ABOVE Fall 2014 by Alive Publishing Group

MAKE A STATEMENT

NEW BRAND MESSAGE SAYS WHAT MATTERS PAGE 7

THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE FALL 2014 REMAX.COM/ABOVE

BOLD

IDEAS

The RE/MAX network is founded on them – and Associates keep them coming

MASTERFUL Top marketer Terrie Cox of Washington PAGE 30

PLUS

PUT PEOPLE FIRST 14

READING GENERATIONS 17

FREE MARKETING 27

RE/MAX Affiliates

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You could be saving 20%you... Added savings, just for on the monthly service charge of You could be saving 20% qualified wireless plans on the monthly service charge of qualified wireless plans

To sign sign up today, att.com/wireless/REMAX To today, visit visit att.com/wireless/REMAX Or, Or, visit visit the the nearest nearest AT&T AT&T store, store, visit att.com/find-a-store visit att.com/find-a-store Please have proof proofof ofeligibility eligibility Please have (company badgeororpay paystub) stub) (company badge Mention FAN:22541 22541 Mention FAN: ______________________________________

Sponsorship Program discounts: Monthly service discounts are available to qualified employees, students and other authorized individuals associated with eligible sponsoring organizations, such as companies and colleges/universities with a qualified business agreement (“Business Agreement”). Individuals must provide proof of eligibility (valid employee badge/student ID card, paystub or other approved validation method) and subscribe to service as Individual Responsibility Users (IRUs), taking personal liability for their accounts. Discounts are subject to the Business Agreement and may be interrupted, changed and/or discontinued without notice to you. A minimum number of employees, minimum monthly service charge for qualified plans, additional AT&T services or other requirements may apply for eligibility. Under some Business Agreements, the discount can vary monthly depending on your organization’s aggregate volume of qualified charges. Discounts apply only to the monthly service charge of qualified plans (unless otherwise provided in your organization’s Business Agreement). Discounts are not available with any unlimited voice plans. For Family Talk plans, discount will only apply to the primary line. For Mobile Share plans, discount applies only to the monthly service charge for the data allotment of eligible plans, not to the additional monthly device charge(s). Additional plan and other restrictions apply. Discounts may not be combined. Offer subject to change. If you have a question about available discounts and/or your eligibility, contact your organization’s telecom manager or contact us at att.com/getIRU. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. Service provided by AT&T Mobility.

© 2014 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property. 1 Wi-Fi enabled devices required. Access includes Wi-Fi Basic. Other restrictions apply. See attwifi.com for details and locations. 2014

features

38 CONTENTS

Read More Online THERE’S A LOT MORE TO ABOVE. FIND ENTIRE ISSUES, ONLINE EXCLUSIVES, NEWS, BONUS TIPS AND VIDEOS.

PHOTO BY DAVID LEWINSKI

GO TO REMAX.COM/ABOVE

#REMAXAbove

30 34 38

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS Top marketer Terrie Cox has a clear vision for every luxury listing she accepts – and the drive to see it through.

A PERSONAL TOUCH Brad Bondy prides himself on his hands-on approach and personal accountability with clients – so he’s found ways to keep the “I” in team while expanding his business.

DETROIT: NEW HORIZONS Entrepreneurs at RE/MAX Leading Edge are finding opportunity where others have stopped looking.

ON THE COVER LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT AND CHAIRMAN’S CLUB MEMBER TERRIE COX OF RE/MAX EQUITY GROUP – VAN MALL OFFICE IN VANCOUVER, WASH. PHOTO BY LEAH NASH

REMA X .COM/ABOVE • FALL 2014

departments

46 GAME CHANGERS

7 SNAPSHOTS

26 RU: WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU

Renewed Mission Statement; leaders ask tough questions; celebrating RE/MAX Europe; and more!

How you can get the most out of industry-leading education.

BUILDING BLOCKS 14 PUT PEOPLE FIRST Follow these 5 principles to help ensure people don’t get lost in your digital world.

15 ALL THE RIGHT MOVES Relocating clients are lucky to have Amy Jurek by their side.

17 SPANNING THE GENERATIONS Getting to know your clients and their needs is essential to achieving the best results.

22 MANY HAPPY RETURNS For these three top producers, time away only solidified the RE/MAX advantage.

27 EASY, FREE MARKETING! It’s right under your nose in the RE/MAX Design Center.

28 THE MAIN EVENT The annual RE/MAX Commercial World Symposium brought together Associates from across the network.

FULL SPECTRUM 42 THE ALOHA SPIRIT RE/MAX Honolulu has provided a warm welcome to island living for 20 years and counting.

ABOVE & BEYOND 45 OUT OF THE ASHES A great response to a terrible event sets a Brazil brokerage on a new course.

46 COMMUNITY PRIDE

IN EVERY ISSUE 4 OPENING REMARKS 48 JUST FOR FUN

ABOVE THE RE/MA X MAGAZINE • FALL 2014

An Associate’s focus on civicoriented events helps strengthen her community – and her business.

READ ONLINE 275 LIKES! Top 3 Reasons I Switched to RE/MAX

Wanting more out of their careers, these top producers chose RE/MAX. Find out what drove their decisions to join.

4 Tips for Playing Offense in Business 42 LIKES!

Team Leader Joshua Smith shares tips for building business without spending a fortune on marketing. LIKE IT! Tips for Closing a Complex Deal

Vega Pao wins the listing and sells a notorious California estate. Learn from her experience.

REPORT Send news, comments and inquiries to above@remax.com

PHOTOS BY GREG YAMAMOTO (42); AMBER BRACKEN (46)

INSIDE STORY

If you want a strong, ongoing business, you need strong, ongoing relationships. Get more listings, sales, and referrals with hands-free monthly postcards from Sendsations.

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OPENING REMARKS

welcome

We’re Better Together

E ALL THRIVE ON POSITIVITY AND productivity, and one way to attain both is through working together. The RE/MAX culture of collaboration is just one of the many reasons top producers join our network. It’s also why the best agents in the business – RE/MAX Associates – keep getting better.

MARGARET KELLY MARGARET KELLY

RE/MAX agents have something in common: They’re passionate about real estate. It shows at RE/MAX R4 and at regional events, in RE/MAX University videos and on social media, where they share their ideas with enthusiasm and candor. That kind of spirit is what makes RE/MAX great.

DEDICATES HER EFFORTS AS CEO OF RE/MAX TO MAINTAINING A CULTURE OF COLLABORATION ACROSS THE NETWORK AND THE INDUSTRY.

ABOUT THIS COLUMN Opening Remarks features the thoughts of RE/MAX leaders, speaking on major themes within ABOVE.

MORE IDEAS 4

ABOVE THE RE/MA X MAGAZINE • FALL 2014

When we share ideas, triumphs and challenges with each other, it opens up doors to a deeper understanding of our work. Ultimately, it helps us become better, more effective advocates for buyers and sellers.

If you think about it, ABOVE is another perfect example of that. By sharing tips and insights in these pages, RE/MAX agents invite others to learn from their experiences and move closer to achieving their own goals. So keep on sharing those great ideas with each other. You’ll find there are plenty of people who are eager to listen.

GET SPECIFIC

DOMINATE

INSPIRE ACTION

Turn to page 17 for generational insights on serving clients better.

Discover the traits of top producers to strengthen your own goals on page 29.

Use the strategies on page 46 to rally support for – and from – your community.

SPREADING HOPE

Visit komen.org/homeforthecure to learn more about the RE/MAX program.

PROGRAM RE/MAX is proud to donate to Susan G. Komen at least $25,000.00 in both 2014 and 2015 in connection with the national Home for the Cure® program. Susan G. Komen’s promise is to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to ﬁnd the cures. For more information, please contact Susan G. Komen® at 1-877 GO KOMEN or www.komen.org. ©2014 RE/MAX, LLC. Each ofﬁce independently owned and operated. 141099

ABOVE

FALL 2014, VOL. 4, NO. 4

eCommission understands that closings don’t always happen on time. But, business expenses don’t stop. To bridge the gap and help you continue to grow your business, eCommission specializes in providing safe and secure commission advances. Receive up to $15,000 in 1 business day.

ABOVE, a quarterly publication (January, April, July, October), is the official magazine of RE/MAX, LLC, the international real estate franchisor serving the industry’s most productive sales network. RE/MAX World Headquarters 5075 S. Syracuse St. Denver, CO 80237-2712 PO Box 3907 Englewood, CO 80155

remax.com

RE/MAX, LLC CHAIRMAN & CO-FOUNDER Dave Liniger VICE CHAIR & CO-FOUNDER Gail Liniger CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Margaret Kelly PRESIDENT Vinnie Tracey EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS AND BRANDING Mike Ryan

ABOVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS George White CREATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR Collin Meek SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR & ABOVE CHIEF EDITOR

Amanda Derengowski

SENIOR EDITOR Deborah Kearns LEAD EDITOR Katharine Davis EDITOR Dorota Wright-O’Neill

To reach the editors of ABOVE, call 303.796.3339 or email above@remax.com. To order additional copies, visit the Shop RE/MAX website at shop.remax.net. Copyright © 2014 RE/MAX, LLC. All rights reserved. ABOVE is a registered trademark of RE/MAX, LLC. The material herein may not be duplicated, copied or reproduced – in whole or in part – in any way without written permission. ABOVE magazine is provided to RE/MAX Affiliates as one of many benefits. The opinions of guest contributors and interviewed guests are their own and not necessarily those of RE/MAX, LLC, or its Affiliates, or any of its owners, officers, employees or agents.

We have been providing RE/MAX® real estate professionals with a variety of commission advance products for maintaining steady business cash flow since 1999.

RE/MAX, LLC, is not responsible for the content of advertisements and assumes no liability for any claims arising therefrom. RE/MAX, LLC, is an Equal Opportunity Employer and supports the Fair Housing Act. Each RE/MAX office is independently owned and operated. ®

www.hungryeyemedia.com 800.852.0857 PRESIDENT Brendan Harrington

Get started at www.eCommission.com/REMAXabove or call 1-877-882-4368

EDITOR Tom Wilmes ART DIRECTOR Lindsay Burke DESIGNER Mark Lesh PROJECT MANAGER Susan Humphrey

ADVERTISE IN ABOVE! NATIONAL AD SALES

Susan Wist 303.378.1626 susanwist @hungryeyemedia.com

ABOVE THE RE/MA X MAGAZINE • FALL 2014

INSIDE STORY

Powerful Message THE RENEWED RE/MAX MISSION STATEMENT CAPTURES THE BRAND’S VISION, VALUES AND BELIEFS IN A FRESH WAY

MAKE A STATEMENT It’s easy to incorporate the new RE/MAX Mission Statement into your business. Search “Mission Statement” on Mainstreet to download a variety of digital materials.

OR MORE THAN 40 YEARS, THERE’S NEVER BEEN ANY DOUBT about what matters to RE/MAX Affiliates. But the updated RE/MAX Mission Statement makes it clearer than ever.

“It’s simple yet says so much,” RE/MAX CEO Margaret Kelly says. “At

every level of the network, serving others is a shared goal. On the local level, Associates win when they help buyers and sellers meet their goals; Broker/Owners win when Associates meet their goals; RE/MAX Regions win serving Broker/Owners and Associates; and RE/MAX World Headquarters wins when offices and agents thrive.”

REMA X .COM/ABOVE • FALL 2014

INSIDE STORY

Leads Just Keep Flowing

SPENCER RASCOFF

MILLION

PETE FLINT

RE/MAX LEADERS ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS DAVE LINIGER AND MARGARET KELLY that Zillow “will not charge referral fees.” are known for their straight talk. And Echoing sentiments from Rascoff, they value the same in return. That’s why Trulia CEO Pete Flint described his orgathe RE/MAX leaders engaged the CEOs of nization to Kelly as a media and technoltwo primary listing portals ogy company – not a real ALL ON THE TABLE (TOP) – Zillow and Trulia – in honestate company. The two ZILLOW CEO SPENCER RASCOFF, LEFT, WITH DAVE LINIGER est conversations about main objectives for Trulia SPEAKS TO ATTENDEES OF THE their roles and priorities. are to: (1) provide informa2014 BOC IN SAN FRANCISCO. Zillow CEO Spencer tion and tools to consum(BOTTOM) TRULIA CEO PETE FLINT VISITS MARGARET Rascoff sat down with ers and (2) give agents KELLY AT RE/MAX WORLD Liniger on stage at the tools to market themselves HEADQUARTERS IN DENVER. BOC (RE/MAX Broker and increase productivity. Owner Conference) in August – on the heels of the announcement that Zillow Watch the full interviews online. planned to acquire Trulia in 2015. Among Find Liniger’s talk on Mainstreet and the highlights was Rascoff assuring Liniger Kelly’s at youtube.com/remax.

ABOVE THE RE/MA X MAGAZINE • FALL 2014

LEADSTREET MARKED an impressive milestone in September when the system surpassed 14 million fee-free leads delivered to RE/MAX Affiliates since its launch in 2006. The leads are delivered every day, in near real time, right to Associates’ email inboxes or mobile devices. All that’s left to do is accept, cultivate and convert them into happy clients. And, believe it or not, there’s much more to LeadStreet than leads. The system also can help you manage contacts and marketing campaigns, generate automated weekly seller reports, create listing presentations and more. Ready to master LeadStreet? RE/MAX University has you covered. Visit remaxuniversity.com.

2 3

Out & About

THESE AFFILIATES READ ABOVE WHENEVER AND WHEREVER THE MOOD STRIKES. THANKS TO THEIR CREATIVITY, FOUR OF THEM WON A $50 GIFT CARD IN THIS SUMMER’S “WHERE DO YOU READ ABOVE?” PHOTO CONTEST. BUT JUST BECAUSE THE CONTEST IS OVER DOESN’T MEAN THE FUN HAS TO BE. POST YOUR ABOVE PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA WITH THE HASHTAG #REMAXABOVE.

PICTURED

WINNERS 1P ete Veres RE/MAX Elite, Albuquerque, N.M. 2R E/MAX InStyle, Skillman, N.J. 3L orna Gagnon RE/MAX Prestige, Honolulu, Hawaii 4K erry Roth RE/MAX Realty Group, Gaithersburg, Md.

OTHER ENTRIES 5F aith Blair Lowrimore RE/MAX Southern Homes, Birmingham, Ala. 6S tuart Sinclair RE/MAX West Realty, Bolton, Ontario 7G reg Hamre RE/MAX Metro-City Realty, Ottawa, Ontario

8C hantelle Limon RE/MAX Integrity, Camarillo, Calif. 9S heryl Gassman RE/MAX Lifestyle Realty, Branson West, Mo.

REMA X .COM/ABOVE • FALL 2014

INSIDE STORY

ALL EYES ON LONG DRIVE

HE 2014 RE/MAX WORLD Long Drive Championship has seen unprecedented TV coverage this year. Between a four-part series on the Golf Channel and NBC, coverage on individual programs on the Golf Channel, and promotions on YouTube, SiriusXM radio and golfchannel.com, the exposure adds up to the most ever for the championship – and approximately $20 million in advertising value for you! Over the course of 20 years, RE/MAX World Long Drive has featured the talent of some of the world’s most impressive golfers. Don’t miss opportunities to see all the action from this year's championship on TV, including NBC’s Highlights Show in December.

// BY THE NUMBERS // In the last year of RE/MAX title sponsorship, there are so many fans, volunteers and competitors to thank – and so many moments to celebrate. Here are some highlights:

Number of champions across 7 divisions

Age of the youngest Champion, Jamie Sadlowski

427

Yards of the longest winning drive

Number of Top 8 finishes by five-time Champ Jason Zuback

224.9

Miles per hour of the fastest ball speed

SIX IN A ROW!

AGAIN, RE/MAX RANKS NO. 1 IN THE FRANCHISE TIMES TOP 200 WOW! For the sixth consecutive year, RE/MAX ranked higher than all other real estate brands in the annual Franchise Times Top 200. On top of that, RE/MAX was the No. 2 franchisor in sales growth overall. Only Circle K ranked ahead of RE/MAX on the Top 10 Sales Growth list. The 2014 report appears in the October issue of Franchise Times.

ABOVE THE RE/MA X MAGAZINE • FALL 2014

REAL ESTATE COMPANIES BY RANKING Company

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

RE/MAX

Coldwell Banker

—

Century 21

—

Keller Williams

HomeServices; Prudential

—

Sotheby’s International

—

110

354

ERA Real Estate

—

113

114

111

113

108

SOURCE: FRANCHISE TIMES *2009-2013 PRUDENTIAL; 2014 BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES

WORKING ON COMMISSION SHOULDN’T FEEL LIKE YOU’RE ON A FINANCIAL ROLLER COASTER. CONSIDER THESE TIPS FROM eCOMMISSION

INSIDE STORY

Ways to Manage Cash Flow

Being a real estate professional gives you the freedom to control your business. It also means being in full control of your finances. Here are some tips to help you manage it all, grow your business and live the life you want.

3 4

CREATE A BUSINESS PLAN

COMPARE NOTES WITH PEERS

BALANCE PEAKS AND VALLEYS

HAVE A BACKUP PLAN

Getting organized can lead to incredible results that will improve your business. Sit down and take the time to list your goals for the coming year. Having a clear picture of what you need to do can help you pave the way to stronger, steadier cash flow.

Recruit a small group of real estate “warriors” you can call on from time to time. Sharing ideas and talking through challenges will give helpful insight into ways to improve your business and manage your finances.

Pay yourself a set salary each month based on the previous 12 months of earnings. When you have a month with a spike in commission, put into savings anything over and above what you typically pay yourself. This way, you build a reserve to meet your personal payroll during lighter months.

Even best-laid plans sometimes falter. That’s why it’s important to have a contingency in place when you need access to your incoming cash now. Take advantage of opportunities to fast-track your positive cash flow using commission advance services.

HOW eCOMMISSION CAN HELP

Whether you’re a new agent who needs financial flexibility to create a business foundation or a veteran who needs the occasional boost to keep business humming, eCommission makes it possible for you to access your real estate commissions whenever you want them. There’s no reason to wait 30, 60, 90 days or more until a sale closes to receive your payment. With eCommission, you can generate cash flow from your pending sales, active listings, rentals or commercial transactions on your timeline. To receive advance payment of your next commission, visit eCommission.com/REMAX or call toll-free 877.882.4368.

REMA X .COM/ABOVE • FALL 2014

INSIDE STORY

FRANK POLZLER

MICHAEL POLZLER

WALTER SCHNEIDER

20 YEARS

Celebrating RE/MAX Europe THE MIX OF THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP, THE RIGHT BRAND AND THE RIGHT TIMING CREATED MAGIC

OR EUROPEANS WHO WANT A career in real estate, RE/MAX is the place to be. That’s because of the pioneering leadership of Frank Polzler and Walter Schneider, who set their sights on expansion into Europe more than 20 years ago and turned RE/MAX Europe into an industry juggernaut. Even though the business partners had plenty on their plates running RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada and several U.S. Regions, they had their eyes on intercontinental growth. And Europe beckoned – particularly for Polzler, a native of Austria.

ABOVE THE RE/MA X MAGAZINE • FALL 2014

Convinced the RE/MAX model would work in Europe despite warnings from naysayers, Polzler and Schneider made their move in 1994, with RE/MAX Spain opening that year. Within five years, Polzler and Schneider’s master franchise had launched RE/MAX Regions and brokerages across Europe, including in Austria, where the RE/MAX Europe headquarters is based. On its 20th anniversary, RE/MAX Europe is a behemoth: 31 nations, more than 1,500 offices and more than 13,000 agents. CEO Michael Polzler – Frank Polzler’s son – is determined to continue advocating for

RE/MAX Europe Sales Associates and their businesses. “RE/MAX offers agents extensive support to start and run their own business,” Michael Polzler says. “Associates enjoy a well-known brand and the best training, IT and marketing services. They’re in business for themselves, not by themselves.” Polzler says RE/MAX continues to change careers and lives in Europe. “My dad and Walter did an extraordinary job making RE/MAX No. 1 in so many European countries,” he says. “I’m committed to pushing RE/MAX Europe even further ahead.”

FIRST REGION IN RE/MAX EUROPE

RE/MAX SPAIN LED THE WAY When he began running RE/MAX Spain 20 years ago, Region Owner Javier Sierra knew that if RE/MAX succeeded, it would change the way real estate was bought and sold in his country. “At the time, there was no real estate agent training in Spain, no MLS, no professional association,” Sierra says. “The concept of Broker/Owners with independent Sales Associates was completely unknown. Now it’s the standard.” Today, the housing industry in Spain is changed for the better. RE/MAX Spain introduced the MLS to the country; founded Escuela RE/MAX, a pioneering education center for real estate agents; and co-created the nation’s dominant agent association, Asociación Empresarial de Gestión Inmobiliaria. This period of positive transformation in Spain’s real estate industry also saw agents weathering the economic crisis that began in 2008, the country’s worst downturn in more than 80 years. RE/MAX Spain survived – and even expanded – during this difficult time, in part because of the strength of its business model and the professionalism of its agents. It’s been an extraordinary 20 years for RE/MAX Spain, which currently has almost 90 offices and nearly 900 Associates. Sierra was right: RE/MAX helped transform Spain’s real estate industry.

REMA X .COM/ABOVE • FALL 2014

BUILDING BLOCKS

Put People First FOLLOW THESE 5 PRINCIPLES TO HELP ENSURE PEOPLE DON’T GET LOST IN YOUR DIGITAL WORLD BY CHRIS SMITH

FIND IT ON AMAZON!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Smith is Chief Peopleworker for dotloop and co-founder of Curaytor.

HUMAN COMPANIES WIN

The past 10 years have been a digital revolution. And much like the Industrial Revolution, which modernized society, it’s changed the way people and companies operate – this time, though, by connecting everyone. Now we’re in a people revolution. It’s not all about technology anymore; it’s about how you use technology to work with more people, more efficiently. These five business principles are adapted from Peoplework, a book I co-wrote with Austin Allison, Founder and CEO of dotloop, which runs on the Peoplework principles.

CHANGE REQUIRES A BLUEPRINT

Start treating your clients and staff the way you treat your friends and family. People connect with humanity. If your sister were to ask you to pick up her kids, you wouldn’t get a mileage reimbursement app to figure out how much she’d owe you. But in business, we treat people that way. We wait until Monday to make the call we should make on Friday.

Change is now normal. It’s going to happen, and you have to have it to grow your business. But you can’t just hope and wish for change. You have to sit down and write out the blueprint for change; you have to have people in place who are comfortable with it; and you have to have meetings about it.

SERVICE IS MARKETING There’s no better form of marketing during a people revolution than marketing that’s focused on customer service. Become a customer-service organization whose product is homes. When you screw up, overcompensate. Make it right. Be a human. Apologize. And do it quickly. How do you get really good online reviews? You take great care of people. Trust me, people know how to leave reviews on the Internet – it’s 2014.

QUALITY CREATES QUANTITY

PURPOSE BEFORE TECHNOLOGY Don’t focus on technology over purpose. If you focus only on technology, you’ll never focus on people. Your purpose isn’t a new website or SEO or lead generation. Your purpose should be growing your business and talking to more people who want to buy or sell a home. Your clients aren’t going to thank the ads you run for them or the website you built; they’re going to thank you.

This is one of my favorite principles. By focusing on quality, you create quantity. If you keep working people in a vanilla way, you’ll keep getting vanilla results. So take back people skills. Care the most. Put your phone on airplane mode during every showing with your buyer, every meeting and every interaction. Imagine the lifetime value of a real estate client if they have a quality experience.

ABOVE THE RE/MA X MAGAZINE • FALL 2014

Q&A

People can Google the heck out of whatever questions they have, but clients really appreciate having an agent who’s steady, knowledgeable and able to provide answers.” – AMY JUREK

Q: How do you meet clients’ needs during a long-distance transaction?

All the Right Moves RELOCATING CLIENTS ARE LUCKY TO HAVE AMY JUREK BY THEIR SIDE BY AMY REININK

FTER SPENDING YEARS WORKING AS A CORPORATE recruiter, Amy Jurek became a real estate agent and, in 2005, joined RE/MAX Advantage Plus in Savage, Minn. To drum up her first real estate clients, Jurek went with what she knew and called on her prior experience. She began courting corporations in the Twin Cities for their relocation referrals. Less than a decade later, Jurek is a top relocation agent and a member of the Platinum Club and RE/MAX Hall of Fame. She shares her insights on working with relocation clients.

Q: How did you find your first clients? A: I called a lot of companies to introduce myself, explain what I do and outline my relocation experience. I told my contacts that I’d welcome their business if they were ever willing to send a relocating employee my way. It was old-school prospecting – nothing fancy.

If a corporation has assigned me a transferee to work with, the more I can update that transferee about where we are in the process, the better. I don’t send an email every day, but I send an update with clear and specific bullet points every time there’s news to report. I also communicate regularly with the company and let them know if I see any red flags.

Q: What’s the relocation agent’s key role? A: I read a statistic once that a corporate relocation is one of the top five stressful events someone can go through in life. When relocating clients pick up the phone to call me, I’m among 15 different vendors they’re talking to that day, from the moving company rep to the loan officer to their new boss. They’re not sure about the community, the schools, the commuting times, the weather. People can Google the heck out of whatever questions they have, but clients really appreciate having an agent who’s steady, knowledgeable and able to provide answers. If you can be that person, you’ll win hearts and get referrals.

Q: What’s unique about relocating versus making a local move?

A: I’ll have a corporate recruit come in on Thursday for an interview, and then I’ll spend all day Friday and Saturday showing him homes before he leaves on Sunday. When that happens, you have to push the rest of your business, not to mention your social and family life, aside. You have to work with people’s travel and work schedules. But it’s very rewarding. Most of the people I work with are highly educated clients who need a value-added Realtor. If you can step up to the plate and deliver that, it’s a great industry. REMA X .COM/ABOVE • FALL 2014

Enjoy the benefits of working together

Strategic alliances can strengthen your position in the marketplace Take advantage of special Bank of America® relationships that provide marketing, promotional and space-rental service agreements to increase your visibility with new and existing customers. The Bank of America fulfillment oversight team for RE/MAX operates with the goal of closing every loan on time Our dedicated team monitors RE/MAX files in progress, allocates resources to help you avoid delays and helps keep your clients’ loans on track. Electronic payment processing solutions can help Broker/Owners streamline office operations Transaction fees are competitively priced, and funds are available as soon as the next business day1 with detailed transaction reporting. Bank of America at Work® Program – bankatwork.bankofamerica.com/remax Find out about the special checking account incentives, auto loan rate discounts, and access to retirement and education strategies. To learn more, connect with Russ Foster at 1.303.917.6937 or russell.j.foster@bankofamerica.com, or visit the Bank of America Agent Resource Center at bankofamerica.com/agentresources

After deposit of transactions. Must have a Bank of America Business Checking account. Exceptions may apply. Valid only on Visa,® MasterCard® and Discover® transactions. This material is solely intended as education and training documentation for real estate professionals and is not intended for consumer use or distribution. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Bank of America at Work, Bank of America Home Loans and the Bank of America logo are registered trademarks of Bank of America Corporation. Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. ©2014 Bank of America Corporation. AD-03-14-0426 ARWGX5T9 03-2014

There are many ways the long-standing relationship between Bank of America and RE/MAX® is beneficial to your business. Here are just a few examples of how working together, we can be even stronger.

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N N I N A G P S ERATIO N N S E G THE

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CLIENTS AND THEIR NEEDS IS ESSENTIAL TO ACHIEVING THE BEST RESULTS FOR THEM

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BY AMY REININK

READING AND REACTING TO GENERATIONAL PREFERENCES

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ach generation of buyers and sellers tends to have distinctive needs, priorities and communication styles. By tailoring your approach to consider these generational distinctions – along with each individual’s expressed desires – you’ll reinforce that you’re the right agent to best meet any clients’ needs. The four top performers featured on the following pages have all found success, in large part, by following this strategy. They offer tips on how you can do the same. REMA X .COM/ABOVE • FALL 2014

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Call them, maybe.. Gen Y and Gen X do appreciate text messages. But that doesn’t mean calls go out the window. I still like to pick up the phone and have a discussion at various points throughout a transaction. It’s difficult to respond appropriately to a complicated question via text message.

COMMUNICATE WISELY

Adjust your pace..

KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME TO TEXT AND WHEN IT’S BETTER TO GO BELLY-TO-BELLY.

BRENT BRNADA

RENT BRNADA SAYS A successful communications strategy needs to go far beyond knowing that younger clients favor text messages while older clients appreciate in-person meetings. Brnada, who’s been with RE/MAX since 2007, says an agent should consider a client’s generation, personal preferences, transaction timeline and goals in order to choose the right platform for every interaction.

THROUGH THE AGES

While every client deserves a personalized approach, there are some broad considerations to take into account when beginning any transaction. Here are some key differentiators to keep in mind:*

RE/MAX EXCELLENCE EDMONTON, ALBERTA

BRNADA’S ADVICE FOR TAILORING COMMUNICATION TO EVERY GENERATION:

I try to create a sense of mutual understanding during my first meeting with a client, which is always a sitdown in my office or at a coffee shop. At that point, I simply ask: How do you like to communicate?

AGES: 50 TO 68

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Don’t assume. high-tech is better..

Just ask..

BABY BOOMERS

When I first started, I was surprised to find how many seniors and older adults prefer communication via email. They’re happy to get an email from you. But understand that they may not have the smartphones that your younger clients do, and may not see or respond to your email until they sit down at their desktop computer. On the flip side, understand that younger clients expect a much faster pace of communication.

Social media is great, and I’m happy to say that Gen Y and Gen X friends refer me on a regular basis because of our digital connections. But I do find direct-mail marketing to be very effective across all generations.

MOTIVATED BY: • Desire to live closer to friends and family

KEY PREFERENCES:

• Affordable home and neighborhood

• Strong followthrough once the communication course is set

• Finding a 20+ year home

• Face-to-face or email communication

• Advice and reassurance throughout the process

LOOKING FOR: • Freedom to travel and remain active • Downsized home • Less maintenance • Turnkey properties *Source: NAR Research Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends

THINK AHEAD

CREATE A POSITIVE TRANSACTION IN THE PRESENT BY ALWAYS CONSIDERING THE CLIENT’S NEXT STEP.

SILENT GENERATION

AGES: 69 AND OLDER

ISA ROBERTS HAS GLEANED plenty of wisdom from working with buyers of all ages, even though she’s a relative newcomer to the business. Already a 100 Percent Club member, Roberts credits her success in part to looking ahead on her clients’ behalf, no matter their generation.

MOTIVATED BY: • Convenient shopping and amenities • Proximity to family and friends • Continuing to live independently

See renters as future homeowners.. I handled more than 80 rentals in my first year in business. I found that Millennial renters were excited to start the home-buying process after they engaged with an agent they trusted. As soon as I’d get someone into a rental, I’d start preparing them to buy by connecting them with a couple of different lenders I work with, and by educating them about the process. Not only have a lot of those rental clients become homebuyers – they’ve recommended me to their friends, family and co-workers.

Consider lifestyle and goals. For Gen X and Gen Y buyers, I keep one crucial concern in mind: a property’s investment potential. For example, I recently viewed a property with a young client who found that the property fulfilled all of his present needs but wasn’t a good investment because of a flaw in the patio roof. I knew that for my client, because investment potential was important, this wasn’t the right property for him and his goals.

KEY PREFERENCES: • Face-to-face interactions

LISA ROBERTS

RE/MAX EXCALIBUR REALTY SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.

Put newbies at ease.. I try to quell younger clients’ fears by thinking one step ahead. I explain anxietyinducing steps in the process before they even think to get anxious.

Deliver on expectations.. When working with older seniors, it’s vital to keep in mind that this may be the last home they’ll purchase. That makes it especially important to find out exactly what they want in a property, and to make sure you show these clients only properties that fit the bill – or they might move on to another Realtor.

• Living closer to friends and family • Turnkey properties LOOKING FOR: • Downsized home or condominium • Little to no maintenance or upkeep • First-floor master bedroom, ranch or townhouse • Independent living *Source: NAR Research Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends

REMA X .COM/ABOVE • FALL 2014

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FINE-TUNE YOUR APPROACH QUICKLY ZERO IN ON THE RIGHT PROPERTY.

Q: HOW ARE MILLENNIALS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER GENERATIONS OF FIRST-TIME BUYERS YOU’VE WORKED WITH?

A: The speed with which Gen Y interacts is kind of fantastic. You send them an email with a question, and they’ll answer within minutes. Of course, that also means that when they send you an email, they want a response back minutes later.

Q: WHAT KINDS OF PROPERTIES ARE

ATTRACTIVE TO GEN Y AND GEN X BUYERS?

EFFREY CRAIG HAS WORKED with Millennials and Gen Xers emerging on the home-buying scene, as well as Baby Boomers following the downsizing trend. The Chairman’s Club member and RE/MAX Hall of Famer offers the following tips for successful transactions with all groups.

Q: WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES YOU SEE AMONG THE GENERATIONS?

A: Older clients want to be

A: When I first got into real estate, it seemed like more people were willing to take a house that needed some work. Now, everyone wants a house that’s ready to go. Recently, I showed a house that met all of my client’s needs, but he said, “No, I can’t do it – I hate the carpet and paint.”

Q: WHAT KINDS OF PROPERTIES ARE ATTRACTIVE TO BOOMERS AND THE SILENT GENERATION RIGHT NOW?

A: Downsizers want what they want. They’re more concerned with accommodations than with price. For obvious reasons, they’re going for that first-floor master bedroom, ranch house or townhouse. They don’t want stairs or yard maintenance.

face-to-face. It’s important that you go to their house and review everything in front of them. Young consumers don’t want that. They’re not interested in seeing you; they want to take care of everything electronically.

GEN X AND MILLENNIALS (GEN Y) AGES: 35 TO 49 (GEN X); 19 TO 34 (MILLENIALS) MOTIVATED BY: • Desire to own a home • Real estate as sound financial investment • Family and room to grow KEY PREFERENCES: • Digital communication • Ultra-fast responsiveness • Informed Internet research prior to contacting agent LOOKING FOR: • Starter home or otherwise upsizing to 10+ year home • High-quality neighborhood that’s convenient to work • Updated appliances and amenities • Agent to help them understand the process

JEFFREY CRAIG

RE/MAX ACTION REALTY MAPLE GLEN, PA.

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*Source: NAR Research Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends

BE A TRUSTED GUIDE

PUT SENSITIVITY AND ATTENTIVENESS AHEAD OF YOUR EXPERTISE.

USAN MADISON HAS spent nearly three decades in real estate, and her Lifetime Achievement Award is a key indicator of her knowledge and skills. Madison, who’s earned the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation, says Associates can win the hearts of Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation by realizing these clients sometimes need just as much guidance as younger buyers. The Platinum Club member offers tips for being attentive and sensitive to their situations, as well as the situations of all buyers.

Help cut through information overload. Younger people come armed with all sorts of information that wasn’t available in the past. But no matter how much information is available, consumers still need a good Realtor to interpret what they’ve read. To keep the details from overwhelming your clients, start by verifying or clarifying the information they’ve gathered on their own and provide pertinent and streamlined details from there.

Stage homes for Millennial preferences. Young people want homes that are move-in ready. I encourage Baby Boomers who are looking to sell their homes to get new appliances, paint their walls a neutral color and expose hardwood floors that may have been hidden under carpet for

Don’t assume they don’t need help.

SUSAN MADISON

RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS SPRINGFIELD, ILL.

30-plus years. Those appliances don’t have to be top-of-the-line, but they do need to be stainless steel. People say, “But I have white cabinets – doesn’t that look better with white appliances?” I say, “Trust me, they want stainless.”

Assist in building an active future. Previous generations stayed in their homes until they were forced, for one reason or another, to leave. Boomers are more active and proactive, and they’re freeing up time and money by downsizing to places with less maintenance. This enables them to better enjoy their retirement, whether they stay close to home or make more time for traveling.

A transaction you’re handling for a Baby Boomer probably isn’t the client’s first, and your older clients likely know they’re going to have to get rid of some things if they’re downsizing. But if Baby Boomers are moving from the home they’ve lived in for 40 years and raised their children in, they still need help with some big decisions during an emotional time. Sometimes, that’s as simple as connecting them with a relocation specialist at the active-retirement community they’re moving to or finding a trash-hauling service to help them avoid trips to the dump. Other times, it’s being a sounding board to their decisionmaking process.

Do what they want, not what you want. It’s important to really listen to what people are saying and to hear the undercurrents running beneath their words. We’re conditioned to assume that sellers want to get their house sold for as much money as possible. But if we assume that, we may miss where someone says: “I just want the home to go away. I don’t want to fight for every last $1,000 in a negotiation.” If clients say they want the transaction to be as easy as possible, then listen.

REMA X .COM/ABOVE • FALL 2014

BY REBECCA L. OLGEIRSON

ABOVE THE RE/MA X MAGAZINE • FALL 2014

PHOTOS BY (FROM LEFT): CHANEL PARROTT APSEY, KELLY MACDONALD AND JEFF NELSON

FOR THESE THREE TOP PRODUCERS, TIME AWAY ONLY SOLIDIFIED THE RE/MAX ADVANTAGE AND THE DECISION TO REALIGN WITH THE NO. 1 BRAND

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Back Where He Belongs

ATRICK WILKINS WAS THE NO. 1 and was given a miracle combination of individual producer in the entire drugs that had him pain-free in 24 hours. RE/MAX network in 2005 and a Now he’s cancer-free. perennial Top 10 star for multiple years The health scare changed his perspecbefore and after. But following a lifetive on business and on RE/MAX. threatening bout with “I missed RE/MAX. I was cancer and a change here for 18 years, and it BRAND in Broker/Owners, the was a tremendously sucADVANTAGES 18-year RE/MAX veteran cessful and satisfying time,” moved to Keller Williams Wilkins says. Network of in 2010. He also saw similarities like-minded “After you’ve seen your professionals between his illness and maker, you make decisions the health crisis of Unlimited differently,” Wilkins says of Dave Liniger, who opportunity for his mindset at the time of chronicled his story productivity the change. in the 2013 New News of Wilkins’ move Recognition York Times bestof success shocked the real estate seller My Next community throughout Step. Wilkins South Florida. RE/MAX reached out to Affiliates were amazed Wilkins would leave the RE/MAX Chairman and the Balloon behind. Co-Founder and was able “It was a real blow to us all,” says to spend some time with RE/MAX Affinity Plus Broker/Owner him in Denver. Debra Meredith-Peters, who owns several “Dave and I connected RE/MAX brokerages in that part of the state, over our health issues,” along with partner Rocky Farhat. “You don’t Wilkins says. “Our talk want the brand to lose its top guy.” solidified my decision That guy became even more relevant to return.” to Meredith-Peters and Farhat when they Reinvigorated and back purchased Wilkins’ former RE/MAX brokerup to full speed, Wilkins age on Marco Island. And during a visit joined Meredith-Peters with Wilkins, Meredith-Peters realized just and Farhat at RE/MAX how meaningful the star’s connection to Affinity Plus in September. RE/MAX still was. His office was filled with He now has eyes on a prize the RE/MAX awards he had earned. that didn’t exist when he “Patrick is a RE/MAX legend, and I told departed – the Luminary of Distinction Award, which honors superstars who earn more than $20 million during a RE/MAX career of 20 years or more. him right there, ‘You need to be back Meredith-Peters is betting on where you belong,’” Meredith-Peters says. Wilkins earning it. “There’s no Wilkins’ return, however, took some question in my mind that he’ll time. During his four years at Keller Wilget there. He’s back where he liams, his cancer returned with a venought to be – and ready to kick geance. He was eligible for a clinical trial some butt.”

PHOTO BY KELLY MACDONALD

“I was here for 18 years, and it was a tremendously successful and satisfying time.”

Patrick Wilkins

RE/MAX AFFINITY PLUS MARCO ISLAND, FLA.

REMA X .COM/ABOVE • FALL 2014

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Nothing Beats the Buzz

“I let the brand work for me.”

Lana Cordier Shelton RE/MAX UPTOWN DENVER, COLO.

ABOVE THE RE/MA X MAGAZINE • FALL 2014

PHOTO BY JEFF NELSON

OR LANA CORDIER SHELTON, Dedicated to the details, Shelmoving to a new market and ton excelled in her new career. Jeff leaving RE/MAX meant startAngell, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX ing from scratch – including joining Properties of the Summit in Breckena new brokerage. But Shelton soon ridge, Colo., took notice. He recruited discovered there’s no substitute for her in 2006, and Shelton found the the buzz that comes from an office brokerage was a perfect fit. filled with like-minded pros. “It was an office of top producers; “At RE/MAX, I would everyone was committed to being text with another the best,” she says. “I was the youngAssociate at 5:30 est agent, but just being in that in the morning environment and around that work to talk about ethic was perfect for me.” our goals,” That is, until the market tanked Shelton says. again. That’s when Shelton, the “Let me tell you, mother of a school-aged son at that not every office is like point, decided to relocate to Denver that. I missed it when I in 2012. New to the area, she landed relocated.” at a boutique brokerage headed by Shelton began her career a managing broker she connected at a title company in a Colorado ski with immediately. Although this town. She quickly person generously moved through the shared her experBRAND ranks of escrow, tise, Shelton soon ADVANTAGES and learned all the discovered she was details of closing. missing something: Network of When Intrawest motivated top that buzz. producers Resorts readied its “I missed the plans for a massive camaraderie,” she Office new development says, “and being camaraderie in Copper Mountain, with other agents all a ski resort in the The RE/MAX feeding off of each brand’s global mountains west other – I missed cache of Denver, being around people the company looking for profesbrought sional development.” Shelton on as their contract Enter Natasha Korobeynikov of coordinator. RE/MAX Uptown, who recruited “I joke that I started at the Shelton last February. With nearly 20 end – with closings,” Shelton closed sales in the few months Shelsays. But she learned the ton’s been back, she has already outbusiness – contracts, transacproduced both years she spent at the tions, marketing. She also boutique firm. A member of the 100 learned what to do when a Percent Club, she’s also developing market tanks, as it did in 2001, which her own team and taking advantage led to her being laid off in 2003. of all the RE/MAX tools she missed “I took what I’d learned and during those years away. started my own real estate busi“I let the brand work for me,” ness,” she says. she says.

The Right Kind of Change

OR CINDY ECKOLS, CHANGE a personal one, although she left on is a good thing. Even when good terms. it comes to changing real When Berkshire Hathaway purestate offices. chased Prudential, Eckols learned how “I think it’s like coloring your hair,” much her clients wanted her to be Eckols says. “You switch colors a few with a well-known brokerage. No one times and then you had heard of Berkgo back to the one shire, she says, and BRAND that suits you best. they were skeptical ADVANTAGES Change is good – of the lack of name that’s how you grow recognition. It was Unmatched as a professional.” brand the perfect time to awareness Eckols, a forchange to RE/MAX. mer schoolteacher, “It was like I never Supportive ultimately chose to left,” Eckols says. “I office follow in her Realtor environment was greeted with mother’s footsteps, open arms and Teamand the payoff has friendship. You oriented been substantial. always think the atmosphere She hit $5 million in grass is greener, sales in her first year. but now I know The year after that, it’s red, white she started showing land, a deciand blue. It’s always RE/MAX.” sion that led her to develop a 28-lot Ultimately, it’s that supportsubdivision. Some 20 years later, ive office environment that her early commitment to results has the 100 Percent Club member helped Eckols become a leader in missed most – from starting her county and meetings with the Pledge of hometown. Allegiance to ringing a bell to A lifelong celebrate a sale. resident of the “I didn’t realize how much I Bloomington, missed that bell,” Eckols says. Ill., area, Eckols Eckols is very happy to be first joined back with RE/MAX, especially RE/MAX Choice now that daughter Cally has five years ago, joined her team. drawn by the “We put in long RE/MAX brand. hours,” Eckols says. “It was a wonderful office filled “Seeing friendly faces with great, hardworking people,” in the office and she says. When she decided to spending time with leave for a competing Prudential people who inspire office, Eckols says the decision was us is a big plus.”

PHOTO BY CHANEL PARROTT APSEY

“You always think the grass is greener, but now I know it’s red, white and blue.”

GO ONLINE

Cindy Eckols RE/MAX CHOICE BLOOMINGTON, ILL.

Visit remax.com/above for more stories from Associates who’ve returned to RE/MAX.

REMA X .COM/ABOVE • FALL 2014

GAME CHANGERS

RU: What’s In It for You HERE’S WHAT TWO DECADES OF INDUSTRY-LEADING EDUCATION LOOKS LIKE – AND HOW YOU CAN GET THE MOST OUT OF IT

SPOTLIGHT ON RU TRAX Step-by-step eLearning coursework is both interactive and personalized with RU Trax. Pick the tracks that interest you and start learning both online and off. Here are three great options: Intro to eLearning It’s the future of online learning! Understand what it means for you. Online Marketing: Create Your Foundation Discover the RE/MAX tools that can help you master the five components of online marketing.

For details on all these learning opportunities and more, visit remaxuniversity.com.

Business Planning: Navigating the Road to Wealth Create a business plan based on personal goals and desired income.

5 TIPS

FOR MAXIMIZING eLEARNING 1. Schedule time in your calendar to “attend” your online learning courses, just like you would for live sessions. 2. Confirm the technical requirements of the course prior to starting. 3. Reduce distractions and interruptions in order to focus on your learning. 4. Participate in the online and offline exercises.

ANNIVERSARY 26

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5. Be persistent and motivated in your quest for knowledge.

GAME CHANGERS

Easy, Free Marketing! WHAT?! YEP, IT’S RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE IN THE RE/MAX DESIGN CENTER

Stop paying extra for your marketing materials. The RE/MAX Design Center provides access to thousands of professional, customizable templates for print, online, video and digital marketing – and you have full access. The designs are instantly branded with your photo, logo and contact information, making the creation process super easy.

4 NEW NO-COST OPTIONS SINGLE PROPERTY WEBSITES

Present each of your listings with its own website, complete with map, video and local links. The sites look great on desktop and mobile devices, and make a real impression with your clients and potential buyers.

DIGITAL LISTING PRESENTATIONS Wow prospective clients with interactive, sleek presentations displayed on your tablet. There’s a general listing presentation and one for The RE/MAX Collection. You can swipe through sections on area comps, expertise you offer, property information, testimonials and more. Both presentations can be shared digitally via email and saved as a web app on clients’ tablets.

3 VIDEO HOME TOURS Making a video has never been easier. Upload your photos, select your music and post to YouTube or your website. Done and done.

MARKETING CAMPAIGNS Automatically send emails and postcards to your contact list. The content has already been created; add or change it to make it yours – and then fire away.

REMA X .COM/ABOVE • FALL 2014

GAME CHANGERS

The Main Event

THE ANNUAL RE/MAX COMMERCIAL WORLD SYMPOSIUM BROUGHT TOGETHER COMMERCIAL PRACTITIONERS FROM ACROSS THE NETWORK FOR ENERGIZING SESSIONS AND HIGH-POWERED NETWORKING BY BARBARA HALL AND DOROTA WRIGHT-O’NEILL

“T

TIER 1: Send an eGift. Make sure your email is personalized and not an obvious part of a list, he says. The message should read something like “I thought you would be interested in this article” – or whatever item you’re sending. TIER 2: Send a postcard. Lipsey advises sending a print product, such as a postcard, which carries its own impact. The Design Center offers many options branded for RE/MAX Commercial.

TIER 3: Make your sales call. Lipsey’s best advice? Get up early. “Decision makers are at their desks early,” he says. “There’s no gatekeeper at that time, and they answer their own phones.” The best scenario would be to call when they can access your website at the same time. You can walk them through it right there on the phone. Finally, stay a little later. The best returned calls happen after 5:30 p.m.

ABOVE THE RE/MA X MAGAZINE • FALL 2014

TIER 4: Follow up with direct mail and a call. “I don’t make a Tier 4 call unless I have sent something first,” Lipsey says. His best strategy is to send a recently published business book and shrinkwrap a business card with it. Then, he follows up with a phone call a few days later. “You’ve got to be very methodical,” he says. “If you blow a Tier 4 call, it can be a real setback.”

MIKE LIPSEY

I get referrals and team up on deals when I attend the Symposium. You can’t buy relationships like this anywhere.” – MATT PAGE, RE/MAX ASSOCIATES, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

PHOTOS BY MARC PISCOTTY (3)

here’s no room for cruise control in this business.” That message, articulated by speaker Mike Lipsey, was a prominent theme at the 2014 RE/MAX Commercial World Symposium in Denver. The seventh-annual event, held in September, contained a wealth of great insights. Lipsey, for instance, said “there’s a direct relationship between the number of calls you make and what you earn.” He recommends a four-tier system for contacting prospects.

N A

MO SSI MA O T

4 STRATEGIES TO DOMINATE

eal estate coach and featured speaker Rod Santomassimo had attendees fully engaged during his morning-long session. He recounted spending years analyzing the character traits of some of the most successful practitioners for his book Brokers Who Dominate – 8 Traits of Top Producers. Here are four of the eight top-producer traits:

1. DISCIPLINE

3. TEAM ORIENTATION

The most successful practitioners do certain activities every day – whether it’s prospecting or marketing – and don’t go home before the work’s done.

Delegating, sharing responsibilities and letting team members focus on their strengths are all crucial tasks, Santomassimo says. “That’s how you make a living and still have a life.”

2. CAREER NAVIGATION Top producers never make a move without asking themselves, “Where will I be in the next five years?”

4. ENTREPRENEURIAL DRIVE “Successful agents are passionate and find satisfaction in building something. Their career isn’t a job – and it doesn’t feel like work.”

I’m here because I want to compete for the high-profile commercial properties. I have the background, and now I want strategies and tools.” – RANGA PATHAK, RE/MAX GOLD, ROSEVILLE, CALIF.

Seen & Heard

HERE ARE MORE HIGHLIGHTS – PLUS INFORMATION YOU CAN USE: RE/MAX PRESIDENT VINNIE TRACEY SPOTLIGHTED the continued expansion of RE/MAX Commercial in North America and throughout the world, the potential growth opportunities of commercial real estate, and the signs of expected development in the industry. EMILY LINE of Realtors Property Resource (RPR) reminded attendees that RPR Commercial

provides comprehensive market data and is available to all registered NAR members. RE/MAX Hall of Famer MARK HULSEY, Commercial Division Managing Broker of RE/MAX Results in St. Paul, Minn., focused on the abundance of RE/MAX Commercial tools – from videos and marketing materials to Capital Trends reports and

educational opportunities. His main message: “You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. And if you want to grow, it’s essential you use the tools that were developed just for that purpose.” MATTHEW SMITH of RealNex gave an overview of the company’s suite of technology solutions for commercial practitioners, which includes the powerful REI Wise investmentanalysis software.

MORE WINNING TIPS

Rod Santomassimo also offered these great tips: • Maximize your time. “There’s nothing you can’t outsource. Ask yourself, ‘If what I’m doing right now isn’t making me money, then why am I doing it?’ People who make the most money manage their time better than anyone else.” • Develop a digital presence. “If you don’t have a blog, that’s a problem,” he says. “You have to be visible, and it’s not that hard to do. I hired a college student to do my social media. She loves it, and it’s a bargain.” • Don’t be without a CRM. He says that in this day and age, a CRM (customer relationship management system) is an essential tool for successful practitioners.

GET ON TRACK! The RE/MAX R4 Commercial Real Estate Track, that is. MARCH 2-5, 2015 Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino

REMA X .COM/ABOVE • FALL 2014

WINNING COMBINATION ASSOCIATE TERRIE COX, AT HOME IN VANCOUVER, WASH., SUPPLEMENTS HER SUBSTANTIAL EXPERIENCE WITH MULTIPLE DESIGNATIONS TO STAY AHEAD OF THE MARKET.

ABOVE THE RE/MA X MAGAZINE • FALL 2014

IMPROVEMENTS Top marketer Terrie Cox has a clear vision for every luxury listing she accepts – and the drive to see it through BY AMY MILSHTEIN | PHOTOS BY LEAH NASH

“IT ALWAYS CRACKS ME UP THAT

little old Vancouver, Wash., shows up on the Top 100 list,” says Terrie Cox of her No. 57 ranking among the Top 100 RE/MAX Individual Residential Agents in the United States. She’s also the No. 1 Individual Residential Agent in the RE/MAX Pacific Northwest. But don’t be fooled. Vancouver, the southern Washington city across the Columbia River from Portland, Ore., and where the median listing price is around $234,900, didn’t just “show up” on that list. It’s been hoisted there by Cox’s resolve, her love of hard work and her unrelenting refusal to accept the word “no.” “Life is an objection; overcome it,” she says. “If someone says ‘no’ to me, I always ask, ‘Why?’ so that I’m able to resolve it.” That tenacious pluck was apparent early in Cox’s life. She left home at age 18, moving from her small hometown on the coast of Southern Oregon to the “big city” of Eugene. She had no car and just $40 in her pocket. “I talked my landlord into giving me my first month’s rent free,” she recalls. Cox worked multiple jobs seven days a week, including waiting tables, modeling and working as a secretary. She’s also sold lumber, advertising space and jewelry. She has an uncanny knack for turning unprofitable businesses around, and in the 1970s Cox started and subsequently sold a corporate recruiting business. How did she do it? “I worked 60 hours a week, living and breathing the business,” she says. She also realized that, regardless of the nature of the work, what she really enjoyed were the sales and interpersonal aspects. In the 1980s, she got her first taste of real estate, selling

and delivering manufactured homes. She earned her license in 1992 and quickly realized the RE/MAX philosophy matched her own. “I knew RE/MAX hired only top agents, and I knew that someday I would be one,” she says. Her success is undeniable. Her long list of recognitions includes the Chairman’s Club three years running and the RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement Award. “Everyone wants to be Terrie Cox,” RE/MAX Equity Group Broker/Manager Barbara Zimmerly says. “But they don’t understand the time, money and energy she puts into her business.” Cox values professional education and has the designations to prove it: Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, Certified Distressed Property Expert, e-PRO and Certified Residential Specialist, to name a few. “You can never have enough training,” she insists, “because the industry is always changing. What’s good this year will be different in 12 months.” But it’s the day-to-day interactions with clients and the thrill of the chase that fuel her success. “I need to be involved in the negotiations,” she says.

A TARGETED APPROACH Cox prefers to focus on luxury real estate, including niche properties like vineyards, bed and breakfasts and equestrian estates. “I maintain a huge database of contacts,” she says. When, and most importantly if, she takes a listing, she plots a customized plan for best marketing the individual property. Although Cox prizes her CLHMS designation, she realizes that it’s what you do with it that’s important. She relies heavily on marketing. Her targeted

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ASKING THE HARD QUESTIONS

approach might include a mix of tools such as customized Because Cox invests so much of herself, her websites, radio and television time and her resources into getting ads, email blasts and even each property sold, she takes only good-old print newspaper ads. about one out of every four listings “I’ll spend anywhere between $5,000 that come her way. She is also not and $30,000 on a single property,” she shy about speaking the hard truths. says. “I’m no discounter.” “We need to talk about objections Her efforts and investments tend to and obstacles up front,” she says pay off. A recent $3 million listing in about clients who want to overprice Battle Ground, Wash., for example, their home or don’t see the limitations sold in just 21 days. Of course, that’s of their property. no happy accident. Cox laid out her groundSelf-reflective by nature and with a work before she took the home, mapping out strong inner coach, Cox is constantly turnmarketing schemes in advance so, when she ing a critical eye to her own practices and MOBILE finally accepted the property, it would have perceptions. It allows her to remain flexible ADVERTISING maximum impact. and ride the ups and downs of the market, THE LICENSE “I sort potential buyers into groups and PLATES ON she says. For example, she managed to stay COX’S TWO CARS market to the people I think will be seriously successful during the downturn by analyzing SPELL OUT THE interested,” she says. the market and changing her tactics. ELEMENTS OF HER Last May she logged a personal record of SUCCESS. “I became a short sale expert,” she says of $13 million in sold and pending properties for her CDPE designation. Still, she admits that the month. those times were tough. “I had to borrow But Cox doesn’t do it alone. She has a staff money a few months to make payroll, but I of three full-time employees and three part-timers. was not about to let anyone go.” They manage transactions, paperwork and buyer Cox doesn’t recommend young Realtors try right databases; set appointments; coordinate with the out of the gate to replicate what she’s built. marketing department that schedules and designs “Join up with an established agent first,” she says. their ads; and more. She considers them all to be fam“Model others’ good work ethics and take advantage ily, she says, and is always challenging them to excel. of training opportunities.” “When my marketing department sees me coming Of course, much of what makes Cox successful – with a new idea, they make crosses with their fingers such as her tenacity, drive and discriminating eye for and say, ‘Back, back,’” Cox says with a laugh. “But detail – can’t be taught. that’s why people come to me. I don’t just put a listing “Terrie just looks at a property and instinctively on the MLS and call it done.” knows what it needs,” Zimmerly says. “Maintaining all of those databases takes a lot of Through Terrie Cox Home Concepts, Cox stages effort,” admits Zimmerly, a regular witness to Cox’s newly constructed homes and helps builders with demanding work style. “We work remotely and she designing and decorating. Cox first honed those skills has very exacting systems in place. Nothing ever falls while working as a builder in the ’90s. through the cracks, and the way she tracks her busiEvidence of her talents also can be seen in her own ness makes it easy for an assistant or colleague to well-appointed residence – a 3,500-square-foot home pick up a file and know precisely what’s going on.” she shares with her dog, a surprisingly large Shih Tzu And that’s by design. named Cooper. Set just 50 feet from the Columbia “If I’m dead and gone tomorrow, the business River, the home serves as both an oasis of calm and a should go on,” Cox says, smiling. connection to her community. She keeps a binder full of information on every In fact, Cox is looking forward to a weeklong retreat client and every property. She tracks every conversain Hawaii with members of her neighborhood book tion, every showing, all of the marketing data and how club. There, she will do nothing but sit on the beach, many views the property is receiving. read and unwind – or at least that’s the plan. “I even keep files on properties I don’t take just to “I don’t believe it,” Zimmerly says with a knowing see how they did.” grin. “She’s never completely out of the loop.”

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“Life is an objection; overcome it. If someone says ‘no’ to me, I always ask, ‘Why?’ so that I’m able to resolve it?’” – TERRIE COX

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

DYNAMIC AND SUCCESSORIENTED, TERRIE COX OFFERS SOME INSIGHTS INTO WHAT KEEPS HER BUSINESS ON TOP.

✣ DAILY COMMITMENT Cox’s personal mantra: “Success is never owned. It’s rented, and the rent is due every day.”

✣ JUDICIOUS DECISIONS Cox accepts only about 25 percent of the listings offered to her. Being selective ensures that her clients receive the maximum amount of service. “People come to me because of what I can do, but there’s only one of me and I don’t want to spread myself too thin,” she says.

✣ SYSTEMS ANALYSIS Each January, Cox takes a macro-level look at her company’s expenditures and decides what items need to be updated, tweaked or discarded. On Mondays, she drills down to the micro level and analyzes individual marketing strategies.

✣ NEVER COMPROMISE Weathering the real estate slump was hard for everyone, Cox included. But there was one area where she would not compromise. “I never, ever reduce commissions,” she says. “Discounting doesn’t solve any problems.”

✣ GIVING BACK Cox finds time in her schedule to support big charities like Susan G. Komen, and she prides herself on the personal touch. The former rodeo queen always has a kind word, a cup of coffee and undivided attention for everyone she meets. RUFF LIFE COX AND COOPER, HER SHIH TZU, ENJOY A STROLL CLOSE TO HOME.

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When someone’s got that much energy and tenacity, you know they’re going to be a success.” – GLEN MUIR, BRAD BONDY’S BROKER/OWNER

BRAD BONDY

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Personal

BRAD BONDY PRIDES HIMSELF ON HIS HANDS-ON APPROACH AND PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY WITH CLIENTS – SO HE’S FOUND WAYS TO KEEP THE “I” IN TEAM WHILE EXPANDING HIS BUSINESS BY DAVID WEEDMARK PHOTOS BY STEVE POMERLEAU

BORN AND RAISED ON A FAMILY FARM JUST A FEW MILES FROM AMHERSTBURG, Ontario, the site of his current office with RE/MAX Preferred Realty, Brad Bondy has worked in the region’s struggling automotive industry and at a local chemical plant. When his last employer followed many others in the Windsor area by closing up shop, a human resources rep reviewed Bondy’s career aptitude test and urged him to go into sales. Bondy heeded that advice shortly after his 40th birthday and became a Realtor – with RE/MAX. The local real estate market was still booming when he was studying for his license in 2006, but the bottom fell out just as he was launching his business. The Windsor-Essex market – once the automotive powerhouse of Canada – was crippled by the same economic fallout as Detroit, its neighbor across the river. Looking back, Bondy feels he was fortunate not to know any differently, and for his experience working in the automotive industry during a transitional period. “To me it was a great time,” Bondy says. “I was just happy to be working.” Glen Muir, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Preferred Realty, remembers those early days in Bondy’s career very well. Like many who work with him, Muir speaks with a certain degree of awe when describing Bondy’s work ethic and energy. “I never saw someone do as much prospecting as he does,” Muir says. “The way he reaches out to people is incredible. When someone’s got that much energy and tenacity, you know they’re going to be a success.” Bondy, a self-avowed sports nut, hits his share of home runs, but his game relies more on steady, consistent singles that help keep up his average. His average listing last year was $183,000, which mirrors the average forecasted for the Windsor-Essex region this year, the lowest in Ontario as projected by the 2014 Housing Outlook Report from RE/MAX in Canada. In neighboring London-St. Thomas, by comparison, the average 2014 sale price is projected to be $250,000. In Kitchener-Waterloo, it’s projected to be $330,000 and in Toronto it’s $550,000.

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To the clients, that home is their personal triumph, whatever it may cost. So I treat each person the same. You have to care about people first. The sales come after that.”

What Bondy lacks in big-ticket sales, he makes up for in volume, selling 220 homes last year. He attributes his success to friends and family, loyal clients and the same values his parents taught him on the family farm: hard work, honesty and treating people well. He doesn’t set personal sales goals, doesn’t rush to calculate his commission after a sale and doesn’t pay much mind to sales awards. When asked if he expects to win the Diamond Award this year, Bondy – normally a talkative man – is suddenly at a loss for words. “I know I’ve earned Chairman’s Club,” he says as he scans the many – BRAD BONDY plaques on his wall. He looks to Sales Associate Diane Schultz, his newest team member, for guidance. “What’s the Diamond again?” She reminds him and he says, “Yes, I’m on track for that.” Bondy seldom wears a suit and tie for work, preferring that his attire match his more informal, relaxed style of working with people. His sales philosophy is simply to work hard, greet everyone with a smile and let nothing distract him from what’s most important for his business – getting out and talking with people one on one.

EARNING CLIENTS’ APPROVAL Referrals have been a key component of Bondy’s success since day one. His very first listing was a $37,000 mobile-home property. He asked for referrals before his sign was even on the lawn. The clients put him in touch with a relative, which resulted in a $165,000 listing. Within a few weeks they gave him

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the name of another relative, which led to a third listing for $530,000. All three houses sold within three months. Bondy makes a point of contacting past clients three or four times a year to ask about their families, their new homes and how life is treating them in general. If he doesn’t see them at a community event or on the sidewalk, he calls them. Moreover, Bondy seldom walks away from a conversation without reminding the person that he’s always available to take on more business. He’s not badgering clients for referrals, he says, but rather keeping himself top-of-mind by asking them to simply mention his name if an opportunity arises – no matter how large or small. “I’m never too busy,” he says.

VALUING CONNECTIONS To maximize his time with current and prospective clients, Bondy relies on his assistant, Heather Harber, for most of the behind-the-scenes work, like tracking contracts, managing deadlines and taking photos. “He’d rather be developing relationships, which is where he really excels,” Harber says. “Clients love Brad. He’s very approachable and everyone knows they can call him anytime.”

TIME TO EXPAND? SIGNS YOU’RE READY TO BUILD A TEAM

Bondy has about 50 listings at any given time. It’s just about the right amount for maintaining his clientcentered focus. “I want to make sure everybody’s taken care of,” he explains. “I don’t care if they’re asking me for a $50,000 home or a $5 million home. To the clients, that home is their personal triumph, whatever it may cost. So I treat each person the same. You have to care about people first. The sales come after that.”

BUILDING A TEAM For someone who places so much emphasis on taking personal care of clients, it’s understandable that the decision to expand his business was a difficult one for Bondy. “I never wanted anything to do with a team,” he says. “I always wanted to take care of every single person’s needs myself. But at a certain point it wasn’t physically possible. People would refer me, refer me and refer me. I was so busy that the paperwork and setting up appointments was all-consuming – I had absolutely no life. It was time to make a change.” He began by hiring Harber five years ago. His mother, Betty Bondy, also comes in to work part time. He hired two other part-time employees who help him put up signs and make deliveries. Last October, Schultz joined the team to help work with clients, show homes and manage listings. It took three months of her persistently contacting him before Bondy agreed to team up. She would call and send text messages every couple of days, asking if he had made a decision

WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN’T GIVE EVERY CLIENT YOUR ALL. One person can’t do everything and still grow, and part of a growing business means that there will be more competition for your attention. Trusted team members can help keep up personal connections while keeping you in the loop. WHEN WARM LEADS GO COLD. Especially in today’s hyper-connected, always-on world, a timely response when a lead comes in can mean the difference between a new client and a missed opportunity. A team-based approach means that someone is always available to leap into action. WHEN YOUR FAMILY TIME HAPPENS VIA VIDEO CONFERENCE. When you start missing too many family events and other important activities, it’s time to think about bringing in some support. A successful business is important, but not at the expense of a satisfying work-life balance. WHEN YOUR BUSINESS PLAN WARRANTS THE DECISION. If you’re looking to take that next step, then you’re obviously doing something right already. Keep doing what you’re doing, but don’t forget to look ahead. A strong, well-supported team can help you get there.

yet – a tenaciousness Bondy admired. By the time they made the deal with a handshake, Bondy was certain Schultz had the business ethics and personal integrity he could count on. “A person’s values are the No. 1 priority for me,” he says. In the first several weeks, it did take Bondy and his clients some time to get used to the partnership. “Brad would ask me to help someone,” Schultz recalls, “and they’d say, ‘No, no. We want to work with Brad.’” Describing herself as Bondy’s assistant, rather than his partner, made it easier for clients to work with her. Bondy, however, needed daily encouragement to let go of the tasks he had always taken pride in doing himself. Schultz says the turning point was when Bondy and his wife, Luisa, were able to take a much-needed vacation. “When they came back, Brad could see I was able to hold down the fort,” Schultz says. “That was a big step.” Few people could keep up with Bondy’s work ethic or schedule. He usually gets up before 5:30 a.m., watches some sports with breakfast and is in the office by 7:30. And it’s not unusual for him to call or text his team members at 9 or 10 at night. “It’s a great living, but it’s not a nine-to-five job,” he says. With a good team assembled, Bondy can now take some occasional time off with the confidence that his clients won’t be neglected. He spends that time off with his family – Luisa and their daughters, Jessica and Sarah – whom Bondy says support him fully. “It’s not just about me,” Bondy says. “It’s about everybody around me. They make me successful.” ABOVE THE RE/MA X MAGAZINE • FALL 2014

DETROIT

NEW

HE YEAR 2008 MIGHT have been when the United States woke up to its real estate problem, but for Detroiters it was the year when everyone else started to feel what it was like to be them. Comments from homeowners in formerly bullish markets like California, Nevada and Florida began sounding an awful lot like the talk around Detroit. Boarded-up homes suddenly dotting the landscape? Welcome to the club. Abandoned homes had been such a persistent problem for so many years in

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Detroit (and still are) that the conversation had long turned to one of blight management: What’s the best way to tear down these homes since there’s no hope of ever filling them again? “Michigan imploded in 2007. We didn’t get that slow warning,” says Joe Kadaf, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Leading Edge – a brokerage with 48 Sales Associates based in Dearborn Heights, Mich., that covers Wayne County and includes Detroit. Detroit’s unemployment rate hit 25 percent in 2009, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But it’s not like things were great before

then. Its rate of 14.1 percent in 2007 was the worst of the country’s 50 largest cities; the cities with the next highest rates, Cleveland and Fresno, each had a rate of 8 percent. Michigan’s economy, as a whole, was lackluster throughout the first 10 years of this century. And although Detroit’s municipal bankruptcy garnered headlines last year as the biggest ever seen in the country, the makings of that event had been developing for decades. If anything, the bankruptcy was, for many, a welcome sign that something finally was being done to address the city’s problems.

HORIZONS

ALTHOUGH DETROIT HAS FAMOUSLY STRUGGLED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, INTREPID ENTREPRENEURS LIKE JOE KADAF AND ASSOCIATES AT RE/MAX LEADING EDGE ARE DOING SOLID, HIGH-VOLUME BUSINESS BY FINDING OPPORTUNITY WHERE OTHERS HAVE STOPPED LOOKING BY GARY ANGLEBRANDT | PHOTOS BY DAVID LEWINSKI

While the subprime mortgage crisis set other markets on fire, it was like adding accelerant to an already burning one in the Detroit area. “Southeast Michigan was the first to be obliterated. California and Florida were hit hard, but nobody got hit like Michigan,” says Kadaf, a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient who’s sold more than 10,000 properties since starting his career in 1998.

DIGGING IN TO DO THE WORK Another one of the city’s characteristics that’s picked up national headlines is its entrepreneurial spirit.

People who see opportunity in the once-in-a-generation conditions roll up their sleeves and think creatively, which is exactly what Kadaf has done. In fact, he purposely opened his RE/MAX franchise in the middle of 2008 to take advantage of the unusual market conditions as others fled the area. RE/MAX Leading Edge took an entirely different view of the market and how to approach it. Instead of the traditional model of gathering homes and listing them, it targeted three types of buyers: investors,

such as managers of real estate investment trusts; retirees looking for rental income; and first-time buyers willing to invest money and labor into their homes. Kadaf adjusted his sales pitch, pointing out that it isn’t every day that someone can buy a pre-war brick home for the same price as when it was built. At one point in the downturn, these homes were going for as little as $15,000 to $25,000. “We weren’t so much selling properties as selling an idea: Invest in real estate,” Kadaf says. “We knew that once the city rebounded and people

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BY THE NUMBERS

A PROBLEM OF VOLUME

Anyone looking for a striking piece of information that encapsulates Detroit’s real estate troubles doesn’t have to look very hard.

“We weren’t so much selling properties as selling an idea: Invest in real estate. We knew once the city rebounded and people saw the great value of living here, they were going to come back.”

27.6 PERCENT

Percentage of population decrease from 2000 to 2013

40,077

Number of listed foreclosures, with another 38,429 in shadow inventory

2,658

Number of homes sold for the minimum $500 bid at the annual county property tax foreclosure auction last year. Another 6,600 went unsold at that same price

– JOE KADAF

saw the great value of living here, they were going to come back.” But it meant working harder for tighter margins. The average commission fell 75 percent from pre-crisis levels. “In some areas of the country, agent commissions are more than my average sales price,” Kadaf says. So the brokerage relied on volume. RE/MAX Leading Edge matched buyers with inventory sitting on the books of banks, credit unions and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – “whoever had property to sell,” Kadaf says. “Remember, this was new to those sellers. They hadn’t seen this dramatic increase in inventory before.” It took some adjusting on the part of agents, too. They could no longer work on a handful of transactions at a time. They had to move inventory. “They went from showing buyers $200,000 homes to talking to investors. They dug in and got their hands dirty,” Kadaf says.

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JOE KADAF SHARES

4 WAYS TO STAY POSITIVE • Stay on top of the nuts-and-bolts management of the business.

“Nobody wants to drive to tough areas to check on boarded-up homes, with vagrants and drug dealers attempting to take over the neighborhood. But we did it. Five years later people are saying, ‘How did this office sell 16,000 properties?’ That’s how.” Sales Associate Diane Fenech says she’s seen a resurgence in people looking for starter homes. “Before the crash, buyers bought everything at topmarket,” Fenech says. “That was the home they planned MATCHMAKERS Chunk by chunk, the office chipped on living in for years. Now it’s JOE KADAF AND away at the glut of properties. RE/MAX more of a stepping stone to the ASSOCIATES AT RE/MAX Leading Edge has closed more than LEADING EDGE HELP home they want, and I haven’t BUYERS CAPITALIZE 16,000 transactions since opening. seen that since the early ’90s.” ON HISTORICALLY HIGH The past six years have been difficult Kadaf tells agents to pay atINVENTORY. and the market isn’t out of the weeds tention to every lead. Too many yet, says Sales Associate Jay Shank, who’s had to dismiss a lead too quickly, failing to see the bigger cut back on advertising spending. picture. “You never know whether the next call The volume approach has meant “more work is going to be a million-dollar call, and we’ve had for less money,” he says. “But you do what you those calls,” he says. “Some people bought 50 have to do to get through it.” properties at once.” Despite all the city’s been through, Kadaf says A SHIFT IN STRATEGY what just about everyone in Detroit says: The Word of Detroit’s unusual housing market city’s woes are overblown. spread overseas and buyers became curious “Nobody dropped an atomic bomb on Detroit,” about Wayne County. RE/MAX Leading Edge he says. “It’s still a thriving city. It still has resipicked up business with international investors, dents and they still need housing.” many from China, looking for a piece of the action. Foreclosures are drying up, and buyers and Like other business owners who saw their way sellers are starting to behave normally again. through the last seven years in Detroit, Kadaf says And now that RE/MAX Leading Edge has it came down to a willingness to work where others weathered the storm, the brokerage is wellwouldn’t bother or dare try. positioned with a long list of prospective cli“Many competitors walked away,” he says. ents who are ready for the next opportunity.

It’s important to mind the actual operations and strategy of the brokerage. Plans should be laid out and followed. “A lot of Realtors don’t focus on the day-to-day business. They walk in and say, ‘What do I do today?’ There’s no structure.”

• Think creatively about the business approach.

“Don’t do what everyone else tells you to do. I’m not asking you to reinvent the wheel, but find new avenues.”

• Look at trying times as laying groundwork for a market rebound.

Staying in the game during tough times means you’ll have developed valuable relationships with appreciative customers when the market comes back. “A lot of people bought those homes and are now sitting on a lot of equity. Some people are rich as a result of it.”

• Remember the community.

Kadaf has more than a few stories of helping people. One woman wanted to leave her home of 50 years because the neighborhood had become a drug-infested nightmare. The woman relocated to a newly fixed-up home – thanks to donations of time and money from RE/MAX Leading Edge, Home Depot and contractors.

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GREAT OFFICE

Aloha Spirit

the

BROKER/OWNER JOHN HARRIS AND THE RE/MAX HONOLULU TEAM HAVE PROVIDED A WARM WELCOME TO ISLAND LIVING FOR 20 YEARS AND COUNTING BY PAULA BENDER AND KATHARINE DAVIS | PHOTOS BY GREG YAMAMOTO

PARTY TIME RE/MAX HONOLULU RECENTLY CELEBRATED ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY WITH A GALA AT HONOLULU’S PACIFIC CLUB.

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FULL SPECTRUM

//MARKET SNAPSHOT//

OAHU, HAWAII

N A TREE-LINED STREET adjacent to Waikiki and its famed Ala Moana shopping center, and minutes from the lapping waves of the Pacific Ocean, sits the 20-agent flagship RE/MAX Honolulu office in Honolulu. Twenty-two miles away in Kapolei, on another tree-lined street – this is Hawaii after all – lies the second RE/MAX Honolulu office, home to an additional 23 Sales Associates. And it’s in this lush and idyllic land of vacation seekers, businesspeople, military members and island dwellers that Broker/Owner John Harris and his team have made it their mission to provide the best real estate service to all who inhabit it – or wish to. “We have a strong network of relationships in place and the intimate local knowledge to assist anyone looking to make a move,” Harris says. “We’re homegrown yet connected to more than 95 countries worldwide.” It takes a certain insight to understand what potential buyers and sellers are looking for when it comes to Hawaiian real estate. Luckily for their clients, the local-born Harris and his Associates know that a move to Hawaii comes with some special considerations, like avoiding a six-week pet quarantine, coordinating logistics from a remote location or simply adjusting expectations due to the higher cost of living. “The scarcity of land here drives up home prices and lowers the amount of interior square footage compared to much of Mainland U.S. To mitigate ‘sticker shock,’ our Associates remind new residents that it’s a give and take,” he says. “Most homes here don’t have basements, for instance, but they also don’t require furnaces. Or a formal dining room, for that matter, since most

POPULATION: 980,000 AVERAGE HOME SALES PRICE: $827,605 RE/MAX HONOLULU MARKET SHARE Despite representing slightly less than 1 percent of the Honolulu Board of Realtors, Associates at RE/MAX Honolulu closed more than their fair share of residential transactions on Oahu last year. In a market that has recently seen average single-family home

meals are enjoyed outside on the lanai in our beautiful, tropical weather.” Though the eight-island archipelago of Hawaii is one of the most isolated landmasses on Earth, it’s also home to an incredibly diverse population. Harris, recognizing the value of those ethnic and cultural differences, has built a staff of Associates that mirrors the diversity of the islands. “Just like visitors to the global. remax.com site appreciate seeing homes priced in their native currency, I believe having an array of professionals able to help our clients in their own language is very important,” he says. “We currently have 16 different languages and dialects represented by our 43 agents, who also understand subtleties with respect to negotiation, spiritual beliefs and other important factors.”

GROWTH TRAJECTORY Opened in 1994, RE/MAX Honolulu has been successful for the last 20 years in part because of its ideal locations but also, more importantly, because of its Associates’ strong work ethic and collaborative culture. That collaboration is strengthened by the fact that Associates, who sell properties all across the 597-square-mile island of Oahu, are able to use both office locations for client meetings.

prices reach a record high of $827,605, along with condominium average sale prices exceeding $410,000, inventory is still historically low. Currently, RE/MAX Honolulu is averaging 20 new listings per agent each month and 20 days on market.

“The spirit of abundance is alive and well here,” Harris says. “Our Associates are experienced, ethical people who aren’t afraid to share, and our model promotes professionalism.” Illustrating that point, Harris recounts – proudly – that one longtime agent shares his personal listing presentation with new Associates because it makes him sharper and invigorates him. “Our competitors outnumber us in agents by three to 10 times,” Harris says. “But, as with most RE/MAX brokerages, the high productivity of our Associates delivers greater results. In fact, RE/MAX Honolulu has consistently placed in the top three to five Oahu brokerages since 1997, its third full year in business.” Sales Associate Michele Taan, a 100 Percent Club member who joined the brokerage in 2008, credits a portion of her success to RE/MAX Honolulu allowing Associates to run their businesses with freedom – and without constraints. “RE/MAX lets you build your business around the brand,” Taan says. “The logo stands behind the agents, not in front of us.” Noting that Harris isn’t just a great Broker/Owner but also a friend and mentor, Taan says RE/MAX Honolulu offers support, education, marketing and opportunities competitors can’t match.

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FULL SPECTRUM

JOHN HARRIS

“One of the reasons I left my last brokerage for RE/MAX was that I like to help people through rough times,” she says. “It’s nice to be able to say to a friend, family member or someone going through a foreclosure that I have the flexibility to set their fee at my discretion.” Office Manager Michelle Reid, Director of People Operations for the RE/MAX Honolulu office in Kapolei, exudes the warm spirit that personifies the office’s sense of ohana, or family. She echoes Taan’s sentiment. “I worked for 15 years at another corporate real estate company on the island before joining RE/MAX Honolulu four years ago,” Reid says. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the differences between the companies.” Those differences, says the real estate veteran, include the fact that Associates are encouraged to pursue educational opportunities – ensuring they are current with legislation and zoning concerns, for example, and their licensing credentials. She also cites the brokerage’s unwavering, foundational approach to business as the key to thriving in any market, no matter the current conditions. “A Seth Godin quote comes to mind that I think expresses John’s philosophy quite well,” she says. “‘Change is not a threat; it’s an opportunity. Survival is not the goal; transformative success is.’”

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IN GOOD COMPANY Personable and friendly, Harris embodies the Aloha Spirit with a firm handshake, a warm smile and a sincerity that puts everyone he encounters at ease. It’s important to the gregarious and gracious Broker/Owner to not only meet the needs of his customer base, but also to extend that service-based attitude beyond the brokerage’s walls. “When you’re part of a community – especially on a small island like ours – it’s important to connect with people,” Harris says. “We try to be cognizant of our responsibility to give back.” RE/MAX Honolulu supports Susan G. Komen Hawaii, is a Miracle Office, and raised more than $1,200 for the local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals affiliate during the brokerage’s 20th anniversary gala in September. “If you forget who’s helped you get somewhere, you’re not going to stay there very long,” says Harris, who joined RE/MAX Honolulu in 1995 and became sole Broker/Owner in 2004. In a state where after three years with a real estate firm agents can earn their broker license and open up shop, Harris says about half of his Associates could go out on their own if they wanted to, but the value in networking with fellow agents and support staff

proves too appealing to give up. Manager Vincent Daubenspeck, who joined the brokerage in 2006, has certainly found this to be the case. “I joined RE/MAX Honolulu when I was eligible to take my brokers examination,” Daubenspeck says. “John welcomed me and allowed me to grow and try out my leadership wings. I appreciate his willingness and desire to have me on board, and will always be grateful for the opportunities he has offered me to grow my business as well as his. I can’t picture myself anywhere else.” Whether it’s across networks or across the desk, Harris asserts that investing in relationships, specifically professional ones, is the lifeblood of anyone’s business. “It’s lonely out there for an independent agent,” he says. “Our Associates create a synergy. They attend networking breakfasts, bond with other agents, work on transactions together, participate in training sessions, and even organize pau hana (after-hours cocktail parties).” Then, as if to summarize the secret to two decades of success, Harris confidently and succinctly reveals one of his favorite mantras – one he says empowers everyone at RE/MAX Honolulu: “Not everybody gets to work here.”

ABOVE & BEYOND

OUT of the ASHES A GREAT RESPONSE TO A TERRIBLE EVENT SETS A BRAZIL BROKERAGE ON A NEW COURSE BY DOROTA WRIGHT-O’NEILL

T’S A LESSON IN CRISIS management. Antonio Cresio Rodrigues Dos Reis watched his RE/MAX brokerage in the Brazilian city of Imperatriz go up in flames one day and the very next morning was on the phone to reassure clients that business was operating as usual. The August 2013 fire started at a gas station next door and consumed 17 cars before turning RE/MAX Unyca into ashy ruins. What could have brought lesser businessmen to their knees instead became a call to action for Rodrigues Dos Reis, along with Co-Owner Atenagoras Reis Batista and Regional Director of the master RE/MAX franchise of Maranhão Brazil, Sergio Fernandes. “From the beginning, we decided that our tone should be very positive when speaking to clients about the fire,” Rodrigues Dos Reis says. “We treated this as a temporary setback, not a tragedy.” The group quickly rented a temporary space while looking for a new permanent office site. Along with Recruiting Manager Carlos Perez and Office Manager Antonia Pacheco, they phoned clients, inviting them for coffee at the makeshift office to deliver a personal promise that RE/MAX Unyca

BACK IN BUSINESS THE RE/MAX UNYCA TEAM TOASTS THEIR NEW AND IMPROVED OFFICE.

services weren’t going to be affected by the fire. They didn’t lose a single client. Although business slowed for a couple of months after the blaze, the Sales Associates and Broker/Owners never gave up hope. Rodrigues Dos Reis and Reis Batista invested in a beautiful new office, unveiled that October at a grand re-opening party complete with a red carpet, champagne and coverage in a local magazine. The leaders’ vision of a strong business based on supporting the right team of Sales Associates is very much a reality today. The office has some of the region’s biggest producers and is ranked No. 2 out of 40 area brokerages.

The story could have had a very different ending. “We were still new at the time of the fire,” Rodrigues Dos Reis says. “The brokerage hadn’t fully taken off yet.” Perez adds that he learned an important lesson: “Plans can change, but your dreams don’t die. Nothing is impossible.” For him and everyone at RE/MAX Unyca, the very flames that spelled the end of one chapter signaled the beginning of another, better one.

REMA X .COM/ABOVE • FALL 2014

ABOVE & BEYOND

PITCHING IN FOURTH-GRADE STUDENTS IN A LOCAL “WASTE WARRIORS” CLUB LEND A HAND.

Community PRIDE TOP PRODUCER RHONDA NAVRATIL’S FOCUS ON CIVIC-ORIENTED EVENTS HELPS STRENGTHEN HER COMMUNITY – AND HER BUSINESS

HEN RHONDA NAVRATIL first envisioned a community recycling day, she didn’t imagine that the idea would take hold as firmly as it did. Navratil, a perennial Platinum Club producer with RE/MAX River City in Edmonton, Alberta, and a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, started by creating and placing a poster for the June event in the clubhouse at Summerside, a small lakeside community in Edmonton. Dubbed “Take Pride Summerside,” the event allowed community

ABOVE THE RE/MA X MAGAZINE • FALL 2014

members to bring trash, televisions, old stereos and other electronics for a feefree drop-off. “I first heard about this type of event at a marketing seminar a long time ago, and I’ve thought about doing it for years,” Navratil says. “I like to do things that are not so directly self-promotional and are more community-oriented – initiatives that really make an impact.” For example, on Canada Day, she places small Canadian flags in yards around the community of about 3,500 homes. “It paints the whole community

with the red and white flags blowing in the wind, and some people leave them up for weeks,” she says. The flags include a small sticker that reads: “Proud to be Canadian – compliments of Rhonda Navratil, RE/MAX River City.” “A lot of people express appreciation to me for helping make our area look like the most patriotic one in the whole city,” Navratil says. Navratil also sends out regular mailers advertising her listings, with something of general community interest on the flip side, such as information about

PHOTOS BY AMBER BRACKEN

BY BARBARA HALL

I like to do things that are not so directly self-promotional and are more community-oriented.” – RHONDA NAVRATIL

the local farmer’s market, a fall comNavratil’s costs were minimal. The munity celebration or a neighborhood city gave her a grant for renting and garage sale. dumping the waste bins, and she ap“If clients or community groups supproached local businesses about donatport me, then I should support them as ing prizes and food. well,” Navratil says. “I try to buy from “I was prepared to spend $1,000 vendors in my city. If a client has a or more on the event,” she says. “But business or effort I can get behind, I do ultimately the only real cost to me was that too. I feel a responsibility to give back to others who have helped me achieve the success I’ve attained.” Often her involvement resonates with others, helping to build momentum. As she was planning the recycling event, for example, a teacher from a local school noticed the Take Pride Summerside poster and contacted Navratil about helping out. The teacher’s fourth-grade class had recently started a “Waste Warriors” club, and the teacher volunteered the class’s efforts. It was a great fit. The kids and their families all volunteered. The teachers organized them in shifts, and by the end of the day the crew had filled two 40-cubic-foot bins with household waste and hard-torecycle items like gas barbecue grills, construction debris and old computers. Some people even brought one • Identify a need load, saw the size of the effort or underserved and went home to get more. segment within The school contacted a your community. company that recycles elec• Reach out to tronics, which brought its own potential partners who would also bins and collected batteries, benefit from keyboards and other small being involved. electronics to be broken down • Promote the and reused. The Salvation event through Army also brought a truck and advertising, local media outlets and parked it at the event. social media. “It grew to encompass much more than I’d originally envisioned,” Navratil says.

my time and printing some customized recycling bags, which we gave away.” Navratil plans to repeat the community-recycling day next year, along with other events. She and her assistant created a binder with information and checklists to help with planning. Navratil also leaves binders filled with community information inside her listed homes. “Many agents who show my homes who aren’t as familiar with the area as I am,” she says. “The binders really help promote the neighborhood and give potential buyers a sense of the community.” And events like Take Pride Summerside bolster that sense of community even more. GROUP EFFORT RHONDA NAVRATIL (LEFT) SAYS SUPPORT FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY – AND ESPECIALLY FROM AREA STUDENTS – HELPED MAKE THE RECYCLING EVENT A SUCCESS.

PLANNING A SUCCESSFUL EVENT

REMA X .COM/ABOVE • FALL 2014

JUST FOR FUN

Don’t Miss a Thing WIN TICKETS TO SEE STEVEN TYLER AT R4!

Register* for the 2015 RE/MAX R4 – using the promo code ABOVE – and you’ll be entered in a drawing for two tickets to Steven Tyler’s concert for RE/MAX on March 5. Sign up via the Events tab on Mainstreet. But hurry, the contest deadline is Dec. 31!

Prom o co ABOV de Enter E win w it to he regis n you ter fo r R4 on line!

QUIZ YOURSELF HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE R4 FUN NIGHT HEADLINER AND HIS LEGENDARY BAND AEROSMITH? 1. What is Steven Tyler’s nickname? A. The Freak of Shriek B. The Demon of Screamin’ C. The Jester 2. What was Aerosmith’s first Top 40 hit? A. “Lightning Strikes” B. “Dark Child” C. “Sweet Emotion” 3. In what song will you hear “Everybody’s got their dues in life to pay”? A. “Dream On” B. “Livin’ on the Edge” C. “Sick as a Dog” 4. What is Steven Tyler’s birth name? A. Stephen Sadbury B. Steven Tallarico C. Silas Beck 5. What is the title of Aerosmith’s latest album? A. Crazytown B. Rain on My Parade C. Music from Another Dimension! 6. When did Aerosmith release its first album? A. 1973 B. 1976 C. 1982 * Paid R4 base registration is required no later than Dec. 31, 2014, to be eligible for the drawing. If you purchase concert tickets at the time you register for R4, the ticket price will be refunded if your name is drawn for the prize. QUIZ ANSWERS: 1.B 2.C 3.A 4.B 5.C 6.A

ABOVE THE RE/MA X MAGAZINE • FALL 2014

BEAT THE CROWD TO FEEL THE RUSH 2015 R4 LAS VEGAS

March 3-6, 2015 Las Vegas, Nevada Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino

There are advantages to getting things done early. So, why wait? Register now to take advantage of R4 Early Bird rates! Visit the Events tab on Mainstreet. With networking, education, big-time speakers and mind-blowing entertainment, the 2015 RE/MAX R4 promises to reach a new level of awesome.

SEE YOU THERE! ÂŠ2014 RE/MAX, LLC. Each office independently owned and operated. 141052

THANK YOU. Pillar To Post Home Inspectors is celebrating our twentieth anniversary this year and our relationships with the real estate community lie at the very heart of our past, present and future. It is impossible to build a world-class company and brand without a meaningful connection between the company and its customers and to deliver on a brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s promises every day and every time. Our promise continues to be to provide you and your clients with an extraordinary level of professionalism and service in home inspection and to deserve the trust and loyalty you place in us. And as we celebrate this landmark in our business we look forward to working with you in the future, and to the responsibility and accountability we hold as the easiest to work with and finest home inspection company in North America. Thank you from all of us at Pillar To Post. Sincerely,

Dan Steward, CEO Pillar To Post

1-800-294-5591 pillartopost.com