Real Estate Magazine - Lamacchia Realty, Jan. 2019

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Lamacchia Realty:

WHERE REAL TACTICS LEAD TO REAL RESULTS – Page 84

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{Contents} January 2019/Vol. 35, No. 1 • www.rismedia.com

ON THE COVER 84 Lamacchia Realty: Where Real Tactics Lead to Real Results

Photos by www.davidshopper.com

Anthony Lamacchia has been obsessed with business since childhood. At age 12, he began learning about what a profit and loss statement was, and by 16, he had mastered basic accounting. It’s no surprise that once Lamacchia entered the real estate world, it didn’t take long for him to make his mark. Today, as broker/owner and CEO of Lamacchia Realty, serving Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Lamacchia is on the verge of explosive growth, ready to take his training-focused and agent support-centric model beyond New England’s borders. As he simply says, “We will one day be the largest and best privately-held real estate company in America.” In this month’s cover story, find out how Lamacchia intends to get there—and how he’s already come so far.

46

HIGHLIGHTS 24 Forecasting Housing in 2019: Not Better for Buyers, but Not Worse

If the expectations about housing in 2019 can be summed up in one word, it’s this: balanced.

32 The New Gold Standard CENTURY 21 Canada to launch the largest custom real estate platform build in modern history.

46 Look Who’s Sharing Now: Airbnb Moves Into Construction and Real Estate Markets In this exclusive feature, learn how Airbnb’s bold move stands to affect the real estate industry.

90 Brokers Sell the Experience, So Agents Can Sell Real Estate 90

Here, learn how authentic experiences pave the way to successful agent recruitment, retention and optimization.

HEADLINERS 15 Policy Matters: Fair Housing’s Unmet Goal

16 N AR Power Broker Roundtable: Dealing With New Business Models: Defining Your Value Proposition

18 R EBAC Report: What Are Your Financial Goals for 2019?

20 Executive Appointments 28 A ffordability Crisis at Home and Nationwide: Report

51 B uyers Are Calling on REALTORS®, Even With Listings a Tap Away RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 3

92

ousing America’s Aging 65 H

Population: The Challenges Ahead

68 T he Value of Agent Business Planning

71 Kraninger Confirmed in Tight Vote

83 B log Spot: Design Forecast: 2019 Color of the Year

FEATURES 30 5 Realistic Ways for Agents to Reduce Stress

42 T aking Innovation and Scale to a Whole New Level

58 P ower Broker Perspectives: Jennifer B. Shemwell, Myron Kiriu, Bill Aboumrad

62 S trategies: American Home Shield® (AHS®); Home Partners of America

72 A mazon to Spark Massive Real Estate Shift in NYC and D.C. Markets

74 5 Ways to Get out of Your Comfort Zone to Capture Leads

81 A dvanced Hand-Held Tech for the Modern Agent

30

84 L amacchia Realty: Where Real Tactics Lead to Real Results

92 RISMedia’s Great Spaces 96 A sk the Experts: Pricing Listings to Sell at Asking Cost, What’s in Store for the Home Inspection Industry’s Future

Better Future? It’s Only a Dollar With the Broker Public Portal

52 B eth Kinsella – Embarrass Yourself in 5 Easy Steps

53 T om Davidson – Make a Professional Development Plan That Sticks

INTERVIEWS

55 J oe Martinez – Broker Marketing

78 Terri King, Coldwell Banker King

57 R ealty ONE Group – Make 2019

88 C ora Bett Thomas, Cora Bett Thomas Realty

88 G eoffrey Adams, Agent Collective

89 K athy Laswick, Realty ONE Group

EXPERTS 23 B rian Buffini – Preparing for a Changing Market

26 M att Hensler – The Last Major Differentiator for Brokerages: The Agent Experience

39 T erri Murphy – Stop Hiding Behind Technology

41 A dam Contos – 3 Winning Tips for the New Year

44 R ick Haase – Positioned for Today’s Brokerage Environment

4 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

49 T om Hurdelbrink – Cost of a

in the New Year the Best Year for Your Real Estate Career

67 D arryl Davis – Now Business, Future Business and Financial Freedom

69 S herri Johnson – Speak on Purpose, Speak With Purpose: Negotiation Strategies

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

99 Service Profiles 107 Referrals 112 RE: Real Estate—5 Ways to Expand Your Skills in 2019

REAL ESTATE NEWSMAKERS

Awards Reception & Dinner

2018 Real Estate Newsmakers Award

Teresa Palacios Smith HSF Affiliates, LLC

Join us at the

National Press Club Washington, D.C. Featuring the 2 Annual Hall of Fame Inductees nd

Thursday, May 16, 2019

By Invitation Only Please contact Cindi Gallucci, cgallucci@rismedia.com for more information.

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

Real Estate Guide: How to Choose an Investment Property

Becoming a Home Maintenance Pro: Tips for New Homeowners

Congratulations on your new home! You survived the paperwork. You got all of your belongings moved in and everything unpacked. You even got a lawn mower, some power tools and a massive tool chest. Now what?

If you’re purchasing a property with the sole aim of renting it out or selling it for a higher price, it can make for an excellent investment—but buying an investment property has its pitfalls.

For instance, if you fail to follow the No. 1 rule of real estate—location, location, location—you can suffer significant losses.

Living in the City vs. the Suburbs: Pros and Cons Depending on where you are in life, you might benefit more from living in the city as opposed to living in the suburbs, and vice versa.

The Best and Worst States for Senior Retirement Finances

Retirement is a massive goal for many seniors, and a big milestone in every retiree’s life. The average person spends decades saving for retirement and planning for this major financial decision; however, while most seniors envision retirement being completely stressfree, there are financial hurdles.

3 Things to Consider Before Listing Your Home as a Short-Term Rental

Welcome to the Age of Sharing. The sharing economy is a 21st century phenomenon that’s expected to grow to $335 billion by 2025.

A recent COUNTRY Financial Security Index® revealed that over half of Americans are currently participating in the sharing economy.

Make 2019 your most profitable yet!

For motivation and tips, search keyword “Business Plan” on RISMedia.com.

#DYK Team Tuesday, our newest newsletter, is brimming with strategies for teams. Look for it in your inbox weekly, or subscribe at RISMedia.com/ subscribe-email.

Connect With RISMedia @RISMediaUpdates

@RISMedia

@HousecallBlog

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@HousecallBlog

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6 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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{Publisher’s Desk} Thinking Big in 2019

W

hen CENTURY 21 Canada (C21) took on the challenge and investment of embarking on one of the largest custom platform builds the real estate industry has ever seen, the motivation wasn’t to gain glory and accolades; it was to help agents compete...and win.

Generate More Business from Social Media!

As the need to support agents with modern, agile technology only increases, C21 Canada knew that nothing less than a big, bold technology revamp would do. As CTO Jack Miller says, “Sales representatives need technology that integrates across all platforms and helps them connect with consumers quickly and effectively.” In this month’s cover story on page 32, learn more about C21’s ambitious plan, including the invaluable partner they found to make it all happen, Real Estate Webmasters.

C21 Canada’s big move forward is representative of the many ways brokers will be stepping it up in 2019. With competition popping up in an increasingly diverse array of guises (check out our article on Airbnb’s foray into the real estate space, page 46), the need for brokers to expand their offering, clearly define and loudly promote their value proposition will be more critical than ever. This month’s NAR Power Broker Roundtable on page 16 offers some clutch advice from key brokerage leaders with regard to how to go about doing so.

In this issue (page 90), we also take a look at how futureminded brokers are thinking big when it comes to creating experiences that engage and motivate agents. According to these brokers, in the real estate market of today and tomorrow, recruiting and retention will go beyond commission splits and technology tools to providing a rewarding culture and environment—creating experiences that bring agents fulfillment on a deeper level, and that show them you care about more than the deals they bring in.

As we kick off the new year, we at RISMedia will be thinking big, too, as we expand our Real Estate Newsmakers program to recognize a larger pool of worthy recipients, get ready to launch our ACE 2.0 social media platform, and expand our coverage of the Power Brokers who are leading by example and innovating to move the industry forward.

Automated Facebook posts lead prospects to your personalized landing page!

Relevant Content Auto-Posted and Branded for YOU!

Your Name & Company on Personalized Landing Pages!

Your Company Logo!

Your Headshot & Contact Info!

Mobile View RISMedia’s Automated Content Engagement

Responsive Design

Happy New Year to all! Wishing you much success in the year ahead,

Your Company Logo!

Your Headshot & Contact Info!

John E. Featherston CEO & Publisher

ace.rismedia.com

i

MY WHY? i I believe symbols are powerful. Take the RE/MAX balloon.

It represents ambition that moves like a freight train. And when people see it, they see me. Telling them I go nonstop.

Because I do.

Why RE/MAX? The brand is my why. Š2018 RE/MAX, LLC. Each office is independently owned and operated. 18_257667

Find your why at joinremax.com

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

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

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Chief Information Officer Edward T. Kingston Web Designer Kevin Kirwan 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.

{Did You Know?} #REalityCheck

According to recently released research from Zillow, college debt is hindering homebuyers, draining more than $92,000 from a potential purchase.

Households headed by someone over 65 represent 55 According to

percent of the nation’s households, while 65 million households are headed by someone aged 50 or over.

Source: Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS)

The top five housing markets to watch in 2019 are: 1. Colorado Springs, Colo.

2. Grand Rapids, Mich.

3. Jacksonville, Fla. 4. Bakersfield, Calif.

5. Austin, Texas Source: Trulia

According to realtor.com®’s 2019 National Housing Forecast, there will be

a less than

7%

increase

in inventory overall for 2019.

12 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

If you think the closing is just the icing on the cake, you should definitely get in touch.

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

{Policy Matters}

Fair Housing’s Unmet Goal This column is brought to you by the NAR Real Estate Services group.

by Fred Underwood

W

hy do African American homeownership rates continue to lag far behind rates for whites?

The African American homeownership rate remains nearly the same as it was in 1968 when the Fair Housing Act was passed.

This was the focus of a roundtable meeting hosted by the Urban Institute and sponsored by the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) in November 2018. These three organizations have agreed to increase activities on this critical need and hosted the roundtable in order to engage other leading organizations in Washington, D.C., and to encourage the pursuit of policies aimed at increasing African American homeownership.

Two policy objectives of the Fair Housing Act, ending housing discrimination and increasing African American homeownership, have seen little progress in 50 years. Gains in African American homeownership made in the 1990s and early 2000s were wiped out in the housing crisis and have not recovered. Hispanic, Asian and white homeownership rates have increased since the crisis, but questions over disparities in the African American homeownership rates remain unanswered.

Commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act triggered renewed examination of the African American homeownership rate, while a number of articles have raised awareness of the continued challenges to close the gap. At a re-

cent presentation at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference, NAREB renewed its call for two million new African American homeowners in five years.

NAREB outlines much of this data in its annual State of Housing in Black America report. In that 2018 report, NAREB cites the predatory lending practices of the early 2000s as a major factor leading to this decline, while lending practices pursued by federal housing regulators continue to make homeownership overly challenging. In a recent article, the Urban Institute shows that middle-aged, married African Americans had the largest drop in homeownership rates between 2006 and 2016.

The need to engage the industry more broadly in this effort was emphasized by those in attendance.

In the past, it was thought that addressing overall homeownership in America would increase homeownership rates for everyone; however, the recovery since the housing crisis has not positively impacted the African

American community.

Alanna McCargo of the Urban Institute showed that a significant portion of the black/white homeownership gap cannot be explained through variables like income, employment and marital status. Research is needed to help focus attention on solutions and on the effects of policies and programs that impact African American homeownership rates.

For example, research highlighting the ongoing impact of early 20th century policies segregating African Americans may facilitate initiatives that can undo the legacy of these earlier policies.

McCargo listed possible areas of policy consideration, several of which are already a priority of national real estate organizations, including alternative credit scoring, savings and down payment assistance, homebuyer tax credits and counseling. Other policy areas might be locally focused, including changes in zoning and regulatory requirements for rehabs and new construction.

One study showed that there are 1.7 million millennial African Americans who are ready for homeownership, but concerns over student debt and fears emanating from the housing crisis continue to deter home purchases among African Americans.

Because issues impacting homeownership differ based on geography, the Urban Institute, NAREB and NAR will continue to meet with interested organizations to consider whether a localized approach can help develop a policy focus that’s most likely to have a sustained impact on improving African American homeownership rates. RE For more information on the State of Housing in Black America report, visit http://www.nareb.com/ shiba-report/. For further information on NAR’s participation in this program, or regarding how to engage in this dialogue and action, contact Fred Underwood, NAR’s director of Diversity and Inclusion, at funderwood@realtors.org.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 15

{The NAR Power Broker Roundtable} Dealing With New Business Models: Defining Your Value Proposition MODERATOR:

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

Rosey Koberlein CEO, Long Companies, Tucson, Ariz.

Nancy Nagy CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group, Chicago, Ill.

Gary Scott President, General Brokerage, Long & Foster, Chantilly, Va. 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: First off, when we talk about dealing with new business models, I’d like to banish the term “disruptors.” What we are really talking about is alternative business models—firms doing real estate in ways that veer away from the traditional models we know. They pose no threat if we, as brokers, do a credible job of defining our value proposition. So today, let’s talk about leveraging our value in the age of the shiny, new penny. Rosey, what is a value proposition, anyway?

Rosey Koberlein: Value proposition is

what you bring to the table. Experience. Professionalism. Support.

The shiny alternatives tell a good story, but when you peel back the onion, there’s not a lot at the core.

Traditional companies, on the other 16 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

hand, have historically had a tough time tooting our own horns. And yet, we have the culture and synergy that come from long years of experience, and a history of the exceptional relationships we’ve built in the communities we serve. I take great pride in that as a leader, and I want to be sure that everyone in my company can stand up and tell that story.

“Value proposition is what you bring to the table. Experience.

Professionalism.

Support.”

– Rosey Koberlein CEO, Long Companies

Nancy Nagy: We’re not concerned

with shiny, new pennies. We know we have a story worth telling. We recruit right, we make a huge investment in tools and support, and we have a fantastic leadership team that develops the best agents in the business and keeps them at the top for the long term. We have a fine, respected brand behind us and a wealth of resources at hand. We’ve been here for 100 years and we’ll be here for 100 more; and you’re right, Jim and Rosey—bringing our agents together around those strengths is part of what we do as leaders.

Gary Scott: I don’t see these new

models as disruptors. I see them as bare-bones distractors, because a good story starts with the basics, and the basics that built our company are pretty simple. We’re in the relationship business, and it starts with building strong connections with our agents. Our people know we care deeply about every single one of them, and that’s reflected in our agent surveys. Our job is providing what they need to help them grow and succeed, because their success is our success, and the richness of our past—more than 50 years of service and experience—is an asset no newcomer can match.

JI: So, it’s clear that what we invest in our agents comes back to us a hundredfold.

How do we, as Nancy suggested, rally our troops around our story?

GS: I think we focus on our company

culture—that indefinable ecosystem we all live in every day. It’s mentorship and friendly competition. It’s motivating greater accomplishment— and it’s also recognition and reward.

NN: For the most part, agents get that. We’ve had a few leave for what they think are greener pastures, but we’ve also had a few come back. I think they find there’s no match for what we offer, and it isn’t all about the money.

RK: You’re right. It is about the culture. Anyone can come along and duplicate “stuff.” But in the end, you can’t compete on “stuff.” You compete on professionalism, on knowing the market better than anyone, on experience and a steadfast support system.

JI: Okay, so those firms that have been around a while can have the edge on culture and experience. How do you articulate and communicate that story in ways that resonate and inspire?

GS: You lead by example. Doing things right is contagious.

RK: You dig deep and figure out what you do that no one can replicate. In essence, you make a promise. And you deliver. RE 8For an expanded version of this article and other NAR Power Broker Roundtable topics, please visit www.rismedia.com.

It's a New Year and Realty ONE Group continues to open doors across the globe to real estate professionals everywhere with our technology, coaching, support and amazing coolture.

Open the doors to your future with us!

RealtyONEGroup.com/OpeningDoors2019

{REBAC Report}

What Are Your Financial Goals for 2019?

by Marc D. Gould

W

elcome to a new year! It’s an exciting time for making fresh resolutions and conquering financial goals, including growing your brokerage business. Are you also considering how you’ll tackle your personal financial goals?

Everyone needs to plan for their longterm financial security. Among real estate professionals, however, that can be tricky. This industry may offer exceptional opportunities to build wealth, but you also face extraordinary personal responsibility to manage and plan for your financial future.

Did you know that NAR recently unveiled a new member benefit, an online resource that helps REALTORS® maximize their wealth and achieve their retirement goals? The Center for REALTOR® Financial Wellness is not a substitute for professional financial consulting services, but it does provide powerful tools and convenient access to financial planning resources tailored to real estate professionals.

The Center for REALTOR®Financial Wellness helps you establish highly personalized goals and navigate an individualized path toward financial security. For example, are you considering one or more of these goals in 2019?

1. RETIREMENT PLANNING Planning for retirement is a complicated endeavor that involves researching and selecting the best account options, determining how to fund your account, diversifying your assets, maximizing contributions, and more.

In the Center for REALTOR® Finan18 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

cial Wellness, you can tackle each component of retirement planning, selecting among specific goals, then utilizing powerful tools for completing each step and scratching them off your list.

2. REAL ESTATE INVESTING The Center for REALTOR® Financial Wellness also includes goal-setting resources to learn about real estate investing, such as exploring REITs as an investment, understanding 1031 exchanges, down payment options and acquiring an investment property.

Before proceeding with a real estate investment, however, you may want to take REBAC’s one-day course called Real Estate Investing: Build Wealth Representing Investors and Becoming One Yourself.

For current dates and locations, visit training4re.com.

3. SUCCESSION PLANNING When mapping out an exit strategy, your goals may include finding a successor, completing a business valuation, preparing your book of business for sale, or putting a business exit plan in place—topics you’ll find in the Center for REALTOR® Financial Wellness.

COACHING YOUR AGENTS As a broker, your financial success is

integrally linked with your agents’ financial success. Encourage them to visit the Center for REALTOR® Financial Wellness since it includes many tools that can help agents navigate their financial freedom.

For example, new agents may want to explore questions like: • How much money can I expect to make as a real estate agent?

• What tax deductions should a real estate agent know about?

• How much of my commissions should I set aside?

The Center for REALTOR® Financial Wellness also includes a “Wellness Checkup” for a quick, initial snapshot of your current situation.

The “Financial Journey” provides an engaging and risk-free way to explore the consequences of various decisions.

It’s important to note that while the site provides many helpful resources, it isn’t an investment site.

You’ll want to consult with financial planning experts for additional insights and to execute your plan.

Financial wellness doesn’t need to be complicated and overwhelming. Turn to the Center for REALTOR® Financial Wellness to inform and empower your financial goals in 2019 and beyond. Visit www.FinancialWellness.realtor. 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

{Executive Appointments} Adam Contos,

CEO of RE/MAX, has joined the board of directors of RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. Prior to CEO, Contos was COO of RE/MAX Holdings. He joined the company in 2004, working with franchisees and agents in the Mountain States region, and was promoted to region vice president the following year. Between 2007 and 2013, he continued as region vice president, first leading the California & Hawaii region, and later the Florida region. He was promoted to vice president, Region Development in 2013 and then to senior vice president of Marketing in February 2015. During his marketing tenure, he and the business development team built a robust franchise sales process that fueled record growth.

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) has added Billy Ekofo and Jennifer Harding to its Member Services team, named vice presidents, Business Solutions. Both will be business consultants for a defined group of LeadingRE members, focusing on understanding each brokerage’s unique objec-

tives and helping them be more successful through the utilization of LeadingRE’s extensive programs and services.

Climb Real Estate has named Christine Kim president of the brand’s Bay Area brokerages.

Founder Chris Lim is now acting in an advisory capacity to Realogy, which acquired Climb in 2016 under its NRT subsidiary. In October 2018, Realogy announced that it will begin expanding its franchise offerings to include Climb Real Estate. Kim, who has been affiliated with Climb since 2006, is now at the helm of all of Climb’s offices operating presently.

A Korean American, she has been in the top 5 percent of REALTORS® in San Francisco and Santa Clara County since 2003. Prior to her career at Climb, she was broker/owner of Bridgepointe Group.

United Real Estate Group has named Richard Haase chief operating officer of United Real Estate Group and president of United Real Estate. As COO, Haase will be responsible for leading enterprise operations based in Dallas, Tex-

as, and will oversee operations of United’s six business units. In this role, Haase will report to Dan Duffy, United Real Estate Group and United Real Estate’s chief executive officer.

Haase brings over 30 years of experience in leadership and brokerage operations. He has held leadership positions with market-leading companies operating in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio and Connecticut.

He most recently served as president of Latter & Blum, Inc.

John L. Scott Real Estate announced that Andrew Mathews has been named general counsel. Mathews, who has 15 years of experience in the field, is responsible for the brokerage’s legal department, advising the company on all levels, as well as company-owned and affiliate offices in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California. Mathews was formerly general counsel of American Management Services, a Seattle-based property management company. Prior to that role, he was a commercial litigation attorney at the international law firm Reed Smith, LLP in Chicago.

RE

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

Lead the way. Earn your PSA. Take the guesswork out of pricing homes.

Whether you’ve been a REALTOR® for years or just listed your first house, it’s essential to price homes accurately. Now is the time to master this essential skill by becoming a Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA).

This certification will make you an invaluable resource for your clients by: • Creating Comparative Market Analyses (CMAs) • Working with appraisers • Using the latest technology • Addressing home pricing misperceptions Determine a home pricing strategy with confidence. Learn the skills that result in accurate prices.

Learn more at PricingStrategyAdvisor.org.

3. Master Your Skills

Prepare for a Changing Market

by Brian Buffini

W

e all want to build a business that lasts, but in this rapidly changing marketplace, doing that is becoming increasingly difficult. With so many fluctuations and disruptors to contend with, real estate professionals are faced with an unsure and challenging environment. The good news is that succeeding in 2019 and beyond is within everyone’s reach if you prepare properly and future-proof your business.

KEY POINTS TO FUTURE-PROOF YOUR BUSINESS: 1. Understand Lead Generation In today’s real estate industry, there is widespread misunderstanding about authentic and successful lead generation and conversion tactics.

Of course, technology is a powerful asset to any business when it’s used properly, but its real purpose is to support the fundamentals, not replace them. As the old saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Lean into technology, but focus first on forging real and lasting relationships with your customers.

Connect with your best clients often and consistently, listen for a need and fill it, and let your customers know how much you appreciate their business and referrals. Good rela-

tionships are at the heart of every successful business, so invest time, attention and care in your clients. If you do that, you will create loyal advocates for years to come.

2. Don’t Get Distracted by Trends It’s easy to get distracted by the latest fads, but fundamentals are the building blocks of business because they work whatever the conditions.

To stand out from the crowd and build a business that lasts, always provide exceptional service. People might forget what you say, they might forget what you do, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

Do more than is expected of you.

Go above and beyond. If you consistently exceed your customers’ expectations, you will create trust, loyalty and an invaluable referral network.

Learning doesn’t end once you’ve earned your real estate license. Your skills pay the bills, so keep them sharp and up to date. Make it a priority to invest in ongoing education and training. As American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker Jim Rohn said, “You must work harder on yourself than you do on your job. If you work hard on your job, you can make a living; if you work hard on yourself, you can make a fortune.”

A comprehensive, in-depth training program is a powerful way to develop your skills, keep you on track and position you ahead of the pack. Commit to constant and never-ending improvement, and then put what you learn into practice every day.

Future-proofing requires focus, dedication and time, but the reward is that your business will continue to thrive regardless of any advances in technology or variations in the market. Invest in relationships, provide exceptional service and develop phenomenal skills. By focusing on these fundamentals, the average Buffini & Company client already makes 11 times that of the average national real estate professional. Commit to these principles and you too will be able to navigate the noise and uncertainty in the marketplace, adapt to changes and better serve your clients. Remember, change is bad for people who don’t anticipate, prepare and work accordingly, but it’s fantastic for those who are ready. RE Brian Buffini immigrated to San Diego from Ireland in 1986 and became a top-performing REALTOR®. He then founded Buffini & Company to share his powerful lead-generation system. Buffini & Company has trained more than 3 million people in 37 countries and coaches more than 25,000 business pros. Today, Brian’s a New York Times best-selling author and reaches over 6 million listeners a year through “The Brian Buffini Show” podcast. For more, visit buffiniandcompany.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 23

Forecasting Housing in 2019: Not Better for Buyers, but Not Worse

by Suzanne De Vita

I

f the expectations about housing in 2019 can be summed up in one word, it’s this: balanced.

After months and months on a runaway track, home prices have started to temper, and will continue to moderate this year, according to predictions by several sources. Analysts are anticipating anywhere from 2.2 to 3.79 percent growth in home prices for the year—a considerable dip from past years, but an indicator of a leveling-out market.

The deceleration, however, is not likely to overcome other pressures, like climbing mortgage rates and short starter supply, changing conditions for homebuyers and sellers. According to a realtor.com® forecast, there will be a less than 7 percent increase in inventory overall for the year.

24 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“Inventory will continue to increase, but unless there is a major shift in the economic trajectory, we don’t expect a buyer’s market on the horizon within the next five years,” says Danielle Hale, chief economist at realtor.com. “Unfortunately for buyers, it’s only going to get more costly to buy, especially the mostdemanded entry-level real estate.”

Meanwhile, interest rates will track toward 6 percent—landing between 5.3 and 5.5 percent, realtor.com’s report shows, or 5.8 percent, according to a forecast by Zillow. In the realtor.com scenario, monthly mortgage payments will rise 8 percent.

The increase is an obstacle for renters; in fact, it is now the “biggest

challenge” toward purchasing for 19 percent of renters, according to a forecast by Trulia. Thirteen percent said the same this spring.

“I believe we’re going to see rates go toward what they were 10 years back coming out of the recession: closer to 5.25, 5.3 percent,” says Cheryl Young, senior economist at Trulia. “The real issue around affordability and rising interest rates— whether or not people know how much that’s going to impact their monthly mortgage payment—is the fact that prices have been outstripping wage growth. The bottom end of the market, especially first-time homebuyers, are already feeling the squeeze, so any rise in interest rates takes another bite out of affordability.”

For the buyers capable of paying

prices today, however—and at the interest rates of tomorrow—there will be a measure of relief.

“Certain headwinds—including rising mortgage interest rates, higher rents and stiff competition for housing in the most desirable areas—will only grow stronger over the next year, but that won’t necessarily be a bad thing,” says Aaron Terrazas, senior economist at Zillow. “A slower-moving market is likely to give more buyers a chance to catch their breath and choose from a wider selection of homes that fit their preferences and budgets.”

First-timers will again be a force in 2019, accounting for 45 percent of mortgages, according to realtor.com’s report. Many will be millennials who are moving or trading up. According to Trulia, 21 percent of millennials are planning to purchase in the next year.

Given the buyer dynamics, 2019 will continue the favorable market for sellers, as well—but not everyone

will garner multiple offers, as in recent years. According to the forecast by realtor.com, sales will soften for the year, down 2 percent.

“For the first time in a while, home seller sentiment has decreased,” Young says, citing the report by Trulia. “I think people, net, are still thinking it is a good time to sell, but it is not as favorable as it was last year.”

One critical development in 2019 is the effect of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. According to the research by Trulia, half of homeowners believe they will not benefit from the changes when they file their taxes—and many, realtor.com’s report shows, will have a bigger bill at tax time. How housing will be impacted overall is unknown.

Another development is disasters, which are growing in intensity and number. Following two devastating hurricanes and the wildfires in 2018, analysts are expecting more occurrences this year. According to the predictions by Zillow, a “record number” of homes will be lost as a

result—but according to the findings from Trulia, 52 percent of homeowners are “no more or less concerned” about the potential threat.

The Takeaway With the burn-out in home prices and rates rising, housing has been inching toward normal, and is anticipated to stabilize through 2019. Battered buyers may have improved prospects this year, but will still contend with cost and inventory pressures.

“2019 looks to be a pivotal year as the market cools and transitions from one marked by robust recovery into one more in line with historic norms, and more balanced between buyers, sellers and renters,” Terrazas says. RE

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

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The Last Major Differentiator for Brokerages: The Agent Experience Commentary by Matt Hensler

A

little over a year ago, HomeSmart put a unicorn on the cover of Real Estate magazine and asked people to stop chasing them. Why? Because the industry’s infatuation with disruption has become a distraction for agents and brokers who should be focused on the things that matter to their growth.

While many real estate professionals have been busy chasing shiny objects they hope will be the lightning strike for their business, true innovation has come into the industry from a variety of companies who are focused on solving the issue of customer and user experience. Zillow, OpenDoor, Offerpad and others have opted to make consumer experience the core focus of their business— and for good reason. Improved experiences that create simplicity and convenience for consumers have proven to be a valuable differentiator for companies in seemingly every other industry segment.

While real estate models and products offering a renewed consumer ex26 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

perience have made the most headlines this past year, there’s an unmet need in real estate that’s guaranteed to reshape the brokerage landscape in the future: the agent experience, and the interactions agents have with every aspect of a brokerage.

Outside of real estate, it’s been claimed that customer experience is the last major point of differentiation for brands. Among real estate brokerages, agent experience offers firms the same opportunity to separate themselves and emerge from a sea of options content with claims of better sameness.

Whether good or bad, it’s a fact that an agent has an experience with your brokerage. Before you can set your sights on innovating the agent experience, you need to first understand their current experience. That includes each phase of their agent lifecycle, meaning the entire time period they spend licensed with your brokerage. At HomeSmart, we break that experience down into macro-level milestones that include onboarding, implementation, activation, adoption and expansion.

A year ago, our relentless focus on providing amazing service to agents led us to conduct a day-long

workshop where we mapped out the agent journey along that lifecycle.

The results were eye-opening. We uncovered unexpected pain points and areas of friction that we could see were getting in the way of our agents having the best possible experience for their business.

That insight was then turned into opportunity, and we started to systematically innovate how agents experience our brokerages. Over the last year, much energy and effort has gone into solving how to best apply HomeSmart’s technology, people and processes in order to recast that experience from start to finish. Out of that effort has emerged better coordination among departments during onboarding, an improved cadence of communication to keep agents focused on achieving the value they’re looking for from the brokerage, and a commitment to continuously improve how we better anticipate agents’ needs throughout their journey.

Simplicity and convenience shouldn’t be outcomes reserved only for consumers. There’s no doubt the ease of which a consumer can search, find, buy or sell real estate has shifted dynamics within the industry. Still, agents will forever have a place of value to help their clients navigate a market where the invisible hand of capitalism naturally forces ebbs and flows of constant change. To that end, agents will increasingly look for a brokerage experience that delivers less pain and provides a streamlined path to grow. RE Matt Hensler is the chief marketing and innovation officer at HomeSmart International. HomeSmart is built around technology that provides franchisees and agents with cutting-edge tools, which enable them to spend more time focusing on clients and the profitability of their businesses.

Breakthrough experiences await at HomeSmart.com/Technology.

Affordability Crisis at Home and Nationwide: Report

by RISMedia Staff

T

he affordability crisis in the housing market is persisting—and Americans are feeling it in their neighborhoods, according to a National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) survey.

Of more than 2,200 Americans surveyed, 73 percent believe affordable housing is lacking nationwide. Sixtyeight percent believe it is an issue in their state, and 54 percent believe it is a challenge in their community.

Fifty-eight percent say that if they were going to buy a home in the future, their city or county would have limited options in their price range.

Markedly, 55 percent of those surveyed believe their city or county should decrease development fees, and 53 percent believe it would “be effective” to increase government subsidies. According to the NAHB, 25 - 30 percent of construction costs are regulatory-related.

28 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“These poll results confirm what builders from across the nation have been warning about—that housing affordability is an increasingly serious problem in communities across America,” says Randy Noel, 2018 chairman of the NAHB. “A mix of regulatory barriers, ill-considered public policy and challenging market conditions is driving up costs and making it increasingly difficult for builders to produce homes that are affordable to low- and moderate-income families.

“Housing is vital to the economic health of our nation,” Noel says.

“This poll should serve as a wakeup call to policymakers at all levels of government to ease regulatory burdens that needlessly drive up the cost of housing and to enact policies that will encourage the production of badly-needed affordable housing units.” RE

Source: National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)

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5 Realistic Ways for Agents to Reduce Stress by the Experts at MoxiWorks

S

tress is the worst. It’s bad for your health. It’s bad for your relationships. It’s just plain bad.

Unfortunately, many of the common nuggets of advice for reducing said stress aren’t realistic. We can’t take a week off work to go galivanting in the Bahamas, we don’t have time to organize our entire life, and working out 30 minutes a day might sound easy, but it’s not.

Here are five, realistic ways you can reduce stress in your daily life: 1. Get outdoors.

We’re not saying you have to go for a run, climb Mount Fuji or go on a camping trip. We’re saying a little fresh air can do a lot of good. If you have a couple minutes between meetings or have a call you need to take, why not step outside and take it there? Sitting in an office, open house or meetings all day isn’t good for the mind or the body.

Once a day, try shaking it off and stepping outside.

30 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

2. Eat some dark chocolate.

In case you needed another excuse to indulge in chocolatey goodness, data has actually been published that says dark chocolate has “positive effects on stress levels, inflammation, mood, memory and immunity.” Next time you’re at the grocery store, pick up a bar.

3. Hire a little help.

Is there something (anything) that is causing a ton of stress in your life that you could outsource? We only have so much time and there’s only so many hours in a day—you can’t do it all, so let someone help you. Checking some boxes off the to-do list will surely reduce stress.

4. Listen to some music.

Just like dark chocolate, music has the power to reduce stress. In fact, according to PsychCentral, “listen-

ing to music can have a tremendously relaxing effect on our minds and bodies, especially slow, quiet classical music. This type of music can have a beneficial effect on our physiological functions, slowing the pulse and heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing the levels of stress hormones.” If you’re feeling stressed, turn on the tunes in the car, put in some headphones, or turn up the home stereo.

5. Say “no.”

This one is hard for all of us, but we imagine it’s even harder for real estate agents whose job is focused around pleasing clients. Saying “no” a little more might feel selfish, but being selfless all the time is a great way to get so burned out you can hardly function. RE For more information, please visit www.moxiworks.com.

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by Paige Tepping

From left to right: Morgan Carey, Founder & CEO, Real Estate Webmasters; Brian Rushton, EVP, CENTURY 21 Canada; Jack Miller, CTO, CENTURY 21 Canada, President & CTO, T3 Sixty

32 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

The New

GOLD

Standard

CENTURY 21 Canada to Launch the Largest Custom Real Estate Platform Build in Modern History

by Paige Tepping

H

ow do you follow up on the success of a bold, ambitious rebrand? With the largest custom technology build in modern real estate history, of course. CENTURY 21 Canada is stepping it up in a big, big way. Why is this storied company making such massive investments? It’s simple: so their agents can compete and win.

THE BACKSTORY Nearing the launch of their new technology platform, CENTURY 21 Canada (C21) finds itself in a familiar place once again: on the leading edge. After all, it was a little over a decade ago when C21 first became the market leader in real estate technology after investing heavily in their first online platform.

Working closely with a small vendor, C21 had spent nearly half a decade creating and perfecting its vision before launching it in mid-2007. While five years of development sounds like an eternity today, that was the norm for web development back then, regardless of sector. The pace of technological progress had yet to hit its stride.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 33

Not only were online platform builds far more expensive than they are today, there was also a commonly held view that a platform would endure for a significant period of time.

Yet, as C21 discovered, this would not be the case.

The platform was not agile enough to accommodate new innovations. And neither was the vendor-client partnership, for that matter. C21 quickly learned the expensive downside of being the sole client of a small firm: They were also the sole source of R&D funding. With the C21 contract in hand, the vendor had no real incentive to innovate, which only further added to the sensation of C21 falling behind.

In 2015, C21 brought in renowned real estate consultancy T3 Sixty to complete a major review of the system. Around the same time, C21’s original technology vendor was acquired. Following a comprehensive review, the only logical recommendation was for C21 to make a change—and fast.

Impressed by T3 Sixty’s engagement, C21 not only decided to follow the firm’s recommendation, they also made a strategic decision to appoint T3 Sixty CTO and President Jack Miller to act as C21 CTO to manage the project. “We were looking for an outside perspective on how to evolve the company into the future. T3 Sixty

LESSONS AND TAKEAWAYS FOR BROKERAGES AND DEVELOPERS “A franchise-level project, the launch of the largest-ever custom real estate platform is set to shake up the industry as we know it, causing franchises across the board to realize that it’s time to step up their game,” says Morgan Carey, founder and CEO of Real Estate Webmasters (REW).

For companies considering a similar move, he advises they take the following lessons into consideration:

1

Importance of facilitation on both sides. “No matter the size, projects can go out of scope if there isn’t facilitation on the side of the vendor, as well as the client,” says Carey. While the process of creating

34 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

has an excellent reputation in the industry, and after meeting with CEO Stefan Swanepoel and Jack Miller, we knew this new perspective would be a good fit,” says Martin Charlwood, vice chairman and CEO, CENTURY 21 Canada.

As president and CTO, T3 Sixty’s Miller had spent nearly two decades in the real estate industry. More notably, he had led technology teams at several influential brokerages and franchises. It just made sense for C21 to engage T3 Sixty to lead the RFP process and subsequent project implementation.

“T3 Sixty understands innovation, trends and the impact change is having on the real estate industry. With the firm’s background in both real estate and technology, they provided excellent expertise on helping us continue to be leaders in this space in Canada,” says Charlwood.

The T3 Sixty team saw a big opportunity ahead for C21. “What impressed me about C21 was their understanding that the technological landscape had changed, and that they needed to, as well,” says Miller.

THE PROCESS With the T3 Sixty team now on board, C21 quickly honed in on what they needed in a new platform. The top priority was putting the needs of agents front and center.

the largest-ever custom real estate platform was a success through and through for both CENTURY 21 Canada and REW, “having strong client partners who are also industry and technology veterans is critical. Jack Miller, chief technology officer at CENTURY 21 Canada, played a key role in this respect, providing a great show of leadership by taking the time to prepare ahead of meetings and being able to give direction to the team throughout the process,” adds Carey.

latest and greatest technology, CENTURY 21 Canada allowed us to take the lead as far as design and technology consultants. In addition, we facilitated a healthy exchange of ideas around web UI (user interface), language and accessibility, helping CENTURY 21 Canada to take the most innovative and cutting-edge approach to their solution,” notes Carey. “Successful partnerships aren’t about preventing problems, but rather, solving problems together,” he adds.

2

3

Importance of true partnership and expertise. “Great partnerships begin with a mutual level of respect and the willingness to step back and let the experts take care of their respective responsibilities. While it can be a challenge for real estate brokerages when they don’t necessarily understand what constitutes the

Importance of technology and innovation in real estate. “While the project was a huge undertaking for CENTURY 21 Canada and Real Estate Webmasters—both of which are tech- and innovation-driven—it also redefines how agent and brokerage technology can enable and enhance day-to-day workflows,” concludes Carey.

Carey and Miller participate in a training session with Real Estate Webmasters staff.

“CENTURY 21 Canada has always prided itself on prioritizing technology. We also like to provide our agents with all the tools they need from the moment they enter the business. As technology changes, we’ve been able to offer more marketing tools and on-demand training, which ultimately gives us a more engaged culture,” says Brian Rushton, executive vice president of CENTURY 21 Canada.

The need to support agents with modern technology is only growing. For the industry, new portals like Zillow and VC-backed brokerages like Compass pop up frequently, creating further competition and pushing technological boundaries further. Consumers are also more tech-savvy than ever before. Homebuyers and sellers have high expectations for the look, feel and functionality of the online experience, plus a growing appetite for data and information.

From 30,000 feet, C21 knew they needed the new platform to be agile, with a higher level of performance, stronger lead management tools and exceptional marketing capabilities. Down at ground level, that resulted in an exhaustive 150-page RFP detailing high-level requirements of C21’s big-picture needs at the time.

“Scoping a project of this magnitude is a major project in and of itself. At 150 pages, this is by far one of the largest RFPs our group has ever worked on for a brokerage or franchise company,” explains Miller.

It was crucial that C21 identify a vendor that would not only deliver against the RFP, but that would also be flexible around new requirements, such as features that may not have been contemplated in the original scope, but would later be viewed as game changers for agents.

And having learned the lesson from their previous vendor relationship, C21 needed a vendor that was willing to enter into a true partnership, invest heavily in R&D and be a master innovator.

“A true enterprise partner needs the depth of exper-

Miller and Matt Pineo, developer, Real Estate Webmasters, discuss the CENTURY 21 Canada Technology Platform.

tise, the know-how and the resources to get it done,” says Miller. “There were very few custom vendors who could manage a large enterprise-client relationship and deliver a very large, complex project.”

THE PLATFORM Today, some 18 months later, C21 is set to launch their new platform in the first quarter of 2019. The innovative front-end design and comprehensive CRM will position C21 as the market leader in technology once again.

Perfectly timed with the C21 rebrand that took the industry by storm last year, the site is chock full of features that will redefine how agent and brokerage technology can enable and enhance day-to-day workflows.

“Sales representatives need technology that integrates across all platforms and helps them connect with consumers quickly and effectively,” says Miller. “The next C21 platform does all that, but also provides a sales rep with the ability to customize the offering to best suit their business needs.”

The platform also includes a highly customizable marketing center that real estate professionals can access in order to manage their marketing collateral. Additionally, subdomain websites will provide agents with their very own online brand, transitioning from a simple profile page on the old platform to a full website connected to the c21.ca platform. Over 10,000 agents will be on the platform across Canada.

It took 30,000 development hours to deliver against the RFP and all the additional new features identified as game changers. To put that in perspective, it would have taken a single full-time developer over 20 years to build.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 35

MEET THE VENDOR Which real estate technology vendor could possibly handle a 30,000-hour custom project in less than two years? C21 completed an exhaustive search, interviewing only the best in the enterprise space, also undertaking thorough due diligence. In the end, they identified only a single vendor that could do the job: Real Estate Webmasters Inc. (REW).

“REW has unique capabilities within the industry,” says Miller. “They’ve built some incredible-looking sites.

They’re investing in their web technology to make it the best in the industry. They’ve demonstrated a long-term commitment to maintaining design excellence for what they provide for the web. Plus, they’re one of the few places where you can get whatever you like. If you have the budget for it, you can build any way you want to go with them, which is really terrific.”

With the launch of the largest-ever custom website project on the horizon, Real Estate Webmasters’ success story continues to grow.

Founded in 2004 as a custom website firm in British Columbia, REW is focused on the high end of the real estate industry. In fact, according to Morgan Carey, REW’s founder and CEO, the company’s mantra from the beginning has been to concentrate on the high-producing, longterm, here-to-stay companies. This has allowed REW to consistently create more innovative products than other companies in the same arena.

Working with top-performing agents, teams and brokers, including celebrity clients like Barbara Corcoran and Fredrik Eklund, the award-winning company catapulted

“Sales representatives need technology that integrates across all platforms and helps them connect with consumers quickly and effectively.”

– JACK MILLER CTO, CENTURY 21 Canada; President & CTO, T3 Sixty

into success and now boasts 150-plus employees in five locations across North America. Named one of “Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies,” REW has been repeatedly listed in the Profit 500, Canada’s most respectable and influential ranking of entrepreneurial achievement.

While most of REW’s customer base is in the U.S., adding a major Canadian brokerage firm is a huge success story that will ultimately pave the way for the company to bring high-end technology to Canadian agents and brokerages.

“When we announced the partnership with CENTURY 21 Canada, many C21 agents had already approached us saying that they wanted to work with us,” says Carey, who notes that the partnership will go a long way toward boosting the company’s brand recognition, while at the same time giving even more credibility to REW and adding to its great reputation.

For more information, please visit www.c21.ca and www.realestatewebmasters.com.

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 • Almost 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.

36 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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

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cific buyers for your new listings. Give a whole new level of “experience” to both the seller and the prospective buyer using video engagement.

Get Hyperlocal

Stop Hiding Behind Technology

by Terri Murphy

D

id you know that before there was the world wide web, people still managed to buy and sell real estate? What’s happened is that technology has changed the game from people and information to impersonal data. More agents rely solely on automation for connection and are failing to harness the power of human connection.

It’s time to gear up with innovative ways to connect with prospects using both personal and automated services.

With automated voice messaging, lead generation direct-connects and more, we may have lost the very foundation of the real estate transaction, which is actually exchanging real-time connection with the prospect.

Automation is a terrific tool to stay connected and informed, but nothing beats face-to-face connection. It’s time to go beyond technology and get out there and see the people.

When you listen to the real needs of your prospects, you’re better equipped to meet and exceed their demands, as well as offer true distinction in regard to what you do and how you do it. Here are a few tips on how to up your game by adding a real connection factor to your marketing and messaging:

Prepare for Showtime Take that tired old listing presentation and pump it up. It’s time to refresh, reboot and redesign your presentations with the latest integration of platforms and services.

One newer idea is to do a video walk-through of your new listing for a fresh way to “view” new inventory.

Post it to your Facebook business page and use geo targeting to market it directly to those prospects who show interest in the area or location.

Real-time video can show off the highlights of a home, especially condos that look pretty much alike on the outside.

Up your listing presentation with video marketing samples, embed drone footage for special properties and include new innovations for emarketing platforms that target spe-

Did you know that the consumer shows more interest in their immediate neighborhood than in broader zip code data? Research has cited that when prospects search zip codes, they’ll spend seconds versus minutes online when looking for properties in a 4x4 block area.

Take this opportunity to get deep on local demographic information that has high relevance to a prospective buyer’s needs. Include specific information about lifestyle amenities within blocks of the subject property, in addition to housing data. Visit, walk and meet the neighborhood to become their expert.

See the People Door-knocking has been around for years, but when you execute with a purpose to “meet” instead of “solicit,” you’re met with a more open energy. Target the 40 properties around your brand-new listing and ask if they can help you “find” a new neighbor. Take the opportunity to introduce yourself and your team. Offer an invitation to attend a “sneak peek” private open house reception at the property before the public viewing. If they attend, send a “thank you and nice to meet you” note. If they don’t attend, send a “sorry we missed you” note. Either way, the local neighbors get to put a face with the yard sign.

Go beyond technology and reach out to engage your prospects with a human connection and create raving fans for life. 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 January 2019 39

{Business Building}

3 Winning Tips for the New Year

by Adam Contos

H

appy New Year! Although taking a step back and evaluating your business should be a regular occurrence throughout the year, there’s no better time than the New Year for some reflection and goal-setting.

Here are three tips to keep in mind as you take inventory, set goals and establish a game plan for the days and months to come: 1. MAKE YOUR GOALS UNAVOIDABLE When it comes to goal-setting, we’ve all heard about the importance of writing them down. I suggest taking this one step further by writing your goals down where you constantly see them.

Instead of jotting your goals down and stuffing them away in a file cabinet or desktop folder, make them unavoidable. Tape them to your fridge. Post them on your bathroom mirror. Take a picture and make them the wallpaper on your phone or computer.

By making your goals unavoidable, you’re subtly—but surely—holding yourself accountable. There’s no dismissing their importance or sidestepping them. Being constantly reminded of your goals forces you to make a deliberate choice each and every day: take action to reach them, or actively decide to dismiss them.

There’s no “forgetting” about them.

2. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY When reflecting back on and evaluating the year that was, it’s important to avoid the blame game.

Business booming? That’s a result of your work. Business flat? That’s a result of your work.

Success or failure, attributing your outcomes to others (or external circumstances) is just another way of avoiding accountability. In the process, you forfeit control of the situation—and, consequently, place your success in someone else’s hands.

I’m no mathematician, but I love this formula by Success Coach Jack Canfield: E + R = O (Events + Responses = Outcome) Here, the Events are variables that are often outside your control. It could be a sluggish market, a difficult client, or even some guy rearending you in traffic, causing you to miss an important meeting.

Even when faced with the most unfortunate events, you still control your response, and, effectively, your outcome.

In response to sluggish sales, you can say, “Nobody can sell homes at this time!” or “Thanks to (fill in the blank), I lost that deal!”

Or you can take a step back, analyze, reflect and adjust accordingly. Even in the most challenging markets, some people find a way to thrive. The situation is the same for

everyone. The difference boils down to how a person reacts, adjusts and plans in response.

3. BE UNYIELDING, AND FLEXIBLE Your goals should be unwavering.

Your plan to reach them shouldn’t be.

Particularly in a dynamic industry like we’re seeing today, you never know what the next day may bring: a new technology, a new way of doing business or a new economic shift that affects the housing market.

If you’ve set a goal of increasing sales by 25 percent, stay committed regardless of circumstance. If the market takes a hit or a competitor sets up shop down the block, avoid the temptation to lower your goal to 15 or 20 percent. In essence, that’s another way of letting the situation control you, rather than you controlling it (see tip No. 2).

What matters are the adjustments you make. What technology can you embrace? How can you better connect with your past, existing and potential clients? Who can you partner with to take your game up a level?

2019 promises to be a year of dynamic change in our industry, full of opportunity for those ready to embrace it. Are you ready to make big things happen? Let’s go! RE

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 41

Taking Innovation and Scale to a Whole New Level

by Paige Tepping

BackAgent transitions to real estate powerhouse files. Taking this one step further, the digital revolution now extends beyond files that are merely digital to those that are available in the cloud.

Frankly, anyone can make a system that allows you to type in text about a real estate deal, link to an MLS listing and upload any number of forms and call it transaction management. In fact, it seems that every time we look up there’s a new transaction management system available. And while many have attempted to create systems on their own, there’s nothing really unique here, as it’s not true innovation.

BackAgent was created with embedded business intelligence from day one. The system guides the transaction lifecycle, predictively suggesting the next steps for agents, which helps make closings easier—especially for the broker.

Melissa Davis, director, Client Service: We pioneered the

S

haking up the real estate technology space as we know it, software leaders Propertybase, Boston Logic and BackAgent recently announced a new unified Propertybase product that simplifies the entire process of acquiring, nurturing and closing real estate transactions. “Our team has been hard at work for over a year to bring this new brand and unified platform to market,” says Vance Loiselle, Propertybase CEO. “Our recent acquisition of BackAgent just adds to what was already going to be an unrivaled set of innovations.” In this exclusive interview, the team at BackAgent discusses how joining forces will position them to become the leading global provider of technology for real estate professionals.

Real Estate magazine: How did BackAgent’s foundation push the digital revolution in real estate?

Ryan Missman, director, Engineering: When talking about the real estate industry’s digital revolution, an obvious early concept was the transition from paper to digital 42 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

concept of structured compliance and dynamic requirements per transaction in order to remove guesswork and create efficiency. BackAgent transactions provide the correct document requirements, actions and client communication points as agents complete a simple question-and-answer workflow. Additionally, critical dates are automatically added to calendars, giving everyone in the brokerage full visibility.

In the end, fast, efficient closings help the broker attract and retain more talent. Nothing spreads faster in the agent community than an operation that’s slow on the disbursement side.

RE: What makes BackAgent different from other backoffice tools that are available on the market today?

Scott Schafer, managing director: When brokers use other transaction management systems, big holes remain in the full back-office tech stack. Brokers are left to look elsewhere for solutions that include components such as agent on-boarding, event registration, training and resource scheduling, and inter/intra-office communication. BackAgent allows brokers to serve their entire agent base—when they’re working a transaction and when they’re not.

The print and vendor marketplace is another unique avenue where brokerage-approved partners and vendors

can showcase their products and services. This creates revenue-generating opportunities for offices to sell ads and sponsorships, as well as offer incentives to agents using the system.

• A modern marketing center that engages customers with proprietary mass email and drip campaign functionality, brandable templates and Quicksend emails that are easy to automate and track

MD: The biggest difference with BackAgent is our ap-

• Configurable dashboard and reporting engine to provide meaningful insights across the entire organization

proach to client on-boarding. New clients, large and small, often tell me that the process feels like a personalized consultation session. They feel as though we truly care about their operations and aren’t out to just get their head count on our platform.

We don’t start with making clients learn the mechanics of the admin and operating interfaces, nor do we worry about getting all the agents on-boarded and trained.

Instead, the on-boarding process begins with addressing the transaction workflow. What do you want to happen at each stage of the deal? What information and forms are necessary? What happens when the answer to a question triggers a whole new set of questions? Getting this right and reflective in the system makes agent on-boarding a breeze. As they work their first deal, the intuitiveness of the platform does the training.

The output for the broker is a predictable and compliant review process.

RE: You recently joined forces with Propertybase and Boston Logic to provide a new unified product that simplifies the process of acquiring, nurturing and closing real estate transactions. What was the ultimate motivation behind this decision to join forces?

SS: To take the BackAgent platform to the next level. The acquisition fast-forwards us on our roadmap to where we always wanted to be. We lead the industry in our ability to streamline transactions, and the unified product offering seriously enhances the acquiring and nurturing components for agents and teams with the most powerful real estate CRM and world-class IDX websites.

RE: What does the unification mean for the product?

What are the benefits for real estate professionals?

SS: Brokerages large and small now have a complete range of systems that can seamlessly work together, providing ready-to-go technology that covers all the bases.

The new pillars of the Propertybase platform put all brokerage assets in one place and include: • Fully configurable real estate websites with embedded themes and intelligent SEO • A smart, goal-driven real estate CRM with lead routing, portal syndication and fully integrated IDX data

• A platform that’s powered by the most scalable and secure cloud in the industry, which can support many variants of team, brokerage and franchise organizations and business models

RE: How is this move to join forces going to shake up the real estate technology space?

Vance Loiselle: Many real estate tech companies are talking about future innovations and business models. We’re delivering that innovation today, so our customers can focus on empowering agents and driving long-term business success.

SS: There are several other operations claiming to offer the holy grail of real estate tech—a complete leadto-close solution. What’s motivating these companies to deliver this? Is it to truly deliver an excellent experience and empower the industry to operate better? What are they doing with all that data? We aren’t owned by a lead-generation company or financial institution, so our clients’ data remains private and secure.

RE: How will BackAgent by Propertybase continue to push the envelope for real estate professionals and tech companies?

RM: Now that we have the full support of a world-class business operations team, we’ll be exclusively focused on our product and making it sing like never before.

MD: Customer service will continue to evolve and grow.

SS: For us, it’s all about merging the skillsets of the real estate professional with the right technology. At the end of the day, we pride ourselves on providing customers with the most intelligent tools to grow their business. As we look to 2019 and beyond, it’s going to be an exciting time for the real estate industry, and we’ve positioned ourselves to be a leader in this space as we head toward the future. RE

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 43

Positioned for Today’s Brokerage Environment Commentary by Rick Haase

2. Scalable and Proprietary Technology Platform. The internally developed platform is a scalable, adaptable one-stop productivity platform.

It provides a consistent, cost-effective solution for brokers and agents.

It also allows the brokerage to be able to shift to market demands and consistently innovate with the changing needs of the agent, broker and consumer.

O

ver and over again, the refrain today is: “I have never seen so much change in all my career, and it’s coming faster than ever before.” It’s true, and this change is a perfectly natural outcome for what’s happening. When savvy investors invest hundreds of millions, in fact, billions of dollars with the intention of creating new methods for all things real estate, things change—and change fast. These investments are intent on reinventing the way real estate is bought and sold, and in the process, they’re carving out a significant slice of the $75 billion annual commission pie. It’s a big prize, and it carries big opportunity, as well as big risk.

During my three decades in this business, I’ve experienced the tremendous evolution of real estate brokerage. Today though, we’re in the midst of a revolution, and United Real Estate is positioning brokerage leaders and agents to win big. In 2013, United was named “model of the future” by the Swanepoel Trends Report, and the company has been intentionally and quietly assembling the talent, designing the business processes and building the proprietary technology platform that will propel its clients into the future.

44 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

keep more of their hard-earned commission without sacrificing full-brokerage support, including technology and training. For brokers, the model provides a blueprint for opening and growing, or the path to transitioning from the traditional model to a new, fresh and profitable approach. New and veteran brokerages alike can scale operations, retool to a lean, efficient cost structure and generate profit that can be reinvested in both good and challenging economic periods.

In short, United Real Estate Group is what real estate companies would be if they could start with a clean sheet of paper and build based on today’s broker, agent and consumer needs and preferences. United Real Estate is built 100 percent around creating success for agents and brokers. The company has married the very best attributes of our current industry with the technologies and processes of the future.

1. Commission and Model. Our model places agents in a position to

3. Consistent Innovation. Real estate markets, technologies and agent and consumer expectations change along the way. It’s important to be associated with a company that places innovation at the forefront, is never satisfied with its current state, and has the people, process and technology to improve.

Whether it’s time to transition your whole company, launch a new model office, or move your sales career into the new world, it makes great sense to hear about the “model of the future” today.

The volume and pace of change is unprecedented—that’s a fact—and now, the opportunity exists to Find Your Freedom and work United. RE Rick Haase is president & COO of United Real Estate, and can be reached at Rick@ure-group.com.

For more information, please visit www.UnitedRealEstate.com. To learn more about United Real Estate’s franchise opportunities, visit www.GrowWithUnited.com.

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Look Who’s Sharing Now: Airbnb Moves Into Construction and Real Estate Markets

by Liz Dominguez

F

or years, Airbnb has been a household name for housesharing and finding short-term rentals, particularly in the travel industry. Now, moving into the architecture and construction industry with its new Backyard initiative—being led by the company’s subsidiary Samara, a design studio launched in 2016—Airbnb is looking to leave its imprint in a more concrete way: designing, building and sharing homes based on contemporary lifestyles.

Anthony Hitt, president and CEO of Engel & Völkers America, who was recently recognized as a 2019 RISMedia Real Estate Newsmaker, believes this is positive news that could help inspire other segments of the industry.

“I think this is an intriguing concept that will appeal to a niche market and perhaps inspire new building trends among traditional builders over time,” says Hitt. “Why wouldn’t a real estate professional 46 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

want a piece of this action? I think the challenge will come in simply understanding the ‘why’ behind a new way of design and construction and then preparing the right messaging and marketing strategy targeted to the right consumer.”

Airbnb Co-Founder Joe Gebbia announced the news on Nov. 29, 2018, stating that Backyard is looking into how they could implement sophisticated manufacturing techniques and smart home technolo-

gies into buildings.

“Airbnb challenged conventional thinking and pioneered an entirely new industry,” explained Gebbia in the project statement. “We helped people activate underutilized space—from a spare bedroom or treehouse to your apartment while you’re away—and built a community that connected people around the world. With Backyard, we’re using the same lens through which Airbnb was envisioned—the potential of space—and applying it more broadly to architecture and construction.”

Hitt acknowledges the company’s impressive history, stating that Airbnb disrupted the vacation and rental home markets by introducing a digital platform that works to connect renters and their guests. But is that enough? With fierce competition in the short- and long-term rental

markets, Hitt understands that new ventures may sometimes be the key to survival. “…There’s nothing stopping a new scrappy competitor from taking its place tomorrow. I applaud Airbnb for thinking about its next chapter,” says Hitt.

Project leader Fedor Novikov says that the undertaking fills a space, stating, “Simply put, nothing addressed long-term adaptability from a systemic perspective. The only way to close the gap was to work from first principles and imagine entirely new approaches for building homes.”

Others agree with the sentiment, believing this service could help restructure a construction market that’s deeply fragmented.

“We welcome anyone who is serious about bringing innovation to home-building. People deserve more than what’s currently available to them: poorly-designed and -built homes except for those who are privileged enough to afford the best architects, designers and builders,” says Alexis Rivas, co-founder and CEO of Cover Technologies, Inc., a Los Angeles-based tech company that custom-builds backyard guesthouses, studios and homes.

While details are scarce, Gebbia said the light bulb ignited with one question: “What does a home that’s designed and built for sharing actually look and feel like?” Using a decade’s worth of data surrounding the way individuals travel, live and share their spaces, Airbnb hopes to provide an answer through eco-friendly building materials and fully prefabricated homes.

“People are on a continued quest to find ways to improve and enhance their lifestyle, and space is an important part of the equation, especially as it relates to homes,” says Hitt.

“Design, location and amenities that simply make people’s lives easier

and happier will be a draw. Airbnb has a lot of data as to what their customers are attracted to, so I’d imagine this initiative will certainly strike a chord with a niche buyer.”

With prototype units set to be tested as early as fall 2019, what lies in the future for Airbnb? Many agree that this is merely the start to greater initiatives.

“Airbnb building homes will just be the beginning. Experiences will soon be part of the consumer shopping checklist, on top of Walk Score, school system and distance to work,” said Pat Kinsel, CEO and founder of Notarize, in a statement.

“That’s why Lennar, the largest home builder in the United States, is working with Amazon, and why Redfin believes that more than 20 percent of their closings will soon be online.

The real estate industry is undergoing the largest shift in technology it has ever experienced, and those who connect all stakeholders in the home-buying process will set the tone for the future.”

Innovations aside, there are practical questions that have not yet been answered, points out Rivas, including:

“Airbnb has about 5 million homes on their platform. To build the number of homes required to impact their top and bottom line, they would need to create a division that is totally focused on building a profitable business, and not just a prototyping project as they’ve described in order for this venture to not negatively impact their EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) in either the short- or the long-term,” says Rivas.

• What part of the building process will Airbnb handle?

• Will homes be fully customizable, or will customers have a few models to choose from?

• Will Airbnb manage the permitting process?

• Are they building new technologies (both software and hardware) to make their homes, or are they using traditional building systems?

• In which regions will Airbnb start building?

All trends go out of style eventually, says Hitt, stating that, “in real estate, we’ve all seen listings that make us wonder, ‘What were they thinking?’ But it’s the natural progression of time. Airbnb’s move is a bold one, but exciting to see based on the way we as a culture are rethinking space and simply living differently than previous generations.”

RE

Additionally, their success hinges on several factors, which have yet to be addressed. Most importantly? The bottom line.

“Airbnb has a lot of data as to what their customers are attracted to, so I’d imagine this initiative will certainly strike a chord with a niche buyer.”

– ANTHONY HITT President and CEO, Engel & Völkers America

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 47

Cost of a Better Future?

It’s Only a Dollar With the Broker Public Portal

petitive technology, right? That’s not how our broker/owners see Homesnap; that view misses the bigger picture of the true value of the BPP.

Commentary by Tom Hurdelbrink

THE BIG PICTURE: PROTECTING YOUR FUTURE Before adopting BPP with Homesnap, we assembled an Advisor Group, headed by John Deely, head of Seattle’s Coldwell Banker Bain.

The group was comprised of the three biggest brokerages in the area and smaller independents, too.

Our Northwest marketplace challenge is that many of the larger individual firms want to maintain “consumer-direct-to-their-website” control. But with the largest commercial portal headquartered in our backyard impacting everyone’s business, the consensus was that we needed to do something to level the playing field with technology that serves broker-agent needs.

The one dollar per agent a month that it costs to offer Homesnap does more than deliver free leads; it helps protect our industry’s future. It gives control back to real estate experts instead of advertising salespeople.

That’s what consumers and agents deserve.

Ask any agent in your market if one dollar a month for BPP with Homesnap is worth it to ensure a better future for all of us.

Our answer at NWMLS was clear and definite. RE

W

hen the Broker Public Portal (BPP) was coming into fruition, the leadership of Northwest MLS was supportive of a consumer-facing portal controlled and operated by the industry with much more input from brokers. At the time, our two biggest brands in the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) were Windermere and John L. Scott. Both were founding members of the BPP, and so was NWMLS. We saw the BPP as an opportunity to help preserve—and even raise— the stature and reputation of brokerage firms with consumers. But the challenge for our MLS, which is broker-owned, was to overcome the resistance our owners have to anything coming between them and their consumers.

Broker Public Portal, fortunately, did the opposite. The BPP was created by the industry, for the industry, to deliver consumers directly to our brokerages’ agents and teams.

How did we convince the NWMLS Board that BPP was the right call?

A FORTUITOUS, PIVOTAL EVENT When our Board was considering the BPP, I attended a meeting of the American Society of Association Executives. One panel featured Country Music Association leaders.

They discussed how they managed a dramatic decline in their revenue as consumers went from CDs to streaming, and disruptors like Napster gave away their product for free.

The impact of this transition on the music industry was astonishing.

Imagine an industry that today generates one two-hundredths of the revenue that it generated 20 years ago.

I was shocked.

Afterwards, I asked some of the panelists if they knew much about real estate and how MLSs work.

They chuckled, “Yeah, we know what the MLS is.” I asked, “What can our industry do to not go through what you did?”

They said, “There’s only one answer: Your members need to get control, run their own service and not use another company, because they will take you down.”

I reported that conversation back to our Board right before the Broker Public Portal decision.

Although the BPP was in its early stages, it was following Fair Display Guidelines, an essential requirement of our Board, and we decided to pledge our support.

DEPLOYING BPP WITH HOMESNAP Since then, BPP with Homesnap has emerged. Last year, NWMLS made it available for our members. We understand it’s the most rapid adoption of Homesnap technology by any large MLS in BPP history.

Many of our broker members already have mobile apps. You’d think NWMLS would never deploy a com-

Tom Hurdelbrink is president and CEO of Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS), the largest full-service MLS in the Northwest. Its membership includes more than 28,000 real estate brokers serving 23 counties in Washington state.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 49

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Buyers Are Calling on REALTORS®, Even With Listings a Tap Away

by Suzanne De Vita

W

hether you’re browsing for homes out of interest or in the market for one today, chances are, you’ve logged on to look for a property. Most of us are enlisting help, however, to locate “the one,” according to findings from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

Despite 44 percent of homebuyers searching on the web, 87 percent— close to double—bought with the help of a REALTOR®, according to NAR’s Real Estate in a Digital Age report, which explores the intersection between REALTORS®and technology and the consumers they serve.

“Consumers have the ability to do more home-buying research online than ever before,” says John Smaby, 2019 NAR president. “Still, REALTORS® present tremendous value to buyers from every generation and every background. While consumers have more technological tools at

their fingertips, REALTORS®continue to be a large part of the home-buying and -selling equation.”

Ninety percent of millennials, notably, relied on a REALTOR® in their transaction. Buyers cited “finding the right property” as the most challenging part of the process—in fact, the average buyer was on the house hunt for 10 weeks.

Boomers are more likely than millennials to search on their smartphone or tablet, the report shows, and more likely to value virtual tours.

By comparison, Gen Y is focused on images and information when look-

ing to purchase.

Given that the internet is so pivotal in property search—and, that consumers are demanding immediate response—REALTORS® are relying on technology, as well, according to the report. Close to 50 percent of brokerages are challenged by “keeping up with technology,” and believe they will continue to be challenged by it in the next two years. (According to RISMedia’s 2018 Power Broker Report, brokers are heavily investing their resources in technology.)

For client communications, the most common are emailing and texting (favored by 93 percent and 92 percent of REALTORS®, respectively). Lockboxes, the MLS and social media are also top tools, the report shows. Facebook is the most commonly leveraged platform, with 97 percent of REALTORS® using it, followed by LinkedIn at 59 percent and Instagram at 39 percent. When it comes to generating leads, REALTORS®are getting the highest-quality prospects from social media (47 percent), as well as business from their brokerage, MLS and online portals.

Drones, which have the ability to capture midair photography and video, are flown personally by 5 percent of REALTORS®; 23 percent hire a professional.

“REALTORS®continue to find ways to make home-buying and -selling more efficient and accessible for their clients,” Smaby says. “As technology use continues to transform and modernize the real estate industry, REALTORS® are focused on adapting to and remaining at the forefront of this change.” RE For more information, please visit www.nar.realtor.

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 51

Embarrass Yourself in Any Culture in 5 Easy Steps

by Beth Kinsella

H

ave you been looking for a way to insult prospective business partners? Sour potential opportunities? Have you been itching to appear more impatient, culturally insensitive and generally unlikable? We’ve got some tips for you!

Let’s hope that’s not your mission but, unfortunately, it happens every single day. Technology has played a central role in creating a global economy. At the touch of a button, we’re connected to anyone around the world, but with that convenience comes a caution. Instant communication, be it by phone or email, makes it just a bit easier to turn your face bright red. Here are five easy ways you can embarrass yourself in another culture: Use sarcasm. If only there were a special font that could express sarcasm. Assume that whatever you write will be interpreted literally. Accept that you’re no Jerry Lewis; you might not be funny in a different country. Mean what you say and say what you mean.

Keep things casual. Business culture is much more formal in many parts of the world. Titles are a big deal, and hierarchy is a way of life. It’s best to err on the side 52 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

of caution; address people as Mr., Ms., Sir or Madam until you’re instructed otherwise. Always use a salutation in your emails. So often, people get right to the point without a friendly greeting (psst…it’s rude in any culture). The salutation will help establish the right tone from the beginning. Throw in a “Dear” for good measure.

Pepper your communications with idioms, abbreviations and slang. Slam dunk, down for the count, hit a home run, down to the wire...these phrases may mean nothing in other parts of the world.

BTW, ASAP, FYI—OMG, please stop using them. Acronyms could mean something entirely different in another part of the world (perhaps something offensive). Spare the reader the research time. Dial down the all caps and exclamation points, too. Your expressive manner could be misinterpreted as cheerleader-like enthusiasm or ham-fisted frustration.

Call anytime. It’s one o’clock in the afternoon for you, but it could be two o’clock in the morning for your colleague. With so many people using cellphones these days (that usually double as alarm clocks), it’s good to be mindful of when you’re calling someone in another time zone. Additionally, when referring to time in written communications, it may be safest to use the 24-hour clock. If you’re talking about 1:00 p.m., write 13:00.

Be demanding. It’s good to be a take-charge person who gets things done, but soften your edge when dealing with other cultures. There’s a thin line between confidence and arrogance. Remember to read your messages from the viewpoint of someone who speaks English as a second language. Be mindful that not every culture works at the same frenetic pace that the U.S. does. Try to be patient while waiting for a returned call or email.

It’s true that mistakes are good life lessons, but unintentionally offending someone could be a costly lesson that reflects badly on you and your company. Be thoughtful in your communications with different cultures. Take the time to do some research if you’re concerned about what you’re saying or writing. As they say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Being world-wise can make a world of difference. This past year, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® has made over 500 introductions between real estate professionals in over 100 countries. To learn more, visit www.LeadingRE.com. RE

Beth Kinsella is global member services manager at Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE).

Make a Professional Development Plan That Sticks

by Tom Davidson

A

t the beginning of any new year, our ideas for growth are often endless, and our energy is limitless. The problem comes a few months into the year as we veer off track, we get busy, we start to tighten our budget, or we simply forget to invest in ourselves. turn on investment, and you’ll want to consider if you’re going to tackle them again this year.

Identify the Skills You Need to Hone. What skills do you need to

Continuous learning is what gives us a firm foundation in this business. A study completed in 2018 by Real Estate Express shows that real estate professionals that invest in their education and stay up to date on best practices earn two-and-a-half times more than agents who don’t invest in developing their skills.

Below are some steps for increasing the return you’ll reap from your learning investment in 2019. Outlining all of this now will help create an education plan you can stick to throughout the year.

Evaluate the Past. Take an indepth look at each opportunity you took advantage of last year. Did the time and money you put into the activity translate to more knowledge? Time saved? More money made? Write down the activities you feel were least successful in helping move your career forward. These areas represent a loss for your re-

develop in 2019? Write them all down and then stack rank them regarding time commitment (how long it will take you to build that skill).

Next, order them in terms of monetary investment. Finally, order them according to the potential return on investment. The skills that float to the top of each list are a great place to start building your 2019 plan.

Devise Your Learning Plan. As you look to the year ahead, think about your learning goals, and the best resources to use to achieve them. Include opportunities you found success with the prior year and consider eliminating the activities that didn’t provide value. Talk with your broker to identify resources that could help you improve.

Research the what, where and how of the opportunities. Develop a calendar outlining when each opportunity takes place and add a line item to your budget to cover the cost of the course or conference.

Get Creative. As you identify how to up your knowledge in each of

these areas, seek educational resources that give you the most leverage. If you need to complete continuing education hours, look for courses that will build on your learning goals. Save time by enrolling in an online course. Maybe weekly coffee with some top agents in your office will give you the insights you need. If you’re looking to up your tech game, identify newer agents with the skill, and create an inverse mentorship.

Develop a Budget and Look for Ways to Save. Add a line item for education and professional development into your budget. Next, look into a few ways to save money on your training: • If you decide on a conference or workshop, check to see if there’s an early-bird special and try to book in advance, or inquire about group rates.

• Opt for a good mix of learning formats. You may not be able to afford to attend multiple conferences, so consider adding in on-demand learning, such as webinars, podcasts and online courses.

• Check with your broker to see if they have any education partners that offer discounts. 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.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 53

PREMIUM ONLINE REACH There are hundreds of real estate portals online.

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Broker Marketing in the New Year Commentary by Joe Martinez

I

t wasn’t long ago that the highest expense a real estate brokerage operation incurred was newspaper marketing. Today, regardless of how you feel about the way in which large portals have inserted themselves between your firm, your agents and the consumer, you can at least thank them for reducing your marketing expenses in print.

This may sound like an odd tale coming from a company that delivers marketing automation software, but the truth is that marketing solutions today support all types of advertising, which are composed of print and digital. As brokers set their marketing goals for 2019, it’s a wise practice to investigate your marketing solutions provider as your firm sets its marketing strategy for the new year.

One of the biggest trends reported by brokers in 2017 and 2018 centers around the fact that marketing automation is a “must have” for any brokerage. Even today, the consensus is that marketing automation starts when an agent walks into the office with a listing agreement and the marketing department takes it

from there. Both the recession and competitive pressures have forced brokers to cut marketing staff to survive, and firms have been looking at marketing automation to fill the void.

Today, a lot of that repetitive manual labor historically borne by the marketing department is being addressed by emerging technologies such as machine-to-machine learning, artificial intelligence and other platforms that make property marketing easier. Historically, once an agent gets a listing, it might take days (if not weeks) to prepare all of the collateral to start the marketing process—all predicated on the capacity of the marketing department, quality of the marketing tools available to them, and if printing is

necessary, the location of the printer and quality of the operation. When a listing is created, computers, tablets and software enhance the work of graphic designers that the firm has on staff by allowing them to be more creative, leaving the mundane, repetitive processes to the software platform.

Many of the leading providers of marketing automation software will create just about any type of marketing collateral imaginable by using a data feed. Within a matter of minutes of a new listing being added into the MLS database or the broker’s database, the agent receives an email with links to Just Listed postcards, open house announcements, single-listing websites, property flyers, virtual tours, sign riders, social media, etc., for review and approval. With some platforms, this approval can be executed from a traditional computer, but more likely from mobile devices such as tablets or cellphones. This is a tremendous advantage for owners of brokerages since they can enable marketing through inexpensive software in a matter of minutes versus weeks, and encourage agents to use and pay for what they need to do their job without a lot of involvement from the marketing department.

Today’s solutions make ordering marketing collateral, such as business cards, T-shirts, yard signs and coffee mugs, as easy as ordering products from Amazon.

True marketing automation platforms not only make life easier for agents, but properly using them can also empower them to become more self-reliant and profitable. As you budget for 2019, consider solutions that optimize your performance. RE

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 55

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Make 2019 the Best Year for Your Real Estate Career Commentary by the Experts at Realty ONE Group

I

t’s hard to believe that another year has passed and a new one has begun. Now is the time to reassess how successful 2018 was for you and your business and evaluate what steps you need to take to ensure even greater success in 2019. It all begins with a plan, an outline of your goals and a commitment to taking on any additional tools and training that will launch your real estate career to new heights.

Plan It Out To start 2019 on the right foot, it’s a good idea to visualize how you’d like to see your year take off. If this is your first year in the business, budgeting is crucial, especially in the first half of the year. Your budget should include digital and print marketing materials, business collateral and a business website. During this time, you should also plan on building out your database with prospects by farming neighborhoods, and networking with peers and their spheres of influence, as well as family and friends. If you’re a more seasoned real estate professional, the same rules still apply; however, if the op-

portunity presents itself, consider paying it forward by mentoring a new agent until they get their sea legs.

Goal-Keeping If your 2018 was full of milestones and achievements, congratulations!

Focus on bringing that energy into 2019. If you didn’t meet all your goals last year, try not to beat yourself up over it. Instead, do a hard reset and strategize on what you can do to meet this year’s goals.

On the same note, you’ll want to have specific goals to work toward.

For example, if your goal is to close four transactions in the first three months of the year, take the steps

needed to turn that goal into reality.

In due time, you’ll meet those milestones and will continue to keep that momentum rolling.

Take It a Step Further Any real estate professional will tell you that you have the power to take your career to the next level. At Realty ONE Group, all of our real estate professionals have access to a bevy of tech tools, coaching materials and continuing education courses, training and broker support. If your brokerage offers additional training on how to close the sale or sponsors networking events, strongly consider attending them. Industry conferences and seminars also serve as great resources where you can network and receive valuable knowledge that will advance your career.

2019 can and will be a very satisfying year for your real estate career, but only if you put in the time, effort and energy. Remember that there’s always room for improvement no matter where you are in your career, and that success isn’t defined by dollar signs, but by what you can accomplish. Think big, accept the challenge, and face it head-on. RE To learn more about the services, support and coaching programs Realty ONE Group provides to its growing family, please visit www.realtyONEgroup.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 57

{Power Broker Perspectives}

by Keith Loria

Jennifer B. Shemwell:

Staying Open to New Ideas With 25 years of experience selling real estate, Jennifer B. Shemwell, president of San Antonio, Texasbased Phyllis Browning Company, has long loved meeting new people and making connections for them.

Known for selling luxury homes in the area, she has successfully and strategically marketed some of the top addresses, most prestigious properties and elite estates throughout the area.

How did your market fare in 2018?

Jennifer Shemwell: Our 2018 market was strong and full of optimism. We’re still operating in a seller’s market with a slight shortage in inventory.

58 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

What is your growth strategy for the next 12 months?

JS: We’re always growing. I’ve always believed that if we don’t keep growing, we’ll go backwards.

We’re in the midst of adding agents, as well as launching a commercial division and expanding our land and ranch sales. Over the last 18 months, we’ve relocated each of our offices to new spaces, which is very exciting.

What most sets your firm apart in the marketplace?

JS: We’re cutting-edge in marketing and often the first to launch new trends.

We also offer highly personalized service to our clients.

What are the biggest challenges you’re currently facing?

JS: I think training new agents is always challenging. Today’s real estate agents need to know so much. They must be much more sophisticated and skilled than was necessary when I started in the business 25 years ago.

How are you preparing your salesforce to meet the expectations of today’s consumer, especially first-time homebuyers and millennials?

JS: I travel a lot, and I think it helps keep me open to new ideas. I don’t believe

we know it all, and I believe in watching the next generation and taking note of how they make decisions.

They will be the market in the future. When I see something that I believe is a new trend, I talk about it in the office and incorporate it into our training.

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

JS: We’re constantly updating our technology. We just switched to a new cloud-based transaction management system that not only stores documents that belong to a transaction, but also related text messages and emails so that nothing gets lost in recording the transaction.

We also provide our agents the latest in customer relationship management systems, and train them to use these systems to build their businesses.

How are you attracting new agents to your firm and retaining top producers?

JS: This is done mostly by

word of mouth. New people come to our firm because they have a friend who recommended us to them, or they know of our reputation. This is the best type of feedback, as we know we’re serving our agents when they recommend us to friends. We make service to our top producers (and all agents) our highest priority. Our agents know that we value them, and we’re always willing to do whatever it takes to help them increase their business. We also believe in building culture through regular office meetings and social and business parties throughout the year.

What do you look for in someone new coming into the company?

JS: I look for someone who is goal-oriented, driven and motivated. It takes a certain amount of personal discipline and sheer will to make it. I also look for individuals who truly love people, communicate well and will treat clients ethically.

VITALS: Phyllis Browning Company Years in business: 29.5 Size: 4 offices, approximately 200 agents Regions served: South and Central Texas, including the areas surrounding San Antonio, Boerne and New Braunfels 2017 sales volume: Approximately $750 million 2017 transaction volume: 1,668 units www.phyllisbrowning.com

Myron Kiriu:

Growing With Quality When Myron Kiriu first moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1984, he worked as a CPA for four years, utilizing the accounting and financial degree he obtained at the University of California, Berkeley.

Then, he decided to make a career change.

Kiriu received his real estate license in 1989 and has served as CEO and owner of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty since 2004. Over the past 14 years, what began as one small office has transformed into six offices with 166 agents on Oahu and Maui.

Why did you make the switch from finance to real estate?

Myron Kiriu: It was a bit

accident, a bit desperation. I had gotten out of a bad business venture and was in debt. I needed a way to get out of debt, so I got my real estate license and started cold-calling. I was able to work my way out of debt, and it helped me begin what has become a successful career.

What is the market currently like in the Hawaiian Islands you cover?

MK: It’s still very busy.

We’re starting to reach a peak, so we might see prices flattening out, but things are busy. We mostly serve Oahu and Maui, but we may be looking to expand to the main island in the future. If the right opportunity comes up, especially with a quality partner, I’ll go for it.

Who is moving to the area? What segments are you seeing the greatest opportunity with?

MK: I’m 57, and a lot of my business is second-time homebuyers coming from the mainland, and those are expensive properties.

Hawaii is a very desirable place to live, so anyone in the Pacific Rim—where the economy is doing well— looks for second homes here. We also have a base population and an aging population who are starting to sell down to buy condos or homes in retirement communities.

As you grow and add agents, what qualities do you look for in new hires?

MK: We want to grow with quality. We’re very selective about our agents, so we’re a little different than other firms in that new hires have to go through a pretty selective interview process. For us, it’s never been about number count, but rather, bringing in agents who are a good match with our corporate culture. If they’re not, they’re probably not good for our company. And, of course, we’re looking for skills and core values that will match everyone else in the company.

What makes your firm unique in the area?

MK: The quality of our agents. Of companies with more than 50 agents, we have the largest peragent productivity on Oahu. We invest a lot of time and energy into training agents and have created a collaborative corporate culture where

agents help one another, which is unique for a lot of real estate companies.

How much emphasis do you put on training?

MK: We have extensive training; in fact, we have over 20 in-house classes on both soft and technical skills. We have additional training for technology, so if an agent needs help with their website or further guidance into how to use our CRM program, there’s hands-on training. Training is huge for us.

What do you feel are the biggest challenges in the industry right now?

MK: Technology is a challenge because you have to stay ahead of the curve.

Also, as we grow, maintaining the level of service and identifying the needs of the agent is challenging.

Keeping our corporate culture strong is yet another challenge.

VITALS: Better Homes and Gardens Real

Estate Advantage Realty

Years in business: 14 Size: 6 offices, 166 agents Regions served: All of Oahu island with offices in Honolulu, Kapolei, North Shore and Kailua, and all of Maui County, which includes Maui, Molokai and Lanai islands, with offices in Wailuku and Paia 2017 sales volume: Around $752,334,195 2017 transaction volume: 999 units www.betterhawaii.com

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 59

Bill Aboumrad:

Personal Relationships and Support Being raised in a real estate family in Freemont, Calif., Bill Aboumrad saw firsthand what a successful career in the industry looked like. That’s why even though he went to law school, his father convinced him to get his real estate license right after high school so that he would always have something to fall back on.

Aboumrad spent a few years putting his law degree to work, but then decided to follow in his dad’s footsteps, becoming a full-time REALTOR® in 1987. Today, he owns Legacy Real Estate & Associates in Freemont, the largest independently-owned brokerage by sales and transaction volume in Alameda County.

60 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

What sets Legacy Real Estate & Associates apart from others in the marketplace?

Bill Aboumrad: What I like to tell people is that we’re a big company, but we act like a small company.

We’re large in the fact that we do a lot of sales volume and have some top agents, but the culture here feels more like a boutique. It’s the personal relationships and support we give each individual agent that differentiates us. Our agents know they can call me anytime, even on the weekends. We do a lot of things together, such as going to ball games and hosting barbecues. We act more like a family than a major corporation.

How did your market fare in 2018?

BA: The first four or five months, things were really good. The market was still appreciating from that standpoint. It was difficult for buyers because properties were being bid up and up and up, so some decided to sit it out. Now, we’ve seen a shift in the market, with our average sales price around $1 million.

While we’re seeing some price reductions in the area, rising interest rates are keeping some buyers on the sidelines as they wait to see where things are going to go. The variable factor is where those rates are going to go in the upcoming months, and we think they’re going to continue to go up.

What are the biggest challenges you’re facing?

BA: On the listing side, you have to get sellers to come to the realization that the market has already peaked. If they’re thinking like they were in April or May, their thinking is incorrect. It’s a re-education process to get sellers to realize that market is gone—that ship has left the dock. They may have to consider reducing the price in order to get buyers to come in and make an offer on their home.

Let’s talk growth. Are you planning any major changes to the firm in 2019?

BA: We did open up two new offices last year, so we’re not looking to open any more offices unless there’s a merger or acquisition available out there.

Otherwise, we’re really trying to grow the company organically, agent by agent.

To that end, we’re focused on going out and sharing our vision and compensation package and showing the technology and personal support we have to display the value of our company.

What makes someone who works for you stay the long term?

BA: While my average agent has been with me for about 16 years, we’re able to retain them because of the personal relationships we have with them. The value proposition for them is that they know that they have direct access to me should a legal question or anything else pop up, which allows us to get the issue resolved quickly.

What does it take for you to be interested in bringing a new agent aboard?

BA: We’re putting an emphasis on hiring new licensees right out of school in 2019 and trying to bring the average age down a little bit. We want to teach some new folks the business and have them reenergize our veterans. I look for the quality of the individual. Their quality of business is less important to me than their quality as a person. RE

VITALS: Legacy Real Estate & Associates

Years in business: 47 Size: 6 offices, 300 agents Regions served: Alameda County and the heart of the Silicon Valley 2017 sales volume: $1.6 billion 2017 transactions: 1,800 www.legacyrea.com

{Strategies}

Covering All the Bases With a Home Warranty AMERICAN HOME SHIELD®(AHS®) BRINGS ADDED SECURITY TO THE REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION

by Keith Loria

G

reg Miller, an associate broker and team leader at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Michigan Real Estate in Portage, Mich., says that regardless of whether one’s a buyer or seller, a home warranty is important to both parties in a transaction. American Home Shield (AHS) is the company of choice for both Miller and his clients.

For the buyer, who is most likely investing a great deal of life savings and capital into the property, the last thing they want in early ownership is for something to go wrong.

“If the water heater goes, or there’s an electrical problem right away, that’s not the best time for buyers to come up with extra cash,” says Miller, who recently received a call from clients who were dealing with a leaking water heater. Thankfully, they had a home warranty.

“Without that, I would have numerous dissatisfied cus62 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

tomers,” says Miller. “If there’s no warranty, there’s nothing for them to do, and that’s not what people want to hear,” adds Miller. “The AHS warranty has saved people money over and over.”

Miller’s clients are especially grateful for AHS protection during the summer months when air conditioners are notoriously known to break, resulting in a hefty price tag.

“A lot of people don’t have that kind of money, and if they don’t have the warranty, the call isn’t going to go well,” says Miller. “It’s stressful for us as agents, too, because we certainly want to help.”

Although not mandatory for his sellers, Miller explains to all of his clients that he would personally never sell a house without a warranty because if something breaks during the listing or inspection period, it could destroy a possible sale.

“Even after the sale, there could be problems,” explains Miller. “Here in Michigan, you accept the property as-is at closing, but things break at very awkward times.

The buyer sometimes assumes that the seller didn’t disclose known issues, but that might not be the case,” says Miller. “That’s why it’s important the warranty is included on all listings.”

Additionally, for his buyer clients, they routinely ask the seller to provide a home warranty. For a minimal amount of money, the AHS home warranty helps to protect both buyers and sellers from the unexpected and often expensive costs of repair and replacement of covered homesystem components and appliances.

Miller recalls the time a seller called him in tears because the furnace had gone out during the listing period.

Fortunately, the sellers had an AHS home warranty. After connecting the couple with AHS, they were able to get assistance with the installation of an entirely new furnace, which they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford.

Working with Steve Light, his local AHS representative, is an additional benefit of the longstanding relationship.

“Not only is Steve incredible and knowledgeable, he’s someone who answers calls,” says Miller.

“The customer service has been unbelievable,” concludes Miller. “If we have problems that we can’t solve, we’ll just call Steve directly and he takes care of it. Both AHS’ customer service and commitment to its agents and customers are excellent.”

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

Paving the Way to Homeownership HOME PARTNERS OF AMERICA HELPS TO MAKE HOMEOWNERSHIP POSSIBLE FOR BUYERS ACROSS THE BOARD

by Zoe Eisenberg

F

or REALTOR® Linda Hall, the most satisfying component of her 25 years in real estate has been helping clients become homeowners. A former mortgage broker, Hall has spent over two decades figuring out how to make homeownership affordable even for the most unlikely of candidates.

When Hall moved from brokering mortgages to selling homes in 2014, it felt natural to partner with a company that aims to make homeownership attainable for a wide range of potential buyers. She chose to partner with Home Partners of America, a unique solution to homeownership that she believes helps build a more secure financial future for aspiring homeowners.

“I love making a difference in people’s lives, listening to them and seeing what I can do to make their lives easier and better,” says the Georgia native. “I closed my first deal with Home Partners [of America] a month or so after beginning my career as an agent.”

So how does Home Partners of America work to support would-be homeowners? The Chicago-based company purchases the home the individual or family is interested in, then leases the home to them and also provides them a right to purchase the home for a pre-determined price during the term of the lease. This flexible program, dubbed their Lease Purchase Program, allows potential buyers who are not yet ready to purchase to realize their dreams of ownership over a relatively short period of time—typically one to five years—and provides an option other than today’s tough rental market.

“When I became an agent, everyone wanted to know what my niche would be, and at first I didn’t know,” says Hall, an agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Alpharetta, Ga. “I knew I wanted to continue working with people who have trouble getting a mortgage, who may be having credit issues, or don’t have a down payment,” she says. “Home Partners of America came

around, and it just fit. They became my niche.”

Hall loves offering her clients the Home Partners of America Lease Purchase Program. “Often, clients want to buy a place within the next few years, but can’t afford it right now—or aren’t ready to commit to purchasing for any of a variety of reasons. At the same time, they don’t want to have to move again. I can come in with Home Partners and help.”

During Hall’s first year in real estate, she closed 11 transactions with Home Partners of America’s Lease Purchase Program. This past year, she’s done 32, bringing her all-time total to 54 transactions.

“The Lease Purchase Program has improved my own business tremendously, but mostly it’s just been wonderful helping my clients, especially when they have the desire to get a home but need a little more time.

I love being able to take them to Home Partners of America, knowing that the company will come through for them.” 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. ©2018 Home Partners of America, Inc. All rights reserved. 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 January 2019 63

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Housing America’s Aging Population: The Challenges Ahead

by Liz Dominguez

T

oday’s head of household is largely over 50 years old, according to a recent report by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS), “Housing America’s Older Adults 2018.” In fact, households headed by someone over 65 represent 55 percent of the nation’s households, while 65 million households are headed by someone aged 50 or over.

Are their needs being met? According to the report, the necessary tools that America’s aging population rely on are in short supply.

“We need to address gaps in the affordability and accessibility of our housing stock, both of which are essential to older adults’ independence and well-being,” says Jennifer Molinsky, the lead author of the report. “As the number of households in their 80s grows, it will be essential that we strengthen the links between housing, healthcare and other services.”

Among the biggest roadblocks is the wealth gap. In 2016, median homeowners aged 50 - 64 had a net worth of $292,000—nearly 60 times that of the median renter in the same age group. While median incomes increased over the last five years for older adults—by 9.6 percent for those aged 65 - 79 and by

5.2 percent for those 80 and over— those aged 50 - 64 only saw an increase of 2.6 percent.

The racial divide widens this gap even more. While 81 percent of white households aged 50-plus own their homes, only 57 percent of black households can claim ownership—a 24-percentage point gap.

High costs of living are also hindering the aging population. Nearly 9.7 million households use at least 30 percent of their income to pay for housing, while over half of this segment pays more than 50 percent of their income.

While this segment of the population continues to age, there’s a shortage of properties that can address the physical challenges and disabilities that accompany them.

For example, in 2016, 17 percent of households aged 50 and over included individuals who had trouble

walking or climbing stairs. According to recent data, only 2.5 percent of homes in the U.S. have features that address these mobility concerns: single-floor living, no-step entries and extra-wide halls and doors.

The biggest risk? The largest portion of aging heads of household (57 percent for those over 80) is the most vulnerable because they’re living alone. The same goes for renters—77 percent within the same age group live alone. This segment of the population largely relies on non-residents or paid caregivers for assistance, but also has lower incomes than larger households, posing more complex challenges.

Vulnerability can also be locationbased. For those aging heads of household who reside in natural disaster-prone areas, the dangers are amplified. Disruptions to healthcare in response to power outages, road closures and healthcare facility closures can significantly impact aid efforts. After-disaster dangers are additional risks that could dramatically impact the livability and health of this population.

As baby boomers begin to turn 80 in less than a decade, demand for accessible apartment units and homes will only continue to grow, as will the wealth and racial gap and the need for funding to support financial assistance programs that help pay for basic housing and other necessities.

In which institutions do the solutions reside? According to the report, state and local governments, in addition to the private and nonprofit sectors, can play a role in developing more affordable and suitable housing. RE “Housing America’s Older Adults” is a supplement to the JCHS annual State of the Nation’s Housing report.

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 65

HISPANIC REAL ESTATE'S MOST

Nominations must be received

by February 28, 2019!

Now Business, Future Business and Financial Freedom Commentary by Darryl Davis, CSP

T

here’s no one path to success for everyone; however, there are smart strategies that can help agents get to their Next Level™ faster. Recently, we started reimagining real estate business planning. While we still teach our students the value of breaking goals into numbers, what was missing were strategies for now business, future business and financial freedom.

1. WHERE DO YOU FIT? •S urvival Level: Struggling financially, living month-to-month, need a quick fix to create a cash infusion within 30 - 60 days • Maintenance Level: Steadily cover your bills throughout the year, making enough to get by, but not really able to save or create financial growth • Next Level™: Strong business foundation, systems in place, steady cash flow, preparing for eventual retirement and financial freedom 2. FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT (LOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS WITH LOGIC, NOT EMOTION): •B usiness bills—what is your annual break-even on fixed business bills such as dues, advertising, stationery, E&O insurance, office fees?

• Personal survival bills, e.g., house, utilities, car, insurance, etc.

• Taxes • A + B + C = Overall break-even • D + amount to put toward retirement and debt reduction = Next Level™.

3. CATEGORIZE YOUR BUSINESS PLAN STRATEGIES:

• Now Business: Wake up every morning with one focus: get a listing.

The quickest way to generate listing appointments is to call FSBOs and expireds. a. Get a good file system that will help you generate and organize these leads. b. Commit to certain days and hours for prospecting calls. c. Have a strong listing appointment, which gives you the confidence to prospect. d. U se a visual chart to help stay motivated and focused. e. Have external accountability.

• Future Business: Once you’ve got inventory and cash flow, focus on growing business to your Next LevelTM through farming. a. It takes 6 - 9 months before you see ROI. b. Plan a concentrated neighborhood approach that includes door-knocking, community events, working Facebook closed groups and mailings. c. Have funding for at least six months of marketing before you get started.

d. Consistency is key. Statistically, it takes at least five touches to get a response. e. Consider co-branding with a vendor to offset costs.

• Financial Freedom: Being debtfree is a great feeling. The only debt that’s good is mortgages and car loans or leases—all of which are single-digit loans. Any cost of money that’s in the double digits is hurting, not helping, so anything over 10 percent interest needs to go. a. Map out a plan to pay off any debt that has double-digit interest first. b. Savings has to be habitual.

Every month, put a set amount toward your future. c. The formula I taught my son: Leftover money (after bills): 50 percent goes toward spending, 20 percent savings, 20 percent investing, 10 percent God. If you have credit card debt: 25 percent spending, 25 percent debt, 20 percent savings, 20 percent investing, 10 percent God. RE Watch for more training on this topic as we roll out the first quarter of 2019 at www.PowerAgentWebinar.com.

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.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 67

to make, how many calls must convert to contacts, how many contacts must convert to leads, etc., to reach their goal.

The Value of Agent Business Planning

by Adam Lerman

D

ata from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) estimates that 87 percent of all new agents fail after five years. One of the keys to being among the 13 percent that succeed in real estate? Business planning.

While the value and necessity of writing a business plan has been debated within the entrepreneurial community, the numbers speak for themselves: In general, businesses with a plan can grow up to 30 percent faster than those without a plan.

Despite this, many agents don’t operate with business plans. Some may not have or want to devote the time and energy into creating a plan at the outset. This may be especially true for experienced agents who feel as though they’re working at their best and with a full pipeline.

For many new and mid-level agents, the attraction to a real estate career may be because of its independent and entrepreneurial nature. Agents like the idea of being in charge of their business and setting their own schedules, but that can often be confused for the ability to work in an unstructured environment. It’s exactly because real estate lacks a traditional corporate structure that agents need to be even more proactive and vigi68 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

lant in creating their own success through diligent planning, goal-setting and accountability.

Let’s break down the key elements of any successful business plan: Establish a clear goal. Agents first need to set a clear goal in terms of closed deals for the year. Once that goal has been established, agents can work backwards to determine the steps that need to be taken.

In setting a goal, agents should take into account the amount needed to cover their personal expenses, business expenses and profit.

Based on those numbers, agents can identify how many deals and at what sales price they need to close over a given period of time.

Understand percentages. Agents must also understand their own contact to lead, lead to appointment, appointment to contract and contract to closing ratios on a granular level. Armed with these metrics, agents can know, down to the day, how many calls they need

Hold yourself accountable. Accountability is the most important aspect of being your own boss.

The value of a business plan becomes especially clear when thought about in terms of accountability. Because agents are able to drill down to daily micro goals that need to be achieved in order to fulfill macro business goals, business plans can provide daily, weekly and monthly activity sheets to hold people accountable.

Accountability can also help troubleshoot what’s going wrong if an agent isn’t progressing as they would like to. Having goals and percentages written down makes it clear when something isn’t working. Agents can then sit down with their brokers and discuss tactics for turning things around.

Conclusion Brokerages should offer their agents business planning resources, and agents must take advantage of these tools. When done correctly, it isn’t just an empty exercise consuming time and effort.

Without a business plan, agents risk leaving money on the table and, ultimately, not reaching their top earning potential.

Agents shouldn’t shy away from tapping into tools and resources their brokerages and network have to offer. Effective business planning and follow-through can make the difference between the 87 percent of agents who don’t make it past five years and agents who go on to have thriving careers. RE Adam Lerman is senior vice president of Coaching & Accountability at Engel & Völkers Americas. For more information, visit www.evusa.com.

Speak on Purpose, Speak With Purpose: Negotiation Strategies

by Sherri Johnson

Y

our agents bring together buyers and sellers through successful negotiation. Too often, agents are practicing sales prevention; they’re getting in their own way, and, unfortunately, the buyer and seller lose out on opportunities.

These strategies for intentionally choosing the words you use or don’t use will put you in a more effective position to help your clients.

1. Use the “sandwich theory.”

Start and end every conversation on a positive note. Enthusiasm always wins, and approaching every step of the negotiation process in a positive manner will make you an expert negotiator. When it comes to good news and bad news, good news is the best way to communicate—the good news is the bread, and the bad news is the meat. The sandwich theory helps you navigate and negotiate at a much higher level, and helps remind people of their end goal: buying or selling a home.

2. Say “the client” instead of “my client.” Agents often say, “I won’t let my buyer or my seller…”

“My” is a possessive pronoun that doesn’t help facilitate a negotiation; instead, it puts everyone in the boxing ring “fighting” for their client’s best interests. When you say, “the client,” you’re separating yourself from your client so that you and the other REALTOR®can have a proactive conversation as professionals both working for their respective clients, but also acting in a positive,

results-oriented manner.

3. Don’t text or email negotiations.

More deals fall apart or don’t even come together because they were done via text or email. Factual information can be communicated via text or email; emotional information must be done in-person, or, at the very least, on the phone. It’s impossible to see and respond to people’s concerns when you’re texting or emailing, making it less likely to overcome their objections.

4. Read and respond to people.

Fifty-five percent of communication is body language, 38 percent is tone of voice and 7 percent is made up of the actual words we choose. So, choose the right words that make a positive impact or invoke resolution, like calling the home inspection process a “home inspection resolution process,” rather than the contingency removal. Start calling it the home inspection resolution process with your clients and other REALTORS®, and you’ll notice how much influence the words have in terms of keeping people focused.

5. Focus on the property, not the personalities. Too often, deals go sideways because buyers get

buyer’s remorse, and then poor negotiations and poor communications mean both parties get hung up on the personalities. I’ve had to say, “The sellers don’t come with the house” and diffuse emotions when agents are running around with their hair on fire. If the client is upset with the agent, move off that and redirect them back to the main event.

6. Manage expectations better.

If you prepare your clients for what to expect before it happens, you’re managing their expectations so much better than when you tell them about things as they’re happening. Let them know ahead of time that they could get an offer around 88 percent of the list price, and share with them what that number is. Now, when the offer comes in at 93 percent of the list price, they’re happy, as it’s higher than you had prepared them for.

There’s always a way to bring two parties together if you have the right mindset. Go be an expert negotiator and grow your business to the next level. RE For a free copy of Sherri’s exclusive podcast, “Speak on Purpose, Speak With Purpose: Strategies for Closing More Negotiations and Leads,” email yourock@sherrijohnson.com.

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.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 69

Kraninger Confirmed in Tight Vote

by Suzanne De Vita

I

n a narrow 50-49 Senate vote, Kathy Kraninger was confirmed as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for a fiveyear term last month.

Kraninger, an Office of Management and Budget official, is succeeding Mick Mulvaney, who has been acting director of the organization for the past year. She was nominated by President Trump.

In the housing industry, her confirmation was met with support.

“Kathy Kraninger is an intelligent, experienced administrator who has worked on a broad range of complex, high-profile issues over the course of her career,” said Robert D. Broeksmit, CEO and president of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), in a statement. “We look forward to working with her and anticipate she will continue the Bureau’s efforts to protect consumers by providing financial institutions clear and understandable regulations accompanied by appropriate compliance

and implementation requirements.”

“The National Association of REALTORS®(NAR) applauds the Senate’s confirmation of Kathleen Kraninger to lead the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, the agency tasked to ensure consumers’ financial interests are protected,” said Shannon McGahn, senior vice president of Government Affairs at NAR, in a statement. “America’s 1.3 million REALTORS®recognize the critical role the Bureau plays in maintaining the integrity of significant financial transactions like home purchases.

Under Ms. Kraninger’s leadership, we believe the Bureau will properly protect consumers and support businesses that help more individuals achieve the American Dream of homeownership.”

In a letter in November, the MBA,

NAR and more than 20 other groups urged the Senate to confirm Kraninger, stating she will “not only be an asset to the Bureau, but also to Congress and the Administration to work together to strengthen our nation’s housing industry.”

Kraninger was criticized for her inexperience in the months prior to the vote. Many anticipate that, as director, she will operate in the vein of Mulvaney, who has broadly made over the organization, including a bid to change its name. Mulvaney, who acts, also, as head of the OMB, was nominated by President Trump. RE

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 71

Amazon to Spark Massive Real Estate Shift in NYC and D.C. Markets by Liz Dominguez

T

ransportation, job growth, affordability—these are just a few of the elements that will likely experience a substantial shift when Amazon’s headquarters come to Long Island City and Crystal City, with the corporation’s promise of a generous boost to the local economies. Real estate may feel the biggest impact of all.

How are residents responding? It’s a mixed bag, according to Robert Whalen, director of Sales in Long Island City for Halstead.

“While many residents have been thrilled with the news, some have expressed concern and anxiety about what the addition of Amazon will mean to the neighborhood in the intermediate- and long-term,” says Whalen. “I think the voices of dissent are healthy, and I’m hopeful that the protests of today will lead to constructive and engaging conversations among various stakeholders tomorrow and beyond.

72 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“I think…that community engagement will drive positive actions by Amazon, the city and the state, and I hope there’s greater recognition and understanding regarding the tremendous upside potential,” Whalen says.

What are the primary concerns?

For one, affordability impacting current residents’ ability to remain in these metro areas—experts fear that buyers and renters will be priced out. These apprehensions are largely experience-based—critics note that low- and moderate-income individuals residing in areas in which Ama-

zon is based, such as San Francisco and San Jose, Calif., as well as in its home base, Seattle, are struggling to afford housing in the surrounding areas of their workplaces, according to U.S. News.

Looking at the impact Amazon had on Seattle, home values have spiked, pricing out even moderately affluent residents. The median home value has increased dramatically by 73 percent to $739,600 over the past five years, according to Zillow data.

A Peek at the Current Market Environment A look at the current housing markets of LIC and the D.C. metro area show similar bustling trends that could lead to affordability and inventory challenges if too much strain is put on these locales. According to CoreLogic data, over the last year,

New York City has already seen a price increase of 1.7 percent, while the Washington, D.C., metro area saw a 3.2 percent increase.

Additionally, single-family rents have increased 2.5 percent and 2.3 percent in the NYC and Washington, D.C., metro areas, respectively. As for inventory supply, NYC is at five months, while Washington, D.C., is at three, compared to the nationwide average of 3.5 months. In comparison to the national median home price of $225,000, NYC has a median price of $470,000, while the Washington, D.C., metro area has a $410,000 median price.

While these markets are currently thriving, how far can growth go before becoming a burden?

A Look Into the Future For already high-priced markets, such as the D.C. metro and LIC, affordability could be stretched past its comfort zone in the near future. According to Zillow’s housing prediction for 2019, the 30-year fixed mortgage will be at 5.8 percent by year-end (at press time), and commutes will worsen as job creation continues to concentrate in urban areas—a possibly unfounded move that expects a young workforce to reside in city environments, instead of the suburbs in which they are largely flocking to.

“The news stirred up fears of escalating housing costs and concerns that the move would compound the already intense traffic issues,” says Aleksandra Scepanovic, managing director of Ideal Properties Group, based in NYC, adding that others believe Amazon’s emergence will lead to beneficial growth in these areas.

The biggest winners, according to Zillow? The cities that lost out on Amazon’s headquarter picks. The HQ2 search helped grow awareness for the potential economic growth in

these cities, bringing in more investors and high-tech jobs that would normally be priced out from more traditional tech centers.

ate the burden, as employees could easily access the $205,000 rental units throughout the metro using the area’s transit systems.

The Overarching Necessity According to REALTOR® Magazine, the National Association of REALTORS®(NAR) research team predicts that the Washington, D.C., metro area will need an additional 1,200 single-family and 1,050 multifamily permits on average each year over the next 10 years in order to maintain its job growth to permit ratio in the area. If there is not an increase in new-home construction, NAR says home prices would inevitably rise in order to meet the demand.

With a shortage in inventory and skyrocketing home prices, those pondering home-buying may stick to renting to save, especially as mortgage rates rise. Are there enough planned units to support a growing population as Amazon calls for skilled workers for its headquarters?

Experts predict the move could, in fact, spark a sorely needed boost to inventory. A RENTCafé report states that increases in apartment construction in LIC and Crystal City are very plausible. At the moment, there’s a high occupancy rate of 98.2 percent in LIC, leaving little room for the incoming Amazon staff.

There are, however, an estimated 15,400 units being built, and LIC is known for bouncing back—after all, the neighborhood added the most new apartments after the recession of any U.S. city, a booming 12,533 units.

In Crystal City, the occupancy rate is slightly lower, at 94.7 percent— even below the national level of 95.2 percent—but only 2,100 units are either under construction or have been planned. Transportation in the D.C. metro area may, however, help allevi-

An Immediate Real Estate Reaction There’s already been a shift in the LIC and Crystal City metro areas.

Some zip codes have seen an instant reaction to the news. Redfin reports that agents have seen a spike in viewership of homes for sale in the Crystal City and Long Island City regions on Redfin.com. For the week ending Nov. 11, 2018, views of listings in Long Island City increased by 1,049 percent, compared to the same time period in 2017. For Crystal City listings, online views were up 217 percent year-over-year.

“Traffic at open houses is up two, three, four times what it was prior to the announcement,” says Whalen. “Requests to view properties by appointments are up. The phones have been ringing steadily. Deals are getting done faster than before, often times with multiple offers at or above the asking price. Owners who have been thinking about selling should get in touch with their brokers and consider listing sooner rather than later to take advantage of the frenzy of interest, and buyers should work with local experts who can help them navigate the different opportunities in new development and in the resale market.

“This appears to be one of those rare opportunities that comes by once or twice in a lifetime,” Whalen says. “Anyone thinking of buying or selling should get a plan in place without delay.” RE Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s associate content editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at ldominguez@rismedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 73

5 Ways to Get out of Your Comfort Zone to Capture Leads

by Zoe Eisenberg

C

apturing leads is a multifaceted process, and while technology makes it simpler these days, old-fashioned doorknocking and cold-calling can still be extremely effective. If the activity makes you a little nervous, then you know you need to work on it—and the weekend is a great time to try it out, both because you have a little down time, and folks are hanging out at home.

Below are a handful of tips for popping out of your comfort zone and capturing more leads.

Center yourself first. Getting out of your comfort zone can be difficult.

Take 10 minutes before you head 74 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

out to go inward and calm yourself.

Meditation or journaling can help, or just a quiet moment with your pet.

This way, you’ll be calmer and more confident for your next move.

Try something new. You can’t grow if you continue to stay in your comfort zone. If you know you’re an ace at cold-calling but door-knocking is still difficult, spend time on the activity you’re not the best at—you’ll be a pro in no time.

Turn it into a game. If you don’t love door-knocking or cold-calling, turn it into a little game. How many calls can you make in an hour? What opening line gets the best results?

Turn the activity into a competition or puzzle and you’ll enjoy it more—and learn while you’re at it.

Schedule your time and location. If you bookmark a specific time and/or location (e.g., an exact neighborhood or a cold call session from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday), you’ll be more likely to commit and get it done.

Reward yourself. After you walk around a new neighborhood leaving flyers and door-knocking, reward yourself with lunch or a coffee at that new place you’ve been meaning to check out. RE

Zoe Eisenberg is RISMedia’s senior content editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at zoe@rismedia.com.

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{Industry Innovators}

Q&A: Terri King Thriving as a Real Estate Entrepreneur

by Jameson Doris

A

self-described serial entrepreneur, Terri King currently serves as the president and owner of Coldwell Banker King in Asheville, N.C. With more than 15 years of experience, she has excelled in the industry by making it her company’s mission to bring expertise, innovation and enrichment to the real estate experience.

Here, King gives her advice for any young entrepreneur trying to make it in real estate, insights into what she sees as the next big trend in the industry, and more.

What was your biggest obstacle when you first got started?

The market had gone to hell so there was an unprecedented loss of faith in the real estate industry.

This created some issues for me as I sought a financial partner.

You have fairly extensive experience as an entrepreneur.

What advice would you give a young entrepreneur who’s trying to break into real estate?

You are not your business. Your business is just what you do. You are bigger than any venture, whether it is a success or a failure. Also, persist when you know it is right. Persistence will trump talent, luck, position and logic every time.

How has a strategic model of automation, hightech mobility and optimized location helped you get ahead?

When you start a company during a downturn, survival is critical. These three strategies were instrumental in making us nimble and keeping fixed costs down so that we could survive a down market and thrive in good times.

What’s the next big trend in real estate going to be?

What first drew you to the real estate industry?

My former career was as a tobacco extension agent.

In 2003, as the environment was changing in the tobacco industry, I decided to make a change. My family has been in residential development since 1986 and the real estate market was strong, so it was a logical move for me.

Why did you choose Coldwell Banker?

I was attempting to rebuild my business to come out of the housing crash and I was looking to “hitch my wagon to a star.” Coldwell Banker has a long history of being an industry innovator, and that fit well with my business model plans.

78 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology will redefine how the broker interacts with the consumer, not only in the early stages of the deal, but also throughout the deal flow.

Where do you see yourself five years down the road?

I will be operating a “lean manufacturing” model that is built on a platform designed to support the operations of agents’ business, leaving relationship management as their main focus and responsibility. RE

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

Send your blog ideas to jdoris@rismedia.com.

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Advanced Hand-Held Tech for the Modern Agent

by Liz Dominguez

A

s an agent practicing real estate in 2019, you know just how important technology is in meeting today’s high standards for a superior client experience. And while it may seem like the onslaught of tools and services are overwhelmingly significant, none are as essential as something many agents take for granted: their mobile phone.

Today’s phones do nearly everything your various platforms and systems do, or at least provide a foundation from which you can run your business in a seamless manner. So, what are today’s offerings?

Here are a few examples of the latest tech and how they can be used to boost your business: iPhone XS & iPhone XR Looking for advanced tech on a budget? The XR (pronounced “tenR”) might make more sense for you. Running around $749, this device gets you your choice of various fun colors—either yellow, blue, coral, white or black—as well as a sleek, edge-to-edge screen. While you won’t get the outer stainless steel provided by the iPhone XS, you’ll still receive Apple’s Liquid Retina Display—perfect quality for seeing all the colors jump off your screen, even outside in sunlight. As

you know, REALTORS® spend a lot of their time outdoors, running from appointment to appointment.

You also get a pretty strong camera with both of these phones—a 12-megapixel lens with a f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization. If you want to save a few dollars on professional listing photography, you’ll at least have your phone as a backup. Of course, nothing beats a wide-angle lens and a professional-grade flash.

If you splurge and get the XS, which starts at $999, you’ll get more premium materials, which means less of a chance of having to replace your phone when you inevitably drop it during your next home showing. Additionally, you’ll get some performance bonuses, such as FACE ID that is more responsive—boosting your security, which is essential when your email and phone hold important transaction information—and increased battery life that will endure through long days of real estate to-dos.

Google Pixel 3 & Pixel 3 XL The most significant benefit of these phones? The price. The Google Pixel 3, starting at $799—a little pricier than the iPhone XR— gets you a much better camera than even the iPhone XS. So, if you want to really wow consumers with some bright, crisp photos, this phone is for you. While you may not get the sleek look that iPhone has perfect-

ed, a Google phone has myriad advantages, including unlimited cloud storage and relevant software updates—two key factors that could significantly help your business, especially if you’re constantly saving photos and transaction paperwork on-the-go. You’ll also get easier integration to the Google Suite of applications. As an avid G-Drive user myself, I know what this means to REALTORS® who rely on it for transaction management.

Benefits of the XL? While you’ll have to pay for it at a starting price of $899, you’ll get a larger, 6.3-inch model with a longer battery life. All other features are the same, but the bigger screen could be helpful if you have trouble reading small text on a screen, especially since you might be relying on that information if you’re meeting a client for a listing presentation and need to quickly pull up some solid stats to win them over. And battery life? Again, everyone knows REALTORS® don’t sleep, so you need your phone to last as long as you do. By the way, is that coffee No. 3 you’re on?

So Many Options These don’t even scratch the surface. There’s also the ever-popular Samsung Galaxy line or the emerging OnePlus brand, and more.

Whatever you want to prioritize for your business—whether that be lightning speeds, abundant storage, long battery life or software that can support your daily routine—there’s a phone for everyone.

It’s all about doing some research and seeing how the tools align with your business strategy. RE This appeared first on RISMedia’s Housecall, blog.rismedia.com.

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 81

{Blog Spot} Design Forecast:

2019 Color of the Year

Photo: PPG

by Jameson Doris

DARKER, COOLER COLORS ARE STILL IN. Back in the early part of 2018, PPG—a global supplier of paints and coatings—selected Night Watch, a dark green hue, as its 2019 Color of the Year. And they’re sticking by that verdict as we kick off the new year.

The color choice, which fetches images of a thick forest, is reflective of the increasing need to reconnect with nature. “[Night Watch] pulls our

memories of natural environments to the surface to recreate the calming, invigorating euphoria we feel when in nature,” according to PPG. The PPG Global Color Team, which chose Night Watch, took research, insights and analysis into consideration when determining what the next hot paint color would be in 2019.

“The team of 20 color stylists from around the world and from different industry segments, including automotive, consumer electronics, aerospace and home paint, converge at the beginning of each year for PPG’s Global Color Workshop to analyze the runway, lifestyles, demographics and societal trends to determine which color best represents current consumer mindsets,” says Dee Schlotter, senior color marketing manager at PPG. Schlotter also reveals that other colors in the running included a dramatic mustard hue named Golden Field, as well as Cinnamon Diamond—a warm, rosy beige.

“Described as a grown-up millennial pink, [Cinnamon Diamond] exudes sophistication and tradition when paired with Night Watch,” says Schlotter.

And the ease with which you can pair Night Watch with other colors is one of its biggest draws. Colors from nature don’t clash and are universal, which translates to homeowners being able to use Night Watch in a variety of different spaces and rooms.

Schlotter notes that as darker colors continue to grow in popularity for the exterior of the home, such as on siding, front doors and shutters, “Night Watch offers a beautiful alternative to the trending black or deep blue-black colors.” RE This article originally appeared on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. Visit us at blog.rismedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 83

{Broker Spotlight}

Lamacchia Realty:

Where Real Tactics Lead to Real Results

by Maria Patterson

A

nthony Lamacchia has been obsessed with business since childhood. At age 12, he began learning about what a profit and loss statement was, and by 16, he had mastered basic accounting. It’s no surprise that once Lamacchia entered the real estate world, it didn’t take long for him to make his mark. Today, as broker/owner and CEO of Lamacchia Realty, serving Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Lamacchia is on the verge of explosive growth, ready to take his training-focused and agent support-centric model beyond New England’s borders.

As he simply says, “We will one day be the largest and best privately-held real estate company in America.” Find out how Lamacchia intends to get there—and how he’s already come so far—in this exclusive interview.

Anthony Lamacchia, broker/owner and CEO of Lamacchia Realty, is ready to take his training-focused and agentsupport centric model beyond New England’s borders.

84 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Maria Patterson: Would you start by telling us a little bit about your background?

Anthony Lamacchia: Sure. I’ve been working since I was very young.

My grandmother used to get mad at my dad for taking me to jobs at age three. I worked with my father in his landscaping and construction business, where I learned so much that I later applied to real estate.

My grandfather was an accountant who did my father’s books. By the age of 12, he taught me what a

P&L was and all about payables and receivables. I knew the basics of accounting by the time I was 16.

I’ve been obsessed with business for as long as I can remember; and according to my dad, it started at a very young age.

erties to rent or flip, at which time I was getting tired of the family business. At the time, I had a business partner—and our first employee, Sarah Chaisson, who is still with me today as vice president of all the companies.

MP: So, when did you get into real estate?

AL: Well, I bought my first property

MP: How many offices and agents does Lamacchia Realty currently have?

AL: Five offices with 180 agents,

when I had just turned 21 in 2002.

Then I got into real estate sales in 2004 after I had bought a few prop-

and growing by the day.

MP: What are your current goals in terms of expansion?

AL: We want to be at 300 agents by 2020, and we’re tracking to make that happen. Our bigger goal is to become the largest and best privately-held real estate brokerage in New England. We’re also currently working hard to increase our relocation business, and it’s really beginning to take shape. Our affiliation with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® has really helped with this. We’re now regularly helping people move in and out of our area.

We’re also very focused on growing in the corporate relocation space and are now getting more and more involved with hospitals and large corporations.

MP: What were some of your key strategies for growing the firm over the years?

AL: For several years, we did a massive television advertising campaign. When the market wasn’t good, it produced a lot of leads; when the market got hotter, it didn’t generate nearly as many leads, but it worked wonders for us with branding. We’ve always focused hard on producing leads for agents, and that won’t change in the years to come.

Training has probably been the biggest single contributor to our success over the last five years.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 85

MP: Training is clearly a cornerstone of your company’s success. How does it work, and what makes it different from any other training an agent can get?

AL: People always ask, “What are you doing differently with your training?” and I always say, “Our training programs are real.” It’s important to train on the real struggles that agents have, the real situations they encounter during a sale, and the real objections they hear. We essentially walk agents down the path of walking a consumer down the path of buying or selling. I’m the main sales trainer, but our management team also handles a lot of it, especially with the newer agents.

We’re doing more training in one month than most companies do in a year. We now have much of our training available in a video library, too, and the agents love that.

MP: Obviously, you’re onto something since you’re now offering your REAL Training to other brokerages, correct?

AL: Yes. We began offering our training sessions nationally in late 2016 over a live broadcast feed.

Our national customers are being taught the same courses as our agents—at the same time. On any given Wednesday, we have between five to 10 locations tuned in and well over a hundred agents participating. It’s real and it’s live.

We have a big TV in the back of the training room where we can see who’s participating from other companies and interact with them.

We also recently started offering our weekly training by video since not everyone could adhere to our Wednesday schedule, which is especially tough for those on the West Coast with the time difference.

MP: Can agents also access your training online?

AL: Yes, they can get a taste of it, along with a ton of good tips, by lik86 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

ing our Crush It in Real Estate page on Facebook, or they can get even more by visiting our new training website, CrushItInRE.com

MP: And training is essential to deal with market changes. How are current conditions in your area?

AL: The market undoubtedly slowed down at the end of August and has been at a slower speed ever since.

Falls have been slower for over five years now, but I do think there’s a change in the air, which you can see in the numbers as inventory has increased by a noticeable amount.

Sellers have ruled the roost for about three years, and now there’s going to be more balance in the market. I think it’s a good thing, because too many sellers were getting too cocky and too many agents were getting complacent. This market

The firm’s REAL Training has been the single biggest contributor to Lamacchia Realty’s success.

change is good news for buyers and it will produce more sales for all of us come spring.

MP: What’s the opportunity in this scenario for REALTORS®?

AL: When homes don’t sell quite as fast, there’s a big opportunity for being an expert. When the market is too hot, sellers will hire anyone who gives them a discount because most REALTORS® can get the seller’s home sold. When the market’s tough, good agents rise to the top; therefore, when the market was bad, our company grew the most. I have zero fear of a market slowdown because our REALTORS® and staff are better trained than any others.

MP: Besides your training program, how else do you help your agents succeed?

AL: Where do I even start? There’s a lot! We pride ourselves on offering agents an array of products, services and tools to help them grow their businesses.

MP: Can you expand on each in more detail?

AL: Sure. When I say products, I mean all different kinds of leads, from the typical online buyer leads to relocation leads, to leads generated from our TV advertising, and more. Lead products are usually more appealing to newer agents, but not always. For example, relocation clients require, and are usually more appealing to, more experienced agents.

We’ve really focused on growing our menu of services over the last two years. These are mostly for agents who are doing more business and need the help to stay caught up and get ahead. We offer Listing and Buyer Assistance, where an administrative assistant works with an agent throughout the sales process. We also offer Prelist Services, where we handle pictures, floor plans, hanging of the sign and lockbox, sending out Just Listed postcards, creating brochures, and more. Our Showing Partners program, which was custom-built on our CRM, is much like Uber, where agents request coverage on a showing appointment or home inspection and another agent can claim it and get paid to do it. More recently, we began offering Marketing Services, where we handle social media and mailing campaigns on behalf of the agents who opted in for it. None of this is free, but nothing good is ever free.

The tools we offer mostly involve technology, like our custom-built CRM and several other solutions that our agents love.

MP: So, you’re really setting agents up for success...

AL: Exactly. An agent who joins our firm will, on average, increase their income by 318 percent in their first 12 months compared to their prior 12 months at a previous firm.

Newer agents are more attracted to leads and training; more experienced agents are attracted to services and how we can help better their business so they can have more personal time, which they value most; and we really work hard to help them achieve that.

“An agent who joins our firm will, on average, increase their income by 318 percent in their first 12 months compared to their prior 12 months at a previous firm.”

- ANTHONY LAMACCHIA Broker/Owner, CEO Lamacchia Realty

MP: What role does your leadership team play in your agents’ success?

AL: I have the best leadership team in the business, period. Almost all of them have sold a significant amount of homes. Many were my stars when we were a team model years ago.

They’re determined to make sure we’re the best there is, and they’re the true reason we are. They’re also always in touch with our agents to support them at a level that doesn’t exist at other companies. Our top agents recognize this, and many of them have also become leaders in the company, which is very helpful to me—and I appreciate them for it.

MP: How would you describe your leadership philosophy?

AL: My leadership philosophy is to

lead by example. I work hard and make things happen, and they follow suit. I do all I can to support them so that they can support our staff and agents. They’re all dedicated to making sure we’re better than our competition, because we have to be. We’re always working hard to make our agents’ lives easier, and we do that by providing unique products, services and tools that others don’t and can’t. It’s a lot of work to provide all that, but it’s necessary because we’re going head-to-head with some very worthy competition.

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

AL: We’re big believers in social media, both Lamacchia Realty for buyers and sellers, and Crush It in Real Estate for REALTORS®. We put out tons of content, which has been a big part of our success. I do a significant amount of video content and blogging myself. If you educate buyers, sellers and REALTORS®, they’ll be attracted to you.

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

AL: We built our own custom CRM on the Salesforce platform and it does everything for agents. It creates plans, triggers automated reminders and emails...things you’d never think about needing or wanting until you start using it. It helps make our agents, staff and management team more efficient and productive, and they can all conveniently access it anywhere through a mobile app.

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

AL: Big things. We’ll build an empire.

I guarantee it. RE

For more information, please visit www.lamacchiarealty.com or www.CrushItInRE.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 87

{Broker Best Practices} Embracing Technology to Stay Ahead of the Curve Cora Bett Thomas CEO/Broker Cora Bett Thomas Realty, a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® Savannah, Ga. www.corabettthomas.com Region served: The 100 Mile Coast, from Beaufort, S.C., to St. Simons, Ga. Years in real estate: 43 Number of offices: 2 Number of agents: 50+ Top tips for staying relevant: To be relevant requires flexibility. If you’re going to be flexible, then becoming proficient in technology is imperative. While education is also important, you must also know and understand your customers and what makes them tick.

Please describe the strategies you employ when assisting homebuyers who are relocating to your area. Typically, the wife makes the decision, so find out what’s important to her, then ask them both what they want. Once they’re qualified and they’ve decided on a neighborhood, introduce them to the neighbors, places of worship,

Establishing Your Expertise: Testing Online Advertising That Goes Beyond Lead Forms

by Liz Dominguez

Geoffrey Adams Director of Member Success Agent Collective, Realty ONE Group Tempe, Ariz. www.agentcollective.com Region served: Arizona 88 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

grocery store, dry cleaners, school, etc. They’ll always remember how you helped them assimilate into the neighborhood.

How do you stay in touch with clients? Staying in touch begins with a CRM. I’m dedicated to touching clients in all forms: emails, cards, texts and gatherings planned specifically for reuniting. I also take advantage of drip mail to share market trends and remind them of events and charity functions. Being authentic and honestly caring about the client is imperative if you want to gain their trust.

What’s your secret to staying ahead of the competition?

Great branding and marketing.

Letting potential clients know who we are and what’s important to our company is also key.

What is the biggest obstacle you’ve overcome within the last year?

The biggest obstacle we’ve overcome centers around keeping abreast of technology. This includes evaluating what’s needed and what’s best for the company, and getting trained on it.

Years in real estate: 10 Number of offices: 1 Number of agents: 22 What is the key to helping your agents convert online leads? Just because people don’t pick up the phone or respond to a text doesn’t mean they’re not interested. We have to be there when they need us, and sometimes they have much higher priorities than real estate at the moment we call or text.

Through persistence, good listening and follow-ups, and using a good CRM, we can track our behaviors and those of our consumers.

by Jameson Doris

What’s the most significant trend positively impacting your business? While people can live and work wherever they choose, we’ve benefitted from the fact that Savannah and the surrounding area sells itself. In addition to a great climate, gracious people and art and music, diversity is embraced in the area, as well as having several institutions of higher learning, specifically Savannah College of Art and Design. Savannah is a beautiful city, but this isn’t just a place to live along The 100 Mile Coast—it’s a way to live in the real South.

Where do you see yourself and your business five years down the road?

The brokerage is growing, young people are coming into the area and the profession for the future entrepreneur is limitless. While it will be hard to recognize the profession in five years, some things never change, and that includes service and relationships. We’ll embrace the changes to stand out and be ahead of the curve.

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

Does it begin with the quality of the lead? In terms of lead quality, there are no bad leads. It’s about playing the long game. Some folks on realtor.com® are ready to go, while others have an incubation period of a year or more. There are different ways to provide value for those types of clients, beginning with tracking your data, being a good listener and a proactive problem solver.

How do you strengthen your brand awareness and name recognition with potential customers? We’re looking to leverage the realtor.com®

Local Expert by bringing value to folks in a different way. It’s a messaging and marketing system that works alongside the lead generation.

The folks on realtor.com® are buyers, but many buyers are also sellers. This is a really interesting opportunity to communicate to sellers in that Local Expert space.

We’re looking to engage in the listing business using that advertising space as a value-add. There’s power in telling sellers that their home will be on the front page of all realtor.com® search results in a certain zip code.

Do you get your agents involved in determining what creative will work, and what you’ll try next? My agents are very involved. Our group is branded as the Agent Collective, and we have a great feedback loop with each other. We have a call every morning where we discuss what’s working, what’s not working and generate ideas on how we can improve systems and our collective knowledge in real estate.

Do you leverage your tech investment to retain your agents? We bring the tech to support the agents in the Collective so they can

Maintaining Relevance in the Eyes of Buyers and Sellers

by John Voket

Kathy Laswick Broker Realty ONE Group Scottsdale, Ariz. www.realtyonegroup.com/realestateagent/kathy-laswick-6388351 Region served: Scottsdale/North Scottsdale Years in real estate: 23 Number of offices: 1 Number of agents: 312 Best recruiting tip: Be real and care about your real estate professionals’ needs.

What are the most exciting/effective tech tools Realty ONE Group provides your team? One of my favorites is MoveEasy, which helps team members stay in touch with their database with minimal effort. It also helps clients keep track of things like utility transfers, change of address and car registrations. In addition, MoveEasy provides the agent a vendor list that can be modified to include preferred service providers. When their vendor is used, the agent is notified, providing an opportunity to reach out to their client. Videolicious is another easy-to-use tool that produces branded videos agents can share via social media or text directly to clients.

Why is it important to keep your brokers involved in agent training and support? Agents who don’t have that support often find this business to be overwhelm-

go out and do what they’re good at. Most people in our real estate group are in the foundation stage.

We’re all about moving our agents through to the momentum stage and then to the leverage stage where they can help other agents and have their own core group. Our goal is to have agents making sixfigure incomes. This year, we had our first agent who started out in the foundation stage and met that goal, and 2019 is about duplicating that success.

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

ing. Without broker support, they’re burdened with finding their own way, which can cost them or their clients money. A lot of agents undervalue their broker because they haven’t had one who is responsive to their questions or needs. Our industry is constantly changing, and Realty ONE Group has a team of brokers who take advantage of educational opportunities.

They then share that new information with each other and relay it to our agents so they can advance their business and marketing practices.

Can you explain the new Realty ONE Veterans initiative, and why it’s particularly important to you? Vets can now join Realty ONE Group with no sign-on fees. This is a huge giveback to veterans who have sacrificed a part of their life to protect and serve this country. My husband, Cole, made that sacrifice, and I’ll always respect him and all vets. Most of us will never know the toll their service has taken on each and every veteran of this country. The fact that all gave some part of themselves while some gave everything should never be forgotten or overlooked.

How do you apply your hobby as a photographer when helping your agents with their marketing? Good photos not only involve balance, impact and beauty, but they also provoke a reaction, and I believe good marketing is similar. Using my experience in photography, I can suggest ideas that help agents put out a more powerful piece of advertising. I’m always encouraging agents to shoot and post images to their social media. I want to see people, friends and places that people visit, and I think potential clients do, as well.

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 89

{Trending}

Brokers Sell the Experience, So Agents Can Sell Real Estate

by Andrew King

T

he key to running a successful real estate brokerage often comes down to having better agents than the competition. But it’s

not enough to have the most experienced agents, or even the smartest ones. For a true competitive advantage, a brokerage needs a team of connected, aggressive and motivated agents to thrive as a complete organization.

90 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Many brokers focus on their company culture in order to foster the perfect blend of synergy. Others focus purely on providing hard resources—either in commission splits or support, like marketing, training and technology.

Some, though, are finding success by creating authentic experiences that bond the agents to each other, as well as the brokerage brand. This is being seen throughout the nation, from companies throwing unusual holiday parties, i.e., chartering a party bus into Hollywood, Calif., to participate in a live game show broadcast, to group philanthropy events and paintballing.

Joshua Lybolt, founder of the Chicago-based Lifstyl Real Estate, which reaches a large chunk of the Midwest, puts his agents on a personal development journey called “The Ideal Lifstyl” because, he says, “mindset is key toward keeping agents in the business. We hold fun social events, like brewing our own company beer where our agents get to be part of the actual brewing process.”

Passion Broussard, sales manager of Red Oak Realty in the San Francisco Bay Area, explains that experiences are like a new currency and can be very effective when built into a bonus structure. The company recently took about 30 of its topproducing agents to Safari West in Sonoma to escape the grind and enjoy a day of nature and wine tasting.

“They received gifts and swag, and we all went around the table at lunch and shared our goals for next year, but those goals had to be nonwork-related,” Broussard explains.

The idea, she says, is to get everyone relating on a personal level that’s more authentic and inspiring than a typical business culture. This approach is applied to training and development experiences, as well, says Broussard.

“We’ve put together evening sessions to help the agents learn new systems together in small groups where we’ll have wine and food. It makes it feel much less like learning or working. Instead, we’re all laughing and sharing tips and tricks, and other personal stories,” Broussard says. “But by the end of the session, everyone has learned something new, logged into the system and taken action.”

Broussard notes that team-building opportunities can be events of all sizes.

“Every December, our association has a dinner gala, and every year our company sponsors a table and invites about 10 - 15 agents that wouldn’t necessarily get together outside of the office,” she explains.

“It can also be as spontaneous as [our recent] weekly training when we stopped at Peet’s [Coffee], grabbed a bundle of gift cards and had a session where multiple real-life real estate scenarios were proposed and the agents were asked, ‘What would you do?’ Agents would answer and receive gift cards for participating. This made for a really fun class where everyone laughed and learned from each other.”

Such camaraderie tends to make agents more effective as they learn from each other and genuinely enjoy coming to work each day, says Eric Engelbert, founder of Orange County Real Estate in Southern California. He adds that it can spread quickly via word of mouth in the marketplace and via social media, presenting a particular brokerage as an employment destination for other talented agents.

“It’s about trying to create a family environment. The key to keeping people on board is to make it not just work. It’s a family experience,” says Engelbert, who has a background in psychology. “At other brokerages, your value is defined

by the money you bring in, but in a family experience, you make agents feel their value is more than just the deals they bring in.”

Engelbert says his method is very appealing to millennial agents who could use mentoring from the more experienced team members and are drawn to the experience-building concept. They love to participate in group activities, whether it’s traditional sports like bowling or softball, or alternative experiences such as group painting classes or obstacle courses.

“In a family experience, you make agents feel their value is more than just the deals they bring in.”

– ERIC ENGELBERT Founder, Orange County Real Estate

For the older agents who are settled down with families, they might not be able to take many overnight trips or care to be out paintballing in the woods for several hours. But Engelbert says there are many ways to cross-synergize the team despite having different interests, energy levels and availability. He suggests incorporating the agents’ children into brokerage experiences, such as picnics, sporting events and charity.

“It’s a great way to be inclusive, as well as have fun and get to know everyone as people rather than coworkers,” he explains. “It adds to the family experience, and the younger agents get so much out of having a positive role model.” RE

Andrew King is an RISMedia contributing editor.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 91

{RISMedia’s Great Spaces}

Properties in Paradise As winter weather takes hold of much of the country, we’re dreaming of tropical getaways in this month’s Great Spaces.

by Zoe Eisenberg

Fisher Island Beachfront Estate Located in the most expensive zip code in the U.S., this five-bedroom, seven-bathroom Miami condo is located on the prestigious, membersonly Fisher Island. Located at 7412 Fisher Island Drive, this two-story, two-unit estate stretches over 6,298 square feet of luxe living space.

The home features two gorgeous outdoor terraces, travertine floors, marble walls and staff and guest quarters, while the island itself of-

92 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

fers access to 216 acres of pristine paradise. In addition to a private beach marina, residents can snag exclusive amenities, including golf, tennis and dining, as well as a fitness center and spa.

Listed by: Elena Bluntzer, ONE Sotheby’s International Realty Listed for: $14,000,000 Photos by: David Hernandez with Rews Miami for ONE Sotheby’s International Realty

Who wouldn’t want to eat in this outdoor kitchen?!

Home in Hanalei Bay This incredible estate in Kauai’s pristine Hanalei Bay clocks in at just under $30 million. Owned by actress and businesswoman Denise DuBarry Hay, the beachfront property—located at 5156 Weke Road—is set on a large 1.1-acre lot.

A gate offers privacy and seclusion, while a majestic indoor/outdoor great room with soaring ceilings provides sweeping ocean views at every angle. Five bedrooms and four bathrooms provide ample room for guests, an outdoor kitchen gives you the chance to dine al fresco, and a separate two-story accessory building houses a studio workspace, gym and 1.5 baths.

Listed by: Ben Welborn, Hawaii Life Real Estate

This looks like a sweet spot to enjoy the sunset!

Listed for: $29,750,000 Photos by: Hawaii Life Real Estate

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 93

Soaring ceilings and walls of glass are only a few favorable amenities.

Sweet Spot on San Marco Island The recent sale of the “Villa Venetian” marked the highest-priced home ever sold on San Marco Island in Miami, Fla. Located at 1374 S Venetian Way, the 7,961-squarefoot estate hosts seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms, and is one of only three homes in the county sporting a rooftop pool, decked out with a glass wall, underwater speakers and views of Downtown Miami.

Renovated in 2015 by awardwinning architects Choeff, Levy and Fishman, the sweet spot also includes a sauna imported from Italy, a 12-person Jacuzzi®, a home theater, white oak floors, soaring ceilings, an expansive terrace with 360-degree views and a glass elevator.

Listed by: ONE Sotheby’s International Realty Sold for: $11,695,000 Photos by: FRI Photography for ONE Sotheby’s International Realty

94 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Swoon over this South Carolina haven.

Brand-New Beach Haven in Charleston Looking to move to the prestigious Kiawah Island in South Carolina?

You may be in luck. Timbers Kiawah, a brand-new ocean club with residences, opened its doors to the public with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in November 2018.

The first new oceanfront offering on Kiawah Island in over 30 years, the private resort community offers 21 luxurious residences tucked among peaceful pines along the coastline just outside of Charleston. Living spaces are designed with wide-open spaces and stacking glass doors leading to private balconies, perfectly blending indoor and outdoor amenities. Residences vary in size, including three- or fourbedroom units, with square footage starting at 2,149 and moving on up. RE Listed by: Timbers Kiawah Photos by: Shawn O’Connor

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 95

{Ask the Experts}

to that point, though. Here are some tips to help you set the right asking price to make your clients happy and strengthen your business this year.

Mark Mathis Vice President of Sales Homes.com www.homes.com

“Establishing a good relationship with your clients and being sensitive to their opinions are both important ways to be sure they’ll be responsive to your asking price.”

Q:

What are your best tips for pricing listings to sell at asking cost?

A:

One of the best ways to inspire confidence in your abilities as an agent is by selling your clients’ homes at asking price. There are a number of factors and steps to consider before making it

96 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

How should my clients factor into pricing decisions?

We know that the agent is the expert when it comes to selling homes; however, it’s important to remember that homeowners have a strong emotional connection with their home. This can make it challenging to agree on pricing, since clients will often overvalue their properties. Before suggesting your listing price, ask your clients what they believe their home is worth and how they arrived at this figure. This can help them accurately predict the value of their home, while also allowing you to point out some reasons that your suggested price may not be as much as they were hoping. Overall, though, establishing a good relationship with your clients and being sensitive to their opinions are both important ways to be sure they’ll be responsive to your asking price.

believe your price is fair. It’s much easier to show a client the facts and figures behind a decision, especially when pricing becomes a point of contention.

How can I use others’ expired listings to my benefit?

Reviewing current listings is a great way to determine where your own listings should fall. One way to do this is by looking for a less crowded pricing bracket. For example, if a number of homes in your area are being priced between $350,000 and $355,000 and the next pricing bracket doesn’t start until $380,000, consider pricing your own listings between $365,000 and $370,000. By doing so, you can avoid being lumped in with the other properties.

Another way to use current listings to your advantage is by reviewing expired listings. Pay special attention to the original asking price and the eventual sale price.

Consider whether the sellers were forced to make a significant price reduction and why. Try to determine whether it was overpriced to begin with, and how you can avoid running into the same problem.

Q& A

How should I determine the right price for my area?

Accurately pricing your listing in relation to the area is critical.

Because of this, it’s necessary to know how other homes in the area have been priced. A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) will show you recent sales in your area that you can use for comparison when pricing your own listing. A CMA report is also very helpful when showing your clients why you

By applying these tips, you’ll be able to start pricing your listings to sell at asking cost so that you can make 2019 one of your strongest in years. Additionally, another way to sell at the asking price is to drive qualified buyers to your listing by giving top-of-page placement on Homes.com’s City Sponsor. To learn more, visit http://go.homes/ rismediacitysponsor.com.

Dan Steward President Pillar To Post Home Inspectors www.pillartopost.com

Q:

As the home inspection industry continues to evolve, what do you anticipate for the future?

A:

Aside from the technology that we pioneered in 1999, we’re seeing customers that understand the value of home inspections more and more.

Instead of just another task their agent assigns, they’re becoming much more aware of what purpose the home inspection process has, and how much it means to the sale or acquisition of their

homes. We have a much more educated homebuyer now, and it’s our goal to stay ahead of them in our discipline and practices.

We’re at the top of the industry because of our constant search and application of a better customer experience. In turn, we attract the cream of the crop as home inspectors in our franchisee program due to our rankings in several top publications (Pillar To Post Home Inspectors has been ranked first in category for 18 years in a row

by Entrepreneur magazine) and because they, too, are becoming more sophisticated like our customers—so for both, the due diligence is more thorough now than it’s ever been in the past, which is a good thing for everyone.

In 1999, we were the first to bring cutting-edge technology to home inspections with

electronic inspection reports printed on-site. One-third of our newest franchisees are military veterans who apply both their discipline and technology training to the home inspection process.

They made us proud serving their country and now make us proud as franchisee partners.

Pillar To Post and our nearly 600 franchisees put a big emphasis on teamwork.

It starts at training, and it plays a role in each of their independently-owned and -operated businesses. It continues through to our annual conventions where all new technologies, systems and programs are introduced, and franchisees share and offer their new ideas and experiences. The future for us will hopefully involve adding more terrific people to our family, as great people make great companies. 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®..................................................................................... 100

Ascent Real Estate, Inc........................................................... 104

American Home Shield........................................................... 100

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate... 104

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices......................................... 100

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, REALTORS®....104

Buffini & Company................................................................. 100

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty................... 104

Century 21 Real Estate LLC.................................................... 100

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS®.....104

Certified New Home Specialist ............................................. 100

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties............ 104

CINC (Commissions Inc)......................................................... 100

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties............ 104

Cole Realty Resource............................................................. 100

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties.................104

Create for the Human............................................................. 100

Calcagni Real Estate.............................................................. 104

CRS Data............................................................................... 100

CENTURY 21 Award................................................................ 105

Darryl Davis Seminars............................................................ 100

CENTURY 21 New Millennium................................................. 105

DocuSign............................................................................... 101

Coach REALTORS®................................................................. 105

Engel & Völkers...................................................................... 101

Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS®............................. 105

The Entrust Group.................................................................. 101

Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty.................................. 105

ERA Franchise Systems, LLC................................................... 101

Diane Turton, REALTORS®....................................................... 105

FCA US LLC............................................................................ 101

Fillmore Real Estate............................................................... 105

Homes & Land....................................................................... 101

First Team® Real Estate.......................................................... 105

Homes.com........................................................................... 101

GARDNER, REALTORS®........................................................... 105

HomeSmart International....................................................... 101

Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate.............................................. 105

HomeTeam Inspection Service................................................ 101

J. Rockcliff REALTORS®........................................................... 105

HSA Home Warranty............................................................... 101

Jordan Baris, Inc., REALTORS®................................................ 106

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®........................ 102

Kinlin Grover Real Estate........................................................ 106

Motto Franchising, LLC®......................................................... 102

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc................................................ 106

MoxiWorks............................................................................. 102

Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty.................... 106

National Association of REALTORS®........................................ 102

McCOLLY Real Estate.............................................................. 106

The Personal Marketing Company........................................... 102

Page Taft................................................................................ 106

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors................................................ 102

Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate.............................................. 106

Quicken Loans....................................................................... 102

Randall, REALTORS®.....................................................................106

Real Living Real Estate........................................................... 102

RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central......................................... 106

Realogy Holdings Corp........................................................... 102

RE/MAX Gateway................................................................... 106

TM

realtor.com®.......................................................................... 103 Realtors Property Resource®.................................................. 103 Realty Executives International............................................... 103 Realty ONE Group.................................................................. 103 RE/MAX, LLC.......................................................................... 103 RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network®.............................. 103 Top Producer® CRM................................................................ 103 Workman Success Systems.................................................... 103 Xpressdocs............................................................................ 103 Zillow Group........................................................................... 103 zipLogix.................................................................................. 103

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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

100 January 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 January 2019 101

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 102 January 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®.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE January 2019 103

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 manage104 January 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 January 2019 105

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 January 2019 107

ILLINOIS McCOLLY Real Estate 800 Deer Creek Dr., Schererville, IN 46375 Contact: Deborah Horton, CRP, RCC, Director of Referral/Relocation Services Tel: (800) 348-2100 ext. 206 Email: dhorton@mccolly.com • URL: www.mccolly.com Coverage Areas: Alsip, Aroma Park, Beecher, Blue Island, Bourbonnais, Bradley, Burbank, Burnham, Calumet City, Channahon, Chicago, Chicago Ridge, Clearing, Country Club Hills, Crest Hill, Crestwood, Crete, Evergreen Park, Flossmoor, Frankfort, Glenwood, Grant Park, Harvey, Hazel Crest, Hegewisch, Hickory Hills, Homewood, Kankakee, Lansing, Lemont, Lockport, Lynwood, Manteno, Matteson, Mokena, Momence, Monee, Morgan Park, Mount Greenwood, New Lenox, Oak Lawn, Orland Hills, Orland Park, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Park Forest, Peotone, Richton Park, Riverdale, Roseland, Steger, Tinley Park, University Park, Worth Offices: 18 • Associates: 450+

RE/MAX Gateway 4090B Lafayette Center Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Scott MacDonald, President Tel: (703) 652-5760 • (703) 727-6900 (Cell) Email: scottmacdonald@remax.net • URL: www.gateway2realestate.com Coverage Areas: Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland Offices: 6 • Associates: 170

MASSACHUSETTS Kinlin Grover Real Estate 4 Wianno Ave., Osterville, MA 02655 Contact: Lucy Cundiff, Director of Agent Services Tel: (508) 420-1130 Email: lcundiff@kinlingrover.com • URL: www.kinlingrover.com Coverage Areas: Southeastern Massachusetts Offices: 16 • Associates: 275

INDIANA McCOLLY Real Estate 800 Deer Creek Dr., Schererville, IN 46375 Contact: Deborah Horton, CRP, RCC, Director of Referral/Relocation Services Tel: (800) 348-2100 ext. 206 Email: dhorton@mccolly.com • URL: www.mccolly.com Coverage Areas: Beverly Shores, Cedar Lake, Chesterton, Crown Point, DeMotte, Dyer, Dune Acres, East Chicago, Gary, Griffith, Hammond, Hebron, Highland, Hobart, Kouts, La Porte, Lake Station, Lake Village, Lakes of Four Seasons, Long Beach, Lowell, Merrillville, Michiana Shores, Michigan City, Miller Beach, Morocco, Munster, Ogden Dunes, Otis, Portage, Porter, Rensselaer, Roselawn, Schererville, Schneider, St. John, Sumava Resorts, Thayer, Valparaiso, Westville, Wheatfield, Whiting, Winfield Offices: 18 • Associates: 450+

LOUISIANA GARDNER, REALTORS® 3332 N. Woodlawn Ave., Metairie, LA 70006 Contact: Nancy Harmann, Director of Relocation & Corporate Services Tel: (504) 200-5080 • (504) 402-9567 (Cell) • (800) 256-5677 (Toll Free) Email: NHarmann@GardnerRealtors.com • URL: www.GardnerRealtors.com Coverage Areas: Southeast Louisiana, including Greater New Orleans and Greater Baton Rouge, and Southern Mississippi, including the MS Gulf Coast Offering a full range of services including Residential, Commercial, Leasing, New Homes, REO, and Loss Mitigation; plus individual and corporate Relocation, Property Management and National/International Referral Network services Offices: 24 • Associates: 800

MARYLAND CENTURY 21 New Millennium 5990 Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315 Contact: Todd Hetherington, CEO • Tel: (800) 382-1101 • Fax: (703) 822-0136 Relocation Contact: Jeff Hetherington, Director of Relocation Email: move@c21nm.com • URL: www.c21nm.com Coverage Areas: Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Southern Maryland markets. Our areas of expertise range from Fortune 500 executives to specialized training in military and government relocation.

Offices: 16 • Associates: 700+ Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+

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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+

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Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty 100 Foxshire Dr., Lancaster, PA 17601 Tel: (717) 291-9101 • Fax: (717) 393-2336 Contact: Sandy Zercher Email: sandra.zercher@sothebysrealty.com • URL: www.LuskandAssociates.com Coverage Areas: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; Susquehanna Valley, Pennsylvania; South Central Pennsylvania Offices: 1 • Associates: 40

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+

RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central 701 West Market St., Perkasie, PA 18944 Contact: Tom Skiffington, Broker/Owner • Tel: (215) 453-7653 or (215) 643-3200 Email: tom@tomskiffington.com URLs: www.pahomesforsale.com • www.lehighvalleyrealestate.com Coverage Areas: Pennsylvania counties: Bucks, Berks, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Lehigh, North Hampton, and New Jersey Offices: 10 • Associates: 170

RE/MAX Gateway 4090B Lafayette Center Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Scott MacDonald, President Tel: (703) 652-5760 • (703) 727-6900 (Cell) Email: scottmacdonald@remax.net • URL: www.gateway2realestate.com Coverage Areas: Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland Offices: 6 • Associates: 170

RHODE ISLAND Randall, REALTORS® 4009 Old Post Rd., Charleston, RI 02813 Contact: Jean Fournier, Dir. of Relocation & Referral Services Tel: (401) 486-9677 Email: jfournier@randallrealtors.com • URL: www.randallrealtors.com Coverage Areas: Connecticut and Rhode Island Offices: 9 • Associates: 175

SOUTH CAROLINA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, REALTORS® 745 N. Pleasantburg Dr., Greenville, SC 29607 Contacts: Karen Taylor, Director of Relocation, (864) 678-5244, ktaylor@cdanjoyner.com, Jo Anne Conner, Network Mgr., (864) 678-5227, jconner@cdanjoyner.com, URL: www.cdanjoyner.com Brookfield GRS, SIRVA, AIReS Relocation, Graebel, MI Group Coverage Areas: Greenville, Greer, Taylors, Duncan, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Fountain Inn, Powdersville, Easley, Piedmont, Anderson Offices: 10 • Associates: 400+

TEXAS Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS® 18756 Stone Oak Pkwy., Ste. 301, San Antonio, TX 78258 Contact: Pam Poitevent, Sr. VP Relocation Services Tel: (800) 521-1408 (Toll Free) • (210) 483-7035 (Direct) Email: ppoitevent@cbharper.com • URL: www.cbharper.com Coverage Areas: San Antonio metropolitan area including New Braunfels, San Marcos, Seguin, Spring Branch, Bulverde, Canyon Lake, Schertz, Universal City, Boerne, Bandera, Kerrville and surrounding areas Offices: 8 • Associates: 350+

VIRGINIA CENTURY 21 New Millennium 5990 Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315 Contact: Todd Hetherington, CEO • Tel: (800) 382-1101 • Fax: (703) 822-0136 Relocation Contact: Jeff Hetherington, Director of Relocation Email: move@c21nm.com • URL: www.c21nm.com Providers of world class real estate services in the Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Southern Maryland markets. Our areas of expertise range from Fortune 500 executives to specialized training in military and government relocation.

Offices: 16 • Associates: 700+

110 January 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®...................................................................................14

Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) Certification..................22

American Home Shield.....................................................7

Real Estate Express...........................................................29

Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA)....50

Real Estate Webmasters..................................................27

Century 21 Real Estate LLC.............................................13

Realtors Property Resource®...........................................31

Create for the Human...................................11, 20, 82, 97

Realty ONE Group............................................................17

Darryl Davis Seminars, Inc...............................................61

RE/MAX, LLC.....................................................................10

FCA US LLC........................................................................37 Homes & Land..................................................................54

RISMedia’s Automated Content Engagement (ACE)...................................................................9, 76-77, 111

HomeSmart International................................................21

RISMedia’s Content Solutions.........................................64

HSA Home Warranty................................................................ 1

RISMedia’s Newsmakers....................................................5

Lamacchia Realty................................................ IFC, IBC, BC

RISMedia’s Real Estate CEO Exchange.........................19

National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP)®..................................................66

RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network®...............80, 98

National Association of REALTORS ............................8, 25

Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc.................................38

The Personal Marketing Company..........................48, 70

Women in the Housing and Real Estate Ecosystem NAWRB...............................................................................40

®

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors...........................................2

Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting...................45, 56

Workman Success Systems........................................75, 79

RISMedia’s Automated Content Engagement

We write it. We post it. You take all the credit.

Learn more at ace.rismedia.com

{re: Real Estate} 5 Ways to Expand Your Skills in 2019

I

t’s a new year, and now is an ideal time to invest in yourself. Take time to explore educational opportunities and expand your existing knowledge in

a specialized area of real estate.

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and its affiliated organizations offer numerous programs and courses to gain skills to help yourself and your business thrive this year. Here’s a sampling for your consideration as we kick off 2019: Military Relocations When military staff and their families relocate, a real estate professional who understands their needs and timetables can make the transfer simpler, faster and less stressful. By earning the Military Relocation Professional (MRP) certification, you’ll gain an understanding of the processes and procedures of a military relocation, and how these policies impact housing choices.

The training also explores military benefits, such as VA financing, so you can help both current and former military service members take full advantage of the benefits they’ve earned. As an added benefit, you also have the opportunity to capture more business with expertise in this niche market.

Learn more at nar.realtor/education/designationsand-certifications/mrp.

Serving Seniors Baby boomers represent the largest and wealthiest group of homebuyers and sellers in the U.S. today. Because they often face unique real estate needs, they tend to gravitate toward agents who offer specialized knowledge and solutions beyond the “typical” real estate professional.

The Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) designation helps you build vital skills and understand what motivates this growing market. Over two days of training, learn how to counsel clients through selling their family home, buying rental property and moving to a senior community, plus many other related issues such as the implications of tax laws, probate and estate planning.

Learn more at nar.realtor/designations-and-certifications/sres.

Green and Sustainable Real Estate Resource-efficient homes offer unique features that should be marketed differently than traditional homes.

112 January 2019 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

However, specialized training is required to understand and leverage those features.

NAR’s Green Designation teaches real estate professionals how to build business and gain a competitive edge by helping clients make informed choices about the resource efficiency and performance of the homes they live in, sell and buy.

It’s a two-day training program, with one day devoted to resource-efficient homes (retrofits, remodels, renovations and new-home construction) and another day for understanding how to represent buyers and sellers in the purchase or sale of a resource-efficient home.

Learn more at nar.realtor/education/designationsand-certifications/green.

Global Real Estate Foreign buyers spent over $200 billion in U.S. real estate last year, proving that global real estate is more than a niche—it’s a mindset that paves the way to both residential and commercial opportunities in every market.

Whether you’re getting started in global business or looking to expand your network, there are several excellent ways to “go global.” Start by joining a Global Business Council at your state or local association.

For comprehensive instruction on the many important nuances of global real estate and access to powerful business-building resources, earn the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation, a five-day course.

Learn more at nar.realtor/global.

Commercial Real Estate Buying, selling and leasing commercial real estate is extremely complex and differs from residential real estate. As a result, if you’d like to expand your business into commercial properties, you’ll need to invest considerable time and effort toward professional development. The best place to start is by exploring the coursework, online classes and conferences offered by the five commercial Institutes, Societies and Councils affiliated with NAR: the CCIM Institute, the Institute of Real Estate Management, the REALTORS® Land Institute, the Counselors of Real Estate and the Society of Industrial and Office REALTORS®.

To explore options for gaining the knowledge and skills required to help investors and business owners with their commercial real estate needs, visit nar.realtor/commercial/courses-designations-and-events. RE

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TRAINING LEADS SERVICES SUPPORT