Real Estate Magazine - Arizona Best Real Estate, Feb. 2019

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THE POWER OF INDEPENDENCE Why Arizona Best Stays Small to Win Big The Arizona Best Team (from left to right): Ashley Pickens, Charmayne MacIntyre, Leanne King, Patty Tracy, David MacIntyre, Laura Staver, Michelle O’Connell, Allison Rybarczyk and Christine Jurgens

– Page 76

Do you think outside of ‘outside the box’?

Call us to earn your spot.

JOIN THE RELENTLESS ©2019 Century 21 Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. CENTURY 21® and the CENTURY 21 Logo are registered service marks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC. Century 21 Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated.

Century21.com

This is home.

It’s a place called reputation.

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{Contents} February 2019/Vol. 35, No. 2 • www.rismedia.com

ON THE COVER 76 The Power of Independence Why Arizona Best Stays Small to Win Big Ask David MacIntyre to describe his company and he’ll proudly tell you, “We are not just another real estate firm; we are a family.” When he started Arizona Best Real Estate in 1987, MacIntyre’s plan was never to hire mass quantities of agents or open endless offices, but rather, to grow an independent firm and create an environment where real estate professionals could prosper in their careers and enjoy fulfillment in their personal lives. And more than 30 years later, MacIntyre is succeeding at doing just that. A leader in the local business community, the firm boasts an average agent tenure of 13 years, has held Ranking Arizona’s No. 1 spot in Corporate Relocation five years in a row, enjoys consistent award recognition from Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, and is more committed to remaining independent than ever. In this month’s cover story, MacIntyre shares why focusing on the individual agent is the best competitive advantage any broker—large or small—could have.

28

HIGHLIGHTS 26 7 Ways to Use Drone

Photography and Video to Sell a Home

Learn how to leverage drone photography and video to sell a home.

28 Global Spotlight: St. Maarten: A Luxury Hotspot Join us as we take a closer look at the current state of the St. Maarten market.

32 The Evolution of Agent Teams Here, we offer excerpts from the first volume of RISMedia’s Ultimate Real Estate Team Guide.

18

82 Amazon First, Now Google and Apple? How These Major Expansions Impact Real Estate Take a behind-the-scenes look at how big moves among the tech giants stand to affect the industry at large.

HEADLINERS 13 Policy Matters: What You Need to Know About FinCEN’s Ongoing AntiMoney Laundering Efforts

14 N AR Power Broker Roundtable: Our Most Important Clients: Helping Our Agents Grow Their Business

20 Executive Appointments 22 R EBAC Report: Mark Your Calendar!

Two Can’t-Miss Events for Brokers RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 3

84

39

72 M eet the 2019 Newsmakers: Alex Wang

75 B log Spot: How to Find the Perfect Neighborhood

88 W ebinar Recap: Win the Listing Every Time With These Tried-andTrue Strategies

FEATURES 46 S trategies: Home Partners of America; Homes.com; HSA Home Warranty; MoveEasy

51 Relationships Matter 55 W orld-Class Teams Training Meets World-Class Agents

60 Power Broker Perspectives: Marilyn Eiland, Mary Lynn Stone, Tim Milam

76 The Power of Independence 84 RISMedia’s Great Spaces 89 A sk the Experts: A Unique Home Inspection Opportunity

INTERVIEWS 80 L ynne Gewant, Coldwell Banker Beach and Resort

4 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

80 R andy Rector, HomeSmart

58 C hao Cheng-Shorland –

Evergreen Realty

81 M att Side, Realty ONE Group Eclipse

EXPERTS 25 D esirée Patno – The Future of Real Estate Investment: Opportunity Zones

30 W endy Forsythe – 3 Things That

Blockchain and Real Estate: A Game-Changing Combination

59 J oe Martinez – For the Love of Your Broker Brand

65 S herri Johnson – Sell Your Value First…Then Sell a House

67 D arryl Davis – The Dance That Makes a Difference

68 B uddy Stark – 3 Key Criteria for Evaluating a Home Inspection Company

Don’t Keep Me Up at Night

39 A dam Contos – The Sweet Spot of Advertising: When Broad Awareness Meets Micro-Targeting

41 J’aime Nowak – Consistency: The Secret to Creating Leads All Year Long

42 T om Davidson – Reverse Mentorships: Why Pairing Up With Someone Older/Younger Is Mutually Beneficial

45 Craig Cheatham – How Did the Broker Public Portal Start?

53 T erri Murphy – 6 Strategies for Jump Starting Your Career as a New Agent

57 Realty ONE Group – What It Takes to Be a Top Workplace

EVERY ISSUE 6

RISMedia Online

9

Publisher’s Desk

16 Real Estate By the Numbers 18 Trending in Real Estate 91 Service Profiles 99 Referrals 104 RE: Real Estate—RPR® Delivers a Competitive Edge for Agents and Brokers

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20

N

OM

IN

REAL ESTATE NEWSMAKERS

AT I

ON

S

N

OW

Awards Reception & Dinner

2018 Real Estate Newsmakers Award

Teresa Palacios Smith HSF Affiliates, LLC

Join us at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Thursday, May 16, 2019 Featuring the 2nd Annual Hall of Fame Inductees

By Invitation Only Please contact Cindi Gallucci at cgallucci@rismedia.com, or visit rismedia.com/rismedias-newsmakers for more information.

Nominations are now open for RISMedia’s 2020 Real Estate Newsmakers!

Visit rismedia.com/newsmaker-nomination to nominate someone today.

OP

EN

{Online}

CELEBRATING NEWSMAKERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

An Unstoppable Synergy: RE/MAX Gold and RE/MAX Olson Join Forces for Agents and Consumers in California – page 120

Trending on

www.rismedia.com

View these and more at blog.rismedia.com!

2019 December 2018 $7.95

What’s Trending?

Millennial Homebuyers Are Eyeing These Locations

A recent LendingTree report looked at new-purchase mortgage requests made on its website to determine where the majority of millennials are pursuing homeownership.

No Such Thing as Perfect: 4 Compromises Renters Make Most

Finding an apartment that matches your budget and includes all the amenities and features you want can be a challenge. The reality is that most people will need to compromise on something along the way in their rental search.

Catch exclusive interviews and video of our 2019 Class of Real Estate Newsmakers with #Newsmaker

Real Estate Tips: Essential Cybersecurity for Your Brokerage There was a time when cybersecurity was essential only for large finance and retail companies; however, computer technology is now a crucial part of any business.

Stay Warm and Save Money With These Efficient Heating Tips

The frugal-minded tend to turn to extra blankets and multiple layers in lieu of paying expensive heating bills, but at the end of the day, you should be comfortable in your own home.

Birds of a Feather Flock Together: Homeowner Ages in America

Are you a Newsmaker, or know someone who is? 2020 nominations are now open at RISMedia.com/ Newsmaker-Nomination

People flock to different areas for a variety of reasons, but there’s a trend age-wise. Which states have the highest homeowner age average, and which have the lowest?

Connect With RISMedia @RISMediaUpdates

@RISMedia

@HousecallBlog

Linkedin.com/company/RISMedia

@RISMedia

Youtube.com/user/RISMediaUpdates

@HousecallBlog

@RISMediaUpdates

6 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

REMINDER: The deadline for RISMedia’s 31st Annual Power Broker Survey is Feb. 15, 2019.

Complete yours at pbsurvey.rismedia.com

The Perfectly Reimagined Homes.com The process of ďŹ nding a home just got easier.

The ďŹ rst-ever photo search for homebuyers

Homes.com has reimagined how consumers search for a home and has added new, innovative advertising opportunities. Schedule a consultation to secure these unique opportunities in your local area before your competition.

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{Publisher’s Desk} Taking Teams to the Next Level

Build Your Brand and Generate Leads!

T

Your Name & Company on Personalized Landing Pages

en years ago, RISMedia published “Power Teams - A Complete Guide to Building and Managing Winning Real Estate Agent Teams.” While the basic premise behind an agent team—a group of people working together for a common purpose—hasn’t changed, what has changed in the past decade is the amount of business teams are now responsible for.

The numbers are staggering!

I believe the success of real estate teams will only continue to grow this year, and in the years to come. And what makes today’s teams successful has changed dramatically. Advancements in professional skills, the adaptation of technological tools, and communication strategies have all evolved to help teams compete and engage with today’s buyers and sellers.

At RISMedia, we believe there is so much we can all learn from today’s successful real estate teams. In fact, we believe so much in them that we’ve dedicated this month’s cover story (page 32) to teams, where we provide excerpts of our just-released Ultimate Real Estate Team Guide. RISMedia’s Ultimate Real Estate Team Guide is designed for those considering forming an agent team, as well as those ready to take their team to the next level. Within the Team Guide, we interview dozens of leading teams from across the country who candidly share their best practices for forming, operating and maximizing their teams.

Taking our commitment to teams even further, we’ve also dedicated every Tuesday in 2019 to agent teams, with our Team Tuesday enews. Team Tuesday covers strategies and best practices for and about successful teams from around the U.S., showcasing the impact they’re making on their local and regional marketplaces, and our industry as a whole.

Tracking the evolution of agent teams is part of our ongoing effort at RISMedia to help our readers better understand how so many different real estate professionals created their own unique version of a real estate team. One size, or in this case, one format, doesn’t fit all, so our Team Guide and continued coverage will show you how others are succeeding, so that you can ultimately improve.

Wishing you continued success,

Automated Facebook Posts Lead Prospects to Your Personalized Landing Page

Your Company Logo

Your Headshot & Contact Info

Connect with consumer-focused content!

ACE’s branded content helps you resonate on social media, automatically delivering your real estate expertise to your followers, every day and with every post.

• Up to 30 different, consumer-focused real estate and lifestyle posts each month, including homeownership articles, infographics and professionally produced videos • Your branding (logo, headshot, URL, and more) on all content landing pages • Automated distribution to your social media following and/or email contacts • Coming soon! Your personal home listings

“ACE allows us to provide a valuable time-saving social media platform solution to all our sales professionals. Offering the company-branded, professional posts through ACE adds value not only to our customers, but also to our REALTORS®!”

- Rei L. Mesa, President & CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty

John E. Featherston CEO & Publisher P.S. Nominations are now open for RISMedia’s 2020 Newsmakers! Visit rismedia.com/newsmaker-nomination today and tell us about who’s making headlines in your area!

For more information, contact ace@rismedia.com or (203) 855-1234 ext. 2.

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

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

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Chief Information Officer Edward T. Kingston Web Designer Kevin Kirwan Web Developer Silpa Raghavarapu Web Developer Hema Yemmireddy Director, Client Solutions Peter Di Salvo Information Technology Manager James Jones Research Analyst Jaxson Corsi

DESIGN Art Director Kelli McKenna Production Manager Susanne Dwyer Senior Designer Christy LaSalle Junior Designer Janet Yung-Balbin

COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLIC RELATIONS Communications Director Mike Dominguez

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

SALES Senior Vice President Anne Kraft Senior Vice President Kara T. Stripay Director, Business Development Brett Johnson Director, Business Development Andy MacPherson

HEADQUARTERS 69 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851 RISMedia: (203) 855-1234 • FAX (203) 852-7208 Top 5 in Real Estate Network®: (203) 853-2167 • FAX (203) 852-7208 www.rismedia.com www.top5inrealestate.com ace.rismedia.com

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

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

{Policy Matters} What You Need to Know About FinCEN’s Ongoing Anti-Money Laundering Efforts

by Christie DeSanctis This column is brought to you by the NAR Real Estate Services group.

T

he Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), one of the U.S. Treasury’s leading agencies in the fight against money laundering and financing of terrorism, has renewed and expanded the Geographic Targeting Orders (GTOs) that impose data collection and reporting requirements on title companies involved in certain residential real estate transactions, effective through May 15, 2019.

The GTOs cover the geographic areas listed below for residential, non-financed transactions of $300k and above (no longer only high-end transactions): • California - San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties • Florida - Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties • Hawaii - City and County of Honolulu • Illinois - Cook County • Massachusetts - Suffolk and Middlesex counties • Nevada - Clark County • New York - Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island • Texas - Bexar, Tarrant and Dallas counties • Washington - King County

While the GTOs do not impose any new obligations on real estate professionals, title companies subject to the GTO may seek help in obtaining information necessary to maintain their compliance with the order. GTO compliance should not affect the sales transaction or timeline for closing, as title companies must report GTO-covered transactions to FinCEN within 30 days of the closing.

The GTOs require certain title companies to identify natural persons with a 25 percent or greater ownership interest in a legal entity purchasing residential real property, such as a corporation, LLC, partnership, or other similar business entity, whether formed under the laws of a state, of the U.S., or a foreign jurisdiction. Title companies, and their agents, must file a report with FinCEN regarding covered purchases of residential real property meeting the requirements above when such purchases are made: • Without a bank loan or similar external financing, and • Are paid at least in part by using currency or a cashier’s check, a certified check, a traveler’s check, a personal check, a business check, a money order in any form, a funds transfer, or virtual currency.

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) supports FinCEN’s efforts to reduce money laundering, but opposes any mandatory reporting regulations on real estate professionals that are burdensome and unnecessary given the existing antimoney laundering regulations that already apply to financial institutions.

NAR collaborated with the U.S. Treasury to develop voluntary guide-

lines to increase awareness of money-laundering risks. The guidelines educate real estate professionals about red flags, such as large, unexplained distances between the location of the property and the buyer, unusual involvement by third parties, or a seller unreasonably undervaluing a property.

If red flags are present, a real estate professional may request additional information from the customer to confirm their identity and basis for the transaction. If a legal entity, such as an LLC, is involved, a real estate professional may try to identify who controls or owns the entity. Real estate professionals may also discuss with their senior management situations that raise red flags.

Real estate professionals may report suspicious activity to local law enforcement or the FBI. In addition, real estate professionals may also file a suspicious activity report, or SAR, directly to FinCEN. The Treasury Department also recently released an updated strategy for combating money laundering threats to the U.S. financial system, which highlights actions by complicit professionals, including real estate agents. The report is helpful for understanding how to more effectively prevent, recognize and combat money-laundering schemes. RE For more information, including links to voluntary guidelines, go to NAR’s homepage at https:// www.nar.realtor/money-laundering-and-terrorismfinancing.

Christie DeSanctis is NAR’s director of Federal Banking, Lending and Housing Finance Policy.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 13

{The NAR Power Broker Roundtable} Our Most Important Clients: Helping Our Agents Grow Their Business MODERATOR:

Jim Imhoff Chairman, First Weber, Madison, Wis., Liaison for Large Firms & Industry Relations, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) PARTICIPANTS:

Chris Kelly CEO, Ebby Halliday REALTORS®, Dallas, Texas

Christy Budnick President/CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty, Jacksonville, Fla.

Kim Bakey CEO, Iowa Realty, HomeServices of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa The Power Broker Roundtable is brought to you by the National Association of REALTORS® and Jim Imhoff, NAR’s Liaison for Large Firms & Industry Relations. Watch for this column each month, where we address broker issues, concerns and milestones.

Jim Imhoff: In a discussion with brokers

last month, we zeroed in on the need to define our value proposition. This month, we take that a step further. What can we do to ensure that we have the best educated, most technically prepared, most professional agents on the block?

What’s changing, Chris, and how can we respond?

Chris Kelly: What’s changed for me is that I once saw the brokerage— and the brand—as an umbrella under which the agent works. Today, I see them as a foundation for the agent—a base upon which every agent can grow in his or her own 14 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

unique way, whether as an individual or as part of a team. Our job as brokers is to provide the tools and support every agent needs to build their own successful brand, because if we do it right—and this is something that has never changed—their success is also ours.

Christy Budnick: I hear you, Chris.

There are a lot of different business models out there, some of them high split, but little or no support.

We take pride in the support we provide, and in defining ourselves as a Ninja company. We are focused on building relationships, listening to the customer and helping both our agents and their clients achieve their goals.

Kim Bakey: As an agent-centric company, we have to know—even anticipate—what our agents need, whether it’s more education, one-onone coaching, specialized technology, or maybe just getting them out from under all the paperwork so they can be out there doing what they do best.

JI: For busy agents, getting away from the paperwork can increase production dramatically.

CK: It’s one of the reasons agents

develop teams, with admin to do the paperwork for them.

CB: It’s very helpful to relieve

agents of paperwork. But it’s just as important, as the support team behind them, to help them excel at building relationships. That’s a chore we take off their shoulders with an automated program called AutoFlow that literally does their marketing for them. Once the agent signs up for it, we reach out to everyone in their database three times a month with e-cards, newsletters, even coupons to the local venues we partner with,

all branded to the agent. These pieces go out automatically, keeping the agent top of mind with their clients.

KB: Another advantage: the one-stop shopping model. Having brokerage, mortgage, insurance, title and settlement services integrated throughout our operation provides an efficient, streamlined experience for consumers and agents. It’s a key value proposition that’s been a part of our culture since our earliest days of operation in the 1950s.

JI: Like technical and social media proficiency, and the ability to work remotely, that may indeed be a solid underpinning of our value proposition as brokers—and of the value we bring to helping our agents distinguish themselves from the competition.

CK: Also, in this digital world, we

see enormous value in maintaining a dynamic office environment. We encourage our agents to be part of this—to surround themselves with top producers, who are their best, most supportive role models. They are generous in sharing their time and knowledge.

JI: Often, too, sharing, mentoring and a spirit of camaraderie go hand-inhand with giving back, as a unified team, to the communities where we do business. It’s one more way we can perpetuate success and ensure that our brand remains viable well into the next generation.

KB: I think the question for all of us, brokers and agents both, is, ‘How can I be better?’ It’s a question we must always be asking—and that means taking a deeper look into every aspect of our business. RE 8For an expanded version of this article and other NAR Power Broker Roundtable topics, please visit www.rismedia.com.

WE’RE MORE THAN A NETWORK.

Athens, Greece — Site of the 2019 LeadingRE Global Symposium

WE’RE A COMMUNITY.

QUALITY CONNECTIONS INDEPENDENCE®

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

LeadingRE.com/OurCompanies

Real Estate by the Numbers

$63 billion $62,138

will be spent by North American consumers on smart home systems and services by the year 2022, as forecasted by Statista, making the U.S. and its bordering neighbors the clear global winner when it comes to spending in the sector.

The reported annual income of agents with 4 - 10 years’ experience in the real estate business.

These same agents reported earning just over $19,000 in years 1 - 3, so staying power pays off.

Source: The Real Estate Express 2018 Real Estate Agent Income Guide

628,000

New-home sales will occur in 2019, predicts the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), about the same as 2018. NAHB anticipates that single-family construction will increase by only about 2 percent to around 900,000 units—200,000 - 300,000 less than the market could absorb.

Source: Washington Post

.45%

The gap between homeowners’ opinions of their home’s value and an appraiser’s. Appraisal values were less than half a percentage point lower than homeowners expected in December, according to the National Quicken Loans Home Price Perception Index (HPPI).

1,150

5%

The amount inventory increased nationally in December 2018, according to data from realtor.com®. Overall, 15 percent of listings saw a price reduction.

Federal contracts for government-funded properties that house low-income renters that expired due to the government shutdown that began on Dec. 22. At press time, 500 more contracts were due to expire in January if the shutdown continued.

Source: NBC News

16 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

New construction homes, we've got you covered.

Even newly built homes can have problems, and most homebuilders’ warranties last only one year. Help give your clients added reassurance with new construction home warranty coverage from HSASM Home Warranty.

For more information, contact your local Account Executive or call HSA at 800-367-1448.

Š 2018 Home Security of America, Inc. All rights reserved.

Trending in Real Estate

The smart home movement is heading outdoors. Today’s green thumbs are opting for gardening apps that ID plants, automated lawn mowers and technology that provides soil-nutrition and watering info.

Interior designers are expecting jewel tones to make their mark in 2019. Look for ruby reds, emerald greens and sapphire blues to shine in home decor this year.

Chinese buyers—the top foreign investors in U.S. real estate for six years straight, according to NAR—are now expanding into lower price tiers. CNBC reports that more middle-class Chinese are searching for lowerpriced homes in the U.S., and increasingly using a mortgage as opposed to all cash.

If your credit history is a bit “thin,” Experian Boost now allows you to shore things up by reporting your utility and cellphone payments for an instant lift to your Experian credit score.

The top three states for female entrepreneurs to start a business in 2019 are Texas, Ohio and Minnesota. According to FitSmallBusiness.com’s annual ranking, the determination is based on four metrics: general business climate/ opportunity; outlook for women; economic and financial health; and livability for females.

New Jersey, Illinois and Connecticut lead the nation in residents moving out of state, according to United Van Lines’ 2018 National Movers Study.

18 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

A Tech Champ

Dale got it done for us!

His tech skills and great tools gave us everything we needed to find our dream home.

– Chris L.

Dale Corpus, REALTOR

®

Dale got it done with RPR mobile

© 2019 Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Realtors Property Resource, LLC® is a member benefit of the National Association of REALTORS®.

{Executive Appointments} NRT LLC has appointed president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Southern California, effective Feb. 1, 2019. Duran is succeeding Robert Foster, president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Greater Los Angeles, who is retiring. In assuming this new role, Duran will be president of Greater Los Angeles, as well as continue in her current position as president of Orange County, Riverside County and San Diego. Foster is a more than 40year industry veteran. Prior to being president of the Greater Los Angeles region, he was COO of Coldwell Banker’s Southwest region.

Jamie Duran

Pam Patenaude, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), has resigned, following 16 months in the role. As deputy secretary, Patenaude was charged with heading up HUD’s Disaster Management Group, as well as involved with policy and research, among other areas. She has extensive experience in housing, including as HUD assistant secretary for Community Planning and Development.

RE/MAX has announced the hiring of Jerry Modes as senior vice

president, Information Technology, and Kerry McGovern as vice president, Communications. Modes, who has more than three decades of experience, is charged with RE/MAX’s internal IT operations and membership data infrastructure, as well as the ongoing development of data-driven RE/ MAX products by booj, which RE/MAX acquired in February 2018. McGovern, formerly with Under Armour, will manage RE/MAX’s internal and external communications, including public relations and social media. Prior to Under Armour, McGovern was senior director of Communications and Media at Drizly, Inc., and director of Communications at the National Hockey League (NHL).

the company until March 1, 2019.

Miedler has more than 20 years of residential and commercial real estate experience, nearly all of it with Century 21 Real Estate. Most notably, in 2012, Miedler assumed the position of senior vice president of Century 21 Real Estate, where he oversaw the franchise sales team, brand development and marketshare strategy in the U.S., advising new and existing real estate businesses on growth strategies, business planning and transaction structuring. In March 2018, Miedler was promoted to Century 21 Real Estate chief growth officer. In this expanded role, he continued to manage the franchise sales team and lent his expertise to capturing share in emerging and diverse markets.

Century 21 Real Estate recently announced leadership changes driven by the decision of President and Chief Executive Officer Nick Bailey to step down, effective Jan. 11, 2019. Real estate veteran and current Century 21 Real Estate Chief Growth Officer Michael Miedler was named president and chief executive officer.

To ensure a smooth transition, Bailey will serve as an advisor to

Gary Keller is again CEO of Keller

Williams, resuming a role he first held in 1983, when the brand was founded, according to an announcement by the company. At the same time, Josh Team, chief innovation officer, has been named president. John Davis, who was appointed CEO in 2017, is exiting the organization. RE For more executive happenings, please visit www.rismedia.com.

Relationships Matter

What Will 2019 Say About You? realestatewebmasters.com

{REBAC Report}

Mark Your Calendar!

Two Can’t-Miss Events for Brokers

by Marc D. Gould

I

’m a runner. Even though I know I’ll feel great after a few miles and I’ll accrue substantial long-term benefits, it’s occasionally an uphill battle to get out the door.

You may feel similarly about industry events. Your days are already jampacked, and it’s challenging to carve out time to step away for a new oneor two-day commitment.

Afterward, however, you feel energized by all the fresh ideas you heard and the new people you met. “Why did I hesitate?” you ask yourself. You may also wonder, “What other meetings are coming up that will deliver similar results?”

Let me suggest two excellent options.

1. BROKER SUMMIT The first annual REALTOR® Broker Summit was hosted by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) in 2013. This premier event offers two incredible days of learning, exclusive insights and networking opportunities with other brokers from across the U.S. The famous Austin City Limit’s soundstage will be home to this year’s meeting on April 2 - 3, 2019.

As Texas’ capital city and “live music capital of the world,” Austin is sure to add another exciting dimension to the summit.

For brokers, this is one of the year’s most highly anticipated events, and space fills up fast. Since registration opened mid-January, I

22 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

encourage you to visit www.nar.realtor/events/realtor-broker-summit as quickly as possible.

2. TECH EDGE Given the pace of new developments, it can be extremely challenging to know which technology tools are optimal for real estate professionals and how to achieve the best results in your brokerage.

Fortunately, NAR offers a one-day event for brokers and agents called Tech Edge, a fast-paced program packed with tips from high-energy speakers on a wide variety of tech trends, including online branding, lead generation, data security, lifesaver apps, and much more.

Past attendees have impressive things to say about Tech Edge: “Excellent information in a userfriendly format.”

“Hearing what’s working for other brokers and agents is a great timesaver.”

“A home run!”

2019 Tech Edge programs have been scheduled in eight cities: Columbus, Ohio - March 14 San Jose, Calif. - May 21 Richmond, Va. - June 6

Nashville, Tenn. - June 11 Austin, Texas - July 23 Southfield, Mich. - August 27 Wichita, Kan. - September 17 Columbia, S.C. - October 17 No two events are the same. Visit nartechedge.com for complete details.

Never Stop Learning Knowledge is power no matter how you acquire it. For brokers, however, these events are two of my top recommendations.

Tech Edge is also open to your agents and employees, so consider encouraging them to take advantage of this excellent opportunity to fire up their thinking on the latest technology tips. RE

Marc D. Gould is senior vice president of Member Development for NAR, overseeing a wide range of professional development programs for REALTORS®, including the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC). REBAC is the world’s largest association of real estate professionals focusing specifically on representing the real estate buyer. With more than 30,000 active members, REBAC awards the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation to REALTORS® who have completed the specialized education and documented experience in working with consumers purchasing a home. To learn more, visit REBAC.net.

X Real Estate

Exchange presented by

Vision 2020:

Building a Future-Focused Real Estate Business

SAVE THE DATE RISMedia’s 2019 Real Estate CEO Exchange September 18 & 19 The Marriott Marquis | New York, N.Y. Contact Cindi Gallucci for more information: cgallucci@rismedia.com Photos by AJ Canaria of PlanOmatic

W H AT D O E S

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The Future of Real Estate Investment: Opportunity Zones Commentary by Desirée Patno

A

ccording to the 2017 Distressed Communities Index by the Economic Innovation Group, one in six Americans, approximately 17 percent of the population, live in economically-distressed communities, and the average state has 15.2 percent of its population living in these struggling areas.

The new Opportunity Zone (OZ) tax incentive was created as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to encourage investment in low- to moderate-income communities across the country through tax benefits, such as deferring tax on capital gains by making an investment in any of the designated zones. So far, 8,761 communities covering all 50 states, including the five U.S. territories, have been designated as opportunity zones, and they will keep this status for 10 years.

The Investing in Opportunity Act has the potential to have a direct social and economic impact upon underserved communities, benefiting investors, communities and taxpayers alike. It is predicted to be a pivotal catalyst for economic recovery, business development and affordable housing, which could help countless individuals achieve financial stability and economic growth for themselves and future generations.

Real estate investors and highnet worth individuals are seeking to

take advantage of opportunity zones to use their capital, which otherwise would be sitting on the table, to help their surrounding communities. Thus, industry professionals, especially those in the commercial space, should be informed about the benefits and potential pitfalls of this new investment trend.

BENEFITS • A Win-Win Situation. Aside from receiving a tax break on their capital gains, investors have an opportunity to make an impact in their local communities.

• Low-Cost and Low-Risk. This new legislation is a low-cost and lowrisk opportunity for taxpayers.

Investors bear the brunt of the risk for their originally deferred capital gains, although they do receive a tax reduction for longterm holdings.

• Direct Impact for Economically-Distressed Communities. Low-income and economically-distressed cities

and towns—which include over 52 million American citizens—are benefited by having funds funneled directly into programs that can help with job growth, affordable housing, entrepreneurship, and more.

• Long-Term Investment. The Act encourages long-term investment by offering a reduction in capital gains taxes owned on their original investments after holding them for five to seven years. In addition, if investors have qualified investments held for more than 10 years, those assets will be exempted from further capital gains recognition over what was deferred originally.

RISKS Opportunity zones are anticipated to be influential in putting capital into areas that need it most, which otherwise would have been left on the table; however, a concerted effort will have to be made to make sure that rural areas are not overlooked for investment in fear of small returns compared to more populated city centers in states such as New York and California.

Revitalizing our distressed communities will help bring more jobs to citizens—especially in the development of hospitality businesses—reduce crime rates, and provide resources and opportunities for more Americans to reach their full potential and improve their quality of life. RE

Desirée Patno is the CEO and president of Women in the Housing and Real Estate Ecosystem (NAWRB) and Desirée Patno Enterprises, Inc. (DPE), as well as chairwoman of NAWRB’s Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Council (NDILC). With 30 years of experience in housing, Patno is a champion for women’s economic growth and independence. In 2017, Entrepreneur.com named her the Highest-Ranking Woman and 4th Overall Top Real Estate Influencer to Follow. For more information, please visit www.nawrb.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 25

7 Ways to Use Drone Photography and Video to Sell a Home by Sandy Newman

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he cutting edge of real estate listings remains the use of drones to photograph or film a property. Since it’s lacking in popularity among most agents, embracing this technology could be one thing that sets your business apart. Drone photography offers versatile and creative ways to capture a property—and the attention of homebuyers. Here are seven ways to leverage drone photography and video to sell a home:

1.

SHOW OFF THE DETAILS Sometimes a home’s best feature is impossible to capture from the ground. For instance, if a home sits on the edge of a cliff, or backs up to a wooded drop-off, it can be challenging to get a good photo of that detail. A drone easily allows you to access all of a home’s outdoor features.

And you can take the drone inside, too. Here are a few examples of how to create interesting interior shots to enhance a listing: • To capture a room from above, 26 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

position a drone high up in the corner of a two-story foyer or living room.

• Use a drone to capture a video tour of the inside of a home.

• Show off smaller spaces with ease, like tight stairwells or powder rooms.

2.

PAY LESS While aerial photography is no newcomer to the real estate industry, it’s limited to high-end properties due to the cost of capturing video and photography from a helicopter.

Drone photography makes bird’s-eye views much more affordable. If you hire a certified, commercial drone pilot, your high-quality aerial footage will cost you about one-third of what you’d pay for helicopter photography.

3.

DO IT YOURSELF Learning how to operate a drone safely and effectively may be a wise investment. If drone photography interests you, consider taking a test to get certified with the Federal Aviation Administration to pilot a drone for commercial use.

4.

GET NOTICED BY BUYERS AND SELLERS According to the National Association of REALTORS®, nearly half of all homebuyers in 2016 turned to online listings as their first step in the process. In this age of digital marketing, making excellent first impressions with the use of professional video and images is more important

than ever. High-quality video footage and aerial photos can make your listing stand out from other properties.

When a homeowner is ready to sell, they’ll want a listing agent who knows what they’re doing. One of the first places they may look is at your current listings. They’ll want to see evidence that you can make their home stand out. An aerial photo or a video of the exterior can make a much more visually-appealing first impression. Drone photography can make you look savvier than other listing agents and inspire confidence in sellers.

5.

LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA Social media is an inexpensive way to put your listings right in front of a targeted audience. The National Association of REALTORS® reported earlier this year that 80 percent of people surveyed used Facebook to look at potential properties. Use drones to create eye-catching video

tours that will engage your audience on social. Better yet, according to HubSpot, Facebook’s new algorithm gives priority to video content, making these posts more visible to your target audience.

6.

SHOW OFF A PROPERTY’S FEATURES If you’re trying to sell a property with land features such as a pool, beautiful landscaping or lakefront acreage, an aerial image of the entire property can be a great way to showcase its most marketable aspects. Drones can reach places that helicopters can’t, and they give you more creative options. Make your property stand out by opting for a video tour.

property’s proximity to other neighborhood features, such as a beach, a school or a downtown shopping district. Don’t tell prospective buyers that a home is “just steps from the beach” or “a short walk to the school”—use drone video to show them the home’s surroundings and proximity to the best the area has to offer.

If you’re not already using drone photography to market your properties, now is the perfect time to see if it will work for you. Hire an experienced, certified drone pilot who is an expert in real estate photography to help you enhance your listings and attract both buyers and sellers. RE

7.

DEMONSTRATE PROXIMITY Location, location, location.

Sometimes a home’s most desirable feature is what’s nearby.

Drones make it easy to highlight a

LET’S OWN OUR FUTURE. YOU CAN LEAD THE WAY. Commitment to Excellence is a program that empowers REALTORS® to enhance and showcase their high level of professionalism, and gives them the advantage in an increasingly competitive market.

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Sandy Newman is a Texas-based real estate agent with owners.com.

This article originally appeared on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall, blog.rismedia.com.

COMMITMENT TO E XC E L L E N C E

C2EX.realtor

{Global Spotlight}

Sunshine Properties specializes in beachfront homes and apartments, with an average sales price of about $1 million.

St. Maarten:

A Luxury Hotspot

by Paige Tepping

B

ased in sunny St. Maarten, Sunshine Properties boasts an array of services that run the gamut and cover all aspects of property sale, rental and management. The team at Sunshine Properties is also uniquely positioned to provide each and every client the best service possible. Here, Broker Jonathan Schaede discusses the current state of the market—and why buyers are flocking to St. Maarten.

Please describe your current housing market.

Jonathan Schaede: Not only are we currently in the midst of a buyer’s market, but also, prices are on the rise. It’s important to note that while a majority of our buyers are purchasing second homes, with 60 percent of those buyers renting their properties out when they’re not being used, 30 percent of our sales are new construction. The average home price in the area is right around $1 million.

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

JS: We primarily deal with beachfront homes and apartments.

28 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

What types of buyers do you work with? Are they predominantly local, or mixed from other countries?

JS: The buyers that we work with largely come from the United States, Canada and Europe. This has been a consistent trend over the past several years.

What are your biggest challenges/opportunities for growth?

JS: St. Maarten is home to one of the busiest airports in the Caribbean, and with plans for further expansion in the near future, St. Maarten is a hub for the neighboring islands—and an easy destination for travelers. Further, the area’s beaches, great gastronomy and friendly people are making St. Maarten a top vacation destination.

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

JS: Working with LeadingRE allows us to showcase our unique property portfolio all around the world. In addition, being a member of LeadingRE has given us the opportunity to meet and collaborate with leaders from other markets.

What are the key factors you consider when helping buyers determine if a property is a good investment?

JS: We pay close attention to current and upcoming trends so that we’re able to assess what they mean for our local market, as well as our buyers. With more than 38 years of local experience, our market knowledge is one key factor that is instrumental when working with

buyers to determine if a property is a good investment for them.

What attracts buyers to the area?

JS: The No. 1 thing that attracts buyers to the area is the weather. In fact, St. Maarten boasts year-round sunshine, with a mean temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius). The island is home to 37 beaches, so the beach is an important amenity for buyers across the board.

How was your company impacted by Hurricane Irma?

JS: Hurricane Irma, which hit the area in September 2017, has caused a boom in our local real estate market. In fact, it has presented current buyers in the area with the opportunity to purchase property well below market value. That being said, buyers are in a frenzy to get in the market. RE For more information, please visit www.sunshine-properties.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 29

3 Things That Don’t Keep Me Up at Night Commentary by Wendy Forsythe

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he pace of change continues to speed up. Distractions are easily found. Just browsing my Facebook news feed could lead me down a rabbit hole of pondering new entrants, new business models, industry politics and potential competitive threats.

I was recently asked what keeps me up at night, and while it’s a commonly asked question that can lead to insightful discussion, I’d rather share what doesn’t keep me up at night.

1. Agent Commission Splits One of the many benefits of running a 100-percent commission model network is that when we’re talking to agents about joining HomeSmart, we don’t need to have a conversation about what our commission split plans are. Every agent is on the same plan: 100-percent commission.

Once we’re relieved of that conversation, we’re free to focus on what the agent really needs and wants, which is the technology, training and business systems that’ll allow them to hit their personal real estate goals.

2. Renegotiating Commission Splits We’ve likely all had an experience of 30 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

purchasing a product or service and then finding out that someone else got the same thing for less money.

This happens every day in real estate offices, where agents show up asking their broker for a better commission split because they heard another agent in the office got a better deal than they did. It’s also common practice to renegotiate commission splits with agents on their anniversary dates, or at the beginning of every calendar year.

A culture of inconsistency around money and its related exchange for value can be disruptive to morale.

Since we’ve removed that disruption from the equation at HomeSmart, we can focus on bringing our agents value and offer them consistency in service and technology. There’s no need to worry about the time of year or hitting certain production levels.

3. Pressures on Commission Rates There’s growing concern that the commission rates consumers are willing to pay for real estate professionals’ expertise will decline in the coming years. While time will tell if this happens, in the meantime, HomeSmart agents are able to charge whatever commission rate

they feel is appropriate to market their services. There’s no requirement for them to seek approval for exceptions to company policy on commission rates. The commission is 100-percent theirs.

We empower our agents to market themselves competitively and provide outstanding value to buyers and sellers in exchange for the commission they earn. When we combine this with technology that allows them to manage the full scope of their business, we end up with many efficiencies and a win-win environment.

When HomeSmart was founded almost 20 years ago, part of the vision our founder, Matt Widdows, had was to create a brokerage model that would remove the traditional friction around commission dollars and allow us, as a broker and now a national brand, to focus on providing technology, training and support to real estate professionals. Over the last two decades, we’ve seen our model and our commitment to the agent flourish into one of the largest real estate networks in the country.

With all the changes and noise in our industry, we’re committed to not getting distracted, and we’ll continue to focus on our agents. We’re dedicated to advancing technology and business systems to allow our agents every advantage in today’s competitive real estate landscape.

To me and the team at HomeSmart, that’s worth losing sleep over. RE

Wendy Forsythe has leveraged her passion for real estate, operations and branding to help build successful real estate networks in both Canada and the United States. She is currently the chief operating officer at HomeSmart International. HomeSmart combines a transaction-fee business system with high service and robust technology. To learn more, visit HomeSmart.com/join. You can reach Wendy directly at Wendy.

Forsythe@HomeSmart.com.

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The Evolution of AGENT TEAMS

And How the Best Have Gone From Startup to Powerhouse

32 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

W

hile the growth of agent teams has been prolific in the last decade, and the effectiveness of the team model has been proven many times over, the art of forming, operating and succeeding with an agent team is complex, and requires dedication and a commitment to changing with the times.

As teams have evolved, so have the dynamics of creating and running a winning agent team. Ten years ago, RISMedia published “Power Teams: The Complete Guide to Building and Managing a Winning Real Estate Agent Team.”

Although teams are still defined in much the same way—two or more agents working together for a common purpose—what has changed is the staggering amount of business today’s Power Teams are closing, the rising sophistication of their professional and operational skills, and their adaptation of the latest technology and marketing resources.

That’s why RISMedia has also evolved its coverage and offering for agent teams, whether you’re just exploring the team concept or whether you’re ready to take your team to the next level. In RISMedia’s Ultimate Real Estate Team Guide, by RISMedia Associate Content Editor Liz Dominguez, we interview many of the nation’s most successful real estate teams to uncover their best practices for winning with the team model in today’s real estate environment.

RISMedia’s Ultimate Real Estate Team Guide is just one facet of our ongoing coverage for and about Power Teams in 2019. You can find more in our weekly Team Tuesday enewsletter, filled with team profiles, trends and business development strategies designed specifically for team success.

The team structure brings with it many high-level challenges, all of which can be tackled head-on with the proper tools and by taking the necessary steps to protect and educate yourself and your team. RISMedia’s Ultimate Real Estate Team Guide helps you address these challenges through our research and the expert insights of top-performing teams across the country. Remember, in the world of real estate teams, there is no one-size-fits-all solution; however, the path ahead will be easier and more successful for those who educate themselves. Following are excerpts from the first volume of the Ultimate Real Estate Team Guide, available now at rismedia.com.

—Maria Patterson

“When we formed the team, there were no real state guidelines, so we followed what we had learned from our broker.”

SARA GULDI REALTOR® AND OWNER, GULDI GROUP KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY

The Legalities of Forming a Business Entity

Forming a team can have myriad advantages for all agents involved; however, it is a complex process that involves a lot of legal consideration.

Sara Guldi, REALTOR® and owner of The Guldi Group at Keller Williams Realty in Maryland and coach at Workman Success Systems, manages a team of eight, including her administrative and support staff.

“When we formed the team, there were no real state guidelines, so we followed what we had learned from our broker, made sure we were in compliance with general real estate state laws and called the legal hotline for input whenever needed,” says Guldi. “When our state did issue guidelines, we had to make mostly small adjustments.”

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 33

ker, to the sales office manager, to the state broker of record.”

“At the advice of our accountant, we switched to the S corp for a more favorable tax situation.”

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

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

When it comes to teams that work in more than one state, the legalities of broker-imposed regulations can become a little more complex.

Guidelines vary between states and are changing quickly.

“In Maryland, we do have a few extra layers of broker supervision that do not yet exist in Washington, D.C., or Virginia,” says Reed. “Some of this has to do with advertising rules in Maryland relative to team disclosure, and some is the contract law that forms the legal chain from the individual agent in a transaction, to their team leader or associate bro34 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Setting Expectations and Goals With Core Values

Although not always written out, core values are a set of goals and rules by which all companies run their business. When forming a team, these values can be the glue that holds all members together.

Most teams use their core values as a type of contract by which their agents must abide. Jeff Ruff, president of Vutech Ruff at HER REALTORS®, formed his team in 1993 with his wife, Marilyn. The team currently has 11 licensed agents.

“We look for team members with very good communication skills,” he explains. “We are very specific about the personalities of our team members and their work ethic, as the reputation of each person is critical to our team’s reputation.”

“We are very specific about the personalities of our team members and their work ethic, as the reputation of each person is critical.”

JEFF RUFF PRESIDENT, VUTECH RUFF HER REALTORS® Todd Crockett, partner at The Crockett Team of Howard Hanna Real Estate, has worked in real estate for 40 years, 24 of which have been spent on a team. Currently,

“The Crockett Team lives and breathes the Core Behaviors that instill camaraderie amongst the teammates.”

TODD CROCKETT PARTNER, THE CROCKETT TEAM HOWARD HANNA REAL ESTATE he manages a team of 20 agents, a marketing manager, a listing service manager and two closing coordinators with his wife, Judie, as his partner. The Crockett Team Core Behaviors were created as the team evolved, focusing around six guiding behaviors that set them apart from the competition: Collaboration, Innovation, Adaptation, Implementation, Clarification and Reiteration.

“The Crockett Team lives and breathes the Core Behaviors that instill camaraderie amongst the teammates,” says Crockett.

Tackling Financial Challenges

Knowledge is power when it comes to numbers; therefore, it is imperative that team leaders stay up-todate on finance language and the diverse options available for payroll, accounting, bookkeeping, etc.

“We keep it very simple. Selling members are given a percentage of every deal and support members are paid hourly, plus bonuses on each listing and each closing. This way, everyone has skin in the game and stays excited,” says Steve Abbe, co-team leader of Abbe/Mullinnix Distinctive Properties at Coldwell Banker Global Luxury in Florida. “The support members are paid as inde-

“Selling members are given a percentage of every deal and support members are paid hourly, plus bonuses on each listing and each closing.”

STEVE ABBE CO-TEAM LEADER ABBE/MULLINNIX DISTINCTIVE PROPERTIES COLDWELL BANKER GLOBAL LUXURY pendent contractors, so we 1099 them each year.”

Teams have different approaches to tracking their finances. Many newer or smaller teams prefer to take on more responsibility themselves.

Abbe prefers to take on a portion of the financial tracking, as it is manageable for his team of three selling agents and two support staff members. However, he delegates the accounting responsibilities to a professional.

Cleve Gaddis, broker/managing partner of Gaddis Partners of RE/MAX Center, believes it is necessary to seek professional help with some components to ensure the business stays profitable. “We have a part-time bookkeeper/accountant who also keeps the books for our property management company,” says Gaddis. “I had owned several businesses in the past myself, so setting up payroll and other financial systems wasn’t really different than other businesses. We used a payroll service for the first few years and now we handle payroll in-house.”

The real estate industry can be unpredictable at best when it comes to making sales throughout

the year; therefore, most teams are committed to monthly business tracking. “It’s not a yearly plan; it’s a monthly plan. We need to know exactly what we are projecting per month and what we have actually closed,” says Collette McDonald, president of Collette McDonald & Associates at RE/MAX Around Atlanta. “My company holds a minimum of six months of operating expenses so that we can adjust when market conditions fluctuate.”

Of course, determining what the numbers are is not enough. Once spending and revenue are tracked on a monthly basis, teams must formulate budgets and business plans based on the trends they see in their financial history.

“We try to use percentages as much as possible in setting budgets.”

CLEVE GADDIS BROKER/MANAGING PARTNER, GADDIS PARTNERS, RE/MAX CENTER

“We try to use percentages as much as possible in setting budgets.

As an example, we want our marketing, lead generation and conversion costs for buyer clients not to exceed 25 percent of the company dollar,” says Gaddis.

In addition, adjusting to changes in the market and changes to the team’s spending should be part of everyone’s business plan.

“Real estate is a little bit different because one year can have very

“My company holds a minimum of six months of operating expenses so that we can adjust when market conditions fluctuate.”

COLLETTE MCDONALD PRESIDENT, COLLETTE MCDONALD & ASSOCIATES RE/MAX AROUND ATLANTA little to do with the next year,” says Abbe. We found that we are constantly adjusting our budget. In real estate, the budget has to be a ‘living document.’”

And with more experience comes increased elasticity in business planning and budgeting.

“My budget evolves with the market,” says McDonald. “I know exactly what I have to close in order to pay the bills based on the last four years of expenses. Expenses change, but from experience, I know the range we have to make in order to stay at the level we are at and grow 5 percent per year.”

Successful Marketing and Profitable ROI

Every new marketing product introduces a learning curve, not only to use the service, but also to determine how many leads it generates and if those leads turn into profits.

The real estate industry heavily relies on lead generation and conversion, and so marketing sources must be analyzed carefully, or business owners risk losing money and time—two of the most valuable assets for a real estate team.

But how is the value of a product

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 35

“You can’t hone the market on just one site or by using just one tool.”

MIKE MCCANN ASSOCIATE BROKER, THE MIKE MCCANN TEAM BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES FOX & ROACH REALTORS® CENTER CITY WALNUT determined? There are many factors, but return on investment (ROI) is the most significant. Each team has to determine which products work best for their unique format and business style. In order to do this, they must first identify their team’s source of business—what makes them run and what drives profits.

“We use a variety of marketing tools, including ‘For Sale’ signs; open houses; ‘Just Sold’ postcards; personal Facebook posts and paid business page Facebook posts; 9,000 farming emails every other month; SEO with my world-class website; obtaining testimonials on Zillow, Trulia, realtor.com®, Yelp, Google and Facebook; email blasts; and a variety of print advertising directing people to my website,” says Mike McCann, associate broker of The Mike McCann Team with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® Center City Walnut, who is known as “The Real Estate Man.” “Our marketing expenses incorporate so many different products, systems and tools that are all necessary to invest in,” adds McCann.

“In this day and age, you have to be everywhere. You can’t hone the market on just one site or by using just

36 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

one tool. You have to dip into your pockets on every source of possible lead generation.”

Lindsey Gudger, co-founder, with Jason Gasbarra, of The Every Door Team at Every Door Real Estate, has worked in real estate for four years, and lead generation sticks out clearly as his team’s most successful marketing venture.

“Lead generation, hands down,” says Gudger. “We spend the vast majority of our marketing budget on generating online opportunities— around $80,000 per month.”

Once a profit source is identified, teams must find a vessel that works alongside it to create efficiency, streamline the process and provide results. This can be found in a thirdparty product or in technology offered through the brokerage.

Whether the need is a CRM, a dialer, a social media presence or an online lead profile, it is imperative that team members research all possible avenues before deciding on a product.

“I have trusted team members who bring the innovation to me when they hear of products they think can benefit our team,” says McCann. “Often, I will try new things to see if they generate leads.”

Sometimes, the best research comes in the form of recommended services that have been successfully implemented by other teams.

“Most of the new products we look at come to us through private social media groups where top performers share what’s working for their teams,” says Gudger. “When it comes to evaluating the vehicle, it’s all about the consumer experience.”

A trial period is necessary to determine whether a marketing product is providing the necessary results, not only to generate leads, but also to pay back all expenditures. These trial lengths vary by

“When it comes to evaluating the vehicle, it’s all about the consumer experience.”

LINDSEY GUDGER CO-FOUNDER, THE EVERY DOOR TEAM EVERY DOOR REAL ESTATE team, lasting anywhere from a few weeks to a year.

In terms of lead conversion, scale may play a role in timing, as well.

“Scale is a separate issue. Does the vendor have enough consumer traffic to generate enough leads?

We feel that a six-month trial is the only real way to assess this aspect,” says Gudger. “You’ll have leading indicators in as little as three months, but a test less than six months isn’t going to give you a big enough sample size to truly evaluate a new vehicle.”

Marketing strategies should be discussed at recurring team meetings and adjusted accordingly to adapt to changes in the industry.

“A busy inbox of incoming leads does not mean you have a strong ROI. We’d happily use a vehicle that provides just a handful of leads per month assuming the return on investment is there,” explains Gudger.

“You can’t feed a team off a vendor like this, but if you have the right systems in place, a handful of providers with this profile can absolutely build a strong business.” RE

For more information on receiving RISMedia’s Ultimate Real Estate Team Guide, please visit www.rismedia.com.

Be Their

Your SRES® knowledge can work wonders for clients ages 50+.

Earning your Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) designation is a super-savvy business move. Our 2-day course — available in the classroom or online — empowers you to meet the unique needs and expectations of clients ages 50+, the fastest growing market in real estate. Plus, you’ll gain exclusive access to custom marketing tools and a referral network of more than 15,000 REALTORS®.

Transform specialized expertise into a powerful opportunity.

Learn more at:

seniorsrealestate.com.

{Business Building}

The Sweet Spot of Advertising:

When Broad Awareness Meets Micro-Targeting

by Adam Contos

I

t can seem like a tough time for advertisers today. To effectively promote a business, you need to bust through a lot of noise and clutter, of course, but you must also contend with ad blockers and other commercial-skipping technology. Then there’s another challenge for our industry: being able to actively target people looking to buy or sell while also building an awareness among those in between home sales.

The situation leads many to believe that effective real estate advertising is harder than ever to pull off today.

I don’t buy it. When spent wisely, today’s advertising dollar can be incredibly effective.

When armed with the right data and resources, today’s savvy marketers are able to provide the right messages to the right audience at the right time. The key to it all is scale.

Yes, a lot of challenges present themselves for those advertising on their own or without an infrastructure. But for those organizations with the resources, broad-scale awareness, troves of data and technology to pull it all together, it’s game on.

BROAD-SCALE AWARENESS. MICRO-TARGETING. As an individual agent, it’s easy to budget a few dollars for Facebook ads each month and conduct some social marketing here and there. After all, you don’t need a multimilliondollar budget to advertise—but it certainly helps. For those who contribute to a larger budget, an entire new realm of highly effective advertising opens up.

Take, for example, what we’re able to do at RE/MAX. Through the collective buying power of the network, we’re able to launch a multifaceted, data-driven advertising campaign that reinforces broadscale awareness, and, at the same

time, empowers agents to more effectively connect with consumers with a consistent message in their local markets.

Drilling down further, this year, RE/MAX is offering an innovative tool—the first of its kind in the industry—that enables agents to create custom, 15-second videos with just a few clicks. The videos take the concepts and imagery from the multimillion-dollar “The Sign of a RE/MAX Agent” campaign and combines them with an agent’s personal touches and messaging.

The videos are perfect for sharing on social media or posting on agent websites. And since the videos are extremely simple to create, agents can easily generate different ones for specific audiences and social channels. The best part? Thanks to collective buying power, this resource is available at no added cost to RE/MAX agents and offices.

Another bonus of big-brand advertising is that it eliminates the need for an introduction. When you’re aligned with a major player (such as one that leads the industry in unaided brand awareness), you can focus on demonstrating your personal value, driving leads and generating business, rather than explaining who you are.

In today’s world, throwing messages into the wind and seeing what lands simply doesn’t cut it.

The most effective advertising leverages the power of infrastructure and scale. Here you’ll find the sweet spot, where well-researched, targeted messaging meets widespread awareness, and discover the key for busting through the noise and making meaningful connections with consumers. RE

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 39

SUCCESS We have you covered.

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

THESE FRANCHISES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE FRANCHISE INVESTMENT LAW OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. SUCH REGISTRATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE APPROVAL, RECOMMENDATION, OR ENDORSEMENT BY THE COMMISSIONER OF CORPORATIONS NOR A FINDING BY THE COMMISSIONER THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HEREIN IS TRUE, COMPLETE AND NOT MISLEADING. Each Weichert® franchised office is independently owned and operated.

Consistency: The Secret to Creating Leads All Year Long

by J’aime Nowak

T

he new year is the time to set new goals and create a business plan that works for you, rather than one that works against you. Even if you’re a solo operation, parts of your business can still produce results while you’re focusing on other elements.

You’ll be the one they think of when they or their family or friends are thinking of buying or selling a home.

In addition to providing value, your marketing materials reaffirm your expertise and character. Plan these materials several months ahead of time, or subscribe to a service such as Referral Maker PRO that creates them for you to help you remain consistent all year long.

Track your activities. Tracking helps you make consistency a habit.

When you track your proactive leadgeneration activities each day, the process becomes automatic. Not only that, you’ll always know what you need to do each day, especially if you’re using a CRM that helps you optimize your business. Getting started with this habit now will set you up for an efficient and productive year ahead.

Connect with other high-achieving professionals. As humans, we

When you work by referral, lead generation comes in the form of consistent contact with your clients.

Even though people are busier than ever and more consumed with their phones, choosing to connect face-toface is still the most valuable way to build a relationship.

Since connecting with clients is the basis for generating leads, it’s vital to become consistent with your communication. This is a challenge for most agents, especially when they’re busy closing deals and trying to resist the freedom of a flexible schedule.

However, consistency is critical now more than ever; it helps you

generate the leads that will become the clients you’ll serve during the summer and fall months, when the market tends to slow down. After all, the clients you consistently connect with will continue to refer you throughout the year.

As you hit the ground running this year, here’s how to maintain consistency with your lead generation:

Plan your marketing. While personal communication—phone calls, lunches, emails, etc.—allows you to deepen your relationships with your clients, your marketing materials will keep you on their minds between calls and meetings.

learn a lot from the experiences of others. Networking with other successful agents—either at an event or through a professional group—will help you learn about the strategies they use to maintain consistency and help their business thrive throughout the year. Take what you’ve learned and adopt a few of the strategies into your business, as well. RE J’aime Nowak is the director of Corporate Development at Buffini & Company. She began her real estate career as an agent in 1995, and went on to manage her office, where she used Buffini & Company’s systems to turn around a six-figure deficit and build a thriving culture in less than 16 months. Now, she’s a master trainer and speaker, clearing a path for industry leaders. For more information, and to learn how Referral Maker PRO can help you maintain consistency and generate leads, visit buffiniandcompany.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 41

Reverse Mentorships: Why Pairing Up With Someone Older/Younger Is Mutually Beneficial

by Tom Davidson

W

e recently surveyed licensed real estate professionals and asked them what’s working best in their business, and what’s working least. We analyzed the data from over 1,000 responses and found that for agents with less than three years of experience, social media is driving much of their business, but they’re struggling with lead generation. Inversely, experienced agents with 10-plus years under their belts are having the most success with lead generation, but fall significantly short when it comes to using social media.

While a teen in your family may be able to show you the ropes, we’ll offer up a more beneficial solution: Form a reverse mentorship with a younger real estate agent.

It’s an interesting dichotomy, and not all that surprising. Most of the younger agents entering the profession know their way around social platforms, understand best practices, and can leverage the tools quickly and efficiently. For seasoned agents, especially those who have never had to rely on social media before, it can be overwhelming, as well as a burden. One respondent with 25 years in the business even shared, “Social media is foreign to me. I think I need to find me a teenager to walk me through it.”

42 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

THE BENEFITS OF A RECIPROCAL MENTORSHIP This version of mentoring sees that both sides learn something beneficial and doesn’t follow a traditional mentor/mentee relationship. There are several benefits of this non-traditional set-up: • It can close the knowledge gap for both parties. If you’re stuck on how to leverage social media, your partner can help. If your partner struggles with creating leads, you can help him or her navigate best practices.

• It empowers both established and emerging real estate leaders.

• It can be simple. The mentorship can take place within your existing company structure through informal meetings.

HOW TO FORM A RECIPROCAL MENTORSHIP For a reciprocal mentorship to be beneficial, several factors must be in place: • Identify a good partner. The relationship needs good chemistry between both participants, so don’t choose a partner on a whim. Have a few conversations with potential candidates to ensure they have the skills and knowledge that you need and are willing to build a relationship with you.

• Define your expectations and agree on the rules across both parties.

What are each of you trying to get out of the relationship?

• Have an open mind and cultivate trust. The idea behind this type of mentorship is to help push you into an area that is new to you, so you must have an open mind and trust your partner for it to succeed.

• Be willing to learn. In a mentoring relationship like this, both parties play the mentor and the mentee, so you both must genuinely want to learn from the other.

• Communicate effectively. Both parties must be willing to communicate their ideas and feelings openly.

• Measure the progress. Check in on a regular basis to ensure you’re both happy with the relationship and that you’re both benefiting. RE Tom Davidson is the general manager of Real Estate Express, the national leader in online learning for prelicensing, continuing education and professional development. Davidson has nearly 15 years of experience in the real estate industry. From sales training and product development to growing the business, his multi-faceted background encompasses crucial functions to a successful career in the field. To learn more, visit RealEstateExpress.com.

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How Did the Broker Public Portal Start?

Commentary by Craig Cheatham

B

roker Public Portal with Homesnap may well become one of the most successful industry-led initiatives in the history of our business. While we’re approaching more than 1 million real estate agents with access to this concept, real success won’t come until every MLS understands why they need to support this movement and takes action.

THE FIRST MEETING In mid-2014, there was a pivotal meeting at a boutique hotel in Washington, D.C. Robert Moline, then chairman of The Realty Alliance, and I met with a group of brokers who served on various MLS boards, along with some MLS staff members.

Their pitch: MLSs and brokers could work together to help lessen broker frustration with websites that advertised properties for sale by creating a consumer-friendly option.

Hearing that MLSs wanted to work with brokers was a real draw, and brokers wanted a breakthrough on their portal frustrations.

BEFORE THE BEGINNING In early 2011, the brokerage industry conjoined to discuss data management frustrations for the first time. That was the origin of Upstream. But this meeting led to other discussions among this

broad base of broker networks and brands, as most brokers were struggling with the same issues. They all discovered that proprietary approaches weren’t effective. It was clear that industry-wide efforts were needed on multiple fronts.

A second source of frustration for many brokers came from their relationship with MLSs. In 2013, The Realty Alliance shared its list of items that might cause friction between brokers and their MLS(s). Fortunately, soon after we presented that list, many MLSs reached out to their brokers and progress was made, so the project addressing MLSs was shelved.

Additionally, the business practices of many popular real estate portals were contributing to broker angst. Brokers and MLSs believed that consumers were being confused. Industry practitioners were also put in a position to look bad to

the public because of these business practices.

“BILL OF RIGHTS” FOR DISPLAY Our broad-based group of broker representatives created a “Bill of Rights” for real estate advertising.

MLS leaders were brought in to help finish the document. Today, it’s called the “Fair Display Guidelines.” They were developed for all public-facing websites, including MLS-operated ones, not just portals.

BPP EMERGES Brokers also began talking about increasing competition and consumer choice in the marketplace by creating a new, additional portal option.

Within our multi-brand coalition, we first started down this path with a project of our own called “Sparta.”

But after the meeting about BPP, we decided to follow the BPP path instead and work with MLSs. The selection of the mobile-first vendor Homesnap, with their fantastic app that met our Fair Display Guidelines, gave many brokers hope that the project had the potential to be a viable addition to the marketplace. Even fundraising turned out to be much easier than anticipated in the early days.

THE LAST MILE I’m optimistic the BPP will get the full support of the industry, but I’d like to see more of a sense of urgency, as well as commitments from markets that haven’t been as involved or launched. Every broker and agent should ask their MLS: Do we have BPP with Homesnap?

With millions of leads coming to brokers from BPP, this might prove to be the best dollar everyone spends each month. RE Craig Cheatham is president and CEO of The Realty Alliance, an invitation-only network of the largest full-service real estate firms in North America comprising more than 130,000 agents.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 45

{Strategies}

Providing Exceptional Service in a Competitive Market HOMES.COM: AN ADVANTAGEOUS INVESTMENT FOR REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS LOOKING TO STAND OUT

by John Voket

S

ue Anne Cobb, owner/principal broker at Five Star Real Estate Services LLC, with offices in Millington and Jackson, Tenn., is committed to helping folks buy and sell real estate. She also plays a critical role when it comes to ensuring that everybody has access to the home of their dreams. To that end, in 2015, Cobb celebrated her service on the Fair Housing Committee in nearby Jackson by taking on a leadership position as chairperson.

Having served on the board of her regional association of REALTORS®, in addition to the Professional Standards and Education committees of the Memphis-area REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC), Cobb remains active with the nonpartisan organization that supports community building, property rights, growth management and the environment.

Nearly 20 years ago, Cobb launched her very first website with a company that would later become part of the

46 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Homes.com system. And, more recently, after an unsatisfying experience with another web host, Cobb became a Homes.com client—and she hasn’t looked back since.

While Cobb’s web presence evolved along with the expanding technology and innovations Homes.com made available to Five Star Real Estate Services LLC, she also found that becoming a Preferred Listing and City Sponsor client were advantageous investments.

“I’ll probably stay with Homes.com until I retire,” says Cobb, who can’t say enough about the company’s City Sponsor Ads program, which proved to be particularly helpful when she opened her new office outside of Memphis two short years ago.

“I live here in Millington, and while I eat, shop and go to church here, it’s been hard to break in with REALTORS® that have been here for 20, 30 or 40 years, so I’m trying new things,” she says. “If I’m going to be working here until I retire, it’s not going to be about making a million dollars; it’s going to be about providing great customer service.”

But to give great service, you must have great clients, according to Cobb.

“And that’s what Homes.com delivers to me,” says Cobb, who points to the tech provider as being the best in the business. “In addition to being a City Sponsor for Millington, Homes.com’s Preferred Listing service is also generating leads for me from my website.”

While Cobb doesn’t consider herself to be a tech-savvy individual, Homes.com takes the challenge out of the equation. “They make it easy for me to go in and make changes to my website, and their tech support is awesome. They’ve also added a lot of features since I’ve been with them, so now I have the ability to coordinate my social network presence with Homes.com,” says Cobb. “Facebook is huge in our markets down here, and I love the fact that when someone goes to check a listing on my company Facebook page, it clicks them through right to my Homes.com site.”

But it doesn’t end there. In fact, listings are easy to update, as well.

“When a price changes or a listing updates on my local MLS, they automatically update on my website. And for somebody who’s not tech-savvy or a broker/owner, who doesn’t have time to manually do all this, Homes.com is the best vendor out there,” says Cobb.

“They operate on the same values as I do,” concludes Cobb. “They do what they say they’re going to do, and for me, that’s huge.”

For more information, please visit marketing.homes.com.

Providing an Added Level of Comfort Among Buyers and Sellers Alike HSASM HOME WARRANTY PAVES THE WAY TO REAL ESTATE SUCCESS

by Jameson Doris

K

athy Connelly, senior vice president of Corporate Services at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties, has more than 30 years in the real estate industry and has developed a broad and diverse range of experience running relocation to business operations.

Since joining Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties in 1994, Connelly has been instrumental in the award-winning company’s growth. Today, the firm has 24 locations serving the entire Metro Atlanta area, from North Georgia to Griffin and everywhere in between.

Introduced through industry events and word-of-mouth recommendations from other industry professionals, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties began working with HSA Home Warranty in 2009.

“The success of any relationship requires alignment of goals, as well as mutual trust and accountability, and the dedicated HSASM team we work with locally is the primary key to our success,” says Connelly, who ex-

plains that being able to share HSA’s warranty products with their clients immediately enhanced the overall customer service experience for buyers and sellers alike.

Actively engaged in working with the firm’s associates and management team, HSA’s local account reps are visible in the brokerage’s offices, and available for consultation and support. Further, Connelly notes that her associates know they can count on HSA to deliver on their service commitment.

But the biggest thing HSA provides is an added level of comfort.

“Our sellers know that major components of the home will be covered during the listing period,” says Connelly, “while buyers know that our coverage helps to protect them against unexpected costs should something go wrong after closing. When people are making such a large investment, it provides a level of comfort in knowing they can better manage unexpected costs.”

Since no one can predict when something in a newlypurchased home may malfunction, an HSA Home Warranty provides an added layer of protection for the seller during the listing period, and after closing for the buyer.

Should something go wrong, the parties in any given transaction know they have a home warranty from a reputable company that will help protect against unexpected covered costs.

In today’s market, after coming through a cycle of foreclosures and short sales, this couldn’t be more vital.

“When we take a listing, we’re marketing a property where we’re relying on the current seller’s report of condition with no firsthand knowledge of how the property has been maintained previously,” says Connelly. “Even with proper maintenance and under the best of circumstances, components of the home can still malfunction.”

In this particular instance, having a home warranty will go a long way toward helping to prevent unexpected surprises for the buyer, as well as helping to reduce risk for the seller during the listing period and post-closing.

Working closely with Fran Stiakakis, Tammy Dale, Evyn Jackson and Monique Guerrero—her local account reps—is an additional benefit of the longstanding relationship.

“They provide educational opportunities, marketing materials, responsive service, agent support and availability in the branch offices and at our company events,” concludes Connelly. “They’ve become part of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties family.”

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 47

A Simpler Approach to Moving MOVEEASY TAKES THE STRESS OUT OF THE PROCESS

by Paige Tepping

F

or Kim Luckow, director of Operations at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty in Mason, Ohio, anytime the firm’s 600 agents can offer their clients something of value, it’s a win-win for everyone involved.

That’s exactly why she took a colleague’s advice and signed on with MoveEasy—a relocation technology company whose services are free to brokerages, agents and clients—after being introduced to company Founder and CEO Venkatesh Ganapathy at an industry event.

“Venkatesh told me about what they were doing, and not only was I intrigued by the concept, but also, it sounded like it would be a nice value-add for our agents and clients,” says Luckow, who goes on to explain that the platform is a boon when it comes to recruitment and retention, as well.

Offering a combination of online and human concierge service, MoveEasy doesn’t just simplify the moving process. It also provides clients the ability to complete all their moving tasks from one place. This includes mail forwarding, utility transfers, driver’s license updating, car shipping, self-storage and everything in between. A personalized moving checklist also helps clients stay on top of their move with a week-by-week plan.

48 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

A huge proponent of supporting the home team, Luckow explains that the decision to begin working with MoveEasy (based in Columbus, Ohio) was a no-brainer.

“We were lucky enough to join forces when they were getting their wits about them and developing the product over the last few years,” says Luckow, who can’t say enough about the platform and the way it was designed to work seamlessly in the background.

In fact, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty has the automated moving platform integrated with Dotloop. “As long as agents are using Dotloop, as soon as a deal is marked pending, MoveEasy gets notified, and an invitation goes out to the client,” says Luckow, who has been working with MoveEasy for the past three years.

From there, clients are directed to a back-end site where they can take care of all their moving needs in one place. Further, agents can log in at any time and upload service providers and vendors. “This provides agents the opportunity to reach out—even a year down the road— and remind clients that their home warranty is expiring, or ask if they need any work done, and direct them back to their MoveEasy account,” says Luckow.

Not only can brokerages add their preferred cleaners, painters, etc., but customers can access these preferred vendors at any time—even after closing. Moreover, customers have access to a human concierge for all these services during the transaction and after they close on the home, providing a concierge for life.

While purchasing a house can be a challenging proposition in and of itself, preparing for the actual move can be just as time-consuming. But with MoveEasy, the process can be an enjoyable experience across the board.

“Moving is tough, so anytime you can get someone to pitch in and help, it makes the agent look good in the client’s eye,” says Luckow, “and having a moving concierge service takes some of the onus off of moving someone, which is a nice benefit.”

In Luckow’s opinion, all of this makes the firm’s agents appear more conscientious, as it makes it look as though they’re taking their job seriously. The feedback she’s received from her agents is further proof that choosing to work with MoveEasy was the right decision.

“The agents love that the correspondence is going out on their behalf and that it’s branded to them, which also goes a long way toward making the brokerage look good,” says Luckow.

“It’s great to be working with a company that’s allin on their product,” concludes Luckow. “The team at MoveEasy is always engaged, and any time I’ve had an issue, I’ve always gotten an immediate response.”

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

A Smoother Path to Homeownership FINDING ALTERNATIVE ROUTES WITH HOME PARTNERS OF AMERICA

by Zoe Eisenberg

T

he path to homeownership has many ups and downs.

Depending on the market and financial stability of the individual, the road can be long or bumpy, and for Todd Tucker, senior vice president of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties, guiding clients along this route is the most rewarding part of the job.

“It’s exciting to experience the joy our clients feel when they get their home,” says Tucker, who has been working in real estate since 1997.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties CEO Dan Forsman echoes Tucker’s sentiment. “My favorite thing about our business is helping people achieve the dream of homeownership,” Forsman explains.

To assist their clients with unique financial needs, Forsman and Tucker turn to Home Partners of America, a flexible solution to homeownership that can help build a more secure financial future for homeowners. Through the company’s Lease Purchase Program, Home Partners of America purchases the home a buyer is interested in, then leases the home to them with the inclusion of a right to purchase agreement, typically ranging from one to five years. This arrangement allows hopeful homeowners more time to get their credit in check and their finances in order, all while trying their future home on for size.

“Providing a path through Home Partners of America has truly been an innovative way to open so many more homes to meet the diverse and expanding needs for renters and future homeowners,” explains Forsman.

Forsman and Tucker have been working with Home Partners of America since 2014, and have closed on more than 350 homes with the program to-date. “We have numerous success stories of military, single parents, and more that were able to utilize the program to get into a great home in a great school district,” explains Forsman. “As with any transaction, there may be challenges, but Home Partners of America has a great process for helping the consumer get a chance to own the American Dream.”

The program was initially recommended to their team by other national brokers and colleagues. “We met with the Home Partners of America representative and studied the program, and ultimately decided it could be an

added benefit to our agent toolbelt, providing another opportunity to leverage rental leads into buyer closings,” says Tucker.

“There are more opportunities with homes for sale than for rent in our area, and this became a challenge for our associates hoping to find good rental homes,” explains Forsman, who enjoys his relationship with Home Partners of America, and finds it easy to collaborate on things like marketing and ways to get his associates engaged.

So how does Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties interact with Home Partners of America on the day-to-day? Home Partners of America provides a reporting dashboard with regular communications of associates and deals, and Forsman and Tucker encourage their associates to keep top of mind. “This helps to increase our conversion rates,” says Tucker. “It’s lowhanging fruit.”

Home Partners of America also assists with branding and marketing, including co-branded pieces for buyer packets, branded artwork for offices and online co-branded pieces used for digital marketing.

As a full-service real estate brokerage, Forsman and Tucker believe it’s their job to work with all consumers— not just those who are ready to buy today. “This program allows these potential prospects to get into a great home in a great school district by choosing from those properties for sale vs. for rent,” says Tucker. “It opens a bigger pool of houses. It’s a win-win for all.” RE For more information, please visit www.homepartners.com.

The Lease Purchase Program (“Program”) is offered and administered by Home Partners of America, Inc. Resident and property must meet eligibility requirements, which are subject to change. Resident must qualify for a mortgage from a third-party lender or pay the purchase price in cash to exercise the right to purchase a home.

Home Partners does not provide financing for the resident to purchase a home. Home Partners’ approval for the resident to lease a home does not mean that the resident will later qualify for a mortgage. Home Partners, the Home Partners of America, Inc. logo and “A New Path to Homeownership” are pending or registered trademarks and service marks of Home Partners of America, Inc. or its affiliates.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 49

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Relationships Matter

by Zoe Eisenberg

AT A GLANCE: • Largest custom front-end development/marketing firm in the real estate industry • Staff in Vancouver, Nanaimo, Montreal, New York, Denver and Sacramento • 150 in-house developers and support staff • 50,000 paid users • $25 - $30M annual revenue • Elevator Pitch: At Real Estate Webmasters, your only limitations are your budget and your imagination.

From left to right: Morgan Carey, J.B. Goodwin, Erin Cestero and Deirdre LePera at Real Estate Webmasters’ Campus in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada.

A

fter 45 years in the real estate industry, J.B. Goodwin has witnessed extraordinary change—and has thrived through it all. The secret to his brokerage’s longevity and incredible growth? It all comes down to people.

“From day one, our mission has been helping people,” says J.B. Goodwin, broker/CEO at JBGoodwin REALTORS®. “It doesn’t matter who walks through our doors, whether it’s a buyer, seller, tenant, landlord or an agent new to the business, we will always do the best we can to help every individual we encounter.”

That mission statement isn’t just window dressing. It’s been a way of life at JBGoodwin since the beginning, fueling its industry-leading retention rate and extraordinary growth rate. Over the past decade, they’ve grown from 250 to 700-plus agents, earning the status as the top independent brokerage in Central Texas.

“Whether you’re helping someone rent an apartment for $800 or selling their home for $5 million, every story is unique. An agent has to understand that story—the client’s motivations, needs and wants—in order to help them,” Goodwin shares. “Life events are what stimulate real es-

tate transactions, not trends or campaigns. We know life events because our clients are our friends. We’re there for them because we want to be there for them.”

This people-focused approach is woven into JBGoodwin’s culture, from local charitable initiatives to nationally recognized coaching and development programs. “You need to train and support your people in the best, most professional ways possible,” says Goodwin. “This means standout training, ongoing coaching and mentoring, and top technology.”

Nobody knows that better than Erin Cestero, San Antonio Division vice president at JBGoodwin. Before landing at JBGoodwin in 2012, Cestero interviewed at 23 brokerages (“Yes, I am that person,” she laughs). “I’ve worked with a lot of different sales and marketing departments in a wide range of industries. I can definitively say the JBGoodwin approach is the best

one,” she says. “Investing in the best platforms and tools available ensures our agents can provide exemplary service to their clients.

That includes a top website, CRM and lead generation.”

Goodwin believes a strong relationship with your technology vendors is paramount, giving a lot of credit for the growth of JBGoodwin to Real Estate Webmasters, the firm’s website and digital marketing services provider.

Their relationship goes beyond a typical vendor-client connection.

“We’re fortunate enough to have a relationship with Real Estate Webmasters where the owner of the company is glad to spend time with us and our staff to help us program, strategically plan and implement the technologies that will help us reach our goals. It’s very unusual for a vendor.”

The future looks even brighter for 2019. JBGoodwin’s focus for the upcoming year is all about the expansion and integration of the topof-the-line tools they provide to their agents and customers—a recipe for sustaining exponential growth. RE For more information, please visit jbgoodwin.com and realestatewebmasters.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 51

GET READY FOR THE PREMIER EVENT OF 2019 areaa.org/summit

Hear about the industries top trends, learn about new technologies and connect with over 700 real estate and industry professionals from around the world.

6 Strategies for JumpStarting Your Career as a New Agent

by Terri Murphy

C

ongratulations! The official license with your name on it is now proudly hanging on your office wall. You’ve passed all the tests and requirements, ordered your business cards, and are now ready for business.

The predictable first step is to put together a letter to announce to the world that you’re now a fully available, licensed real estate agent, ready to help with any and all real estate needs.

Why not kick that announcement letter up a notch by adding specific value options that may interest the reader? When you’re new to the business, you probably don’t have any listings, and you most likely lack experience, so your credibility as a “newbie” can be a barrier for even your friends and acquaintances to hire or refer you.

Here are a few ideas to help bridge that gap and fast-track your way to being a sales professional:

buyers or military buyers and sellers, in addition to highlighting your expertise on specific property types.

1.

3.

Design your announcement letter to show how you can provide value to the recipient. Include information about your new “team” if you’re joining an existing team or are being mentored by or shadowing a seasoned agent, manager or company team leader to get you on the fast track.

2.

Expand your letter to include specifics that aren’t about you, but rather, what you (your company/ team) are working on that has value to the recipient by including specific information. For example, share your plans regarding your commitment to focus on the senior market, first-time

niche areas informs people about your new career, opening the door to specific referrals.

4.

Don’t stop at one letter announcing your new venture.

Plan consistent follow-up messaging and activities with these contacts, such as monthly touches that include invitations to meet-and-greets, client events and community initiatives you support. Don’t assume that people will “remember” that you’re in the business. Instead, help them keep you top of mind for their current or future real estate needs.

5.

After sending that first announcement, track your touches with a good CRM (client relationship management) platform to record personal information. When you do your touch calls, confirm and update email addresses, mailing information, birthdays, anniversaries and the names of children and pets. This will prove valuable in the years ahead to help bridge the gap and position you as a valuable resource and trusted advisor.

6.

Describe what you do and how you do it for that specific vertical. If you plan to help military families, for example, inform your audience that you’re currently working on getting your Military Relocation Professional (MRP) Certification. The National Association of REALTORS® offers multiple certifications in additional verticals, such as the Seniors Real Estate Specialist®(SRES®) designation, the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation and the Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) designation. Although your designations may not be locked in at the time of your letter, the fact that you’re on your way to specializing in

Design your outreach with the personal touch. Use handwritten notes to connect by scanning the local news channels for announcements on births, job changes, promotions, awards and recognitions.

The highest return on your investment is to target people that already know, like and trust you, as these individuals are most likely to promote you and your services. Keep in touch with this VIP group to get more referrals faster. RE

Terri Murphy is a communication engagement specialist, author, speaker, consultant and coach with Workman Success Systems. She is the author of five books and radio host for KWAMtheVoice.com. For more information, please visit TerriMurphy.com or email Terri@TerriMurphy.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 53

THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF REAL ESTATE PORTALS ONLINE. WE SYNDICATE TO THE WEBSITES THAT MATTER. Since 1973

HOMESANDLAND.COM/BENEFITS

World-Class Teams Training Meets World-Class Agents Workman Success Systems joins forces with RE/MAX Commentary by Mary-Kate Newton

W

orkman Success Systems has taken a bold step forward to help RE/MAX agents thrive even more as teams.

WSS RealTeams™ is a new system developed by Verl Workman, the CEO and founder of Workman Success Systems and a sought-after real estate coach for over 20 years. The program is designed specifically to support and grow teams. Workman has given exclusive pricing to affiliates of RE/MAX, a brand with over 123,000 agents in over 100 countries and territories worldwide.

“Together with RE/MAX, we create a competitive advantage in the marketplace,” he says. “By adding RealTeams™ and the Workman Success Systems training center, RE/MAX now has a full solution for teams.”

The cornerstone of RealTeams™ is an online portal loaded with Workman Success Systems’ videos and training content. The interface is customizable and offers tracks designed to train, support and motivate. Combined with live courses, this solution provides agents at every level with the ability to grow.

Workman says that Workman Success Systems paired with a brand like RE/MAX is a dynamite combination.

“When you take the RE/MAX business model and the RE/MAX culture of productivity and combine that with training solutions and coaching, it’s a perfect storm for teams to thrive,” says Workman.

In 1998, Workman provided technology products, including laptops and agent websites, to the real es-

tate industry—something that was technologically forward-thinking at the time. He found that agents in general were reluctant to adopt the new technology, until he started working with RE/MAX affiliates.

Soon, he was selling so well to RE/MAX agents and regions across the U.S. that his focus became fulfilling orders, rather than selling them.

“That is when I first recognized that RE/MAX agents were different.

They invest in their businesses; they want to be better than everybody else,” says Workman. “They want to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to technology, training and system solutions.”

So when Workman Success Systems started building a teams product four years ago, Workman says he had RE/MAX agents in mind. He enlisted them to test his programs and content, and signed on high-producing team leaders as coaching clients and users of RealTeams™.

Amy Somerville, RE/MAX senior vice president of Education and Training, learned of Workman Success Systems through top RE/MAX affiliates who had worked with the company.

“I was hearing from several of our top team leaders that Verl had coached them for years,” she says.

“They told me, ‘Our success speaks for itself.’”

Somerville booked Workman as a speaker for that year’s annual Ul-

timate RE/MAX Teams Event, and attendees reported near-immediate success from implementing Workman’s advice.

“Workman Success Systems had already started developing RealTeamsTM, and we dove in,” says Somerville. “Some of our largest, most successful brokers and team leaders use RealTeamsTM, and the agents love it.”

To-date, RealTeams™ has hundreds of active RE/MAX users engaging with one of many customized RE/MAX platforms.

Bill Burns, broker/owner of RE/MAX First offices in Jeffersonville and New Albany, Ind., says that his firms are seeing great success with the RealTeams™ program.

“I have an agent who has been in the business for about 12 years who told me, ‘This class is what I needed. It kicked me in the rear and I have eight pending deals right now,’” says Burns.

Workman says the relationship between Workman Success Systems and RE/MAX is an important and unique one in the industry today.

“Our two companies together is where highest-producing agents meet the best tools, coaching and training for teams,” he says. “Until now, there hasn’t been a company that has put all of those things together.” RE Mary-Kate Newton is an editor with RE/MAX, LLC. A former newspaper journalist, she enjoys telling the stories of the real estate industry and its top real estate agents.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 55

What It Takes to Be a Top Workplace by the Experts at Realty ONE Group

No. 4 - Supportive Leadership

R

ealty ONE Group is honored to have been named a 2018 Top Workplace by The Orange County Register, a Southern California news outlet. But being named a Top Workplace isn’t something that happens by accident. It takes commitment, patience and perseverance by both leadership and employees to provide a safe and fun environment that promotes diversity and growth and fosters a culture of respect. Further, at Realty ONE Group, we focus on these four areas of organizational development that helped us land on The Orange County Register’s list.

No. 1 - Alignment to Our Mission We know that as a strong team of individuals with unique strengths and skillsets, we can work together to succeed if we share a common goal. And that goal is the Realty ONE Group mission: “Opening doors for everyone around the globe who aspires to do more and be more.” It’s not just a statement. It’s what we do every day. A good sign that your company is aligned with its mission is when employees can communicate it, strongly believe in it and the company’s values, and know that what they do daily contributes to that mission.

No. 2 - An Open Forum for Effectiveness It’s important to ensure a safe and

preciation go hand-in-hand, and most employees—if not all human beings—will respond positively to praise. Employees should feel as if their company is allowing them to use their unique skillset to move their own careers forward, whether within or outside of your organization. Make sure employees know that their opinions and ideas matter in the decision-making process.

Celebrate successes together. Encourage new approaches when you meet challenges. Most employees want not just a job, but a career that gives them a sense of meaning and fulfillment. As long as your employees meet your expectations, your company should, in turn, help them rise to the occasion.

stress-free environment for your workforce, but it’s equally important to inspire them to bring their best work to the table. To ensure that your department and teams truly collaborate, provide an open forum for your employees to comfortably contribute new ideas. Try and encourage different points of view for better decision-making by role modeling idea generation and adding counter opinions or thoughts to the discussion. You’ll be amazed at the new concepts and innovative solutions that transpire when departments come together and exchange ideas—and employees feel encouraged to think differently.

No. 3 - Meaning and Appreciation Company culture and employee ap-

One of the most important elements that earns you a spot as a Top Workplace is leadership. According to Energage, the company that hosted The Orange County Register’s survey, “the manager relationship has a big impact on an employee’s perception of their job and company.” Managers that express true concern for their employees, both personally and professionally, will often have a driven, dedicated and appreciative team.

This can be difficult when dealing with a fast-paced work environment, but managers who can balance this while helping develop their employees’ skills and provide opportunities for growth will have more successful teams. And this makes for a highly desirable workplace.

Becoming a Top Workplace is an honor that took a lot of labor, time and effort from everyone within the Realty ONE Group organization. It’s humbling to receive such a title, and it’s proof that we must be doing something right. As an organization, we’re committed to do more and be more, and to continue opening doors for everyone. RE To learn more about Realty ONE Group, named a 2018 Top Workplace by The Orange County Register, visit www.realtyonegroup.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 57

Blockchain and Real Estate:

A Game-Changing Combination Commentary by Chao Cheng-Shorland

N

o longer a futuristic technology built on hype and potential, blockchain is being used by millions of people across industry segments in every corner of the world. While the real estate industry has been slow to implement blockchain applications into their business models, as the technology continues to become more ubiquitous, the process of buying, selling or renting a home stands to never be the same again.

Having gained significant attention in 2018, blockchain will undoubtedly continue to trend as we head toward the future. But how does the much-hyped technology platform that cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are built on stand to impact the real estate industry? And why is it critical that real estate professionals across the board join the revolution and take advantage of this incredible opportunity to change the industry for the better?

From my perspective, it all boils down to three specific benefits: security, transparency and speed/efficiency. Not only will these key benefits allow the industry to standardize and scale online transactions, they also truly matter to buyers, sellers 58 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

and renters alike.

As far as security is concerned, this is one of the most compelling advantages associated with blockchain technology. Unlike just about every other technology application, blockchain is a decentralized, peerto-peer platform. Often referred to as distributed ledger technology (DLT), blockchain records, stores and distributes each transaction across thousands of computers around the world—making hacks and other data breaches more difficult to execute.

Instead of targeting massive datasets stored in one—or several—locations, hackers would need to track down a specific dataset on thousands of distributed computers. And that’s just one element of blockchain’s security profile. Others include encryption and authentication, in addition to there being no process for revisions or deletions.

Transparency is another benefit that solves a major real estate transaction problem. Once an entry is made on a blockchain “block,” that’s it. There’s no altering, updating or even deleting the entry. In order to change the entry, that specific block on every other blockchain on every other computer would need to be updated, making fraud virtually impossible.

With blockchain, all parties involved in a real estate transaction have access to the same information at the same time, saving a significant amount of time and human resources that are typically used for validating information.

Another key benefit associated with blockchain technology centers around speed/efficiency. While speed isn’t the first word that comes to mind when potential buyers conjure up the thought of purchasing a home, blockchain dispenses with the typical delays associated with the process because everything happens in real time. Once a buyer accepts a seller’s offer, the transaction is immediately executed as all the background work has already been built into the process.

But is the industry ready for blockchain?

In my experience, real estate fits all of the following criteria that should be met for a blockchain use case to make sense: - Some type of information exchange between multiple parties is required - Privacy is a critical concern - Tampering by other parties is a major issue - Reducing administrative costs is a requirement - Transparency, auditability and/or verification are requirements - Data security is paramount Even though blockchain is relatively new to the scene, applying the technology to the real estate process will go a long way toward moving the industry forward, positioning buyers and sellers on equal playing fields. RE

Chao Cheng-Shorland is cofounder and CEO of ShelterZoom.

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

For the Love of Your Broker Brand Commentary by Joe Martinez

Brand Name

Images

Colors and Fonts

Marketing System

V

alentine’s Day offers up the perfect time of year for brokers to love their brand. Branding is the first impression a company will have on a prospect. A strong brand can exemplify products, mission, policies or services to customers. It provides value, benefits and insight into the soul of a company. It also enables agents to personify the broker brand in all of their marketing and communications.

8Brand Name Great brand names seem to follow a few different themes, the most prominent being the founder’s name, such as Ebby Halliday, REALTORS®. Others describe what you do, like Guarantee Real Estate, and some describe where you operate, like Georgia Properties. Look at your brand name and make sure you’re investing in a brand that has marketability along the lines of one of these themes—or another theme that “speaks” to your audience in a meaningful way.

8Images A broker’s brand has a primary image, aka its logo. Your logo is your everything, and the best logos become household names. Consider how the logos of Nike, Apple and Intel inspire confidence, communicate a sense of history, quality and reliability and become the cornerstone of a company’s identity.

Beyond your logo, brokers often use other images, such as an iconic community photo, a corporate office photo or a landscape photo. Be sure to capture the essence of what the image does for your brand. These images can be used for your website, social media pages, or other places where you or your agents use images to depict stability, company history, demographic area and dreams, such as the image of a cabin in the countryside. Remember that selling a home is not just bricks and mortar.

A home is the feeling of a warm fireplace looking out over a snowy countryside, the fulfillment of a dream or the accomplishment of an objective.

Take care to license these images exclusively, which is critical for copyright and brand uniqueness.

8Colors and Fonts Your brand absolutely needs color.

Typically, you need three colors that

go well together. Color accentuates your website design, yard signs, flyers and any other marketing materials where you or your agents market the brand. Also, you need to specify the font type, color and size so that agents can have templates easily accessible and ready for deployment at a moment’s notice. In today’s competitive time-to-market environment, it’s not acceptable to wait days or even weeks for marketing materials.

8Marketing System Having your brand properly configured and promoted is just the first step. The second step is making sure your agents are proud of your brand, and using it to market themselves, your firm and listed properties. This takes a marketing system that’s preloaded with your branding so that agents can’t change it. No matter what an agent needs, the brand is in template format, ready at the click of a button to order business cards, flyers, yard signs, coffee mugs, etc. Just like Amazon, highquality marketing materials need to be delivered promptly, efficiently and professionally.

We launched our Amarki brand in 2018 after two years of a battle-tested beta empowering over 15,000 agents. Our platform enables our clients to get their listings to market faster, more professionally and with superior quality using one simple interface. We encourage you to visit www.Amarki.com to see how our marketing system will allow your brand to get the love it deserves.

Consider the possibilities: your brand, your success and our combined automated intelligence. RE

Joe Martinez is the chairman and CEO of CREELiT. For more information, please visit www.creelit.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 59

{Power Broker Perspectives}

by Keith Loria

Mary Lynn Stone

A Steady Focus on Service While attending the University of Maryland, Mary Lynn Stone went for her real estate license between her junior and senior year, and started to work in her parents’ office immediately after graduation. It didn’t take long for Stone to realize the income potential of the job, and she enjoyed the opportunity to work for herself.

She and Todd Hetherington joined CENTURY 21 together in 1998, and the two have led CENTURY 21 New Millennium to the top of the industry, recognized as the No. 1 Century 21 firm in the world for four straight years, serving clients in the D.C. Metro region. Today, as president and co-owner, Stone is gearing up for further success in the year ahead.

60 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

What sets your firm apart in the marketplace?

Mary Lynn Stone: Consistency. Teamwork. Singlemindedness of purpose.

Since our beginning in 1998, our company has grown, carefully and steadily. We expanded to add in-house core services: mortgage, title, insurance, worldwide relocation and commercial. With the help of strong leadership, we have added some of the best agents and staff in the industry. We are always looking for ways to improve the level of service we provide our clients while maintaining a balanced quality of life for our agents. The successful working of all these things together has helped set us apart in our marketplace.

How did your market fare in 2018? What factors contributed to this?

MLS: The greater D.C. area market has remained healthy, although inventory has been low in some rural areas. There are signs, however, that buyers may have more to choose from in the coming months as the trend for close-in walkable housing is reducing the number of interested buyers in some of the more expensive, established communities.

Are you planning to grow your firm in the next 12 months?

MLS: We will continue to be alert to new opportunities for growth through the addition of new associates and new offices, but we will

VITALS: CENTURY 21 New Millennium Years in business: 20 Size: 18 offices, 875 agents Regions served: Central Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. 2017 sales volume: $3.1 billion 2017 transactions: 7,800 units www.c21nm.com never outgrow our emphasis on customer service.

Our focus will remain primarily in the Maryland, Virginia and D.C. markets.

through a combination of building relationships with new customers and maintaining relationships with repeat customers.

What are the biggest challenges you’re currently facing?

MLS: Our biggest challenge is to avoid distraction. We need to be able to sift through all the new ideas that inundate our industry. We must be discerning in our choices, and only select those products that are of the most value to our clients and agents.

Being able to cast aside the shiny objects, while not missing something of real value, continues to be a challenge.

How are you preparing your salesforce to meet the expectations of today’s consumer?

MLS: Salesforces have always faced the challenge of adjusting to changing consumer expectations.

Today’s buyer lives in an online world of information.

To meet, and exceed, their expectations, we must also live in that world and speak the language. But, most importantly, we realize the need for immediate response to the consumer.

We are continually updating our technology tools and educating our agents to help them stay out front in the fast-paced eRace.

What are the biggest opportunities for increasing business right now?

MLS: We are fortunate that our market supports 15 active military installations, and we are very excited for the new Amazon HQ2, which will undoubtedly bring new customers to our area. We also emphasize staying in touch with our past client base. We know that our biggest opportunities will be gained

How are you updating your technology and training to provide the resources agents need to succeed?

MLS: At a company level, we’re constantly evaluating potential tools and systems to determine which ones may provide tangible value. This year alone, we’ve established partner-

ships with a best-in-class real estate CRM platform, a leading SOI-building and email marketing provider, and a system that helps agents become rock stars on social media without lifting a finger. We’ve also introduced the NM Success Center, which offers focused training toward buyer agent mastery, listing agent mastery and admin mastery.

Marilyn Eiland

Building Partnerships and Trust Marilyn Eiland was once a school teacher who sold real estate in the summer to supplement her income, but she fell in love with the industry, typed her resignation to the school district, and has now been selling real estate for more than 40 years.

She started her career as an agent, brokered a franchise for Gallery of Homes and then

had the opportunity to join the Gary Greene company, becoming general manager. In 2000, she and Mark Woodroof acquired the company and in 2012, partnered with Better Homes and Gardens to form Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene.

What is it that you love most about real estate?

Marilyn Eiland: I love working with agents and always have. I remember when I was general manager how thrilled we were that we had reached $350 million one year, and now, that’s an adequate month. We’ve grown a lot.

Do you have plans for continued growth this year?

ME: The outlook is definitely good. Houston is an unusual market. There are almost 38,000 members of the Houston Association of REALTORS® and not 5,000 of them do more than four transactions a year. It’s really tough for them, and they are willing to have conversations. We recently acquired Blake Wilcox Properties, and we have two more that we are working on right now, and we will continue looking at acquisitions.

What separates your firm in your marketplace?

ME: From the industry point of view, what is unique about us is the fact that we are very much a

VITALS: Better Homes and Gardens Real

Estate Gary Greene

Years in business: 55; six as Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene Size: 20 offices, 1,000 agents Regions served: Nine counties throughout Houston and surrounding areas 2017 sales volume: $2.5 billion 2017 transactions: 8,616 www.garygreene.com partnership model. Our agents work with coaches in the office, and everything we do is about trying to improve their income.

That separates us from a huge number of brokerages we compete against because they have caps.

We care as much about the first transaction that an agent does as the last one, and we do not have a cap.

This partnership relationship has given us the ability to have a large creative services department that creates flyers and advertising for agents, and is at their disposal for free. And it gives us a way to work with our agents that is just more personal.

How about from a public perspective?

ME: I think our branding makes us different in the public’s eye. Gary Greene’s been in Houston for 55 years and Better Homes and Gardens is a great consumer brand. I think that makes it easier for an agent to make a cold call— there’s an immediate trust.

We want to make a differ-

ence in the lives of those we work with.

What attracts agents to the firm?

ME: They like the idea that we are going to constantly have training opportunities, and that it’s our job to increase their business, providing leads and offering company-provided business. New agents also like that our training never stops.

What are you looking for in new agents?

ME: I like to see an energy level, and that this is something that they really want to throw their hearts and minds into, because it’s a hard business. We look for those who have relationships in the community and those who are engaging, because those are going to be the types of REALTORS® the public will turn to.

What do you feel is the biggest opportunity in 2019?

ME: To be in front of as many agents as we can.

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Other companies are starting to look for options as a lot of those agents wish they did more than four transactions. We can show them that, with our support, we can improve their bottom line.

Tim Milam

A Culture of Community and Caring Tim Milam has been in the real estate industry for more than 26 years, and what he loves best is helping REALTORS® achieve financial success, while at the same time helping clients and their families make savvy decisions on houses, which become their homes.

As president of Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage in Wilmington, N.C., which he purchased more than 20 years ago and merged with Coldwell Banker Advantage in 2012, Milam has led the firm’s growth 62 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

from one office to 18.

Milam is a partner in Coldwell Banker Advantage in Raleigh, Fayetteville and Southern Pines, N.C., as well as Coldwell Banker Chicora Advantage in Myrtle Beach, S.C. How did the North Carolina market look in 2018?

Tim Milam: It’s been another record year in sales for our company. Inventory is smaller than we’d like to see; however, our firm represents some of the best builders who are doing a great job in providing inventory. We took a great hit from Hurricane Florence last fall, with a lot of damage and some flooding. We had 33 REALTORS® and three employees in our firm who were displaced from their homes. But we came back strong, and our company, as well as Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation and so many other Coldwell Banker companies, stepped in to help us.

What other factors are impacting the market?

TM: Factors that affect our good market are of course our great climate, low taxes and the fact that this is just an overall wonderful area to live in. Yes, we do occasionally have a hurricane; however, all parts of the country have some natural disaster issues, and we are well-trained on how to handle the storms.

Retirees love to move here and enjoy the culture, low-

VITALS: Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage

Years in business: 26 Size: 18 offices, 575 agents Regions served: Southeastern North Carolina from Calabash to Jacksonville 2017 sales volume: $1.6 billion 2017 transactions: 7,023 www.seacoastrealty.com er taxes and lower cost of living.

What does 2019 have in store for the firm in terms of growth?

TM: We are planning to grow our firm this year, just as we have for the past 20-plus years. Our family culture that we offer is attractive to top producers, as well as new agents.

We are constantly looking at ways to grow, but will always maintain a steady growth vs. having a huge growth each year. This has worked so well that we’ve been the No. 1 Coldwell Banker firm in closed sales and closed volume for 19 years in a row.

What’s your competitive differentiation?

TM: I am not, nor will I ever be, a competing broker/ owner. My time is spent working for our agents and not competing with them.

In addition, our managers are not competing brokers, which makes a huge difference to agents. Our culture and attitude toward our agents are very simple— we work for them and they do not work for us. Our

motto is: “Do something nice for someone every week,” and our company truly lives by this.

Give us an example of that motto in action.

TM: The agents in our firm are constantly doing nice things in the community, such as building Habitat for Humanity Homes. I am very proud of the Sea Coast Family, and not because of our No. 1 status, but for the great people they are.

How are you preparing agents for success?

TM: We prepare them to face today’s consumers by offering great knowledge of all aspects of the transaction. Consumers expect us to deliver great advice in an easy-to-communicate method, as well as provide suggestions for the lender, title company, warranty company and attorney for closing.

We must be able to communicate in whatever form the customer asks, and we must do it in a timely manner. Discussing your customers’ expectations and communication method up front is very important. RE

Sell Your Value First…Then Sell a House

by Sherri Johnson

I

n today’s highly distracting world, it isn’t enough to just say you sell houses or you’re a REALTOR®; you must add value to the process. In order to do that, you need to know what makes you more valuable than your competitor, and how to communicate that effectively. For 20 years I have said, “First we sell ourselves and our value, then we sell a house.”

Each sales opportunity requires that you have a strategy and know how to engage with confidence. Do you ask good, leading questions that help you solve their problem? Do you over-mirror them while trying to build rapport and end up having them steer the conversation (leading to “not listing at this time”)? Adding tremendous value to all potential clients’ situations will get you hired every time.

Follow these proven strategies to communicate what you bring to the process for the client, instead of waiting for them to ask you to go to work for them. You will get hired on the spot.

Radically differentiate yourself and your service.

Why would someone choose you over another agent? Do you know the answer? You need to not only know the answer, but also need to be

able to articulate with passion and certainty what it is you bring to the table to help them reach their real estate objectives, whether buying or selling. Make confident statements that communicate what you do differently than any other agent.

things you do that set you apart from other agents. Show them and tell them how you can save them time and money, for example. Tell them that you actually provide valuable solutions and a proven marketing strategy and home-buying system that will help them both sell and buy with ease. Adding value equals getting hired, every time.

Work at their pace and their speed.

Saying out loud that you’re resultsoriented and “no pressure” will instantly set you apart from other agents. The fact that you actually say, “I work at your pace and your speed; there will never be any pressure from me—just results” makes people feel special, heard and not pushed by a too-aggressive agent. They will love your work and your style, and will hire you right there.

By communicating your unique value proposition, it will resonate with potential buyers and sellers that you can help them solve their situations.

Honestly, having a truly value-driven mindset will get you hired. You will convert more potential clients by carefully and strategically—point by point—solving their problem, and add value in the process. RE

Build trust and confidence.

All relationships should be authentic and real. If you seek to build a relationship on trust and confidence with a prospect, you will be starting off on the right foot. Actually say, “I want to build a relationship with you based on trust and confidence.” These are influencing words that reinforce that you’re a person they can trust and be confident working with on their single largest financial purchase or sale.

Add value to the process.

Show how you can add value to the sales or purchase process by demonstrating the radically different

To watch my exclusive Sherri Johnson Coaching Adding Value to Buyer and Seller Prospects webinar, please email yourock@sherrijohnson.com. I look forward to hearing your success stories and welcome a call for you to find out how coaching and team coaching with Sherri Johnson Coaching will absolutely change your life.

Sherri Johnson is CEO and founder of Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting. With 20 years of experience in real estate, Johnson offers coaching, consulting and keynotes, and is a national speaker for the Homes.com Secrets of Top Selling Agents tour. For more information, please contact coaching@sherrijohnson.com or 844-989-2600 (toll-free) or visit www.sherrijohnson.com.

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HISPANIC REAL ESTATE'S MOST

Nominations must be received

by February 28, 2019!

The Dance That Makes a Difference Commentary by Darryl Davis, CSP

I

f you’ve been around the industry for even a little while, you’ve probably been prompted to learn hard-closing scripts and techniques in order to “nail” more appointments and “close” people to make decisions. After teaching real estate agents to take their businesses to the Next Level® for more than 30 years, I can tell you from experience—and from my heart—that those techniques not only don’t work with today’s consumers, but also don’t feel comfortable for most agents, either.

We’re in the business of people—of creating connections and building relationships—which means that most of those canned scripts and tough sales talks really aren’t in alignment with relationship-building.

That’s why I teach agents to use stories, metaphors and analogies to convey their messages with feeling, be more present in their conversations and better connect with sellers and buyers, because the focus is on serving, not selling—and coaching, not closing.

That’s a differentiator. When we’re focused on serving, it’s not all about us, which means that we’re asking

questions and listening for answers.

We’re learning what the real commitment is from that seller, which is rarely just to sell the house. It might be that they want to move to be closer to their grandchildren, or they need a bigger house for a growing family. What’s their commitment?

When you know that, you can coach them to realize their goal. See how that feels different?

A listing appointment is like a dance. When you get on the dance floor, the more moves you have, the better the dance. You don’t get on the floor and “do steps,” but rather, you “are the steps.” You’re

not doing, you’re being. You’re in the moment, inventing the dance as you go along.

Now, what influences the dance is your partner and the speed or tempo of the music. On a listing appointment, the “dance floor” is the kitchen table. Your “partner” is the seller and the “tempo” is the seller’s commitment, or how soon they have to sell. Your “dance steps” are the metaphors, analogies and stories you’re able to communicate about the process that glides them through the course of a powerful listing appointment.

I teach agents to use metaphors and analogies for the tools they use to market a home (MLS, lockbox, yard signs, open houses), get pricing, handle objections, the works.

The more of these you have in your repertoire, the simpler it will be to communicate with your partner (seller), the smoother your appointment will be and the more connection you’ll feel with your sellers.

That naturally leads to more listing contracts.

Bottom line? Make the shift from selling to serving and closing to coaching. When you do, you’ll feel more integrity, as well as an added level of comfort when prospecting and when on appointments. Our students tell us it makes all the difference. I know it can for you, as well. RE Darryl Davis has spoken to, trained and coached more than 100,000 real estate professionals around the globe. He is a best-selling author for McGraw-Hill Publishing, and his book, “How to Become a Power Agent in Real Estate” tops Amazon’s charts for most-sold book to real estate agents. He is the founder of the Next Level™ real estate training system The Power Program®, which has proven to help agents double their production over their previous year. Davis earned the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, held by less than 2 percent of all speakers worldwide. To learn more, visit www.ThePowerProgram.com.

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3 Key Criteria for Evaluating a Home Inspection Company

by Buddy Stark

A

s a trusted professional, clients naturally look to their real estate agent for a home inspector recommendation.

With over 25 years of experience in the industry, HomeTeam has identified several considerations to use when recommending a home inspection company.

KNOWLEDGE Look for licensing and professional certifications. Not all states require home inspectors to be licensed to perform home inspections. In many states, home inspectors can be parttime or there one day, gone the next.

Do your homework to ensure that the home inspection company your client chooses has the proper state licenses or, in states where there isn’t licensing, that they’re members of a professional organization like ASHI (American Society of Home Inspec-

68 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

tors) or InterNACHI, where they can receive training and certification.

EXPERIENCE Seek national brands like HomeTeam Inspection Service that have developed proprietary resources, tools and technology designed to provide a level of service above what an independent home inspector can provide. On the national level, they can be found at conferences and events and are constantly tracking industry news, trends and challenges to collectively provide the best service to clients and agents.

PROFESSIONALISM There’s no standard insurance coverage for home inspectors, but two

types of coverage are critical. General liability insurance, which covers damage that occurs while performing an inspection, is the most common.

Professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance applies to issues related to the inspection. This type of insurance covers the agent, so agents can have peace of mind knowing that they’re indemnified from recourse after the transaction.

Some states require home inspectors to have professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance, but the minimum requirements vary.

Texas, for example, one of the most stringent states with home inspection regulations, requires home inspectors to carry $100,000 per claim and $100,000 aggregate of professional liability, or errors and omissions, insurance. However, they don’t require general liability insurance.

Look for a home inspection company that carries both professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance and general liability insurance at coverage amounts of at least $250,000 per occurrence/ $500,000 aggregate. A national home inspection company, like HomeTeam, requires that all locations have these coverages regardless of state requirements.

At the end of the day, it’s up to the client to choose the best home inspection company for them, but being able to provide some criteria for evaluating a company will help position the agent as even more of a resource. RE Buddy Stark is director of Operations at HomeTeam Inspection Service. For more information, please visit www.hometeam.com.

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{Meet the Newsmakers} 2019

FUTURISTS: ALEX WANG

Alex Wang

A

Principal, Alex Wang Group, Sereno Group; Founder, ProntoWorks

lex Wang has worked in the Silicon Valley real estate industry for the past two decades and has helped agents change the way they approach

their practice. He has grown his team and business to one of the top 250 in the nation, with a sales volume of $134 million in 2017. An active agent and the principal of Alex Wang Group with Sereno Group, Wang was named by The Wall Street Journal as one of the Top 250 Real Estate Agents in the Nation in 2018.

At Sereno Group, Wang contributes to innovation, culture and thought leadership by coaching real estate agents. In addition, he founded Pron-

“We have the honor to work with clients that put so much trust in us in such a short period of time. We are invited into a stranger’s living room, and within an hour, we’ve learned everything about them—their finances, health of their marriage, family relationships and even the upcoming pregnancy.”

For Wang, the personal connection he forms with clients is one of the most rewarding parts of his work.

“We have the honor to work with clients that put so much trust in us in such a short period of time,” he says. “We are invited into a stranger’s living room, and within an hour, we’ve learned everything about them—their finances, health of their marriage, family relationships and even the upcoming pregnancy.”

Wang is devoted to his family, proud of “being a full-contact father and continuing to cultivate my marriage while pushing my real estate business to new venues.” He has been sharing his experiences and lessons learned with others online. “This year, I’ve been documenting my journey as a mentor and coach on YouTube and social media,” he says. RE For more information, visit www.alexwang.com.

To see all of RISMedia’s 2019 Real Estate Newsmakers, visit rismedia.com/2019-newsmakers.

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72 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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{Blog Spot} Before you set your heart on a specific neighborhood, you want to make sure you’re in the know so that there are no surprises after you’ve moved in.

How to Find the Perfect Neighborhood

by David Hakimi

L

ocation, location, location. Half of buying a home is all about finding where you want to live. You may have found your dream house, but it’s not in your dream neighborhood.

So, what should you be watching out for? Here’s how you can find the perfect neighborhood: CHECK IT OUT ONLINE The internet provides an immense amount of information. It’s easy to use and entirely accessible for everyone, so you don’t have any excuses not to take advantage of it.

Look up what everyone is saying about a neighborhood you’re interested in. Do people actually enjoy living there? What do they like and dislike about it? Google the crime statistics for the area; safety should be top of mind.

SCOUT IT OUT Do drive-bys, and do them at dif-

ferent times of the day so that you can get a feel for a certain neighborhood. Is there a soccer field or baseball diamond close by? You’ll want to know before it’s too late whether or not cars will be lined up on your street. Before you set your heart on a specific neighborhood, you want to make sure you’re in the know so that there are no surprises after you’ve moved in. It’s also a good idea to check out the traffic patterns in the area.

HOW FAR IS YOUR POTENTIAL HOME FROM YOUR JOB? This might not matter to some—or, if you’re near retirement, it might not matter at all—but a long commute has the potential to become

an everyday stressor, one that you don’t need or want. If you take the bus, look up the route and times. If you drive, check out the route during your normal commute times on Google Maps.

DO YOUR RESEARCH ON PROPERTY TAXES This could majorly impact your cost of living. Property taxes greatly differ from one region to the next, so be sure to do your research and find out what to expect. Don’t let this come as a shock, as you want to be sure you can afford the area you have your heart set on. Also, take this a step further and do some research into the cost of utilities and food prices.

Ensure your perfect home is in your ideal neighborhood before making a final decision. It’s worth taking the time to do research so that you end up with what you really want. RE This article originally appeared on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. Visit us at blog.rismedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 75

{Broker Spotlight: Arizona Best Real Estate}

The Arizona Best Team (from left to right): Ashley Pickens, Charmayne MacIntyre, Leanne King, Patty Tracy, David MacIntyre, Laura Staver, Michelle O’Connell, Allison Rybarczyk and Christine Jurgens

The Power of Independence Why Arizona Best Stays Small to Win Big

by Maria Patterson

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sk David MacIntyre to describe his company and he’ll proudly tell you, “We are not just another real estate firm; we are a family.” When he started Arizona Best Real Estate in 1987, MacIntyre’s plan was never to hire mass quantities of agents or open endless offices, but rather, to grow an independent firm and create an environment where real estate professionals could prosper in their careers and enjoy fulfillment in their personal lives. And more than 30 years later, MacIntyre is succeeding at doing just that. A leader in the local business community, the firm boasts an average agent tenure of 13 years, has held Ranking Arizona’s No. 1 spot in Corporate Relocation five years in a row, enjoys consistent award recognition from Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, and is more committed to remaining independent than ever. Here, MacIntyre shares why focusing on the individual agent is the best competitive advantage any broker—large or small—could have.

76 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

From left to right: Relocation Manager Michelle O’Connell; Relocation Coordinator Ashley Pickens, CRP; and Relocation Director Allison Rybarczyk, CRP

Maria Patterson: David, you have a very diverse background. Would you begin by telling us a little about your career path?

David MacIntyre: Of course. My personal career has a strong focus on education. I graduated from Arizona State University (ASU), earning a business degree with a major in real estate. My time at ASU gave me a solid understanding of business trends and financial systems that have helped me throughout my career.

Later on, I was director of Education of the Arizona Real Estate Department, where I introduced the statewide purchase contract, renewal courses and guidelines for college courses, as well as introduced public-speaker training for instructors.

I earned the REALTOR® designations of CRB, CRS, ABR® and GRI, and I advise all REALTORS® to take these courses; in fact, I reimburse my agents who do so. These courses provided me with information that would have otherwise taken years to learn.

I have also attended most national speakers’ seminars and have read their books. My favorites are Rick DeLuca, Joe Stumpf, Larry Kendall and Mike Staver. I have a few hundred books in my library.

Over my first 20 years, I managed several teams, offices and companies for both local and national

firms, responsible for anywhere from five to 600 people, before opening my own firm 30 years ago.

My time working for franchises and corporations was invaluable, as I learned the importance of cooperation and working together for a desired outcome. It also gave me the opportunity to experience a wide variety of systems and strategies.

But through it all, community service has been the cornerstone. The principles of “Service above self” and “To whom much is given, much is expected” have guided everything I’ve done. I am a REALTOR® Emeritus of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), was a director with the Boys and Girls Club, the Rotary Club and the Presbyterian Church, and I have served 15 years on the Professional Standards Committees of the Phoenix, Scottsdale and Arizona Associations of REALTORS®.

MP: Arizona Best has a long history in the market. When did you first start the firm?

DM: Our family has been involved in residential real estate locally for 65 years. I have been active for 50 years, my wife, Charmayne, for 43 years, and our daughter, Allison Rybarczyk, our relocation director, represents the third generation and has been involved for 23 years.

We acquired this company with 115 agents and 400 active listings

in 1987 from a Savings and Loan association during the savings and loan downturn. We used the hard lessons learned during that period by maintaining good cash reserves, so if the market drops by 50 percent, we would still be in business.

This conservative philosophy paid off, as many of the larger firms that expanded in the 2005 boom sold or went out of business in the 2008 downturn, while we remain a profitable, family-owned and -managed company today.

MP: How many offices and agents do you currently have, and how would you describe the firm’s current positioning?

DM: We are in the process of growing our company from its current size of 100 agents and seven locations.

Our model is that of a relocation company with agents. We were named the No. 1 Corporate Relocation company by Ranking Arizona five years in a row. The relocation component of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) is the glue that holds us together. It’s all about sending someone you know to someone you trust.

MP: Tell me about your decision to stay independent. What can other small, independent brokers learn from your experience?

DM: The first reason is all about quality. As an independent, we control our reputation. The second is about culture. A real estate agent is the core that everything revolves around. Arizona Best believes the individual agent is the competitive advantage…and that’s an advantage that can be replicated by any firm, large or small. An educated agent who is liked, trusted and respected by others is the best competitive adRISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 77

Arizona Best REALTORS® (from left to right): Chris Nace, Kim Cooper, Sarah McNurlin, Traci Wood and David Koon Below: Arizona Best Real Estate was awarded the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce’s Sterling Award, which celebrates outstanding community contributions.

vantage, and I’ve slowly grown the company with quality agents.

We compensate our agents well, provide them with education, and, most importantly, we really care about them. So it’s not about the quantity of people; it’s about helping people succeed while finding the balance in their own life.

MP: I love your philosophy about focusing on quality. How does this help you succeed in the marketplace?

DM: When we deal with another firm, we always hear about how qualified our people are. And we always do the right thing. We’ve had virtually no litigation in 30 years.

Good agents don’t get a paycheck unless they do a good job, and brokers don’t survive unless their agents do a good job.

The bottom line is to have a servant mindset where you focus on helping others. That is your competitive advantage.

MP: So, then what has been your approach to growth and expansion over the years?

DM: Our approach to growth is quality over quantity. If we can hire, educate and retain great employees and quality agents, we will expand.

In the book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins, step one is to hire the right people. Our reputation is important; therefore, we hire staff and recruit agents based on character and teach them the skills needed to succeed.

Normally in Arizona, 80 percent of agents who start a career quit within two years. Ten percent do okay, and 10 percent really prosper.

In my opinion, any massive recruiting program where 90 percent of the 78 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

people fail or do not prosper is not fair to the person trying to earn a living in residential real estate.

The success of the person is our highest priority. I have always respected Dale Rector and the concept he launched with Realty Executives, which was to help individual agents. We want to make people’s lives better. We hire who we can help.

MP: Nurturing quality agents must mean you focus heavily on education, as well…

DM: We do. I like the concepts of “To earn the best, be the best” and “People are your most important asset.” Therefore, we hire sparingly and educate extensively. As a personal believer in education, I have provided everything for our agents to succeed if they choose to do the work.

For agents, we provide 300 courses through our Arizona Best University platform, powered by Institute

by LeadingRE, which was voted the No. 1 Training Program by Training magazine. We also provide weekly education at our sales meetings using the Ninja Accelerator program by LeadingRE and Larry Kendall of Ninja Selling.

We have paid agents to attend out-of-state and out-of-country conferences for LeadingRE, Luxury Portfolio, Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate, MAESTRO Leadership, By Referral Only and Ninja, as well as many meetings and seminars held in Arizona.

I don’t need a lot of agents, but I need really good agents. Again, if you want to make the best income, you need to be the best. If you have the quality, you can be the best.

MP: How would you describe the current state of the market, and how do you handle challenges?

DM: When new business concepts are introduced in our industry, we can instantly adjust to compete.

For example, we consistently analyze the newest technology opportunities while waiting to see the results that others have first, because oftentimes, the leading-edge idea is improved upon by the fourth or fifth competitor or an upgrade to the original version. We have waited as long as six years for some ideas. We go with the best proven technology.

save thousands more in franchise fees, which we use to pay higher salaries and bonuses to our staff, and generous commissions to our agents.

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

DM: The No. 1 reason is money.

work on business and learn new technology. When we roll something out, we have to know that it works well. Our final decision on bringing in a new technology is whether or not it’s going to make the agent’s life easier and more profitable.

Agents earn more money here than even at 100-percent commission firms because of our strong corporate relocation model, which provides them with more actual takehome money.

The second reason is our culture.

Our highly-paid, full-time staff also averages more than 12 years with Arizona Best Real Estate. Agents stay because they are treated with respect. Quality people enjoy being with other quality people.

We hire positive, approachable, honest, professional, quality people and provide them with the money, tools and resources to prosper. We show them the path and they determine how to use the tools that fit their personality.

MP: What are you doing differently to stand apart from the competition?

DM: We normally do not adver-

MP: Tell me more about the benefits of being part of LeadingRE. DM: I was first involved in RELO in

tise in newspapers or magazines or on the radio or TV, which saves us thousands of dollars, which we then spend to educate our staff and agents.

As an independent firm, we also

1969. Jack Clevenger of Jack Clevenger Realty and Al Gazley of Ed Post Realty introduced me to RELO and the value of independence.

RELO eventually transitioned into LeadingRE, so LeadingRE really has

MP: What’s the final decision-maker when it comes to new technology, then?

DM: It’s difficult for our agents to

a 50-plus year history; that’s why their knowledge of real estate practices is expansive.

LeadingRE is an open, friendly community of like-minded people from whom my agents and staff benefit greatly. However, a company must be invited into the LeadingRE network every single year, which keeps participation and standards at the highest level.

Membership in LeadingRE is the greatest benefit to the real estate industry in the last 50 years because now a small, quality firm can compete. LeadingRE allows you to get together with brokers who you trust and start sharing business successes, as well as hits and misses. LeadingRE has also provided us with a way to move into technology, because it would be hard for us to keep up on our own.

I am also part of LeadingRE’s Rainmakers group, a group of brokers who meets once or twice a year, and Allison was the 2018 chair of the LeadingRE Relocation Advisory Council, and has also served two terms on the council.

Allison and I can both attest to the fact that the No. 1 reason to be part of LeadingRE is the relationships you build with other people.

Through those relationships, you get access to vision, imagination, thought leadership—an idea that might make sense for your business. Most importantly, we have made lifelong friends.

MP: Finally, David, what’s on deck for the future of the firm?

DM: Current programs in progress are to double our gross commission income within three to five years. I expect our per-agent productivity to grow from 750 sides to 1,500 closed transactions a year. I also anticipate our gross profit will quadruple because we already paid for the growth anticipated. Small works for us. RE Arizona Best asked its agents what it’s like to work at the firm. The above Word Cloud expresses their thoughts. Create one for your firm at WordArt.com.

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 79

{Broker Best Practices} Planting a Seed, Growing Your Reach Online Lynne Gewant Broker Associate Coldwell Banker Beach and Resort Boca Raton, Fla. www.coldwellbankerluxury.com/specialist/lynnegewant Region served: South Florida/Palm Beach County to Miami Years in real estate: 18 Number of offices: 2, as well as the use of other NRT offices throughout the counties Number of agents: 4 Top tip for heightened productivity: Answer your phone!

Everyone knows that being first to respond is critical with online shoppers. Is there a way to start making a brand impression on them even before they start to send in lead forms? I’ve been using Local Expert from realtor.com®from its inception, and I’ve found that the buyers who are online are amazed at how often they see my name. This is exactly why I use Local Expert—and why I’ll continue using it.

Staying Ahead of a Shifting Market

by John Voket

Randy Rector CEO HomeSmart Evergreen Realty Irvine, Calif. www.homesmart.com/real-estate-office/california/irvine/52-evergreen-realty-homesmart Region served: Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties Years in real estate: 13 Number of offices: 12 Number of agents: 1,400 Best tip for dealing with difficult clients: Bury your ego. Don’t get 80 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Is there a reason for directing more of your marketing to realtor.com® vs. other sites? I prefer realtor.com® because it’s updated more frequently than other sites, you can see what the customer has been looking at and when, and, most importantly, the number has been verified.

Do you ever get people who are ready to make a move right away?

Yes. In fact, one of my largest transactions took place in less than three weeks. I showed them one property that they had inquired about, and we were in contract within 36 hours.

Once you’ve made contact with someone who shows buying intent, how persistently do you follow up?

I’m like a Doberman; I don’t let go until told to do so. In addition to speaking with clients a minimum of two times a week, I continue to send appropriate properties and try to lock down a day and time to show them their favorites.

Can an online combination of branding and lead generation becaught up in their personal emotion, but rather, focus on the facts and assist them with moving their transaction to a successful conclusion.

Most creative marketing campaign you’ve run: We ran a campaign called “Shift Happens” when we joined HomeSmart in 2012 to highlight the shift our marketplace would see when we combined the benefits HomeSmart brought to our existing brokerage.

Key to staying profitable: HomeSmart proprietary systems, which allow the brokerage to centralize operations and eliminate redundant costs Best recruiting technique: Our support. Not only are our risk managers

by Zoe Eisenberg

come more productive than having your team focus on prospecting? I believe both are a must. In today’s market, we as REALTORS® need to do everything in our wheelhouse, from the old-school to the highly technical, to get our names and brands out there. You never know who your buyer is and where they may come from.

What are the top things you always do to make online marketing work?

Not to be repetitive, but answer the phone. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s amazing how many people tell me I was the only person that answered the phone or returned their call. Also, make sure to clean out your voicemail so that it isn’t full, and ensure that it’s date-appropriate. It doesn’t look good when you state that you will be out of the office from X to Y and that was weeks ago. Another tip is to get a CRM. No matter how brilliant you are, you’re eventually going to forget to send that email, make that call or do the necessary follow-up.

For more information, please visit hub.realtor.com/team.

available seven days a week, but also, they typically respond within 10 minutes. Our agents share this great experience with non-HomeSmart agents and recruit them to experience this support.

Why is the HomeSmart model a great fit for you in the SoCal market where you’re based? The HomeSmart model gives us the operational efficiencies needed to maintain 25 - 30 percent bottom line margins. These efficiencies include proprietary technology, centralized file review, risk management, one-click marketing and accounting services. When many of our competitors are running sub-

10 percent margins, this is a huge advantage.

personal information around with them.

Are you leaning on specific technologies to make your office more efficient, your team more productive, or both? We lean a lot on HomeSmart’s proprietary technology as it streamlines almost every aspect of the brokerage business, driving more profitability to the brokerage. Additionally, our agents can produce professional marketing pieces instantly from almost any device. They have the ability to upload their transaction documents to our system from anywhere, eliminating the need to carry sensitive

How is HomeSmart making it easier for brokers to develop next-gen real estate professionals with a focus on client relations? With our agent panel, we’ve nearly eliminated the need for traditional paperwork as transaction documents can be completed and uploaded utilizing any device. Our staff will compile, review and audit all documents for compliance so that our professionals can concentrate on their clients’ needs. In addition, we have licensed transaction coordinators that followup on the transactional details,

Community and Training Lead to Explosive Growth

How important is training in implementing structure that will ultimately lead to a thriving business? One of the things I’m really passionate about is training and coaching the brokers I interact with. Training is critical, especially with such a huge number of brokers getting into the business. I’ve observed a lack of education, where brokers don’t understand specific nuances of transaction paperwork. Our office created a program that tells brokers how to best structure the contract in a real estate transaction and other nuances to give clients an experience as if they were a practiced broker instead of a rookie. It really makes a difference and is critical to their success whether young or old, in addition to being critical to the success of the brokerage.

by Liz Dominguez

Matt Side Owner/Sales Manager Realty ONE Group Eclipse Spokane, Wash. www.realtyonegroup.com/realestateagent/mattside-9908067 Region served: Washington Years in real estate: 9 years licensed, over 18 in other real estaterelated roles Number of offices: 1 Number of agents: 24 Proudest accomplishment: Five years ago, I fell 25 feet at high velocity and crushed my spine. I spent six weeks in the hospital. One year later, I was able to not only walk, but to step onto cross country skis again. I was overwhelmed by a mix of humbling gratitude.

No. 1 career goal: Being able to help brokers get to where they want to be with their goals.

In what ways does branding play a role in capturing leads and selling homes? The Realty ONE Group brand as an enhancement and a support for the local real estate broker is what makes the difference. If that branding is not accessible and easily applied by the broker in their daily business, it is irrelevant and not helpful. It is one of our great strengths that all of our brokers have

allowing our professionals to assist clients with the emotional moments that come with their move.

Are there any expansion opportunities on the horizon in 2019?

There’s a massive shift about to happen in our industry within the next five years. A large majority of our broker/owners are at or near retirement age, and there isn’t a definitive exit strategy in our industry. This allows for some interesting win-win scenarios, whereby we’ll be able to create a bridge retirement plan for these owners.

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

access to completed marketing products, as well as the base marketing assets that allow them to customize their marketing materials with clean, compelling branding.

What are you doing differently that elevates your brokerage above the rest? We’re adding value and giving more to our brokers at the same time. There’s a gap in the application of training with other brokerages, and that’s what we fill. Through our practical training—REALTOR® Life Hack—we boil it down to the top five apps, top five podcasts and other things that will give brokers ideas on how to grow their business.

How do you measure success in your business? We all win together at Realty ONE Group. We’re motivated to help brokers do more transactions, and we’re not just a place where brokers hang their license. We’re creating a broker experience through our community and culture. Not only is our success tied to that, but also, the success of the brokers in my office. In the end, it’s about maintaining that community and family feel, whether we’re 24 or 100 brokers.

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 81

{Intelligence}

Amazon First, Now Google and Apple? How These Major Expansions Impact Real Estate

by Liz Dominguez

R

eal estate is already expecting significant changes this year, including surrounding Amazon’s soon-

to-be-built headquarters in both Long Island City (LIC) and Crystal City. Now, Google and Apple are hopping onboard the expansion train, promising new jobs outside the West Coast that could attract an influx of relocating talent, possibly putting a strain on the local housing markets.

82 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Where is the expansion happening?

For Google, an expansion in New York City worth $1 billion in capital improvements promises a new 1.7 millionsquare-foot campus (Google Hudson Square) that could add over 7,000 new jobs to the area. In addition, the company is looking to lease additional space at Pier 57 and make a $2.7 billion purchase of Chelsea Market, according to the Wall Street Journal.

While Google already employs over 7,000 people in NYC through core operations, search, advertising, maps and YouTube, the new headquarters would double the present staff, creating stiff competition for rival tech companies Amazon and Apple.

Apple, meanwhile, is spreading out across the U.S., adding 100 jobs in NYC, but also expanding in Pittsburgh, Pa.; Boulder, Colo.; Seattle, Wash.; and San Diego and Culver City, Calif. In addition, Apple is building a new campus in Austin, a $1 billion investment located just a mile away from Apple’s existing Austin facilities. The 133-acre, renewable energy-powered campus is set to accommodate 5,000 employees at startup, but has the

capacity to house a staff of 15,000.

It is expected to make Apple the largest private employer in Austin when fully staffed.

Additionally, Apple is hoping to invest an additional $10 billion in data centers across the U.S. in the next five years, with $4.5 billion authorized for 2019 and 2020. These expansion goals are part of Apple’s overarching plan to create 20,000 new jobs in the U.S. by 2023 in its engineering, R&D, operations, sales and customer support departments.

What’s the real estate impact with regard to housing and technology?

Amazon’s HQ2 is already influencing market activity and prices in LIC; in fact, Skyline Tower, which will be located directly across from HQ2, recently received a pricing amendment that increases the 67-story building’s total sellout by $80 million (not including penthouses) from its record $1 billion. Modern Spaces, a real estate search website, has already received over 700 buyer inquiries before sales have launched.

Additionally, in preparation of increased foot traffic, the building’s developer has agreed to a $16 million upgrade of the subway entrance at the base of the building to improve transportation options for residents.

So, what do Google and Apple’s expansions hold in store for their respective locations?

RISMedia spoke with two of the industry’s leading technology experts, Edward Tull, director of Technology and Process Management for Austin-based JB Goodwin REALTORS®, and David Greenberg, an RISMedia 2019 Real Estate Newsmaker and the founder and CEO of Updater, a relocation technology company, to gauge their impact and what the future holds for Austin and NYC as a

result of Apple’s and Google’s expansion plans.

LD: Edward, how do you foresee Apple’s Austin campus impacting local real estate?

Edward Tull: Initially, we may see a decrease in available housing.

Since Apple plans to incrementally increase to 15,000 employees, we do not feel that there will be an emergency shortage of housing.

With new-home communities and apartment complexes going up every day, Austin will be able to handle the influx of people.

LD: David, do you believe Google’s new campus, along with Amazon’s recent expansion news, to be a detriment to the city of New York, or a boon?

David Greenberg: Google’s expansion may bring over 10,000 new jobs to NYC and Amazon may bring another 25,000. While NYC will see great benefits from these tech titans expanding their NYC footprint, these moves will also change the landscape of the city.

The rate at which property prices will spike in Long Island City, for example, will likely dramatically outpace normal growth. Huge spikes in prices along the 7 train and G line will bring major changes to neighborhoods that have never seen changes as rapid as we now expect—neighborhoods that are relatively affordable today will become unaffordable for most very quickly.

I’ve heard from agents that there’s already a massive influx of buyers trying to get ahead of Amazon’s move in Long Island City. I also foresee major challenges for the NYC public transit system, which is already in a tough spot.

LD: In terms of technology, what role will it play in the expansion and in relocation efforts?

DG: I’ve always believed NYC’s status as the country’s second biggest tech hub, rivaling the Bay Area, has been

overlooked. This is partly because tech is just one of many amazingly successful sectors in NYC, sharing the limelight with finance, fashion, advertising and the arts—but many of the country’s greatest tech products are built in NYC. Competition in the NYC tech community for talent is already fierce because there are many great, funded startups.

I predict this talent competition will increase substantially over the next few years with Google’s expansion and Amazon’s HQ2; however, I’m hoping the short-term competition crunch will ultimately subside as a bigger share of the country’s top tech talent will be attracted to NYC because of Google’s and Amazon’s presence, Cornell Tech and top universities, and the incredible success of other NYC tech companies.

LD: Edward, how do you believe these tech titans will impact housing?

ET: Austin is also a great source of tech talent. I am sure that a good portion of the initial 5,000 hires already live here. Austin is frequently in the news for jobs, housing and transportation. New jobs require housing and can put a strain on transportation.

Innovation often comes from experiencing a frustration and attempting to resolve what caused it. I can see these companies utilizing technology to improve access to housing and finding new ways to improve public transit.

When such large companies plant roots in an area, they bring with them a national spotlight. My hope is that they are committed to responsible growth and support of the cities that they move into. RE

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 83

{RISMedia’s Great Spaces}

New Homes This month, we’re celebrating new homes in a very special edition of Great Spaces. The following properties, from Texas to Tennessee, were constructed in 2016 or later.

by Zoe Eisenberg

84 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

This Texas home reinvents ranch life.

Ranch Life Goes Luxe Sitting pretty in Boerne, Texas, this four-bedroom, five-bathroom Cordillera Ranch home stretches over 5,800 square feet of clean, contemporary lines. Located at 116 Sendero Ridge, the immaculately landscaped estate features exposed beams, high ceilings and flexible indoor/outdoor living spaces. Cozy up by the

poolside fireplace, enter your own private study through massive barn doors, pop a cork in the temperaturecontrolled wine room, or explore the 13-plus acres.

Listed by: Barry Denton, Cordillera Ranch Realty Listed for: $2,745,000 Photos by: LRES Marketing

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 85

Splash! This Florida pool is begging for a party.

Fab Life in Florida Dubbed “Casa Tropical,” this 2016 stunner is located at 12101 SW 62 Ave. in Pinecrest, Fla. Tropical vibes run rampant in the seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom, two-story estate, which boasts loads of light, indoor/ outdoor living spaces, a palm-lined pool and a grand entryway. Stretch out on the second-story deck, relax in one of the home’s many soaking tubs, or cook a meal in the gourmet kitchen.

Listed by: Lourdes Alatriste, Engel & Völkers Miami Listed for: $4,595,000 Photos by: Niels Johansen, Niels Johansen Photography

86 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

This Tennessee house marries old-world charm with modern luxury.

Brand-New in Nashville Constructed in 2018, this brand-new Nashville home features gorgeous white brick, gleaming wood and 4,118 square feet of living space.

Located at 4603 Granny White Pike, the new build includes five bedrooms and four bathrooms, a detached garage and plenty of old-world charm in a sparkling new package. Fresh landscaping, ample closet space and deep soaking tubs are only a few of the added amenities.

Listed by: Parks Realty/Luxury Portfolio International® Listed for: $1,195,000 Photos by: Parks Realty/Luxury Portfolio International® RE

Grab a fresh start in this 2018 stunner.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 87

Webinar Recap:

Win the Listing Every Time With These Tried-and-True Strategies

by Paige Tepping

R

ISMedia’s latest webinar, “Profit in 2019 With These Listing Strategies: Great Listing Strategies for a Great Year,” sponsored by Buyside and moderated by Terri Murphy, master coach at Workman Success Systems, took an in-depth look into listings—with a focus on winning them every single time.

The No. 1 priority for success among brokerages, panelists Tony Floyd, CIO at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties; Mark Johnson, COO of JP & Associates REALTORS®; and Alissa Harper, VP of Growth at Buyside, shared their strategies for dominating your market with listings.

“Gaining listings is critical for brokerages to dominate their marketplace,” noted Harper.

“We’ve done a lot of good things over the years, all of which placed us in the position to become a listing company,” explained Floyd. In fact, the firm’s attention to developing tools, systems and approaches to winning the listing game have led to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties being the No. 1

88 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

company for homes sold in the greater metro Atlanta marketplace.

But it doesn’t end there. In fact, Floyd points to the firm’s mega open houses as a key component that’s worked well for them. These large events feature pre-event and postevent marketing in the geographic area around the open house, which has proven to be one of the best ways to attract new buyers and listing opportunities.

Buyside’s Buyer Market Analysis (BMA) is used in tandem with the mega open house events to beef up new listing opportunities. “In addition to being distributed to properties around the open house, the BMA is used at the open house to show that there are real-time buyers looking for a specific type of property in the area,” said Floyd.

A relative newbie when it comes to working with Buyside, Johnson and his team have jumped in feet first, capturing leads through the program’s home valuation model.

“Our agents love Buyside because it gives them multiple opportunities to prospect while leveraging our ability to provide clients with information re-

lated to what their home is worth— and whether we have buyers for it,” explained Johnson.

Built on productivity standards and a service-based culture, everyone at JP & Associates REALTORS® is of the belief that productive agents are in the best position to deliver value to consumers. That’s why the brokerage firm offers 100-plus trainings a month—many of which are focused on listings and the listing process.

“Focusing our efforts in this area has resulted in our firm having the fastest/quickest days on market of homes sold in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area,” said Johnson.

While the firm is steadfast in its commitment to only hiring those people that want to produce, training opportunities abound to guide team members toward earning and servicing listings at an exceptional level.

“There are a number of things we’re doing to become a dominant listing broker in our market,” added Johnson.

First and foremost, a strategic partnership with Opcity has been instrumental in regard to lead follow-up. “When a lead comes in, it’s guaranteed that the lead will be contacted within two minutes or less,” explained Johnson.

Having rolled out an entire onestop shop system for its agents, Johnson is impressed with their ability to digest the things that have been provided to them. “They understand which tools are going to make them money, and Buyside is in the forefront of our listing agents’ minds.” RE To view the webinar in full, visit https://bit.ly/2HdOzna.

Paige Tepping is RISMedia’s managing editor.

property set on 62 acres, along with some out buildings.

Alan Carney Home Inspector Pillar To Post Home Inspectors www.pillartopost.com

Q:

You recently had a unique opportunity to conduct a home inspection on a grand home on Nantucket. Can you share your thoughts regarding the experience?

A:

I became a Pillar To Post Home Inspector in 2017 and have the privilege of servicing a territory that has some of the most beautiful homes in the country. It includes Cape Cod and the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. A REALTOR® I previously worked with recommended me for this job, which involved conducting an inspection on a $25 million

Can you provide a description of the main house?

The main home had five bedrooms, each with its own color theme.

There were four full bathrooms that contained marble walk-in showers and bathtubs, a beautiful guest or powder room with mahogany features and a master bath or fifth full bath in the master suite. In addition, there was an enormous cathedral ceiling with a walkway running along the front of the home overlooking living areas. The first floor featured two cavernous living areas, three fireplaces, a resort-sized kitchen and master suite with the nicest bathroom I’ve ever seen. It had a spa steam room and two showers.

The living room felt like the size of a high school gym. One building was strictly built to house a large eight-cylinder diesel generator.

On the second day, I got to use a gas utility cart (like a golf cart) so that I could get around the huge property and its six buildings. The “office” building featured a domed ceiling with lights made to look like a night sky.

After all this, I produced five complete reports. The job took three days to complete, and the REALTOR® helped a lot, which I’m very appreciative of.

What was the biggest challenge?

Organizing the five different reports required for this property. We conducted two radon tests, which are very important, too. This was by far the largest report I’ve ever produced. It contained over 70 pages of pictures and narrative for the main home.

Q& A

What were some of the highlights for you on this inspection?

The immense size of the home.

The bottom line is that you still use the same process whether you’re inspecting a $250,000 house, a $2.5 million house or a $25 million house. The biggest difference when inspecting a larger home is that there’s more area to cover—and it takes more time. RE

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Top Training & Coaching | Top Tools & Technology | Top Resources & Services

Index of Preferred Providers The leading companies providing services to the real estate and relocation industries

RREIN Service Providers

ABR®....................................................................................... 92

Ascent Real Estate, Inc............................................................. 96

American Home Shield............................................................. 92

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate..... 96

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices........................................... 92

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, REALTORS®......96

Buffini & Company................................................................... 92

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty..................... 96

Century 21 Real Estate LLC...................................................... 92

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS®.......96

Certified New Home Specialist ............................................... 92

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties.............. 96

CINC (Commissions Inc)........................................................... 92

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties.............. 96

Cole Realty Resource............................................................... 92

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties................... 96

Create for the Human............................................................... 92

Calcagni Real Estate................................................................ 96

CRS Data................................................................................. 92

CENTURY 21 Award.................................................................. 97

Darryl Davis Seminars.............................................................. 92

CENTURY 21 New Millennium................................................... 97

DocuSign................................................................................. 93

Coach REALTORS®................................................................... 97

Engel & Völkers........................................................................ 93

Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS®............................... 97

The Entrust Group.................................................................... 93

Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty.................................... 97

ERA Franchise Systems, LLC..................................................... 93

Diane Turton, REALTORS®......................................................... 97

FCA US LLC.............................................................................. 93

Fillmore Real Estate................................................................. 97

Homes & Land......................................................................... 93

First Team® Real Estate............................................................ 97

Homes.com............................................................................. 93

GARDNER, REALTORS®............................................................. 97

HomeSmart International......................................................... 93

Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate................................................ 97

HomeTeam Inspection Service.................................................. 93

J. Rockcliff REALTORS®............................................................. 97

HSA Home Warranty................................................................. 93

Jordan Baris, Inc., REALTORS®.................................................. 98

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®.......................... 94

Kinlin Grover Real Estate.......................................................... 98

Motto Franchising, LLC®........................................................... 94

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.................................................. 98

MoxiWorks............................................................................... 94

Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty...................... 98

National Association of REALTORS®.......................................... 94

McCOLLY Real Estate................................................................ 98

The Personal Marketing Company............................................. 94

Page Taft.................................................................................. 98

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors.................................................. 94

Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate................................................ 98

Quicken Loans......................................................................... 94

Randall, REALTORS®....................................................................... 98

Real Living Real Estate............................................................. 94

RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central........................................... 98

Realogy Holdings Corp............................................................. 94

RE/MAX Gateway..................................................................... 98

TM

realtor.com®............................................................................ 95 Realtors Property Resource®.................................................... 95 Realty Executives International................................................. 95 Realty ONE Group.................................................................... 95 RE/MAX, LLC............................................................................ 95 RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network®................................ 95 Top Producer® CRM.................................................................. 95 Workman Success Systems...................................................... 95 Xpressdocs.............................................................................. 95 Zillow Group............................................................................. 95 zipLogix.................................................................................... 95

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 91

ABR®

CERTIFIED NEW HOME SPECIALISTTM

(800) 648-6224 • www.rebac.net • Chicago, Ill. • Marc Gould, Executive Director Brokers are busy with many competing priorities. They should feel comfortable with their salespeople who have earned the ABR® designation when working with buyer-clients. Real estate professionals can hone their skills in representing the needs of homebuyers in real estate transactions and earn the coveted Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation, giving agents knowledge and confidence to navigate the market.

(800) 428-1122 • www.sellnewhomes.com SellNewHomes.com is the online headquarters for Certified New Home Specialist™ and Residential Construction Certified™ training, sales systems and marketing tools, created by Dennis Walsh & Associates, Inc. Based in Newport Beach, Calif., the company is owned and operated by nationally recognized new-home, real estate and construction experts Dennis and Teresa Walsh. The Walshes have established Certified New Home Specialist™ as the No. 1 brand of training and support products for new-home sales success. To learn more, email contactus@sellnewhomes.com.

AMERICAN HOME SHIELD (800) 735-4663 • www.ahs.com/realestate As the founder and leader of the home warranty industry, American Home Shield is committed to providing our customers with protection for covered major components of the home systems and appliances that make a home work. The American Home Shield home warranty is included in more than 300,000 real estate transactions per year. And, as the nation’s largest home warranty company, we pay more service requests than any other home warranty company in the nation. Our Memphis-based company operates five customer service centers, employs more than 2,000 employees and has a national contractor network made up of more than 14,000 independent home-service contractors.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES (800) 666-6634 • www.berkshirehathawayhs.com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is a brand-new real estate brokerage network built for a new era in residential real estate.

The network, among the few organizations entrusted to use the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name, brings to the market a definitive mark of trust, integrity, stability and longevity. The brand, grounded in the financial strength, efficiency and tradition of its HomeServices of America parent company, will change the face of residential real estate.

CINC (COMMISSIONS INC) (855) 246-2717 • www.commissionsinc.com • Marietta, Ga. • Matt Hart, Director of Sales CINC is the premier lead acquisition and conversion marketing platform designed for top-producing teams, agents and brokers.

Their solution includes a consumer website that integrates with local MLS data, a complete customer relationship platform for nurturing leads, and a trio of three mobile apps supporting all aspects of the home sale process. Each month, CINC generates over 290,000 new homebuyer and seller leads for its clients.

COLE REALTY RESOURCE (888) 231-0732 • www.colerealtyresource.com • Omaha, Neb. Cole Realty Resource helps thousands of agents and brokers find success. Agents can connect with neighborhoods to stay top of mind and promote open houses or Just Listed/Sold properties, while brokers use this tool to recruit, retain and cheerlead new agents, allowing for confident prospecting. All of this is achieved through a combination of innovative technology, industry knowledge of end-user practices and comprehensive data providers.

CREATE FOR THE HUMAN

(800) 945-3485 • www.buffiniandcompany.com Headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif., Buffini & Company is the largest real estate coaching and training company in North America.

Founded by real estate expert and master motivator Brian Buffini, the company provides a unique and highly effective lead generation system and comprehensive business coaching and training programs, which have helped entrepreneurs in 37 countries improve their business, increase net profit and enhance their quality of life.

(914) 909-6701 • www.createforthehuman.com • John Lim Create for the Human is a groundbreaking philosophy from John Lim, CEO of Life In Mobile and an innovator in real estate technology, that helps real estate and real estate-related companies humanize their digital marketing. Through education about the implementation of four main principles, Create for the Human offers companies the opportunity to exponentially increase their marketing success and bottom line by reaching behind their consumers’ devices and screens to capture and truly engage buyers, sellers, brokers and agents.

CENTURY 21 REAL ESTATE LLC

CRS DATA

(877) 221-2765 • www.century21.com • Madison, N.J. • Nick Bailey, President & CEO Century 21 Real Estate LLC is a leading global residential franchise real estate sales organization, with over 9,400 independentlyowned and -operated franchised brokerages and more than 127,000 independent real estate professionals in 80 countries and territories worldwide. The Century 21® System capitalizes on brand marketing, promotions and sponsorships, and fundraising efforts with Easterseals to build brand awareness and preference.

Technology initiatives include both English- and Spanish-language consumer websites, www.century21.com and www.century21. com/espanol, a recently redesigned intranet site, www.21Online. com, and the Century 21 Learning System®, a web-based learning platform. Century 21 Real Estate LLC is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp.

www.crsdata.com Since 1989, CRS Data has provided you with a wealth of tax data.

Our new, customized MLS Tax Suite integrates seamlessly into your MLS system and gives REALTORS® current tax data, detailed maps and robust features on all browsers and mobile devices.

Find listings and FSBOs quickly, evaluate them effectively and give clients professional presentations. We’re proud to provide a personal customer service experience to support our intuitive MLS Tax Suite. Learn more by visiting www.crsdata.com.

BUFFINI & COMPANY

92 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

DARRYL DAVIS SEMINARS (800) 395-3905 • www.ThePowerProgram.com Headquartered in Long Island, N.Y., Darryl Davis Seminars was founded by real estate expert, coach, and international speaker Darryl Davis, CSP. For more than 30 years, Davis has been helping

agents double their production by learning the listing and sale skills of real estate. These money-making skillsets are vital when agents are working with buyers and sellers to move their career to their Next Level™. His fast-growing membership platform, www.

ThePowerProgram.com, helps real estate sales professionals design lives and careers worth smiling about. He is the best-selling author of three books with McGraw-Hill Publishers, one of which, “How to Become a Power Agent in Real Estate,” is the No. 1 book sold to REALTORS® on Amazon.

DOCUSIGN (866) 219-4318 • www.docusign.com/nar • Seattle, Wash.

• Suzanne Alberti, Marketing Campaigns Program Manager - Web DocuSign is part of the National Association of REALTORS®’ Second Century Ventures investment portfolio and is the official and exclusive provider of ESIGN services for NAR members under the REALTOR Benefits® program. Offering the exclusive REALTOR® Edition, DocuSign is the safe, secure way to electronically send, sign and store real estate documents. DocuSigned documents are legally binding and backed with an audit trail.

ENGEL & VÖLKERS (212) 234-3100 • www.evusa.com ​Since its beginning in 1977 as a specialty boutique providing exclusive, high-end real estate​services in Hamburg, Germany, Engel & Völkers has become one of the world’s leading companies specializing in the sale and lease of premium residential and commercial property, yachts and private aviation. Engel & Völkers currently operates a global network of over 10,000 real estate advisors in more than 30 countries, offering both private and institutional clients a professionally tailored range of luxury services.

Engel & Völkers supports its advisors with an array of premium quality business services; marketing programs and tools; multiple platforms for mobile, social and web; as well as access to its global network of real estate professionals, property listings and market data. Each brokerage is independently-owned and -operated.

THE ENTRUST GROUP (800) 392-9653 • www.TheEntrustGroup.com The Entrust Group (“Entrust”) has been the industry leader in account administration services and education of Real Estate IRAs for 35 years. Entrust offers real estate brokers and agents a costeffective, individualized approach to retirement savings using a self-directed IRA account with the AgentIRA Program. As part of this program, Entrust works with real estate professionals by assisting their clients with the purchase of real estate investments with retirement funds. The AgentIRA Program provides real estate brokers a strategy to attract, develop and retain high-quality talent. Learn more at www.theentrustgroup.com/agentira.

ERA FRANCHISE SYSTEMS, LLC (800) 869-1260 • www.era.com • Madison, N.J. • Simon Chen, President & CEO Since 1971, ERA Franchise Systems, LLC, a global residential real estate leader, has set new standards in customer service, technology and training for the real estate industry. Top-­notch offerings from ERA Real Estate include the Sellers Security® Plan, a comprehensive home protection plan, and ERA.com, its award-­winning consumer website. The ERA network includes approximately 2,300 independently-owned and -operated offices with over 41,000 brokers and independent sales associates throughout the United States and 34 other countries and territories. ERA Franchise Systems, Inc. is a sub-

sidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp

FCA US LLC (888) 898-1115 www.nar.realtor/fca FCA US LLC is a North American automaker based in Auburn Hills, Mich. It designs, manufacture and sells or distributes vehicles under the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, Ram, FIAT® and Alfa Romeo brands, as well as the SRT performance designation. The company also distributes Mopar and Alfa Romeo parts and accessories. FCA US LLC offers extra benefits to membership with the National Association of REALTORS®.

HOMES & LAND (800) 726-6683 • www.HomesAndLand.com Homes & Land, one of the industry’s most trusted and recognized brands, offers real estate professionals a marketing solution that combines the prestige of print and a suite of digital products. With a network of 220+ magazines in communities throughout the U.S. and Canada, Homes & Land connects top agents and brokers with qualified homebuyers and sellers. Publishers provide custom advertising in an upscale magazine, global reach through HomesAndLand.com, and website partners including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, duPont REGISTRY and Robb Report. Visit HomesAndLand.com/Magazine-Directory to find your local publisher.

HOMES.COM (866) 697-3308 • http://marketing.homes.com/ Homes.com offers brand advertising, lead generation, online reputation and marketing solutions to connect you with over 12.5 million consumers monthly. With a high average visit time, consumers visiting Homes.com are more engaged and more likely to buy when compared to visitors of other national real estate websites.

Connect with these motivated homebuyers and sellers with the most powerful suite of tools for your real estate business—and convert more leads to closed transactions.

HOMESMART INTERNATIONAL (800) 865-9025 • www.homesmartfranchise.com Founded in 2000, HomeSmart International is one of the fastestgrowing real estate companies in the nation with 140 offices in 24 states and nearly 16,000 agents. HomeSmart International offers franchisees, brokers and agents efficiency and innovation, coupled with the systems and technologies necessary to succeed in today’s evolving real estate industry.

HOMETEAM INSPECTION SERVICE (844) HOMETEAM • www.hometeam.com You can depend on HomeTeam for a faster, more efficient home inspection every time. Unique to home inspection companies, HomeTeam brings a team of inspectors on-site. Each team member focuses on his or her area of expertise, which keeps us efficient and saves you time. Fast, Trusted and Accurate—that’s the HomeTeam promise. We invite you to experience the difference the team approach makes. For more information, give us a call at 844.HOMETEAM or visit us online at hometeam.com.

HSA HOME WARRANTY (800) 367-1448 • www.onlinehsa.com • Madison, Wis. • Mike Clear, President HSA Home Warranty has provided outstanding products and service to real estate professionals and homeowners for more than 34 years. The HSA Home Warranty helps sellers and buyers pro-

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 93

tect their budget from the cost of repairing or replacing the major home system components and appliances in their home. With HSA Home Warranty, your clients get reliable budget protection backed by exceptional service, and you, the real estate professional, get a provider who works hard to better serve you.

Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers.” Visit www.NAR.realtor/Store.

Additionally, NAR’s venture capital arm, Second Century Ventures, has invested in companies that push forward innovation in the real estate industry and can benefit NAR’s members. Visit www.secondcenturyventures.com.

LEADING REAL ESTATE COMPANIES OF THE WORLD®

THE PERSONAL MARKETING COMPANY

(312) 424-0400 • www.LeadingRE.com Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is a selective global community of the highest-quality independent real estate companies. We exist to make our members better by connecting them to opportunities and people around the globe, supporting them with a global referral network, professional development programs, and unique events. For more information on our more than 500 firms that span over 70 countries with 130,000 sales professionals, visit LeadingRE.com.

(800) 458-8245 • www.tpmco.com • Lenexa, Kan. The Personal Marketing Company creates marketing systems for agents to become known in their market and attract clients for long-term success. Our marketing development team brings proven marketing expertise, cutting-edge technology and personal service to develop customized marketing solutions which can include: direct mail, email marketing, contact management, prospecting and farming, newsletter programs, FSBO and expired campaigns, client follow-up systems and marketing planning services.

MOTTO FRANCHISING, LLC®

PILLAR TO POST HOME INSPECTORS

(866) 668-8649 • www.mottomortgage.com • Denver, Colo.

Created in 2016 as the second member of the RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. family of brands, Motto Franchising, LLC powers the growing network of independently-owned Motto Mortgage brokerages with a franchised business model structured primarily for real estate brokers interested in expanding into mortgage origination via an affiliated business. Motto Mortgage offices have access to loan products from top wholesalers and strong regulatory compliance support. The result is a different kind of business, created to innovate and disrupt the industry.

(800) 294-5591 • www.pillartopost.com • Tampa, Fla. · Alice Soon, Marketing Founded in 1994, Pillar To Post is the No. 1 home inspection brand in North America with over 550 franchisees located in 49 states and nine Canadian provinces. The Pillar To Post difference includes a printed on-site report allowing for faster closings, each inspector carrying $1 million in E&O insurance to cover both the agent and the broker, and convenient scheduling options to meet every client’s needs.

MOXIWORKS

(866) 718-9842 • AgentRelations@QuickenLoans.com For more than 30 years, Quicken Loans has been celebrated for providing an amazing mortgage experience. In fact, J.D. Power ranked Quicken Loans highest in client satisfaction for mortgage origination the last eight years. Along with being the second-largest mortgage lender, Quicken Loans leads the industry in technology with Rocket Mortgage, the first-ever completely online mortgage experience. Whether applying for a mortgage online or with a mortgage banker, Quicken Loans is committed to client experience.

(206) 673-4591 • www.moxiworks.com MoxiWorks is a comprehensive open platform system for large residential real estate brokerages that serves over 72 brokerages and 120,000 agents nationwide. MoxiWorks’ integrated tools are centered on sphere methodology that increases agents’ repeat and referral business by 40 percent, while lowering overall technology, training and support costs for the brokerage. The open platform known as the MoxiCloud has tools from more than 40 partners that plug and play to create unique brokerage solutions.

MoxiWorks also powers the LeadingRE Cloud. Find more information at moxiworks.com.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (800) 874-6500 • www.NAR.realtor • Chicago, Ill. • Bob Goldberg, CEO • Victoria Gillespie, SVP, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer • Mark Birschbach, SVP, Strategic Business Innovation and Technology • Marc Gould, SVP, Member Development • Karen Bebart, VP, Member Marketing and Communications The term REALTOR® identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

NAR members have access to the REALTOR Benefits® Program, the official member benefits resource for discounts and special offers on products and services just for REALTORS®. Visit www.

NAR.realtor/RealtorBenefits. NAR is also proud to bring the .realtor™ and .realestate top-level domains to members, to help them create a robust digital presence that supports their identity as a REALTOR®, and everything they do for their business.

Visit www.get.realtor to learn more. The REALTOR® Store features print and ePublications, including top-selling “The Little Red Book: Safety Rules to Live by for REALTORS®” and the “2018 NAR 94 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

QUICKEN LOANS

REAL LIVING REAL ESTATE (866) 373-6228 • www.realliving.com Real Living Real Estate is a full-service real estate brokerage network with a comprehensive and integrated suite of resources for franchisees and their sales professionals, as well as the consumers who work with them. The Real Living brand has been recognized

by Entrepreneur magazine. Real Living Real Estate is a network brand of HSF Affiliates LLC, majority owned by HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate.

REALOGY HOLDINGS CORP. (973) 407-2162 • www.realogy.com • Madison, N.J. • Trey Sarten, VP, External Communications Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) is a global leader in residential real estate franchising with company-owned real estate brokerage operations doing business under its franchise systems, as well as relocation and title services. Realogy’s brands and business units include Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Climb Real Estate®, Coldwell Banker®, Coldwell Banker Commercial®, The Corcoran Group®, ERA®, Sotheby’s International Realty®, ZipRealty®, NRT LLC, Cartus, Title Resource Group and ZapLabs LLC. Collectively, Realogy’s franchise system members operate over 16,300 offices with approximately 300,000 independent sales as-

sociates doing business in 113 countries and territories worldwide.

ENGAGE WITH REALTOR.COM® (800) 878-4166 • www.realtor.com Realtor.com® is real estate’s most accurate site, with listings pulled directly from over 850 MLSs and most listings updated every 15 minutes. Homes for sale on realtor.com® only display the real listing price established between seller and broker, not inaccurate machine-generated estimates. Visit realtor.com®.

REALTORS PROPERTY RESOURCE® (888) 914-7771 • http://blog.narrpr.com • Chicago, Ill. Marty Frame, President • Jeff Young, COO Realtors Property Resource® (RPR) is a national, parcel-centric database that is a free, exclusive benefit for REALTOR® members of the National Association of REALTORS®. The database provides REALTORS® with all available information about every parcel of residential and commercial property in the United States, giving brokers and agents valuable tools and features to make them better informed in order to increase their efficiency in the marketplace.

REALTY EXECUTIVES INTERNATIONAL (800) 252-3366 • www.RealtyExecutives.com • Scottsdale, Ariz.

Established in 1965, Realty Executives International is one of the largest and most established real estate franchise systems in the world, with over 8,000 agents and 500 offices globally. The company offers disruptive, flexible pricing models for unrivaled mobile technology, business tools, training and service, while providing protected territories to qualified franchisees. The privately-held company has been ranked as a leader in the real estate industry by publications like Entrepreneur, Success and Inc. magazines.

REALTY ONE GROUP (949) 346-9549 • www.RealtyONEGroup.com • Lou Gonzalez, President, Realty ONE Group Affiliates Known as the UNbrokerage, Realty ONE Group is the fifth-largest real estate brokerage and one of the fastest-growing real estate franchisors in the nation. With over 10,000 real estate professionals across the country, Realty ONE Group empowers real estate professionals with business tools, technology, coaching and 24/7 support that aligns with the brand’s core belief in being pro-agent with a YOU-First Focus. Realty ONE Group is committed to creating a dynamic “coolture” that focuses on helping their professionals achieve greater success, faster, and continues opening doors for their clients, real estate professionals and franchise owners every day.

RE/MAX, LLC (303) 770-5531 • www.remax.com • Denver, Colo.

RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, who still manage the company today. From a single office in Denver, Colo., RE/MAX has grown to be a global real estate franchise network with more than 100,000 sales associates in nearly 100 countries. The consumer website remax.com is consistently ranked among the most visited real estate websites, and LeadStreet provides referrals to RE/MAX sales associates with no fees from RE/MAX. To learn how RE/MAX can take your career to the next level, visit www.joinremax.com.

RISMEDIA’S TOP 5 IN REAL ESTATE NETWORK® (203) 853-2167 • www.Top5inRealEstate.com RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate® is a membership network of leading real estate professionals who wish to “raise the bar.” Top 5 in Real Estate is a network of select real estate professionals from throughout the U.S. and Canada who have met the Top 5 in Real Estate’s stringent series of various career qualifications and who are committed to the future development of their professional skills and services to the consumers and the communities they serve.

TOP PRODUCER® CRM (800) 821-3657 • www.TopProducer.com Top Producer® CRM is the super fast, super easy real estate marketing system that makes it a breeze to build your loyal client base.

Keep your sales pipeline running smoothly, follow up automatically, and manage your business in minutes with Top Producer® CRM.

WORKMAN SUCCESS SYSTEMS (385) 282-7112 • www.workmansuccesssytems.com • Salt Lake City, Utah Workman Success Systems delivers comprehensive team solutions to agents, brokers, and companies, private and group coaching solutions for every level of business, and proven seven-figure income-earning systems. Workman Success Systems Founder, Master Coach and Speaker Verl Workman delivers the necessary performance skills, the latest and most effective tools, and proven dialogues and systems that work. To hire Verl to speak at your next event, visit www.workmansuccess.com/speaking. Sign up for a free coaching consult by going to www.workmansuccess.com/consult.

XPRESSDOCS (866) 977-3627 • www.xpressdocs.com • Fort Worth, Texas As a trusted direct marketing provider for real estate professionals, Xpressdocs produces high-quality marketing materials efficiently and economically—from print and digital to mailing services and a custom technology platform, Xpressdocs has you covered. Our unique marketing platform helps clients maintain control over branding, the quality of the materials used and messaging, all while providing a self-serve online website to customize and order marketing materials and execute campaigns at the local level.

ZILLOW GROUP www.zillow.com Zillow Group houses a portfolio of the largest real estate- and homerelated brands on the web and mobile. The company’s brands focus on all stages of the home lifecycle: renting, buying, selling, financing and home improvement. Zillow Group is committed to empowering consumers with unparalleled data, inspiration and knowledge around homes, and connecting them with the right professionals to help, and helping real estate agents, lenders and rental professionals maximize business opportunities and connect with consumers.

ZIPLOGIX (866) 693-6767 • www.zipLogix.com With more than 20 years of experience developing real estatefocused software solutions and used by more real estate professionals than any other program, zipLogix has been established as the industry standard. This experience delivers a completely integrated real estate solution system that’s led by zipForm® Plus, the exclusive and official forms software of the National Association of REALTORS®.

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RREIN Member Profiles ASCENT REAL ESTATE, INC. (619) 325-4100 • www.ascentrealestate.net Owned and operated in San Diego since 2005, Ascent Real Estate embodies an enviable combination of entrepreneurial energy, comprehensive industry experience, and local market knowledge.

This mix lets Ascent “out national” its local competition, thanks to its exceptional professional team and world-class infrastructure, and “out local” the national competition, thanks to its laser-like focus on the specific markets in which it operates. Our highly productive sales team of approximately 140 agents has elevated Ascent as a leader in marketshare in the Metro San Diego area. Our agents receive ongoing training and education, and they go above and beyond to deliver the diligent and ethical standard of care we are committed to providing. And, as an exclusive San Diego affiliate of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, Ascent Real Estate is a hyper-local brokerage with a global reach.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES AMBASSADOR REAL ESTATE (402) 493-4663 • (800) 477-7653 www.BHHSamb.com • agents@BHHSamb.com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate is dedicated to providing progressive, quality real estate services in Nebraska’s metropolitan Omaha and Lincoln surrounding areas. We service all types of markets: single-family residential, new construction, condos, corporate relocation, third-party relocation, acreages and commercial real estate. With approximately 400 licensed agents, we have an agent to meet your needs regardless of the style, price or age of the property you are looking for. We look forward to helping you sell your home or find that dream home you are looking for. We believe in each other and ourselves. We understand that trust is earned and that good, professional service is an essential part of that.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES C. DAN JOYNER, REALTORS® (800) 476-6650 · www.cdanjoyner.com Locally-owned and -operated, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, REALTORS® has been serving communities in Upstate South Carolina since 1964. With more than 400 agents on board and 10 offices serving the Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson areas, we are ready to assist with any commercial and residential real estate need. In addition to residential and commercial sales, we also offer corporate services, relocation and property management. With a passion for fostering long-term relationships with our customers and clients while upholding the highest level of professionalism, it’s easy to see why we’ve been the No. 1 real estate company in the Upstate for more than 20 years.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES FLORIDA REALTY (954) 693-0100 • (800) 386-1554 www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com • Sunrise, Fla. • Rei Mesa, CRS, CRB, President & CEO Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty serves 21 counties throughout Florida with over 40 locations and approximately 1,750 sales professionals. The full-service brokerage company, founded in 1999, is a subsidiary of Lennar Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, and is a franchise member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network. The company offers residential and commercial services as well as seasonal rentals, property manage96 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

ment, REO & foreclosures, corporate relocations, referral services, title, home warranty plans, and personal concierge services. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty ranks among the Top 10 in the network nationwide and is the overall No. 1 fundraiser for The Sunshine Kids Foundation in Florida, having generated more than $3.5 million since 2001.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES FOX & ROACH, REALTORS® (610) 889-7705 • www.foxroach.com Now the nation’s second-largest provider of total home services, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® has 4,000 sales associates in 65 sales offices throughout the Tri-State area. Through its affiliate, the Trident Group, the company provides one-stop shopping and facilitated services to its clients, including mortgage financing and title, property and casualty insurance. For more information, go to www.foxroach.com.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES GEORGIA PROPERTIES (770) 992-4100 • www.BHHSGeorgia.com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties has 22 locations and 1,100 agents, and is an independently-operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Under the leadership of CEO Dan Forsman, the company is known for innovation and delivering exceptional value to associates and their clients. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties was ranked No. 1 in homes sold, buyers represented and overall transactions in 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 for the Greater Metro Atlanta area.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES NEVADA PROPERTIES (800) 735-4488 • www.BHHSNV.com With more than 260,000 homes sold and 35 years in the industry, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties is the leader in Las Vegas real estate. Consistently rated among the top brokers in the nation, our agents successfully help families find their dream homes. With six area offices, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties is a full-service brokerage focused on quality service and the development of its agents. Call today to see how we can help increase your business.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES SELECT PROPERTIES (314) 835-6000 • www.bhhsselectstl.com Since 2002, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties has helped keep the St. Louis real estate market local. With 11 offices in the metro area, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select ranks as the No. 1 locally-owned real estate firm in St. Louis. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select prides itself on providing the highest quality real estate brokerage services to its clients and customers and in being recognized in the community for high standards and ethics.

CALCAGNI REAL ESTATE (203) 272-1821 • www.calcagni.com • www.land-consulting.com Calcagni Associates is the premier independently-owned and -operated real estate company servicing Central Connecticut for over four decades. We understand the benefits of providing service that goes beyond what is expected and pride ourselves on establishing lifelong relationships with our clients. In addition to residential real estate, we also specialize in land consulting and new construction, and have divisions that handle bank-owned properties and commercial real estate.

CENTURY 21 AWARD

DIANE TURTON, REALTORS®

(800) 293-1657 • www.century21award.com CENTURY 21 Award is the premier Southern California-based, full-service real estate company serving San Diego, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties from 15 distinctive office locations. Our 1,000 professional agents and staff are fully equipped to assist you with all of your real estate needs. Our services include residential, commercial, relocation, property management and bank-owned properties.

(877) 388-7866 • www.dianeturton.com Founded in 1985, the Diane Turton, REALTORS® name has earned renowned recognition as the premier real estate company in the markets that they serve. With 18 strategic locations on the New Jersey shoreline, the Diane Turton brand is the recognized leader in providing complete residential and commercial real estate ownership services and support. Diane Turton, REALTORS® caters to all real estate requirements, including title, insurance, relocation and referral services. The company is staffed with nearly 375 sales associates along with a full-time management/support team.

CENTURY 21 NEW MILLENNIUM (800) 727-6888 • www.c21nm.com CENTURY 21 New Millennium is a full-service real estate brokerage in the Greater Washington, D.C. area. The company, which specializes in residential and luxury properties, joined the CENTURY 21® System in 1998 and has established a sound and successful organization providing traditional residential and commercial services, on-site mortgage, title, and property management, and access to a vast network of relocation and other real estate service providers worldwide. It has earned the status of No. 1 CENTURY 21 Firm in the World for the past three years. With 18 locations and approximately 750 real estate professionals, New Millennium is consistently included in REALTOR® Magazine’s Top 100 Companies List for all real estate firms nationwide regardless of brand.

It is also a past winner of the prestigious Cartus Masters Cup, the Network’s highest honor. The Cartus Broker Network is the largest relocation network in the world and includes more than 775 handselected brokerages in the United States.

COACH REALTORS® (800) 321-7356 x139 • www.coachrealtors.com · LP Finn, Operating Officer, LP@coachrealtors.com Coach REALTORS® is a Long Island-based, full-service real estate company with 18 office locations and over 600 sales associates serving Nassau and Suffolk counties, N.Y. Coach REALTORS® is an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates, a division of the famed auction house, and a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, and has been recognized by Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate for over 14 years.

COLDWELL BANKER D’ANN HARPER, REALTORS® (210) 483-7002 • www.cbharper.com Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS® is the largest full-service real estate company serving the entire Greater San Antonio metropolitan area, New Braunfels, Boerne, Bandera, Kerrville, Fredericksburg and Hill Country markets, representing buyers and sellers in all phases of their transactions. Since opening in 1986, the company has become a trusted name in the real estate industry. With eight offices, over 350 sales associates and over 100 support staff, the company’s extensively trained representatives have knowledge and expertise to service all aspects of the real estate business. Core services include global relocation, property management and rentals, commercial sales and leasing and mortgage financing.

COLDWELL BANKER KAPPEL GATEWAY REALTY (844) 861-5631 • www.KappelGateway.com Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty was created through the merger of Kappel & Kappel Realty, Inc. and Solano Gateway Realty, Inc. Both firms, founded in 1972, are the market leaders in Solano County, combining more than $600 million in sales dollar volume and welcoming more than 240 agents in seven offices, with branch offices in Vacaville, Fairfield, Dixon and Green Valley. Eighty-five percent of our business is derived from returning and referred clients, a true testament to our clients’ high level of satisfaction with our services and our trusted real estate professionals.

FILLMORE REAL ESTATE (800) 528-6673 • www.fillmore.com Fillmore Real Estate is the New York metro area’s largest independently-owned real estate broker. Specializing in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Bronx and parts of Westchester, Fillmore has residential, commercial and rental divisions. For more information, visit us at www.fillmore.com or call us at (800) 528-6673.

FIRST TEAM® REAL ESTATE (888) 236-1943 • www.FirstTeam.com First Team® Real Estate is the No. 1 privately-held real estate company in Southern California with 2,000 agents and employees across 60 locations. First Team wins marketshare in any economic climate through innovation and proprietary marketing tools, and by successfully targeting the luxury market with First Team Estates®. Contact First Team today to find out how we have helped thousands of families realize their dream of homeownership— and how we can help you find yours.

GARDNER, REALTORS® (800) 566-7801 • www.GardnerRealtors.com Since 1943, GARDNER, REALTORS® continues our tradition of excellence as the leading full-service real estate company in the Southeast Louisiana and Southern Mississippi Region. The GARDNER Real Estate Family includes over 800 real estate professionals in 24 neighborhood offices that serve over 100 communities. Our professional services include residential and commercial sales and leasing, relocation and corporate services, asset management/REO and property management, plus the convenience and added value of one-stop shopping for mortgage, title and home warranty services.

We are proud to be home grown, locally-owned and internationally known. Also, we love to give back to the communities we serve through GARDNER LOVE, which is the philanthropic arm of GARDNER, REALTORS® and The Gertrude Gardner Foundation.

GLORIA NILSON & CO. REAL ESTATE (732) 450-2300 • www.glorianilson.com Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, has been a revered real estate company for over 40 years. We are known for our representation and commitment to providing clients with the highest level customer service. With our exclusive Christie’s International Real Estate affiliation and Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® membership, we have a unique combination of worldwide expertise and regional connections. Our clients expect a world-class experience provided by skilled, knowledgeable agents, and we deliver consistently on that expectation.

J. ROCKCLIFF REALTORS® (925) 251-2501 • www.rockcliff.com • www.rockliffcares.com J. Rockcliff REALTORS®, located east of San Francisco, is the East Bay’s premier real estate company. Recently named No. 1 in residential sales (in the East Bay) by the San Francisco Business RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 97

Times, J. Rockcliff specializes in service. With leading-edge technology, state-of-the-art marketing across multiple mediums, the most experienced management team in the Bay Area and dedicated, ethical and professional agents, our goal is to provide a client experience that is second to none. With almost 600 agents and nine offices, J. Rockcliff REALTORS® is the fastest-growing real estate company in the East Bay.

JORDAN BARIS, INC., REALTORS® (800) 4-JBARIS • (973) 736-1600 • www.JordanBaris.com info@jordanbaris.com Founded in 1952, Jordan Baris Inc., REALTORS® is among the most respected full-service real estate brokerages in Northern New Jersey.

With a team of close to 150 associates, the firm operates offices in West Orange and South Orange, with teams focused on Essex, Morris, Union and Hudson counties. Jordan Baris, Inc. offers real estate brokerage to buyers and sellers of residential and commercial properties, developers, tenants and landlords; title services through JB Title Agency, LLC; and global relocation services through its membership with the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®.

KINLIN GROVER REAL ESTATE (508) 420-1130 • www.kinlingrover.com Kinlin Grover has 16 real estate offices covering Cape Cod from the bridges to Provincetown, specializing in the marketing and sale of waterfront, village, commercial properties and fine homes.

From the very beginning, the Kinlin Grover mission has remained constant: “to help our clients make the best real estate decisions and to uphold the highest standards of ethics and professionalism.” In addition, Kinlin Grover Vacation Rentals is the largest real estate firm on Cape Cod with over 600 privately-owned Cape Cod vacation rental homes. We value every client and pledge to deliver unsurpassed service as trusted advisors, expert facilitators and skilled negotiators.

LONG & FOSTER REAL ESTATE, INC. (866) 677-6937 ∙ www.LongandFoster.com Long & Foster Real Estate, the nation’s No. 1 independent brand by sales volume, is part of The Long & Foster Companies, a subsidiary of HomeServices of America, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate.

HomeServices is the nation’s second-largest real estate brokerage and one of the largest providers of integrated real estate services.

Long & Foster Real Estate is the exclusive affiliate for Christie’s International Real Estate throughout select parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, and it is a founding affiliate of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, a prestigious global network of real estate professionals that includes the Luxury Portfolio International division. Long & Foster Real Estate has over 220 offices, stretching from Raleigh, N.C., to Fair Haven, N.J., and from Martinsburg, W. Va., to the Atlantic Ocean, and it represents more than 11,000 agents in seven Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states, plus the District of Columbia. The company, which has a productive commercial business in addition to its residential side, sold more than $31.2 billion worth of homes and helped people buy and sell homes nearly 88,000 times in 2016. Visit www.LongandFoster. com for more information.

LUSK & ASSOCIATES SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY (717) 291-9101 • www.LuskandAssociates.com When you work with Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty, you can count on specialists who can answer your questions, apply in-depth knowledge of current market conditions, and access extensive resources that can expedite the sale of your home.

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MCCOLLY REAL ESTATE (800) 348-2100 x206 • www.mccolly.com Since 1974, McCOLLY Real Estate has found your place to call home, from the shores of Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana to Lake Street Beach in Chicago. McCOLLY is a proud LeadingRE member with bilingual agents in 14-plus languages among 450plus REALTORS® in 18 offices. McCOLLY Companies is the One Source for All Purpose Real Estate with its ancillary companies of McColly Insurance, Community Title, McCOLLY Auctions, McCOLLY Bennett Commercial, McCOLLY New Homes Division and Luxury Home Portfolio™.

PAGE TAFT (203) 453-6511 • www.pagetaft.com Since opening its Guilford office in 1980, Page Taft has expanded its presence with offices in the historic towns of Madison and Essex, Conn. Page Taft agents foster long-term relationships with clients based on a strong foundation of trust and an unsurpassed commitment to excellence. These unique strengths set us apart from our competitors and make us your most valuable resource in fulfilling your real estate needs.

PATTERSON-SCHWARTZ REAL ESTATE (877) 456-4663 • www.pattersonschwartz.com pattersonschwartz@psre.com Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate is Delaware’s largest independent REALTOR® with over 50 years of service to the Delaware real estate market and surrounding communities in nearby Pennsylvania and Maryland. With nine offices and 415 sales associates, we are committed to excellence, integrity and quality service. We offer a full range of services, including residential home sales, purchase and rental, relocation services and property management.

RANDALL, REALTORS® (401) 364-3388 • www.randallrealtors.com Randall, REALTORS® has been a consistent leader in the marketing of Southern New England properties for more than 28 years.

Specializing in waterfront properties and second homes, our agents boast a 98.5 percent client satisfaction rating. Through our extensive marketing network, we offer tremendous exposure for our property listings and continue to deliver successful sales and representation for our clients. In addition, Randall, REALTORS®’ Vacation Rental Department offers a large selection of vacation rental properties serving the Southern Rhode Island shoreline and Eastern Connecticut.

RE/MAX 440 AND RE/MAX CENTRAL (215) 453-7653 • www.pahomesforsale.com • Tom Skiffington, Broker/Owner, tom@tomskiffington.com RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central is a first-class, professional real estate company. Our goal is to provide the most prompt, courteous and professional services to all our customers and clients. We are the leading RE/MAX in Pennsylvania and Delaware with the highest sales volume and transactions. RE/MAX 440/Central has 10 different offices in Bucks, Montgomery and Lehigh counties.

RE/MAX GATEWAY (703) 652-5760 • www.gateway2realestate.com The real estate market is ever changing. It takes constant evaluation, review of recent trends to forecast a potential future and education of agents through mastermind groups and real estate information exchanges. These are areas in which we excel at RE/MAX Gateway. Contact us today if you are looking to advance your career in real estate through a multitude of educational experiences and resources, or if you need real estate advice in order to make informed decisions when buying and selling houses.

YOUR BROKER-TO-BROKER SOURCE FOR REFERRALS FROM REAL ESTATE’S LEADING RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE COMPANIES CALIFORNIA Ascent Real Estate, Inc. 410 Kalmia St., San Diego, CA 92101 Contact: Gina Lancelot • Tel: (619) 325-4100 Email: info@ascentrealestate.net • URL: www.ascentrealestate.net Coverage Areas: San Diego Offices: 9 • Associates: 180 CENTURY 21 Award - Orange County 22342 Avenida Empresa, Ste. 110, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 Contact: Joshua Tucker, Director of Relocation Services Tel: (760) 217-2491 (Toll Free) • Fax: (619) 374-2706 Email: jtucker@century21award.com Coverage Areas: Orange County Offices: 15 • Associates: 1,200 CENTURY 21 Award - San Diego, Riverside 7676 Hazard Center Dr., Ste. 300, San Diego, CA 92108 Contact: Joshua Tucker, Director of Relocation Services Tel: (760) 217-2491 (Toll Free) • Fax: (619) 374-2706 Email: jtucker@century21award.com Coverage Areas: San Diego, Southern Riverside Offices: 15 • Associates: 1,200 Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty 750 Mason St., Ste. 101, Vacaville, CA 95688 Contact: Rachel Guerin Tel: (707) 427-5344 or (844) 861-5631 • Fax: (707) 446-9830 Email: info@kappelgateway.com • URL: www.KappelGateway.com Coverage Areas: Vacaville, Benicia, Davis, Dixon, Fairfield, Napa, Rio Vista, Suisun City Vallejo and Winters, Calif.

Offices: 7 • Associates: 240 First Team® Real Estate 108 Pacifica Ave., Ste. 300, Irvine, CA 92618 Contact: Gayle D. Glew CRP, CRB, Director, Relocation and Corporate Services Tel: (855) 858-8028 (Toll Free) Email: gayleglew@firstteam.com • URL: www.firstteam.com Coverage Areas: Southern California counties of Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego Offices: 36 • Associates: 1,865 J. Rockcliff REALTORS® Headquarters Office: 4115 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Ste. 201, Danville, CA, 94506 Contact: Robin Dickson, CRS, GRI, Executive Vice President Tel: (925) 251-2501 (O), (925) 324-1323 (C), 877-JRCKCLF (572-2523) (TF) Email: rdickson@rockcliff.com • URL(s): www.rockcliff.com • www.rockliffcares.com Coverage Areas: Alameda County: Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Dublin Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Oakland, Piedmont, Pleasanton, San Leandro, Sunol, Union City; Contra Costa County: Alamo, Antioch, Bethel Island, Brentwood, Byron, Canyon, Clayton, Concord, Crockett, Danville, Diablo, Discovery Bay, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill Port Costa, Richmond, Rodeo, San Pablo, San Ramon, Walnut Creek; San Joaquin County: Country Club, Lathrop, Lodi, Manteca, Mountain House, Stockton, Tracy, Silicon Valley/San Jose area

CONNECTICUT Calcagni Real Estate 330 South Main St., Cheshire, CT 06410 Contact: Steven Calcagni, President Tel: (203) 272-1821 ext. 302 Email: Steven_Calcagni@calcagni.com • URL: www.calcagni.com Coverage Areas: New Haven County, Central Connecticut Offices: 4 • Associates: 140

Page Taft 89 Whitfield St., Guilford, CT 06437 Contact: Karen Stephens, Executive VP • Tel: (203) 453-6511 Email: kstephens@pagetaft.com • URL: www.pagetaft.com Coverage Areas: Connecticut Offices: 3 • Associates: 60 Randall, REALTORS® 4009 Old Post Rd., Charleston, RI 02813 Contact: Jean Fournier, Dir. of Relocation & Referral Services Tel: (401) 486-9677 Email: jfournier@randallrealtors.com • URL: www.randallrealtors.com Coverage Areas: Connecticut and Rhode Island Offices: 9 • Associates: 175

DELAWARE Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® 1 International Plaza, Ste. 100, Philadelphia, PA 19113 Contact: Linda Zanzinger, Vice President, Relocation/REO Services Tel: (610) 595-3149 Email: Linda.Zanzinger@foxroach.com • URL: www.foxroach.com Coverage Areas: Greater Philadelphia Region, Greater Allentown and Easton Region, Southeast Pa., Southern and Central N.J., Northern Del. Offices: 65 • Associates: 4,000 Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+ Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate 7234 Lancaster Pike, Ste. 220B, Hockessin, DE 19707 Contact: Brian Pomije, Relocation Manager Tel: (302) 234-3600 (Office) • (302) 234-5207 (Direct) • (800) 443-2295 (Toll Free) Email: bpomije@psre.com • URL: pattersonschwartz.com Coverage Areas: Delaware (New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties), Pennsylvania (Chester and Delaware counties), Maryland (Cecil, Kent and Harford counties) Offices: 9 • Associates: 415

FLORIDA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty 1580 Sawgrass Corporate Pkwy., Ste. 400, Sunrise, FL 33323 Contact: Rei Mesa, CRS, CRB, President & CEO Tel: (954) 693-0100 or (800) 386-1554 • Fax: (954) 236-6962 Email: ReiMesa@BHHSFloridaRealty.com Relocation Contact: Sharon Sapp, Vice President, Relocation, Referrals & REOs Email: sharonsapp@BHHSFloridaRealty.com • URL: www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com Coverage Areas: 21 counties throughout Florida, including Southeast Florida, Southwest Florida and Orlando area Offering mortgage, title, insurance, home service plans and 1031 exchange services Offices: 40 • Associates: 1,750

GEORGIA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties 863 Holcomb Bridge Rd., Roswell, GA 30076 Contact: Kathy Connelly, SVP Corporate Services • Tel: (678) 352-3321 Email: Kathy.Connelly@BHHSGeorgia.com • URL: www.BHHSGeorgia.com Coverage Areas: Metro Atlanta and North Georgia Offices: 22 • Associates: 1,100 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 99

ILLINOIS McCOLLY Real Estate 800 Deer Creek Dr., Schererville, IN 46375 Contact: Deborah Horton, CRP, RCC, Director of Referral/Relocation Services Tel: (800) 348-2100 ext. 206 Email: dhorton@mccolly.com • URL: www.mccolly.com Coverage Areas: Alsip, Aroma Park, Beecher, Blue Island, Bourbonnais, Bradley, Burbank, Burnham, Calumet City, Channahon, Chicago, Chicago Ridge, Clearing, Country Club Hills, Crest Hill, Crestwood, Crete, Evergreen Park, Flossmoor, Frankfort, Glenwood, Grant Park, Harvey, Hazel Crest, Hegewisch, Hickory Hills, Homewood, Kankakee, Lansing, Lemont, Lockport, Lynwood, Manteno, Matteson, Mokena, Momence, Monee, Morgan Park, Mount Greenwood, New Lenox, Oak Lawn, Orland Hills, Orland Park, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Park Forest, Peotone, Richton Park, Riverdale, Roseland, Steger, Tinley Park, University Park, Worth Offices: 18 • Associates: 450+

RE/MAX Gateway 4090B Lafayette Center Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Scott MacDonald, President Tel: (703) 652-5760 • (703) 727-6900 (Cell) Email: scottmacdonald@remax.net • URL: www.gateway2realestate.com Coverage Areas: Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland Offices: 6 • Associates: 170

MASSACHUSETTS Kinlin Grover Real Estate 4 Wianno Ave., Osterville, MA 02655 Contact: Lucy Cundiff, Director of Agent Services Tel: (508) 420-1130 Email: lcundiff@kinlingrover.com • URL: www.kinlingrover.com Coverage Areas: Southeastern Massachusetts Offices: 16 • Associates: 275

INDIANA McCOLLY Real Estate 800 Deer Creek Dr., Schererville, IN 46375 Contact: Deborah Horton, CRP, RCC, Director of Referral/Relocation Services Tel: (800) 348-2100 ext. 206 Email: dhorton@mccolly.com • URL: www.mccolly.com Coverage Areas: Beverly Shores, Cedar Lake, Chesterton, Crown Point, DeMotte, Dyer, Dune Acres, East Chicago, Gary, Griffith, Hammond, Hebron, Highland, Hobart, Kouts, La Porte, Lake Station, Lake Village, Lakes of Four Seasons, Long Beach, Lowell, Merrillville, Michiana Shores, Michigan City, Miller Beach, Morocco, Munster, Ogden Dunes, Otis, Portage, Porter, Rensselaer, Roselawn, Schererville, Schneider, St. John, Sumava Resorts, Thayer, Valparaiso, Westville, Wheatfield, Whiting, Winfield Offices: 18 • Associates: 450+

LOUISIANA GARDNER, REALTORS® 3332 N. Woodlawn Ave., Metairie, LA 70006 Contact: Nancy Harmann, Director of Relocation & Corporate Services Tel: (504) 200-5080 • (504) 402-9567 (Cell) • (800) 256-5677 (Toll Free) Email: NHarmann@GardnerRealtors.com • URL: www.GardnerRealtors.com Coverage Areas: Southeast Louisiana, including Greater New Orleans and Greater Baton Rouge, and Southern Mississippi, including the MS Gulf Coast Offering a full range of services including Residential, Commercial, Leasing, New Homes, REO, and Loss Mitigation; plus individual and corporate Relocation, Property Management and National/International Referral Network services Offices: 24 • Associates: 800

MARYLAND CENTURY 21 New Millennium 5990 Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315 Contact: Todd Hetherington, CEO • Tel: (800) 382-1101 • Fax: (703) 822-0136 Relocation Contact: Jeff Hetherington, Director of Relocation Email: move@c21nm.com • URL: www.c21nm.com Coverage Areas: Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Southern Maryland markets. Our areas of expertise range from Fortune 500 executives to specialized training in military and government relocation.

Offices: 16 • Associates: 700+ Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+

100 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

MISSISSIPPI GARDNER, REALTORS® 3332 N. Woodlawn Ave., Metairie, LA 70006 Contact: Nancy Harmann, Director of Relocation & Corporate Services Tel: (504) 200-5080 • (504) 402-9567 (Cell) • (800) 256-5677 (Toll Free) Email: NHarmann@GardnerRealtors.com • URL: www.GardnerRealtors.com Coverage Areas: Southeast Louisiana, including Greater New Orleans and Greater Baton Rouge, and Southern Mississippi, including the MS Gulf Coast Offering a full range of services including Residential, Commercial, Leasing, New Homes, REO, and Loss Mitigation; plus individual and corporate Relocation, Property Management and National/International Referral Network services Offices: 24 • Associates: 800

MISSOURI Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties 1650 Des Peres Rd., Ste. 205, Saint Louis, MO 63131 Contact: Angie Ignatowski, Relocation Director Tel: (314) 835-6000 • (314) 835-6050 (Direct) Email: aignatowski@bhhsselectstl.com • URL: www.bhhsselectstl.com Coverage Areas: St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, Lincoln County Offices: 11 • Associates: Over 500

NEBRASKA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate 13340 California St., Omaha, NE 68154 Contact: Katie Adams, CRP, GMS, VP Corp. Relocation & Business Development Tel: (800) 477-7653 or (402) 547-5137 Email: Katie.adams@BHHSamb.com • URL: www.BHHSamb.com Coverage Areas: Omaha and Lincoln Metropolitan Area, including Omaha, Bellevue, Ralston, LaVista, Papillion, Gretna, Elkhorn, Fremont, Lincoln, Council Bluffs and surrounding communities

NEVADA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties 3185 St. Rose Pkwy., Ste. 100, Henderson, NV 89052 Contact: Eileen Mitchell, Dir. of Relocation & Referral Services Tel: (800) 735-4488 Email: relo@BHHSNV.com • URL: www.BHHSNV.com Coverage Areas: Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Summerlin and Pahrump Offices: 6 • Associates: 1,050

NEW JERSEY Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® 1 International Plaza, Ste. 100, Philadelphia, PA 19113 Contact: Linda Zanzinger, VP, Relocation/REO Services

Tel: (610) 595-3149 Email: Linda.Zanzinger@foxroach.com • URL: www.foxroach.com Coverage Areas: Greater Philadelphia Region, Greater Allentown and Easton Region, Southeast Pa., Southern and Central N.J., Northern Del. Offices: 65 • Associates: 4,000 Diane Turton, REALTORS® 511 Forman Ave., Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742 Contact: Dawn Fetherston, Director of Relocation & Corporate Services Tel: (877) 388-7866 Email: info@dianeturton.com • URL: www.dianeturton.com Coverage Areas: Monmouth County, Ocean County and Middlesex County (N.J.) Member Organizations: Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, Luxury Portfolio, Luxury Real Estate Offices: 18 · Associates: 375 Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate 826 Alexander Rd., Princeton, NJ 08540 Contact: Mark Williams, Relocation Director Tel: (888) 467-MOVE (Relocation Line) • (609) 750-7655 (Direct) Email: mwilliams@glorianilson.com • URL: www.glorianilson.com Coverage Areas: Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean and Somerset counties, N.J.; Bucks County, Pa. Offices: 23 • Associates: 700+ Jordan Baris, Inc., REALTORS® 50 Mt. Pleasant Ave., West Orange, NJ 07052 Contact: Carol Abdo, Relocation Director Tel: (973) 736-1600 (Office) • (800) 4-JBARIS (Toll Free) Fax: (973) 736-5159 Email: relocation@jordanbaris.com • URL: www.jordanbaris.com Coverage Areas: Essex, Union, Hudson and Morris counties. Specifically West Orange, South Orange, Maplewood, Livingston, East Hanover, Roseland, Short Hills, Montclair, Bloomfield, Belleville, Newark, East Orange, Orange, Irvington, Jersey City, North Bergen, Union, Vauxhall, Parsippany-Troy Hills Offices: 2 • Associates: 150 Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+

NEW YORK Coach REALTORS® 66 Gilbert St., Northport, NY 11768 Contact: Jose Matos, Inbound Referral Coordinator Tel: (800) 321-7356 ext. 138 Email: jmatos@coachrealtors.com URL: www.coachrealtors.com/buying-and-sellin/relocation.cfm The Coach REALTORS® Relocation Department understands the complexities and challenges of employee transfers and is very responsive to the many needs of relocating families. Coach’s relocation division is supported by three full-time referral coordinators: Jose Matos, Kathy Brandofino and Roseanne Tourto. These three professionals draw upon more than 50 years of combined relocation experience in order to make the client transition a comfortable one.

Offices: 19 • Associates: 650+

Coldwell Banker Prime Properties 10 Osgood Ave., Green Island, NY 12183 Contact: R. James Long, Broker/Owner Tel: (518) 640-4008 • Fax: (518) 456-8980 Email: jim.long@ColdwellBankerPrime.com Coverage Areas: New York State, primarily Capital Region and Central New York Offices: 16 • Associates: 500 Fillmore Real Estate 2990 Avenue U, Brooklyn, NY 11229 Contact: John Reinhardt, President/CEO • Tel: (800) 528-6673 Email: JohnReinhardt@Fillmore.com • URL: www.fillmore.com Coverage Areas: Brooklyn, Staten Island, Bronx and parts of Westchester Offices: 16 • Associates: 400

NORTH CAROLINA Coldwell Banker Advantage 7610 Six Forks Rd., Ste. 100, Raleigh, NC 27615 Contact: Benina Drake, CRP, SVP Relocation & Referral Services Tel: (800) 274-5345 • (919) 846-3330 (Direct) Email: BDrake@AdvantageCB.com • URL: AdvantageCB.com Coverage Areas: Apex, Cary, Clayton, Creedmoor, Chapel Hill, Durham, Falls Lake, Fayetteville, Ft. Bragg area, Henderson, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Lake Gaston, Lillington, McGee’s Crossroads, Pinehurst, Pittsboro, Pope Air Force Base area, Raleigh, Southern Pines, Wake Forest and Zebulon Offices: 17 • Associates: 325 Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+

PENNSYLVANIA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® 1 International Plaza, Ste. 100, Philadelphia, PA 19113 Contact: Linda Zanzinger, Vice President, Relocation/REO Services, Tel: (610) 595-3149 Email: Linda.Zanzinger@foxroach.com • URL: www.foxroach.com Coverage Areas: Greater Philadelphia Region, Greater Allentown and Easton Region, Southeast Pa., Southern and Central N.J., Northern Del. Offices: 65 • Associates: 4,000 Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate 826 Alexander Rd., Princeton, NJ 08540 Contact: Mark Williams, Relocation Director Tel: (888) 467-MOVE (Relocation Line) • (609) 750-7655 (Direct) Email: mwilliams@glorianilson.com • URL: www.glorianilson.com Coverage Areas: Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean and Somerset counties, N.J.; Bucks County, Pa. Offices: 23 • Associates: 700+ Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE February 2019 101

Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty 100 Foxshire Dr., Lancaster, PA 17601 Tel: (717) 291-9101 • Fax: (717) 393-2336 Contact: Sandy Zercher Email: sandra.zercher@sothebysrealty.com • URL: www.LuskandAssociates.com Coverage Areas: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; Susquehanna Valley, Pennsylvania; South Central Pennsylvania Offices: 1 • Associates: 40

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+

RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central 701 West Market St., Perkasie, PA 18944 Contact: Tom Skiffington, Broker/Owner • Tel: (215) 453-7653 or (215) 643-3200 Email: tom@tomskiffington.com URLs: www.pahomesforsale.com • www.lehighvalleyrealestate.com Coverage Areas: Pennsylvania counties: Bucks, Berks, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Lehigh, North Hampton, and New Jersey Offices: 10 • Associates: 170

RE/MAX Gateway 4090B Lafayette Center Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Scott MacDonald, President Tel: (703) 652-5760 • (703) 727-6900 (Cell) Email: scottmacdonald@remax.net • URL: www.gateway2realestate.com Coverage Areas: Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland Offices: 6 • Associates: 170

RHODE ISLAND Randall, REALTORS® 4009 Old Post Rd., Charleston, RI 02813 Contact: Jean Fournier, Dir. of Relocation & Referral Services Tel: (401) 486-9677 Email: jfournier@randallrealtors.com • URL: www.randallrealtors.com Coverage Areas: Connecticut and Rhode Island Offices: 9 • Associates: 175

SOUTH CAROLINA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, REALTORS® 745 N. Pleasantburg Dr., Greenville, SC 29607 Contacts: Karen Taylor, Director of Relocation, (864) 678-5244, ktaylor@cdanjoyner.com, Jo Anne Conner, Network Mgr., (864) 678-5227, jconner@cdanjoyner.com, URL: www.cdanjoyner.com Brookfield GRS, SIRVA, AIReS Relocation, Graebel, MI Group Coverage Areas: Greenville, Greer, Taylors, Duncan, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Fountain Inn, Powdersville, Easley, Piedmont, Anderson Offices: 10 • Associates: 400+

TEXAS Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS® 18756 Stone Oak Pkwy., Ste. 301, San Antonio, TX 78258 Contact: Pam Poitevent, Sr. VP Relocation Services Tel: (800) 521-1408 (Toll Free) • (210) 483-7035 (Direct) Email: ppoitevent@cbharper.com • URL: www.cbharper.com Coverage Areas: San Antonio metropolitan area including New Braunfels, San Marcos, Seguin, Spring Branch, Bulverde, Canyon Lake, Schertz, Universal City, Boerne, Bandera, Kerrville and surrounding areas Offices: 8 • Associates: 350+

VIRGINIA CENTURY 21 New Millennium 5990 Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315 Contact: Todd Hetherington, CEO • Tel: (800) 382-1101 • Fax: (703) 822-0136 Relocation Contact: Jeff Hetherington, Director of Relocation Email: move@c21nm.com • URL: www.c21nm.com Providers of world class real estate services in the Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Southern Maryland markets. Our areas of expertise range from Fortune 500 executives to specialized training in military and government relocation.

Offices: 16 • Associates: 700+

102 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

WASHINGTON, D.C. CENTURY 21 New Millennium 5990 Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315 Contact: Todd Hetherington, CEO • Tel: (800) 382-1101 • Fax: (703) 822-0136 Relocation Contact: Jeff Hetherington, Director of Relocation Email: move@c21nm.com • URL: www.c21nm.com Providers of world class real estate services in the Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Southern Maryland markets. Our areas of expertise range from Fortune 500 executives to specialized training in military and government relocation.

Offices: 16 • Associates: 700+ Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+ RE/MAX Gateway 4090B Lafayette Center Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Scott MacDonald, President Tel: (703) 652-5760 • (703) 727-6900 (Cell) Email: scottmacdonald@remax.net • URL: www.gateway2realestate.com Coverage Areas: Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland Offices: 6 • Associates: 170

WEST VIRGINIA Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+

INDEX OF SERVICE PROVIDERS ABR®...................................................................................12

The Personal Marketing Company..........................37, 64

Arizona Best Real Estate................................. IFC, IBC, BC

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors...........................................2

Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA)....52

Real Estate Express...........................................................31

Century 21 Real Estate LLC...............................................1

Real Estate Webmasters..................................................21

Create for the Human...................................11, 20, 74, 89

Realtors Property Resource®...........................................19

Darryl Davis Seminars, Inc...............................................63

Realty ONE Group............................................................24

Firepoint.............................................................................44

RE/MAX, LLC.....................................................................10

Homes & Land..................................................................54 Homes.com........................................................................7

RISMedia’s Automated Content Engagement (ACE)...................................................................9, 70-71, 103

HSA Home Warranty..............................................................17

RISMedia’s Newsmakers....................................................5

Lamacchia Realty.................................................................50

RISMedia’s Real Estate CEO Exchange.........................23

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World ................15

RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network®.....................90

NAR’s Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) Designation.......................................................................38

Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc.................................40

National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP)®..................................................66

Women in the Housing and Real Estate Ecosystem NAWRB...............................................................................56

National Association of REALTORS®............................8, 27

Workman Success Systems........................................69, 73

®

Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting.........................43

Build Your Brand and Generate Leads!

“ACE allows us to provide a valuable, time-saving social media solution to all our sales professionals. Offering company-branded, professional posts through ACE adds value not only to our customers, but also to our REALTORS®!”

- Rei L. Mesa, President & CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty

For more information, contact ace@rismedia.com or (203) 855-1234 ext. 2.

{re: Real Estate}

RPR® Delivers a Competitive Edge for Agents and Brokers

R

ealtors Property Resource® (RPR) makes hundreds of thousands of real estate professionals more productive by giving them easy ac-

cess to extensive data available on properties across the U.S. The RPR® database tracks records on more than 150 million parcels, including past sales, tax and deed records, foreclosure and pre-foreclosure info, mortgage and lien data, local school information, neighborhood trends, and even voting records.

Since its inception, REALTORS® have had access to RPR®, which is available at narrpr.com, free of charge.

On-the-go real estate professionals find the desktop and mobile functionality (which are automatically synced) to be user-friendly and intuitive. And, most importantly, agents can easily create colorful, client-friendly reports that can be printed, emailed, texted or shared on social media. Clients are informed and impressed by agentcreated Property Reports, Seller’s Reports, Market Activity Reports, School Reports, and more.

In the last year, RPR® has continued to make positive additions and enhancements to the platform and the mobile app, which helps REALTORS® solve the demands they are challenged with every day.

A new RPR® mobile-only feature makes it easy to create Buyer Tour Reports that can be shared in an instant with clients and prospects. Simple in nature, but comprehensive all the same, the new report enables agents to select properties, determine the order in which to tour them and then create a colorful, client-friendly report to share with buyers.

RPR®’s map search has also recently been enhanced, now incorporating such features as drive time and distance search, traffic flow counts, school attendance zones and parcel overlays.

Brokerage brands—front and center As a broker/owner, consider customizing RPR®and the reports your agents create with your company’s distinctive brand. It’s all part of RPR®’s Broker Tool Set. Branding the RPR®Website, Mobile app and Reports

104 February 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

with your company’s logo is an important way to reinforce your brokerage’s value proposition, whether you own or manage a franchise affiliate, or an independent office.

Broker/owners can also leverage the RPR®data tool to compile stats across multiple MLSs for a truer picture of your company’s performance. For multi-office brokerages, brokers can compare sales among company offices and against the local market as a whole.

Additionally, through the Broker Tool Set, display an automated valuation model (AVM) on your brokerage website or company intranet. It’s simple to set up and built to load quickly.

Choose to promote your preferred affiliated services, such as mortgage, title, home warranty or other specialized services, in the reports generated by your agents.

Getting you and your team up to speed with RPR® To help you and your agents get up to speed on the vast trove of data and tools available for your business, RPR® has assembled on-demand learning resources at blog.narrpr.com/workshops.

In addition, RPR® recently launched an on-demand, seven-part course that’s easy to incorporate into your sales meetings. Each video runs less than 10 minutes and includes a corresponding handout. You’ll find this new resource at blog.narrpr.com/sales-meeting. RE

Get Your Office on the RPR® Fast Track The NEW 7-week video training series is perfect for your upcoming sales meetings.

- Each video <10 minutes - Corresponding handouts

Where? blog.narrpr.com/sales-meeting

 ®

$306

®

including REAL Trends

®

          