals, will celebrate his 25th year in the real estate industry.

Prior to joining the firm in 2005, Waugh was a partner with Synergy Sports Management, providing representation services to professional athletes. His experience working with high-demand clients has helped him and the firm succeed time and time again.

Operating 32 offices throughout Oregon and Washington, and employing 950 sales associates, the firm has been a leader in the area for decades.

In 2017, Waugh noted that the markets continued what he had seen the last few years: low

46 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

A group of brokers volunteer at a family shelter during the company’s Give A Day Away event.

inventory with a modest increase or decrease in closed units depending on the sub-market, and continued price appreciation across the board.

The contributing factors? “There’s not enough new construction to meet demand and a healthy economy and job market,” he explains. “We focus on opportunities. Despite

VITALS: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Northwest Real Estate and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate Professionals

Years in business: 76 Size: 32 offices, 950 agents Regions served: Oregon and Washington 2017 sales volume: $3.9 billion 2017 transactions: 10,567 www.bhhsnw.com

Waugh (left) and his team build community relationships through volunteer events and fundraising for causes like The Sunshine Kids.

the economy and market conditions, favorable or unfavorable, there are always opportunities to be successful.”

In Waugh’s opinion, the firm’s training and technology are a big part of the value proposition that creates differentiation, and that’s how the company separates itself from others.

“What I continue to hear as a point of differentiation is the availability and sup-

port delivered by our leadership team and staff,” he says. “Our company is always looking to grow. We have a strong appetite for growth both organically, one agent at a time, as well as through mergers and acquisitions.”

A key motto of the company is “contacts cause contracts and the fortune is in the follow-up.”

“In a general sense, the biggest opportunity for indi-

“We focus on opportunities. Despite the economy and market conditions, favorable or unfavorable, there are always opportunities to be successful.”

– Jason Waugh President & CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate Professionals

vidual brokers has always been and will continue to be consistently nurturing, in a very personal way, the relationships with the folks that have used their services or referred them business in the past,” says Waugh. “The failure to do so creates opportunity for the competition to be top of mind when a consumer has a real estate need.”

In Waugh’s view, we live in an “experience economy,” and to be successful, the firm must be more committed than ever before to creating a superior real estate experience and delivering that in a way the customer wants to be engaged.

“We are focused on equipping our brokers with the best resources to deliver an unparalleled experience, allowing our customers to make good, informed buying and selling decisions,” Waugh says. “How we engage customers is

ever-changing too; social media as a medium continues to grow in popularity, as well as communicating by video and text. This new generation of customers is also relying more on reviews and ratings, so embracing that transparency is critical, too.”

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices continues the discipline of investing in tools that provide its brokers with the best data-driven intelligence— another key to success.

“We want them to create a great experience and deliver exceptional guidance to our customers, supported by reliable and accurate market intelligence,” says Waugh.

“We attract people to our company in 2018 the same way we always have—providing a culture of support and business services that allows them to compete and win.” RE

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 47

One for All, All for One: ERA iRealty’s Diversity Mission Pays Off

by Zoe Eisenberg

ERA iRealty agents in Plano, Texas, wearing their Team ERA ‘Converse Chucks.’ From left to right, kneeling in the front row are broker/owners Kelley Liu, Daniel C. Eng and Trang Dang-Le.

Y

ou could say Daniel C. Eng was born into real estate. Ethnically Chinese, Eng’s grandparents lived in Hong Kong and invested in real estate so they could afford to send their children to school abroad. Their work paid off, and in 1956, a boat from Hong Kong arrived in the U.S. carrying Eng’s father, whose only valuable was $50 in cash.

His father ended up settling in Dallas, Texas, and by the late 1970s, when Eng was born, he and Eng’s mother owned and managed several apartment buildings and rental properties.

“I may have been a baby, but I was there when my parents were collecting rent,” Eng remembers. “When my parents did construction on the properties, my brothers would be pouring the concrete, and I’d be playing in it.

“I grew up in this industry and fell in love with it.”

So much so that in 2012, Eng partnered with longtime colleagues Kelley Liu and Trang Dang-Le to start their own real estate brokerage in

Plano, Texas, serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area. As equal broker/owners of the firm, the trio catered to the market’s Asian American population and saw business boom.

But with growth came growing pains, as the partners struggled to equip their agents with the advanced technology tools they needed to gain listings in Dallas’ hot real estate market, which was attracting not only the local Asian community, but also Asian investors and new immigrants.

So, last July, after several talks with ERA Real Estate, Eng welcomed his agents into a meeting room and announced the big secret he’d been keeping for weeks: the company

had joined the ERA Real Estate family and would now operate as ERA iRealty.

“When we opened the curtains and our team saw their new name tags, business cards and all the ERA signage, they were thrilled,” says Eng. “One of our agents joked that she’d have to buy a whole new red and blue wardrobe—and I told her to go ahead!”

And ERA iRealty was born. Just half a year after joining forces with ERA, the brokerage has already come away stronger, having drawn up a strategic five-year growth plan for the business.

Part of that plan was agent recruitment, and with the help of ERA’s recently launched TopRecruiter program, which helps brokers recruit, close and retain agents, Eng and his partners were able to bring 12 new agents in-house since July, bringing his total agent count to 37. By year’s end, he, Liu and Dang-Le hope to have 60 agents, and by 2022, they hope that number grows to 80.

“TopRecruiter helped us recruit, but so did ERA’s other technology offerings,” says Eng. “One of the biggest advantages was Zap, the CRM platform that helps agents get leads—and it’s no extra cost to them, so they love it.”

Franchising also gives Eng more time to invest in training and mentoring his agents, or “family members,” as he refers to them. But in the case of iRealty, that family isn’t nuclear.

Instead, they’re a mosaic of ethnicities speaking 14 distinct languages and serving a large swath of Dallas’ unique communities.

ERA iRealty agents speak Vietnamese, Cantonese, Hindi, Teochew (a Chinese dialect), Shanghainese, Taiwanese, Mandarin, Korean, Khmer, Japanese, Laotian, Spanish, Tagalog (a Philippine language) and English.

“Oh, and Texan,” Eng laughs. “Almost forgot that one!” RE For more information, please visit www.era.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 49

{Industry Innovators}

Q&A: Michael Nourmand property with my childhood friend and colleague Trevor Levin, as well as my business partner Adam Sires, who I met in Hebrew School.

Breaking Into the Luxury Market

by Jameson Doris

What has been the most common obstacle you’ve run into with homebuyers?

B

orn and raised in Beverly Hills, Calif., Michael Nourmand has spent his entire life surrounded by luxury real estate. A secondgeneration broker, his parents Myra and Saeed founded Nourmand & Associates, a boutique, family-owned and -operated luxury real estate firm.

What first got you interested in the real estate industry?

As a kid, my parents sometimes discussed real estate at the dinNow president of Nourmand & ner table. My siblings Associates, which ranked No. 318 in thought it was boring, sales volume in RISMedia’s 2017 Power but it quickly became apparent that I was Broker Report, Nourmand has been very interested in it. heavily involved in his family’s business Right after I finished from a young age, obtaining his real high school, I got my estate license in 2000 and his broker’s real estate license, and license six years later. during a summer in college, I did some administrative jobs at the office. My dad thought Nourmand has gone on to sell some it was a good idea for of the most competitive listings in me to learn the business from the Los Angeles and has been recog- inside out, establish relationships nized for his work by several national with our agents and pay my dues. My and regional publications, including last summer before I graduated from the Los Angeles Business Journal. the University of Southern CaliforWe wanted to speak with Nour- nia, I started brokering deals. By the mand about the current state of the time I graduated, I had closed three luxury real estate market as it per- or four deals. tains to not only LA, but the country at large. Here, Nourmand discusses What has been your biggest win as the current trends and concerns to a broker? be had in luxury real estate, as well Selling the compound at 1016 N. as how he got his start in such a Hillcrest in Beverly Hills, Calif. That high-stakes market. was an extremely competitive listing, which we won, and I got to co-list the 50 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Right now, there is very limited inventory, so it’s hard to find buyers a home to purchase. Another challenge is buyers having to sell their current home to buy their future property. It’s extremely hard to make this work when some of your competition can waive contingencies and pay cash.

What advice would you give an agent who is trying to break into the luxury market?

Your best bet is working with developers. Most developers will work with anyone that brings them the deal, and they often sell the property with the same agent.

Another option is to bring in an experienced agent if you have a lead.

My mom, who has always been one of our top agents, helped me land several deals over the years. It’s better to get half of the deal and build your resume than come up emptyhanded.

Speaking to the luxury market in general, what are some creative ways homebuyers finance their purchases?

Rich clients tend to have complicated financial pictures. I’ve had clients that have borrowed money against their stock accounts to pay cash to buy a home. We even had a 10 million-dollar-plus deal where my cli-

ent’s employer co-signed for the mortgage so he could buy the house.

What’s the biggest quirk you’ve encountered when dealing with this sort of clientele?

The number of people required to approve a deal. I represented a buyer several years ago and it required the approval of about five people. It started with the wife, mother and brother. Then I had to get approval from the husband, and then during the contingency period, one of the husband’s business partners had to come give his blessing—and this was before we even started inspections.

Have you seen families help their children get a foothold in the luxury market?

The most common scenarios I’ve seen are families paying for their kid’s home with cash or paying for the down payment while the son or daughter makes the monthly payment to the bank. Also, families co-signing the loan so their kid qualifies for financing is common.

What do you predict will be the top luxury real estate trend in 2018?

2017 was a record year for high-end sales. I’m not convinced that 2018 will be a new record, but I think the luxury market will be strong. Unique homes in great locations that are priced fairly will continue to sell. The top trend, which has already begun, is realistic sellers continuing to sell their property and unrealistic sellers continuing to fish for crazy prices.

In what ways do you believe the new tax bill will impact the luxury market?

Making it more expensive to own a home is a negative, but I don’t think the tax bill will throttle the market.

There is limited supply and a lot of demand. LA is the complete package, which is part of the reason prices have gone up so quickly here.

Where do you hope to be in your career five years from now?

Pound for pound, Nourmand & Associates dominates the luxury market, and I hope to be one of our agents that continues leading the way. RE

Be on the top of mind before your next client even knows that they’re ready to sell. Reach neighbors early so when the job changes, family grows, or mood strikes, yours is the agency or brokerage they’re already talking to.

Jameson Doris is RISMedia’s blog/social media editor.

Send your blog ideas to jdoris@rismedia.com.

CALL TODAY OR VISIT US ONLINE: 800.800.3271 | COLEREALTYRESOURCE.COM

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Putting Brokerage Fears to Bed

by Liz Dominguez

Y

our brokerage’s success can depend on anything from recruiting and retention to the state of the economy.

These factors, pulled from a recent RISMedia and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate (BH&G) survey, “What Keeps Brokers Up at Night?”—see infographic for results—were discussed in the latest RISMedia ACE webinar. “Mission Possible: Get Ahead in 2018 With These Broker Best Practice Insights” was sponsored by BH&G Real Estate and moderated by Verl Workman, CEO and founder of Workman Success Systems.

Survey results pinpointed inventory shortages, recruiting, broker competition and economic uncertainty as the most pressing issues brokers are currently facing. Two BH&G executives—Amy Chorew, vice president of Learning, and John Sylvester, senior

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 53

Survey Survey

director of Broker Services—provided insights on how to address these challenges by: Rounding Out Your Business Model As a broker, you need to face everyday market challenges such as inventory shortages. Use your knowledge of the market to address the issue, but also come at it from a stronger perspective.

“Set clear expectations and control the narrative when inventory is your biggest challenge,” said Sylvester.

Also, consider that these challenges may not be as significant as they appear. Do not become your own obstacle; find creative ways to solve your problems.

“There’s data that can be shared every month from the MLS that prove there is business out there,” said Chorew.

Take a step back and look to see who your client in the market is. If you’re looking to traverse new client opportunities, look at those consumers who might be convinced to move up or down by “motivating the indifferent,” said Sylvester.

Outpacing Your Competition Don’t overreact to new business models that are introduced, no matter how disruptive. This can lead to feeling less confident in your own model, making it more difficult to sell it to other agents. Use these opportunities to “test your model and develop some resiliency and confidence in what you’re trying to do in the marketplace,” said Sylvester.

And when it comes to new, competing business models, keep an eye on them, but don’t be too quick to adopt strategies that may not work for your brokerage.

Improving Agent Productivity Don’t waste time by helping those who don’t help your brokerage.

Chorew said that “more experi54 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

As As we we begin begin a a new new year, year, what what are are the the most most pressing pressing issues issues on on the minds of the nation’s real estate brokers?

What are the minds of the nation’s real estate brokers? What are they they most most looking looking forward forward to to in in 2018?

2018? Better Better Homes Homes & & Gardens Gardens Real Estate and RISMedia recently teamed up Real Estate and RISMedia recently teamed up to to find find out. out.

Their answers provide a detailed map to the best practices Their answers provide a detailed map to the best practices every every company company can can follow follow to to success. success.

WHAT KEEPS BROKERS

UP AT NIGHT?

51%

of of respondents respondents cite cite lack lack of of inventory as the most inventory as the most pressing pressing issue issue they they are are currently currently facing facing..

Survey

FOLLOWED FOLLOWED BY BY

As we begin a new year, what are the most pressing issues on the minds of the nation’s real estate brokers? What are they most looking forward to in 2018? Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate and RISMedia recently teamed up to find out.

Their answers provide a detailed map to the best practices to success.

25% can follow14% 29% every company 12%

29%

51% Recruiting Recruiting

25%

Non-traditional Non-traditional competition competition

14%

12%

Traditional Traditional competition competition

Economic Economic uncertainty uncertainty

of respondents cite lack of inventory as THREATENING the most pressing THE MODEL THE MOST MOST DISRUPTIVE DISRUPTIVE MODEL THREATENING issue they are currently facing.

THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY: THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY:

30% 30%

21% 21%

FOLLOWED BY

Direct-to-consumer Direct-to-consumer models models

Online/digital Online/digital models models

20% 20% Flat-fee models Flat-fee models 29%

100% commission 100%models commission models

Recruiting

18% 18%

25%

Non-traditional competition

14%

12%

Traditional Economic (10% Other models) uncertainty competition (10% Other models)

BIGGEST BIGGEST OBSTACLES OBSTACLES FACED FACED TODAY: TODAY: THE MOST DISRUPTIVE MODEL THREATENING THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY: PROFITABILITY PROFITABILITY CHALLENGES CHALLENGES

21%

30%

Lack of inventory - 37% Online/digital Lack of inventory - 37% models Increasing agent Increasing agent productivity - 36% productivity - 36%

Direct-to-consumer models

18%

Pressure on commissions - 31% Pressure on commissions - 31% 100% commission Streamlining technology models Streamlining technology platforms - 14% platforms - 14%

20%

Flat-fee models

Economy - 10% Economy - 10% (10% Other models) Reducing technology costs - 7% Reducing technology costs - 7%

BIGGEST OBSTACLES FACED TODAY: OPERATIONAL OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES CHALLENGES Other Other

Recruitment PROFITABILITY CHALLENGES Recruitment of agents of agents

Economy - 10% Reducing technology costs - 7%

OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES Other

Talent attraction

Recruitment of agents 11% 12%

30%

21% 26%

Business model competitiveness

Agent productivity

WHICH AREA OF BUSINESS ‘KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT’ MOST?

22%

20%

Recruiting more agents

New business models

3%

15%

Housing legislation issues

Uncertain economy

11%

15%

Lack of inventory

Other

14%

Keeping up with technology

IMPORTANCE OF FULL-SERVICE FAMILY OF OFFERINGS (mortgage, title and insurance)

49%

Not important

62%

22%

Extremely important

20%

Somewhat important

10%

No opinion

of respondents believe service to clients gives their company the competitive edge.

Source: RISMedia’s Survey, www.rismedia.com © Copyright 2017 RISMedia.

All Rights Reserved.

LOOKING AHEAD

What is your confidence level toward the housing industry looking ahead in the next few years?

enced agents means more business for everybody.” And while that doesn’t mean you can’t help newer agents reach a level of expertise, if you can’t change their mindset from a real estate agent to an entrepreneur, they may not be worth your time, according to Sylvester.

Being aggressive is essential to running a successful brokerage.

Sylvester said, “Tell [agents] that results matter and we want to be a results-oriented organization. If they can’t do that, we may not be the right place for them.”

Chorew agrees and suggests you cut agents loose if they are dragging you down—but removing unproductive agents isn’t enough.

Track your agents’ productivity, provide training on scripts and introduce support staff in your brokerage so that no one flies under the radar.

Refining Your Value Proposition The industry is constantly changing, especially in an innovative, technology-driven world where new tools are constantly introduced.

Your value proposition will have to change over time to adapt to new technology. This will also make your company culture more relevant and attractive to other agents.

“Change is inevitable and technology is no different. The agent who embraces technology will replace the one that doesn’t,” said Sylvester.

Last, but not least, you need to deliver on anything you promise through your value proposition.

Don’t get bogged down with too many tasks. If you know someone who is better at recruiting, pass off the responsibility so you can focus on other things while still delivering on your promises.

“Delegate it or outsource it and create a system,” said Workman.

RE For more information, visit www.bhgre.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 55

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{Strategies} Maximizing Referral Opportunities With an Exclusive Network REFERRALEXCHANGE DELIVERS LOW-COST, HIGHIMPACT SERVICE

by Liz Dominguez

B

uilding a network of agents and clients is essential to creating a successful business in real estate. Heeran Workman, owner of Heeran’s Home Team at RE/MAX Platinum, agrees wholeheartedly—and has seen firsthand what a successful referral network can do for her business.

Having worked in the industry for 15 years, Workman began her real estate career as an investor purchasing and selling her own homes before switching her focus to REALTOR® transactions after being a former Tom Ferry business coach. Today, she works as a residential broker, and has been using ReferralExchange for over five years.

ReferralExchange is a nationwide referral network that connects agents with buyers or sellers, providing followup support and guaranteed payment upon closing. They also offer a resource section that educates real estate clients who may be unsure about engaging with a ReferralExchange agent and provides materials to help agents market for additional referral business.

“Someone from ReferralExchange contacted me. I didn’t respond at first because I thought they were calling all agents from a telemarketing center, but then I real-

ized that they were personally trying to get a hold of me,” says Workman, who is glad she picked up the phone and signed up, as the referral network has significantly improved her business.

“ReferralExchange is very handy when a client moves to another city,” says Workman. “I can go through the online system and match them up with another top agent in that city.”

Industry professionals know that maintaining client relationships is the key to success in real estate. If a past client is looking to move outside an agent’s market area, it doesn’t mean the relationship ends there. And part of ensuring that the relationship is taken care of centers around finding a committed and successful agent for that client.

This is where ReferralExchange’s data-based system comes into play by matching consumers and agents based on individual needs and personalities. With the ability to choose from one of three top agents, the consumer always has the last say.

“I don’t have to spend time looking for a quality agent in another state,” says Workman. “ReferralExchange has already gone through the qualification process for me.”

Workman also enjoys the exclusivity that ReferralExchange provides. While the network is made up of over 20,000 licensed agents nationwide, it’s mostly limited to experienced real estate agents that have sold over $5 million in real estate or completed 20 transactions in the past 12 months.

“It allows me to state that I’m part of a nationwide network that can refer a top agent in almost any city in the United States,” says Workman.

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

“ReferralExchange is very handy when a client moves to another city. I can go through the online system and match them up with another top agent in that city.”

- HEERAN WORKMAN Owner, Heeran’s Home Team at RE/MAX Platinum

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 57

Strategic Relationships Vital to Texas Firm’s Continued Success AMERICAN HOME SHIELD®GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS, THEIR CLIENTS AND THE INDUSTRY AT LARGE

by Paige Tepping

F

or Andre Kocher, a REALTOR® with The Kocher Team at Keller Williams Realty in Flower Mound, Texas, establishing strategic relationships is key when it comes to going above and beyond for buyers and sellers alike.

Covering the entire Dallas-Fort Worth marketplace, an area that encompasses 50+ cities, The Kocher Team—a group of seven—closed 175 deals in 2017.

According to Kocher, a key component of the team’s success over the years boils down to taking the time to ensure that each and every client is educated in regard to the advantages associated with home warranties, like those provided by American Home Shield®(AHS®).

“When my wife and I jumped into the business and decided to form a team 15 years ago, we wanted to establish relationships with a variety of vendors, and AHS has proven to be a good fit,” says Kocher, who goes on to explain that their relationship with Sheila Fitzgerald— their local AHS service representative—has continued to grow and evolve from the get-go.

“We have a great relationship with Sheila,” says Kocher. “In addition to attending monthly meetings within the office, she is very responsive and can always be reached via phone, email or text whenever she’s needed.”

Relationships aside, home warranty coverage through AHS can also help minimize a homeowner’s exposure to unforeseen and untimely failures of covered system components or appliances—a boon to clients across the board, no matter the real estate environment.

“While it’s standard practice in the state of Texas for a seller to pay for a one-year home warranty, when meeting with buyers, we present them with a homebuyer’s guide that includes a brochure with information related to the home warranty options they have access to,” says Kocher. “On the flip side, when listing a house, the sellers listing coverage that AHS offers is an additional selling point.”

With a nationwide network of over 13,000 independent professional contractors ready to receive service requests 24/7—98 percent of which are dis58 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“When my wife and I jumped into the business and decided to form a team 15 years ago, we wanted to establish relationships with a variety of vendors, and AHS has proven to be a good fit.”

- ANDRE KOCHER REALTOR®, The Kocher Team at Keller Williams Realty

patched to local contractors within 24 hours—AHS’ longstanding stature in the industry is yet another point of differentiation.

“The fact that AHS is one of the largest home warranty providers around gives them a lot of credibility,” says Kocher. “They also do a lot of advertising, so their messaging is constantly in front of prospective buyers and sellers when they turn on the television.”

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

Technology Simplified CLAREITY DASH! OFFERS AN EASY-TO-USE, CUSTOMIZABLE PLATFORM FOR BROKERAGES LARGE AND SMALL

by Zoe Eisenberg

A

s a real estate professional, you’re already juggling a myriad of tasks. So, when it comes to technology solutions, having all of your team’s tools in one place is a must. No more struggling to remember a password or URL, no more logging on to do one task only to spiral down the rabbit hole of online distractions.

The Clareity® single sign-on (SSO) dashboard, known to users as DASH!TM, puts all the tools you need in one place with an easy-to-use platform and the ability to customize everything to fit your own brand.

Designed specifically for MLSs and Associations, DASH! was created to meet the needs of real estate

professionals. With a focus on subscriber convenience, the SSO centralizes access and promotes the use of third-party applications—simply choose your preferred tools and go.

With over 30 years of experience in the real estate game, Mark Hughes—president of Nook Real Estate in Irvine, Calif.—found Clareity while searching for an easy-to-use SSO solution. “Our company is curated,” says Hughes, who notes that his team uses a variety of different tools to achieve success.

“We wanted to curate all of our best tools into one platform, and DASH! was that missing piece,” echoes Derek May, Nook’s co-founder and EVP of Marketing.

May says that after his team began using DASH!, his agents let loose a collective sigh of relief over having all of their resources in one place. Management, too, is relieved. “They’re now able to guide agents and say, ‘Here are all of the things we think will be useful for your daily work.’”

Hughes explains that they divided their DASH! into sections: daily flow, transactions and resources. “This is the web page our agents come to in order to get recentered,” Hughes notes.

“Being able to categorize resources, help sort them, and then have them so easy to access in one place with one URL and one password has given us confidence, and boosted our agents’ spirits,” says May, who suggests users set DASH! as their home screen.

“That way, you open your browser, and everything is there.” With less room for distraction, productivity is sure to soar.

Another asset of Clareity DASH! is customization— not only with the plug-and-play system of choosing tools, but with branding, as well.

“We’re a clean brand with a less-is-more focus,” says Hughes. “We focus not only on consistency in our offerings, but with our presentation, our identity, and our style.”

Clareity’s customization and superior customer support allows Nook Real Estate to keep its tools and materials precisely in line with its brand. “We’ve been able to say to Clareity, ‘Hey, we want this logo in this color value, this size, this XYZ,’ and they’ve met every challenge, pixel perfect,” says May. “If you offer your agents tools, especially third-party tools, look at DASH!. And if you want the industry’s best tools served up on one platform, look at DASH!.” RE

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

CORELOGIC, CLAREITY, and DASH! are trademarks of CoreLogic, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 59

AREAA’s annual Global and Luxury Summit is widely regarded as one of the premier real estate events of the year. The Summit gives hundreds of international and luxury focused professionals a platform to discuss ideas, network, and raise the standard of their industry to new heights.

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{Power Teams}

Maximizing Your Most Important Technology

by Rick Geha

W

hat’s the one thing all sales professionals have in common, and yet, each of theirs is completely different?

Whether or not you’ve heard this question before, the answer is the same: your database.

Simply put, the Census Bureau says that if you graduated from high school, you know 2,000 people by first name. Then why do most sales professionals only have 200 - 500 people in their database? When you really think about it, it’s actually disturbing how many people you know—or

have met—that are not on your list. We don’t, as a whole, truly leverage our database.

Not only are there many books written about the power of communicating with your database, there are also entire coaching companies and coaching systems built around the subject. In fact, almost every single seminar I’ve attended has focused in part on building, managing, servicing and growing one’s database.

Without a doubt, communicating with your database is a simple, inexpensive and results-oriented way to bring in more business.

Then why is it so hard for real estate professionals to take advantage of the simplest and least expensive tool we have for getting business? That’s a loaded question that I answer often in my classes and talks on mindset and behavior.

The fact is, leveraging your database can easily have the biggest ROI and make the most remarkable difference in your income.

If we go with the belief that change is painful for most—and that communicating regularly constitutes change for the majority of us—we can begin to understand why we don’t do it. I’m always stunned at the number of people who would rather spend money they don’t actually have to buy leads when they can communicate, mostly for free, with their database and get tons of leads.

Now, I’m not saying to stop all of the other things you’re doing.

What I’m saying is that if you’re not working and leveraging your database, you’re leaving money on the table.

In addition to using your database to grow your business, you want to make sure you grow your database at the same time. My

goal, for instance, is to grow my database by at least 60 people per month. My database includes past clients, people I know or have known for a while, real estate professionals from all over the U.S. and Canada whom I have met or know, and so many more. Your database is a living, breathing organism, so spend some time finding people to add to it by scouring old yearbooks, address books, databases, wedding invitation lists and holiday card lists.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention what we recommend to our coaching clients when it comes to this subject. We have a couple tools that allow us to track and monitor what’s being done in this area, as well as tools that drive activities. In addition to our DSH (Daily Success Habits form) that allows you to track your time and activities, we also have an eBook by our founder Verl Workman that shows exactly how to get to 86 transactions a year while working the Top 50 people from your database for just an hour a day.

And last, but not least, our ABCs of Lead Management tool is instrumental in scheduling specific times during the month to call your database and leads.

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.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 61

{Power Teams}

You’re Only as Good as Your Last Referral

by Sarah Michelle Bliss

I

t doesn’t matter whether you’re selling widgets or real estate; the sales game is all about relationships—and you’re only as good as your last referral.

Most agents get hung up on making calls to their clients because they think it’s dirty to ask for a referral. But what if the goal wasn’t to ask for a referral, but to deepen the existing relationship?

Your end game should be a relationship with your Top 50 clients who wouldn’t do business with anyone but you. These are the same folks who wouldn’t let anyone they care about do business with anyone but you. Your Top 50 clients are customers who have bought or sold more than one home with you and/or have referred you to others. I also like to consider their reach. Who do they know that they could refer to me? If you’re new to real estate, your Top 50 might be people who would refer you, if they knew they should.

To have a successful referralbased relationship with 50 clients, you must stay in regular contact with them. And that requires a customer relationship management (CRM) system. There are plenty of options available for affordable CRM platforms—and even some that are free of charge—so don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis because you want to pick the best CRM. They’re all good, and the best one for you is the one you will use. If you don’t have one now,

62 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

pick one and commit to using it.

What does communicating on a regular basis look like? Monthly contact in some form, whether it’s something in the mail, a phone call, a video text, lunch or even a visit to their home or office. In fact, your Top 50 clients must see or hear from you at least once a quarter. A good CRM will help you track vital details such as a birthday or anniversary and organize notes related to a specific client’s dream vacation or when their child is heading off to college. If you want to maximize your relationships, you need to pay attention to these details.

People have a deep need to feel connected, appreciated and understood—and people naturally tell us how we can do that. Look for opportunities to connect with your Top 50. It can be as simple as gifting them a book on how to plan a vacation in another country or how to gracefully become

an empty nester. A good CRM will help you manage those details and keep you on track when it comes to staying in touch with the right people at the right time.

While the average person knows 200 people well, they also know five people who will make a move in the next 12 months.

I believe that if you have a strong connection with your Top 50, you don’t have to beg for business; however, you’re only as good as your last referral, and in order to grow a referral-based business, you must commit to the time it takes to develop relationships while caring about the details and having a good CRM. Sarah Michelle Bliss is a coach with Workman Success Systems. She has been in the real estate industry since 1995 and is an original founder at RE/MAX Professionals, where she has been a part of the Nate Martinez Team since 1997. Over the past 20 years, she has taught locally and nationally, coached and influenced her peers through team management, agent development and training. She is currently the director of Agent Development for RE/MAX Professionals in Glendale, Ariz. Contact her at SarahB@workmansuccesssystems.com.

{Power Teams}

Thinking About Building a Team?

Commentary by Mark Mathis

R

eal estate is a very demanding profession, making it hard at times to accomplish everything in a timely manner. Whoever said “If you want something done right, do it yourself” can’t have been in real estate. That’s why it’s important to have a highly qualified team to help you close sales, grow your business and finally achieve the work/life balance you’ve heard so much about.

Need a Team?

If you’re thinking about how you will build a team, first figure out whether or not you need or will even benefit from starting one.

Some popular reasons for starting a team are because everyone else is doing it, you’re too busy to handle everything on your own, you want a better work/life balance and you want to make more money. Starting a team for these reasons can actually hurt your bottom line. As Jim Remley points out, “The No. 1 thing to consider when thinking about starting a team is the number of leads you have. Do you have them and can you generate enough of them to feed a team?”

Agents who are good at generating leads won’t benefit from joining a team; it’s the excellent salespeople who need help finding leads who are going to be drawn to team up. Don’t count on your team members being a big lead generation source, and do make sure you can provide enough leads for them before you finalize your decision to start a team. Try referring out 10 15 of your leads for a few months to make sure you have the business you think you do.

will help your business grow, but also will benefit from being a part of your team, as well. Before you choose a candidate for your team, find out what they’re looking to gain by working for your company so you can explain how your company can meet their needs and expectations. Training and advancement opportunities are great ways to do this.

Don’t limit your search for the best people to a single location.

Search for candidates at real estate schools, educational events and career opportunity meetings to find individuals who are serious about furthering their careers. You should also consider pursuing professionals who are making a name for themselves in the community or local associations.

The Right Person When you’re sure you have enough incoming leads to start a team, start recruiting personnel. The right person for your team not only

Assistant – The very first position you should fill is a full-time assistant to handle the many necessary but time-consuming tasks that come with being a real RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 63

own, this person could also move up to become a listing agent.

estate agent. A good assistant should be able to: • Complete expense reports • Create documents, presentations, spreadsheets, flyers, postcards and brochures • Answer phone calls • Take messages • Handle incoming and outgoing mail • Photocopy important sales documents • Schedule property tours and closings • Create and manage social posts

administrator runs everything, making sure you and your other agents can focus on creating revenue.

If you hire a licensed real estate assistant, they can also help you: • Prepare listing and sales contracts • Manage closing paperwork • Prepare escrow files • Help clients understand documents • Reach out to leads via phone

Transaction Coordinator – Your team administrator can handle this job until your team gets big enough to warrant a dedicated transaction coordinator. This is someone who will handle the paperwork and manage the deadlines of your transactions to make sure closings are efficient.

Team Administrator – As your team grows, your assistant can shift into the position of team administrator. Their primary responsibility should be creating repeatable, scalable systems to keep your business running smoothly as it grows. The team

Listing Coordinator – This team member is responsible for scheduling showings, coordinating signs, creating virtual tours and handling all the groundwork required to make your listings successful. If you have too many leads to follow up with on your

64 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Buyer Agent/Showing Agent – Another position you can add to your team is a buyer or showing agent. Many team leaders prefer to start with a showing agent who will go out with clients to show them properties, but who doesn’t handle the initial lead qualification or handle the contracts and offers. The buyer agent would handle all steps of the buying process for their leads.

Inside Sales Agent – As your team grows larger, the leads you bring in may no longer be enough. That’s where an inside sales agent comes into play.

This person is responsible for incubating and generating leads.

The leads may be coming from online platforms, geographic farming, expired listings, for sale by owners or any other lead sources your team likes to draw business from.

Marketing Expert – When your team gets big enough, a marketing expert can help you create a recognizable brand.

They can design and send out marketing collateral such as flyers and postcards, organize buyer and seller seminars, promote your business on social networks, build connections with local neighborhood associations and otherwise position your team as a desirable real estate team to work with.

Tech Specialist – Having someone in the office who can help you and your team deal with software updates, website design changes, create videos and handle the other technology needs of your team can be a game changer.

Whether you decide to start a team or not, Homes.com is here to help with a variety of services to meet your advertising and marketing needs. RE

Mark Mathis is the vice president of Sales for Homes.com. For more information, please visit connect.homes.com.

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{Power Teams}

Forming a Team?

How to Choose the Right Business Entity

by Liz Dominguez

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.

F

orming a team can have myriad advantages for all agents involved, such as high earning opportunities and the ability to develop more

profitable leads than a single agent. It is, however, a complex process that involves a lot of legal consideration.

Before forming a team, agents must consider how they will register it as an official business entity, as it will not be legally valid until that is done.

“At the time we developed the Linda Rudd Team, there were no additional requirements from the real estate commission other than setting up the team as a specific entity,” says Linda Rudd, advisor and team lead of the Linda Rudd Team at Engel & Völkers Hilton Head.

There are various options, which can make a difference in how taxes are filed: Sole Proprietorship – While not fully considered a business entity, this is the simplest way to operate as one because there is no separation between the business owner and the business. In this case, any income and losses are taxed on the business owner’s personal income tax return. If structured as a sole proprietorship, business owners are liable for the actions of their employees. In addition, to satisfy an employer-employee relationship, agents must meet the following conditions: 4 The employee and the business owner must have a fiduciary relationship, meaning that the business owner will have to act in the best interest of their employee.

4 The business owner must allow their employees to act on their behalf, but must still exercise control over them. There are two types of authorities the business owner can choose from: Actual Authority or Apparent Authority.

68 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

While this is the simplest way to form a team, it can also be the choice that carries the most risk. Agents must carefully weigh their options before opening themselves to potential liability for fraud or negligence.

Partnership – An association made up of two or more individuals who act as co-owners in a for-profit business is considered a partnership. When it comes to the IRS, this is not considered a separate entity, allowing profits and losses to flow through the partners, and saving the entity from having to pay taxes. Teams with a sole owner cannot be considered a partnership.

Having a written agreement in a partnership, while not required, can save agents the headache of solving conflicts, according to the Uniform Partnership Act (UPA) and the Revised Uniform Partnership Act (RUPA). With this business entity, both partners are equally liable for any claims made against the partnership.

In order to make details clear to all parties involved, a real estate partnership agreement should include the following: 4 The nature and purpose of the business, along with each individual’s roles 4 Amount of start-up capital each partner is contributing to the business and any reimbursement agreements 4 The reporting and accounting of profits and losses 4 How much authority each partner has, including signing responsibilities

carry a higher tax burden than other entities and has many restrictions. An elected board of directors must make the decisions for the entity, in addition to selecting corporate officers to perform the daily functions of the corporation.

“We have been an S corp. for the past 11 years, formerly an LLC. At the advice of our accountant, we switched to the S corp. for a more favorable tax situation.”

– LEIGH REED Senior Vice President/Partner at Heller Coley Reed Long & Foster Real Estate

4 The potential of future partners and how the agreement changes 4 Details of how to dissolve the partnership, which may be caused by the death of a partner or through a buyout 4 A statement defining the agreement as a general or limited partnership, in which there are differences in how liability and management are shared C Corp. – This is an entity completely separate from its shareholders, which can sue and be sued. And while it is one of the more complex entities, it offers benefits such as favorable tax treatment for employee benefits packages and eligibility for employee health plans that can be claimed against earnings. It does, however,

Corp. – This entity merges some characteristics of a S C corporation and others from a partnership. For example, its owners are fully protected from liability as in a C corp., but the entity allows for pass-through treatment of profits as with a partnership. S corps. are not, however, subject to the double taxation of C corps., with the exception of distributions.

“We have been an S corp. for the past 11 years, formerly an LLC. At the advice of our accountant, we switched to the S corp. for a more favorable tax situation,” says Leigh Reed, senior vice president/partner of Heller Coley Reed at Long & Foster Real Estate. “Once the S corp. paperwork was drafted, before it was filed with the state, we did have to pass it through the Long & Foster legal department to be sure we had their blessing so they would be able to pay us as a corporation.”

Reed has worked in the real estate industry for 30 years. Her team is made up of three partners, three staff members (client liaison, marketing manager and office manager), one assistant and 11 agents.

Rudd also set up her team as an S corp. because it was more beneficial from a tax perspective.

L imited Liability Company – Many teams are structured as LLCs because of the combined similar advantages to partnerships and corporations, without the disadvantages. As with corporations, members of an LLC can make their own decisions without the personal liability incurred in other business structures. And, as with a partnership, LLCs include the pass-through tax benefits, without the eligibility requirements enforced for an S corp.

Matt Ditzler, also of Engel & Völkers Minneapolis Downtown, is broker associate of the Ditzler Group, which is set up as an LLC. “I formed an LLC to run all of the real estate practices through, which is very affordable and does not take much time. I have owned companies in the past, so I was also very familiar with this process,” he says.

Agents should consult their accountants, as there can be offshoot options when it comes to taxation. RE

Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s associate content editor.

Email her your real estate news ideas at ldominguez@rismedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 69

{Power Teams}

Everyone Wins

by Maria Patterson Tom Gale, GRI, CRS Team Gale Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage www.teamgale.net

Years in real estate: 12 Region served: Wilmington, Hampstead, Leland, Wrightsville, Kure, Topsail Beaches and Surf City, N.C. Team members: 11 agents and 2 staff Honors: 2017 Salesperson of the Year

by Cape Fear REALTORS® Secret weapon: Behind every great agent is a great office staff. They keep me and the rest of the team in check.

When did you first form an agent team?

When I joined my father, Jack Hale, in 2005, we started our team. He started in real estate in Wilmington in 2000. I took the helm of the team in 2015.

Why did you opt for the team model?

It just seemed logical in order to have economies of scale; everyone on the team benefits. We put the team first, as opposed to Jack Hale or Tom Hale. There are plenty of teams where the rainmaker is the key person and the team members get the leftovers. But we try to all

70 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

help each other and create a synergy and culture of support so that the team takes on a life of its own.

How many team members do you have, and what are their various responsibilities?

We have 11 agents, two full-time support people and one part-time support person.

We’re not a typical team—we let everyone do everything. I understand the appeal of having dedicated buyer’s agents, but when you’re working both sides of the transaction, you know what it’s like when the shoe is on the other foot. Our agents are well-rounded and know how to handle either side of the transaction.

How have you had to adapt your approach as the team grows?

I enjoy helping people. That’s why I love being a REALTOR®. And as our team has grown, I’ve had to get out of the trenches and get out of my own way. I had to let go in order to help more buyers and sellers by helping my agents. When we were smaller, we could all do our own thing, but as the team gets bigger, my job is to troubleshoot and help our agents.

How do you market the advantages of working with a team to clients?

A team is going to be able to take

your call more easily than I am as an individual. I’m trying to prioritize meeting with people face-to-face, not letting myself get interrupted with phone calls. I don’t care how good a single agent is—a team can better help our buyer and seller clients. A team also helps our agents achieve quality of life for themselves as opposed to having to be available 24/7. A team allows us to compartmentalize our lives.

How does your broker support the team?

Coldwell Banker has been great— very supportive in every way, whether it’s mentoring, problem solving or providing training for new agents.

Coldwell Banker is very educationdriven and the culture is all about helping people. Our president says, “Do something nice for someone every day”—that mirrors what we personally try to do as a team.

What are some of the biggest challenges of running a team?

We’re all REALTORS® and independent contractors—no one has to be on a team. It can be challenging to bring everyone along—sometimes people resist what we’re trying to do, but they come around. We’re always trying to get that buy-in. RE

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Home Prices Still on an Upturn

by RISMedia Staff

H

ome prices are still on an upturn, up 5.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017, according to the latest quarterly report by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

“A majority of the country saw an upswing in buyer interest at the end of last year, which ultimately ended up putting even more strain on inventory levels and prices,” says Lawrence Yun, chief economist of NAR. “Remarkably, home prices have risen a cumulative 48 percent since 2011, yet during this same timeframe, incomes are up only 15 percent. In the West region, where very healthy labor markets are driving demand, the gap is even wider. These consistent, multi-year price gains have certainly been great news for homeowners, and especially for those who were at one time in a negative equity situation; however, the shortage of new homes being built over the past decade is really burdening local markets and making home-buying less affordable.”

Single-family home prices went up in 92 percent of markets as-

sessed in the report, or 162 of 177 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Fifteen percent of, or 26, metro areas saw prices up by double digits. At the national level, the median single-family home price was $247,800, and the median existing condominium price was $237,500.

Home prices in the Midwest and West grew at the highest year-overyear rate, both 7.2 percent to a median existing single-family value of $193,800 and $374,400, respectively, according to the report.

Prices in the South followed, at 5 percent to a median $221,600.

Prices in the Northeast grew at the lowest year-over-year rate, 4.2 percent to a median $268,100.

Affordability also declined in the fourth quarter. A homebuyer with a 5 percent down payment would need an income of $55,585 to af-

ford a single-family home priced at the national median. A homebuyer with a 10 percent down payment would need an income of $52,659, and a homebuyer with a 20 percent down payment would need an income of $46,808.

“While tight supply is expected to keep home prices on an upward trajectory in most metro areas in 2018, both the uptick in mortgage rates and the impact of the new tax law on some high-cost markets could cause price growth to moderate nationally,” Yun says. “In areas where home-building has severely lagged job creation in recent years, it’s going to be a slow slog before there’s enough new construction to cool price appreciation to a pace that aligns more closely with incomes.”

The most expensive metro areas by median existing single-family price in the fourth quarter were: San Jose, Calif. ($1,270,000); San FranciscoOakland-Hayward, Calif. ($920,000); Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, Calif. ($785,000); urban Honolulu, Hawaii ($760,600); and San Diego-Carlsbad, Calif. ($610,000). The least expensive areas were: Cumberland, Md. ($84,600); Youngstown-WarrenBoardman, Ohio ($90,200); Decatur, Ill. ($100,000); Binghamton, N.Y. ($108,900); and Wichita Falls, Texas ($110,400).

Existing-home sales, including condos, rose 4.3 percent to 5.62 million in the fourth quarter, according to the report. Existing homes available for sale were down 10.3 percent year-over-year to 1.48 million at the end of the quarter, with an average supply of 3.5 months. RE For more information, please visit www.nar.realtor.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 73

#SOCIALSKILLS

Social Skills: Marketing Your

Testimonials to Attract New Business

by Liz Dominguez

M

any companies will tell you that referrals are the bread and butter of their business. And how do they come about? That’s simple—word spreads quickly when you offer a good product. But, it’s not as easy as sitting back and waiting for that word to go viral. To keep the business coming, you have to keep the testimonials going up on social and across the internet. Here’s how you can take your reviews to the next level:

74 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Create Unique Testimonial Opportunities The days of posting only simple written reviews are gone. Consumers want to see excitement and engagement in your company, and changing up the testimonial format is a great way to show that. Let your clients choose from a variety of testimonial options so that you have different ways of promoting a review, which will also help your clients feel more comfortable.

Video testimonials are a little more personal and have a higher chance of going viral. Since social platforms like Instagram and Snapchat are becoming more popular, you need to continue putting out digital content to stay relevant. These can be simple, selfie-style videos that your clients shoot themselves and then send to you, or you can ask them to pop into the office or film them in front of a branded background. Some buyers and sellers may be wary of being in front of a camera, so find out what they’re most comfortable with.

Don’t get rid of written reviews either. Instead, add them into your testimonial package. Give your clients a list of sites where they can post their review; it can be the same for every page, but it’s important to get those words of praise on as many sites as possible. Facebook, Yelp and Zillow are just some of the sites you should be asking for reviews on. To make these a little more engaging, you can also take selfies or SOLD pictures with your clients and post them on social with their reviews.

Guide Your Clients Even if your clients prefer to take care of the reviews themselves, you can help steer them

in the right direction. A review that doesn’t mention your biggest wins will end up being less valuable. If you had a great experience with a client, it’s okay to let them know what you would like pointed out in their review.

An excellent way to do this is to hand out a short survey that clients can use as an outline for their review. Did you sell their home in record time? Include a question that addresses that. Did you prove

Let your clients choose from a variety of testimonial options so that you have different ways of promoting a review. your market expertise? Include a question about how satisfied they were with your knowledge of comps and available homes. And always ask them to recommend your service to friends, family or anyone else looking to buy or sell a home.

If you’re going the video route and your clients prefer to be filmed rather than film themselves, you may want to think about interviewing them. This puts you in control of the video’s content and will give your clients some direction.

Promote, Promote, Promote!

It doesn’t end there. Now that you have a steady stream of varied reviews heading your way, you need to market them on social media and across the internet. You can post snippets of your reviews on Twitter every week and include a special hashtag like #TestimonialThursday. Post your videos and photos on Instagram and your Snapchat Story so all your followers can see. You can even create a testimonial series or playlist on YouTube. Tag your clients, with their permission, so they can share with their own followers.

This will introduce your business to a new audience, which is essential to getting referral business.

These reviews can also be promoted during your listing presentations and buyer consultations.

Gather the best of your video reviews and create a digital portfolio/video reel that you can show potential clients. Include your written reviews and the accompanying photos within the documents you give your new clients, as well. You can even create case studies using your clients’ experiences and reviews to showcase successful business relationships from beginning to end.

Once your social audience starts to expect your testimonial videos and excerpts, it won’t be long before your phone starts ringing with new business. RE Find more social media strategies, tips and trends in RISMedia’s Social Skills series, blog.rismedia.com.

Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s associate content editor.

Email her your real estate news ideas at ldominguez@rismedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 75

{Broker Spotlight}

Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty:

Reputation and Relationships Win the Day

by Maria Patterson

76 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Charles Oppler, COO & Co-Owner, and Randy Lyn Ketive, CEO & Co-Owner, Prominent Properties Sotheby’s Intl. Realty

A

veteran REALTOR®of more than 35 years and an active industry advocate, Charlie Oppler has a unique vantage point: he lives and breathes the business from both the grass-roots and big-picture level. As COO of Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, Oppler and his partner—CEO Randy Lyn Ketive—have taken a back-to-basics philosophy and a strong commitment to agent support to bring their firm to iconic status in Northern New Jersey’s luxury arena. Meanwhile, Oppler found time to serve on and chair dozens of committees at the local, state and national level, including his recent role as 2017 REALTOR®Party Director for the National Association of REALTORS®. Here, Oppler shares how he’s managed to grow a firm while supporting the good of the industry as a whole.

Maria Patterson: Tell us a little bit about your path in real estate, Charlie.

Charlie Oppler: I began my professional career after graduating The College of New Jersey in 1980. I worked for the March of Dimes and recruited Joe Murphy (Murphy Realty Better Homes and Gardens) and Dick Schlott to co-chair a charity event. They both accepted, and

by Nov. 1, 1981, I went to work for Joe Murphy in the Saddle River. I left Murphy in November 1984 and went to manage for Schlott, REALTORS®in December. I worked for Dick Schlott until May 1989 and then went back to Murphy as a manager of the Fort Lee office until December 1991.

In January 1992, Randy Lyn Ketive and I became partners, and we began building our company. She had one office in Fort Lee with about eight agents. We affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty in 2009, after being an independent (Classic Realty Group) for 17 years. We just celebrated our 25th anniversary as partners.

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

CO: We currently have 12 offices with about 630 agents and 40 employees.

“We’re always focused on quality agents versus quantity. Your reputation is everything in this business, and being able to manage and coach agents is extremely important.”

- Randy Lyn Ketive CEO & Co-Owner, Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty

MP: How has being part of the Sotheby’s brand played a role in your success and growth over the years?

CO: The biggest reason why being part of Sotheby’s has contributed to our growth is that it creates market credibility and presence. We’re in a vibrant bedroom community of New York City, and it’s a lot easier for somebody to look to our brand than an independent. That said, while being part of Sotheby’s Inter-

national Realty has played a part in our growth because of the reputation of the brand, it still comes down to the local operation, which is true for any franchisee.

Randy Lyn Ketive: The fact that we’ve been consistent—and in the market for so long—allowed us to grow our company. The international presence of Sotheby’s is also an important factor when marketing a property.

MP: How do you differentiate your firm in the market?

CO: Our company is the premier luxury brand throughout Northern New Jersey. We have had the highest average price in New Jersey for the past seven years, and we’re consistently No. 1, 2 or 3 in most markets. We’re ranked No. 1 in many individual markets and are highly ranked in others.

RLK: We’re always focused on quality agents versus quantity. Your reputation is everything in this business, and being able to manage and coach agents is extremely important.

MP: What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in the luxury market over the years, and how have you adapted the firm to stay successful?

CO: One of the biggest changes I’ve seen is the growth of major cities and the luxury market within those cities. Also, on the waterfront, there’s an increase in multi-dwelling high-rise condos. The second biggest change is the increase in the number of buyers coming from international referrals and connections.

That said, even with the advent of international buyers, the majority of our buyers are still local; 70 - 80 percent of our million-dollar-plus buyers are already in Northern New Jersey.

A lot of people in the Tri-State Area have roots here.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 77

create more homebuyers. Or, will corporations make more money and not spend it? In theory, there could be growth in the economy. I’d love for there to be more buyers, but I don’t know if the tax cuts will create more buyers, and subsequently, I don’t know how that will translate to real estate transactions.

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

CO: We have some of the best

From left to right: Michael Oppler, Executive Vice President and Director of Career Development; Ketive; and Charles Oppler

MP: How would you describe your growth strategy in recent years?

CO: Our growth strategy is both strategic and opportunistic. We have a marketplace that’s truly like a sixth borough to Manhattan. My experience working with two larger brokers, Schlott, REALTORS® and Murphy Realty Better Homes and Gardens in the 1980s, gave me a unique perspective on larger brokerages early on. We’re still looking at growth markets such as Jersey City, Morris and Essex Counties, especially where the downtown areas are still vital to the community.

MP: What impact do you think the recent tax legislation will have on your marketplace?

CO: I think it’s going to have an impact on people really analyzing what they’re getting for their tax dollars.

I don’t think many people itemized and capitalized on tax advantages in the past. Buyers will be more cautious and speak to their accountants and have them involved in the decision-making process. As they go forward, they will look at home-buying from a tax standpoint, which is something we haven’t experienced before. Most people have bought based on emotions. Now, more peo78 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

ple are going to need to get a feel for what their costs are really going to be. We haven’t seen that in the past, but we’re going to see it in the future. People will take a longer time to make a decision, but the basic factors remain the same for buyers: location, schools, proximity to work and lifestyle.

MP: How are you planning to educate your agents and your consumers accordingly?

CO: We’re educating agents by giving them some talking points, but we’re instructing them to tell consumers to consult with their accountants and financial advisors before making a decision, and not to rely on what the salesperson tells them or anything else they hear. People should get their own counsel because everyone’s situation is different.

The tax bill is so new that 2019 will be a better gauge. Everyone is going to do what they’ve always done until it affects them in their pocketbook. And it will take a year before we know that.

MP: Do you think this will be a boon to the economy as the bill purports?

CO: If corporations spend more money and create more jobs, that could

agents in the marketplace. The Sotheby’s International Realty brand and our attention to detail are well respected by consumers and agents in our market. We’re still focused on quality agents versus quantity, and that includes giving them the most support possible. Many of our agents have been with us for 10, 15 and 20 years plus.

MP: What are you doing to recruit and retain agents—and to bring in that next generation of agents?

CO: We’re much more about selection. We’ve told our managers that it’s not about having the most agents; we want to try and have the best agents. We’re not worrying about competing with some of the other companies in the market in terms of the number of agents.

We think it’s more about selecting versus recruiting. In terms of retention, we provide the most services for our agents. We make sure we have a staff ratio that’s commensurate with providing top-notch service to our group. We have tech support, marketing support, digital media, relocation, graphic artists—we do everything for our agents so they can concentrate on representing clients to buy and sell real estate. We try and take on all the legwork in terms of personal promotion. We’re a little different in that area because we don’t think all agents are qualified to do that. If we can provide that service instead for free or at a minimal cost, they’re thrilled.

MP: What advice do you have for new agents entering today’s real estate market?

CO: I would tell them the agents who have made the most money and been the most successful are those who have worked the hardest and worked their sphere of influence. This is still a people business—a trusted advisor business.

And yes, consumers can get information from online sources, but they still want someone with them to make the decision. They still want to vet the process. It’s important for agents to know that this is still a personal communication business, and that the telephone is not the enemy—it’s a friend. Sitting and having coffee with someone is not a bad thing. It’s not a waste of time to sit with someone face-to-face and read their emotions and actions.

Seventy percent of this business is done with referral and sphere of influence, so that’s my advice to new agents and agents who have struggled. Use technology as a tool, not a crutch.

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

CO: Our culture is one of class and community. Our agents are true leaders in their communities and involved in so many organizations.

Our leadership is one of respect and appreciation; we also ask our agents and managers to be involved in their respective REALTOR®Boards on a local level, and many are involved in state and national REALTOR® roles, as well.

“It’s important for agents to know that this is still a personal communication business, and that the telephone is not the enemy—it’s a friend.”

- Charles Oppler COO & Co-Owner, Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty

MP: What is your approach to coaching and training?

RLK: We’re focused on providing as much training and support as possible. We have regularly scheduled classes and receive tremendous support from Sotheby’s International Realty corporate with field representation. The agents love the brand and culture and want to stay abreast of all the changes.

MP: What’s your strategy for effectively marketing the firm and best serving the needs of prospects and clients?

CO: We’re creative and supportive, and we’re constantly trying to make sure our customers and clients are aware of all we’re doing to support them. Utilizing technology and photography, along with reaching the international culture of the metropolitan area, is essential to our success.

MP: How do you stay ahead of the curve on technology, online marketing and social media?

CO: By attending as many different seminars across the country and locally as possible, in addition to watching some of the companies across the country. This allows us to be adaptive, and, many times, on the forefront of our marketplace.

RLK: In addition, our support staff is very engaged with our agents, at their offices, helping with their day-today business, including social media and online marketing.

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

CO: The future is bright for our firm!

There are so many strong markets where we can make a greater impact in gaining marketshare and adding more quality agents. Our proximity to New York City, as well as the corporate strength in New Jersey, especially in the technology and pharma fields, gives us a strong base to build off. In addition, we can always be better at our core business. We have an opportunity to reach $2 billion in sales in 2018, and there are days I feel we haven’t even scratched the surface. It’s exciting and fun to work with so many talented agents and staff in the greatest business in the world. RE

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 79

{Broker Spotlight}

RE/MAX Realty 100: Surrounded by the Best to Be the Best

by Maria Patterson

At RE/MAX Realty 100, you’re part of a collaborative environment favorable to building a business that is sustainable and projectable, not just a job to come to.

80 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

J

eff Benson learned a lot over the years that factored into the success of the Milwaukee, Wis.-based real estate firm he opened in 1979. From his early days as a teacher to the

sales savvy he developed in the automotive world, many things helped prepare him for his ultimate role as broker/owner of RE/MAX Realty 100—but perhaps none more than the life lesson instilled by his parents: “Put other people’s interests first and everything will turn out the right way.” Here, Benson shares how creating an environment where a like-minded, resultsfocused team could thrive has led to four decades of growth, no matter what the market dished out.

Maria Patterson: Jeff, tell us how you first got into the real estate business.

Jeff Benson: After I graduated from college in 1971, I taught for three years. Then some people I had been involved with enticed me into selling high-end automotive equipment.

I found that odd since I didn’t have any sales skills, but I had taught some of their children in class and, as a teacher, you are involved in sales—you’re selling an intangible.

So, I sold directly to automotive dealerships, and this gave me a very good understanding of how to negotiate with people.

At that point, my old college roommate had gotten into commercial real estate and development, and kept telling me to get my real estate license. So, I studied and got my license in 1976. I went on several interviews with some of the larger regional real estate companies, as I was looking for a training program that would give me a good level of understanding of what this industry was all about.

MP: What led to you opening your own firm?

JB: I started working at one firm, then in 1978, I bumped into the RE/MAX concept and was intrigued.

“It all goes back to making sure you’re able to identify the type of agents you want from the very beginning.”

- Jeff Benson, Broker/Owner RE/MAX Realty 100

My original partner and I opened RE/MAX Realty 100 in ’79. Our goal was to build a place where we could surround ourselves with other like-minded people. We wanted to bring the right type of people in and continue to grow our individual businesses. That really developed into a leadership role for me. Some of my past sales experience, not only in real estate, but when I was selling automotive equipment—and even in teaching—came into play. I was also influenced by my parents, who taught me to put other people’s interests first and everything will turn out the right way. And that’s what happened at RE/MAX Realty 100.

same way…who truly want to take care of clients. Our goal was to be able to open offices through central parts of our marketing areas. We were looking at a way to help our agents become recession-proof by being able to market north, east, south and west in our locations.

From time to time, there’s an area of the metro marketplace that may slow down. We try to make sure our agents are growing their business through relationships with clients who know people all over town. If they have a number of marketing areas where they have a sphere of influence, this helps them through the peaks and valleys.

MP: Sounds like you wound up exactly where you were supposed to be! So how large is the firm today?

JB: We have four locations and ap-

MP: Makes sense. With four decades in the business, you’ve probably weathered some tough markets.

JB: I’ve gone through several reces-

proximately 160 – 170 agents; we also offer full-service title and closing, and have a mortgage affiliation, as well.

sions, and what we’ve done each time is watch the type of recession we were in. During the first one, from ’81 – ’84, when interest rates exceeded 16 percent, we happened to be in a state where there was a lot of creative financing, and we were blessed that we had agents who were very good at understanding negotiations. We were able to recruit even during a bad time, going into the recession with a little

MP: What has been your strategy toward growth over the years?

JB: It all goes back to making sure you’re able to identify the type of agents you want from the very beginning. We’ve been blessed to have like-minded people who think the

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 81

over 20 agents and coming out with about 50. Don’t forget, the 100-percent concept was attractive—even though our transaction count may have gone down, each transaction was worth so much more when agents had the ability to make that much more commission.

The last recession saw more of a focus on distressed properties.

Through our national brand and regional resources, we helped our agents retool their business for that type of economy by training them on distressed marketing.

The other thing we’ve been very attuned to as a company is maintaining a solid financial foundation and keeping our debt under control.

When we went into the last recession, we were financially very strong.

Every owner has to make sure they have the financial capabilities to continue to put dollars back into the organization so they can assist their agents.

the United States—our small, quiet company in Milwaukee hit the Top 50. It all comes back to the quality of our agents. That, collectively, sets us apart. We look for individuals or team leaders that want to build a business that’s sustainable and projectable—not just a job to come to and start over every day.

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

JB: The support that we offer them, the professional business environment, the tools and the systems, the marketshare and the quality of agents we have around us. We don’t just have the frills. We don’t just want them to think of this year—we want them to think about three, five,

MP: How would you describe your firm’s positioning in the marketplace? What sets you apart from the competition?

JB: First of all, by riding out many storms, we’ve gained a very high level of respect within the local marketplace and the industry. Myself, Kathy [Martello, vice president of operations] and a number of agents over the last 40 years have been very engaged with charities, associations, MLSs, committees and boards, including some agents who have been recognized at local and state levels.

We also have a very good reputation within the real estate community of working with other brokers. We want to help solve problems for our agents and their agents and continue to move the real estate industry forward.

We also have the highest peragent unit count for companies that are at least 100 agents or larger.

We’re ranked in the Top 50 of the Top 500 reporting companies in 82 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Backed by a brand built on billions, RE/MAX leads the industry in brand awareness,* while bringing an understanding and appreciation for the communities they live in.

RE/MAX Realty 100 is a full-service family of companies with four award-winning sales offices, a full-service Closing and Title Division, the region’s largest RE/MAX Administrative/ Marketing and Training Division and an in-house Mortgage Affiliation. *Source: MMR Strategy Group study of unaided awareness.

15 years from now. This is a business, and they can have their own business inside of it and really grow it. We also have the longevity. We’ve been through up and down markets and we’ve seen a lot of things that other folks running organizations have never been through.

In addition, the financial strength we’ve been able to gain through good markets allowed us to weather the storm of a recessionary market.

Agents know they have a place to come to. We’ve never cut support, never laid anyone off due to a downturn in the market. If anything, we tried to add help in tough times.

Kathy Martello: Agents often seek the next, shiny object they think may grow and enhance their business.

But this is a simple business—if they take care of clients and put them first, they will be successful.

But they have to be with a firm that has great branding and organization, and leadership with a local sense of the market who runs that organization and truly gives them support.

When interviewing and recruiting agents, I always ask why they’re considering a move, and they often say, ‘I need support.’ The thing we’ve managed to do over the years is deliver support to agents on individual levels. In a company our size, we’re able to do that. Our family of companies includes a great staff of about 24 and a Client Services Division, (myself and six others) to tend to their needs…and Jeff is a master at talking people through their marketing plans.

MP: How would you describe your company’s culture?

JB: I feel we are a caring culture that helps our affiliates build their own personal business within our model.

The culture involves the tools, the system and the branding, and all of that helps keep us in tune with our mission, vision and core values.

Whether its sales professionals have served their customers and clients for three or 33 years, RE/MAX Realty 100, with an agent-centric philosophy, delivers support, training and coaching to help its affiliates build their personal business within the firm’s model.

MP: How does your caring culture factor into your approach to coaching?

JB: Whether you call it coaching

MP: How do you stay ahead of the curve on technology?

JB: It’s a challenge. We leverage the

or guiding, when we sit down with someone, we’re going to figure out what they want to accomplish. A lot of people are successful when they get to us, but they want to take it to another level. It gets back to that question: ‘Where do you want to take your business?’ Based on their responses, we help them develop a plan that incorporates a lot of ideas and concepts gathered from existing agents over the last 40 years. We’re more than happy to put an accountability program together so they can accomplish what they set out to do.

A lot of times, people are switching careers from corporate America and know the sales and relationshipbuilding process, but have to adapt their skills to suit the real estate business. We try to provide that additional help, as well.

local, regional and national support from RE/MAX and the systems and technology they provide. We use that as a springboard and do the rest inside of our Client Services Division, where we train and help agents understand new media and new technology.

MP: How have you marketed the firm over the years?

JB: A lot of it has to do with the RE/MAX concept—we’ve grown through quality agents who market their high professional standard to prospects and clients. We also do local advertising through radio and billboards. But in the end, it all comes back to the fact that the branding across the country is so strong.

We’re the most recognized real estate brand in the world and we use that to our benefit. We continue to send the same message—we are the home of the top producer.

MP: What’s in store for the firm’s next decade?

JB: We want to continue to expand our local marketplace with quality agents. We would also like to continue to expand our footprint in Southeast Wisconsin. There are a lot of great things happening here. The Foxconn [electronics factory] deal will bring thousands of jobs to Wisconsin and offshoots of local companies.

MP: Sounds like you’re well-poised for even further growth…

JB: We’ve been blessed to be able to grow through mergers, acquisitions and affiliations, and to deliver our value proposition to attract quality agents. We’ve also been blessed with agents and employees that have stayed with us for 10, 20, 30 and more years. We all understand that without our agents, this organization is nothing. It goes back to that basic belief that if you surround yourself with the best group, you will continue to move forward. RE For more information, please visit www.movingmilwaukee.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 83

{Broker Best Practices} a good communicator, which starts with being a good listener.

Build Your Brand by Being a Better Person

by Zoe Eisenberg

Mark Fields President CENTURY 21 Mark Fields and Associates Asheville, N.C. www.century21.com/real-estate-office/profile/ century-21-mark-fields-associates-10019276 Region served: Asheville, N.C., and surrounding areas Years in real estate: 40+ Number of offices: 1 Number of agents: 10 Favorite way to communicate with clients: Face-to-face. A lot of communication is nonverbal, so when you text, email or speak on the phone, a great deal of nuance can be lost. It’s the expression on someone’s face that can identify best how a person is feeling, and it could also lead to solutions to challenges and overcoming objections.

What is your top tip for real estate newbies? Affiliate with a company that represents your values and provides the culture of learning and support you will need to get started— one that ensures its people provide the highest possible level of service to your buyers and sellers. Second, learn the real estate contract. Know all the legal ‘ins and outs,’ but remember that more than 50 percent of being a great real estate professional isn’t what you learn in real estate school. Third, learn how to be 84 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

How do you build yourself as a luxury brand? Marketing. I have a background in marketing, not through formal education, but through experience. I’ve watched the best people market themselves, and so I learn from the best. Early on, I asked myself who was doing great luxury marketing. I take inspiration from the “greats.” I built my company reputation by becoming the best I could be.

Please describe your company culture. We are a family. When I hire, I make sure the person’s heart is in the right place. They’re not going to be competing with our family or undercutting the people we work with, and for. We are here for each other.

We support each other. No matter how big we become, we care about each other.

What sets your team apart from other brokerages? When I bring people in, I make sure they’re committing to my company for the right reason— not just to make money, although that’s an important motivator, but to provide the very best service they can. I can’t have mediocrity. I need people who strive to be the best they can be—to provide the best service they can, no matter what. As highend real estate professionals, we make a lot of money. If you’re going to play the game, you have to truly earn it. You have to offer equal value for what you’re earning. My goal is to never get to a closing table without feeling 100 percent sure that I earned that money.

How are you staying abreast of industry and market shifts? We’re in it. We’re living it, so we feel it. Every time there’s even a small ripple here, we feel it.

For more information, please visit www.century21.com.

Philip Romero

Brand and Value Proposition Refresh Sets the Stage for Continued Success

by Paige Tepping

Philip Romero President

Joshua Robertson-Tucker Executive Vice President, Business Development and Relocation CENTURY 21 Award San Diego, Calif. www.century21award.com Number of offices: 17 Number of agents: 1,000 No. 296 in sales volume in RISMedia’s 2017 Power Broker Report Your company is one of the highest volume performers in the Century 21 franchise. What goes into reinventing an established brand once you’re already known as a leader?

Philip Romero: First and foremost, it’s important to understand that being established as a leader in the past won’t necessarily carry you into the future—a notion that’s been at the forefront of our reinvention at CENTURY 21 Award. For us, the process began with a heavy dose of self-reflection in order to understand where we are in the industry, our strengths/weaknesses and deficiencies, and to honestly assess the needs of our

grow and turn real estate into a career they can grow into. This comes from energy and enthusiasm, in addition to educating each and every agent as to how to grow their business in today’s environment.

Joshua Robertson-Tucker

consumers to ensure that we’re in alignment with those changing expectations.

How do you keep the company innovative and positioned as a leader in the marketplace, rather than resting on the status quo?

PR: Resting is obviously the much easier choice…until it’s not. And resting is not an option for us.

Part of our strategy for remaining innovative comes in the form of realizing a new leadership team.

In fact, we’ve transformed our leadership team into a bunch of creative types—those who have an energy like Josh. With four years of experience under his belt, he brings a fresh set of eyes to the things we’ve maybe taken for granted over the years. While the process begins with having the right leadership team in place, it’s also important to look at things and break them before building everything back up again.

What will success look like once you’ve achieved your goals?

PR: Marketshare growth. Simply stated, this is telling us that we’re aligned correctly with our clients’ expectations and that they find value in the approach.

Joshua Robertson-Tucker: Success is culture, too, so we’re focused on creating a thriving environment of innovative thinkers. And this doesn’t just include our staff. In fact, we want agents who are looking to

Can you provide any specific examples in terms of what you’re doing?

JRT: One area we’re currently focusing on is new licensees. In fact, we’ve created a training program called Accelerate that’s set up to infuse one’s business with adrenaline through coaching, activities and instruction by immersing our new licensees into business generation from the get-go. The program, powered by tools such as FiveStreet, Market Snapshot and Top Producer that we’re purchasing from realtor.com®, is instrumental in teaching new licensees how to engage and activate their sphere of influence while springing in contractual items along the way.

What will change from the perspective of buyers and sellers as we head toward the future? What will they see that’s different?

PR: The No. 1 thing buyers and sellers will notice is the responsiveness we’re bringing to the process.

In this day and age, consumers expect an experience with the search process that’s as efficient as buying something on Amazon. They also expect a response time that’s no longer than it takes to order a pizza. These expectations are what laid the foundation for how we built all the systems we use to serve our customers.

Do the agents at your firm understand what you’re doing, and why you’re doing it?

PR: A large percentage of our agents understand exactly what we’re doing, and while others may not fully understand it, they feel it in their own business. For those

agents that may not necessarily be up-to-date with the latest technology, they understand that they need to catch up. And part of our initiative is to ensure our agents have all the training they need to best serve their customers.

JRT: To that end, we’re a realtor.com® advantaged company, so we receive our leads back on our realtor.com® listings. Our agents are able to respond to inquiries through FiveStreet before cultivating and nurturing those leads with Market Snapshot and Top Producer.

Are there any early success stories you can share?

PR: Our biggest success story todate stems from our leadership team establishing a Salesforce.com platform for all of our managers and internal leadership, which allows us to clearly communicate these new initiatives. In doing so, we can track feedback related to what’s resonating with the agent population, and what might be missing the mark.

It can be a very lonely endeavor at times when it comes to launching these types of new initiatives, and by getting this feedback, we’re able to establish where we’re getting our marketshare from and where we still have room to grow. This has given us the ability to be very quick in our changes and our responsiveness— a type of flexibility that’s been very important to our success.

JRT: We’re also fresh off our Disruption Tour where we boldly stated that instead of being a company that continues to be disrupted, we’re going to take charge and be the disruptors of the industry. In unveiling all the initiatives we’re working on, we’ve been met with nothing short of excitement, total buy-in and a willingness to be nimble and flexible.

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 85

{Trending}

Facebook Files Patent:

Homeowner Data Could Reveal Socioeconomic Status

by Liz Dominguez platform to inch even closer toward its consumer base through data analytics.

H

ave you scrolled by an ad on Facebook for new real estate signs—just a few hours after you searched for them on Google?

Ad targeting is not a new concept, but it has transformed over the years through data analysis and the use of algorithms. Social media users are accustomed to experiencing ads that reflect their recent product searches or, more invasively, seeing ads for products mentioned in conversation that were never physically searched for. Now, the social media giant may be looking to extend its efforts on the ad targeting front. Just a week after Facebook announced its foray into local news, sources are reporting the discovery of a patent filed by Facebook on July 27, 2016 that would allow the

86 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

While the social platform has not formally announced plans for implementation, the patent shows that Facebook wants to “increase awareness about products or services to online system users” by gathering data on homeownership, travel, education, internet usage, demographic and device ownership—factors that could be used to determine users’ socioeconomic status without using their income information. According to the patent application, Facebook would aggregate this data using market research questionnaires that would then build individual profiles categorized by socioeconomic group: working class, middle class and upper class.

Sources also report that Facebook commonly seeks patents for new technology, but does not always follow through with all of them. Although this plan has not been officially confirmed by Facebook, users and advertisers have questions: How would this information be used?

If Facebook sold this data instead of keeping it for algorithm purposes, they would have to determine who gets the information and how it could be used. If available for purchase, Facebook could be opening the door to new methods of hyper-targeted marketing for the real estate industry. Agents would be able to promote listings within a user’s predicted income status. For example, instead of seeing a mass-promoted, multimillion-dollar listing, a potential homebuyer categorized as middle class could begin seeing more affordable purchasing options. Likewise, that multimillion-dollar listing could be targeted toward those potential homebuyers categorized as upper class.

By finding out homeowner status, real estate professionals could vary the phrasing of their ads to attract more leads. Those that are listed as renting could receive ads on the benefits of buying over renting. Alterna-

tively, current homeowners who are older could receive ads on downsizing, and younger homeowners could see ads that recommend upsizing.

Would users find this too invasive?

The social media platform risks further alienating its user base by gathering such personal information and choosing to sell it for ad space. Facebook users are already wary of applications such as Messenger that have access to their phone’s microphone, especially after reports of seeing ads that correspond to personal conversations.

If real estate professionals did purchase this data, they would have to tread carefully to avoid offending prospects and opening themselves up to litigation based on discriminatory advertising.

Could Facebook convince users to take the survey?

Without incentives in place, it is highly unlikely that Facebook users would willingly provide this personal information through questionnaires.

This could mean Facebook would look into alternative sources to obtain this information, such as contests, trivia games, etc. The social platform already has access to a variety of identifying information through users’ profiles and their posts. If the questionnaires prove futile, Facebook could simply comb through profiles to access most of the information they need.

How accurate would this information be?

Without income information, it would be difficult to determine if these categories are valid. For example, one of the factors Facebook is using to determine socioeconomic level is the number of devices a user has (assuming that just because they

have five devices instead of two, the individual belongs to the upper class). It would also take education into consideration; however, a graduate degree no longer translates to upper class, especially as much of the millennial generation is encumbered with high levels of student loan debt from financing that education.

If real estate professionals did want to participate in this version of targeted ads, they would have to

do so without seeing proven results.

At this point, Facebook’s socioeconomic categorizing would be a coin toss—any dollars invested could see a return of value, or could convert into lost leads instead. RE

Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s associate content editor.

Email her your real estate news ideas at ldominguez@ rismedia.com.

IN OTHER FACEBOOK NEWS…

The social media giant recently claimed a desire to be involved in our lives in a more intimate way by providing more local news than national news on users’ feeds. “Local news helps build community—both on and offline. It’s an important part of making sure the time we all spend on Facebook is valuable. I’m looking forward to sharing more updates soon,” wrote Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook.

What does this mean for the real estate industry?

Facebook Has More Power Over Content While it is too soon to tell, real estate business pages may or may not fall under the news category, according to Facebook. And if they do, real estate professionals will have difficulty determining whether their pages are being considered trusted local news sources that are appearing more frequently, or if they are being grouped as untrustworthy and are not being viewed. Real estate agents will need to keep a close eye on their pageviews and Facebook analytics to determine if this change is for the better. For industry professionals that use only their personal pages to promote their business, this local announcement may not impact them, unless Facebook is scanning posts by content instead of source.

The More Local, the More Relevant If Facebook is looking to push local sources, the news factor may not play a role at all if real estate professionals are promoting mainly local content. Instead, agents and brokers may see a surge in pageviews from increased visibility to their content. If this is the case, real estate professionals should be prepared to post more content that features specialized local data versus articles with national or generic elements.

Content Will Need to Be Reviewed Carefully Since Facebook’s algorithms are already a mystery to the masses, agents and brokers will need to carefully read through their content before posting on Facebook to ensure the platform doesn’t pick up on any clickbait-type words that cause it to be labeled as untrustworthy.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 87

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{RISMedia’s Great Spaces}

Who knew there was a palace in Mahwah, N.J.?

by Zoe Eisenberg

Historic Homes, Recently Renovated In this month’s Great Spaces, we’re running down a selection of gorgeously renovated historic homes. From America’s version of Versailles to the former home of Ike and Tina Turner, these architectural gems have been restored to pristine condition.

Versailles in New Jersey?

Mahwah, N.J.’s, beloved Crocker Mansion is currently on the market, with recent renovations taking the already stunning space to new heights.

The elaborate home was the dream of George Crocker, son of railroad magnate Charles Crocker. Located

in the Darlington metro area, the 58room, three-story mansion is listed with both the National Register of Historic Places and the New Jersey Register of Historic Places.

One-hundred years after its original construction, the Mahwah mansion was completely renovated, a

process that took over seven years in order to pristinely preserve the original architectural strategy and materials. During the renovation, an additional 12,000 square feet of living space was added.

Known to some as the American Versailles, the home—which looks RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 89

more like a castle, or, perhaps, a college campus than a private residence—features a theater; billiard room with bar; poker room; game room; a luxury spa with lap pool; an outdoor pool with cabana; an eightcar garage; staff quarters with five suites and a lounge; a great hall with 30-foot-high ceilings; and a 1906 Aeolian Player Pipe Organ, one of the only existing organs of its kind in the U.S. Listed by: Special Properties/Christie’s International Real Estate Photos by: Special Properties/Christie’s International Real Estate

Historic Greek Revival Located in Lakeville, Conn., this Grecian Revival is all stunning stone and sweeping lawn. Renovated for convenience with original architecture preserved, the historic five-bedroom home, built in 1845, is known as Belle Vallee. With 10 spacious rooms and 5,157 square feet of living space, the estate also includes a three-car carriage house with a large studio apartment situated above.

The main house includes a state-ofthe-art kitchen, a wet bar and formal living and dining rooms.

Out back, a saltwater pool offers pastoral views to the west.

This historic estate’s entrance alone is enough to swoon over.

photo caption

90 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

nal owner Hollywood choreographer Eugene Loring, is currently on the market on Los Angeles’ posh Astral Drive. The 1958 mid-century modern masterpiece was designed by iconic architect Richard Neutra, who was commissioned by Loring himself.

Renovated with the original design intact, the home includes five bedrooms, five bathrooms, an in-ground pool and a two-story, two-bedroom guesthouse with an art studio. The space sits atop a knoll and can be reached by a long, winding drive.

Sweeping walls of glass allow many of the rooms to overlook the pool.

Renowned architect Richard Neutra designed this recently renovated Los Angeles home.

Listed by: Steve Frankel, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Listed for: $5,625,000 Photos by: Jeff Ong

Ike and Tina Turner’s Historic Los Angeles Home This legendary, historic mid-century spot was once home to Ike and Tina Turner. Artfully remodeled, the fourbedroom, five-bathroom home is located in the historic View Park—one of the largest national registered historic districts in California. Enter through the house’s original double front doors, custom made for Tina Turner herself. Just shy of 3,000 square feet, the space has a flowing open living and dining concept, with walls of glass overlooking the patio.

Out back, a customized pool

Listed by: Patricia Best, Best & Cavallaro Real Estate Listed for: $2,495,000 Photos by: Ren Nickson

Modern Mid-Century Masterpiece on Astral Drive Looking to drop $5 million or more on your own architectural masterpiece?

The Loring House, named after origi-

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 91

Ike and Tina Turner once roamed these historic halls.

Snag your own piece of paradise in this Hawaiiana-themed Palm Springs pad.

roosts beside a cabana, fire pit and outdoor bath. The master suite features its own private luxurious bath, walk-in closet and direct access to outdoors.

Listed by: Team ECHO Real Estate Listed for: $1,448,000 Photos by: Rancho Photos

Hawaiiana in Palm Springs Aloha lovers, rejoice. This painstakingly restored, tiki-themed Hawaiiana condo in Palm Springs, Calif., sets the standard for Polynesian-inspired mid-century modern spaces. A Class I Historic Site, the two-bedroom condo features repurposed vintage materials salvaged from now-defunct tiki-themed Royal Hawaiian establishments. Features include original terrazzo tiles along the entryway to the kitchen/bar/dining area, original windows and glass sliders perfectly preserved, original recessed ceiling light fixtures, bamboo wall paneling and tikis galore.

Outside, a custom lava rock planter runs along the perimeter of the rear patio, with a custom-made tiki totem fountain adorning the space, as well.

Listed by: Jacquie Owens, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties Listed for: $419,000 Photos by: MonCherie Fotography RE

92 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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{Blog Spot} Smart Devices:

How Home Automation Is Taking Over the Remodeling Industry

by Steve Palmer

F

rom smartphones to smart TVs, everyday devices are becoming more and more sophisticated and autonomous. The devices being integrated into our homes allow the house to respond automatically to the environment, preset schedules and even spoken commands. Today, systems like Amazon Echo and Google Home provide a central base for automating almost any conceivable aspect of a home, all controllable by phone, computer or voice.

What Can Be Automated?

Most home automation projects begin with heating and lighting, which offer clear benefits in energy savings and convenience. Rather than relying purely on preset timings to control your heating or air conditioning, intelligent automation allows more flexibility. For example, you can keep your heating on a minimum setting during the day to reduce energy bills, but turn up the temperature from your smartphone as you head home from work.

Take the concept further and you have intelligent window treatments.

Shades or drapes can be set to automatically lower, creating shade from direct sun and reducing the need for air conditioning. This can be managed either on a schedule or by intelligent response to light levels. Alternatively, window shades can be set to operate automatically at sundown, providing increased privacy even when the blinds are in difficult-to-reach locations.

Combining automated motorized

shades with smart lighting can improve home security by giving the impression that the property is occupied. This can be done either to a set schedule, or in response to external factors such as movement outside the home, changes in day length or changes in ambient lighting. Add automatic locking of codeoperated doors and windows, controllable cameras, intelligent smoke alarms and reactive alarm systems, and the security of a home can be controlled and monitored remotely with ease.

In the kitchen, automation offers a combination of energy savings and convenience. You can start up your slow cooker while at work to have a hot meal ready the moment you return. Appliances from dishwashers to freezers can coordinate their operation to minimize their combined energy consumption, making the best use of home-generated energy from solar or other sources. The long-predicted smart fridge, which keeps track of its own contents and simplifies grocery shopping, is now also a reality.

The Future of Intelligent Home Automation As useful as current automation technology is, it’s set to go much further in the near future. Already, controllers such as Echo and Home can automate devices from many different manufacturers, but there are still several competing protocols making cross functionality difficult.

As the technology matures, communication methods are becoming more standardized, and the “internet of things” means that everything from your TV to your refrigerator will be connected into a single, adaptable, intelligent system. RE

This article originally appeared on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. Visit us at blog.rismedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 95

{Ask the Experts}

If your home inspector shows you minor items that may come up in the buyer’s home inspection, you can have the issues looked at and repaired before the buyer even has their report done. You will have time for bids on a job instead of rushing to pay a higher price for the work, or, worse, having to deduct from the agreed upon price. In fact, you can show the report and a receipt proving the problem was already addressed by a licensed professional.

Dan Steward President Pillar To Post Home Inspectors www.pillartopost.com

Q:

Should sellers get a home inspection to help the mortgage process along?

A:

If you’re a seller, it behooves you to get your own home inspection prior to putting your house on the market. But why spend money on one when the buyer will surely get their own?

Buyers that see a recent home inspection along with the listing sheet already realize that the asking price of the home is likely justified. They can rest assured that there are no scary surprises waiting for them upon closing. And you can hasten an offer by having that report right in front of serious buyers when they’re considering putting in an offer.

This also establishes a sense of trust between the buyer and the seller from the start. It shows the buyer that you care enough to get details and minor problems with the house detected and fixed before they even put in an offer.

“By getting a pre-inspection, you have proof that home maintenance issues, to the best of your knowledge, didn’t exist at the time of sale.”

- DAN STEWARD President, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors

Having a good report readily available also shows the buyer that you’ve most likely been maintaining the property all along, which is another terrific plus when selling.

Mitigating risk is key when selling a home.

Since laws regarding disclosures vary from state to state, for the most part, you as the seller are responsible even after a closing if something has been hidden or unreported to the buyer. Taking the time to have your own inspection will allow you to have repairs made for a cost that suits your

Q& A

96 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

budget, instead of having to deal with credits the buyer may ask for as the result of their home inspection. By getting a pre-inspection, you have proof that home maintenance issues, to the best of your knowledge, didn’t exist at the time of sale.

The only instance when it may not pay for a seller to proceed with a pre-inspection is when they’re selling a fixer-upper. In this case, the buyer already knows what to expect, and they should have a thorough home inspection completed before signing on the dotted line.

Patty McNease Director of Marketing Homes.com www.homes.com

Q:

What are native ads, and why should I incorporate them into my advertising mix?

A:

There are a lot of ways to advertise online.

Banner ads have been an advertising mainstay in real estate for a long time and social ads are continuously gaining in popularity, but real estate has lagged behind when it comes to one of the most powerful ad types: native ads.

Native ads take a more subtle approach to reach potential clients. They sit among the actual page content and are designed to blend in. This may not make much sense with the traditional ad logic that says you have to yell the loudest to be noticed among the millions of ads on the internet; however, with banner ad blindness becoming a more prevalent problem, native ads have proven themselves a popular and effective alternative.

What are native ads?

You’ve probably already seen— and possibly even interacted with—native ads even if you don’t know what they are. They’re designed to blend in with the content an audience is there to see, so they typically show up in-line with the page content.

They’re non-intrusive, getting in front of an audience by providing them with the kind of content they were looking for anyway, such as a suggested post on Facebook or a recommended video on YouTube.

What are the benefits?

With increasing banner blindness, savvy agents are diversifying their approach to get the best results, and native ads tend to receive

more attention and trust than other online advertising methods.

A study by Sharethrough found that consumers looked at native ads 53 percent more frequently than display ads.

“With increasing banner blindness, savvy agents are diversifying their approach to get the best results, and native ads tend to receive more attention and trust than other online advertising methods.”

- PATTY MCNEASE Director of Marketing, Homes.com

Native ads are also more shareable. Sharethrough’s study found that 32 percent of respondents would share a native ad with family or friends, while only 19 percent said they would share a banner ad.

Also, because native ads give viewers the kind of content they’re already looking for, they feel more empowered in their decision to

buy or sell. The relevancy of native ads also helps build trust in the agent who is providing valuable information to the potential buyer or seller.

You can also reach a more engaged audience with native ads.

By advertising in relevant buyer and seller content, you’re more likely to find actual buyers and sellers, rather than people who may not be interested in an actual real estate transaction.

How can you get ahead of the competition?

Leveraging a variety of ad types across multiple platforms is a good way to appeal to different audiences. Just remember to track your results to figure out what generates the best results for your business.

Social media is one of the platforms that has enthusiastically embraced native advertising.

Homes.com Social Fuel can help you reach your social media goals by managing your Facebook ads, LinkedIn profile, Twitter account, online reputation, and more.

Learn more about Social Fuel and managed Facebook ads designed specifically for real estate professionals by visiting http://bit. ly/hdcsocialfuel. RE

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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®..................................................................................... 100

Ascent Real Estate, Inc........................................................... 104

American Home Shield........................................................... 100

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate... 104

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices......................................... 100

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, REALTORS®....104

Buffini & Company................................................................. 100

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty................... 104

Century 21 Real Estate LLC.................................................... 100

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS®.....104

Certified New Home Specialist ............................................. 100

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties............ 104

CINC (Commissions Inc)......................................................... 100

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties............ 104

Cole Realty Resource............................................................. 100

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties.................104

Create for the Human............................................................. 100

Calcagni Real Estate.............................................................. 104

CRS Data............................................................................... 100

CENTURY 21 Award................................................................ 105

DocuSign............................................................................... 100

CENTURY 21 New Millennium................................................. 105

Engel & Völkers...................................................................... 101

Coach REALTORS®................................................................. 105

The Entrust Group.................................................................. 101

Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS®............................. 105

ERA Franchise Systems, LLC................................................... 101

Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty.................................. 105

Homes & Land....................................................................... 101

Diane Turton, REALTORS®....................................................... 105

Homes.com........................................................................... 101

Fillmore Real Estate............................................................... 105

HomeSmart International....................................................... 101

First Team® Real Estate.......................................................... 105

HomeTeam Inspection Service................................................ 101

GARDNER, REALTORS®........................................................... 105

HSA Home Warranty............................................................... 101

Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate.............................................. 105

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®........................ 101

J. Rockcliff REALTORS®........................................................... 105

Motto Franchising, LLC®......................................................... 101

Jordan Baris, Inc., REALTORS®................................................ 106

Moxi Works............................................................................. 102

Kinlin Grover Real Estate........................................................ 106

National Association of REALTORS®........................................ 102

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc................................................ 106

The Personal Marketing Company........................................... 102

Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty.................... 106

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors................................................ 102

McCOLLY Real Estate.............................................................. 106

Quicken Loans....................................................................... 102

Page Taft................................................................................ 106

Real Living Real Estate........................................................... 102

Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate.............................................. 106

Realogy Holdings Corp........................................................... 102

Randall, REALTORS®.....................................................................106

realtor.com®.......................................................................... 102

RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central......................................... 106

Realtors Property Resource®.................................................. 102

RE/MAX Gateway................................................................... 106

TM

Realty Executives International............................................... 103 Realty ONE Group.................................................................. 103 RE/MAX, LLC.......................................................................... 103 RIS Consulting Services......................................................... 103 RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network®.............................. 103 Sellstate Realty Systems Network, Inc..................................... 103 Top Producer® CRM................................................................ 103 Workman Success Systems.................................................... 103 Xpressdocs............................................................................ 103 Zillow Group........................................................................... 103 zipLogix.................................................................................. 103

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 99

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 7,400 independently-owned and -operated franchised brokerages and more than 111,000 independent real estate professionals in 78 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 Englishand 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.

100 March 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®’ Sec-

ond 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. • Susan Yannaccone, 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 over 2,350 independently-owned and -operated offices with over 37,000 brokers and independent sales associates throughout the U.S and 30 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 qualified 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, 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 compliRISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2018 101

ance 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, Events & Alliances • K enneth Burlington, VP, Strategic Alliances, Business Development, Product & Sales Management • Karen Bebart, VP, Marketing, Digital Marketing, Marketing Research •M arc Gould, VP, Business Specialties; Dean, Student Services, REALTOR® University • Mark Birschbach, VP, Strategic Investments, Second Century Ventures 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, client follow-up systems and marketing planning services.

102 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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) 407-7215 • 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 approximately 14,200 offices with more than 274,500 independent sales associates doing business in 113 countries and territories worldwide.

ENGAGE WITH REALTOR.COM® (800) 878-4166 • www.realtor.com Realtor.com® is real estate’s most accurate site, with listings pulled directly from over 850 MLSs and most listings updated every 15 minutes. Homes for sale on realtor.com® only display the real listing price established between seller and broker, not inaccurate machine-generated estimates. Visit realtor.com®.

REALTORS PROPERTY RESOURCE® (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.

REALTY EXECUTIVES INTERNATIONAL

Complete Real Estate System,” Sellstate brings a model that truly benefits both the broker and agent to the industry. Already located 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.

(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

WORKMAN SUCCESS SYSTEMS

(888) 461-0101 • www.RealtyONEGroup.com Realty ONE Group is a full-service real estate brokerage with more than 4,000 associates. It focuses on providing ethical, professional and results-oriented services to property owners and prospective real estate buyers. Since its inception in 2005, the company has grown to become the No. 1 real estate brokerage in Nevada and the fastest-growing real estate company in Arizona and California.

(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.

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.

RIS CONSULTING SERVICES (203) 852-4304 • Norwalk, Conn.

• John Sculley, Managing Dir. • Peg Guinta, Projects Dir. RIS Consulting Services is an independent relocation consulting firm dedicated to designing and implementing comprehensive solutions to mobility issues. We deliver a full range of consulting services to our diverse corporate and relocation service company clients. The executives of RIS Consulting utilize their industry and specialty knowledge to analyze your situation, develop strategic options and implement designed solutions.

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

TOP PRODUCER® CRM

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, 104 March 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 March 2018 105

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 106 March 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 50 years of service to the Delaware real estate market and surrounding communities in nearby Pennsylvania and Maryland. With seven offices and 350 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: 350

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 March 2018 107

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+

108 March 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 March 2018 109

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+

110 March 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, 27

American Home Shield.....................................................7 Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA)....60

National Association of Women in Real Estate Businesses (NAWRB).................................48

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices...............................BC

The Personal Marketing Company..........................35, 93

Century 21 Real Estate LLC.............................................17

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors...........................................2

Clareity..............................................................................29

Quicken Loans..................................................................19

Cole Realty Resource......................................................51

Realtors Property Resource®...........................................13

Create for the Human...................................11, 20, 72, 97

Realty ONE Group............................................................22

ERA Franchise Systems, LLC............................................36

RE/MAX, LLC.....................................................................10

Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) Designation.........38

RISMedia’s Automated Content Engagement (ACE)...........................................................................9, 66-67

Homes & Land..................................................................88 Homes.com.................................................................... IFC

RISMedia’s Content Solutions.........................................94

HomeSmart International.....................................................21

RISMedia’s Power Broker Newsmakers Awards, Reception & Dinner............................................5

HSA Home Warranty................................................................ 1

RISMedia’s Real Estate CEO Exchange.......................111

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®.............. IBC

RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network®...............52, 98

National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP)®..................................................43

Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc.................................56

X

Workman Success Systems........................................65, 71

Real Estate

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{re: Real Estate}

Looking for Low-Hanging Fruit?

Point Your Agents Here

B

rokers are always searching for ways to help their agents be more successful. In terms of gaining more clients, it would be hard to argue

that a strong online presence isn’t a top priority. After all, consumers’ first impulse is to turn to the internet

Part of the site’s success stems from strong consumer awareness, which reached 87 percent in 2017, an all-time high. In terms of engaging consumers, realtor.com® ranks third among the largest consumer brands for time spent on the site, outpaced only behind YouTube and Facebook.

to research every important decision, including finding their next home, and selecting a real estate professional to help them purchase or sell one.

Fortunately, one of the best ways to boost your agents’ online presence also happens to be free. Every member of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) automatically receives a free profile on realtor.com®. The question is, are your agents taking full advantage of this asset?

A Knife That Cuts Two Ways Increasingly, consumers are using realtor.com®to gather intelligence on agents. Is he/she actively listing and selling in our market? What do other buyers and sellers say about him/her? These questions, and others, are top of mind for both buyers and sellers.

Agents who have taken the time to provide complete, robust profiles on realtor.com®report that they are much more likely to receive buyer and seller leads. It’s a great way for relatively new agents to put their best foot forward and earn new business. On the flip side, a seasoned, experienced agent may actually lose business if they ignore their profile.

The Strength of realtor.com® When surveyed, both agents and brokers agree that realtor.com® does the best job of delivering leads for serious buyers and sellers. According to the spring 2017 realtor.com® brand tracker study, more professionals said realtor.com® provides the best value for leads vs. other real estate portals. Additionally, more consumers indicate they found the agent they actually purchased their home from on realtor.com®, compared with the other national real estate portal sites, according to addendum questions asked in the most recent National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers survey.

112 March 2018 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Coaching Your Agents When a broker claims their office profile on realtor.com®, they gain access to a dashboard that displays each of their agents’ profiles. It’s an easy way to identify areas that would benefit from more attention. Some of the things you’ll want to check: 8Photo - Has everyone added one? Ideally, agents should use the same photo on your brokerage site, on their business cards, yard signs, etc. Consistency is an important part of a successful branding strategy, partly because consumers need to see an image several times before it “sticks.” Agents without a photo will not appear in any searches, other than a search for their name.

8Bio - Is their bio written in helpful, consumer-friendly language? Does it include important keywords that will help their profile appear in search results (e.g., areas served, types of properties and/or clients, etc.)?

8Contact Details - Does their profile include a current, working phone number and email address?

8Testimonials - Have these been solicited from verified clients (ratings/reviews) and other sources (recommendations)? Recent research has found that 84 percent of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation.

For more tips on creating a business-building profile, visit hub.realtor.com/profiles. You’ll find short videos from industry-leading agents and brokers, as well as articles on creating a great headshot, writing a strong bio, and much more.

Encourage your agents to take full advantage of the business-building benefits of a complete realtor.com® profile. It’s free, and it delivers a lot of value. To get started, visit hub.realtor.com/profiles. RE

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Residential • Commercial ©2017 BHH Affiliates, LLC. Real Estate Brokerage Services are offered through the network member franchisees of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Most franchisees are independently owned and operated. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Information not verified or guaranteed. If your property is currently listed with a broker, this is not intended as a solicitation. Equal Housing Opportunity.

BHH Affiliates, LLC, 18500 Von Karman, Suite 400, Irvine, California 92612 (949) 794-7900. For New York Residents: This advertisement is not an offering. 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. For Minnesota Residents: BHH Affiliates, LLC is registered in the State of Minnesota, Registration number F-7072.

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