Real Estate Magazine - Inside Real Estate - June 2022

Real Estate Relationship Building in the Digital Age

NextHome CEO discusses how an emphasis on human connection drives tech-adoption strategy - Page 44

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Happening This Month @RISMEDIA INSIDE THE COVER Prem Luthra has a long history of launching successful real estate technology, and he’s done it once again with Elm Street. In this month’s cover story, beginning on page 38, find out how he and his team have built an all-inclusive, peoplefirst platform that is changing the game for real estate pros.

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TUNE IN

Don’t miss the latest episode of RISMedia’s RealEdge podcast where we talk to CENTURY 21 Judge Fite successor, Eric Fite. You won’t want to miss Fite’s strategies for evolving a generational firm for the future at rismedia.com/podcasts.

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RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 3

CONTENTS June 2022/Vol. 38, No. 6

ON THE COVER 44 Real Estate Relationship Building in the Digital Age

A Conversation With NextHome CEO on How Human Connection Drives Tech-Adoption Strategy

NextHome’s Humans Over Houses mantra has catapulted the franchisor to record-setting growth. The company added 135 offices between 2019 and 2021, making it No. 1 in office growth in the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2021 Residential Franchise Report. In 2022, Franchise Business Review ranked NextHome the No. 1 franchise in owner satisfaction across all industries. In this month’s cover story, NextHome CEO James Dwiggins shares with us where NextHome stands today, and where the company is headed as technology becomes an even greater factor in real estate relationship building.

21

HIGHLIGHTS 38 Reimagining Real Estate

Technology

Elm Street is changing the tech game by flipping the narrative and putting people first.

48 I t Takes a ‘Vyllage’ to Foster a

Culture of Success

This month, learn about Vylla Home’s belief in the importance of maintaining a culture that inspires, recognizes and supports its agents.

54 T raining Strategies and Best

Practices to Rise Above the Crowd Here, Rocket Mortgage’s Mackenzie Moug discusses strengthening the professional bond between agents and their clients.

58

64 W inning With Culture

In this exclusive feature, JBGoodwin REALTORS® discusses the importance of fostering a strong company culture.

HEADLINERS 11 Marketwatch 12 N AR Power Broker Roundtable: Exclusive Listings: Is There an Upside?

14 W omen in Real Estate: Real Estate Influencer Goes Viral on TikTok

17 M eet the Newsmakers: Industry Leaders Go Green

21 P olicy & Legal Matters: NAR Secures Courtroom Victory in Leeder Case

4 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

BROKER STRATEGIES 76 D ean A. deTonnancourt,

48

HomeSmart Professionals Real Estate

77 C arol Drake and Rick

Rogers, United Real Estate Houston; Texas United Realty

TEAM TALK 80 P ower Team Profile – Giving Back: A Priority for Florida Team

22 C RD Connect: Marketing by Generation: Your Shortcut to a Targeted Marketing Strategy

27 B roker Perspectives: Paul G. Yorkis

COACHING 29 T he Experts at McKissock

Learning – How Professional Development Helps Agents Earn More

30 S herri Johnson – 6

Accountability Strategies to Improve Agent Productivity

31 D arryl Davis – Prospecting With an Abundance Mindset

32 T erri Murphy – Secrets to Getting More Inventory Fast

BUSINESS BUILDERS 34 A merican Home Shield®:

Offering Support and Confidence With a Home Warranty

35 B uffini & Company: Investing in Yourself and Your Business

36 C urbio: Home Improvement Redefined

37 R ocket Mortgage: Service That Keeps Your Business Growing

50 F amily Values Anchor

Gibson Sotheby’s Success 57 R eal Estate Webmasters Makes a Big Investment in Customer Success 58 R eexamining the Conversation Surrounding Unconscious Bias and Discrimination in Real Estate 62 G lobal Spotlight: Indulge in Tasmania’s Island State of Mind

83 V erl Workman – Setting

Boundaries to Achieve Success, Professionally and Personally

EVERY ISSUE 3 Happening This Month @RISMedia

7 From the Publisher 18 Great Spaces 84 Service Profiles 92 Referrals

TRENDS & ISSUES 66 M ichael Minard – Is 100%

Adoption of Agent Technology Possible?

67 N ishika Green – Mindfulness

as a Strategy for Your Real Estate Business

95 Index of Advertisers

96 RE: Real Estate — Championing Homeownership for All

70

68 B rien McMahon – A

Complex Market Requires More Sophisticated Tools

69 F lavio Jimenez – Committed to Serving the Hispanic Community

70 A llen Alishahi – Web 3.0: The Next Big Thing

72 V enkatesh Ganapathy –

Delivering Value Throughout Every Phase of the Homeownership Journey

73 J esse Williams – Fed Proposes

FEATURES 44 R eal Estate Relationship

Building in the Digital Age

Major Update to Fair Lending Law

74 D an Steward – How Pre-Listing Home Inspections Benefit You and Your Clients

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 5

R E A LT O R S ® COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

Technology’s Role in Our Future

T

he team and I recently returned from the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings (fondly known as NAR Midyear to us industry vets), held in a brand-new location—National Harbor, Maryland. Judging by the healthy crowd and high-energy vibe, the in-person return of this important industry event was met with great enthusiasm.

For me, the most impressive part of the event was the various conversations taking place. During our annual Power Broker Forum, for example, four of our industry’s most dynamic brokers convened to discuss the strategies they’re deploying to thrive in this changing marketplace. I extend my sincere appreciation to Carol Bulman, Kymber Menkiti, Todd Hetherington and Christina Pappas for sharing so generously and candidly (find the full recap at rismedia.com).

One of the other crucial topics brought to the forefront was the mounting impact of emerging technology. From blockchain and NFTs moving real estate toward a “DeFi” (decentralized finance) environment to the industry’s growing dependence on AI, experts highlighted the technology that will facilitate real estate success in the future.

Prem Luthra is someone who has long understood the symbiotic relationship between technology and real estate success. With several tech start-ups under his belt, Prem has now brought his expertise to Elm Street, where he and his team have developed a platform that streamlines technology for real estate professionals. As he says, “We want to become an easy button for real estate professionals as it relates to technology and marketing services.” Meet the Elm Street team and learn about their mission starting on page 38.

“In order to garner additional followers, you have to provide people with content—that’s where ACESocial comes into play for me.”

Janice Bradford

Real Estate Agent, Keller Williams Home Town Realty

Simplify Your Social Media Strategy RISMedia’s ACESocial is here to help you grow your real estate brand with exclusive content automatically posted across your social media accounts every day! Engage and resonate with your audience with an affordable and simple social media strategy.

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• Let your friends and followers know who you are with customized branded landing pages that include your logo, headshot, URL and more.

To gain deeper insights into the tech realm, RISMedia Premier Members will want to explore our latest Premier Exclusive Report—Emerging Tech in Real Estate—available later this month. An exclusive benefit for Premier members, this is the third in our series of monthly reports. Learn more at rismedia.com/premier.

• Automatically deliver exclusive consumerfocused real estate and lifestyle content, including articles, infographics and professionally produced videos, to your Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Instagram coming soon!

On a final note, don’t miss the chance to nominate an agent for RISMedia’s inaugural Real Estate Rookie of the Year award. Our new annual award, sponsored by Colibri Real Estate, honors new-to-the-business agents who are achieving extraordinary results. Find out more and nominate a deserving candidate (or several!) at rismedia.com/rookie-faqs.

Nominations close June 27.

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Wishing you continued success,

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CEO & Publisher John E. Featherston

EDITORIAL Executive Editor Maria Patterson Vice President, Online Editorial Beth McGuire Managing Editor Paige Tepping Content Director Caysey Welton Content Editor Paige Brown Associate Online Editors Jordan Grice; Jesse Williams Online News Editor Tyler Margid Associate Editor Joey Macari Contributing Editors Lesley Grand; John Voket; Barbara Pronin; Keith Loria; Andrew King

CREATIVE SERVICES & MARKETING Senior Vice President Kelli McKenna Marketing Director Philip Lodato Email Marketing Specialist Brit Owen Production Manager Susanne Dwyer Associate Designer Janet Yung-Balbin Video Content Specialist Aidan Whalen Digital Content Specialists Liz Ruggiero; Paschal Chukwu

CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT Senior Vice President Jay Featherston

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Chief Information Officer Edward T. Kingston Senior Software Engineer Kal Salim Web Designer Kevin Kirwan Web Developers Hema Yemmireddy; Firas Abbas Director, Client Solutions Peter Di Salvo Information Technology Manager James Jones

CLIENT SERVICES & EVENTS MANAGEMENT Vice President, Client Experience Brett Johnson Director, Client Services & Events Darcy Sledge Client Services Representative Kristen Schlesinger

SALES Senior Vice Presidents Kara T. Stripay; Anne Kraft Director, Business Development Colleen Featherston

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PUBLICATIONS & SERVICES Real Estate magazine Annual Power Broker Report & Survey ACESocial (Automated Content Engagement) www.rismedia.com (Daily News) blog.rismedia.com (Housecall) RISMedia’s Real Estate CEO & Leadership Exchange Power Broker Forum, Reception & Dinner Real Estate Newsmakers Reception & Dinner Real Estate’s Rocking in the New Year Copyright® 2022 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.

“ACESocial helps me get some relevant content on my page very quickly, for an inexpensive price.”

Lee Goldstein

Broker/Owner, InTrust Realty Inc.

Simplify Your Social Media Strategy Grow your real estate brand with exclusive content automatically posted across your social media accounts every day! Engage and resonate with your audience with an affordable and simple social media strategy.

With ACESocial, you can…

• Let your friends and followers know who you are with customized branded landing pages that include your logo, headshot, URL and more.

• Automatically deliver exclusive consumerfocused real estate and lifestyle content, including articles, infographics and professionally produced videos, to your Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

• Showcase your MLS listings on your branded landing pages, complete with lead generation form.

• Measure your results, including engagement and impressions, with metrics and reporting tools.

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MARKETWATCH

RISING RENT

Rent prices continue to climb nationally, but have spiked in Florida. Q1 2022 rents in Naples, up 39% from pre-pandemic levels, represent the steepest climb in the U.S. Source: The Washington Post

PENDING HOME SALES

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, the Pending Home Sales Index saw a 1.2% drop to 103.7 in March.

Contract signings increased in the Northeast, but fell in the other three regions of the U.S. All regions reported decreases in year-overyear contract activity, continuing a five-month decline.

GROWING MARKETS

VACANCY RATES

The Urban Land Institute ranked the 20 fastest-growing U.S. real estate markets, with Nashville, Raleigh/Durham and Phoenix standing as the top three.

Vermont, Maine and Alaska have the highest vacancy rates at 22.86%, 22.68% and 20.51%, respectively. This translates to more than 315,000 unoccupied houses across the three states. Oregon, Washington and Connecticut have the lowest vacancy rates at 7.76%, 7.87% and 8.09%.

Source: LendingTree RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 11

NAR POWER BROKER ROUNDTABLE

Exclusive Listings: Is There an Upside?

Chris Kelly, President & CEO, Ebby Halliday Companies, North Texas; Broker Relations Liaison, the National Association of REALTORS®: Controversial at the very least, property listings held as exclusive often evoke a visceral response, both from those who condemn them as “never appropriate” and those who reason that they have a place in the scheme of all things real estate. In today’s prolonged low-inventory market, with prices soaring and competition keen, the issue merits examination. Do exclusive listings benefit anyone? And what are the downsides in the view of broker professionals committed to ethical business? We’ve invited a panel with long-term tenure and a willingness to speak their minds. Rosey, can you start us off?

Rosey Koberlein, Chairperson, Long Realty, Tucson, Arizona: I suppose you could make a case for keeping a listing exclusive if that is what the seller demands—celebrity sellers with custom properties who don’t want to open up to looky-loos. An off-market listing must always be the seller’s decision, because, as any right-thinking agent will tell you, the more eyes that are on a property, the more offers, and the better the price it will command.

DeAnn Golden, Senior Vice President, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties, Atlanta, Georgia: I respect the privacy issue, and under unique conditions like this, we will respect what the sellers need for this property—so long as that seller has been fully informed of exactly what “exclusive” means and what the consequences may be, and that we follow MLS and other legal guidelines. But the MLS is the bedrock of our industry, and as purveyors of the American Dream, we owe it to buyers and sellers and to each other as agents to cooperate and share the pool of available properties to all.

Mike Burns, Broker/Owner, RE/MAX Professionals, Denver, Colorado: I’ll go further than that. I think so-called “pocket listings” are the single biggest threat to this industry. They threaten the core of what keeps us in business, and any seller who chooses to go exclusive is the victim of poor advice. Especially today, with listings hard to come by, exclusives not only cheat consumers, they damage credibility among agents.

12 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Shad Bogany, Team Leader, Shad Bogany Team, Better Homes and Gardens Gary Greene Real Estate, Houston, Texas: There’s another, maybe unintended consequence of keeping a listing exclusive, and that’s maybe a not-so-blatant attempt to keep out a certain segment of buyers—and that’s a practice that flies in the face of fair housing. I can’t even buy the celebrity seller angle because the truth is, most celebrities have their homes in a trust or held by some corporate entity. Even in the most exclusive areas, buyers go in to look at a house—they don’t know it belongs to Oprah or Denzel or Joe Schmoe. All they know is that it does or does not suit their needs, but they can never make an offer if they haven’t seen it.

CK: So, the problem is abuse of the system, one way or another, if I’m hearing you right. Consumers don’t get the full picture of what’s available, agents lose professional credibility with each other and sellers may be missing out on potential offers.

MB: Transparency is key. If we believe in the rule of supply and demand—that the more eyes on the property, the better the value—then there is no place for exclusive listings, ever.

SB: It’s a bad business model, and I don’t think there’s any place for it in this or any market.

DG: I second Shad’s point about the threat to fair housing. As facilitators, we know that competition is healthy and more than that, in today’s fast-moving market, we do no one any favors—not our customers or their neighbors or even our appraisers—when we withhold properties from the MLS. RK: Besides, most MLSs have rules in place regarding “coming soon” and off-market listings. If you show to one, you must be open to all.

CK: Good point.

RK: And actually, when you think about it, the whole issue may resolve itself by this summer. As rates go up, and buyers either can’t qualify or become a bit more hesitant, we could find ourselves with a bit more buildup of inventory. RE The Power Broker Roundtable is brought to you by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and Chris Kelly, NAR’s Broker Relations Liaison. Watch for this column each month, where we address broker issues, concerns and milestones.

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

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When you want to do more, Scan the QR code with your mobile device or visit RocketPro.com/RealEstate.

1 Your client’s participation in the Verified Approval program is based on an underwriter’s comprehensive analysis of their credit, income, employment status, debt, property, insurance and appraisal as well as a satisfactory title report/search. If new information materially changes the underwriting decision resulting in a denial of the credit request, if the loan fails to close for a reason outside of Rocket Mortgage’s control, or if the client no longer wants to proceed with the loan, their participation in the program will be discontinued. If the client’s eligibility in the program does not change and their mortgage loan does not close, they will receive $1,000. This offer does not apply to new purchase loans submitted to Rocket Mortgage through a mortgage broker. This offer is not valid for self-employed clients. Rocket Mortgage reserves the right to cancel this offer at any time. Acceptance of this offer constitutes the acceptance of these terms and conditions, which are subject to change at the sole discretion of Rocket Mortgage. This is not a commitment to lend. Additional conditions or exclusions may apply.

Rocket Mortgage, LLC; NMLS #3030; www.NMLSConsumerAccess.org. Equal Housing Lender. Licensed in 50 states. AL License No. MC 20979, Control No. 100152352. AR, TX: 1050 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48226-1906, (888) 474-0404; AZ: 1 N. Central Ave., Ste. 2000, Phoenix, AZ 85004, Mortgage Banker License #BK-0902939; CA: Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act; CO: Regulated by the Division of Real Estate; GA: Residential Mortgage Licensee #11704; IL: Residential Mortgage Licensee #4127 – Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation; KS: Licensed Mortgage Company MC.0025309; MA: Mortgage Lender License #ML 3030; ME: Supervised Lender License; MN: Not an offer for a rate lock agreement; MS: Licensed by the MS Dept. of Banking and Consumer Finance; NH: Licensed by the NH Banking Dept., #6743MB; NV: License #626; NJ: New Jersey – Rocket Mortgage, LLC, 1050 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48226, (888) 474-0404, Licensed by the N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance.; NY: Rocket Mortgage, LLC, 1050 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48226 Licensed Mortgage Banker-NYS Department of Financial Services; OH: MB 850076; OR: License #ML-1387; PA: Licensed by the Dept. of Banking – License #21430; RI: Licensed Lender; WA: Consumer Loan Company License CL-3030. Conditions may apply. ©2000 – 2022 Rocket Mortgage, LLC. All rights reserved. Lending services provided by Rocket Mortgage, LLC, a subsidiary of Rocket Companies, Inc. (NYSE: RKT).

Rocket Mortgage, 1050 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48226-1906

WOMEN IN REAL ESTATE

knowledge that you possess as an agent. I’ve learned that I can’t just know something, but rather, I have to be able to explain it in a very digestible way. I’ve benefited from my real estate knowledge, as well as my ability to adapt to different types of people, scenarios and situations.

Sutton

Real Estate Influencer Goes Viral on TikTok

by Joey Macari

I

n the bleak uncertainty that befell NYC during the early days of the pandemic, Madison Sutton (@thenycagent) adapted to the changing tides by riding the social media wave. After one of her videos went viral on TikTok with 1.5 million views, Sutton quickly found herself on the roster at Brown Harris Stevens, and has been at the forefront of the firm’s agency-fueled content strategy ever since.

Here, Sutton discusses how she’s navigating this desirable pipeline and the importance of creating a community, both in the field and online.

How has your career benefited from social connection?

I got 100% of my business from TikTok almost instantly. When creating videos, you find that there’s so much 14 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

What are your best tips for navigating TikTok? There are two types of mentalities behind it: an optimistic mentality and a preventative mentality. If you’re going into something with a preventative mentality, you’re posting with the mentality of, “I don’t want to get any negative feedback from this,” and when you do that, you’ll always be limiting yourself.

Alternatively, if you put a video out there with really strong, positive intentions, that is how you’ll grow. As real estate agents, we are the experts. When we go into a room, we can see everything we need to see within 15 to 30 seconds. Not only do you have to view things through the eyes of the consumer, but you also have to film that way so they can conceptualize themselves in the space as if they were viewing it in real-time. As women in the industry, we don’t get promoted based on potential—we get promoted based on results. You have to focus on which skill sets are needed to be your most authentic self.

Why is curating community content important?

Creating a neighborhood, and what I like to call “connective content,” does not only show that you’re a neighborhood expert, but it also connects you to the community. When you immerse yourself in the community, not only is it great for business as far as lead referrals, but you also learn more about your neighbors and who’s pouring their heart and soul into the community.

“As women in the industry, we don’t get promoted based on potential—we get promoted based on results.”

- Madison Sutton Real Estate Influencer, Brown Harris Stevens

What keeps you passionate?

One of my favorite things about real estate is the story. You go into a home, and you’re seeing a story.

It’s not just the little chips in the floor; it’s part of the much larger story of the people who lived there before.

It’s almost like you’re the author of someone’s new chapter. It’s an incredible experience you’re helping to curate. RE

AFFILIATE WITH A BRAND THAT

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POTENTIAL. JO I N T HE R E L EN TL E S S CENTURY21.COM © 2022 Century 21 Real Estate LLC. All rights reserved. CENTURY 21 Commercial®, the CENTURY 21 Commercial Logo, CENTURY 21® and C21® 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.

Global real estate opportunities are everywhere.

Earning the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation provides the knowledge, research, network, and tools to globalize and expand your business, whether you cater to buyers or sellers.

Start Earning Your CIPS Designation Today.

Learn more and find classes online or in the classroom at NAR.realtor/CIPS or scan the QR code to the left.

Reach out to us at CIPS@nar.realtor.

MEET THE NEWSMAKERS

Industry Leaders Go Green

W

By RISMedia Staff

hen it comes to making a global impact through generous works of environmental stewardship, RISMedia’s 2022 Real Estate Newsmakers are leading the charge. See how these real estate professionals are working toward a shared vision of human and planetary health and safety.

CRUSADERS Aman Daro

COO, Red Oak Realty

As the first real estate brokerage to be carbon neutral and green-certified, Daro is leading its quest to combat the global climate crisis. “Our world is facing environmental challenges that will radically alter the future for all of humanity,” he says. “The real estate industry must take a new approach and use its relationships and influence to make change happen.”

“Our world is facing environmental challenges that will radically alter the future for all of humanity.”

- AMAN DARO COO, Red Oak Realty

TRAILBLAZERS John Berkowitz

Founder and CEO, OJO Labs

Berkowitz is helping buyers understand the potential climate risks associated with properties through the company’s newly enhanced data transparency collaboration with ClimateCheck. Risk assessment scores for climate change data, in-

cluding temperature risk, flood risk, storm risk and drought risk, are fully integrated into listings that are accessible to users on OJO Labs’ search portal.

CRUSADERS Mike Ford

Chair, REALTORS® Relief Foundation Committee Coldwell Banker Heritage Homes

As climate change fuels extreme weather events nationwide, Ford tackles crisis relief efforts with both empathy and passion. As board president of the REALTORS® Relief Foundation, Ford and his team give financial and aftermath support to families affected by natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires and more.

LUMINARIES Sabine Steinbrecher

CEO/Chief Hiveologist Hiveologie (a division of Learning Library Inc.)

Steinbrecher enforces Hiveologie’s real estate elearning platform with a give-back mentality. Its Bee Better Together initiative promises a minimum of 3% of program revenue to support a real honeybee sanctuary. “Hives are undeniably thriving, nurturing, practical and critical ecosystems,” she says. “We believe the same needs to be true for our agent communities.”

CRUSADERS Luban Quiceno

CEO and Broker, Treasure Property Group

Quiceno helps his Palm Beach community thrive by leading beach cleanups throughout the year as a way to uplift Florida’s natural seascape. According to Quiceno, it is all in hopes to cultivate more eco-conscious residents and extend the brokerage’s overall mission. “To inspire people to a different life—that is what we ‘treasure.’”

Visit rismedia.com/2022-newsmakers to learn more about this year’s more than 300 Real Estate Newsmakers.

RISMedia’s Real Estate Newsmakers is brought to you by RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 17

GREAT SPACES

One-of-a-Kind Houston Penthouse Sells for $6.9 Million In this month’s edition of Great Spaces, all eyes are on Houston’s red-hot luxury market.

by Joey Macari PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS: Where: Houston, Texas Sold For: $6.9 million Features: 9,500-square-foot penthouse with six bedrooms and six bathrooms Added Appeal: 600-bottle, climatecontrolled wine room, expansive outdoor space with private pool, movie theater, golf simulator, Himalayan sauna and steam room In the vein of luxury real estate, the pulse of elevated living akin to a highrise penthouse exceeds grandeur.

Perched atop the Astoria in Houston is a full-floor residence with all the bells and whistles you’d expect in a New York City dream pad.

The 28th-floor space, situated on Post Oak Boulevard, notes a lavish

18 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

design scheme curated by awardwinning Laura U Design Collective, boasting an open floor plan, custom lighting, marble floors, chef’s kitchen and an array of lush amenities that marry the ritz and convenience of a five-star hotel with the private comforts of hearth and home.

The penthouse, which recently sold for the second-highest price in Houston’s history, was listed exclusively

by Nan and Company Properties—a digitally-driven, Christie’s International Real Estate affiliated team catering to Houston and foreign national clientele.

Nan’s President and CEO Nancy Almodovar was the exclusive listing agent for this property. RISMedia spoke with Almodovar, who revealed some of her tricks of the trade, as well as exclusive details pertaining to this one-of-a-kind penthouse.

Joey Macari: What was your objective when listing this record-setting property?

Nancy Almodovar: My goal for this property was to sell the most expensive home in the sky here in Houston.

JM: How does the sale of the Astoria Penthouse reflect the surging demands of the luxury Houston market?

NA: Because of its price point, it shows how buyers of that caliber are buying, and when they want something, they want something. They were not the first buyer interested in this property. They were actually the third to show interest in purchasing the property.

JM: How did you attract potential buyers?

NA: We found buyers for this property through our digital marketing, as we have the largest social media following for a local real estate company in Texas. It’s our digital advertising approach that helped us attract buyers.

GREAT SPACES

JM: How did you stage the home to maximize the sales price?

NA: I had a professional company stage it to make sure the furniture went with the aesthetics of the home.

In order to attain the best sales price, there was a lot of negotiation to ensure we got the right price for our seller.

JM: How did you successfully execute the transaction?

NA: A REALTOR® must follow up and review everything that is hap-

pening on a daily basis. I was able to execute this sale through persistence and keeping a very detailed to-do list and timeline of the full transaction. It was very important for me to make sure both my buyer and seller were up to date on the next steps throughout the entire process. A REALTOR® must not assume, but rather, make sure to educate the buyer and seller on the process, ensuring that they stay informed each step of the way. Through my expertise as a luxury Houston REALTOR®, digital

marketing strategies and negotiation skills—this was a successful sale.

JM: What makes this a “Great Space?”

NA: Having 10,000 square feet of living space in the sky with 360degree views of Houston and 1,500 square feet of outdoor balcony space. RE For more information, please visit www.nanproperties.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 19

POLICY & LEGAL MATTERS

NAR Secures Courtroom Victory in Leeder Case

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By Jordan Grice he National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) can put at least one of its commission-related lawsuits in the rearview mirror.

The U.S. District Court for Northern Illinois ordered to dismiss the Leeder v.

The National Association of Realtors et al. antitrust case on May 2 after more than a year of both sides duking it out in court.

“Although other district courts have permitted indirect purchasers to proceed with their injunctive relief claims even when the direct purchasers are seeking the same relief, the Court finds those cases inapposite to the circumstances here,” wrote U.S. District Court Judge Andrea R. Wood in a memo accompanying her decision to dismiss the lawsuit.

“Moreover, in both cases allowing indirect purchasers and direct purchasers to seek injunctive relief simultaneously, the indirect purchasers remained participants in the affected market,” Wood wrote. “Leeder has already purchased his home and does not allege that he intends to purchase a new home in the future.

“It, therefore, does not appear that Leeder faces ‘a significant threat of injury from an impending violation of the antitrust laws or from a contemporary violation likely to continue or recur,’” she added.

The ruling was met with a celebration by NAR, which claimed that it was pleased with Judge Andrea R. Wood’s decision to lay the “baseless complaint” to rest.

“The pro-competitive, pro-consumer local broker marketplaces serve the best interests of buyers and sellers,” said NAR spokesperson Mantill Williams in an emailed statement. “Sellers making offers of compensation to buyer brokers gives first-time, low/middle-income and all homebuyers a better shot at affording a home and professional representation to navigate this critical purchase.”

The lawsuit took issue with a longstanding MLS policy called the Par-

ticipation Rule—also known as the “Buyer Broker Commission Rule”— which mandates that brokers list buyer agent compensation as a prerequisite to listing a property on certain multiple listing services.

The plaintiff, Judah Leeder, bought a home listed on a local MLS with the help of an agent and alleged that the policy was anti-competitive and led to “artificially inflated, supracompetitive commission rates being incorporated into purchase prices for homes.”

The case also named Realogy Holdings Corp., HomeServices of America, Inc., HSF Affiliates, LLC, Long & Foster Companies, Inc., BHH Affiliates, LLC, RE/MAX LLC, and Keller Williams Realty, Inc. as defendants.

The lawsuit claimed that the companies “engaged in a conspiracy” that violated the Sherman Act. Leeder’s case is similar to a pair of antitrust lawsuits challenging the same MLS rule—Moehrl v. The National Association of Realtors and Sitzer et al. v. National Association of Realtors et al.—but both cases argue that the rule directly harmed the home sellers.

While Wood ruled in favor of NAR in the Leeder case, she also appeared to agree with the notion that sellers were at risk by the alleged violations in her memo.

“The Court agrees that home sellers, as the direct purchasers of buyer-broker services, are necessarily more directly injured by Defendants’ alleged antitrust violations,” Wood wrote. RE

Jordan Grice is an associate online editor at RISMedia. Email your real estate news ideas to him at jgrice@rismedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 21

CRD CONNECT

To start, consider the following areas of your business: •Marketing messaging. Consumers at different life stages have different motivations for buying or selling a home. What might be motivating them to make a move? Some are taking the first step from renting to owning; others need more space for a growing family or are moving because of a job change. Still others are moving for health reasons or to be closer to family. Use these primary motivations to inform your messaging.

Marketing by Generation: Your Shortcut to a Targeted Marketing Strategy

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By Jennifer Rzeszewski

he most effective marketing depends on the right messaging at the right time. So how do you ensure that your marketing is resonating with and reaching your prospective clients? Without an intentional marketing strategy, it can sometimes feel like you’re throwing the proverbial spaghetti against the wall, hoping for something to stick. Thankfully, there’s an easier, more efficient way to formulate strategic marketing messages: Start by considering the prospect’s current life stage and the characteristics of their generation.

Of course, there’s no one-size-fitsall approach; clients’ preferences, expectations and needs are as varied as the houses available for sale. However, by understanding the attributes that generally define a generation, you can develop a marketing strategy that appeals directly to them at their current stage of life. Here are two resources that can help you gain insight into these generational characteristics: •Buyers By Generation: Success in Every Segment – A recently updated REBAC elective course that provides an overview of the four 22 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

largest home-buying groups and generalized insights into their motivations, behaviors and preferences.

More info on the course can be found at learning.realtor.

•2021 Generational Trends Report – A yearly National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) report using data from the Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers to track differences and similarities across generations of buyers and sellers. Learn more at nar.realtor.

The knowledge gained from these resources can serve as a lens to evaluate your marketing activities.

•Advertising. Where do you advertise your business and your listings? Will Facebook ads or billboards be more effective in reaching first-time homebuyers in your area? How about retirees?

•PR and events. Brainstorm types of PR activities that will put you in front of consumers who are likely to move soon. What types of events will appeal to millennials vs. boomers?

•Relationship building. Which generations are represented in your sphere of influence, and how are you staying in touch with them?

Consider adding or augmenting a type of outreach if it helps you connect more easily with a group of your clients (i.e., increasing your time spent connecting on social media or doing more pop-bys).

Analyzing your business in this way allows you to craft targeted marketing messages that are more likely to reach your prospective clients and win you new business. RE Jennifer Rzeszewski is the vice president of Member Development and the executive director of the Center for REALTOR® Development (CRD), NAR’s home for exceptional education. Learn more about CRD at crd.realtor.

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BROKER PERSPECTIVES the planning board, the conservation commission and the economic environmental board, so it was an easy transition.

Over the past year, what challenges has the Massachusetts market faced?

PY: There’s such a scarce amount of inventory. I advise [my clients] when they’re considering purchasing a home to not waive a home inspection, because what you see is not always what you get. A lot of clients take that advice, and unfortunately, some have not been successful in making the purchase. It’s been frustrating, especially for first-time homebuyers.

An Educator’s Approach to Success

A

by Keith Loria

fter working in higher education, Paul G. Yorkis earned his real estate license in 1991. He then founded Patriot Real Estate, which is based in Medway, Massachusetts.

Instrumental in the growth of Medway, Yorkis authored a trio of grants to fund Medway’s acquisition of a farm, which is now known as Idyllbrook Park. He also helped bring a commuter shuttle bus service from Medway to the Norfolk train station.

Building on his past career, Yorkis is also a certified real estate instructor.

He has developed three courses that are now part of the approved continuing education curriculum for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

In what ways did your career in higher education prepare you for your transition to real estate?

Paul Yorkis: When I worked in higher education, I was responsible for campus planning, permitting and hiring architects. I had been a member of

“A lot of our business is referral—people who have been incredibly happy with the representation we’ve provided them.”

-Paul G. Yorkis, Founder, Patriot Real Estate

What makes Patriot Real Estate unique?

PY: In addition to being a small firm, we only represent buyers or sellers in a transaction. We don’t ever do dual agency. We work together as a team so that if someone isn’t available, but a client needs something, they don’t fall between the cracks. As the owner of the firm, I make myself available to my agents 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to answer any questions they may have as far as how to best represent a client.

What’s the secret to bringing in new business?

PY: A lot of our business is referral— people who have been incredibly happy with the representation we’ve provided them. I also have my con-

VITALS:

Patriot Real Estate Years in business: 31 Size: 1 office, 4 agents Coverage Area: Metrowest Boston www.patriotrealestate.com

struction supervisors get licensed in Massachusetts. This ensures that the builders I work with understand that I’m aware of any new construction, and if an issue comes up, I am capable of representing them and handling negotiations.

Please describe some of the advantages of going with a smaller firm.

PY: Not only does the consumer get to know the agent, but they also know that they won’t get lost in the shuffle like they might with a larger firm. And [because they know] that we will only represent their side in the transaction, it helps them understand that we are with them—and that our loyalty and responsibility to them is paramount.

What is your outlook for the remainder of 2022?

PY: I think it’s going to be a year where sellers will have the advantage.

I think interest rates will increase, but they will continue to be pretty modest.

There’s a desire to create more housing here in Massachusetts, but that’s a challenging process because there are so many steps and so many approvals needed. One of my biggest pieces of advice is if you find the right home—and you’re planning to be in that home for five to seven years— you might as well buy now because there’s not going to be a substantial change in inventory. RE

Power Broker Perspectives is brought to you by RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 27

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COACHING with the information they need to adjust their business practices and stay on the cutting edge of the industry.

How Professional Development Helps Agents Earn More

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By the Experts at McKissock Learning

hile most real estate professionals are great at investing in high-quality marketing materials, a good CRM and other real estate-related tools, there is one area that tends to be overlooked, resulting in potentially thousands of dollars left on the table.

In late 2021, McKissock Learning conducted a survey that found that real estate professionals who invest in professional development earn approximately $72,000 more annually than those who don’t. Considering the median amount spent on professional development for real estate agents is $680 a year, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2019 Member Profile, that’s an impressive return on investment.

In other words, agents who make an effort to invest in themselves through professional development have more opportunities to increase their earning potential and grow their business. The following outlines how investment in professional development directly contributes to a higher annual income.

Professional Development Helps You Stand Out From the Competition The key to standing out in the competitive real estate industry is strategically marketing your niche to potential clients, rather than appealing to every sector. Clients often appreciate working with agents who have tremendous experience with the type of property they would like to buy or sell.

The same survey by McKissock Learning found that the luxury real estate markets offer one of the most lucrative niches, with agents earning, on average, $183,000 each year.

Other profitable specialties in the industry include eco-friendly properties and foreign or international investments. The ability to adapt to emerging specializations provides agents

Professional Development Helps You Stay Ahead With Current Industry Trends and News Real estate agents have learned that unpredictable events and trends can change the industry at a moment’s notice. In 2019, no one predicted the global changes COVID would bring with it, specifically in the real estate market. This further demonstrates the importance of remaining both adaptable and flexible in business practices.

Real estate professionals who invest in professional development earn approximately $72,000 more annually than those who don’t.

Remaining up to date with the latest industry news is a great way to predict new trends and changes in the industry’s direction. As the industry continues to evolve, McKissock Learning provides the professional development tools you need to help you excel in your field and connect with like-minded professionals.

To access the full Income Report, visit McKissock.com/income. RE As part of the Colibri Real Estate family of premier education brands, McKissock Learning helps hundreds of thousands of real estate professionals each year achieve sustainable success throughout each stage of their career via continuing education and professional development courses.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 29

COACHING its that include generating future success. The most important activity is creating new business for themselves, so help them realize what a productive day looks like.

Help your agents maximize their “sales hours” by setting up daily habits that include generating future success.

6 Accountability Tactics to Improve Agent Productivity

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By Sherri Johnson

eal estate leaders are constantly looking for ways to help their agents increase their sales efforts to list, sell and convert more, but many are still coming up short. If you have agents in your office who are interested in growing their business and income—or agents whose performance levels are less than average—implementing accountability action plans will set the stage for increased results and performance turnaround.

Accountability should be a positive reinforcement, not a negative one.

Leaders often hire agents and think they are just going to “know what to do every day” to create success, but this is not the case. In fact, most agents perform better when they know the expectations and are held accountable to them.

Here are six of my best accountability tactics:

1

Have a written business plan. Knowing your agent’s “why” will help you motivate and inspire them while reminding them of what they are driven to achieve.

When goals are written down, they are more likely to be achieved, so make sure your agents have a writ-

30 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

ten business plan with monthly and weekly goals.

2

Set weekly goals for listing appointments. Every agent should have a listing appointment goal each week. They need to hit this number, and it needs to be more than one. How many listing appointments are in your calendar for next week?

How many calls do you have to make to meet or exceed that goal? This one accountability measure will close the gap between setting arbitrary goals and actual goal achievement.

3

Time-block the day with lead generation activities.

Help your agents maximize their “sales hours” by setting up daily hab-

4

Track calls, appointments and results. Have your agents track all their calls, conversions, appointments and results. We are hyper-focused on the activities that create appointments and make sales happen, and tracking systems and worksheets are an important part of the process.

5

Report results daily and weekly. What is tracked, measured and reported to another human being will create even more results.

Seeing an agent’s call log of activity will help hold them accountable to the goals they set.

6

Rinse and repeat. Getting this system into a repeatable way of life will help your agents gain the discipline to ensure that lead generation is always a top priority. Help your agents rinse and repeat accountability tasks, and you will see dramatic results. RE Sherri Johnson is CEO and founder of Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting. Johnson offers individual and group real estate coaching, and is a preferred coach for multiple national brokerages. She consults and speaks for many leading organizations, including RISMedia, NAR, McKissock Learning and Homes.com.

COACHING long, but you could also be wrong.

Sure, some people you prospect to might already have an agent they usually work with, but here’s the thing: They might not work with that person next time if you impress them.

Prospecting With an Abundance Mindset

By Darryl Davis

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rospecting. The very thought can create anxiety, especially when housing inventory is already low. Out of millions of agents across the country, why should they choose you?

Abundance Versus Scarcity Thinking The mind is a powerful thing; and whether you go into your prospecting with a mindset of scarcity or one of abundance, you will get whatever you expect to get. Maybe you’re thinking, “I don’t want to send out postcards to people who already have a real estate agent.” That’s coming from a scarcity mindset. Abundance thinking will lead you to think, “Even though these people have an agent, they know plenty of people who don’t.”

An Example I have an attorney that I use for almost everything, and I will recommend this person to everyone I know. However, I am currently working on a project with a different attorney because

they have the knowledge to help me, whereas my usual attorney doesn’t.

‘Shaking the Trees’ Analogy I saw a video a while back about how farmers in mango orchards collect the mangos. They place buckets on the ground under the trees before shaking the trees so that the ripe mangos fall off. They (mostly) fall into the buckets, and the rest are gathered up quickly and easily. The mangos that aren’t ripe yet don’t fall, so the farmer goes back every so often to shake the tree again, collecting those that have ripened.

Prospecting with an abundance mindset works the same way. You don’t climb a ladder and handpick each individual fruit and make your own judgment as to whether it’s ripe or not. Not only would this take too

Abundance thinking will leave you realizing that everyone is a potential client.

Analysis Paralysis Scarcity thinking also convinces you to discount potential clients before you even call. You might think, “They aren’t really in my neighborhood,” “That expired was priced too high, they won’t come down” or “They won’t want to pay my commission.”

Abundance thinking will leave you realizing that everyone is a potential client, and you will not invent reasons to avoid calling because you’ll be too busy putting yourself out there gathering all the fruit. RE

Darryl Davis has trained and coached more than 100,000 agents globally. He is a bestselling author of “How to Become a Power Agent ® in Real Estate,” which tops Amazon’s charts for most-sold book to real estate agents.

Davis hosts a weekly webinar to help agents succeed in changing times.

Visit www.DarrylSpeaks. com/Online-Training.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 31

COACHING • She asked the question, “Are you ready for a forever home?” She let clients know what a great time this is to sell with buyer demand high and interest rates still relatively low.

• One client shared that they were thinking of moving to another state and this call helped them make their decision.

• Another client shared that they were pleasantly surprised with the information and could now consider home improvements with the extra equity.

Secrets to Getting More Inventory Fast

By Terri Murphy

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hen there’s low inventory, the consequences affect the entire marketplace. It disrupts buyer and seller confidence, and creates quite the challenge when helping clients find housing. But what if you could list more inventory right now?

When a roadblock like this appears, it’s time to get creative.

When interviewing top-producing agents recently, profitable and productive strategies emerged. Here are some ideas to get you thinking in a new direction.

Look at the data. The market is low on inventory due to the 2008 housing crisis, when new construction dropped over 50% and a lag in housing options followed. Add the supply chain crunch impeding the completion of new housing inventory, along with people not moving due to the pandemic, and we have less properties on the market than in previous years. But is there a silver lining?

Yes, and it’s appreciation. The laws of supply and demand kicked in as

32 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

more properties accelerated in value. Although many homeowners are aware that their property value has increased, not all of them know by how much, or the many positive options they now have. That’s where a savvy agent can be a helping hand.

One smart agent decided to reach out to past buyers who purchased a property back in 2012. Her call script was simple: “Hi! I know it’s been a while and I’ve dropped the ball on staying in touch, but I thought you would be interested to know that your property has increased in value over X%.”

These calls quickly led to new activity to fill this agent’s pipeline: • Clients inquired about options they might not have been aware of.

• One past client was interested in buying a small investment property with the new equity level.

• Another client was reminded that they may be underinsured for the new value of their property and was encouraged to contact their provider to make sure they were covered.

Thanks to contacting her past client base, the agent procured five new listings in less than one week. Providing relevant information to her past clients made this agent stand out as a trusted advisor and helped her create listings while homeowners discovered that they had more options.

Don’t have a large database of past clients? Don’t worry. Research an area that shows high appreciation levels and start calling. Homeowners may not be aware of the formidable increase in their property values and may not have an agent who is keeping them up to date. Reach out, show homeowners what their options are, and they will help you increase your bottom line. RE Terri Murphy is a communication engagement specialist, author, TED Talk speaker, consultant and master coach with Workman Success Systems. Contact her at Terri@TerriMurphy.com.

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BUSINESS BUILDERS Unfortunately, today’s market is unbalanced, making home warranties a bit harder to negotiate within transactions. With buyers presenting offers over the listing price, it becomes, as Hamrick explains, “lost in the negotiation or lost in the dollars that end up being negotiated away between the buyer and seller.” He does, however, believe that this is even more of a reason for buyers to invest in a home warranty, especially considering the fact that more often than not, something inevitably goes wrong after the purchase.

Hamrick

Offering Support and Confidence With a Home Warranty AMERICAN HOME SHIELD® DELIVERS REAL VALUE TO BUYERS, SELLERS AND REAL ESTATE BROKERAGES

B

By Paige Brown

ob Hamrick, chairman and CEO of Coldwell Banker Premier Realty (CBPR) in Las Vegas, has spent over 40 years in the real estate industry. Throughout his career, Hamrick has experienced a range of market conditions, worked with both buyers and sellers, and learned about the true value of a home warranty.

When he and his wife, Molly, purchased CBPR in 1998, it didn’t take long to see that the brokerage’s longstanding relationship with American Home Shield (AHS) was the right fit.

According to Hamrick, home warranties offer real value for both buyers and sellers, whether it be budget protection for future issues or a negotiation tool.

“Home warranties are referenced in our listing presentation because we believe they add value, causing a seller’s home to stand out and be more competitive in the market,” explains Hamrick. “In a balanced market, where you have equilibrium between buyers and sellers, a home warranty can stand out as being the difference that would cause a buyer to purchase one home versus another.”

34 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“In a balanced market, where you have equilibrium between buyers and sellers, a home warranty can stand out as being the difference that would cause a buyer to purchase one home versus another.”

-BOB HAMRICK Chairman and CEO, Coldwell Banker Premier Realty

“If I had the opportunity to tell every single one of our buyers, I would tell them that this is potentially the reason why you should get a warranty, because you don’t want any of those surprises,” says Hamrick.

On the other hand, if sellers offer a home warranty in their listing, it can help their property stand out. Hamrick also offers his sellers the opportunity to purchase coverage from American Home Shield during the listing period, offering additional protection during this portion of the transaction process.

“This is a unique feature that we offer, providing sellers the comfort of knowing that during the time they are marketing their home, if anything goes wrong with a covered item, it has the potential to be fixed,” explains Hamrick.

As demographics, technology and preferences continue to change, so do the wants and needs of buyers and sellers. Though Hamrick credits the human connection offered by American Home Shield, he also highlights their stellar automation. And while filling out a form online may be perceived as negative, Hamrick believes the company does it right.

“That’s where the world is—online,” concludes Hamrick.

“There’s a good combination of human connection and online automation. There’s a process that, if you follow it, it’s actually pretty good, pretty smooth and pretty easy. If problems arise, there are people to talk to.” RE For more information, please visit www.ahs.com/realestate.

BUSINESS BUILDERS

McDermott

Investing in Yourself and Your Business BUFFINI & COMPANY’S 100 DAYS TO GREATNESS® LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS

By Paige Tepping

C

elebrating her sixth year in the real estate industry, Kathy McDermott—a former interior designer—understands the importance of investing in both herself and her business. “It didn’t take me long to realize that I could find success as a real estate professional, but I needed to get some systems in place,” says McDermott, who decided that she needed a coach to guide her along the way—a decision that led her directly to Buffini & Company’s One2One Coaching™ program.

A huge proponent of continuing education, and the knowledge and content that come along with it, McDermott notes that Buffini & Company was ultimately the best choice for her due to the fact that they’re a relationshipbased business.

Having experienced her best year ever in the midst of a global pandemic, McDermott credits her continued success with putting in the work and taking the action steps necessary to achieve both her personal and professional goals.

Never one to rest on her laurels, McDermott recently

kicked things up a notch with Buffini’s 100 Days to Greatness training program.

A comprehensive, step-by-step training program developed and taught by industry legend Brian Buffini, the course guides real estate professionals through proven systems to launch their real estate careers.

“Developed by those who have found success with the working by referral system, 100 Days to Greatness provides proven, real-world advice for busy REALTORS®,” says McDermott, who goes on to explain that her coach is the one who introduced her to the innovative training program.

“While it’s designed for new agents just getting into the business, it’s also great for those who are looking to polish their skills,” adds McDermott, a REALTOR® with HomeSmart Realty Group in Orland Park, Illinois.

Going through the program with four goal-oriented colleagues, McDermott notes that moving through the course together was the key to holding one another accountable while staying focused on her business and growing her knowledge.

“100 Days to Greatness reinforced our working by referral skills,” says McDermott. “And while buyer presentations are priceless, listings are where it’s at in today’s market. But you have to take the course if you want to learn the secret ingredient to listings!”

As the real estate industry continues to evolve, the powerful combination of coaching and training offered by Buffini & Company has helped McDermott set the stage for a rewarding career.

“100 Days to Greatness has helped me reinforce how to serve clients, which was critical at the height of the pandemic when it was all about making that phone call, checking in, serving the client and leading with my heart,” explains McDermott.

But it doesn’t end there. In fact, McDermott is committed to sharing her knowledge with other real estate agents, teaching them the fundamentals associated with working by referral—all of which she learned through 100 Days to Greatness.

“The system works whether you’re a brand-new or seasoned agent,” says McDermott, who encourages those who may not be taking advantage of the 100 Days to Greatness training program to invest in both themselves and their businesses.

“Take that little bit of money and invest your time in your business and yourself,” concludes McDermott. “The system works, and if you do the work, you’ll get the results.”

RE To learn more about how 100 Days to Greatness helped McDermott expand her business, watch her full story at www.buffiniandcompany.com/kathym.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 35

BUSINESS BUILDERS Other concierge services require the listing agent to source contractors and oversee the work, something that Lyon wasn’t interested in. While Lyon agents will provide guidance on which repairs will bring the most value at the selling table, with Curbio, they are not responsible for overseeing the construction process.

Lyon agents are looking forward to having access to Curbio’s stable of ready-to-go contractors.

“The bottom line is that homeowners aren’t renovating for themselves. They’re renovating for the tastes of today’s homebuyer, which Curbio understands.”

Harrington

Home Improvement Redefined CURBIO POSITIONS SELLERS TO FURTHER MAXIMIZE PROFITS IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET

A

By John Voket

fter only a few weeks since the team at Lyon Real Estate cemented a relationship with Curbio, it’s safe to say that the partnership is off to a fantastic start, with several projects underway. The firm’s CEO, Pat Shea, and Vice President of Marketing, Cathy Harrington, are pleased with the decision to bring Curbio on as their official concierge provider.

“Buyers want move-in ready homes and are willing to pay more for them,” says Harrington. “We launched this service so that our clients feel at ease from start to finish throughout the listing process and maximize their value when they sell.”

With most homes selling at or above listing price in the greater Sacramento market, the brokerage’s 800 agents now have the opportunity to connect sellers who want to further maximize profits with Curbio.

On track to launch a concierge service in 2022, Harrington and Shea had a few prospects in mind, but Curbio was the only contender with a national track record and a pay-when-you-close program that didn’t involve a loan.

“A lot of concierge services involve securing a loan, but when you’re in the middle of selling your house, and possibly buying another, you might not want to apply for a loan,” says Harrington.

36 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

-CATHY HARRINGTON Vice President of Marketing, Lyon Real Estate

“The last few years have resulted in record home improvement projects, which can make it difficult to find and retain contractors,” notes Harrington.

Another strong selling point was Curbio’s ability to obtain and warehouse things like building materials, HVAC components and appliances. In many cases, this will help supply chain lags that are holding up work on properties otherwise ready to list.

Within a month of bringing Curbio onboard, there are already two improvement projects in the mix—and several more in the process of ramping up. Clocking in between $3,000 and $4,000, the first project involves caulking, trim work, painting and carpet installation, which is going to add at least $10,000 to the selling price. The second project, which is a bit more involved with an estimated $7,000 of work, is expected to tack on $15,000 for the seller at closing.

Harrington is also utilizing Curbio’s mobile app to monitor projects and ensure the work stays on track, a feature she finds valuable.

“The bottom line is that homeowners aren’t renovating for themselves,” says Harrington. “They’re renovating for the tastes of today’s homebuyer, which Curbio understands. We believe this will maximize the return, and brings with it the added benefit of no payment until close.

“The idea that an agent can use this as a listing tool in order to get a leg up in a conversation with a homeowner who knows they need work done but never thought there was an option like this is generating more excitement than any other vendor partnership in memory because of how practical it is,” concludes Harrington. RE For more information, please visit https://curbio.com.

BUSINESS BUILDERS Since partnering with Rocket Mortgage, Mitchell says that excellent communication and a seamless process have helped her increase sales volume and expand her team.

“There is no limit to success when it comes to working with Rocket Mortgage.”

-MONIQUE MITCHELL Agent, eXp Realty of California

Mitchell

Service That Keeps Your Business Growing ROCKET MORTGAGE® HELPS EXP AGENT HIT SALES MILESTONE IN 2021

By Jordan Grice

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ever underestimate the power of solid relationships when building a business. At least that’s an ethos that Monique Mitchell, an agent with eXp Realty of California, has run her business on since starting her career.

“I’m not one to chase sales volume,” says Mitchell. “When you have systems in place and good relationships with people and your clients, that will come.”

Last year was a prime example of this very notion for Mitchell, who tallied $16 million in sales volume—admittedly her highest-grossing year.

“It was a wonderful year, but I know it’s because of the people I have working with me, and I attribute that to Rocket Mortgage,” she says.

While Mitchell’s partnership with Rocket Mortgage began five years ago, she says that she was familiar with the company’s product offerings well before that, thanks to her time spent as a notary agent.

“They were always streamlined and easy for my clients to sign and complete,” she says.

Mitchell was impressed with the level of communication and ease of the process, which ultimately sowed the seeds for a longstanding relationship that has helped her business blossom over the years.

“I have six people on my team now, and I’ve been able to grow and connect them to Rocket Mortgage’s products,” she says.

Mitchell has leveraged Rocket ProSM Insight to simplify the mortgage process for her clients from start to finish, while also monitoring their progress. She says the portal has helped her mitigate any hurdles and hang-ups that could slow the process down for her clients during a transaction.

Even as Mitchell recovered from a serious surgery last year, she notes that her business didn’t skip a beat, thanks largely to her team at Rocket Mortgage, who helped keep the transaction process moving smoothly.

“It wasn’t stressful for me because everything is facilitated with their portal,” says Mitchell, who also praised the work of Jonathan Sawkin, a Triple Crown Rocket Pro Banker who serves as her primary contact.

“We have such great communication, and we are in sync,” says Mitchell. “That communication is gold, and I wish all lenders were like that.”

When it comes to serving her clients, Mitchell doesn’t believe in saying “no.” Instead, she admits that she tells them “not right now” while she tries to find solutions to help get people on track toward homeownership.

According to Mitchell, Sawkin and his team have allowed her to do that through flexibility and a genuine willingness to assist her clients.

“Being able to have a competitive tool in this market by having a fully verified loan from a lender that is taking the time to verify your assets and credit upfront, so you have that before you make an offer on a home, is the key to success with my clients,” says Mitchell.

Mitchell has her sights set on continued growth as far as her team and sales volume are concerned—and she points to Rocket Mortgage and its products as having an integral role in her plans.

“There is no limit to success when it comes to working with Rocket Mortgage,” concludes Mitchell. RE The above article is sponsored content. For more information, please visit RocketPro.com/RealEstate.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 37

REIMAGINING REAL ESTATE TECHNOLOGY

By Paige Tepping

Elm Street Is Changing the Tech Game by Flipping the Narrative and Putting People First Members of the executive team, photographed at Elm Street’s corporate office in Frisco, Texas. Front, seated L to R: Bondilyn Jolly, CMO; Jason Lindwall, COO; Sean McGee, CTO Back L to R: Shawn Connolly, GM, Elevate CRM; Prem Luthra, President and CEO 38 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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here’s a lot of noise in the real estate technology space today, and tech fatigue is running rampant as brokerages continue to chase the next shiny object and throw significant sums of money at tools that don’t play nicely with one another.

A bona fide problem in real estate, this tech fatigue is causing many professionals to become frustrated with the products and services available to help them succeed.

Using anywhere from 10 to 15 different technology products and/or services to accomplish the basics of their day-to-day routine, there’s no denying that brokers and agents are spending too much time, energy and money managing technology vendors, when their time could be better spent helping clients achieve the American Dream of homeownership.

On a mission to streamline the experience from beginning to end, Elm Street is doubling down on its commitment to cut through the clutter.

Holding true to its vision to provide real estate professionals one centralized dataset, one login and one intuitive dashboard to manage the best-in-class products and services that help organize and prioritize the day-to-day—all while facilitating human connection—Elm Street is reimagining real estate technology as we know it.

ALL ROADS LEAD TO ELM STREET Elm Street was founded to provide the real estate sector and beyond with a creative, thoughtful technology toolset designed to help professionals initiate conversations and foster business relationships.

Committed to providing the science, technology and thought-leadership to help clients proactively respond to the immediate and longterm needs of their audience, President and CEO Prem Luthra’s experiences ultimately paved the way to the creation of Elm Street.

“We want to become an easy button for real estate professionals as it relates to technology and marketing services,” says Luthra. “It’s about making sure that the applications we offer a la carte—or as a bundled solution—are the best that they can be.”

“We’re not in the technology business. We’re in the business of helping people fulfill the American Dream of homeownership.”

- Prem Luthra President and CEO, Elm Street

And, more importantly, they must work for the customer.

“Real estate brokerages are collectively spending upwards of $30 billion a year on tools to make their business more successful, productive and efficient,” says Luthra. “But more often than not, the products aren’t integrated together, and real estate professionals find themselves trying to navigate multiple data entry points, each with its own login credentials.”

Servicing an ever-expanding client base of real estate, mortgage and lending professionals, MLSs, associations and technology partners, Elm Street has grown into a North American company employing hundreds of hard-working individuals who serve tens of thousands of entrepreneurs in building their busi-

nesses while assisting their clients with achieving their real estate goals through every step of the process.

“We aren’t in the technology business. We’re in the business of helping fulfill the American Dream of homeownership,” says Luthra.

“We want our customers—agents and brokers—to focus on what they do best: serving the consumer and not worrying about figuring out the tech.

By giving them something that works, we’re setting them up to be more productive, efficient and successful.”

PRIORITIZING A PEOPLE-FIRST VISION It all begins with Elm Street’s belief that real estate is a people-first business, where relationships truly matter.

In fact, Luthra and his entire leadership team genuinely care for the brokers, agents and partners they serve. Supporting the real estate process, Elm Street offers technology to organize, prioritize and facilitate human connection.

According to Bondilyn Jolly, Elm Street’s CMO, the company’s people-first vision is one of the ways in which Elm Street differentiates itself from other tech firms in the space.

“It shocks me that tech companies in the real estate space have such a bad rap,” says Jolly, who goes on to explain that at Elm Street, it’s all about putting people first, listening to the needs/challenges of their audience and providing thoughtful and meaningful tech to overcome those challenges and fulfill those needs.

“We’re flipping the perspective of how we approach the needs of our audience by listening to them and putting them first,” adds Jolly. This includes Elm Street’s staff, its clients and partners, and those that they serve.

While many companies were busy cutting personnel to stay afloat during the pandemic, Luthra and his team determined how they could go

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 39

Prem Luthra, Elm Street president and CEO. Elm Street is Luthra’s fourth start-up in the real estate space.

in and reforecast their goals and retain their staff members, supporting their people-first approach.

“We lost very little of our workforce over the past two years, which is a testament to Prem’s leadership and the vision of our people-first company,” says Jolly, underscoring the importance of placing those who make the company run above everything else.

“We need a staff that is not only aligned with this vision, but supports it as well,” says Jolly. “This translates to an audience that understands that we are there to fulfill their needs, that we have their backs and that we understand what they are trying to accomplish.”

Culture ensures that this peoplefirst vision extends across the board.

“We are big on culture, and having acquired 12 companies over the past six years, we’ve inherited a different corporate culture with each one,” explains Jolly.

“When a company comes into the

40 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Elm Street story, they’re more willing to let go of their past stories if they feel that they are truly aligned and supported within the larger story,” she adds.

Serving a variety of audiences, enforcing the value of what Elm Street is providing and making sure their partners are getting what they need is mission critical.

“We have to understand what is going on down in the trenches, as those customer-support people are our first line of defense,” says Jolly.

To that end, having support teams that specialize in understanding the needs/challenges of those particular audiences—and making sure they’re being met—is crucial when it comes to ensuring that everyone is in alignment.

PARTNER VERSUS VENDOR: THE QUEST TO DELIVER MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES Elm Street prides itself on its quest to deliver meaningful experiences to those the company serves, which

goes a long way in solidifying the company’s vision as an industry partner, rather than a vendor.

For Ian Hoover, broker/owner of Deacon & Hoover Real Estate Advisors in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, it’s this distinction that ultimately placed Elm Street above the other contenders being considered for the firm’s marketing needs.

“Having interviewed 50 software companies and spending close to 45 hours on this project, once I narrowed it down to my top five, I let the final decision rest in my agents’ hands, because what it truly boiled down to was whether or not they liked the software,” says Hoover.

Tipping the scales in Elm Street’s favor was the overall vibe and service provided right from the get-go.

“Culture is our No. 1 priority at Deacon & Hoover Real Estate Advisors, and Stephanie Alfonso, one of Elm Street’s regional directors, has always been available to hop on the phone or meet with us via Zoom to

Members of the Elm Street team enjoying some friendly competition.

With offices in Frisco, Eugene, Austin and Toronto, plus teams spread across 20 states and two countries, fostering a work hard/play hard culture is an important part of recruiting and retaining top talent.

answer any questions we may have,” explains Hoover. “She’s constantly communicating with us as to where we are, where we need to be and what we need to do to get there,” adds Hoover, who can’t say enough about the firm’s experience with Elevate, Elm Street’s social media marketing CRM. Offering an advanced CRM, IDX websites, lead generation, marketing automation, a text concierge and automated listing posts directly to social media, Elevate is changing the firm’s social media game.

“Elm Street’s focus on social media was one of its biggest draws,” Hoover says.

Looking to position the firm as the No. 1 social media brokerage in its market, according to Hoover, the only way to achieve this lofty goal is if everyone contributes.

“Social media is the right thing to do,” he notes. “It’s your sphere, your connection and how you build your business.”

And thanks to Elevate, each and every one of Hoover’s agents has a robust social media presence, without all the work.

With myriad products and services to choose from, the Elm Street family covers all the bases, setting up real estate brokerages large and small for continued success, no matter the market.

Carolina One Real Estate, one of the largest brokerages in South Carolina, recently turned to Elm Street in order to beef up their presence and bring their recruiting game to a whole new level.

“While we have an internal marketing department focused on assisting with the task of promoting the firm’s 1,000 agents, it became clear that our recruiting division was lacking when it came to electronic touches, email drip campaigns to keep us top of mind and the ability to offer something of value,” says Katie Maus with agent services at Carolina One Real Estate.

Looking for a marketing team to create collateral to support the firm’s recruiting efforts, Maus turned to Elm Street’s 3sixtyfive.agency. Even though the partnership is relatively new, according to Maus, there is no shortage of benefits associated with working with the full-service creative and consulting agency.

“What impressed me most about Elm Street is the fact that they don’t operate under a one-size-fits-all philosophy,” says Maus.

“They took the time to learn about us and understand our company and its value proposition before turning it into messages and downloads for current and prospective agents that not only look professional, but also like they come directly from us,” she adds.

Drilling down even further, Maus explains that working with Elm Street is all about helping build brand awareness and reframing the industry’s perception of who Carolina One Real Estate is.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 41

The Elm Street Family Providing a variety of individual point solutions that can be used on their own or bundled together, the Elm Street family has something for everyone.

Elevate: A leading social media marketing CRM for real estate professionals, offering advanced CRM, IDX websites, lead generation, marketing automation, text concierge and listing posts to social media.

OutboundEngine: Taking care of your social media marketing for you, offering a basic contact management dashboard, social media posts, mobile app, review engine and profile reach.

3sixtyfive.agency: A full-service creative and consulting agency, offering brand expansion, recruitment and retention, recruitment coaching, creative consulting, brand identity and analysis.

VoicePad: Telecommunications and curbside lead gen, offering team phone/on-demand reception, virtual numbers and curbside lead generation.

IXACT Contact: A simple, affordable CRM for keeping in touch, offering client management, email marketing, agent websites and social media.

Morris Marketing: Repeat and referral print marketing, offering direct mail newsletters and automated monthly e-newsletters.

IDX Broker: Customizable home search and lead management solutions, offering IDX/MLS data services, customizable search widgets and website developer network.

“Having a team that understands digital marketing and can guide us toward creating a successful recruiting program has allowed our internal recruiting division to focus on building relationships and moving the needle in other ways,” notes Maus.

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Austin Line, account representative, captured in middemo. The Elm Street team is committed to helping prospects and clients explore and select the right products and services to suit their business needs.

From email drip campaigns, content that can be digitally downloaded to digital ads and everything in between, the power of communication and collaboration that Elm Street offers has proven to be a true gamechanger for Carolina One Real Estate.

“Not only is the team at Elm Street receptive to our needs, but we also have direct lines of communication open with them,” says Maus.

ADVANCING THE PATH TO BUSINESS EFFICIENCY With nearly three decades of industry experience under his belt, Luthra is no stranger to the start-up scene.

In fact, Elm Street is his fourth start-up in this vertical that caters to providing technology and digital marketing services to REALTORS®.

Having made significant progress over the past six years, Luthra and his team are more committed than ever to reimagining real estate technology as we head toward the future.

“Real estate professionals are busy people whose core strength is working with the consumer as they move through the buying and/or selling process. They shouldn’t have to worry about the tech stuff,” says Luthra, who is laser-focused on his commitment to providing real estate professionals an end-to-end platform while taking care of all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.

“We want Elm Street to be the first place real estate professionals login in the morning, and the last place they login at night,” says Luthra.

Looking ahead, it’s all about keeping an eye on what’s happening and understanding the tools, resources and tech its clients need in order to move them further down the path of business efficiency.

“We’ve done some very aggressive M&A activity over the past six years when we were focused on bringing in best-in-class companies that specialized in very niche or unique areas of our business story,” says Jolly.

“Today, we are focused on the simplification of what the experience looks like. This involves taking the best of everything we’ve acquired and layering it into one singular dataset—or one intuitive dashboard—that allows flexibility and customization,” she adds.

“It’s been a lot of fun building the business and solving for the frictions that exist in the marketplace,” concludes Luthra. RE Explore the Elm Street difference by connecting with an Elm Street success coach at elmstreet.com.

Paige Tepping is RISMedia’s managing editor. Email your real estate news ideas to her at paige@rismedia.com.

Real Estate Relationship Building in the Digital Age

NextHome CEO discusses how an emphasis on human connection drives tech-adoption strategy

By RISMedia Staff 44 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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extHome’s Humans Over Houses mantra has catapulted the franchisor to record-setting growth. The company added 135 offices between 2019 and 2021, making it No. 1 in office growth in the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2021 Residential Franchise Report. In 2022, Franchise Business Review ranked NextHome the No. 1 franchise in owner satisfaction across all industries.

In this exclusive interview, NextHome CEO James Dwiggins shares with us where NextHome stands today, and where the company is headed as technology becomes an even greater factor in real estate relationship building.

Dwiggins

Real Estate magazine: Give us an update on the past year.

Where is NextHome today?

James Dwiggins: I recently got back from Orlando, Florida, where we got to celebrate the success of our top-producing agents, teams and offices at our annual conference.

NextHome ended 2021 with 36,600 units closed and $11.9 billion in sales volume. We were also named the No. 1 franchise in owner satisfaction

by Franchise Business Review for the second year in a row. Needless to say, we had a lot to celebrate with our members.

We hadn’t filled a conference center with this many NextHomies since 2019. The company has grown a lot in the past three years. We ended Q1

with 5,300 members across 575 offices. We had many new brokers and agents in attendance—members who have never experienced a NextHome event before, and we knew it was really important to make them feel like part of the family alongside those we had not seen in a while.

It was great to see so many of our members in their orange outfits breakdancing at our cocktail reception one night, then getting up early the next day to get a first look at our new technology platform, including IDX websites and a powerful smart CRM. You got to see how these high-achieving professionals could effortlessly blend the highest industry standards with pure joy and oldfashioned fun.

This event meant a lot to us, so we had to make it count. For months prior, we did our homework, not just planning for the conference, but also laying the groundwork for all the new initiatives we announced in Orlando.

RE: Speaking of new initiatives, what’s in store for NextHome in the future?

JD: Moving forward, we can’t be complacent. Challenges are going to come, as they always do. We will be ready by adopting new technology, marketing and education programs.

A big part of skillfully adopting new initiatives is starting with the core of who we are. I am going to sound like a broken record here, but again, it’s putting humans over houses. No matter where technology takes us, our approach will always put people at the center. As long as we stay focused on the humans, we can easily adopt the right marketing and technology.

For example, readers of RISMedia likely saw our announcement a few weeks back. NextHome has partnered with Inside Real Estate, and we’re bringing the kvCORE platform to all of our NextHomies as an included member benefit. Before moving forward with Inside Real Estate, we asked ourselves how we could use technology to help our members focus on their most important task: connecting with their clients. kvCORE was the right choice—the platform does a lot to nurture connections. It takes the agent’s lead-generating work away from a drip advertising

Over 1,000 NextHomies gather in Orlando, Florida, for the firm’s 2022 annual conference.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 45

approach, moving more toward an AI-driven intuitive conversation. It lets the technology work the lead generation side of our associates’ business so that they can focus on helping people who are ready to buy or sell and who need the skills and full attention of our NextHomies.

A lot of tech sounds great in theory, but ends up killing productivity. It leaves little time to make connections with the human beings you represent.

We strive for the opposite. NextHome offers a single platform that has everything agents and brokers need to run a successful business, a single password to remember, a single phone number or email address to save when you need support.

Any new initiative, including this partnership with Inside Real Estate, is going to make the business of our members more integrated, streamlined and, most importantly, clientfocused.

RE: Tell us about some of your long-term goals.

JD: Connecting more people with their next home is our long-term goal—it’s that simple. NextHome recently launched a website that helps us focus on our goals by bringing these success stories into the spotlight. HumansOverHouses.com helps keep us centered on the reasons why we are passionate about real estate.

We get to read about how Allison and Sergio Tellez went from a 950-square-foot starter home to homelessness before finally moving into their 2,300-square-foot dream home. If not for the persistence of a knowledgeable NextHomie, the Tellez family will be the first to tell you that they would have given up and settled for a lot less. What’s more, they connected with that NextHome associate through an online lead.

NextHomies closed a remark-

46 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Persistence, and the right REALTOR®, helped the Tellez family find the home of their dreams.

able $11.9 billion in volume in 2021.

Our business is growing. But what’s behind all those numbers is what drives us into the future. The numbers can’t really let you hear the Tellez kids laughing or show you the mud on their clothes now that they finally have a big backyard to play in. Their home-buying process occurred because Allison was looking at houses online, and that online lead connected her with a NextHome agent.

When we talk about long-term goals and technology adoption, this is what we are thinking about. These are the things that drive us.

Keeping Humans Over Houses at the core of everything we do has successfully guided us forward for years now—and I know it will guide us forward for years to come.

RE: How does investing in your technology stack help you accomplish these longterm goals? Where does NextHome stand on the build vs. buy conversation?

JD: We took a hard look in the mirror and analyzed our stance on build

vs. buy. The answer to that question depends on the character of the “builder.” We looked for a company that aligns with our values. We applied the test of “do I want to have dinner with you on a Friday night?”

If not, maybe we shouldn’t do business together. The leadership team at Inside Real Estate more than passed this test, and their entire staff has been a pleasure to work with during the initial rollout. They also joined us in Orlando for our conference, and it quickly became clear that just like us, their team also doesn’t take themselves too seriously. kvCORE is one of those solutions that helps us focus on putting people first in a lot of ways. Our associates shouldn’t be glued to a computer all day trying to find new clients. kvCORE uses intelligent automation to build and nurture relationships with people who are ready to buy or sell. Our members can diversify lead sources and build their pipeline with automated social media posting, landing pages, integrated Google and Facebook advertising, custom text codes and more.

Dwiggins and Inside Real Estate leaders at NextHome’s Conference.

The response during the initial phase of rollout has been amazing. We tested the technology with Mary Ann Wilson, owner of NextHome In The Triangle. She said, “Staying close to clients is the key to success for real estate professionals. This robust, user-friendly system enables our agents to strengthen their personal connections with our clients. And with NextHome support delivered through its Member Services team, we can get answers to any questions, big or small. I see kvCORE as the center of our strategy to stay close to our clients.”

Thomas Shumpert, owner of NextHome Specialists, added: “Our agents love the fact that they have complete control of their paid lead generation.

As a broker, I love the fact that kvCORE has additional options that allow me to run every aspect of the brokerage, from document management to invoicing. There is nothing the system can not do. It’s the one-stop shop for our

agents and management team.”

And Steven Burch, owner of NextHome Unlimited in Kansas, said: “This allows me to get to the buyer in a quicker manner. It’s systematic and streamlined, which means I don’t lose the person in the shuffle of all the little tasks I have to do every day. In just one and a half months, I’ve seen a huge return on investment on leads.”

There is a reason why we boast a 70%-plus adoption rate of our NextHome products and services. Over the years, we have built trust with our members when rolling out products.

We strive to be transparent about what we plan to roll out next, how new programs will integrate with existing tools, what gaps they might fill, what challenges we might be facing and how members can participate.

JD: We’ll be delivering CORE Present and CORE Listing Machine as an included benefit for all members later this year. This is not a “launch it and forget it” scenario. We are fully invested in a successful, long-term partnership with Inside Real Estate and all the ways these tools can benefit our members. The integration between all the products is only going to make it even easier for our members to focus less on the technology and more on customer relationships.

We are constantly thinking about how to empower our agents to be able to spend their time focusing on relationships, not on adoption of technology. Whatever we do in the future, it will be designed to serve our core goal: putting humans over houses. RE

RE: What comes next for NextHome on the technology front?

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

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It Takes a ‘Vyllage’ to Foster a Culture of Success WHY VYLLA HOME BELIEVES IN THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING A CULTURE THAT INSPIRES, RECOGNIZES AND SUPPORTS ITS AGENTS

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By Caysey Welton

here are several attributes that make real estate agents successful.

Experience, talent, brand affiliation and a commitment to quality service are certainly among them, but Vylla Home also places a great deal of emphasis on providing the right support system and environment for agents to coalesce their best attributes and maximize their success. In simpler terms, Vylla believes that culture is what brings out the very best in agents, and is what is needed to succeed in today’s complex real estate industry.

“It’s important to agents because they tell us this,” says Chad Ruggles, senior vice president and head of Vylla Home.

agents, or Vyllagers, as they are known within the company, this breaks down to a 60-1 broker/ agent relationship across its markets. Ruggles says Support That Starts at he plans to call every the Top Vyllager on the phone Vylla’s brokerage size is this year to check in and Ruggles advantageous to fostering have a real, person-tothe type of culture Ruggles wants for person conversation. What’s more, his agents. Home to just under 1,200 every Vyllager has Ruggles’ cellphone 48 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

number and email address. It’s a true open-door policy, regardless of geographic distance.

“The nature of an agent’s role creates challenges,” says Ruggles. “It can feel lonely at times. I want agents to stick with us through thick and thin, so I am constantly asking myself how.

That’s not the same at some of the larger firms, where they see it as the manager or team leader’s responsibility. I look at it differently: It’s my responsibility.”

This top-down approach doesn’t begin and end with just Ruggles, though. In fact, he tells RISMedia that Vylla’s entire senior leadership team makes themselves available to the Vyllagers.

“One of the requirements to work on our management team is to be a servant leader,” he says. “The client for us is the agent. That’s the kind of support we give our agents.”

In addition to a supportive team of leaders, the company also boasts its “epic back-office support.” This support includes an operations team made up of REO experts, transaction coordinators and a marketing team that ensures every Vyllager has access to branded materials.

Vylla Home also equips its Vyllagers with simple, powerful tech at no cost. Its proprietary Inside Vylla hub has everything an agent needs, including a transaction management system, CRM, email platform, customized website builder and interactive educational tools.

The company also offers mentoring and training for agents of all experience levels, including customized programs.

Recognition Goes a Long Way Developing the ideal Vyllage goes beyond access to leadership and support. The brokerage ensures that every new agent feels welcome and understands its unique culture right away.

“The week you start we do a live orientation that I lead,” Ruggles says.

“Some weeks it may only be one, and others it could be as many as 20. Our entire back office—the highest brass— are there to welcome new agents and answer any questions they may have.

We want them to learn about our passion and value proposition that first week, and we get a first-hand introduction to every agent that joins our company.”

This level of interaction and feedback remains consistent, regardless of tenure. The company holds monthly Vyllager town hall meetings, where they not only discuss what’s happening with the company, they also celebrate a range of accomplishments among the Vyllagers. These “Valued Vyllager” awards are given out for several reasons, from a thank you to a congratulations to a job well done.

Not merely based on production numbers, these awards come by way of nominations from colleagues and clients, and Ruggles says they receive hundreds.

“It feels really good,” he exclaims.

“It’s nice to recognize somebody for doing things right.”

This approach supports the company’s belief that positive reinforcement, peer-to-peer learning and open dialogue will lead to professional growth and success.

Finding the Right Fit While Vylla is a nationwide brokerage, it thinks locally.

“Our brokers are in the same market as their agents,” Ruggles explains.

“Even though we have a virtual hybrid model, you should work shoulder-toshoulder with your broker.”

“One of the requirements to work on our management team is to be a servant leader.

The client for us is the agent.

That’s the kind of support we give our agents.”

– CHAD RUGGLES SVP, Head of Vylla Home

Ruggles suggests that this allows the company to maintain the culture it is so passionate about. Vylla’s goal is not to scale to tens of thousands of agents across the country, but at most, they would entertain doubling their current size. Essentially, the hyper-local touch is what sets Vylla apart and what ultimately attracts the sort of talent the brokerage seeks.

“We’re the place for agents where culture is important; a place where people want to be a part of the brokerage,” says Ruggles, who admits that culture isn’t important to everyone, which is why they are upfront with every agent they engage before onboarding them.

“When you’re recruiting, you’re telling agents what’s on the box,” he says.

“That’s important, but you also have to tell them who you are and what you do. I’m proud of our company. We

have a series of five core values, and we talk about them on a weekly basis: people, communication, community, expertise and trust. So, when we recruit, we talk about that.”

Once a Vyllager is onboard, the company guarantees that happiness in additional ways, besides maintaining a best-in-class work environment, recognition program and constant feedback loop. The company also offers a revenue-sharing program for Vyllagers who bring new agents onboard, and Ruggles says they are compensated upfront for this.

That said, Ruggles suggests that these types of frills take a backseat to company culture when it comes to agent retention.

“I don’t think any one thing keeps an agent, assuming you have the basics,” he says. “So why would they stay? It’s because they feel like they are part of something here. They’re part of our Vyllager culture. The Vyllage depends on you, and you depend on the Vyllage. That’s how we put the uniqueness of our culture into words.”

Why It Really Matters Naturally, Vylla Home wants to succeed as a business—and to do that, agent success is required. To achieve that success, the company is placing its bets on inspiring its Vyllagers as the underpinnings of its big-picture strategy.

“When you have the culture that we have, you’re inspiring agents to be the best version of themselves,” says Ruggles. “They become better brand ambassadors. When they’re plugged in and inspired, they begin to love the company more. They become an asset in recruiting. We’re trying to build connection and engagement through culture. Success is a byproduct of that.” RE

Caysey Welton is RISMedia’s content director. Email your real estate news ideas to him at cwelton@rismedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 49

FAMILY VALUES ANCHOR GIBSON SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY’S SUCCESS

By Barbara Pronin

Nicole Rideout Hartwick, Chief Strategy Officer, and Colleen Barry, Chief Executive Officer 50 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

I

n a time when words like “family values” seem to have lost some of their luster, they are alive and well and at the core of success for Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty, one of the largest and most respected companies in the Eastern Massachusetts marketplace.

Founded 60 years ago by pioneering REALTOR® Betty Gibson in Boston’s South End, which is still home to the firm’s flagship office, the company was purchased by long-time friends Larry Rideout and Paul McGann in November 2006, and became part of the Sotheby’s International Realty franchise a month later.

“For us, it was a dream fulfilled,” says Co-Owner and company President McGann, who, 30 years ago, was recruited into the real estate industry right out of college as part of Rideout’s reach-out to college seniors.

“Larry and I hit it off right from the beginning, and we worked together over the years to build successful real estate companies for other people. Finally, we believed it was time for us to build the company we wanted to build.”

The company they wanted to build was one rooted firmly in mentorship and family values.

“Family is everything to us,” says Co-Owner and company Chairman Rideout, who, like McGann, comes from a large, nurturing family. “Paul and I know that if we treat our agents like family—if we support and encourage them in their journey to success— then they will care for their clients the same way.”

A ‘Microcosm of Caring’ Today, Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty is the largest individually owned real estate brokerage in Massachusetts and a preeminent provider of luxury properties across the eastern part of the state, with a sales volume last year of $4.2 billion and a team of 450 sales associates in 25 offices throughout Greater Boston, the Metro West, the North Shore, the South Shore and Cape Cod.

That growth, however, was not without setbacks.

“We had no way to know that two years after we took ownership, we’d be in the midst of a crippling downturn,” says Rideout. “We had no reserves in 2008. We had just bought the company, and we were broke. But we rolled up our sleeves and got to work, and I’m proud to say we never lost an agent during the worst of it.”

“We love nothing more than helping talented people succeed and move up. There is room at the table for everyone.”

- Colleen Barry Chief Executive Officer, Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty

That’s because, maintains McGann, of the company culture he and Rideout had worked so hard to establish.

“We don’t judge our success by rankings and sales volume,” he says, “but on the happiness, satisfaction and productivity of our agents.”

This ethos permeates every one of their offices, says veteran agent and team leader Lauren Holleran.

“In other firms I had worked in, competition was foremost,” explains Holleran, who joined Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty’s Cambridge office in 2015, and today leads a productive team of four. “There was always a culture of, ‘good fences make

Company leadership is distinctly womanforward. L to R: Aimee Rideout, Director of Relocation and Referrals; Michelle Pelletier, Director of Operations; Colleen Barry, Chief Executive Officer; Nicole Rideout Hartwick, Chief Strategy Officer; Mary Kate Leonard, Vice President of Marketing

good neighbors.’ But Larry and Paul are so warm and loving that you feel you are part of their family. There’s this microcosm of caring that makes you want to get out there and treat every client as though they are the only one that matters.”

Female Leaders at the Forefront Company leadership is distinctly woman-forward, notes Rideout. Apart from him and McGann, Chief Brokerage Officer Jeffrey Tarczali, General Counsel Richard Sullivan and Director of Selection and Development Mario Lampedecchio, a majority of the firm’s top executives are women, led by Chief Executive Officer Colleen Barry and Chief Strategy Officer Nicole Rideout Hartwick.

Marketing is overseen by Mary Kate Leonard, Operations by Michelle RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 51

A spirit of collaboration permeates throughout the company culture. L to R: Aimee Rideout, Director of Relocation and Referrals; Larry Rideout, Co-Founder and Chairman; Mary Kate Leonard, Vice President of Marketing; Michelle Pelletier, Director of Operations

Pelletier, and Relocation and Referral Services by Aimee Rideout. Other female executive hires this year, including Daphna Fields, vice president of Brokerage Development, Jo-Ellen Erickson, regional director of Cape Cod, and Brianne Alston, chief financial officer, were selected, Barry says, because of what they could contribute to a leadership team that is focused on helping every agent achieve their goals.

All are firm believers in the firm’s collaborative mantra.

“Everyone talks about culture,” says Barry, “but we live it every day. It starts at the top with an open-door policy that promotes collaboration. Every agent, for example, faces many of the same issues, but competition can stand in the way of finding the best answers.

We’ve developed a platform for putting agents together so that they can look at different angles of a problem and work as a team to come up with the best solutions.”

At the same time, adds Barry, company leaders recognize and value talent.

52 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“We love nothing more than helping talented people succeed and move up,” she says. “There is room at the table for everyone. Different voices and backgrounds add to the collaboration and make us that much stronger.”

Nicole Rideout Hartwick, Rideout’s daughter, began her career with the company by answering office phones on weekends while in college. After a year spent doing policy work in the nation’s capital, she rejoined the company to refine the administrative staff and build out the relocation department, then rose to the role of vice president of Business Development, where she focused on scaling the company, primarily via mergers and acquisitions.

“I found an industry that had been made just for me, and I have never looked back. I could see a limitless future then, and I still see it today.”

- Larry Rideout Co-Owner and Chairman, Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty

She sees her role today as growing the value of the brand—and like Barry, she makes the culture of family values and supporting fellow women in business a priority.

“Caring is contagious,” she says.

“As a new mother, I know that challenges can be overcome—that people want to help when you ask for it. Relationships are at the very heart of our business. They always have been, and they always will be.”

“It’s all about networking, sharing ideas, caring for and supporting one another,” says Barry. “That’s what

drives business and burnishes the value of our brand.”

Built for Growth—in Any Market It is a brand that has tripled its size over the past four years, says McGann, primarily through acquisition, increasing from eight offices to 25, including through the pandemic years.

“The onset of the pandemic caused a lot of introspection for many people,” he says. “Even for us, the instinct at the beginning was to do the turtle thing and pull in our heads. But as we had learned from our experience in 2008, we had to be able to pivot in order to survive.”

Their agents stayed in close contact with clients past and present, he says, doing grocery shopping for those who needed it, dropping flowers on doorsteps—doing anything they could to help keep spirits up.

“Our agents knew these people, knew their families,” says Rideout Hartwick. “Even as we were spending more time at home with our own families, our agents were empathetic to the needs of their client families.”

At the same time, says Barry, the company brought in the services of a licensed therapist to help manage stress among agents and employees. Inhouse sessions provided virtual mindfulness training and guidance for working through the transitional period.

“But sometimes change is good,” says McGann. “We learned how to show homes under strict protocols, and we became experts in the practice of virtual real estate. We learned so fast it was almost as though we knew what we were doing—and in the end, it prepared us to manage the amazing upsurge that followed.”

The result made 2021 a recordbreaking year for the company.

“In some ways,” says Rideout Hartwick, “COVID showed us where the North Star is for us. We embrace hiring the right people and having the right tools, and that includes the best technology, but never one over the other.”

Paul McGann, Co-Owner and President

Agents: The Engine That Drives the Company Strategic recruitment is central to Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty’s philosophy, Barry says. Agents coming into the company are nearly always seasoned professionals seeking that extra, intangible boost that will propel them to the next level.

Agents agree.

“I was aware of the company’s reputation as a caring organization committed to the success of its agents,” says 18-year real estate veteran Rebecca Davis Tulman, who joined the company in November 2020. “But I was totally unprepared for the loving environment and the level of service and attention that I experienced from day one. Larry and Paul just know how to do things right.”

Recruiting the right people is intuitive, says Barry.

“We look for career people who are totally committed to the next level of their success,” she says. “We ask ourselves: Do we think we can help them?

Can they help us? Do we think we can work well together?”

It’s a high threshold, notes McGann.

“Most of the agents who join us already have a portfolio of business.

They are competitive but collaborative, and eager to work in our family-first environment,” he says. “New agents typically come to us by referral only, and they have to be open to learning

“We don’t judge our success by rankings and sales volume, but on the happiness, satisfaction and productivity of our agents.”

- Paul McGann Co-Owner and President, Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty and growing through mentorship and matchmaking.”

The path in for many agents is through the company’s vast rental division or teaming.

“But the recruits who join us can instantly reap the benefits of everything our brokerage offers,” says Barry.

“That includes not just training and business development, but also the ease of marketing services.”

That, in fact, was one of the things that convinced Tulman she had made the right decision in coming aboard.

“Just after I started, I got my first listing under the new name,” she says.

“I felt it was urgent for me to get brochures right away, but I figured the request would just take its place in the

marketing queue. To my amazement, I got a call the very next day to come and pick up the brochures—and there they were, neatly stacked and ready. I was stunned.”

Rideout Hartwick is not surprised.

“It’s just the way we operate,” she says.

“Whether it’s new brochures or new technology, or help solving a thorny issue, we are here to provide whatever our agents need. Our mission is to partner with them so that they can become the best they can be.”

That philosophy, says Barry, is the engine that drives the company. “We succeed,” she says, “because we remove obstacles and build value for our agents and our clients.”

Paving the Way for a ‘Limitless Future’ At the same time, leadership is focused on measured growth.

“Our plan is to continue growing through strategic acquisition,” says Rideout Hartwick. “We have a long and storied legacy we treasure, but we also have a clear vision for the future.

Our overall plan is to marry our legacy with a continuing desire to evolve.”

It’s the vision her father had 40 years ago when he quit loading trucks at a gypsum factory to follow his grandfather into real estate.

“I got a bit of a late start, but once I began, it was as though I found an industry that had been made just for me, and I have never looked back,” Rideout says. “I could see a limitless future then, and I still see it today.”

He is gratified, he says, by the everyday warmth and family spirit that drives the company’s success.

“When I say I love every one of our people, I mean it,” he says. “I am so glad to come to work every day.” RE For more information, please visit gibsonsothebysrealty.com. The Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty team was photographed at The St. Regis Residences, Boston Experience Center. Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty is the exclusive listing agency of the 114 luxury residences, opening in 2022 in Boston’s vibrant Seaport district.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 53

Training Strategies and Best Practices to Rise Above the Crowd

By Joey Macari

T

his month, Real Estate magazine spoke with Mackenzie Moug, a business program manager at Rocket Mortgage®, who discussed best practices and training strategies to strengthen the professional bond between agents and their clients.

Joey Macari: Tell us how you got started with Rocket Mortgage, how it led to your current role, and what exactly your role is.

Mackenzie Moug: I started with Rocket Mortgage in 2017 as a project management intern on the training team, which eventually evolved into becoming a program manager.

Today, I am a business program manager for Rocket ProSM Originate—the arm of our business that works Moug with real estate agents, insurance agents, financial advisors and other professionals who originate mortgages. I work with our trainers, our instructional designers and our partners—the originators—to identify what the training needs are, making sure that we’re always enhancing our training programs and improving our processes.

My main role is monitoring the trends and feedback to make sure we’re offering the best training possible to our partners.

JM: How can an agent drive long-term value for a brokerage’s vision, direction and outcomes?

54 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

MM: First is client satisfaction. Client satisfaction is crucial in order for a brokerage to meet their vision and their outcomes.

The client experience can determine whether clients continue to utilize your brokerage and recommend you to friends and family. Referrals are huge. Since you’re providing such an amazing client experience, your clients know that you have the potential to help their family and friends.

With a mortgage, we’re helping someone build their financial future and make some of the biggest decisions of their life. Agents are on the frontline with the client, so they’re a huge part of the value that a client sees in your brokerage.

At the end of the day, the client is the most important piece of the puzzle for any organization, which coincides with one of our ISMs—or core philosophies—which states: “Every client. Every time. No exceptions.

No excuses.”

JM: What training strategies and best practices should agents be utilizing?

MM: When training others, followup is critical. After a training session, you want to reinforce the training

that’s being delivered by sharing a bite-sized piece of content in order to foster adoption. If you’re not reinforcing the content you’re delivering, the likelihood of agents adopting the training is pretty low.

When it comes to seeking training for yourself, which is something we should all be doing, it’s important to find content that’s interesting and relevant to you and your role—continuously upskilling yourself and evolving your business.

JM: What type of training should real estate agents be looking into?

MM: When it comes to real estate agents, focusing on the sale and building relationships with clients are the most effective trainings out there.

There’s a lot of competition in the market today, so it’s critical that agents work on developing their emotional intelligence to make sure they’re communicating effectively and meeting their clients’ needs.

Emotional-intelligence training includes active listening, how to properly address potential worries and how to do so in a way that’s organic and doesn’t come across as “salesy.”

JM: How do you see training evolving as we head toward the future?

MM: As things are getting back to normal from the pandemic, a lot of organizations are pursuing a hybrid work model, and I see training evolving to represent that.

With things like videos, podcasts and computer-based training, there’s a lot of opportunity to mix in-person training with different digital followup training to provide the most effective training we possibly can.

JM: As far as best practices are concerned, what are your best communication tips?

MM: First, know your audience. It’s very important that you’re tailoring

your message based on who the receiver is. When you’re trying to communicate with a client, a broker/ owner or coworker, the message should reflect who you’re actually speaking with.

You also want to make sure you’re choosing the right communication methods for the message. Asking your client for their preferred contact method upfront is an important part of knowing your audience.

Lastly, make sure you’re communicating proactively, especially if the message is one that’s a little more delicate.

“Training is crucial in both upscaling your brokerage team members and yourself.”

– MACKENZIE MOUG Business Program Manager, Rocket Mortgage

JM: How can agents benefit from professional development opportunities?

MM: I believe professional development opportunities are an amazing way for agents to hone their craft.

These opportunities can help them improve their services and set them apart from other agents.

With so many agents in the market, it’s important to differentiate yourself and ensure that you’re known for the level of service you provide. Satisfied clients are more likely to become repeat clients, and they’re also more likely to refer their friends and family to you. Social media marketing is also a great professional develop-

ment opportunity for agents because the general population is more social media savvy than ever before.

It’s important that agents tailor their social media presence in a way that attracts new and existing customers.

There’s a difference between being social media savvy as a social user versus a person who is trying to use social media as a marketing tool.

JM: Why is training so important, especially given today’s market?

MM: Training is crucial in both upscaling your brokerage team members and yourself.

There’s a lot of competition out there. Companies should invest in training so their team members have the tools they need to rise above the crowd. Training can help them do that and can ensure they’re equipped to knock their work out of the park when they are working with clients. RE The above article is sponsored content.

For more information, please visit RocketPro.com/RealEstate.

Joey Macari is RISMedia’s associate editor. Email your real estate news ideas to her at jmacari@ rismedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 55

SOCIAL MEDIA & DIGITAL MARKETING TRENDS FOR 2022 TIKTOK, FROM BOOMERS TO GEN Z

RISMEDIA’S EXCLUSIVE REPORT:

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING TRENDS FOR 2022 Explore trends, tips, tactics and actionable takeaways from top social media experts in the real estate industry in this exclusive report!

Key Takeaways Include: • Top-Performing Platforms: TikTok. Guess what? It’s not just a trend.

• From Boomers to Gen Z: How to reach and influence buyers and sellers.

• Organic vs. Paid: When and where to best spend your marketing dollars.

Trends change. Learn how to effectively market yourself online in 2022.

Read more at rismedia.com/reports

ness challenges and helping companies grow, Scott’s specialties include SaaS strategies and execution, enterprise software sales, channel programs, executive leadership, performance management, inbound marketing and demand generation.

Real Estate Webmasters Makes a Big Investment in Customer Success

By RISMedia Staff

L

ast month’s cover of Real Estate magazine told the story of Real Estate Webmasters’ (REW) new Renaissance platform and how it’s taking the enterprise web space by storm, with tens of thousands of agents onboarded since its launch just over a year ago.

In order to support this phenomenal growth, and as part of REW’s commitment to doubling down on customer engagement, the company has made significant investments in both its account executive and account management groups, including hiring two SaaS (software as a service) industry veterans to helm the complementary groups.

Now running the account executive group as sales director is Julian Scott, a 20-year veteran of the SaaS space.

With over 20 years of technology sales experience, including stints at Colligo and Sage, Scott brings business development and marketing experience to global leaders, helping drive growth and Scott transformation. An agent of change who brings extensive experience when it comes to solving busi-

“The customer journey is critical, and ensuring an amazing customer experience for all of our amazing clients is a shared passion of all leaders at REW.” -MORGAN CAREY CEO, Real Estate Webmasters

The Most Important Customer Is the Customer You Already Have The counterpart to the account executive team is the account management/customer success group.

Leading the new team is Maria Gonzaga, who brings 18-plus years of customer success experience to REW from companies like Emerson and Baker Hughes.

At Real Estate Webmasters, Gonzaga and her newly expanded account management team are responsible for the entire customer journey—from onboarding to renewal. Their focus is to ensure agent Gonzaga adoption and customer satisfaction, with the goal of earning a five-star review and referral from every customer.

REW’s inbound account executive and account management groups have grown by over 250% in the past year in direct response to the demand for the new Renaissance product, and the company is excited to have both Scott and Gonzaga supporting its amazing customers.

“I could not be more thrilled to have Julian and Maria— and all of the new account executives and account managers—joining our team,” says Morgan Carey, CEO of Real Estate Webmasters. “The customer journey is critical, and ensuring an amazing customer experience for all of our amazing clients is a shared passion of all leaders at REW. I look forward to seeing what this new team can accomplish together as we continue to grow.” RE For more information, please visit www.realestatewebmasters.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 57

Reexamining the Conversation Surrounding Unconscious Bias and Discrimination in Real Estate

By Joey Macari

A

ccording to the second annual report published by the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, discrimination in the real estate industry remains prevalent—despite its extension of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) implementations and marketing toward the LGBTQ+ community.

The Alliance, one of the nation’s leading LGBTQ+ trade organizations, aims to reexamine the conversation surrounding unconscious bias and discrimination in real estate, and serve as a much-needed voice and valued resource for working real estate professionals.

Titled “Discrimination And Its Impact On LGBTQ+ Community: Real Estate Professionals And Consumers,” the report includes data reflecting that “20.7% of surveyed Alliance members identify real estate agents 58 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

as the leading culprit in how housing discrimination occurs against the LGBTQ+ real estate homebuyer.”

Surveyed Alliance members were asked to weigh in on anti-discriminatory policy as it relates to their community versus company culture—with nearly 20% of respondents sharing that they experience high levels of unconscious bias within their local real estate market, almost double the 11% who report this about their own company.

Drilling down further, 17% of re-

spondents noted an incident of discrimination by industry professionals, while 6% cited discriminatory behavior among their colleagues.

Alliance CEO, Ryan Weyandt, who has been at the forefront of the nonprofit’s overall mission to educate and empower LGBTQ+ real estate professionals and its clientele since 2020, spoke with RISMedia on why the disparity between company and industry-level discrimination paints a bigger picture of how DEI efforts shape change.

“Most instances of discrimination are based on pre-conceived notions, being uncomfortable or having a general fear of others,” he says. “It makes sense that LGBTQ+ people are more welcomed at the company level because their colleagues get

to know them. At the larger industry level, where interaction may not be as consistent, it takes longer for the educational and get-to-know-you process to occur. Now that DEI is becoming part of company and industry culture, we are looking forward to the next steps.”

The Alliance, already motivated by change, hopes to take immediate action against these concerning stats and improve on its systems to better protect its constituents.

“This is not a tomorrow project. It’s a now project,” Weyandt asserts.

“The diverse sectors are already here, and they are coming in greater home-buying numbers than ever before. The real estate industry should put anti-discrimination efforts at the top of the list of priorities. Our nation is changing. We are more diverse every day. We have more homebuyers and sellers from minority groups and obviously more LGBTQ+ consumers. Our younger generations are the most accepting in history.

They will not tolerate discriminatory behavior. If REALTORS®, lenders, title professionals and ancillary service providers do not welcome these new consumers, are prejudicial and/or discriminatory, the industry will suffer, and individual professionals will suffer in their businesses.”

and loopholes that affect buyers and sellers—many fearing that this political framing and the erasure of community-related speech and legal safeguards impacts real estate professionals’ ability to conduct business without bias. He’s concerned about how these policies may impact the community’s journey to homeownership.

Pathway to Homeownership On March 28, 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the controversial “Parental Rights in Education Bill,” which will take effect on July 1. Florida’s H.B. 1557, which critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, will ban teacher or third-party discussions of sexual orientation and gender-related issues in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms or in a manner deemed “not age or developmentally appropriate.” Several other states are exploring similar types of legislation.

Weyandt says the facially neutral law and its vagueness of standards reflects some of the inconsistencies

“These horrific bills attacking our community are a form of housing discrimination,” he says. “Not in the immediate moment of an elementary schooler, but the lingering impact that mushrooms through our lives.

Our inaugural LGBTQ+ Real Estate Report last year went in-depth into how ongoing discrimination dating back to our childhoods impacts an LGBTQ+ person’s pathway to homeownership. Those bullied or discriminated against in those early years may not do well in school, which impacts if and where they go to college. The same applies to college and if we are fully welcomed into the workplace. Too many LGBTQ+

“The Alliance and our partners are working hard to constantly remind the real estate community that LGBTQ+ people are people.”

– RYAN WEYANDT CEO, LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance

people are not afforded the same opportunities in their career, are not promoted and, therefore, struggle to make more money and save for a down payment.”

Though the Biden administration has pushed for housing discrimination protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity to be amended into the Fair Housing Act, LGBTQ+ people are still not protected under federal law. In 27 states, there are no explicit statewide laws at all protecting people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in employment or housing and public accommodations. Various forms of discrimination that can result in these unprotected states include: an agent refusing to show a listing to a LGBTQ+ couple in a predominantly heterosexual neighborhood; a landlord or maintenance worker not tending to repairs because he disagrees with a tenant’s “lifestyle;” an underwriter tossing out two women’s loan application, even though their duel income meets the necessary requirements, because he perceives the applicants as same-sex partners.

With a housing market pricing people out of cities and into suburbs and rural areas, LGBTQ+ homeowners risk being under-represented and under-protected as a result, Weyandt says, which is why he and over 2,000 members of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance continue to lobby for permanent legislation to protect an already marginalized group of homebuyers.

“The Alliance and our partners are working hard to constantly remind the real estate community that LGBTQ+ people are people,” Weyandt says. “You already know and love us. Look at the stats. With just about one in 10 Americans identifying as part of the community—and every household has 3.5 people—if you look to your neighbors on your right or left, the law of averages would show that someone in one RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 59

of those three households is part of the LGBTQ+ community. That doesn’t even consider your family, circle of friends, etc.”

Building Better Allies Though Weyandt understands that this is not an overnight fix, the Alliance is still doing everything at its disposal to correct biased behavior within its own sphere of influence.

“Seemingly every day, we are sent another example of a REALTOR® or real estate professional, usually on social media, openly discriminating against the LGBTQ+ community,” Weyandt shares. “We are working with the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) on how it wants to address these issues, as they obviously violate the NAR Code of Ethics along with new anti-discrimination edicts. We also report these to local and state associations along with the offender’s brokerage and brand.

In almost all instances the response is swift. Depending on the instance, we have seen brokerages disassociate themselves from the agent, and 60 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

In 27 states, there are no explicit statewide laws at all protecting people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in employment or housing and public accommodations.

REALTOR® associations take disciplinary action. We also offer to meet with the offender to help them learn and get more comfortable with the LGBTQ+ community.”

In order to lead by example and be a better ally to the LGBTQ+ community, the Alliance provides the following

constructive ways to bring more acceptance, awareness and accountability into your agent practice.

•Be informed. For any first-time buyer, the ins and outs of buying a home can be overwhelming. From understanding how to secure a down payment, potential barriers to homeownership and finding the right neighborhood, the Alliance takes some of the guesswork out of your homeowner potential. The Alliance assists in helping LGBTQ+ buyers find an agent or home-related professional who is LGBTQ+-friendly and/ or certified to help take some of the stress out of an otherwise exciting chapter. In collaboration with Freddie Mac and The Williams Institute, the Alliance also publishes an annual report detailing hard analysis and statistics on current market data in regard to LGBTQ+ homeownership. This not only aids buyers, but equips real estate professionals with the knowledge, resources and insight they need to excel and educate their community clients.

•Know your coverage. Every homeowner needs to protect their home, their possessions and their loved ones. Agents should be aware and share insurance policies that are inclusive and LGBTQ+ friendly.

Hippo Insurance, for example, hosts a blog that educates and empowers LGBTQ+ consumers on all they need to know before buying. An expert team calculates a buyer’s premium to suggest the best type of insurance for them—and goes the extra mile with its benefits program. From homecare services and maintenance, to complimentary smart-home devices, Hippo helps streamline an otherwise taxing process, the company reports.

Hippo also provides a comprehensive guide for transgender buyers looking to purchase a home. From an overview of what it costs to buy in the most trans-friendly cities, to how to safeguard yourself against being deadnamed or outed, Hippo can help your clients strategize the homeowning experience.

“At Hippo, we believe in bringing empowerment and confidence throughout homebuying and homeownership,” says Courtney Klosterman, home insights expert at Hippo. “Securing a home insurance quote should be easy, accessible, proactive and built with the customer in mind.”

•Get Alliance certified. The LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance is committed to training its industry professionals on how to be better allies. Its Alliance-certified Ally Certification Course offers virtual classes to help allies develop a better understanding of the LGBTQ+ community and provide them with knowledge on how to work with potential homebuyers and sellers who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Those who complete the course will be presented with a certification of completion and a badge to be displayed on their web-

“Allies are incredibly important to the LGBTQ+ community. Supporting a loved one, colleague or friend, treating someone as a person first outside of their sexual orientation and gender identity, and/or standing up to those who attack us, truly matters.”

– RYAN WEYANDT, CEO, LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance

site profile. This course is an opportunity for brokerages to get their entire team involved in the conversation surrounding LGBTQ+ discrimination and how to respectfully conduct business with the community at large.

“Very simply, none of us can improve ourselves without wanting to learn,” Weyandt shares. “Allies are incredibly important to the LGBTQ+ community. Supporting a loved one, colleague or friend, treating someone as a person first outside of their sexual orientation and gender identity, and/ or standing up to those who attack us, truly matters. There is also a business side to becoming an Ally. We are seeing LGBTQ+ people move to

communities not traditionally known as ‘LGBTQ+ friendly.’ This means brokerages and agents who don’t learn and become comfortable with our community will lose business. Remember, it takes more than hanging a rainbow flag during Pride month to gain the trust of the community.”

RE For more information, please visit https://realestatealliance.org.

Joey Macari is RISMedia’s associate editor. Email your real estate news ideas to her at jmacari@rismedia.com.

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Hobart Waterfront

Global Spotlight: Indulge in Tasmania’s Island State of Mind

On set of the Property Pod podcast.

By RISMedia Staff

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his month, we turn the spotlight on Tasmania, the largest island of Australia, where Patrick Berry, director of 4one4 Property Co.—a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE)—shares his insights on the local market.

Tell us about your company.

Patrick Berry: Our origin story begins back in 2006, and since our humble beginnings, we have grown from a small team of three agents to a team of 28. We transacted over $94 million worth of property over the past 12 months and manage 850-plus rental properties across the Greater Hobart area. We are not here to follow the norm; we don’t conform to the perception of corporate real 62 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

estate; and we certainly don’t follow the cookie-cutter approach.

In-house, we design marketing strategies, produce podcasts, develop publications, create content, print signage, design apparel, build buildings, style homes, landscape property and host events. We get creative when connecting with homebuyers and sellers in order to build trust so that they know we can handle their greatest asset.

How would you describe your current housing market?

PB: Our average home price is $500,000, and prices have been increasing by about 22% year-overyear for the past few years. As is the case in many markets, our inventory has been extremely low, but it’s starting to increase. We listed 43 properties in March, which equates to a nearly 110% increase on previous months.

What types of properties are popular in your market?

PB: Our mission statement is clear:

all types of property, for all types of people. We mainly sell single-family homes, townhouses and freestanding units. Our area is made up heavily of first-time buyers, young families and investors, and the average resident is a blue collar worker. With work from home becoming the norm, the No. 1 request in recent years has been a study or fourth bedroom.

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

PB: We are seeing a shift toward investors selling their properties to make the most of the capital gains the properties have received in recent years. These homes have quickly been picked up by new investors entering the market and first-time homebuyers trying to exit the rental marketplace.

What are your biggest challenges/opportunities for growth?

PB: We have been quite lucky over the past few years and have actually grown in a short period of time. We believe this is because of the culture we have created and the fact that our agency is built on the back of a strong technology/systems platform. Our systems currently generate six listing opportunities per day, and we are looking to boost this to around 16 per day. When it comes to challenges, what we have discovered is that by growing so fast, it has put pressure on our systems to keep up—and this is what we are currently working on.

Are you seeing much foreign investment—and, if so, from which countries?

PB: Sadly, no. We used to see a large take-up from China and Hong Kong, but over the past few years, this has dropped, likely due to the tensions between China and Australia, along with COVID limiting travel.

The 4one4 Property Co. Team

The inviting office setting at 4one4 Property Co.

What advice do you have for foreign buyers interested in buying in your area?

PB: Speak to multiple agencies and educate yourself on the area wherever possible. Our website provides superb insights for the entire country, which can help identify trends along with areas offering good value for the money. We also produce a podcast each week called The Property Pod, where we try to help people understand our market and how to buy within it.

What do you love most about living in your area?

PB: The fresh air and large areas of national park. Hobart is located on the river, which gives the city a great

feeling, with most homes providing spectacular river or mountain views.

Hobart is laid out in a way that gives it a feeling like San Francisco, and anyone who has been to both locations would definitely agree.

How does being part of LeadingRE help advance your business?

PB: By being part of such a prestigious network, we have been able to showcase our homes not only to our local marketplace, but also the entire world. When pitching to clients, being able to showcase the network highlights our global reach. RE For more information, please visit 4one4.com.au.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 63

JBGoodwin REALTORS® was honored with its first Top Workplaces USA national award in 2022. Here, San Antonio agents come together for a Habitat for Humanity build.

Winning With Culture JBGoodwin REALTORS®’ Quantifiable Culture Fuels 50-Year Success

By Maria Patterson

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BGoodwin REALTORS® may be celebrating its 50th anniversary in business this year, but the company’s culture is more relevant than ever. With a simple but mighty mission statement to “help people,” the Austin and San Antonio, Texas-based firm has fostered an environment that supports and motivates agents.

JBGoodwin REALTORS® has been named a Top Workplaces award winner in Austin for 11 consecutive years, and in San Antonio for 10 consecutive years. In 2021, both markets took first place in regional awards, and in 2022, the company was honored with its first Top Workplaces USA national award, securing an impressive thirdplace slot in its size category, competing against firms across all industries.

The recognition from Top Workplaces gets even more granular— and more significant—for JBGoodwin REALTORS®. In 2021, the firm was honored with all 12 Top Workplaces Culture Badges, scoring in the top 5% or top 25% against its real estate brokerage peers nationally. The 64 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Culture Badges recognize the many subsets that define a winning culture, such as “Employee Appreciation,” “Meaningful Work” and “Supportive Managers.” JBGoodwin REALTORS® was the only brokerage in the country to earn all 12 badges, a feat it accomplished in 2020 as well.

Creating a Top Culture The Top Workplaces honors are especially meaningful to JBGoodwin REALTORS® because the judges come from within. The awards are based entirely on employee and agent feedback via a once-a-year, anonymous survey conducted by Energage, a firm which then partners with local newspapers to further

Founder & CEO J.B. Goodwin

brand and promote the recognition.

“Our Top Workplaces successes are based on a variety of factors, but if you were to boil them down to a single concept, I’m sure it would be ‘support,’” explains JBGoodwin REALTORS® Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Tony Zavaleta. “We never stop trying to innovate, we consistently introduce new tools, we are always refining our training and generally strive to support our agents at every level of their business.”

But this is nothing new for the brokerage. It’s a philosophy that has driven the firm since the very beginning. “The company’s ‘Help People’ motto genuinely extends to our agent partners,” says company Founder & CEO J.B. Goodwin. “We make it a priority to not only listen keenly to our agents’ opinions and needs, but to take the steps necessary to implement the best of their ideas and to fulfill those needs.”

This commitment to agents was underscored in pandemic times, Zavaleta explains. “As with many organizations, we adapted a number of our practices during the pandemic, and found that not only did that lead to quite a bit of agent success during that period, it served to establish new ways of doing business that are part of the norm now.”

Central to a winning culture is a communication philosophy that goes beyond the norm. “Our channels of team communication include all the common methods, but what I think sets us apart is the level to which we’re both open and strategic with our communication,” explains Zavaleta. “We make sure our team members are very aware of what’s going on in the company, and by doing so, we generate a lot of conversations and a lot of innovations.”

A Community-Focused Commitment With a consistent focus on the communities it serves, JBGoodwin REALTORS® has expanded its peoplecentric culture to well beyond the business realm. Through the company’s charitable arm, JBGiving, agents are able to play a more fulfilling role in the areas they serve while taking part in important businessdevelopment efforts.

“We support and volunteer with a number of local organizations, and though not exclusively, they are often ones associated with housing and homelessness,” says JBGoodwin REALTORS® San Antonio Division President Erin Cestero. “We take part in consistent Habitat for Humanity builds and volunteer with other organizations that advocate for and support the formerly homeless, as well as those simply seeking an affordable place to live.”

“We believe it’s tremendously important to give back to the communities we live and work in,” says Goodwin. “During a time when real estate has been a particularly robust industry, those of us fortunate to be in this business want to pay some of that success back by serving others.

Giving back to the community—the community we work in, the community we’re successful in—is a very big part of the JBGoodwin culture.”

And in a somewhat post-pandemic world, the company’s live efforts

A JBGoodwin Austin agent volunteers at a community for the formerly homeless.

in the community are back in full swing. “As the world has opened back up over the past year, our folks have been happy to get out there and interact with the community in ways they were less able to during the height of the pandemic,” says Zavaleta.

Culture Drives Growth As the saying goes, it starts at the top, and the culture that has driven JBGoodwin REALTORS®’ success over the span of 50 years begins with the company founder himself.

“J.B. has always placed a premium on everything from work-life balance to creating an atmosphere where work isn’t something one just does to pay the bills, but is a meaningful experience that team members can look forward to each day,” says Cestero. “His day-to-day involvement in the organization and openness to communicating with all members of our large team really drives a sense of inclusion with all of our agents and staff. J.B. also understands the importance of team and social events that help create familiarity and camaraderie.”

The culture that Goodwin spearheads has been central to the firm’s expansion over the years as well.

“As we’ve grown in size and hired

more and more agents, company culture has become both more important and more challenging,” says Zavaleta. “There’s extra effort that goes into maintaining culture across nearly 900 agents in multiple markets, and we’re proud of the success we’ve had in doing so.”

Culture has a big impact on the company’s recruiting and retention efforts as well, offering real estate professionals the best of both worlds: a profitable career and a supportive work family.

“Our company culture plays a huge role in both the retention of our current agent partners, as well as in recruiting new team members,” says Goodwin. “The competition for talent never ends in real estate, so our many efforts, distinctions and awards help us attract top people, while also solidifying our brand as a place where people want to work, spend their time and simply belong.” RE For more information, please visit jbgoodwin.com.

Maria Patterson is RISMedia’s executive editor.

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TRENDS & ISSUES The data we examined showed a “healthy” average adoption rate of over 61%. If we only counted active agents, that number would be much closer to 100%.

The general assumption is that agent adoption of real estate technology can never be 100%...or can it?

Automation and AI as the Game Changers

Is 100% Adoption of Agent Technology Possible?

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Commentary by Michael Minard

or most brokers, real estate agent adoption of technology is an ongoing struggle—and that’s putting it mildly. Can a brokerage ever get to 100% technology adoption? If you examine survey data, it’s unlikely.

According to recent research from the National Association of REALTORS®, nearly half of all REALTORS® (45%) only use a CRM, at most, a few times a month. More alarmingly: one in four never use one.

Yet most successful real estate agents build their business on referrals; therefore, a CRM should be a crucial part of every agent’s tech toolbox.

We dug a little deeper into agent technology adoption, studying adoption data over the past year from 12 brokerages with nearly 12,000 total agents.

What first jumps out from the data is that there are two kinds of brokerages: those that use technology to check a box versus those that embrace technology and make it part of the culture. Adoption rates vary sig66 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

nificantly by each brokerage type.

Some brokerages remarkably have over 80% of their agents regularly using their tech systems, while others hover below 40%.

Some industry experts have suggested that as low as 20% can be an excellent adoption rate, because measuring agent tech adoption at all can be tricky.

For example, a WAV Group study from several years ago, which surveyed some 150 MLSs representing nearly 335,000 REALTORS®, found that only 60% of their REALTORS® were active users of their MLS; 40% had not logged into their MLS for the past six months.

When measuring agent adoption of technology, should you be looking at all agents or all active agents? It makes a huge difference.

Two things could change everything when it comes to agent tech adoption: automation and artificial intelligence (AI).

When real estate technology fully automates the marketing materials it creates for every listing and every agent, that’s about as close as anyone will get to 100% adoption.

By harnessing the power of AI and marrying it to automation, you lock in adoption. For example, our AI-driven newsletter automatically tracks what type of content engages each customer and delivers more of that kind of content to meet their interests. It moves reluctant agents and can significantly increase adoption.

Giving consumers more of what they want makes agents brilliant marketers. Seller Reports emails have an average open rate of 63%, while customer-for-life email campaigns have a 59% click-through rate. Both numbers far exceed industry standards.

Can automation and AI be the way to get 100% tech adoption by agents? We do know it certainly will move the needle much higher as they learn how it can make their clients happy. RE

Michael Minard is CEO and owner of Delta Media Group, a leading and trusted technology partner for many of real estate’s top brands, and 100% family-owned and operated.

TRENDS & ISSUES ing mindfulness and self-care in your own life, you’ll be better equipped to help clients navigate the ups and downs of the market.

Reframing the Client Experience

Mindfulness may help you reframe the client experience, preparing clients for potential roadblocks ahead of time.

Consider the following situations:

Mindfulness as a Strategy for Your Real Estate Business Commentary by Nishika Green

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eal estate professionals understand the importance of support, but support comes in many forms. Often overlooked in the industry, mindfulness and self-care may seem like buzzwords with no real purpose in any agent’s professional life. But focusing on your own wellbeing can help you better serve your clients and your business.

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a practice that allows you to focus on the present moment, reducing stress and decreasing burnout. These methods come in many forms, all centered around one thing: dedicating time to your wellbeing.

They can be a powerful tool for agents looking for improved worklife balance—which, in turn, can support professional development.

Mindfulness Matters

The “always-on” lifestyle of a real estate agent can make it difficult to disconnect from work. Being stressed takes a toll on your productivity, and in a high-pressure field like real estate, stress is a near guarantee for many.

Consider the oxygen mask analogy: You should put the mask on yourself first before assisting others. As an agent, it can feel necessary to put personal matters and relationships on the back burner and prioritize business needs. But the benefits to mindfulness are clear, with studies showing that mindfulness meditation can improve cognitive function in as little as two weeks. Implementing these practices into your business strategy is likely one of the simplest forms of professional development available.

The practice of mindfulness allows you to replenish your own emotional reserves so that you can handle transactions with empathy and understanding. If you’re focused on promot-

•A buyer is worried about lack of inventory and increased competition.

By walking your client through the situations they’re likely to encounter and discussing strategies before issues arise, your client will be better prepared when hiccups do occur, and better suited to approach issues with insight and clarity.

•Delicately relaying information to sellers can feel like a personal critique rather than professional insight.

Being upfront in an intentionally positive manner is beneficial for clients, and understanding that emotional responses from them are not an attack on your abilities as an agent, are two ways mindfulness supports the selling process.

If you’re searching for a new professional development resource, consider adding mindfulness or self-care practices to your list. In partnership with the right brokerage support and professional development opportunities, mindfulness practices can set you on the path toward the business you want and deserve. RE Nishika Green is the broker for the HomeSmart brokerages across Maine and the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia) region. She was named to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 30 Under 30 list in 2002, and has hands-on industry experience including everything from training agents to supporting top producers to being a broker/owner of her own business.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 67

TRENDS & ISSUES home they have worked so hard for, and that you are working so hard to help them buy. In a breakneck market like this, you need sophisticated tools that make your life easier and give you better market data to make quick decisions.

A Complex Market Requires More Sophisticated Tools

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Commentary by Brien McMahon

ach June, as we celebrate National Homeownership Month, it gives us a chance to reflect on the importance of homeownership and the role that real estate agents serve in making the American Dream of homeownership a reality for their clients. Homeownership is deeply ingrained in our culture as a symbol of success and financial stability that most Americans aspire to achieve.

But in today’s challenging market, low supply, tough competition, high prices and now, higher mortgage rates, are making that dream more elusive than it has been in generations. The struggle is especially acute for first-time homebuyers trying to enter the market who don’t have the benefit of home equity to invest in their next purchase.

It is, without a doubt, one of the most difficult times in history to be a firsttime homebuyer.

It is also one of the most difficult times to be a real estate agent. For a buyer’s agent, this market is a brutal battleground. Houses are flying off the market at an all-time record pace.

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In January, the average home was on the market for just 61 days, a historic low, according to a realtor.com® report. That puts immense pressure on agents to show their clients a home the moment it comes on the market and submit an offer as quickly as possible. And with stiff competition for every home, it can be demoralizing for buyers and agents alike.

As the expert, your buyers look to you for all the answers: Should we increase our budget? Will things be easier in the fall? Are we crazy to offer so much for this house? Your knowledge of the evolving market is essential to help your buyer secure the

In January, the average home was on the market for just 61 days, a historic low, according to a realtor.com® report.

That’s why homegenius is investing in emerging technologies like geniusprice technology—a property intelligence platform leveraging advanced technology and the latest developments in data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to give agents deeper, more personalized insights to help their buyers navigate this complex market. Visit homegenius.com to learn more about the homegenius ecosystem and tools that can bring powerful analytics to living room conversations with your clients. RE As senior executive vice president, chief franchise officer and co-head of real estate, Brien McMahon leads the sales and customer experience strategies for Radian and homegenius. McMahon has over 25 years of experience leading sales, training and administration teams for multiple premier real estate brands.

TRENDS & ISSUES indicating movement toward larger homes and more space to accommodate friends and family, as well as remote work.

To better serve this fast-growing demographic, Fathom has created a Hispanic division. Fathom will be investing in this amazing and dynamic community in several ways: • Helping the community better understand how to buy, sell and invest in real estate through education as a foundational wealth and legacy strategy.

Committed to Serving the Hispanic Community Commentary by Flavio Jimenez

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ight now, you’re probably missing out on the most significant opportunity in real estate. According to a recent report by the Urban Institute, Hispanic homebuyers are poised to become a leading force in the U.S. housing market. By 2040, it is expected that 70% of all new homebuyers will be Hispanic.

Understanding how the Hispanic market differs from other sectors is crucial.

Hispanics are the fastest-growing U.S. demographic, accounting for 51.1% of total population growth between 2010 and 2020. Additionally, from 2017 to 2018, 11.1% of homebuyers were Hispanic, increasing to 12.1% between 2020 and 2021.

According to realtor.com®’s 2021 Hispanic Real Estate Profile, here’s what you should know about the Hispanic homebuyer: • Hispanic buyers made up 12.1% of all homebuyers between July 2020 and June 2021.

• Between 1990 and 2019, Hispanic women increased their homeownership rate by 15.3 percentage

points, while the homeownership rate for Hispanic men increased only 3.2 percentage points.

• Between July 2017 and June 2018, female buyers made up 30.3% of Hispanic homebuyers. The share jumped to 33% between July 2020 and June 2021.

• Among Hispanic homebuyers, millennials are the fastest-growing generation.

• Hispanic homebuyers seek to be near family, and the vast majority take the opinions of family and friends into account when evaluating homes.

• Hispanic potential sellers are more likely to live in urban areas, while recent Hispanic buyers tended to choose homes in suburban areas,

• Providing multiple scholarships each year to those in the Hispanic community seeking their real estate license and wishing to give back to their communities. According to the 2021 National Association of REALTORS®’ Member Profile, Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 9% of REALTORS®. That number needs to increase.

• Developing our Spanish-speaking operations to better support this initiative through our real estate, mortgage, title, insurance and technology companies.

• Creating print and digital resources and technology tools in Spanish to help members of this vital community better understand the process and remove many of the barriers they currently experience.

To learn more about our Hispanic division, visit https://fathomcareers.com/espanol. RE Flavio Jimenez, Fathom Realty’s vice president for business development, Hispanic Markets, has over 20 years of experience as a managing broker and mortgage professional serving the Las Vegas market.

Jimenez hosts live seminars for Hispanic real estate investors and The Flavio Jimenez Show on 1460 AM Deportes Vegas.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 69

TRENDS & ISSUES closing deals, but moving forward, our CRM tools, email and print marketing materials and methods for predicting upcoming listings are going to have to change or be upgraded.

We will also have access to different types of tools that ensure authenticity and protect private information. Clients will be less tolerant of filling out a form so that their contact information can be collected and sold to bidders, and their expectations around the security of the paperwork we send back and forth is going to become much stricter.

The digital Web 3.0: The Next Big Thing universe will become one Commentary by Allen Alishahi that is more urrent conversations about how the digital landscape is shifting almost always include a reference to Web 3.0. decentralized, Sometimes referred to as web3, this is the term used to describe what many consider to be the next phase of how we more secure are going to exist online. It specifically captures the idea that the and more digital universe will become one that is more decentralized, more secure and more private. private.

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Of course, there is plenty of debate about whether or not this is true, but if we assume that there will be at least some growth in that direction, now is the time for the real estate industry to ensure that it’s prepared. Thankfully, we’re an industry that has a lot of these concepts built into our way of doing business, therefore, it will simply become a matter of embracing them in a digital incarnation.

From how we buy and sell goods and work at our jobs, to how we manage our finances and interact with friends, the expectation is that online activity will move away from being dominated by a handful of big tech companies that store hundreds of data points about user behavior to

70 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

a world where people’s online activity can be more anonymous. When a higher-stakes purchase or transaction is involved, there will be much more due diligence about proving the individual’s identity. The flow of documents that accompanies each transaction is also going to be subject to higher-grade authentication since it’s much too easy to tamper with documents and pass them off as originals in the world in which we live.

To succeed in web3, real estate professionals must have a strong infrastructure in place to keep up with changing expectations. Up until now, infrastructure typically referred to what it takes to manage everything to do with marketing, networking and

The good news is that real estate professionals possess the training to succeed within this new environment.

We know how to cater to individual personalities, and with a broader array of platforms coming into existence, we will be adept at using our skills to adapt to the different flavors of each one. We’ve been ready for web3 before the idea even existed.

RE

Allen Alishahi is president of ShelterZoom, the technology company behind DocuWalk. For more information, please visit www.docuwalk.com.

Craft Your Career From Pre-Approval to Sale We’ve got you covered with real estate, mortgage, or home inspection education, whether you want to launch a new career or give your business a boost.

To learn more about our professional education offerings, visit

TheCEShop.com/RIS-Media

TRENDS & ISSUES In the years that follow, relationship fatigue begins to set in. Homeowners often complete major home renovations without any input from their real estate partner. Before long, the agent has completely lost relevance with the client.

While the U.S. housing market has boomed over the past two years, client retention hasn’t, with just 12% of homeowners using the same agent again.

Delivering Value Throughout Every Phase of the Homeownership Journey

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Commentary by Venkatesh Ganapathy

hile the U.S. housing market has boomed over the past two years, client retention hasn’t, with just 12% of homeowners using the same agent again. The way people research, buy and sell homes has also changed—with many millennials buying their homes almost entirely online.

To keep up with the rapid changes in today’s hyper-competitive market, real estate agents have adopted a wide range of new technologies and strategies to help clients through the buying process, from real-time home valuation tools to 360-degree video and virtual home tours. But here’s the catch: These digital tools are now almost universally used by every real estate firm.

To truly stand out, real estate agents need to deliver value to clients throughout the entire homeownership journey, long after they’ve left the closing table. This requires anticipating clients’ needs across every phase of homeownership to make their lives easier and save them money.

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Solving this challenge is the reason we founded MoveEasy and introduced our new homeowner dashboard, empowering real estate partners to offer clients timely reminders and exclusive savings on home improvements and service providers across a myriad of categories.

Following their initial move, many homeowners need help setting up their internet and cable, as well as securing their home insurance and home warranty. Some real estate firms provide clients with a concierge service or local vendor list to help with these services, but not all approaches are created equal. As the months pass, the vast majority of agents begin to lose touch with their past client base.

With the rise of smart home and real-time data, all of this is changing.

The ability for agents to deliver consistent long-term value to past clients and their entire network is now possible with the right platform, regardless of how long that client or prospect has owned their home.

Available on a white-label basis to real estate firms, MoveEasy’s dashboard will automatically surface relevant offers and discounts for clients for any home improvement they have underway. In addition, using contextual insights available through the platform, agents can present exclusive discounts on related services.

For example, if a client is installing a new roof or home security system, the platform will automatically surface discounts on home insurance.

By providing clients with a one-stop shop for all services involved in homeownership, and surfacing relevant discounts and savings in the moment, agents can truly stand out and stay top of mind—drastically increasing loyalty and referrals. RE Venkatesh Ganapathy is CEO and cofounder of MoveEasy, a national, full-service homeowner concierge platform designed to help the 130 million homeowners in the U.S. with all of their moving and home management needs.

For more information, visit www.moveeasy.com/ real-estate.

TRENDS & ISSUES A spokesperson for the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) told RISMedia via email that it will be gathering feedback from members in order to respond to the proposal, but that the organization “of course supports the modernization of CRA.”

Fed Proposes Major Update to Fair Lending Law

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By Jesse Williams

he Federal Reserve is proposing changes to a landmark fair housing law—the Community Reinvestment Act, or CRA— attempting to “strengthen and modernize” regulations around how big banks and lenders serve low-income neighborhoods and predominantly non-white communities.

Applying mostly to larger banks, the new framework updates assessment areas and specifically addresses new technologies like mobile banking in an attempt to better curb discriminatory practices, which have persisted despite landmark fair housing laws passed more than half a century ago.

“Today’s proposal seeks to expand access to credit, investment and banking services in communities,” said Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard in a statement. “It evaluates bank engagement across geographies and activities in order to ensure the CRA is effective in supporting a robust and inclusive financial services industry.”

The proposed changes, which can be viewed in full on the Fed’s website, are only a proposed draft and

could be modified between now and August 5, as the Fed seeks comments and feedback.

Among many other changes, the proposal would create new “retail lending assessment areas” to analyze areas where banks have a significant presence without any physical locations. Larger banks ($2 billion or more in assets) would likely have more scrutiny applied to their practices, with up to four different testing frameworks to ensure they are effectively meeting the needs of underserved communities. The proposal also expands and clarifies what counts as a “qualifying activity” as far as affordable housing, economic development and initiatives intended to revitalize lower-income areas.

The new framework updates assessment areas and specifically addresses new technologies like mobile banking in an attempt to better curb discriminatory practices.

In a letter last year addressed to the Department of the Treasury, when CRA changes were initially being discussed, MBA SVP Pete Mills said the organization broadly supports the goal to “make the CRA framework more objective, transparent, consistent in application and reflective of changes in banking.”

The letter also lays out a list of priorities, mostly around the definitions of “qualifying activities,” notably urging that the CRA consider both subsidized and unsubsidized multi-family housing to help address a shortage of affordable workplace housing in many communities. RE For more information, please visit www.federalreserve.gov.

Jesse Williams is an associate online editor at RISMedia. Email your real estate news ideas to him at jwilliams@rismedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 73

TRENDS & ISSUES

Pre-listing inspections are most valued for the stress they relieve.

How Pre-Listing Home Inspections Benefit You and Your Clients

A

Commentary by Dan Steward

pre-listing home inspection is an excellent way to get ahead of the game in this or any other market, and our home inspectors encourage sellers because they put them in a strong position. Even in today’s hot market, it makes sense for a seller to do a pre-listing home inspection, especially in light of the horror stories being shared by buyers who waived home inspections in the hopes of getting to the head of the line in the competition for a home.

A pre-listing home inspection is also an excellent way for the seller to evaluate their home and do some minor repairs before crowds of prospective buyers begin pouring in. No matter the market, the seller will want their home to present beautifully in order to attract top dollar, multiple offers and a quick, uneventful close.

74 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

By choosing to fix a loose wire, a leaky faucet and other minor but noticeable items before showings are even scheduled, the seller will face fewer obstacles and fewer questions back and forth from one agent to another to deal with these smaller issues.

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors®

has always advocated for pre-listing home inspections, but never more so than now in such a hot seller’s market. If you choose to do a pre-listing inspection, put the report out on the table when buyers come through during an open house or showing.

Check off things that you’ve fixed and provide receipts of service on areas of concern. You’ll likely hear a big sigh of relief from prospective buyers, and as the seller or seller’s agent, you’ll feel a measure of relief as well. Taking the time to eliminate a part of the process that’s likely to become a major issue will go a long way toward showing both agents and their clients that the home has been cared for and well-maintained.

Pre-listing inspections are most valued for the stress they relieve. Both buyer and seller can rest assured that the home they both love has been cared for and that there will be few, if any, negative surprises once the beloved home has changed hands. RE Dan Steward is president and CEO of Pillar To Post Home Inspectors USA and has been lauded as an RISMedia Newsmaker (2019 - 2022). Pillar To Post Home Inspectors has been named No. 1 in category for nine years in a row on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500® prestigious list ranking top franchise companies. For more information, visit www.pillartopost.com.

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BROKER STRATEGIES What major changes have you witnessed over the course of your real estate career? Involvement in the industry has afforded me the opportunity to not only witness change, but direct that change. With 33 years of experience, client representation has evolved significantly since I got my license, including the inception and evolution of buyer representation. Through participation in the National Association of REALTORS®’ Board of Directors, I have been part of national conversations surrounding our REALTOR® Code of Ethics as it relates to fair housing as well as protections for practitioners. An early adopter of the team concept, I was engaged in the evolution of local laws surrounding best practices in ensuring consumer protection while encouraging and supporting the professional growth of team practitioners. I encourage all REALTORS® to become involved locally, statewide and/or nationally, and to be the change they wish to see in this industry. deTonnancourt

Staying Ahead of the Change Dean A. deTonnancourt

President and CEO HomeSmart Professionals Real Estate Warwick, Rhode Island homesmart.com/real-estate-office/rhode-island/ warwick/33-homesmart-professionals-real-estate Region served: Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut Years in real estate: 33 Number of offices: 3 Number of agents: 240 Who has most influenced your success? Prior to owning my own brokerages, I was fortunate to be affiliated with incredibly respected brokers who encouraged me to not only seek opportunity, but to create the determination needed to act upon it.

What do you like most about the region in which you work? Born and raised in Rhode Island, I appreciate the four seasons that we enjoy here in New England. With almost 400 miles of coastline, Rhode Island offers fantastic purchase opportunities for primary and second-home buyers alike. Even if someone doesn’t wish to live near the water, most water access points can be enjoyed within a 30 minute drive.

76 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

What is your top strategy for closing a transaction? Representing the best interests of the client and ensuring proper communication between all parties will always be a minimum standard in ensuring a successful closing.

How does being affiliated with HomeSmart allow you to stay ahead of the competition? At HomeSmart Professionals, we recognize our associates as business partners who are all working within a collaborative environment built upon a foundation of mutual respect and support. This collaboration and support—along with technology, tools and education—ultimately leads to unlimited success in the marketplace. In a technology-driven marketplace, our associates need as many tech advantages as possible in order to ensure individual success, and HomeSmart’s emphasis on cutting-edge technology is a true advantage for our agents. Having opened our doors in 2014, we’re proud to have been HomeSmart International’s first East Coast location.

How does your company encourage individual growth within the brokerage? Our associates make our company what it is today. Not only are we recognized as a company for sales success in the marketplace, but our associates are also highly regarded by both the consumer and their REALTOR® colleagues. Our mission statement, “To empower our business family to succeed both personally and professionally,” is not simply a tagline, but rather, a belief system. We recognize our associates’ accomplishments at every opportunity and provide the tools, education and overall support needed to thrive in an everevolving industry. RE For more information, please visit www.homesmart.com.

-Joey Macari

BROKER STRATEGIES

Joining Forces to Reach New Heights Carol Drake

Managing Broker United Real Estate Houston www.UnitedRealEstateHouston.com

Rick Rogers Drake

Rogers

Co-Founder and Recruiter Texas United Realty www.TexasUnitedRealty.com Region served: Greater Houston Years in real estate: Carol: 22; Rick: 17 Number of combined offices: 3 Number of combined agents: 1,150

United Real Estate Houston and Texas United Realty officially announced their merger this past January. In what ways will combining the strengths of your organizations benefit your agents?

Carol Drake: Having joined United Real Estate three years ago, and witnessing the growth of Texas United Realty, it became clear that our companies were on the same growth path. The differentiator for us as a transactionbased company has long been our technology, marketing and education services. Putting those benefits to work for Texas United allows us to build on what Rick Rogers and his mom Jeannie have created. We have found that this created synergy and accelerated our growth while benefiting our agents. Our agents have a very high level of commitment to their work, and making sure they get these services has been a big part of their success since the merger. Together, we’re committed to bringing our cloud-based technology to the forefront and providing our agents a very strong workflow and the business development platform they need to compete and succeed.

How are the combined operations of United Real Estate Houston and Texas United Realty a competitive advantage? What will be the impact on your recruiting and retention efforts?

CD: In Houston, there are over 35,000 agents and 5,124 registered brokerages. When agents consider which bro-

kerage to join, they’re interested in the company’s training and overall production. Our combined offices are ranked within the top 15 in a variety of categories. This size and scope have brought us to a new level of competitiveness and awareness in our market. As more of our signs are placed in yards, it continues to raise awareness of who we are and is bringing us more listings, more sales and more agents. This addition has really helped with our ability to attract great agents, and that always helps build momentum for growth. However large we get, we’ll never lose that small-office culture or highly personalized service and excellence to our agents and clients.

Rick, what were the most important considerations for merging with United Real Estate?

Rick Rogers: Having spent over a decade building the company, mom and I began considering what new tools agents want and need. While we had a great compensation plan, we felt like we were lacking in the technology department, so we made it our goal to have better technology than our competitors. It was at this time that we met Dan Duffy and Rick Haase and were introduced to United Real Estate’s Bullseye™ platform, and we took a very hard look at what United was offering. It didn’t take long to determine they were an excellent fit. Not only were they going to give agents the tech services they needed to excel and grow, but they were also a transaction feebased company like us, with an affordable fee structure that allowed agents to take advantage of those tools.

Rick, you and your mother built Texas United to become one of the leading brokerages in Houston. How did you accomplish this?

RR: It wasn’t a fast process, but when we realized that we needed to double down on growing the company, we decided that if we wanted to reach our goals, we needed to focus on recruiting. With so much competition in the market, we knew we had to get our name out there, and we decided to do that by advertising and creating a mentorship program. We didn’t want to bring agents into the company and see them leave within the first few years, so we focused on creating a program to guide agents through the early part of their careers. This set the stage for those who were interested in pursuing a real estate career to do the things necessary to be successful. Choosing to put a mentorship program into place was one of the best choices we made, as it allows new agents to have direct access to a mentor.

How does the mentorship program help you recruit, develop and retain agents? And how do mentors and agents benefit?

RR: The mentorship program is only as good as the menRISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 77

BROKER STRATEGIES tors. They’re the magic piece of the puzzle, so finding the right mentors is very important. While our mentors benefit by being paid extremely well, money isn’t the only factor.

They need to have the right character, personality and desire to help newer agents. Mentors make themselves available to their mentees anytime they are needed, including evenings and weekends. This gives new agents the confidence to go out and start talking to potential clients with the assurance that their mentor will help them from start to finish with their transactions. It also allows us to spend more time on the strategic needs of the company, and that helps us attract more agents along the way, too.

Carol, you have an extensive background in the business. What has it been like to be part of United Real Estate’s senior management team?

CD: Becoming part of the leadership team and having the responsibility and autonomy to operate in the Greater Houston market provided the opportunity to understand more deeply what was driving the company. I was also able to see the home office team’s passion and vision for where the company was headed. Coming into this organization has been a privilege, and I’m blessed that I have been able to affiliate with this group. Continuing to

“Bringing Carol Drake, Rick and Jeannie Rogers (Texas United Realty co-founders) together with Fernando Loera, Amy, Elicia, Shelley, Avery and our cast of mentors in support of our 1,000-plus agents creates the dream team and is the perfect recipe for success.”

-RICK HAASE President, United Real Estate

build the company through mergers and other key partnerships shows the attractiveness of United Real Estate as a whole. RE For more information, please visit www.GrowWithUnited.com.

-Paige Tepping

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TEAM TALK

Barbara Pronin: That’s a huge commitment, Josh, and we’ll get to the details, but can we start with a little more about your team?

Josh Dotoli: Sure. We are a closeknit team of 11 people, seven of us directly assisting buyers, sellers, investors and leasing clients, and four involved full-time with administration, marketing and client support.

The Dotoli Group

Giving Back: A Priority for Florida Team

By Barbara Pronin

B

y the time he graduated from the University of Florida at Tampa, Josh Dotoli knew he was an entrepreneur at heart. Having worked with a mentor who managed and rehabbed properties, he believed real estate was his calling, and he quickly proved the point in his first successful year with a boutique firm in Fort Lauderdale.

Recruited four years ago top-selling real estate

by Compass Real Estate teams in South Florida, after six successful years with $150 million in with another high-end sales and 100 closed company, he and his wife, transactions in 2021 Dayana, whom he met in and a team-wide passion for supporting the the industry, decided to communities they serve. combine their skills in a Dotoli First on the docket is concerted drive to grow a partnership with Habitat for Huand scale their business.

Today, the Dotoli Group, a data- manity of Broward County and a driven, Compass-affiliated team commitment to fund and build a new that has grown to 11, is one of the home for a local family in need.

80 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

BP: With that large of a team, communication is paramount.

How do you handle that?

JD: I’m in contact daily with all my employees, and weekly with the whole team. We have a loyal and collaborative culture, which not only helps us stay productive, but also ensures that our clients can be offered 24/7 support. In this industry, you have to be ‘on’ all the time, and you can sometimes feel a little isolated.

Working together and having each other’s backs means that each of us can have a life of our own, knowing that someone is always there for our clients.

BP: What is it, do you think, that differentiates Dotoli Group from the competition?

JD: A couple of things, I think. First, we are all experienced upmarket professionals, each of us dedicated to consummate client care. Our clients see us not as salespeople, but as trusted real estate advisors, and we’re proud that the lion’s share of the business we do comes to us from repeat clients and referrals. Compass is an elite brokerage, and a leading brokerage in Broward County, so we have many fine resources and a proud reputation behind us.

BP: As your team evolves, Josh, is your role as leader evolving, too?

JD: To some extent, yes. With a fully functional team working at peak, I’m

TEAM TALK

“We know how important homeownership is to every family’s future—and Habitat of Broward helps hardworking families achieve that American Dream.”

-JOSH DOTOLI Co-Founder, The Dotoli Group

able to do some coaching and mentoring now, which is something I really enjoy. It meant a lot to me when I was starting out, and I’m glad to be able to take on that role. I also have a bit more time to strategize and go after new ways to build our business and keep an eye out for investment opportunities.

BP: So, why did you decide to put your support behind Habitat for Humanity of Broward County?

JD: I love this community. It’s where we live, where we’re raising our family, where we are proud to serve a real estate clientele. We know how important homeownership is to every family’s future—and Habitat of Broward helps hard-working families achieve that American Dream. They provide a hand up, not a hand out, to families who are willing to roll up their sleeves and work with volunteers to build the home from the ground up— and earn a 0% mortgage once they take some financial and life skills training. That’s a concept we really applaud, and we can’t think of a better way to give back.

One of the Dotoli Team’s stunning Florida listings: 2523 Laguna Terrace in Fort Lauderdale.

BP: What’s the extent of your team’s involvement?

JD: We are making a donation in honor of every client we serve in 2022, but we are also ready to roll up our own sleeves and get out the hammer and nails when it’s time to get the build underway. The finished product, which we hope to complete by the end of Q4, will be a single-story, three-bedroom, two-bathroom home, about 1,300 square feet, in a community with two parks and 76 townhouses, on nine acres of land. There will be a public ribbon-cutting ceremony honoring the chosen Broward family when the home is ready for move-in.

BP: That’s an awesome project.

Congratulations!

JD: Thanks. We’re happy to be a part of it.

BP: And the team, Josh? Are you looking to expand going forward?

JD: Not immediately. We set a high bar, but you know there’s always room for the right people. RE For more information, please visit JoshDotoliGroup.com.

Barbara Pronin is a contributing editor to RISMedia.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 81

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TEAM TALK wasn’t able to set boundaries in her life, real estate might become the only thing in her life. “I was producing,” she says. “But I wasn’t running my business as a business, and it was taking a toll on me and my family.” Her two young daughters wouldn’t be young forever, and they were her priority.

“In our business, the more you work, the more work you have to do.”

Setting Boundaries to Achieve Success, Professionally and Personally

By Verl Workman

R

eal estate is an amazing industry, isn’t it? It gives people the opportunity to build the lives they’ve always dreamed of while creating a positive impact on their community. But we’d be kidding ourselves if we believe that it’s always wine and roses.

The fact is, those in real estate—like she was named one of RE/MAX’s any entrepreneur—run the risk of be- Top 40 Under 40. ing consumed by their work. Regard“I was working all the time, and less of the particular cause, being I loved it. [But] it’s addicting, and in controlled by work is never a sustain- our business, the more you work, the able way to live—and, more often more work you have to do.” As she than not, it results in needless strain on met other top producers from around relationships, families and business. the country, many were shocked I’d like you to meet Ashley Alred. that she was able to do it all herself.

She and her team currently She remembers them asking serve the Pullman, Washquestions like, “What kind of ington, and Moscow, Idaho, life is that?” and whether she areas 75 miles south of Spoactually loved her husband. kane. She is a self-professed “I was like, ‘Well, yeah, “small-town girl,” but that why would you ask that?’ To hasn’t stopped her from findwhich they responded, ‘Then Alred ing widespread success in stop living at work!’” real estate. Her competitive nature These comments helped set off a and strong work ethic translate to 80- lightbulb. While Ashley loved being plus transactions a year, and in 2021, in real estate, she realized that if she

-ASHLEY ALRED Team Leader/Associate, RE/MAX Home and Land

Anyone who’s spent any time in real estate can relate to this predicament. Many agents assume they either have to step away from their business or risk further stress to their families, but Ashley found another solution: coaching. By working with a coach to not only set boundaries around what’s most important, but also establish a team to support her, Ashley feels like she’s found the best of both worlds.

“I have time to breathe and to put me and my family first,” she says.

“You have to have a life, and you can be successful in both the professional and personal.”

Real estate is an amazing industry.

By setting boundaries around what’s important to you, it’s possible to create the life you want, complete with a career in real estate without major sacrifices. RE Verl Workman is the founder and CEO of Workman Success Systems (385-2827112), an international speaking, consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and building successful power agents and teams. Contact him at Verl@WorkmanSuccessSystems.com, or go to www.WorkmanSuccess.com to learn more.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 83

SERVICE PROFILES

Index of Preferred Providers

The leading companies providing services to the real estate and relocation industries

ABR®....................................................................................85

HSASM Home Warranty...................................................... 87

Amarki.................................................................................85

Lamacchia Realty................................................................ 87

American Home Shield .....................................................85

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®.................. 87

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices...................................85

McKissock Learning............................................................ 87

BoomTown..........................................................................85

MyOutDesk Virtual Assistants............................................ 87

Buffini & Company..............................................................85

NAGLREP (National Association of Gay & Lesbian

Buyside................................................................................85

Real Estate Professionals)................................................... 87

The CE Shop........................................................................85

National Association of REALTORS®.................................88

Century 21 Real Estate LLC.................................................85

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors®..........................................88

Cinch Home Services..........................................................85

Propertybase......................................................................88

Colibri Real Estate..............................................................86

Real Estate Webmasters.....................................................88

Constellation1.....................................................................86

Realtors Property Resource®..............................................88

The Corcoran Group...........................................................86

Realty ONE Group.............................................................88

CoreLogic............................................................................86

REBAC.................................................................................88

®

Center for REALTOR Development (CRD)........................86

RE/MAX, LLC.....................................................................88

CRS Data.............................................................................86

Residential Real Estate Council..........................................88

Crush It In Real Estate.........................................................86

Rocket Mortgage................................................................88

Curbio.................................................................................86

Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting.............................. 89

Darryl Davis Seminars........................................................86

United Real Estate............................................................... 89

Delta Media Group............................................................86

Updater............................................................................... 89

Elm Street............................................................................ 87

Weichert Family of Companies.......................................... 89

Fathom Realty..................................................................... 87

Workman Success Systems................................................. 89

Homes.com......................................................................... 87

zavvie.................................................................................. 89

®

HomeSmart International................................................... 87

RREIN Service Providers Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate.......................................................................... 89

Kinlin Grover Real Estate....................................................90

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty........... 89

Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty..............90

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties...... 90

McCOLLY Real Estate......................................................... 91

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Jordan Baris Realty.....90

Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate.......................................... 91

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties...... 90

Randall, REALTORS®................................................................. 91

CENTURY 21 Award...........................................................90

RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central................................ 91

CENTURY 21 New Millennium...........................................90

RE/MAX Gateway............................................................. 91

Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty.........................90

84 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc............................................90

SERVICE PROFILES ABR® (800) 648-6224 • abr.realtor • Chicago, Illinois • Jennifer Rzeszewski, Vice President of Member Development and Executive Director of CRD

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.

AMARKI (877) 405-0040 • www.amarki.com •Grass Valley, California • Ian Francis, CEO

Amarki was purposely built by real estate experts for brokerages and agents based on years of industry experience and firsthand REALTOR® feedback. We have developed a marketing tool accessible to anyone, no matter your experience or marketing budget.

By providing an intuitive tool that works “for” the agent, Amarki is able to remove the complexity of marketing tasks such as email, social media, text messaging and search and display ads. With Amarki, any digital marketing campaign can be created and deployed with three easy steps in under two minutes.

AMERICAN HOME SHIELD® (800) 735-4663 • www.ahs.com/realestate

American Home Shield founded the home warranty industry more than 45 years ago and remains the industry leader, with more than 1.8 million customers who depend on us every day. We offer not only home warranty plans that help protect against unexpected covered breakdowns of home systems, but we offer services that buyers can take advantage of day one of their contract. Current additional services offered are: rekey service, electronics plan, TV mounting service and pre-season HVAC tune-up service. We’re also leveraging our network of more than 15,000 licensed and qualified contractors to test even more services, like: pest control coverage, house cleaning services, garage door tune-ups, electrician services, and more.

Discover the shield difference—contact your local AHS® Account Manager today by visiting ahs.com/find-rep. ®

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES (800) 666-6634 • www.berkshirehathawayhs.com

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is a global residential real estate brokerage franchise network with more than 50,000 real estate professionals and nearly 1,500 offices across 12 countries, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, The Bahamas and India.

BOOMTOWN (866) 430-1408 • www.BoomTownROI.com Charleston, South Carolina

BoomTown has all the tools, technology and teams you need for real estate success. It’s the only solution that generates and manages your leads, with 300-plus experts at your back. Lead generation, consumerfacing websites, CRM technology, lead management services, and more, come in flexible packages that scale with success. Our mission is to make real estate agents successful, and our service offerings

extend far beyond technology: peer coaching support, lead concierge services to contact, qualify and nurture leads, and dedicated advisors offer personalized support at every step.

BUFFINI & COMPANY (800) 945-3485 • www.buffiniandcompany.com

Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, 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.

BUYSIDE (855) 928-9743, 855-9-BUYSIDE • getbuyside.com Brentwood, Tennessee • sales@getbuyside.com

Buyside is a data analytics and marketing company on a mission to help real estate brokers and lenders profit from their largest untapped asset: data. Buyside aggregates behavior signals generated online, using it to power actionable insights and intelligent marketing tools that help brokers, lenders and other ancillary services capture more homeowners. Our team brings decades of real estate and technology industry expertise. We understand the unique challenges real estate brokers face, and we wake up each day excited to help you conquer them.

THE CE SHOP (888) 827-0777 • www.theceshop.com Greenwood Village, Colorado

Founded in 2005, The CE Shop has become the leading provider of online real estate education through an encyclopedic knowledge of the real estate industry. Our ever-expanding course catalog of pre-licensing, exam prep, post-licensing and continuing education products are trusted throughout the industry and offer agents across the country the education they rely on.

CENTURY 21 REAL ESTATE LLC (877) 221-2765 • www.century21.com • Madison, New Jersey • Michael Miedler, President & CEO

The approximately 148,000 independent sales professionals in over 14,250 spanning 85 countries/territories in the CENTURY 21® System live their mission everyday: to defy mediocrity and deliver extraordinary experiences. By consistently chasing excellence, giving 121% and always elevating, the CENTURY 21 brand is helping its affiliated brokers/agents be the first choice for real estate consumers and industry professionals.

CINCH HOME SERVICES (800) 778-8000 • www.cinchrealestate.com • Boca Raton, Florida

Cinch Home Services is the leading home warranty company that makes it easy for everyone to enjoy their home to the fullest, regardless of whether they own or rent. With over 40 years of proven experience, Cinch uses smart, modern tools and an award-winning customer support network to remove the guesswork around preventing, diagnosing and solving a wide variety of home related issues. The company proudly offers 24/7customer service and the industry’s only 180 day service guarantee. Cinch protects both buyers and sellers from expensive and unexpected repair and replacement costs before, during, and after the sale of the home..

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 85

SERVICE PROFILES COLIBRI REAL ESTATE (844) 701-2946 • http://www.colibrigroup.com

Colibri Real Estate empowers agents and brokers to start or advance their careers by offering real estate’s most comprehensive, flexible learning solutions. As the leading education company for industry professionals, Colibri has helped millions pursue and achieve more in their careers. We’ve done this by providing custom education solutions and recruitment resources to thousands of brokerages, schools, and other organizations. Our service line, unmatched in the industry, includes comprehensive content and curriculum, expert instructors, and robust classroom resources through our family of real estate schools and innovative online learning platform.

CONSTELLATION1 (800) 503-5163 • constellation-1.com • Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Markham, Ontario • sales@constellationreg.com

Constellation1 is an all-in-one brand of award-winning front office, back office and data services for brokerages, franchises and MLSs. Constellation1 simplifies the process of finding and implementing the right real estate technology by providing a portfolio of solutions tailored to the real estate industry. Regardless of a brokerage’s, franchise’s or MLS’ technology needs, Constellation1 is of service, providing industry leading front office sales and marketing tools, including lead generation and relocation management; back office software like accounting, eSignature and transaction management; and extensive IDX feeds and datasets. For more information, visit constellation-1.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

THE CORCORAN GROUP (800) 544-4055 • www.corcoran.com • info@corcoran.com

The Corcoran Group has been a leading residential real estate brand for nearly 50 years. Through its New York City, Hamptons and South Florida brokerages, along with its rapidly growing affiliate network, the firm is home to more than 100 offices and 4,200 independent salespersons in key urban, suburban and resort markets nationwide. Corcoran agents earn and keep their clients’ trust with an unwavering commitment to white-glove service, expertise and integrity. In every market served, Corcoran helps you find the home that’s just right for you. Live who you are®. The Corcoran® brand comprises both offices owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices, which are independently owned and operated.

CORELOGIC Toll-Free: (877) 849-1023 • Local: (949) 214-1000 www.corelogic.com • Media and PR relations: newsmedia@corelogic.com

As a leading provider of gold standard data, analytics and platforms, CoreLogic enables real estate professionals, financial institutions, insurance carriers, government agencies and other housing-market participants to help people make their dream of homeownership a reality.

THE CENTER FOR REALTOR DEVELOPMENT (CRD) ®

(888) 480-2487 • crd.realtor • Chicago, Illinois •Jennifer Rzeszewski, Vice President of Member Development and Executive Director

The Center for REALTOR® Development (CRD) offers designations and certifications, learning pathways, over 100 microcourses, and

86 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

an award-winning podcast. Sharpen your skills and boost your business by investing in yourself. Discover a personalized learning experience today at crd.realtor.

CRS DATA (800) 374-7488 • www.crsdata.com

For more than 30 years, CRS Data has provided a wealth of property tax data through the MLS Tax Suite. This beautiful system integrates seamlessly into your MLS system, offering REALTORS® current tax data, detailed map layers and robust features that are accessible on all browsers and mobile devices. Consistent product enhancements help ensure that the MLS Tax Suite performs as the industry’s leading and most innovative service. We’re proud to provide a personalized customer experience that is unmatched. Learn more by visiting www.crsdata.com.

CRUSH IT IN REAL ESTATE (781) 786-2422 • CrushItInRE.com • Waltham, Massachusetts • info@crushitinre.com

Crush It In Real Estate was started back in November 2017 for the sole purpose of providing quick, easy and actionable tips for agents to grow their business and to give a sneak peek into what our REAL Training & System courses look like. These short, digestible videos highlight the tricks and strategies of these courses in an entertaining way that only Anthony Lamacchia can provide.

CURBIO (844) 944-2629 • https://curbio.com• Potomac, Maryland

Curbio partners with real estate agents and homeowners to deliver a smart and hassle-free home improvement experience designed to get every home on the market and sold fast. Curbio’s turnkey approach, trusted team and all-in-one app allow REALTORS® to confidently take on home improvement projects of all sizes. Trusted by more than 800 brokerages nationwide, Curbio is making real estate move by redefining what the home improvement industry represents: transparency, reliability and speed.

DARRYL DAVIS SEMINARS (800) 395-3905 • www.ThePowerProgram.com

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 sales 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.

DELTA MEDIA GROUP (866) 233-9833 • https://www.deltamediagroup.com North Canton, Ohio •Franklin Stoffer, Vice President of Sales

Delta Media Group is real estate’s only provider of an all-in-one platform, easiest to use CRM, digital marketing tools, superpowered-SEO and website solution that is family-owned and operated. Delta Media is also the king of website lead generation, through its unmatched su-

SERVICE PROFILES perpowered-SEO that leverages custom hyperlocal content creation.

Moreover, Delta Media Group is an early real estate technology innovator, established in 1994, yet offers one of the most advanced and affordable, fully integrated digital and social marketing solutions available to real estate professionals.

ELM STREET elmstreet.com • Frisco, Texas

•hello@elmstreet.com Elm Street offers a growing portfolio of real estate technology and marketing services with the goal of providing one vendor and one point of contact, fully fused into one singular platform—Elevate—to capture and nurture more leads into closed business. Elm Street’s portfolio of products and services allow busy real estate professionals the ability to streamline and automate their marketing and day-to-day business objectives by offering high-end IDX websites, lead generation tools, a powerful CRM, email, social, text and blog marketing automation, recruiting and retention tools, and more. To learn more, please visit ElmStreet.com.

FATHOM REALTY

tem components and appliances in their home. HSASM also offers additional services to help buyers maintain their homes, including rekey service, an electronics plan and pre-season HVAC tune-up service. With HSA Home Warranty, your clients get reliable budget protection backed by exceptional service, and you get a provider who works hard to better serve you. Contact your local HSA Account Manager today by visiting onlinehsa.com.

LAMACCHIA REALTY (855) 510-SOLD (855-510-7653) • www.lamacchiarealty.com Waltham, Massachusetts • Jackie Louh, Jackie@LamacchiaRealty.com, (781) 373-7414

As a full-service, value-based real estate brokerage serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine and Florida, Lamacchia Realty provides cutting-edge tools and systems, and unparalleled training and coaching for REALTORS®, along with innovative and unique programs for buyers and sellers. The company prides itself on helping agents grow their business and, on average, agents who join from other companies grow their business by 318% in their first year. Lamacchia Realty will guide you to your success!

(888) 455-6040 • www.FathomRealty.com • Cary, North Carolina

LEADING REAL ESTATE COMPANIES OF THE WORLD®

Fathom Realty is a national, cloud-based real estate brokerage powered by a proprietary technology platform called IntelliAgent. Agents enjoy a higher net income through Fathom’s 100%-commission, transaction-fee compensation model, allowing them to invest more money into growing their business. Fathom agents also earn stock grants based on their contribution to revenue and company growth. For more information, visit www.fathomcareers.com.

(312) 424-0400 • www.LeadingRE.com

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.homesmart.com • Scottsdale, Arizona • Tori Sokol, Director of Marketing and Communications

Founded in 2000, HomeSmart International is one of the fastest-growing real estate franchisors in the nation, with a mission to lead the industry by providing the highest level of service, support, technology and value to our customers. The company offers franchisees efficiency and innovation coupled with the systems and technologies necessary to succeed in today’s evolving real estate industry.

Its low-fee, high-value 100%-commission brokerage model keeps costs down for its nearly 19,000 agents across 31 states.

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) is an invite-only, business-to-business real estate community, interconnecting top local and regional independent companies in 70 countries across the world. It provides its members with performance-driven assets, like elite training and education, marketing and technology resources, referrals and support. LeadingRE gives its 550 brokerages an edge while making their agents’ lives easier—and ultimately helping them to generate more business, assured by exceptional experience, quality service, and access to people and opportunities worldwide.

MCKISSOCK LEARNING (877) 277-5376 • McKissock.com/real-estate

As part of the Colibri Real Estate family of premier education brands, McKissock Learning has helped hundreds of thousands of real estate professionals achieve sustainable success throughout each stage of their career via continuing education and professional development courses.

MYOUTDESK VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS (800) 583-9950 • www.myoutdesk.com www.myoutdesk.com/contact-us

MyOutDesk is the largest, most trusted and reputable provider of virtual staffing in real estate—having served more than 6,000-plus clients, including as Keller Williams, Coldwell Banker and RE/MAX. MyOutDesk virtual assistants (VAs) allow real estate teams the ability to focus on core activities that drive income and sales—saving our clients over $55 million a year. Focus on dollar-productive tasks without sacrificing your quality of service. Hire a Real Estate VA for up to 70% less than the cost of a traditional, full-time employee.

HSASM HOME WARRANTY

NAGLREP (NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GAY & LESBIAN REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS)

(800) 367-1448 • www.onlinehsa.com HSASM Home Warranty has provided outstanding products and

(561) 865-6117 • naglrep.com • Jupiter, Florida • Jeff Berger, Founder

service to real estate professionals and homeowners for more than 35 years. The home warranty helps sellers and buyers protect their budget from the cost of repairing or replacing the covered home sys-

NAGLREP is the No. 1 forum for LGBT homebuyers, sellers and LGBT and allied real estate professionals.

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SERVICE PROFILES NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

REALTORS PROPERTY RESOURCE®

(800) 874-6500 • www.NAR.realtor • Chicago, Illinois • Bob Goldberg, CEO • Victoria Gillespie, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer • Katie Johnson, General Counsel, Chief Member Experience Officer • Mark Birschbach, SVP, Strategic Business Innovation and Technology • Marc Gould, SVP, Member Development

(877) 977-7576 • www.narrpr.com • Chicago, Illinois • Jeff Young, Chief Operating Officer/General Manager

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, NAR’s official member benefits resource, providing savings and special offers on products and services just for REALTORS®. Program partners are industry leaders who understand the unique needs of real estate professionals. Visit NAR.realtor/RealtorBenefits. NAR is also proud to offer the .realtor™ and .realestate top-level domains to members. Visit get.realtor. NAR offers a number of designations, certifications and opportunities for continuing education that support member development. Visit OnlineLearning.realtor. NAR empowers REALTORS® to evaluate, enhance and showcase their highest level of professionalism with the Commitment to Excellence program. Visit C2EX.realtor. The REALTOR® Store features publications, webinars and research reports, including the top-selling 2018 NAR Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers. Visit Store. realtor. Additionally, NAR’s venture capital arm, Second Century Ventures, has invested in companies that push forward innovation while benefitting NAR members. Visit secondcenturyventures.com.

PILLAR TO POST HOME INSPECTORS® (800) 294-5591 • www.pillartopost.com • Tampa, Florida • Stephanie Bowling, Director of Marketing (416) 620-3572

Technology coupled with deep knowledge allow us to provide an exceptional home inspection with unique and innovative features, all delivered within a seamless brand experience. This experience, and the people who deliver it, have made Pillar To Post North America’s largest home inspection company.

PROPERTYBASE (855) 390-2273 • www.propertybase.com • John Voigt, Director of Marketing Communications

Propertybase is the leading global real estate and mortgage software provider with lead generation, CRM, websites, compliance-driven transaction management, mortgage business growth platform and more. Over 4,500 brands trust Propertybase to deliver innovative technology to scale their business. The Propertybase family of brands includes Propertybase, BoldLeads, BoldMortgage and Unify.

REAL ESTATE WEBMASTERS (877) 753-9893 • www.rew.com • Nanaimo, British Columbia • Morgan Carey, CEO • morgan@rew.com

Real Estate Webmasters (REW) is the leading technology provider for the top 1% of real estate professionals in the world. Since 2004, we have helped shape real estate technology to grow with your professional needs. We are the secret weapon behind many of the names you already know and love, creating cutting-edge websites that generate leads, maximize efficiency and help ensure unrivaled success. If you can dream it, we can build it!

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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 ONE GROUP (949) 297-2020 • www.RealtyONEGroup.com Laguna Niguel, California • Eddie Sturgeon, EVP, Global Growth

Founded in 2005, Realty ONE Group is an industry disruptor, radically changing the face of real estate franchising with its unique business model, fun coolture, technology infrastructure and superior support for its real estate professionals. Realty ONE Group has been recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as a Top 5 Real Estate Franchise and has been on Inc. 500’s list of the Fastest-Growing Companies for seven consecutive years. Realty ONE Group is surging ahead, opening doors, not only for its clients, but for real estate professionals and franchise owners.

REBAC (800) 648-6224 • www.REBAC.net • Chicago, Illinois • rebac@nar.realtor

The Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC) provides training and support that help buyer’s representatives be successful in their business— and educates consumers about the benefits of buyer representation and the ABR® designation in order to improve their home-buying experience.

RE/MAX, LLC (303) 770-5531 • www.remax.com • Denver, Colorado

As one of the leading global real estate franchisors, RE/MAX, LLC is a subsidiary of RE/MAX Holdings (NYSE: RMAX) with more than 140,000 agents in over 8,600 offices across more than 110 countries and territories. Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX, as measured by residential transaction sides.

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE COUNCIL (800) 462-8841 • www.crs.com • Chicago, Illinois CRS Help: CRShelp@crs.com

The Residential Real Estate Council was established in 1976 to provide real estate brokers and agents with shared knowledge and tools.

Recognizing the need for advanced education, the Council developed training courses and established the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Designation. The Council is recognized as the leading provider of real estate education and networking for residential real estate agents, and the CRS Designation is considered the most prestigious designation a real estate agent can achieve.

ROCKET MORTGAGE RocketPro.com/RealEstate

Detroit-based Rocket Mortgage is the nation’s largest home mortgage lender. The company closed $320 billion of volume across all 50 states in 2020. Today, Rocket Mortgage and Rocket Companies employ 24,000 full-time team members across the U.S. and Canada.

SERVICE PROFILES The company ranked highest in the country for customer satisfaction for primary mortgage origination by J.D. Power for the past 11 consecutive years, 2010 - 2020, and also ranked highest in the country for customer satisfaction among all mortgage servicers the past seven straight years, 2014 - 2020.

SHERRI JOHNSON COACHING & CONSULTING (844) 989-2600 • www.sherrijohnson.com

Sherri Johnson is the premier national real estate coach offering worldclass coaching, keynote speaking and consulting services. No other real estate coach matches her 20-plus years of experience as a top agent, manager and executive of a Top-3 national brokerage, having personally led over 700 agents to $1.6 billion in annual sales volume. Sherri’s unique and proven coaching programs—including her exclusive Goldmine PipelineTM strategy—produce immediate, reliable results for agents nationwide, regardless of current production level.

UNITED REAL ESTATE (888) 960-0606 • www.GrowWithUnited.com • Rick Haase, President

United Real Estate (URE), a division of United Real Estate Group, was founded in 2011 to provide solutions for brokers and agents in a rapidly changing real estate industry. Recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the nation’s fastest-growing real estate companies, United has helped thousands of agents Find Their Freedom® with its full-service, 100%-commission, transaction-based model. The company offers brokerage franchise and conversion opportunities, as well as merger and succession opportunities. Its proprietary technology, Bullseye™ Agent & Broker Productivity Platform, provides on-demand access to next-generation technology, marketing and training, powered by a 1.8 million-plus listings data warehouse. United operates in 24 states with more than 10,500 agents and over 100 franchise and company-owned locations.

UPDATER

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.

ZAVVIE (888) 407-4556 • https://zavvie.com • Boulder, Colorado • Lane Hornung, CEO

Founded by Lane Hornung and Stefan Peterson, zavvie combines proprietary technology with real world operating expertise, to provide a superior iBuyer strategy for brokers. zavvie is making the experience simple and seamless for iBuyers and agents to work together in the best interest of the consumer by facilitating and empowering listing agents to get all available offers for their clients. Its platform is a one-of-itskind offering, backed by market specific iBuyer and Open Market data and efficient technology. Its customer friendly interface works well with its top-notch Customer Success Team to create a seamless consumer-centric process for brokers and their clients.

RREIN Member Profiles BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES AMBASSADOR REAL ESTATE

www.updater.com • New York, New York • Chris Avery, VP of Real Estate • realestate@updater.com

(402) 493-4663 • (800) 477-7653 www.BHHSamb.com • agents@BHHSamb.com

Think about your last move…it was probably confusing, stressful and chaotic. Your clients experience the same thing and desperately need moving help. Updater is the nation’s leading moving and home management app that saves your clients countless hours on various moving-related tasks including connecting TV and internet, reserving a moving company, securing insurance, connecting utilities, and much more. The experience is branded for your brokerage and each agent, and fully personalized for each client’s unique move. Both brokers and agents find Updater to be an incredible way to differentiate and provide an excellent client experience during a stressful time.

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.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES FLORIDA REALTY

WEICHERT FAMILY OF COMPANIES

(954) 693-0100 • (800) 386-1554 www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com • Sunrise, Florida • Rei Mesa, CRS, CRB, President & CEO

(800) 401-0486 • www.weichert.com • Morris Plains, New Jersey

Since 1969, Weichert, Realtors® has grown from a single office into one of the nation’s leading providers of homeownership services, made up of 18 full-service real estate-related companies dedicated to putting customers first. Its network of real estate brokerages includes more than 500 offices, serving markets in 42 states, with thousands of agents. As a Weichert agent, you have access to industry-leading sales and marketing tools, powerful technology, national and international referral networks and top-notch coaching and training, as well as a unique culture of support and sharing, from interactive staff to collaborative affiliates across the country. Franchises available.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty serves 21 counties throughout Florida with more than 40 locations and approximately 1,800 sales professionals. The full-service brokerage company, founded in 1999, is part of HomeServices of America, the nation’s premier provider of homeownership services. The company is a franchise member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ network, one of the few organizations entrusted to use the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name. The company offers residential and commercial services as well as seasonal rentals, property management,

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SERVICE PROFILES REO & foreclosures, corporate relocations, referral services, title, home warranty plans and personal concierge services. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty ranks in the Top 10 in the network and is the overall No. 1 fundraiser for The Sunshine Kids Foundation in Florida. Visit www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES GEORGIA PROPERTIES (770) 992-4100 • www.BHHSGeorgia.com

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties has over 1,600 associates and 26 locations across the Greater Metro Atlanta and North Georgia area. The company generated over $4.1 billion in sales volume in 2019. Trendgraphix reports that Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties is ranked No. 1 in home sales for the Greater Metro Atlanta area. Led by president and CEO Dan Forsman, the organization offers a full suite of real estate services including residential real estate, luxury real estate, new homes services, condo/high-rise services, commercial real estate, corporate relocation, property management, mortgage lending, title and settlement services, home warranties and insurance. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Visit http://www.BHHSGA.com.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES JORDAN BARIS REALTY (800) 4-JBARIS • (973) 736-1600 • www.JordanBaris.com info@jordanbaris.com

Founded in 1952, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Jordan Baris Realty is among the most respected full-service real estate brokerages in Northern New Jersey. With a team of close to 150 associates, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Jordan Baris Realty 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 award winning global relocation services.

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.

CENTURY 21 AWARD (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.

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 joined the CENTURY 21® System in 1998 and has established a sound and success-

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ful 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. With 20 locations and approximately 900 real estate professionals, New Millennium is consistently included in REALTOR® Magazine’s Top 100 Companies List for all real estate firms nationwide regardless of brand. It is also a past winner of the prestigious Cartus Masters Cup, the Network’s highest honor. The Cartus Broker Network is the largest relocation network in the world and includes more than 775 hand-selected brokerages in the United States.

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.

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. 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, 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 $31.1 billion worth of homes and helped people buy and sell homes nearly 85,000 times in 2017.

LUSK & ASSOCIATES SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY (717) 291-9101 • www.LuskandAssociates.com

When you work with Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty, you can count on specialists who can answer your questions, apply in-depth knowledge of current market conditions and access extensive resources that can expedite the sale of your home.

MCCOLLY REAL ESTATE (800) 348-2100 x206 • www.mccolly.com

Since 1974, McColly Real Estate has found your place to call 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 450-plus 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™.

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% 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.

CALLING ALL NEW-AGENT SUPERSTARS! Help us honor agents who are new to the business, yet achieving extraordinary results by nominating them for RISMedia’s Real Estate Rookie of the Year award, sponsored by Colibri Real Estate.

Ten finalists will be announced this September, and the winner will be awarded during RISMedia’s 26th Annual Power Broker Reception & Dinner on Nov. 11, 2022 in Orlando, Florida.

Go to rookie.rismedia.com to nominate an agent today!

Nomination Deadline: June 27, 2022 *RISMedia’s Real Estate Rookie of the Year award is available to any agent who received their license no earlier than Jan. 1, 2020.

BROKER-TO-BROKER REFERRALS CALIFORNIA

DELAWARE

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

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+

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, California Offices: 7 • Associates: 240 J. Rockcliff REALTORS® 4115 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Ste. 201, Danville, CA, 94506 Tel: (925) 251-2501 (O), (925) 324-1323 (C), 877-JRCKCLF (572-2523) (TF) 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 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

92 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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 • 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: 26 • Associates: 1,600

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+

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,

BROKER-TO-BROKER REFERRALS 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+

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+ 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 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

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 Jordan Baris Realty 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: Northern New Jersey representing the New York Metropolitan area focused in Bergen, Essex, Hudson Morris, Passaic and Union counties.

Offices: 4 • 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+

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+

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE June 2022 93

BROKER-TO-BROKER REFERRALS PENNSYLVANIA 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+ 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 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) 4432295 (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 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

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: Nichole Moore, Director of Relocation, (864) 678-5362, nmoore@cdanjoyner.com, Jo Anne Conner, Destination & Broker-to-Broker 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+ 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

94 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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+ 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

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+

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®.........................................................................................10

National Association of REALTORS®..........................6, 75, 78

Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA).............79

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors®................................................2

The CE Shop............................................................................. 71

Real Estate Webmasters................................................... 24-25

Century 21 Real Estate LLC.....................................................15

RISMedia’s ACESocial.......................................................7, 9, 95

Colibri Real Estate...........................................................................26

RISMedia’s Premier....................................................................... 8

Crush It In Real Estate.........................................................................1

RISMedia’s Rookie of the Year...............................................91

HomeSmart..............................................................................33

RISMedia’s Social Media Marketing Trends Report............ 56

HSASM Home Warranty.................................................................IFC

Rocket Mortgage..................................................................... 13

Inside Real Estate.............................................................................BC

Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting................................ 43

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®..........................IBC

Vylla Home...............................................................................28

NAR’s Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) Designation...............................................................................16

Weichert, Realtors®..................................................................23 Workman Success Systems.....................................................82

National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP)®........................................................20

Simplify Your Social Media Strategy “I think anyone getting into this business who is looking to reach out and have some type of identity on social media needs to look at ACESocial.”

- Andrew Velez, Real Estate Consultant/Licensed REALTOR®, RE/MAX Advisors

For more information, visit acesocial.rismedia.com

RE: REAL ESTATE

Championing Homeownership for All

J

une is National Homeownership Month—the perfect time to put the spotlight on helping all of your clients achieve the American Dream; to reexamine your offices’ practices and protocols around diversity, equity and inclusion; and to focus on furthering the fight to increase access to homeownership for people of every background.

Barriers to Homeownership Current market conditions are challenging for everyone in search of a home with increasing interest rates, staggering student loan debt, escalating rents and what the National Association of REALTORS®’ (NAR) research team recently described as “double trouble”—simultaneous record-high home prices and record-low inventory. The Double Trouble of the Housing Market report, released

by NAR in partnership with realtor.com®, revealed that since 2019, home prices have risen nearly 30%, eroding affordability and making a typical home nearly $80,000 more expensive than pre-pandemic. Meanwhile, inventory of homes for sale dropped significantly in the same period, reaching record lows in 2021.

These and other factors are putting homeownership out of the grasp of more and more Americans. And while affording a home is challenging for many segments of the market, such as first-time buyers and millennials, the issues are compounded for people of color and minorities with additional obstacles, including deep-rooted wealth inequality and historical discrimination.

believes that REALTORS® should have historical perspective and knowledge of the bias and exclusionary practices that helped create the homeownership gap.

“Understanding why there is inequality may help REALTORS® more sensitively work with individuals from historically underserved communities,” says Wilder. “Many people of color still carry trauma related to past exclusion, and when the history is disregarded or dismissed as false, it often causes a reinjury and may exaggerate cross-cultural divides and distrust.

“Not only do people of color, on average, have less generational wealth because they were historically denied equal access to homeownership opportunities, but they still experience a great deal of bias and, therefore, they may have quite a bit of justifiable apprehension.

Showing a willingness to learn and listen while taking steps to support homeownership in underserved communities can build very important bridges,” adds Wilder.

“Many people of color still carry trauma related to past exclusion, and when the history is disregarded or dismissed as false, it often causes a reinjury.”

-FARRAH WILDER, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, California Association of REALTORS®

The Homeownership Gap NAR’s 2022 Snapshot of Race and Home Buying in America shows glaring differences in homeownership rates between ethnic and racial groups, with a nearly 30-point discrepancy between White and Black households. For the period between 2010 and 2020, homeownership rates rose for white Americans from 70.6% to 72.1%, for Asian Americans from 58.5% to 61.7% and for Hispanic Americans from 47.3% to 51.1%. Black Americans were the only group to experience a decline, from 44.2% to 43.4%, resulting in an increasing homeownership gap between White and Black households.

Best Practices for Working With Diverse Clients To help agents embrace diversity and provide sensitive service for all clients, Wilder offers some best practices: •Use consistent buyer intake systems.

•Show buyers everything that meets their criteria.

•Avoid recommending specific areas or schools.

• Refrain from saying: “You don’t have the funds/credit to buy.”

• Review fair housing rules and anti-discrimination practices with clients.

• Discuss buyer letters with sellers and the issue of wanting to know details about buyers.

• Review your marketing for exclusionary language and replace it with inclusionary language.

Our Exclusionary History Sadly, once-legal discriminatory practices, like redlining and racially restrictive covenants, are still affecting us today and very much impacting how neighborhoods and schools are perceived by the public and real estate agents. Farrah Wilder, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer of the California Association of REALTORS®,

During June and throughout the year, NAR encourages you and your agents to champion homeownership for all, to help remove barriers and to take part in supporting meaningful change around historical disparities. Visit https://www.nar.realtor/june-is-national-homeownership-month to learn more and join the conversation on social media. RE

96 June 2022 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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