Real Estate Magazine - NextHome - March 2015 by RISMedia

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Vision of the Future

How NextHome Is Reinventing Real Estate Franchising Page 52

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{Contents} March 2015/Vol. 31, No. 3 • www.rismedia.com

{On the Cover} 52 Vision of the Future How NextHome Is Reinventing Real Estate Franchising According to the 2014 NAR Profile of Real Estate Firms, 84 percent of real estate companies are independent, non-franchised firms; 81 percent of all brokerages have one office with two or more agents. This leaves few franchise brands designed to accommodate the needs of this significant sector. Enter James Dwiggins, a Native Californian born into a real estate family who, with business partner Tei Baishiki, and a team of experienced REALTORS®, technology experts, and marketers, is determined to change that reality. In this month’s cover story, Dwiggins defines what makes NextHome a different breed of franchisor.

{Highlights} 24 How to Have the Best Year Ever In this month’s feature, Nelson Zide, senior executive vice president of ERA Key Realty, offers a firsthand glimpse into what led to his company’s banner year.

42 Success, from the Outside In Here, take a closer look at the coaching phenomenon, and how it’s set to change the real estate game moving forward.

62 3 Lead-Generating Tactics That Will Explode Your Business Success in this industry starts with one thing: your ability to generate leads. Here, discover three leadgenerating activities you can’t afford to overlook.

74 Sifting, Seeding and Selling: Finding and Helping the Relocating First-Time Buyer 30

Anticipating a strong recovery in first-time buyer volume generated by corporate relocations, this exclusive feature highlights how to serve these new customers effectively.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 3

{Headliners} 15 P olicy Matters: New Measures Should Ease Access to Credit

16 N AR Power Broker Roundtable: The Technology Explosion: Its Role and Its Payoff in Today’s Market 18 REBAC Report: What’s Your Niche?

21 News Briefs 22 The RREIN Reporter 28 1 3,000-Plus Listings Sell Every Day...Is Yours One of Them?

34 W ebinar Recap: How Do MillionDollar Producers Think, Act and Plan for 2015? 59 F oot Traffic Points to a Strong Start in 2015 61 B ank Economists See Healthy U.S. Economic Growth Through 2015 69 N ew Housing Counseling Trend Shows Positive Signs for Homebuyers

{Features} 30 Make Your Business Mobile with the REALTOR Benefits® Program 39 42 Percent: The Scariest Number in Real Estate 41 Marketing and Sales - Social Media for Real Estate: 5 Steps to Success

4 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

48 7 Keys to Team Development and Success 52 Vision of the Future 65 Trending: With Quick-Drying REO Market, Time Is of the Essence 71 Strategies: American Home Shield; HSA Home Warranty; Realtors Property Resource® 77 RISMedia’s Great Spaces 82 Ask the Experts: Real Estate Training; Single Women Homebuyers; Social Media’s Most Valuable Metric

{Interviews} 51 Hans Wydler, Long and Foster Real Estate

56 Ron Mintz and Cathy Spencer, Bay Sotheby’s International Realty

57 Patti Siebold, Keller Williams Realty Premier Partners

{Experts} 33 Vinnie Tracey - Business Building: Always Bring the Value

36 Verl Workman - Basic Training: Purpose, Productivity, Prosperity

80 Seth Kaplan - Life in Mobile: Talking Tech on Main Street: A Conversation with Morris Lyles

{Every Issue} 9 Publisher’s Desk 12 REtrends 86 Service Profiles 96 Referrals 104 RE: Real Estate—REALTOR® University Provides Credible Research When Facts Matter

ESANET BENEDICT | REALTOR® Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene

I’M BETTER

bhgrecareer.com ©2015 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Better Homes and Gardens® is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation licensed to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate Franchise is Independently Owned and Operated.

{Online} Trending on

Donald Trump Most Popular Choice for Super Bowl Real Estate Ad

n our January Reader Rewards contest, we asked our readers which celebrity they’d like to cast in a Super Bowl ad for their real estate business. We had an overwhelming response and an abundance of great answers, making the decision a very difficult one. We’re proud to announce that Mary Lawler from Realty Executives Advantage has won the Grand Prize for her submission of The Most Interesting Man in the World! Thanks to all the creative answers we received, we have also named two Honorable Mentions! Melissa Jimenez, a REALTOR® from Virtue Realty Group, Inc. and Kywana Ross, a REALTOR® from Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group were also chosen to receive cash prizes. Ross wins for her entry of Stephen Colbert. With a new CBS hosting gig in his future, RISMedia editors agreed that he’d make a perfect choice for leading a real estate Super Bowl commercial. Jimenez wins an Honorable Mention for her submission of Melissa McCarthy, stating, “I admire that she’s had great success, yet continues to be who she is. It is definitely a plus that she is a great comedian…life is just better when you laugh!” Some of our other favorite entries included: Queen Elizabeth, Jessica Lange, Helen Mirren and Samuel L. Jackson. Some of the most popular submissions were: Donald Trump, Barbara Corcoran, George Clooney, Tom Selleck, Ellen DeGeneres and Jimmy Fallon. Congratulations again to all of our winners and thank you to all who participated!

6 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Found on Social Media

ICYMI: The New Age of Home Character for #realestate http://bit.ly/1zaNxse

6 Tips for Growing Your Business Using Google AdWords http://ow.ly/IqC4H via @housecallblog

“...and you thought your neighbors were bad!?” -SharperAgent Great Spaces Presents: The Best and Worst Neighbors of 2014 http://bit.ly/1A04XKW

“Good to know! As real estate professionals, we are asked about this pretty regularly.” -Debbie Hoffman, Keller Williams Check Realty 8 Home Renovations That Will Pay You Back http://bit.ly/1B29yz8

I HAVE THE RESOURCES

I HAVE THE LIFESTYLE EXPERTISE

I HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE TO DELIVER

I AM AHEAD

OF THE TRENDS

I WALK

TALLER

I’M AT THE ANDREW GAYDOSH | REALTOR Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Big Hill ®

FOREFRONT

I’M BETTER

Brokers: Stake your claim

and claim a .REALTOR domain for your brokerage!

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With nearly 100,000 .REALTOR domain names already claimed, REALTORS® are embracing the changing Internet. Claim a .REALTOR domain for your brokerage and be part of one of the top 10 fastest growing top-level domains of all time (outside of country codes). Don’t get left behind. Stake a .REALTOR domain claim for your brokerage. Available in the second phase of launch, March 2015. Visit www.about.REALTOR/brokerages for naming guidelines, launch timelines and how you can leverage .REALTOR in your brokerage’s marketing plan.

{Publisher’s Desk} Getting to the Next Level

hether it’s sports, business or life in general, having the right coach in your corner can be the difference between mediocrity and great success. The real estate industry is certainly no stranger to the power of coaching, with new trainers and programs hitting the market each year. Add to that many in-house training programs available to agents, and it’s easy to understand why choosing the right coaching regimen can be an overwhelming task. In this issue, we wanted to take a deep dive into the coaching realm, (page 42), zeroing in on how and why outside coaching can often vault your real estate career to legendary levels. According to our recent survey of hundreds of top brokers, 61 percent of agents enlist outside coaches, and 60 percent of brokers see a tangible return on that investment (see our infographic on page 43 for additional survey results). So it’s safe to say that the value of outside coaching cannot be disputed. The challenge is in making the right match—there is no one-size-fits-all solution and coaching must be tailored to suit each agent. The coach must be able to offer the agent a fresh perspective and motivate that agent to reach beyond their individual barriers to greater success. As Buffini & Company Chairman & Founder Brian Buffini says, “The coaching relationship requires the confidentiality of a confessional and the safety of having someone not too close to the situation.” Above all else, the coach must hold the agent accountable. According to our survey, it’s the No. 1 reason why coaching works. Just like the surest way to achieve your fitness goals is to work out with a buddy who holds you accountable, the surest way for agents to stick to the habits that lead to success is to have a coach to answer to. One who supports them, but who also demands results. As the market changes, so must our approach to business. “It’s always a mistake for agents, even very successful ones, to believe there’s nothing more for them to learn,” says RE/MAX founder Dave Liniger. “When agents get better, everyone benefits.” RISMedia will be sharing the wisdom of real estate coaches throughout our print and digital media in the coming months (For example, Travis Robertson shares three lead-generating tactics on page 62 in this issue). We look forward to helping you get to that next level.

John E. Featherston CEO & Publisher

WHERE LEADERS

LIVE.

What distinguishes Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is strong leadership at each of its brokerage companies, large and small – leaders like OB Jacobi, Jill Jacobi Wood and Geoff Wood, second generation leadership of Windermere Real Estate, with offices throughout the Western United States. For over 40 years, Windermere has focused on three basic principles: hire the best people, give them the best tools, and create thriving communities. Building on these principles, OB, Jill and Geoff have helped create one of the largest independent firms in the nation – one with a deep commitment to the community, delivered through countless service hours and the Windermere Foundation, which has raised over $28 million to support those in need. Leaders like OB, Jill and Geoff are at the helm of the network’s 500+ market-leading firms around the world, coming together under the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® banner to create a powerhouse that collectively sells more homes than any other network. At LeadingRE, it’s all about “Making the Best Brokerages Better,” with a robust menu of industryleading brokerage services in technology, marketing, education and lead generation. LeadingRE.com | 800.621.6510

See what happens when people talk

WORD-OF-MOUTH IMPACT. More buyers and sellers would recommend RE/MAX than any other real estate brand.* That’s not surprising, considering the quality of RE/MAX agents. What do people

say about your company? Does it help your career? Shouldn’t it?

*Source: MMR Strategy Group study of buyers and sellers, asked if there is one real estate brand they would

office is independently owned and operated. 141194

RREIN

RISMedia’s Real Estate Information Network®

RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network®

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

Editorial Executive Editor Maria Patterson Managing Editor Paige Tepping Senior Editor Nick Caruso Associate Editor Zoe Eisenberg Contributing Editors Lesley Grand; John Voket; Barbara Pronin

Online Managing Editor/Online Beth McGuire Director of Web Technologies David Spelts Web Designer Kevin Kirwan Information Technology Manager James Jones Online Associate Editor Suzanne De Vita

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

sales Senior Vice President Kara T. Stripay Senior Vice President Anne Kraft Client Relations Manager Patty Sinisko Business Development Advisor Brett Johnson Guidebook Sales Gus Olsen

Administrative Circulation Manager Alice Heffron RISMedia member networks Network Manager, RREIN Randi Vannucchi Director of Member Relations, RREIN Peter Di Salvo RIS consulting group Vice President, Managing Director John Sculley, CRP Projects Director Peg Guinta, CRP Email: consulting@rismedia.com

headquarters 69 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851 RISMedia: (203) 855-1234 • FAX (203) 852-7208 Top 5 in Real Estate Network®: (203) 853-2167 FAX (203) 852-7208 RIS Consulting Group: (203) 852-4304 • FAX (203) 852-4309 www.rismedia.com • www.top5inrealestate.com

Publications & Services Real Estate magazine Annual Power Broker Report & Survey REsource Pop-a-Note www.rismedia.com (Daily e-News) RISMedia’s Real Estate CEO Exchange Power Broker Forum, Reception & Dinner at NAR Annual Power Broker Forum & Reception at NAR Midyear RISMedia’s Social Media Marketing Course & Certification Copyright® 2015 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.

WHERE LEADERS

LIVE.

What distinguishes Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is strong leadership at each of its brokerage companies, large and small – leaders like Luke Strawn, president of McGraw Realtors in Tulsa, Oklahoma. With a history dating back over 70 years, McGraw has a culture built on a commitment to excellence, ethics and high standards. Under Luke’s leadership, the company is well positioned for today and the future, continually adopting the latest technological advances, with the goal of giving agents everything they need to be successful. As Oklahoma’s largest independent real estate company, McGraw’s full-service offerings also encompass commercial real estate, property management and leasing, and an array of ancillary services – from mortgage to title. Leaders like Luke are at the helm of the network’s 500+ market-leading firms around the world, coming together under the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® banner to create a powerhouse that collectively sells more homes than any other network. At LeadingRE, it’s all about “Making the Best Brokerages Better,” with a robust menu of industry-leading brokerage services in technology, marketing, education and lead generation. LeadingRE.com | 800.621.6510

{REtrends} Where We Move and Why According to a recent survey of 10,000 households by The Demand Institute, nearly half of all Americans plan on moving at some point in the future. The survey revealed some interesting moving trends to be aware of: 8 We already knew this, but three out of four respondents cited location as a primary factor for move decisions. For most, location is more important than the actual home itself. 8 Most movers—74 percent—will stay in-state, and almost 60 percent will remain within 30 miles of their current home. 8 For those moving out of state, most will head west and south, with climate change being the primary motivator. 8 The rural population is declining, dropping from 22 percent in 1990 to 16 percent in 2014. The suburban population has held steady, currently at 50 percent, while city population climbed to 34 percent from 31 percent in 1990. 8 Safety is a driving force for continued moves to the suburbs. One in five respondents feels their neighborhood is becoming less safe. 8 While the walkability trend is on the rise and garnering higher home-sale prices, the car is still the most dominant mode of transportation in all areas; only those living in urban areas reported not using a car at least once a month. Source: The Uncommon Sense Blog, Nielsen.com

Password Is…I Forget A survey conducted by Inlet found that many consumers struggle with maintaining their various accounts due to password fatigue. Three out of four American Internet users (76 percent) polled admitted they repeatedly have to reset

their passwords because they forget them. Forty-five percent of consumers no longer

open all of their paper mail, indicating an increasing appetite to go paperless. However, confidence in going paperless depends upon the security of their information; 79 percent selected banks and credit unions as the most trustworthy custodians of their data, far above the 8 percent that selected telecom providers and the 7 percent that selected retailers. Source: www.InletDigital.com

Americans are now spending an average of

4.7

hours

a day on their smartphones

Smartphone Society Americans are now spending an average of 4.7 hours a day on their smartphones—more than their counterparts in at least 11 countries around the world— according to a report from Informate Mobile Intelligence. The report also reveals the U.S. as having the highest average rate of monthly data consumption at 20 gigabytes. When it comes to apps, Google properties represents at least six of the top 10 apps, with Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram claiming the remaining spots. Source: Informate Mobile Intelligence

12 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“I immediately recognized the quality and knew I could take my business further with Engel & Völkers.” Julie Brodie, Engel & Völkers Vienna

Only the best in the business join our brand. Julie Brodie was one of the first women sales directors for BMW. After 19 years in the luxury automobile industry, she applied her business knowledge and expertise in premium customer service to a successful real estate career and business. As the head of a leading brokerage in Vienna, Virginia just 10 miles from Washington D.C., she provides a high level of quality that meets the expectations of political powerbrokers and government representatives from around the world. As the owner of Engel & Völkers Vienna with the connection to the brand’s global network, she can now exceed those expectations in her market and abroad.

Engel & Völkers USA 430 Park Avenue · 11 Floor · New York · NY 10022 · USA · Phone +1-212-234-3100 info@evusa.com · evusa.com th

©2015 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

GIVE YOUR TEAM A POWERFUL EDGE

Empower them with the

ABR DESIGNATION ®

THE ABR® DESIGNATION SETS YOUR TEAM A PART. Each and every REALTOR® in your agency contributes to your bottom line. Help them earn more with the ABR® Designation. REALTORS® with designations earn nearly twice as much as agents without designations.* They also benefit from improved buyer loyalty, and extensive resources, tools and education unmatched in the industry.

Strengthen your team and your bottom line. Visit rebac.net/abr/benefits-broker to learn more. *Based on the 2013 NAR Member Profile survey data, the median income of REALTORS® with no designation was $33,500, and the median income of those with at least one designation was $61,100. The difference between the two is $27,600. This information is accurate as of May 2013.

{Policy Matters}

New Measures Should Ease Access to Credit This column is brought to you by the NAR Real Estate Services group.

by Ken Trepeta

he National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has long been advocating for measures to reduce the cost of credit to consumers and increase the number of first-time homebuyers. In the past two months, the Administration has announced new policy initiatives to help more homebuyers enter the housing market.

On January 8, 2015, President Obama announced that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) would reduce FHA annual mortgage insurance premiums (MIP) by 50 basis points. This reduction is a victory for NAR members who have called for lower fees on FHA loans since early 2014. NAR first raised concerns about the costly premiums in an April 2014 letter to then FHA Commissioner Carole Galante, and worked in coordination with advocacy groups and members of Congress to educate HUD about the critical need to reduce the fees. NAR estimates that a 50-basis point reduction in the annual MIP from 1.35 percent to 0.85 percent would price-in an additional 1.6 million to 2.1 million renters, along with many trade-up buyers, resulting in 90,000 to 140,000 additional annual home purchases. On January 26, the 50-basis point MIP cut went into effect. On December 8, 2014, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac released details on new mortgage product offerings that would provide access to

qualified borrowers able to put down at least three percent. Originally announced at the 2014 REALTORS® Conference and Expo by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt, these new initiatives will expand credit for qualified home shoppers who may have been sidelined the last few years because of higher downpayment requirements. NAR research shows that saving for a down payment is the biggest hurdle to homeownership for many first-time buyers who have been entering the market at lower than normal rates. It is important to note that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac borrowers will still need to meet standard eligibility requirements, including underwriting, income documentation, and risk management standards. Lenders were able to start offering Fannie Mae’s products on December 13, 2014, while Freddie Mac will implement the program on March 23, 2015. While the above initiatives are a good first step to getting more homebuyers into the market, there are still issues that the Administration needs to address that are negatively impacting the housing recovery. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s increased guarantee fees (g-fees) and upfront fees charged to borrowers (loan level pricing adjustments or LLPAs) impact the costs and, ultimately, access to mortgages for an ever-increasing number of borrowers as these charg-

es are passed onto borrowers, typically in the form of higher mortgage rates. NAR is especially concerned with the disparate impact the changes will have on first-time homebuyers and other traditionally underserved borrowers. Significant restrictions by FHA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on the purchase of condominiums are also impacting the housing market. Owner occupancy restrictions, project approval processes, investor ownership and pre-sale requirements are just some of the barriers preventing consumers from the ownership of condominiums, which are often the most affordable options for first-time homebuyers. FHA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have worked around the edges on the condo issues, but really need to treat condos more like single-family homes in order to serve more eligible borrowers. NAR continues to press for reasonable reforms to increase access to homeownership. NAR will continue to work with Congress and the Administration to ensure that any reforms expand opportunities and choices for Americans without exposing them to risky mortgage products that do not serve their interests. RE

Ken Trepeta is the director of Real Estate Services for the National Association of REALTORS®. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 15

{The NAR Power Broker Roundtable} The Technology Explosion: Its Role and Its Payoff in Today’s Market Moderator:

Jim Imhoff Chairman & CEO, First Weber Group, Madison, Wis.; Liaison for Large Residential Firms Relations, NAR Participants:

David Boehmig President, Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, Atlanta, Ga.

Greg Zadel Broker/Owner, Zadel Realty, Firestone, Colo.

Robert Bailey Broker/Founding Partner, Bailey Properties, Santa Cruz, Calif.

Tracy Kasper Broker/Owner, Silverhawk Realty, Boise, Idaho The Power Broker Roundtable is brought to you by the National Association of Realtors® and Jim Imhoff, NAR’s Liaison for Large Residential Firms Relations. Watch for this column each month, where we address broker issues, concerns and milestones.

Jim Imhoff: For many brokers, getting the right technology into their business is like trying to put a cloud in a basket. It’s hard to grasp, it’s always changing, and the more of it you put into place, the more there seems to be. Yet most of us spend a good deal of time and energy—not to mention a lot of dollars—trying to stay ahead of the latest tech trends. How much of an investment in technology is enough? David, how extensive is your technology investment, and how do you measure its value?

16 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

David Boehmig: We have quite a lot invested in technology, but we look at it in terms of making our agents’ and consumers’ lives easier as they go through the real estate process. If an emerging technology will help make something that is clunky become smooth, we look closely at adopting it. Greg Zadel: Basically, I agree with David. If it simplifies the process for our agents and clients, we will very likely buy it. But technology is only one piece of our overall marketing strategy. Our goal is to build and maintain relationships in ways the larger firms don’t. Social media helps keep us top of mind, but we also rely on traditional mailings, sending out sports schedules and such. Robert Bailey: As a mid-sized com-

pany on the doorstep of the Silicon Valley, we know our clientele, and social media is a valuable tool for forming and enhancing relationships. We do the research before we invest in new technology, but we place a premium on systems that reinforce efficiency—like going paperless. But we’re always checking the barometer to balance the budget with the musthaves—and we know that no matter how much we spend, technology is not the be-all and end-all.

Tracy Kasper: We have to be out

there in the social media because that’s where consumers network. It’s a great tool and a cost-effective way to connect with the people we want to reach. We also knock on doors and send out handwritten notes, because that kind of personal communication resonates with our customers. At the same time, we recognize the value of a commanding online presence, and so we recently

invested in revamping our website and upgrading our lead capture and transaction management platforms.

JI: Having the right technology to support agents is paramount for us. Without a doubt, it’s our biggest monthly expense. But we no longer spend on print media, so it’s a matter of shifting dollars. Clearly, social media is a way of life. Any thoughts on best practices? DB: In my view, a well-executed social media strategy ties together your business culture, your personal insights and your expertise in the marketplace. It draws in clients who value those insights, and who may be drawn to a particular home because of the way you position it. TK: It’s also important not to use a “shotgun” approach. Find and focus on the two or three channels that work well for you. GZ: A good social media strategy is a great source of leads—and there are software programs to help you make the most of them. What’s important is to measure the value of everything you’re doing. RB: The goal for all of us is to generate leads, enhance communication, and improve the way we manage transactions. Spend a little, spend a lot. It’s really a matter of what works for you.

JI: This is such an important topic that NAR will focus one of its three 2015 Broker Summits on technology, August 18-19 in Seattle. Learn more at www.REALTOR.org/brokersummit. RE 8For an expanded version of this article and other NAR Power Broker Roundtable topics, please visit www.rismedia.com.

HOMES.COM IS YOUR PLACE

TO GROW WITH QUALITY LEADS!

Research confirmed that Homes.com is the “clear front runner in quality” for generating serious leads above all major real estate sites!

FIND OUT HOW YOUR BRAND AND LISTINGS CAN CONNECT WITH SERIOUS CONSUMERS AND FLOURISH WITH HOMES.COM! CALL 866.697.3308 TO SETUP AN IN-PERSON MEETING.

Source: REAL Trends 2013 Online Performance Study

{REBAC Report}

What’s Your Niche? by Marc Gould

he days of the ‘generalist’ agent, even in buyer brokerage, are drawing to a close. While some firms and agents do just fine chasing commissions all over town, it seems that in order to really move ahead of the pack, you need to specialize.

Specialization can come in all shapes and sizes. Niches can range from the somewhat traditional, such as first-time buyers, military relocation, or neighborhood specialist, to the more focused fields of golf course living, surf communities, or off-campus housing. You don’t have to limit yourself to the tried and true. If you believe there’s a market for your niche, why not explore it? Sometimes, finding your niche is obvious based on your passions or your community, but sometimes, it takes a bit more effort, exploring what you and your firm do best. Now, you may ask yourself, why bother specializing at all? First, it allows you to focus your time, resources and marketing on a particular type of buyer-client—be they firsttime homebuyers, empty nesters, or people looking for the perfect ski chalet. Your marketing and networking can go deeper without having to be spread thin to all corners. Second, by focusing, you can devote your time to becoming an expert in your field. In today’s world of organic, line-caught, and artisanal, your client doesn’t want the massproduced factory standard of a buyer’s agent. They want to feel that they are relying on an expert who can meet their particular needs. If your niche is your neighborhood, you will 18 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

know about the schools, can talk intelligently about recent transactions, understand the impact of proposed developments and be able to point out area charms that others might miss. Following a niche can also make your money go further. You can focus your agent training dollars toward classes, programs and designations that will build your brand based on your specialty and not just on meeting state continuing education requirements.

In today’s world of organic, linecaught, and artisanal, your client doesn’t want the mass-produced factory standard of a buyer’s agent. Finally, being known as the niche expert boosts your credibility, drives referrals, and just makes your job easier. If you’re following your passion, it will shine through in your presentations, your marketing and your value proposition. You can become your more authentic self. And

hopefully, updating your print materials, website and social media will be less of a chore and more of a breeze, especially without bland platitudes directed at the general public. As we ramp up to the home-buying season in much of the country, ask yourself, have you found your niche? Take some time to explore where you’re going as a broker and as a company. If you’ve found your specialty, it’s not too late to be thinking about some extra training to hone the skills of your agents. The Real Estate Buyer Agent’s Council, REBAC, and its affiliates have lots of programs and ideas for you to explore. Check out our website and materials to see how we can help you make your niche market a success. RE Marc Gould is vice president, Business Specialties, for the National Association of REALTORS® and executive director of REBAC. A whollyowned subsidiary of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), The Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC) is the world’s largest association of real estate professionals focusing specifically on representing the real estate buyer. With more than 30,000 active members, REBAC awards the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation to REALTORS® who work directly with buyerclients. To learn more, visit REBAC.net.

THEY SAY,

“TIME IS MONEY.” WE AGREE.

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Learn more about being successful with the ALL-NEW AHS®.

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Purpose. Productivity. Prosperity.

{News Briefs} Recently, Virtual Agent announced its merger with mobile consumer engagement company, Dotsignal. Under the Dotsignal banner, the company will expand its current Virtual Agent offerings by combining a number of additional mobile and big-data products into a new, mobile-first platform called Dotsignal RE. Dotsignal RE leverages mobile call-to-action within print and yard-sign marketing to provide a robust consumer experience. With Dotsignal’s technology, real estate companies are able to match the consumer with instant information, on-demand communication and hyper-local expertise. The Dotsignal RE platform also provides brokerages with the technologies and guidance needed to better communicate with agents on a daily basis

using the mobile technology agents have at their fingertips.

RE/MAX, LLC marked another year of success by celebrating its 42nd anniversary and honoring its many milestones along the way. Cofounded on Jan. 30, 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, RE/MAX has grown from a one-office operation into a global real estate leader. DocuSign, Inc. announced the launch of its highly anticipated release of the company’s enhanced real estate industry solutions. The latest release further empowers brokers, transaction managers and agents to manage their transactions on-the-go while increasing transaction security, compliance and efficiency. The release further

solidifies DocuSign as the center of real estate transactions with enhanced capabilities for brokerages, including a new integration with Salesforce.

Real estate referral business network ReferralExchange announced a major milestone of 50,000 referrals placed into the service since officially launching just six months ago. The company now has thousands of agents active in the service and several corporate partnerships in place. ReferralExchange was built to take the hassle and uncertainty out of the referral process. RE

For more news briefs, please visit www.rismedia.com.

Resources that can help build your business If you’re looking for information that can help you stay on top of today’s real estate market, visit the Bank of America® Agent Resource Center. It’s a quick and easy way to find resources that can help you manage and grow your business. At the Agent Resource Center, you’ll find: • Market updates and newsletters • Information about upcoming events • Instructional videos, tip sheets and step-by-step guides • Bank of America mortgage product and service overviews • Training and resources for the short sale and REO process • Information about affordable housing assistance programs • An overview of strategic alliances and how they generate new business opportunities The site is updated frequently, so you can easily get the most current industry information to help both buyers and sellers move successfully to their closing date.

The Agent Resource center is your one-stop source for helpful information. Visit today at bankofamerica.com/agentresources

THIS INFORMATION IS NOT INTENDED OR AUTHORIZED FOR CONSUMER DISTRIBUTION. Credit and collateral are subject to approval. Terms and conditions apply. This is not a commitment to lend. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. ©2013 Bank of America Corporation. 07-2013 AD-06-13-0982.B AR7FF6E6

{RREIN Reporter} News and information for and about RISMedia’s Real Estate Information Network® (RREIN) Gary Scott President

Ron Clarke Senior Vice President; Regional Manager, Philadelphia region Long & Foster Real Estate

Combined Strength, Exponential Growth by Barbara Pronin Barbara Pronin: How many offices and agents do you currently have and what regions does your firm now serve? Gary Scott: We now have over 10,000 agents working in the company’s 180-plus office locations stretching from Virginia and the Carolinas to the New Jersey shore. In the Philadelphia Metro market alone, we have nearly 2,000 agents in more than 25 offices serving customers from Central City Philadelphia through New Jersey and the Delaware suburbs. BP: Why did Long & Foster and Century 21 Alliance decide to join forces? GS: Long & Foster is strategically focused on expanding operations throughout the Northeast, and growing our presence in the Philadelphia region is one of our top priorities. The partnership with Alliance emerged as the clear choice for accomplishing these goals. Ron Clarke: As our leadership team looked for the best business partner to help us grow in the future, we found that Long & Foster was a great fit, and we recognized the value of working with a trusted and independent, family-owned firm. We shared not only common goals, but also important values like giving back to the communities we serve through volunteerism and charitable giving. BP: What sets your firm apart from the competition? GS: As Ron mentioned, Long & Foster Real Estate is a family-owned company. That has helped us create a family-like feel throughout our organization and to establish an open environment where all our agents and employees not only know the company’s founder and leadership team, but also experience first-hand our agent-first philosophy and our commitment to their

22 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

success. That family-like spirit begins at the top, with our founder, Wes Foster, who still interacts with our people on a daily basis.

BP: How has your company evolved over the years and survived the challenges of the downturn? GS: In the early years, Long & Foster grew by capitalizing on the surge of new housing developments in the region and by acquiring a number of small firms. We continue to grow via strategic acquisition and by growing our ancillary services, such as mortgage, title and insurance. That diversified approach has helped us to thrive in any market environment. BP: How is your approach to growth changing now that the market is rebounding? GS: For the past few years, we have focused on what we call “smart retail,” creating strategic retail locations that offer smaller office space with an emphasis on the technologies and mobile platforms that help our associates do what they do best—bring buyers and sellers together. BP: How are you serving the needs of today’s more informed, more tech-savvy consumer? GS: With massive amounts of data available to consumers, the role of the agent as a trusted advisor is more critical than ever. With professional guidance, complex data becomes both meaningful and actionable. A good agent helps the consumer navigate through and make sense of information as it applies uniquely to them. RC: Our agents are more mobile than ever, receiving and transmitting information as their customers prefer and using social media to their advantage. At the same time, they never lose sight of that face-to-face element that builds lasting, personal relationships. BP: In your opinion, what is most critical to your firm’s success path forward? GS: What’s important for our success—and for everyone in the real estate business—is to remember what we learned from the last economic downturn. Maintaining financial discipline is crucial, as is rigorous and strategic decision-making. At a high level, it means being fiscally responsible, recruiting and retaining the best teams in the business, and ensuring effective communication across your organization so everyone is on board with your vision.

RC: As CEO at Alliance and in my new roles at Long & Foster, one of my highest priorities is growing the company so that our sales associates do not outgrow us. RE For more information, please visit www.longandfoster.com.

RREIN Network News Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties introduced the Select Home Estimator, allowing consumers to enter any U.S. address to “click and see” local and national home value estimates as well as a more detailed and comprehensive report used by lenders to estimate home values for mortgages. Estimates from the innovative Select Home Estimator feature are free and do not require registration. Consumers can visit www.bhhsselectstl.com to find a local home value, after which they can register for the Interactive-Automated Valuation Model (IAVM)—a more comprehensive market analysis report. www.bhhsselectstl.com

The Eastern Bergen County Board of REALTORS® (EBCBOR) recently honored Nancy Lastra (left) as past president and REALTOR® of the Year of the former Meadowlands Board of REALTORS® (MBOR). The award honors REALTORS® who have made outstanding contributions to the real estate industry and are recognized as leaders in their local communities. Lastra has been a REALTOR® since 1990 and is currently a manager with Century 21 Eudan Realty in Rutherford. EBCBOR also announced that Alireza “Ali” Memar (right), broker of RE/MAX Select Properties in Fort Lee, N.J., was selected as its 2014 REALTOR® of the Year. www.bergenboard.com

J. Rockcliff REALTORS® recently announced that Kelly Morgan of the company’s Walnut Creek office was honored with the 2014 Community Service Award from the Contra Costa Association of REALTORS® (CCAR). The honor is awarded annually to one recipient from nominees culled from the entire REALTOR®population of Contra Costa County. www.rockcliff.com

Joan Docktor, president of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS®, congratulates the 2015 Leadership Academy graduates. The graduates are gathered here with (standing, far right) Docktor; (seated, l to r): Lisa Ann Payne, Washington/Gloucester Home Marketing Center (HMC) manager; Cheryl O’Donnell, Chadds Ford; Tony Molaee, Doylestown; Carol Hopely Russo, Sea Isle City manager; Yvonne Worman, Easton; Jason Ostrowsky, Dawn Ciganik, both from Blue Bell; Don Sullivan, Vineland; Lynn Biggin, Wayne HMC; Genette Falk, Hamilton-Robbinsville HMC; (standing, l to r): Susan Patt, director of Corporate Initiatives; Chris DeCaro, Society Hill manager; Nicole Presnall, Ocean City-Battersea; Annette Fenning, Bryn Mawr; John Shields, Brandywine manager; Dennis Morgan, Malvern-Paoli HMC; Bobby Small, Newtown Square HMC; Ginny Nagle, West Chester; Greg Moore, Newtown Square HMC; Lisa Wright, Bethlehem; Jason Lewis, Haverford HMC; Andrea Decker, Coopersburg; Carl Becht, Devon HMC; Maria Giarratano, Moorestown; Jeffrey Colfer, Allentown; Joy Zwicker, Hampton HMC manager; Stephen Weinstein, Allentown; Lori Salmon, Blue Bell; Karen Daley, Coopersburg; and Janet Tarity, Hampton HMC. www.foxroach.com

The Long & Foster Companies, the parent company of Long & Foster Real Estate, has partnered with Williams & Williams Worldwide Real Estate Auction. The strategic alliance presents Long & Foster clients with the option of selling their homes via live and online auctions. During the home sale, clients will work hand-in-hand with both their Long & Foster REALTOR® and representatives from Williams & Williams, who will provide added support in both marketing and advertising properties. www.longandfoster.com.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty recently honored its top real estate professionals during the company’s annual awards ceremony. Special guest Gino Blefari, who recently became CEO of HSF Affiliates, LLC, highlighted the event. For the fifth year in a row, the company achieved double-digit growth in closed sales. www.FloridaNetworkRealty.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 23

Power Broker Strategies:

How to Have the Best Year Ever by Barbara Pronin

“It’s all about our culture—and our training!” So declared Nelson Zide, the jovial partner and senior executive vice president of ERA Key Realty, the mid-sized but mighty west-of-Boston company that in 2014 racked up the biggest year in the company’s 20-year history—bigger, even, than in 2005, when real estate prices were at their peak. The fact did not surprise Zide, or his partners, Bruce and Cheryl Taylor, Mike Seaver, and most recently, the Taylors’ son, Jeff. “We didn’t do anything drastically different,” says Zide. “We just did more of the same. We’re an agent-centric company with a family-like culture and a common drive to be the best. We do what’s right for each other and our customers, and the rest just falls into

24 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

place.” We caught up with Zide on a busy morning to find out what it is that’s working—and why. Barbara Pronin: Nelson, how would you define the company’s banner year? Was it something any of you expected? Nelson Zide: We knew by mid-year that the numbers were good, so we weren’t really surprised. But our agents didn’t know just how good the year was until our annual company meeting in January. In our best year previously, in 2005, we did $624 million in closed volume. In 2014, we did $667 million. That’s a jump of $43 million, without any increase in agent count, in a market where the average sales price is about $283,000. BP: How big is ERA Key Realty, and how are you positioned in your marketplace? NZ: We have 355 agents in 14 offices, operating mainly west of Boston and in parts of Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Last time I looked, we were fifth

in the state for units sold, which is not bad, considering the four companies ranked ahead of us are all considerably larger.

BP: You credit the firm’s benchmark year to company culture and training. How do you build a working environment that inspires this kind of success? NZ: It starts at the top—and I mean right at the top, with ERA corporate. They’re always reachable, never formal, and we operate the same way. Here, the partners work in different offices, with different responsibilities, so it’s not like we’re always together. But we’ve worked together for a long time. We’re kind of like a well-oiled machine. There’s a comfy, effortless, ‘we’re-all-in-this-together’ state of mind that carries down through the organization. We have fun together. It’s one of our core values. We have smiling admins in every office. Our annual company meetings are full of information, but we laugh a lot, and do crazy stuff—like turning up in movie-star wigs for a Hollywood party theme. This year, the theme was political conventions, with whacky posters and campaign buttons. The agents loved it. They know we care. They know how much we value them. Individually, they’re primed, ready, and professionally prepared to be the best at their jobs. But we all pull together as a team, and that gives us confidence and strength. BP: How important is the training? NZ: It’s critical. And it’s life-long, geared for all, from the newbies to the experienced career agents. I’m proud to say we have the most robust live training program in the

“We’re kind of like a well-oiled machine. There’s a comfy, effortless, ‘we’re-all-in-thistogether’ state of mind that carries down through the organization.” – Nelson Zide EVP, ERA Key Realty

state of Massachusetts that includes major, companywide programs and small class presentations every month that are relevant, timely and motivating. The newbies have Career Builder—a week of one-on-one with a manager focusing in on the basics. Then there’s our FIRE training, which stands for Fundamentals in Real Estate. It includes monthly training for everyone, with outside speakers, inside mentors, national programs and locally generated material. It zeroes in on specific strategies… finance options, buyer presentations, open houses… strategies our agents can use every day to generate and close more business.

BP: How do you measure the value of this training? NZ: We know it works, because our top producers participate month after month. We had a rookie last year who closed $6 million in volume using open house techniques he got through FIRE training. But the simplest measure might be the increase in agent production. In 2013, the average was six units per agent. In 2014, it was seven.

ERA Key Realty makes sure its annual company meetings are not only informative, but fun. The firm’s Hollywood themed event, for example, featured a red carpet, award statues and “movie-star wigs.” RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 25

BP: How does the company stay on top of what the agents need and want? NZ: We ask for feedback. We regularly ask every agent to fill out a ‘Start-Stop-Continue’ form. What are we doing that you want us to continue? What would you like us to start doing? What would you like us to stop? And we listen. We listen and respond. BP: What about marketing and promotional strategies? How have they evolved?

NZ: We spent two years researching and tracking where our business was coming from. We learned that 70 percent of our agents’ business comes directly from their sphere of influence. So that’s a big part of our marketing spend. We pay the cost for every agent to market directly to their database, sending targeted direct mail pieces on topics their clients can use, like the ABC’s of home automation, or the typical cost and average return for various home improvements. At the same time, we want to be where today’s customers are. Today, we’re putting more time and energy into social media marketing.

BP: Which brings us to your technology. How is that evolving?

NZ: These days, many agents work remotely a good NAR-1208_MVP_RIS_HalfPageAd_2014_7.5x5.25_r8.pdf

2/21/14

ERA Key Realty is built upon an agent-centric, family-like culture. “We all pull together as a team, and that gives us confidence and strength,” says EVP Nelson Zide (far right).

part of the time. We saw to it that they had mobile access early on, so they could access our extranet, which is actually an intranet, from anywhere 24/7. And we put a lot of effort into making sure they have the best possible tools at their disposal. Right now, we’re seeing a lot of benefit from the launch of audio-virtual tours on YouTube. And we’ve just hired a social media manager to help us maximize new areas.

BP: In view of the company’s growth last year, what’s in store for the future?

NZ: We’re on track now to reach $685 million in closed volume this year. That would be another milestone. What we really want is for all of our agents to earn more than they did last year, and we’ll keep trying to do what we do best to see that the goal is reached. RE 11:41 AM

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13,000-Plus Listings Sell Every Day...Is Yours One of Them? by Wendy Forsythe

t’s very exciting when a homeowner entrusts you with the marketing and ultimate sale of their home. Yes, you got a new listing!

Fast-forward a couple of weeks or months, and if the listing hasn’t sold, then you have some explaining to do. In a recent Existing-Home Sales Report from the National Association of REALTORS®, annual home sales are listed at 5.04 million homes. In order to put that number into perspective, let’s divide it by 365 days, and you’ll find that there are 13,699 homes sold every day in the United States on average (not accounting for seasonality). With all of these homes selling across the country daily, blaming the economy or the local market for an unsold listing isn’t going to be a strong position with the home seller. It’s far more likely that you’ve made one or more common mistakes when pricing your listing. Here are three common pricing mistakes that prevent listings from selling in a timely manner:

Overpricing from the Start It’s extremely common for sellers to overvalue their homes compared to other homes in the same neighborhood and price range. Our job as local market experts is to advise and counsel home sellers on the correct pricing strategy. One of the most important steps in correctly pricing the home is to take an honest look at similar homes in the area that have recently sold. While the seller may feel that their home deserves to command a higher relative sale price, the market determined these comps to be a fair price, so buyers will expect your asking price to be in the same ballpark. An overpriced listing is a sure way to scare off plenty of potential buyers and waste a lot of your time.

Ignoring Search Ranges These days, almost every buyer searches for homes online. If a potential buyer searches for homes in the $250,000 to $300,000 price range, they

28 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

won’t see your listing if it’s priced at $305,000. Even if your listing is a perfect fit for the potential buyer, he or she won’t know about it, even though it’s only $5,000 above their price range search. You want to make sure you’re not pricing your listing just outside of someone’s price range, so be sure to avoid pricing just over common increment breaks.

Not Being Open to Offers There’s an old saying in our business that the first offer is the best offer; however, you should advise the seller to carefully consider any and all offers that come in, even if they’re well below your asking price. Negotiation is the name of the game. It’s not where an offer starts, it’s where mutual acceptance ends. Do you want your listing to be one of the 13,000plus homes that will sell tomorrow? Review your pricing strategy today! RE Wendy Forsythe is the executive vice president and head of global operations at Carrington Real Estate Services, where she is responsible for the operations and growth of the national brokerage, with over 2,200 agents. You can email her at wendy.forsythe@carringtonres.com. To learn more about taking your career to the next level with Carrington Real Estate Services, visit www.carringtonrealestate.com/join.

HOW WE LEVERAGE THE CARRINGTON FUEL TO GROW OUR BUSINESS EVERY YEAR!

“Nichole and I are constantly amazed at how Carrington is always prospecting for business on behalf of their agents. Our pipeline is never empty and we can choose the opportunities that fit into our plan. We can select from several FUEL sources whether it is with investors, short sales, REO listings, or online leads — to name a few. Then with the Carrington Business System we can maximize that FUEL into additional closed transactions. And we have proof that it works. Since joining Carrington in 2012 our business has increased 256%— yep you read that right!”

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the only way you will maximize your earning potential year after year is to have a strong business partnership with your brokerage. To find out how our FUEL and the Carrington Business System can grow your bottom line call Carrington today!

877. 330. 2773 / careers@carringtonres.com

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Make Your Business Mobile

with the REALTOR Benefits® Program “From technology that helps REALTORS®connect to their office and their clients on the road, to state-of-the-art software that allows them to sign and send closing documents from the car—to the actual car they drive—the REALTOR Benefits® Program offers solutions that can help you make your business more efficient, streamlined and savvy,” says Bob Goldberg, NAR senior vice president, Sales, Marketing & Business Development. “We offer unique products and programs, which give our members an advantage over the competition, as well as exclusive savings on the solutions they need in their business and personal lives.”

Collecting and Sending Signatures On-the-Go

by NAR’s REALTOR Benefits® Team

eal estate agents have been working “on-the-go” since the earliest days of the industry—driving to and from meetings with clients and showing properties in a variety of settings. And with technological advances that have changed the way we all conduct business, today’s consumers expect that real estate agents will be able to conduct the business of real estate from anywhere, at any time. Through the REALTOR Benefits® Program from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), you and your agents can easily meet those expectations and save money as well.

30 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Imagine offering your clients the ability to sign all of their real estate documents while they’re on the road or standing in their future front yard. This is possible with the industry-leading technology of DocuSign, NAR’s official and exclusive provider of eSignature services, under the REALTOR Benefits® Program. In addition to eSignature, DocuSign offers transaction management solutions, including DocuSign for REALTORS® PLUS, that allows your agents to work with anyone, anywhere, on any device and makes it easy to keep transactions organized in the cloud. DocuSign’s REALTOR®- branded eSignature console with transaction management highlights your REALTOR® membership, reinforcing your professional image. Explore DocuSign’s members-only pricing and complete offerings online at REALTOR.org/DocuSign.

Driving Down the Cost of New Car Purchases, Maintenance Drive your clients to property showings in a reliable and stylish vehicle—and make the experience efficient for both you and your clients. Most Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge or Ram models, and the Fiat® 500L, include standard features that make it feasible to stay connected, even on a laptop, with onboard hotspot (wireless) capabilities,

such as UConnect®. Plus, NAR members enjoy an unbeatable offer on purchasing or leasing select new cars from FCA US LLC, formerly Chrysler Group LLC. As the official automobile manufacturer of NAR, FCA US offers: 8 A $500 cash allowance on the purchase or lease of select new FCA US vehicles. This cash allowance is available for REALTORS®, association staff and family members, and in many cases, may be combined with other FCA US incentives for additional savings. 8 When you provide current-year proof of NAR membership at the time of purchase or lease, you are eligible to receive two years of no-charge oil changes, including oil, lube and filter changes. When combined, these savings equal the value of your NAR membership dues for more than six years! For details on the offer, and to see which vehicles it applies to, visit REALTOR.org/Chrysler.

Real Value for REALTORS® on Mobile Solutions and More Whether looking up a listing, filling out electronic forms, communicating with clients or taking pictures of a property, Sprint service allows your business to move as fast as you do. A leading provider of wireless communications services, Sprint offers the full suite of mobile services

to REALTORS® through the REALTOR Benefits® Program. NAR members can enjoy exclusive savings on their mobile communications needs with Sprint, including up to 18 percent off on select wireless monthly service plans and 20 percent off select accessories. Your agents can use these deals to stay connected on the road—wherever their office may be that day. For details and steps to sign up for a Sprint service plan, visit http://www.realtor. org/sprint. Terms and conditions apply.

Offering Much More Online The offers mentioned above are just a few of the “mobile office” products and services available to NAR members through the REALTOR Benefits® Program. Print documents on-the-go with the FedEx Office Mobile App, edit transaction forms anywhere with zipForm®Mobile, use your mobile phone to make deposits when you bank with REALTORS® Federal Credit Union, a Division of Northwest Federal Credit Union, utilize mobile print capabilities with Xerox® ConnectKey™ technology, purchase mobile printers and projectors from NAR technology partners, and much more. To fully appreciate these “mobile office” offers, and to browse exclusive savings and unique solutions for REALTORS®, visit www.REALTOR.org/RealtorBenefits and Facebook.com/NARRealtorBenefitsProgram. RE

RREIN RREIN RISMedia’s Real Estate Information Network®

NIERR

RREIN

Empowering NIERR

RREIN

Brokers

NIERR

RREIN

Sales Associates Consumers 32 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

{Business Building}

Always Bring the Value by Vinnie Tracey

oday’s real estate agents have countless ways to get their faces and names in front of prospective buyers or sellers, from paid advertising to social media to community involvement and much, much more.

Most of you craft some combination of elements to fit your style and target audience. You use Facebook, send emails, buy ads and do a hundred little things that help your prospects know you and connect with you. But what content do you attach to your name and image? Does it provide value to the people who receive it? Consumers in 2015 deserve— and often expect—meaningful information. Your marketing should focus on providing relevant, timely and valuable material about or related to buying, selling and owning real estate. Some examples to consider: Insights on National News When Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lowered their down-payment requirements and opened the lending door to millions of credit-worthy borrowers, agents had a perfect opportunity to reach out and spread the news. Likewise when the FHA lowered its mortgage insurance premiums in January. These sorts of news items can sail right past the public. We’re attuned to them because we’re in the business, but many consumers aren’t. Bringing important news to their attention—and detailing how it relates to them—positions you as the subject-matter expert.

Local Analysis and Impact Local data really ratchets up the relevancy factor. Imagine that someone has received two marketing pieces: One wishes them a Happy Arbor Day, while the other provides detailed sales and market stats for their immediate neighborhood. Which one makes an impact? Which one wins? The fact that consumers can access an amazing amount of localized data on the Internet shouldn’t stop you from providing it—and adding your own take on what’s happening. Home Ideas Providing useful tips about buying or selling—and even housing advice on flooring, roofing, landscaping and other areas—can pay off both shortterm and long-term. It establishes you as the generous professional you are, expecting nothing in return (but welcoming the business that comes your way). Information on Local Service Providers By assembling and sharing a list of reputable home service pros—painters, electricians, HVAC techs, etc.— you’re providing incredible value to your sphere. And by building relationships with these pros, you’re creating a reciprocal pipeline back to you. The obvious caveat, of course, is to be careful—and selective—with the people or companies you align

with. When they do a great job, it reflects well on you. If they do a poor job, that reflects on you too. Community Resources One of the best and fastest-growing marketing strategies, especially via online video, is providing useful information about your community. Introduce folks to local coffee shops, restaurants and bookstores. Tell them about hidden gems and the best parks and trails. Provide a monthly calendar of community meetings and festivals. As a real estate agent, you have the unique ability to speak about the industry as a whole, the local real estate market, your community, neighborhood dynamics, area housing policies, and more. Frankly, most communications that don’t address at least one of your key areas of expertise—with some exceptions—are missed opportunities. So seize every chance to be seen by your prospects as a REALTOR® worth contacting. And when they’re ready to buy or sell, they’ll look to you. RE Vinnie Tracey is president of RE/MAX, LLC. For more information, visit www.remax.com. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 33

{Blog Spot}

Webinar Recap: How Do Million-Dollar Producers Think, Act and Plan for 2015?

34 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

8 Partnering with new home builders 8 Increasing commercial real estate transactions

ollowing an overwhelming response from attendees of RISMedia’s Power Broker Webinar Series, we kicked off 2015 by hosting an exclusive conversation to discuss what every agent wants to know: How can I become a million-dollar producer?

- Susan Crawford-Willis Triangle Home Crew Realty

8 Geo-farming

8 Developing a relocation company

by Suzanne De Vita

“This was truly wonderful and likely one of the best webinars I’ve participated in.”

8 Nurturing referral relationships

Nearly 1,000 agents from across the country tuned in to the January 14 call, which featured Julie Timms, Hilton Head Island Real Estate Brokers, and Christy Buck, RE/MAX Top Realty—two real estate superstars who each surpassed over $1 million in gross commission income in 2014. “This was truly wonderful and likely one of the best webinars I’ve participated in,” says Susan Crawford-Willis, Triangle Home Crew Realty, Hillsborough, N.C. “Very useful information and I’m very glad I was on the call.” Led by Verl Workman of Workman Success Systems, both Timms and Buck stressed the importance of having precise measurement tools to track everything from cold calls and emails to online leads and sales goals. After stalling at $250,000 GCI in 2011, Buck kicked her efforts into high gear by adopting a “pillars of business” philosophy:

Additionally, Buck focuses on local marketing initiatives, including billboards, grocery cart signage, school flyer ads and a fleet of wrapped vehicles, to boost her team’s presence within the community. Timms knew change was needed when the real estate market nosedived in 2008. Bolstered by a rebrand that emphasizes the client, Timms uses her strong foundation of core values and people-friendly personality to earn business. To stay motivated, Timms charts “expected goals,” “stretch goals” and “dream goals,” while carefully monitoring leads—a process that involves tracking sources, sales volume, incubation periods and more. “I liked the way Julie basically was a grassroots agent/broker and built her business from an independent brand, versus Christy who built hers from a national brand. Great example of showing each road,” says webinar attendee Toni McCree, Elite Homes and Estates, Largo, Md. All attendees received two free gifts from Workman: a copy of the business planning workbook both Timms and Buck used as the base for their success, and an offer for a business analysis and consultation. RE Suzanne De Vita is RISMedia’s online associate editor. Email her your blog topic ideas: sdevita@rismedia.com. This article originally appeared on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. Visit us at blog.rismedia.com.

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{Basic Training}

Purpose, Productivity, Prosperity by Verl Workman

ow do you measure your success? In a recent branding exercise, we drilled down to what was truly important to us as a business. We discussed our core values, our mission and our vision. Branding expert Robert Allen Paul forced us to really think about what mattered most and why we do what we do. Oftentimes, in business, we get so caught up in chasing the almighty dollar that we don’t stop and think about what is truly important to us, what it is that we want to accomplish and the real “why” that drives us. We call these our core motivating values. Taking the time to establish these values and truly thinking about your business and life makes getting up every day much easier. I find myself rising early each morning with real purpose and the drive to accomplish the goals we have set based on our motivating values. This exercise was taxing, thoughtprovoking and rewarding all at the same time. The following questions make establishing your values much easier. I challenge each reader to think through each question, make a journal entry around each category of purpose, productivity and prosperity, and give your business the jump-start it might need right now. Purpose. Who do you really want to be? Where do you want to go? How will you know when you’ve arrived? More importantly, how do you really want to measure your success? Your life? These are just a few of the questions every professional must answer before they can begin

36 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

building a more meaningful career and a life of real purpose. Productivity. Are you feeling genuinely productive or just overwhelmingly busy? Are you a slave to habit or the master of your resources? Establishing proven systems, delegating second-tier responsibilities and eliminating “fake work” will help you become more productive and profitable, while spending more time on the people and pursuits you enjoy most. How will you measure your productivity? Prosperity. What does this word really mean to you? Is it a matter of greater wealth? Are you focusing on the things that matter? Perhaps a little of both? Prosperity is defined a little differently by each client we serve, but most agree it means having the opportunities and resources to live well. So, we put you in a position to make life decisions based on your values and principles instead of on your budget or other limitations. I recently spent some time with a 77-year-old real estate billionaire and asked him why he still works even though he has all the money he will ever want or need. He replied by telling me that it was never about the money. His goal in life

was to simply live well and love what he does. Every business, whether you’re a single agent or a large corporation, can find real benefit in taking the time to answer each of the questions above. Drive home your mission, share it with your company and team and live by the core values you establish as you take on the world. I promise that if you live a life with purpose and do things daily that move you closer to your goals, you will live a life of prosperity, because you deserve it. RE Verl Workman is the founder and CEO of Workman Success Systems (1-385-2827112), an international speaking, consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and building successful power agents and teams. Sign up today for a free business consult with Verl by sending an email to coach@verlworkman.com. To hire Verl to speak at your next event, email events@verlworkman.com.

Operate your real estate business from a cloud-based phone system. TeamPhone™ is the real estate industry’s ﬁrst automated phone solution that generates homebuyer leads at the curb, while

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firstamrealestate.com phone orders 800.444.9030 First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation makes no express or implied warranty respecting the information presented and assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. First American, the eagle logo, firstam.com, and First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation are registered trademarks or trademarks of First American Financial Corporation and/or its affiliates. ©2015 First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation. All rights reserved.

RIS_2_15

42 Percent: The Scariest Number in Real Estate by Maria Patterson

eal estate remains a very call-centric business, but millions of leads are being left at the curb—literally. Randall Standard, CEO of VoicePad, a 30-year mobile industry veteran, examines how this problem can be solved.

Maria Patterson: You have said, “42 percent is the scariest number in real estate.” What do you mean by this? Randall Standard: What’s scary is that 42 percent of the hottest leads in real estate—property inquiries from yard signs—go directly to voicemail. MP: Agents are cellphone-centric, so you would think that has allowed them to be more responsive to their clients, right? RS: You might think that, but you would be dead wrong. With all the functionality that’s baked into a smartphone, agent responsiveness should be instantaneous, but it’s not, because, as humans, we can still only handle one live conversation at a time. It’s not the agent’s fault. Still, these missed opportunities have a direct impact on an agent’s income, reputation and the reputation of the brokerage. A potential buyer may wonder, “What good are they if they don’t answer my call?” MP: If an agent is busy with another client, is it a bad thing that a call from a new lead ends up going to voicemail? RS: Yes, because it can be avoided. The dynamics of an incoming call from a buyer are very differ-

ent than following up with a buyer. Our industry focuses on response times to leads: The sooner the agent responds, the better. But this strategy misses the point: These calls need to be answered the moment they arrive, even when an agent is busy. That’s because potential buyers don’t care why the agent was unavailable; all they know is that they weren’t available when they needed them most.

MP: Forty-two percent is a pretty precise number. How did you arrive at it? RS: In addition to IDX-based text and GPS mobile site products, VoicePad processes (and counts) yard signage inquiries in over 300 U.S. markets. We’ve processed 6.2 million property inquiries by phone in the last three years, with 17 percent requesting a transfer to the listing agent. That’s approximately a million live call transfers from the curb. VoicePad employs “call supervision” on transferred calls: 42 percent of these transferred calls terminated in a voicemail system. MP: Can the 42 percent problem be solved? RS: Absolutely, and that’s been our focus at VoicePad. We are a unique solutions provider that now employs the following four types of technologies to make sure a curb call is answered immediately, or

that the information the buyer requested is delivered in an automated format (voice or text): 8 Identifiable buyer ringtone: Agents can set a unique ring tone to alert the agent to an incoming “money call.” 8 Simultaneous ring technology: Agents, teams or brokerages can have multiple phone numbers all ring at the same time when a money call comes in. 8 MLS speech technology: VoicePad can deliver up-to-date, in English and Spanish, audio information about the listing extracted from the MLS while the buyer is on the call. 8 Auto-response: In the event that the call is not answered, VoicePad automatically texts the buyer’s cellphone with the agent’s name and contact info, including a tracking link to the property being requested.

These are proven technologies: VoicePad serves many of the most well-respected real estate brands in the U.S. and Canada. For many firms, the overhead savings are dramatic, as the alternative is to hire more administrative support and receptionists to handle call volume. RE For more information, please visit www.voicepad.com. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 39

ÂŠ 2014 ERA Franchise Systems LLC. A Realogy Company. All Rights Reserved. ERA Franchise Systems LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. ERA and the ERA logo are registered service marks licensed to ERA Franchise Systems LLC.

{Marketing and Sales} Social Media for Real Estate:

5 Steps to Success

o you use social media to promote your real estate services and build your brand? Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn—no matter which channels you use, social media is a powerful way to market your business to today’s buyers and sellers. These five tips will help you gain followers, attract prospects and make connections on your social channels...for free!

Create Compelling Content If you create real estate content that helps or entertains people, they’ll be compelled to read and share it. Your content may take the form of a helpful home staging blog post, a local market report, or even an infographic for first-time buyers. Taking the time to find the right words—and the right graphics—will pay off big time. If you don’t, your lack of enthusiasm will show, and your audience won’t engage, which may lead to you feeling prematurely frustrated with social media as a marketing channel.

Post Strategically Now that you know what you want to say, determine how and when you should post it. Posts that go up on Thursday, Friday and Saturday tend to receive the most engagement, especially if shared in the early afternoon. Don’t post too often though. When you post multiple times a day, people may start ignoring—or even hiding— your posts. Many platforms have scheduling tools that allow you to prepare your posts in advance. Try TweetDeck for Twitter or the Facebook Pages Manager app on your mobile device.

Engage Your Audience When someone takes the time to like, share or comment on one of your posts, return the favor by responding to thank them. This is especially important on Facebook, where comments are seen as engagement, helping to widen the reach of your post. The more comments you have (including your own), the more people will see what you shared.

Stop Talking About Yourself Social media is where people go to engage other people and brands in conversation. They’re not there hoping to see real estate advertisements. If all of your posts are about your new listing or next open house, you’re unlikely to get many followers or see much interaction. A better approach is to ask questions, offer home tips and share information about local events to show you have a strong knowledge of both the industry and your marketplace.

Remember to Share Sharing content created by other social media users will help you build relationships that expand your reach. Find colleagues, referral partners and industry leaders

who are using the same channels you are, and follow them. The more often you comment on and share their posts, the more likely it is that they’ll reciprocate and share your content. When they do, your social media posts will have the ability to reach a whole new audience. Don’t forget to include links to your social accounts on your real estate website and in your email signature so people know where to find you. Now get out there and start networking! RE Looking for more marketing tips and tech advice? Send an email to blog@point2.com to subscribe to our exclusive newsletter for agents, brokers and organizations. Point2 provides online marketing solutions for the real estate industry. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 41

Success, from the

Outside In by Keith Loria and Reva Nelson

What Makes Coaching a Game-Changer for Real Estate Agents

42 March 2015 RISMediaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s REAL ESTATE

hether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a top athlete, a Fortune 500 company, or working through a personal matter, everyone can use the honesty and clarity of an outside expert to gain understanding. This is especially true in the unpredictable, constantly changing real estate business, which is why so many agents have turned to coaches and trainers to help them improve their skills and increase business. And, while internal company training is critical, outside coaches often provide agents with something invaluable: a fresh perspective and more stringent accountability.

Outside Coaching: Brokers Weigh In Brokers Who Enlist Outside Coaching for Agents

22% Sometimes

No% 18

61% Do

60% Yes

24% No Longer Do 13% Don’t 2% Plan to Start

Most Popular Coaching Formats

68%

14% Online 14% Live Events 10% Coaches hosting events at your firm 5% Books, podcasts, DVDs, etc. 11% Other

Why Does Coaching Work?

18% 14%

Partially Subsidize Coaching

16%

Do agents with outside coaches 21 % Somedo more s

time

Subsidize Coaching

Do not Subsidize Coaching for Agents

46% Coaching calls

Does Coaching Yield Tangible ROI?

63 %

business?

Yes

Creates agent accountability

Teaches agents proven systems for increasing business

Motivates agents to higher levels Provides agents with a greater level of all-around education 5

Creates important networking opportunities for agents

39% Remain The Same

Decrease

21%

In 2015, our investment in outside coaching will...

38%

Increase

Not in the Budget

“We believe agents need mindset, motivation and methodology in order to succeed. That’s why every one of our clients sets goals—not only for business and income, but for the other vital areas of their life,” says Brian Buffini, chairman and founder of leading coaching firm Buffini & Company in Carlsbad, Calif. “The real estate business is hard. It can be an emotional rollercoaster and people need not just the grounding of a mindset, but the pick-me-up of motivation.” J. Lennox Scott, chairman and CEO of the Northwest’s John L. Scott Real Estate, which is comprised of 2,700 agents in 110 offices, says his company does extensive internal training. “We walk in with the expectation that new agents will be productive immediately. They work with mentors daily, helping them move forward,” says Scott. “Our approach is focused on a positive mindset, skill mastery and personal engagement activities, i.e., connecting with clients.” Scott also encourages employees to pursue outside training and coaching programs as well, such as the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation, in addition to real estate coaching businesses like Buffini & Company, David Knox, Tom Ferry and Ninja Selling. Tom Ferry, a leading real estate coach and CEO of Tom Ferry - Your Coach in Irvine, Calif., says the reason real estate agents need outside coaching boils down to five words: “ideas, inspiration, implementation, income and accountability.” “A coach holds you accountable to get it done, to stay inspired, to see ideas from a different perspective, and most importantly, to hold you accountable to implement. Accountability is the game-changer,” says Ferry. “Ideas create inspiration and agents need progressive, gamechanging marketing, scripting and converting ideas. Ideas get you inspired to implement.”

Source: RISMedia’s 2015 Outside Coaching Survey, www.rismedia.com RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 43

Verl Workman

Brian Buffini

Terri Murphy

Dave Liniger, founder and chairman of RE/MAX, was one of the first to get behind the outside coaching movement. “Our industry has a long tradition of excellent coaches, and there are some great ones out there right now,” says Liniger. “It’s always a mistake for agents, even very successful ones, to believe there’s nothing more for them to learn. Professional development should never stop. A skilled coach can help them stay focused, keep them on track and show them how to elevate their game. And when agents get better, everyone benefits—they themselves, their peers, their brokers and, most importantly, their buyers and sellers.” Terri Murphy, a speaker/consultant based in Memphis, Tenn., says that while no one can work beyond their skill set, a coach is the conduit to getting beyond an individual’s perception of their scope of capability. “We are all a repository of our core values and beliefs, which have been ‘validated’ by previous experience,” says Murphy. “An effective coach will help their clients become aware of these limiting beliefs and support them in working beyond their limitations, which is critical to reaching new dimensions in personal and professional development.”

“It’s always a mistake for agents, even very successful ones, to believe there’s nothing more for them to learn. A skilled coach can help them stay focused, keep them on track and show them how to elevate their game. And when agents get better, everyone benefits.”

Tom Ferry

Darryl Davis

44 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

- Dave Liniger Founder & Chairman RE/MAX

Verl Workman, founder and coach of Workman Success Systems in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, says success is not magical or mysterious; it’s about doing the basic fundamentals that everyone knows they should do, but don’t. “What a coach does is add a level of accountability to the things all agents should be doing,” Workman explains. “Too many agents go in and pretend they’re busy, but they don’t do anything. There are three things an agent should do: prospect; show properties or list; and negotiate contracts. Our philosophy is to do a deep business analysis and look to see where they are leaving money on the table. They need to focus on these areas.” According to Mike Schlott, president of the Randall Family of Companies®, comprised of 500 agents in 27 offices in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, training is focused on the key areas of “transaction management, time management skills, working intelligently, and finding ways to develop business. If the agents do those things, they have a pretty good chance of success.” Bill Plattos, executive vice president of Southern California’s First Team Real Estate agrees. “Once you have the basics, you need to know how to farm. Farming and sphere of influence are what most of our most successful agents have mastered,” explains Plattos, adding that follow up is critical. “It’s not enough just putting information out there, but also asking: Did you try it? How’d it work?” Darryl Davis, founder of Darryl Davis Seminars in Wading River, N.J., likes to teach agents more than just the real estate business, coaching them on their commitments and goals in life. “We look at the big picture. If inspired by one’s own vision, they will choose to do what they need to do as opposed to being forced and told what to do,” he says. “It’s about

helping people stay committed and skill building.”

The Outsider Advantage While most real estate firms offer inhouse training to some degree, many brokers and agents feel that outside coaches can accomplish more by ensuring that agents actually consume the training with commitment. “Coaching is a stronger connection to enabling the agent to deploy the strategies and systems more efficiently than simply offering training information,” Murphy says. While many in-house programs cover the basics of good sales training, they often can’t be individualized to a specific real-time issue, or to the learning style of agents who differ on a multitude of levels, such as age,

demographics and preferred educational mediums. “When you research the training engagement strategies of different highly successful companies, you note that when the coaching is very individualized and one-on-one, the outcomes are measureable,” Murphy says. “In addition, when the coaching is secured from outside sources, the accountability factors appear more stringent and the agent is answering to an entity not within their workspace, causing them to stay more committed to the process.” Buffini says he has seen plenty of companies build their own coaching programs, but when he coaches clients in those same companies, they’ve increased production fivefold, much better numbers than what

Coaches Corner: Advice from the Pros If you want to make your business big, you’ve got to make your focus small. That’s according to Brian Buffini, who believes that when you’re struggling, the most important thing is to generate positive momentum…some feedback or results that’ll help you keep going. “Make a list of all the people you know or have done business with. Go see them. Take them for a coffee. Go to lunch. Pop by their home. Let them know you’re there. Let them know you value the relationship. And oh, by the way…remind them that you’re never too busy for any of their referrals,” says Buffini. “You need a small win right now in the form of a good interaction with a client or maybe a referral. And who knows, maybe you’ll get a lead or two.” Tom Ferry notes that unfortunately, 87 percent of agents fail w i t h i n the first five years, and he

“The coaching relationship requires the confidentiality of a confessional and the safety of having someone not too close to the situation.”

- Brian Buffini Chairman and Founder, Buffini & Company

their own in-house program provided. “Firms and franchises already have so many things on their plate and I believe they can do a great job with support, training and events— that’s why we’ve created training programs to support broker/managers

feels the problem evolves from not answering the following three simple questions: Why is succeeding a must for you? Why will you do what it takes? Why will you follow through when others quit? “If agents have a plan B in case real estate doesn’t work out, my stance is to do us all a favor and leave the business,” says Ferry. “That may sting for some, but that’s ‘care-frontation.’ If you’re going to call yourself a real estate agent, then you must commit and step it up. The consumer deserves better.” And, according to Terri Murphy, if you truly want to advance yourself in any business, find a coach that works with and for you. “Identify people who do what you want to do and model them in ways that are suited to your core values and preferences,” she says. “There is no one-size-fits-all from my perspective. Other coaches have a set plan and that’s a good thing—but in the end, the best results come from knowing what the student expects, how they will measure their success and what they are willing (or not willing) to do to get there.”

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 45

in that endeavor,” he says. “However, the coaching relationship requires the confidentiality of a confessional and the safety of having someone not too close to the situation.” Outside coaches can afford the time and personal scrutiny for the particular needs of their coaching student, whereas a manager or company trainer would most likely find it challenging to keep up with each agent in real-time. In fact, many of the top outside coaches have measurement metrics to prove their services result in more sales and, ultimately, more profitability for both the agent and their company. Workman thinks outside coaching shouldn’t replace in-house training from firms, but complement it. He also says that sometimes it makes sense to bring in more than one coach to expose agents to innovative thinking and to find the person who best resonates with them.

Doing the Math According to Murphy, the most successful brokers know that anything “free” translates to no value. Some brokers will offer subsidized coaching and are very hands-on during the process. Their teams/agents need direction, and a smart broker listens and responds. There are always going to be some who don’t want to invest money into coaching, feeling the financial obligation might be too much, but if management stays engaged with the coaching initiatives and their teams, the bottom line will show it’s a smart investment. According to Scott, the investment in coaching and training is critical to the bottom line and, therefore, an integral part of John L. Scott Real Estate’s culture. “It’s just what we do. It’s who we are. Seventy-five to 80 percent of our work is direct repeat business. That doesn’t happen without transactional excellence. Training and coaching keeps agents inspired and gives them new concepts to try.” 46 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Buffini notes that when it comes to success, everyone’s expectations are different; therefore, he allows individual agents to articulate what success looks like for them. “We have all types of people, all the way from someone who makes $85,000 a year up to somebody who makes $5.5 million a year in income,” explains Buffini. “That’s their goal; that’s what they defined as success in their business and we have the system to ensure we support both types of clients. Of the thousands of people we work with, the average income is just under $300,000 a year. For $439 a month, we can get someone a 5,400 percent return on their investment. A lot of people throw their numbers out there without validating; we validate all our numbers for our clients’ sake, so they’re running their business in a business-like fashion, and for our sake, so we can have the credibility behind our messaging.”

Keeping the Formula Fresh Coaching methods and offerings have evolved over the years to stay relevant to both changing market conditions and changing agent needs. Along those lines, Ferry’s business model follows a well-known Peter Drucker quote: “Business has only two functions—marketing and innovation.” “The real estate market is in continuous change and requires the

ability to adapt to those changes,” says Maryann Vitale Alles, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties in St. Louis, Mo. “Coaches help professionals stay focused and help push them forward by using their own skill set, while classes and training help agents stay abreast of market changes.” “In order to give our clients the best coaching, we must evolve. For example, in 2009, I recognized the importance of YouTube and began teaching our clients how to maximize the use of video to increase their business,” says Ferry. “I personally spend my time reading, testing and analyzing what’s new, what’s working right now and what’s coming to ensure our clients are first to market with new marketing techniques. Con-

tinuous innovation is the only way to ensure our clients are getting the best possible training.” “Our industry changes weekly, and we need to adapt,” agrees Schlott. “Training is a reflection of where the industry is, at the time, so training needs to change with the industry.” Buffini’s a big believer that principles don’t change; tactics do. “We have a very simple and easy-to-follow system for building relationships in such a way that you can generate a steady stream of high-quality referred leads to your business,” he explains. “It’s based on principles that don’t change—how to take care of existing clients in such a way that they continue to use your services, and also refer you to others.” However, on a tactical level, he’s invested millions of dollars in creating several technology platforms, such as a CRM (Client Relationship Manager) based on the very lead-

Getting Personal with Technology Technology offers a plethora of new communication tools that coaches can utilize to improve service and communication to the masses in a simple and economic way. The same holds true for agents. After all, you basically are who Google says you are, so it is critical for an agent to develop a well thought-out digital “footprint.” “Social proof is one of the key connectors to the Gen X/Y/millennial market segment, and unfortunately, agents have not embraced the power of these great channels to become the ‘go-to resource’ or celebrity authority in their marketplace,” Murphy says. “Having a cohesive Web strategy is more than a website and a Facebook page….it must drive home your individual brand of service and position in your industry. I am a strong supporter of a fully integrated

“It’s no secret that success attracts more success, and if we can offer coaching and training solutions to breed more success, that is what we will do.”

- Maryann Vitale Alles President & CEO, BHHS Select Properties

generation systems he coaches clients on; and in building his own TV studio, which broadcasts nationally and internationally on the Buffini TV channel. “Although agents love coming to live events, we’ve created an opportunity for them to participate in both classroom training and tune into our live Success Tour events. They can stay at home and watch the broadcast, or watch it in groups at their office,” he says. “This year, I’ll do six Success Tour events and even though there’ll be a couple thousand people in attendance at each event, we will simultaneously broadcast it to tens of thousands of locations tuning in either individually, or in groups at an office.”

Web and traditional marketing initiative as a critical component to a comprehensive business plan.” Buffini believes that having a presence on social media is as important today as having a business card was in the past, and while it’s a wonderful way to connect with people, provide value and stay in touch with how and where people are communicating, he warns not to get too caught up in the space. “We also hold our clients accountable to not get lost in social media because it can become a distraction to the real work of building relationships, generating referrals and making sales,” he says. Ferry’s coaching program includes access to private Facebook groups

that his team, coaches and Ferry himself are very active in. “The engagement, support, motivation and referrals that happen within the groups is nothing short of extraordinary,” he says. “The referrals alone could cover the entire cost of coaching. Last month, $2.1 million in referral commission opportunities happened within the groups.” In addition, Ferry’s clients receive a monthly whitepaper report focused on digital marketing. Topics have ranged from how to master Facebook dark posts to Twitter ads and optimizing landing pages. Workman notes that REALTORS® are good at spending money, but not about implementing the technology they purchase, so working with them on technology is an important part of the coaching process.

What Ultimately Works While working with a coach is a great idea for most real estate agents, it’s only successful if the coach helps the agent truly connect with their own individual power. “You can give an agent every slick tool available, call them daily, but if they can’t see it, or don’t want to see their potential, neither party will get what they wanted,” Murphy says. “My personal coaching is ‘successful’ when my client feels their own success and progress. Helping them to visualize their best outcomes is key to their connection with a successful coach.” And for brokers, coaching and training is not only critical to helping agents succeed, but in attracting and retaining the best agents possible. “Offering a different set of tools than our competitors gives us that edge we need to retain our current agents and recruit new ones,” explains Alles. “It’s no secret that success attracts more success, and if we can offer coaching and training solutions to breed more success, that is what we will do.” RE

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 47

7 Keys to Team Development and Success by Kelly Hager

1. Thoughtful Recruitment and Hiring The process of recruiting new team members cannot be rushed. To find the best agents, you need to determine your team’s unique needs and refuse to settle until you find the perfect fit. For example, develop specific competencies that a potential agent should have. Establishing these criteria and interviewing candidates several times for a position are essential to this process.

2. Initial Training As a leader, you should make the development of individual team members your top priority. It’s more than teaching the mechanics of the role. You need to show your enthusiasm and teach them how to maintain a high-energy attitude. Real estate school teaches the rules, not how to be a top producer. Kelly Hager Group Real Estate Services has designed a proprietary training program that’s progressive and handson. The agents already have the professionalism and passion, they just need to learn the correct mentality and receive support while they build the business.

3. Promoting Collaboration

eing a phenomenal leader isn’t about the leader—it’s about the team. Being driven, capable and focused isn’t always enough. To create a successful and innovative real estate team, you need to be flexible and able to collaborate with team members who may be your complete opposite. It’s about finding their strengths and focusing on how to leverage their unique talents to improve the entire team.

Here are the seven keys to team development and success:

All of your team members have unique strengths and weaknesses. Use them to your advantage. By placing each team member in a position that harnesses strengths and downplays weaknesses, you ensure that everyone is successful and able to reach their full potential within the team. Leverage your talent pool to its peak productivity and encourage collaboration. This is the key to innovation.

4. Having a Passion for People Have fun. Get out of the office! Cel-

48 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

ebrate work and personal successes. Once you understand your team members and what they enjoy, you’ll value your people more than your policies and start to feel like a family.

5. Consistent Coaching Coaching your team goes beyond training. It’s an ongoing conversation that will continuously increase productivity and team engagement. Meet weekly or monthly to ensure you are identifying obstacles or opportunities as they arise and addressing them directly. Dangle the carrot in front of your team—keep energy high by creating goals of achievement for additional possibilities.

6. Maintaining Accountability Once you create goals for your team, clearly communicate your expectations. For example, ask your team members to work to their strengths while focusing on the top 20 percent of their most impactful and incomegenerating activities. Holding yourself and your team accountable to these standards will keep you on track while making you more relatable.

7. Leading by Example Strive to intentionally make a difference in your team members’ careers. Be deliberate. If business is slow and calls need to be made, don’t be afraid to do the hard things to encourage others. It takes cognitive control and discipline to bring positive energy to the table every day, but it will pay off, and your reputation will thank you. Focus on productivity and profitability, and remember: high-impact priorities lead to critical advantages. If your goal as a leader is to develop a successful real estate team, you should amp up your energy now and watch the impact it has on your team. Getting your team excited about your mission will encourage them to find their passions and strengths and, when supplemented by your training and discipline, will lead your team in the direction of success. RE Kelly Hager is a licensed REALTOR® serving both St. Louis and St. Charles counties in Missouri. She is the CEO and Owner of The Kelly Hager Group LLC, which is celebrating its tenth year in 2015. Led by a fourth generation in St. Louis real estate and more than 40 agents specializing in buying and selling homes through a team-oriented approach, each homebuyer and home seller is treated with exceptional customer service and professionalism. In 2014, Kelly Hager Group Real Estate Services sold over $53 million in St. Louis and St. Charles. For more information, please visit www.kellyhager.com.

You can depend on HomeTeam for a faster, more efficient home inspection every time. While onsite, each team member focuses on his or her own area of expertise—which helps us cover every area, from the ground up. With our systematic approach and detailed reports you can rest assured that you have the information you need.

That’s the HomeTeam promise.

{{Agent Spotlight} ‘Get in It’ to Win It by Lesley Grand

Hans Wydler

Long and Foster Real Estate Years in Real Estate: 14 Region served: Washington D.C. and surrounding areas You and your brother have built an award-winning team, Wydler Brothers. How does your team help you stand out in real estate? With the technology that is available today, having a team makes everything more efficient. We have our own marketing department that produces all of our marketing materials and our direct-mail programs, and an event group that creates and takes care of all of our events. You can’t do all of these things as a sole practitioner in today’s market—it’s just not efficient. What’s more, there are many things that I am good at in real estate. With a team I can do those things, such as negotiate deals. But you do not want me designing brochures. A team allows us to do everything that we do best in class. What do you think real estate agents tend to waste the most time on? One area that many agents could do better in is lead generation. For instance, people tend not to have as many interactions with their potential clients—and that’s where most leads come from—as they could have. We have an expression—“get in it”—which means you have to get out there in the community and make sure people know you can help them with all of their real estate needs. What’s the most important thing real estate agents can do to raise their overall reputation for professionalism? My brother Steve and I have written a book called, “Inside the Cell,” about

The Wydler Brothers Team, Steve (left) and Hans, focus on getting into and giving back to the community through client appreciation events and fundraisers, such as Pie Day and the 1,000 Bed Challenge.

best practices in real estate. One area that we look at is the fact that a lot of real estate advertising can be self-serving. For instance, when a REALTOR® advertises that he or she sells over 50 percent of his or her own listings, is that really a plus for consumers? There are a lot of places in advertising that could be re-worked to raise the perception of honesty. Another place where REALTORS® can raise the level of trust in the business is by being genuine, trying to help the community at large. There is a local charity that my broth-

er and I feel is doing an outstanding job of trying to end the cycle of poverty and we have joined it. There is a huge need for beds. So we are doing the 1,000 Bed Challenge. Every time we sell a house, we will buy a bed for a needy person. A number of our partners match this, so we are on track to donate 1,000 beds to the community in 2015.

What are you currently reading? I am reading a book called, “Start with Why.” It’s all about being inspired by the work you do, and then leading your company by inspiring others. It is a truly great book. What is the key to success in real estate? Connect with the people you work with and the people you serve. RE RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 51

{Broker Spotlight}

Vision of the Future How NextHome Is Reinventing Real Estate Franchising by Barbara Pronin

The NextHome ‘Innovation Lab’ inspires the team to think outside the box and come up with new ideas to better the industry.

52 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

The NextHome brand was developed to be fresh, modern and appeal to the next generation of buyer and seller.

ccording to the 2014 NAR Profile of Real Estate Firms, 84 percent of real estate companies are independent, non-franchised firms; 81 percent of those have just one

office with two or more agents—and few franchise brands are designed to accommodate their needs. Enter James Dwiggins, a native Californian born into a real estate family who, with business partner Tei Baishiki, and a team of experienced Realtors®, technology experts, and marketers, is determined to change that reality.

Formerly executives with Realty World Northern California & Nevada, and experienced developers of Internet applications for brokers and agents, Dwiggins and Baishiki purchased the Northern California Realty World organization last May and finalized the funding of NextHome, Inc., their new franchise brand. The forward-looking brand, based in Pleasanton, Calif., officially launched last October, and saw their first franchisee open its newly branded office in January. In this exclusive interview, CEO Dwiggins defines what makes NextHome a different breed of franchisor—and why the new company has been signing up eight to 10 new franchisees a month.

Barbara Pronin: James, where did your team’s vision for the NextHome model originate? James Dwiggins: It evolved from our understanding that the real estate industry needs to change and adapt—and in our view, it’s not happening fast enough. We continue to play catch-up with companies outside our business who are innovating faster than we are. Generations X and Y now make up the majority of homebuyers. They search for real estate differently, and brokers nationwide have said that recruiting younger agents into the business is one of the biggest challenges they face. We developed the NextHome brand to be techy and modern, very

consumer-centric, and driven by understanding the lifestyle of today’s mobile consumers. We partnered with a prestigious New York design firm to develop a relevant look and brand strategy. It’s a look we see as simple, clean and engaging. Even our puppy dog mascot, “Luke,” is designed to appeal to today’s consumers, who frequently purchase a first home, along with a new pet, as they grow their family. A playful cutout of Luke accompanying our yard signs acts as the first signal of NextHome’s unique culture. Consumers already recognize that.

BP: How did you assemble your executive team? JD: My partner, Tei Baishiki, and I have co-founded and run two previous companies over the past 15 years. Tei’s extensive engineering, technology, and operational background make him uniquely suited to serve as our chief operating officer, overseeing the creation and implementation of the new technologies and programs that give NextHome and its franchisees the edge they need to stay ahead of the competition. Charis Moreno, our vice president of sales, has an exceptional background in broker-franchisor re-

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 53

lationships, having worked at Trulia and realtor.com®. She has a deep understanding of the ways technology can help brokers and agents become more productive and profitable. Our vice president, Imran Poladi, is a highly accomplished and respected REALTOR® and national speaker—and Christine Dwiggins, a successful REALTOR®, NAR director, and former vice president of two national real estate firms, serves as vice president of marketing and events for NextHome, Inc. We believe our executive team has the expertise and diversity many leadership teams lack in this business. They position us to make the right decisions to take NextHome members into the future.

BP: Who are your target customers? JD: In terms of our brokerages, they are small to medium in size, sometimes with just a few agents—although our Maui office, launched in Hawaii, has nearly 50 agents, and is a good example of how we also attract brokerages of all sizes. Our “typical” broker-franchisees are looking to be more competitive against larger offices in their markets, have the look-and-feel, and the integrated technology that attracts a more techy demographic of agents and consumers. We are providing all of those things, including proprietary, all-inclusive, user-friendly technology solutions that increase their services and, ultimately, their profit. Our franchisees know we are in tune with today’s buyers and sellers and what they want from the buy-sell experience. In most cases, brokers have been seeking us out, rather than the other way around. Most of our new franchises are coming from referrals or comments on social media made about us by new members.

BP: How can you be sure you are so in tune with what buyers and sellers want, or for that matter, what brokerages and agents are looking for? JD: Our company was built on the 54 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

premise that the status quo will ultimately cause many organizations to fail. Our goal is to identify the pain points in the industry and fix them. When our agents become the No. 1 resource in their markets for everything real estate, we will be succeeding as a company. Our Innovation Lab is a great example of how we’re putting this belief into practice. It’s a fun room and brainstorming lounge we created in our corporate headquarters in Northern California. It has accent lighting, comfy chairs, and dryerase walls to brainstorm ideas, and we think it’s game-changing because it inspires groups of people to loosen up and think outside the box. We open the lab to groups of our agents and brokers, consumers, franchise prospects, and corporate staff—a cross-section of people dedicated to pinpointing the problem areas within real estate and finding better, more innovative solutions. We constantly ask ourselves, “What processes do we need to fix? What will make our agents and brokers more efficient? How do we make them more profitable—and how can we make consumers happier with our company and the industry?” We take the best ideas from these sessions and implement them. Relevant change occurs when everyone in your organization is involved in the process and buys into new ideas. NextHome is all about teamwork.

BP: How did your branding evolve? JD: We wanted our franchise owners to have the freedom, affordability, independence and flexibility that comes with an identifiable brand. The name NextHome could not be more specific to what we do as a company. We chose corporate colors of orange and grey with a lot of white space—crisp designs, and fun colors and logos that say a lot about who we are to consumers seeking a real estate company to represent them. Most brokers and agents love the branding, and there is no variation from location to location. All

The diverse NextHome team collaborates on fresh ideas and progressing the industry.

offices have the same signage, the same conference room décor, and standardized business cards, although agents and teams have the autonomy to customize their materials with personalized and pertinent information. We believe we’ve found a good balance between national brand standards and maintaining the brokerage’s existing recognition that local consumers know and trust.

“Since our initial announcement of NextHome, Inc., we have done minimal advertising to the agent/ broker community, yet the response has been overwhelming and gratifying. Leading the expansion of the NextHome brand has been less about selling and more about simply providing exactly what it seems independent brokers have been searching for—and that makes what we are doing even more powerful and exciting.” Charis Moreno, Vice President, Sales, NextHome, Inc.

photo caption

BP: What makes your technology unique? JD: First, we’re one of the few franchise companies that have our own internal development team. Our team is thoroughly grounded in software engineering and design, especially as it relates to real estate. We built our NextHome technology to be simple, robust, all-inclusive and highly integrated, with complete endto-end solutions, a focus on mobility, and single log-in reachable from any location. Just as important, it’s all inclusive and part of the franchisee package. There is no nickel-and-diming for optional or additional solutions. We’ve found that by doing this, usage rates go up significantly, and that means more successful agents and brokers.

BP: Were you surprised at the number of offices who were ready to join the NextHome network? JD: We’re confident about what we’re doing, and we knew our company would resonate well within the industry—but we didn’t expect to become so popular so soon. Apart from some media exposure as we launched, we’ve done minimal advertising, yet we’re seeing enormous growth. I think brokers realize that we are implementing new ideas, and that our brand is geared toward a more progressive demographic of

both agents and consumers. They can see that we are clearly focused on empowering mid- to small-sized firms, providing them with the kind of progressive products and worldclass marketing they need to compete effectively. Brokers also get that we are the first affordable franchise opportunity available to them; we even allow them to try us for one year.

BP: What does all this mean for agents? JD: Essentially, it means they have a fresh culture and a meaningful brand with which to connect with customers. They have the independence to grow their individual businesses while enjoying the advantage of progressive technology, marketing, systems and training that only a major brand can provide. NextHome is a win-win for the agent as well as for the consumer who gets an experienced and knowledgeable local agent with everything it takes at his or her fingertips for great communication and, ultimately, a seamless transaction.

BP: What does the real estate office of the future look like? JD: Large office spaces will be a thing of the past. I have no doubt that offices of the future will be smaller in size, very high tech and

completely automated, because agents are already working remotely much more than they used to. That reduces the need for dedicated desk space. Instead, agents will go online to reserve office/desk space or conference rooms for client meetings. Most existing real estate offices will be reconfigured to conform to this new model. That’s a good thing because it will make more efficient use of space and reduce both overhead and maintenance costs for the broker—perhaps even enable better commission models.

BP: What’s in store for the future of your company? JD: We are looking at everything in our industry from a broad, new perspective, and we’re all about collaborating with our members on how to do it. We are fully attuned to the changing needs of the industry and consumers, and I think brokers realize that. It’s the reason we’ve had such a gratifying start, signing an average of eight to 10 companies a month all over the country in the beginning of operation. We’re looking forward to continued growth, but we’re working very hard to earn it, and we will continue to do so. RE

For more information, please visit www.nexthome.com. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 55

{Broker Best Practices} Focusing on Lead Conversion to Stimulate Company-Wide Growth

marketshare, perception was that we were smaller than we actually were. Creating one company name extends our reach into all of the markets we serve, allowing us to show our strength and give our agents the marketshare recognition they deserve.

by Zoe Eisenberg

We’ve been hearing good things about FiveStreet—some speak about the capacity of being able to react to leads faster with better data on the inbound lead—others speak about strong capabilities in lead distribution. Now that you have it up and running, does the performance live up to the expectations you had?

Ron Mintz Executive Vice President

Cathy Spencer

Executive Vice President Bay Sotheby’s International Realty Danville, Calif.

In our November 2014 issue, we asked how you were going to prepare for change. At the time, you were opening a new office in Danville, Calif. You were also changing your name to Bay Sotheby’s International Realty and implementing a new lead system utilizing FiveStreet and Top Producer. That’s a lot at the end of the year. How much of this has occurred? We’ve completed almost everything we set out to do. The only remaining item is the final implementation of FiveStreet. Our agents are going through the training now for the launch within the next week or so (at press time). Everything else has been completed.

Were you able to recruit new agents to staff it? What was your value proposition and approach in attracting new talent? While all of these changes are still fresh, we’re in the process of implementing our recruiting strategy and demonstrating to potential recruits that we have the tools, services, training and support to help them become successful or take their business to the next level.

Why did you change the name of your company? How does Sotheby’s play into your branding and your public image and perception? Operating under two different names under the Sotheby’s umbrella was affecting our ability to achieve the marketshare that we desire. While we had the

56 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

We’re still in the training phase and have not launched companywide; however, we’re optimistic that this service will allow our agents to respond to leads quicker and be more effective to the individual requesting information.

“By incorporating both FiveStreet and Top Producer into our toolbox, we’re able to capitalize on the worldwide marketing of our clients’ homes and respond to inquiries within seconds, providing a valued service to the client that may be untapped by other companies.” – Ron Mintz & Cathy Spencer EVP, Bay Sotheby’s International Realty

Let’s talk about the dynamics of lead conversion. I imagine you could simply invest more and “buy more leads.” Does it make more sense to focus on conversion, and how does that play out financially? It’s been our experience that a majority of the leads that you can purchase for large sums of money end up being bogus. With a lead aggregating tool, we’re following up more efficiently with people who’ve already expressed an interest in a property or area that we serve. We believe it’s a better use of our resources to work with leads that we generate, rather than leads from unreliable or unknown sources.

Are there challenges to get agents to use your new system? What motivates them to change their behavior? As with any newly introduced technology, there’s a

learning curve, and it takes time for all users to become comfortable with the system. By now, our agents have become comfortable with how the tools work, and our early adopters are sharing successes, encouraging those who may be leery of the tool to use it, learn it and incorporate it into their routine.

Can you use this specifically as part of your value proposition when recruiting? Absolutely! This is a tool that we’re proud to provide to our agents, and it’s still unique to our organization.

Has this helped you retain your better agents? Are they also doing better? We’re hearing success stories and have received nothing but positive feedback from our agents who are very happy that we’ve purchased this for their use.

How does this help someone considering listing their home with your organization? By incorporating both FiveStreet and Top Producer into our toolbox, we’re able to capitalize on the worldwide marketing of our clients’ homes and respond to inquiries within seconds, providing a valued service to the client that may be untapped by other companies. We know that lead requests have an extremely short shelf life, and by utilizing FiveStreet in conjunction with Top Producer, we cut our response time to seconds in the hopes of capturing the interested party, rather than losing them. This is a huge win for our clients.

What’s next for you? We’re focused on our strategic growth initiative in all of the markets we’re in, which is why we implemented Top Producer. It’s time for us to show why Bay Sotheby’s is the best decision a buyer or seller can make when looking for an agent to help with their real estate needs, in addition to being the company of choice for an agent’s real estate career. For more information, please visit www.fivestreet.com and www.topproducer.com.

Principles before Profit by John Voket

Patti Siebold Owner Keller Williams Realty Premier Partners Vancouver, Wash.

Region served: Southwest Washington, including Clark, Cowlitz and Skamania counties Years in real estate: 26 Number of offices: 2 Number of agents: 208 Best tip for getting the right listing price: Become the expert and then educate your sellers using facts and data to support your price. Best time management tip: Instead of using a digital/electronic calendar, which can lose track of time and responsibilities, use a hard copy, color-coded calendar to keep you on task. Most effective way to motivate agents: You can always teach and train, but motivation comes from within, so show agents what to do—and how to do it. Can’t live without tech tool: The state-of-theart technology offered through Keller Williams, specifically eEdge, a lead and database management, paperless transaction, marketing and website system.

The past decade has been kind of a roller coaster in the real estate world. What’s one of the proudest achievements you can look back on as the company celebrates its 10th anniversary? The relationships we have fostered and the vast number of consumers we’ve been able to assist because of these relationships. Regardless of what the market is doing, we provide a nurturing environment for agents to thrive, in addition to training to help them grow their business. In 10 years, we have consistently maintained top marketshare based on agent count and closed volume. Not only have we made it through tough times, we’ve thrived and grown while other offices were closing, consolidating or being bought out by conglomerates.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 57

What are two fundamentals that you feel are essential to your company’s continued success? One thing that has attributed to our success over the past 10 years is our mission to always do the right thing. By adhering to this principle, and placing our principles before our profit, we’ve been able to grow and experience incredible success. The second thing that will help us achieve success moving forward is our fundamental belief that we will achieve massive success through the growth and development of others by providing training and education that allows agents to be successful.

Tell me about the relationship between the position in your markets and the ongoing success of your recruiting efforts. Because we have consistently held the top marketshare in our area, we find it an exciting and beneficial story to share with recruits. Whether it’s an agent who is new to the business, or a current

agent who is looking to build their business, both groups find our local success appealing. Our culture is comprised of a sharing mentality. All of our agents share and learn from each other. We have aligned with and developed top talent because we generally find that top talent likes to be around likeminded people.

What strategies do your agents utilize to stand out to clients and achieve customer loyalty? We believe agents should receive their own leads on their own business, so all marketing is specific to each agent. Each agent is allowed to market and brand themselves individually, therefore, we don’t have a generic office phone number or contact info on our marketing pieces. In branding themselves individually, customer loyalty is connected directly to the agent, not the company. As Gary Keller, cofounder of Keller Williams says, “We stand behind our agents, not in front of them.” RE

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Foot Traffic Points to a Strong Spring in 2015 by Ken Fears

or several years, NAR Research has tracked foot traffic as a means of predicting housing activity in subsequent months. This data provides valuable insights about future trends and points to a robust spring market.

SentriLock LLC., makers of the lockboxes that one-third of REALTORS® use to access properties on the market, provides data to NAR’s Research Department from more than 200 local boards and associations on the number of times properties are accessed each month. This data, in turn, is used by NAR Research to create a picture of foot traffic in various local markets—and for the nation as a whole. NAR tracks this data in two ways. First, NAR monitors the full sample of 200 boards and generates a diffusion index each month. This index indicates the share of markets that are experiencing stronger or slower growth in foot traffic relative to a

year earlier. For a more detailed look, NAR produces a report each month focused on a panel of 10 metro areas. This panel includes Indianapolis, Kingston (N.Y.), San Diego, Nashville, Chicago, Memphis, White Plains-NYC, Boulder, Iowa City and El Paso. Where Is Traffic Headed? After swooning in November, the diffusion index of foot traffic surged 20 points to 62 in December, finishing 2014 at the second highest level of the year. This reading suggests that well north of half of markets experienced stronger foot traffic in December 2014 than in December 2013. Furthermore, the share that experi-

enced gains was in strong contrast to November, when less than half of the markets covered experienced gains. Focusing on the 10-city panel, December saw a solid report. Eight of the markets in the panel increased on a year-over-year basis. The strongest improvements on a year-overyear basis were in Iowa City, Chicago and El Paso, respectively, which all experienced double-digit gains over December 2014. Boulder and Memphis were the only markets still experiencing lower traffic relative to 2013. Nevertheless, all 10 markets saw an improvement in traffic when comparing the year-over-year trend in December relative to November. Iowa City, White Plains and Kingston led the month-to-month improvement in the year-over-year trend. Looking to the Spring Market Foot traffic patterns tend to lead trends in contracts to sell and closed contracts (e.g. actual sales). The trend from December suggests a steady gain in sales relative to last year for the early spring market. This improvement is both broad-based as measured by the diffusion index and regionally diverse judging by the 10city panel. December’s sharp improvement in foot traffic reduces concern over the prior month’s downward flutter, and aligns with the recent series of positive economic indicators. Lower mortgage rates and stronger employment combined with strong interest in housing point to a solid spring market. However, credit access, slow income growth and supply constraints remain headwinds to a robust recovery. Regardless, foot traffic suggests steady improvement in early 2015. RE Ken Fears is Director, Regional Economics and Housing Finance, for the National Association of REALTORS®. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 59

be stronger, but will return to a more normal pace of growth. In 2015 and 2016, loans to individuals are expected to grow about 6 percent and loans to businesses will grow about 10 percent. The members of the 2015 ABA Economic Advisory Committee are: 8EAC Chair Ethan S. Harris, co-head of global economics research, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, New York

Bank Economists See Healthy U.S. Economic Growth Through 2015

he U.S. economy will grow nearly 3 percent on an inflationadjusted basis this year compared to 2.5 percent last year, according to the Economic Advisory Committee of the American Bankers Association.

The Committee, which includes 15 chief economists from among the largest banks in North America, sees an improved fundamental backdrop for growth. Sectors that were severely damaged during the 2008 - 2009 crisis have healed significantly. In particular, the banking and real estate sectors are in much better health. Household balance sheets have also improved, with strong gains in asset prices and a dramatic drop in debt service burden. The fiscal and monetary policy environment is supportive of growth. Fiscal policy is no longer a headwind as budget brinkmanship battles abate and tax and spending policies stabilize. The group forecasts the federal budget deficit will stabilize at $470 billion in fiscal year 2015. The Committee expects the Federal Reserve to maintain near-zero interest rates through mid-2015. Thereafter, the bank economists see a very gradual normalization of interest rates over the next several years. The group sees falling energy prices as a net positive for the economy. Low prices will hurt the oil patch, cutting into mining employment and

capital spending. However, this will likely be more than offset by the boost to energy consumers. Despite the weakness in energy sector investment, the group sees business investment as a strong point for the economy. The consensus forecast is that business investment will rise 5 percent on an inflation-adjusted basis this year. The Committee sees continued monthly job gains of 200,000 or higher through this year. However, the bank economists expressed concerns that job gains had not yet triggered healthy wage growth. Nonetheless, the Committee believes the ongoing drop in unemployment will start pushing wage growth higher. The group expects residential investment to be stronger this year with gains in single- and multi-family starts and home sales. The EAC expects home prices nationally to rise 3.5 percent this year. Mortgage rates are expected to rise only from about 4 percent now to 4.5 percent by year-end. The group forecasts that consumer credit growth will be modest this year and business lending growth will

8Scott A. Anderson, SVP and chief economist, Bank of the West, San Francisco 8Robert A. Dye, SVP and chief economist, Comerica Bank, Dallas 8Keith Hembre, chief economist and chief investment strategist, Nuveen Asset Management, and chief economist of US Bank, Minneapolis 8Stuart G. Hoffman, SVP and chief economist, PNC Financial Services Group, Pittsburgh 8Peter Hooper, managing director and chief economist, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., New York 8Nathaniel Karp, EVP and chief economist, BBVA Compass, Houston 8Bruce C. Kasman, chief economist, JP Morgan Chase & Company, New York 8Christopher Low, chief economist, First Horizon National Corpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FTN Financial, New York 8Gregory L. Miller, SVP and chief economist, SunTrust Banks, Inc., Atlanta 8George Mokrzan, SVP and director of economics, Huntington National Bank, Columbus, Ohio 8Richard F. Moody, SVP and chief economist, Regions Financial Corporation, Birmingham, Ala. 8Doug Porter, chief economist and managing director of economic research, BMO Financial Group, Toronto 8Christopher Probyn, managing director and chief economist, State Street Global Advisors, Boston, Mass. 8Carl R. Tannenbaum, SVP and chief economist, Northern Trust, Chicago RE Source: American Bankers Association RISMediaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s REAL ESTATE March 2015 61

{Coaching}

3 Lead-Generating Tactics That Will Explode Your Business by Travis Robertson

uccess in this industry starts with one thing: your ability to generate leads. What if you could gain more clients and make more money off the leads you’re already getting? You would, right? It’s not as difficult as you may think.

Too many agents run around trying to implement every lead-generating activity they can get their hands on. They chase shiny objects (“SQUIRREL!”). They end up getting so lost in a multitude of products, programs and plans that they end up with lost money and little (if any) business. The problem is this: The more you try to do, the less effective you become. Instead, what you need to do is focus your time and money on 2 - 3 major lead-generating activities that you are going to use in your business over the next 12 months.

62 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Then you need to master those few things rather than doing too many activities ineffectively. When choosing which lead sources to use, base your decision on the goals you set for your business. The sources you choose will depend on both how much money and time you have to invest. Make sure you focus solely on the things that are going to move your business forward. Too many people rob time from what’s important in order to give it to activities that are nothing more than distractions. Let your competi-

tors make that mistake—you stay focused. If you need some guidance, these three lead-generating tactics are working extremely well right now. Two of them are great at generating listing leads and, if you’re like most agents, my guess is you’d appreciate more listing leads. Right? 1. Direct Mail Marketing – I know it’s old-school, but it works. While everybody’s moving their business online, you can take advantage of hitting people in their mailboxes. Our inboxes and social media have become so flooded with marketing that using direct mail is the perfect way to get your message in front of people. 2. Facebook Advertising – Facebook advertising is a great way to generate awesome listing leads. If you’re not currently using Facebook advertising, now is the time to invest a little bit of money to explode your listing inventory.

There are so many different ways, so many different things that you can do to generate leads. The key is this: find just a few and cut out everything else. That focus is what will allow your business to explode. Here’s how it works: you run ads on Facebook targeted to people based on their demographics. The ads have a headline reading, “Curious what your home is worth in today’s market? Click for a free evaluation.” When the user clicks on the ad, they are taken to a site that provides an automated evaluation in exchange for their contact information. Your job is to continue to follow up with value. 3. Strategic Calling – This is one of my favorite, “Oh crap, I need leads now!” strategies. Most agents have

clients or leads they haven’t contacted in a while. Sound familiar? Here’s what you need to do: make a list of the hot leads from the past 6 - 12+ months. These are leads that were close to buying or selling but didn’t. Instead of calling them out of the blue to ask if they’re still interested in buying or selling, the key is to provide value. How do you do that? Call with an updated CMA for an old listing lead or new properties that fit what a buyer was previously looking for. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you are providing value.

So there you have it…three strategies that can generate listing and buyer leads for your business. But they aren’t the only ones that work. There are so many different ways, so many different things that you can do to generate leads. The key is this: find just a few and cut out everything else. That focus is what will allow your business to explode. RE Travis Robertson is CEO and founder of Robertson Coaching International, one of the fastest growing real estate coaching and training companies in North America. Robertson has trained tens of thousands of real estate professionals across the globe on highperformance marketing, business development and team building, and his company coaches some of the highest producing agents around the world. Visit www.travisrobertson.com for more information.

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Where You Live Matters

80% of Vacation Home & Investment Buyers say that Now is a Good Time to Buy*

What are you doing to capitalize on this market? Just about every market contains second-home properties. It could be a classic vacation home or an investment property down the street for rental income. No matter where you live, second home properties exist in your area. The Resort and Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS) certification gives you the specialized skills and knowledge to maximize the business opportunities the vacation and second-home market presents. Learn more by visiting REALTOR.org/resort. *According to the 2014 NAR Investment & Vacation Home Buyers Survey

{Trending}

With Quick-Drying REO Market,

Time Is of the Essence by Andrew King

rokers around the nation are seeing different trends in the

real estate-owned market, but whether there is a full pipeline of properties being unloaded in your territory or the supply has just about fried, one thing is consistent—there isn’t a lot of time to get these homes sold.

As home sales began to drop off in 2007, millions of Americans couldn’t afford to keep their homes, and they were forced to either short sell or be foreclosed upon by their bank. It took several years for this trend to fully play out, but eventually, recoveries began to take hold in different areas of the country, largely fueled by institutional investors such as banks, mutual funds, investment groups or any other entity looking to capitalize on the rock-bottom real estate prices produced by the Great Recession. In some of the hottest REO mar-

kets, like Southern California, the recovery has been just as massive as the crash, and the inventory of institutionally owned properties have all but sold out. “They are very much down in the key REO markets,” says San Diegobased broker Steve Rodgers, CEO/ president/owner at Real Living Lifestyles Real Estate. “At one point a few years back, the distressed market, including short sales and REOs, was about 45 percent of total sales for a month or year. Now, it’s less than 10 percent.” Other areas haven’t seen the RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 65

return of buyers like San Diego has, but the recovery is still taking hold, albeit inconsistently. Jon Paul Molfetta, managing director of Keller Williams in suburban New York (Rockland County) and New Jersey (Bergen County), has seen activity pick up around New York City at all levels of the market, especially in the REO space. “Specifically for the REO market, there are people there ready to buy,” Molfetta says. “The buying public has been hesitant, but now the reports are coming that the market is improving nationally and locally. Because of that, you are seeing more buyers come into the market, and we know what happens as more buyers come into the market: Prices stabilize and then they increase.” That’s been the case with the hefty inventory of suburban foreclosures and short sales as they’ve been slowly unloaded onto the market. Because they are priced so aggressively, Molfetta says that the listings often trigger bidding wars. “For any home that is priced aggressively, and most REO homes are, there is an abundance of buyers who want it,” he says. “People have looked at the properties that are REO and they lost it in the bidding process.” Just as it’s important for buyers to be quick to grab an REO listing, brokers have to be equally vigilant to get them. “There are always opportunities,” Molfetta says. “You just have to be ready to go.” To be competitive in this space, Molfetta suggests that brokers be understanding of how the REO market works, and less reliant on the natural instinct to get the best price at all costs, because in the REO world, time often trumps price. REO properties are held for a relatively short time, whether they’re held by a real estate investment 66 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

trust or a multinational mega-bank, and they get sold at a precise time. Also, a lot of the REO inventory is in an odd state of ownership where the resident living in the home hasn’t paid their mortgage in a long time, but the bank hasn’t foreclosed on them because its case load is so backed up. However, the picture is becoming clearer and the economy

“Specifically for the REO market, there are people there ready to buy. The buying public has been hesitant, but now the reports are coming that the market is improving nationally and locally. Because of that, you are seeing more buyers come into the market, and we know what happens as more buyers come into the market: Prices stabilize and then they increase.” - Jon Paul Molfetta Managing Director, Keller Williams

is improving, so now there is an additional wave of foreclosures. “The banks are in a better place than they were years ago, and we are seeing better prices,” Molfetta explains. “The agents that I know that represent the REO market are very busy. The reason they are busy is that there is still a lot of inventory that is in default that (the institutions) own, and they are making an attempt now that the market is getting better. Rather than hold it and take larger losses, now that the market is coming back, we are seeing these properties come to market.” A lot of factors go into an institution’s decision to sell a home,

including: 8 H ow many properties are in the overall portfolio? 8H ave they been generating any revenue as a rental? 8H ow long have they been held? 8 I s there a strategic tax incentive to selling the property at a loss? Unlike most real estate transactions that brokers manage, the price is not really one of the top factors that goes into this decision. “Their main purpose is to get the property under contract—lock up the buyer,” Molfetta says. “It’s about timing more than price. When they decided upon the market, they’ve vetted it. It’s already gone through the bank’s channels. By the time they get there, it’s ready to go.” But the institutions know better than to unload all of their inventory at once. In parts of San Diego that might have worked because there was enough demand coming to absorb the REO supply, while in other parts of Southern California, there weren’t enough buyers in sight, for REO or otherwise. The Northeast is probably more typical as it is demonstrating a sustained recovery largely supported by REO, and Molfetta expects it could continue for several more years. “They are slowly releasing the inventory over the years, but they are doing it gradually out of fear of collapsing the market,” he explains. “Otherwise, it could plummet the prices even more.” RE Andrew King is an award-winning journalist with 15 years of experience with the Gannett newspaper company, appearing in The Journal News (Westchester, NY), Asbury Park Press and USA Today. He also contributes to The Real Deal, TheLadders.com and TechPageOne.com.

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New Housing Counseling Trend Shows Positive Signs for Homebuyers

enewed interest in housing counseling is revealing that many are considering homeownership as a possibility for the first time. More than 73,000 people received housing counseling from National Foundation for Credit CounselingÂŽ (NFCC) member agencies during 2014, making it the highest volume experienced in the past five years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Seeing that more people are realizing the value of housing counseling is a sign that the next wave of homebuyers will be better prepared to preserve homeownership,â&#x20AC;? says Bruce McClary, spokesperson for the NFCC. Owning a home is a serious financial decision, requiring a stable budget and a clear understanding of the responsibility involved. That responsibility begins when searching for an affordable home, and lasts as long as homeownership is maintained. While a recent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) survey revealed that 47 percent of homebuyers are not comparing lenders, those who participate in housing counseling sessions or workshops are more likely to review multiple mortgage offers. Because they compare offers, they are likely to save more than those who only worked with a single lender. The NFCC recommends that prospective homeowners seek the advice of a nonprofit housing counselor in order to learn about every aspect of purchasing and maintaining ownership before making any financial commitment. RE Source: www.nfcc.org.

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In other words, you get everything you need to get the listing, get the deal and get ahead. All for less than most agents spend on smartphone service. Find out how top producers stay on top – and how you can join them there. Visit us at Top5inRealEstate.com today.

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{Strategies}

Protecting Your Real Estate Investment HSA Home Warranty covers all the bases by John Voket

proud West Point graduate and former member of the U.S. Armed Forces, you could say that providing protection and security has always been a big aspect of Todd Hetherington’s family tradition. As a real estate professional for more than two decades, it’s no coincidence that Hetherington has always been a big believer in home warranties. In fact, he always recommends them to clients to help protect them from unforeseen circumstances that can threaten their quality of life, their financial security and their real estate investment. Today, Hetherington is CEO of NM Management/CENTURY 21 New Millennium, an Alexandria, Va.-based company, whose core organizations provide a complete range of real estate sales and support to real estate clients in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. He continues to promote the value of HSA home warranties to virtually every client he does business with. “We found the big plus of working with HSA is the personalized service,” says Hetherington. “Compared to the home warranty company we used to do business with, we find HSA’s responsiveness to be phenomenal. They listen and they are innovative. If we need something to happen regarding the products they provide our clients, they make it happen.” For instance, when his companies began breaking into new markets and neighborhoods where the HSA service networks didn’t offer as many service providers, Hetherington says that instead of looking for another home warranty provider, he worked with HSA to expand their vendor network. Looking across the landscape of all the homes his team helps clients buy, sell or manage, Hetherington says there’s an HSA home warranty plan to help protect each and every one of them—even if they’re buying or selling a brand new home. While it might seem counterintuitive to add a home warranty to a brand new home, Hetherington learned from personal experience that even a new appliance, roof, HVAC system or other component in a new home

can fail at any time “Home warranties are even more important on new properties,” Hetherington says. “I recently had a new property built, and I wasn’t going to bother with a home inspection or warranty. But I decided to at least hire an inspector, and he found a minor leak in our 75-gallon water heater that would have ruined our home pretty quickly. “After that, I decided to keep an HSA home warranty on all of my homes, and even our investment properties. For residential clients, it’s value-added peace of mind should something go wrong, and with our management company, offering home warranties through HSA to the owner is a godsend,” adds Hetherington. “Typically, when they have a breakdown, they’re thanking us for that recommendation.” And for the few who don’t take that advice? “Well, when something goes wrong, we help them get it fixed, and then get them covered with an HSA home warranty.” For more information, please visit www.onlinehsa.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 71

“I always suggest to my associates who are commercial REALTORS® to never overlook RPR. I do commercial mentoring and I always incorporate RPR to make sure they take advantage of some of the same tools I use.” - paul martis Commercial REALTOR®, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

Top-Notch Reports with a Competitive Advantage Realtors Property Resource® provides allaround value by Nick Caruso

o be successful in an industry that never stops moving, real estate professionals must be pros at time management. Whether connecting with past clients, scheduling and conducting listing presentations, or following up with new leads, an agent’s to-do list is never-ending. However, with the right tools and tech, real estate agents can maximize their own efficiency to keep their work weeks (and work loads) running as smoothly as possible.

Realtors Property Resource®(RPR®) is one of those tools that real estate professionals can use to save time and improve their value to their clients. The largest comprehensive database of parcel-centric property information available, RPR hosts hundreds of datasets on over 160 million properties—and it’s all available at your fingertips and included in NAR member dues. Paul Martis, commercial REALTOR®for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Oak Brook, Ill., first heard about RPR®at the end of 2012. Intrigued at the platform’s possibilities, he scheduled to receive an overview of what RPR was all about. Impressed with what he saw, Martis began using RPR in January 2014, once MRED, his MLS, completed their agreement and went live. “It provides me with an extra added value,” says Martis. “With RPR®, I’ll put in the zip code for a property that I’m looking to list for sale, land or retail. I’ll run a

72 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

commercial trade report based on the zip code where that property is located. The trade report shows the demographics at a level beyond what I would normally give to other sites. I run all my listings on the MLS and run a report to get those enhanced demos, but it also shows the potential for a retail user who may be moving into the area. I use it for all my listings—whether it’s a sale or a lease.” In fact, Martis even uses RPR’s robust reports when he reaches out to economic development departments in his area, attaching the commercial trade report to provide a visual representation of what a specific area can support. The friendly visual format of RPR’s reports have received great feedback from those he shares them with. “The RPR reports give listings a little more of a wow factor,” says Martis. “I also get involved in doing commercial property reports, which are the best business reports that I might run on a particular property, which show what retail business might be good for a particular area. In this case, I’m not looking at the zip code, I’m looking at a search via radius or polygon, and being more specific to an area than just its zip code.” When asked whether or not RPR gives him an advantage over his competitors, Martis responds strongly and decisively: “I know it does.” He continues: “I’ve used it a number of times for completing deals that showed that I had some tools that a lot of other individuals didn’t have. I always suggest to my associates who are commercial REALTORS®to never overlook RPR. I do commercial mentoring and I always incorporate RPR to make sure they take advantage of some of the same tools I use. “Being able to search and get info on consumer spending, best business reports and enhanced demographics—I call that the RPR trifecta. It’s a standalone product that doesn’t compete with any of the other sources that I use. It allows me to go and continue to bring value to my listings, to my clients, and to other commercial practitioners.” For more information, visit www.narrpr.com.

Protecting Buyers, Sellers and Real Estate Professionals Every Step of the Way California real estate professional finds a good fit with American Home Shield® by Paige Tepping

ith 28 years of experience under his belt, real estate professional Michael Collins understands just how important a home warranty is to both buyers and sellers—especially in today’s real estate market. “So many homes are being sold as-is today,” says Collins, “and a home warranty gives the buyer and the seller some peace of mind in knowing that they have some protection if an appliance within the home breaks on closing day.” An avid proponent of American Home Shield (AHS®) and the home warranty products they provide, Collins explains that the positive feedback from his clients ultimately led to his decision to partner with the company. “I tried AHS out initially and got good feedback from my clients regarding their responsiveness and the fact that they honored their contracts,” says Collins. “That was enough for me to know that this was a good fit.” And over the years, AHS has been with Collins every step of the way. “It’s been a positive synergy,” says Collins, who goes on to say that each and every one of his clients experiences the same good service he does. “My rep, Carrie Schram-Portman, is amazing. Not only does she return my calls and answer my emails without delay,

if I ever have an issue with a client being dissatisfied, she takes care of it immediately.” Adding to the positive experience is the fact that American Home Shield’s products are reasonably priced within the marketplace, another benefit that can’t be overlooked. When it comes to his experience in working with AHS, Collins has nothing but positive things to say about the company. “Not only is the entire team at AHS responsive, their customer service and vendors are excellent,” says Collins, who notes that the process involved with ordering a new policy is very easy, allowing him to be more efficient with his time. In addition, working with AHS also goes a long way toward providing his clients with the best possible customer service. “For me, customer service comes first. I’m only as good as the people I refer to my clients, and I assure you that if that referral is bad, it’s ultimately a reflection on me. So I’m very careful about who I refer,” says Collins. “American Home Shield is a long-standing company that has a proven track record. These guys are here to stay, and their reputation speaks for itself.” RE For more information, please visit www.ahs.com/realestate.

Sifting, Seeding and Selling: Finding and Helping the Relocating First-Time Buyer by John B. Sculley

nticipating a strong recovery in first-time buyer volume generated by corporate relocations, we offer these suggestions for recognizing these new customers and serving them effectively.

When employers ask their people to move for new jobs, they unpin accustomed lifestyles. Potential transferees have much to consider and decide. High among their concerns are choosing and securing a new residence in the destination area. With housing markets recovering in much of the U.S., we see growing optimism among corporate people regarding the value of homeownership. Employees who have always been renters now look at a reloca-

tion as a timely opportunity at least to consider buying a first home, in the hope of building future equity. For the relocation and real estate industries, this is welcome news. Corporate transferees were historically mostly homeowners, but this has declined over time. The housing crisis accelerated this trend to the degree that today’s relocations are predominantly of renters. An uptick in first-time buyers helps both near-term sales growth and a higher

For an Executive Homeowner:

For a First-Time Home Buyer:

Buyer counseling

Same

Normal buyers closing costs paid

Same

ortgage Fees, direct-billed, M company paid

Employee pays at company rates

COLA / Mortgage Subsidy

Closing administration

Same

74 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

homeowner proportion in future repeat moves as well. Corporate employers may benefit from greater homeownership. Intuitively, you’d expect new owners to depend more on their jobs and to be less turnover-prone. Local commitment and stronger employee engagement support lower attrition and better key-talent retention. Nonetheless, corporate mobility assistance policies have generally not been very supportive of first-time buyers. Policy benefits are most commonly based on the employee’s current residential status, i.e., home buying assistance extended only to those already having a departure home to sell. So called “needs-based” policies suppose that a current renter does not need to buy a home with company assistance. A more progressive corporate approach, though, is to offer at least some scaled back home-buying support for first-timers, to improve transfer acceptance, turnover and perceived value. (See policy excerpt chart on left). For a real estate broker or relocation director, this is an attractive, yet very sensitive, market segment. Employers that do not support firsttime buyers would not welcome your generating attention to such a policy gap. On the other hand, supportive employers would encourage higher eligible-employee utilization of the intended home buying benefits. For relocation company referrals, you should ask your RMC contact to relay to you any applicable home buying benefits for each case. So, how can you navigate this potentially lucrative minefield?

Start with the customer’s needs and interests. Most renters will be determined to remain so, and this should be served, not challenged. However, exploring the possibility of first-time home buying with receptive (or even just curious) transferees can enhance your desti-

nation services.

Ensure that your customer understands what their employer does and does not provide for home purchases. You are not expected to know the employer’s policies, as this is the relocation company’s responsibility, but you can make sure that the employee asks all the right questions: 8“Does my personal Relocation Assistance package provide any Home Purchase benefits?” 8“If so, which of these are included, and with what limitations?” • Buyers’ closing costs • Lender fees and points • Preferential mortgage products and rates • Purchase closing administration • Direct employer billing of costs and fees • Temporary or permanent subsidies (COLA, Housing, Mortgage

buydown, etc.) 8“Are there any policy compliance rules for home purchase benefits eligibility?” • Broker/agent registration • Referral fee agreement • Listing exclusion clause • Designated national lenders •P re-purchase valuation/ inspections • Others This dialogue will ensure that the customer is aware of any company assistance and resources for which he or she is eligible.

Help the customers envision their adjusted buying power. A new job often brings better compensation, too. Using company benefits, the employee’s new salary and possibly a spouse’s, encourage customers to get a mortgage pre-qual-

ification or pre-approval. At some employers, their selected national lenders offer this service to all levels of relocation eligibility and even to non-relocating employees.

If the stars align, make it happen. Use your local market expertise to find the right property. Getting a first-time buyer happily into an affordable home is more than a gratifying career experience—it is a business builder. It is an extra measure of service to the employer, an appreciated revenue to your RMC partners, and a life-changing gift to your customer. Give some fresh thought to what you can be doing to find or generate more of these grateful first-timers. RE John B. Sculley, SCRP, is vice president - managing director of RIS Consulting Group, johnsculley@rismedia.com.

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Cathrine Smith Realty Are you looking to buy or sell real estate in Santa Barbara, CA and the surrounding area? Let me assist you with this important transaction. My professionalism, market knowledge and neighborhood expertise will guarantee that your buying or selling experience is successful and stress-free.

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{RISMedia’s Great Spaces}

Frank Sinatra’s former glass-walled penthouse just sold in (where else?) old New York.

by Nick Caruso & Zoe Eisenberg

Frank Sinatra Manhattan Penthouse Sold Ahh, New York. They say if you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere—and that’s exactly what Frank Sinatra did. In fact, he was the No. 1 New Yorker of his time. Born and raised in Hoboken, N.J., Sinatra began his career singing with the Hoboken Four at night clubs throughout the N.Y. area, and later ended up playing with the New York Philharmonic and debuting at Madison Square Garden. He came, he saw, he conquered. In 1961, Sinatra moved into a brand new 3,200-square-foot Manhattan triplex penthouse with East River views. He designed the apartment himself with 18-foot ceilings and 2,000 square feet of wrap-

around balconies that Sammy Davis, Jr. reportedly loved lounging on. By the 1960s, the singer owned his own film company, record company, private airline, missile-parts firm, had real estate holdings across the country and a personal staff of 75. Although he was spending less time in New York, he still wanted a place to live there that identified with the energy of the city. That’s exactly what he got, and exactly what recently sold. Though Sinatra sold the apartment in 1972 to Andy Warhol’s doctor, the penthouse has been totally updated. The home has glass walls, four bedrooms, six baths, a putting green and a replica of the floating glass staircase found in New York City’s Apple Store. It went on the market in late 2013 at $5.6 million and just sold for $4.9 million.

For Sale: The “Groundhog Day” Manor The need to know: Bill Murray stayed here. The man, the myth, the legend, people! Well, his character Phil Connors did in the 1993 comedy “Groundhog Day”—but hey, count it! The Royal Victorian Manor, as it’s called in the real world, is located in Woodstock, Ill. It’s a bed & breakfast (or a family home!) that was featured in the Harold Ramis film as the inn. Built in 1894, the inn has six bedrooms, all with private bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen and an innkeeper’s suite. Included in the 6,000 square feet of living space is the original hardwood floor, leaded glass windows and three fireplaces. Another added bonus: everything in the home has been updated within the last five years. The B&B is only a few blocks from

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 77

The inn from the movie “Groundhog Day” is for sale; and like all things Bill Murray, it is amazing.

suite has its own fireplace leading to the master bath with separate vanities, two walk-in closets, a dressing room, spa tub and shower. There are two more guest bedrooms, a full bath, laundry room and a media room with a wet bar and surround sound that completes the second floor. This home’s new owners are going to really love relaxing on their new balcony and enjoying the warm Florida sunshine. Listed for: $1,200,000

the historic Town Square, the Woodstock Opera House and Metra train station, and about an hour from O’Hare International Airport and downtown Chicago. May its new owners never hear Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe” inside its walls. Listed for: $885,000 Listed by: Rick Bellairs, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Starck Real Estate

Prime Riverfront Florida Estate with a Lazy River Pool Fishermen would love this one-of-akind, best-kept fishing secret. Located in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., minutes from Daytona and just a short hour from Disney World, this riverfront property is a great example of what “luxury” in the Sunshine State means. Because lazy river pool, you guys! A previous owner of the home owned a pool company in Orlando and had this pool built specially for his home. Its new homeowners can soak up the sun while floating as a current pulls them around the circumference of the pool. With a couple palm trees in sight, it sounds like paradise…at home. 78 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

But how about that interior? Well, it’s just as impressive. The paved drive leads to etched-glass double doors that open into a large foyer with 20-in. porcelain tile. The open floor plan has a great room, formal dining room and a chef’s kitchen, all with a scenic river view. Amenities include solid maple cabinets and granite countertops, GE monogram appliances, stone backsplash and a movable island. Downstairs are two guest rooms and a full bath opening to the back porch, pool area and a second laundry room. At the top of the stairway, a large open loft boasts tons of space, fit for its regulation pool table. The master

Listed by: Jane Sciortino, Keller Williams Realty Florida Partners

Big Island Living at Its Best Looking for big luxury on the big island of Hawaii? This South Kohala property offers sunny, breezy living, with a price tag just shy of $5 million. Spread over 2.73 acres, this threebedroom home features an expansive open-floor plan and ocean views from every angle. Avoid that sneaky sunburn by relaxing on the canopied patio, hide out in the manicured gardens framed by high hedges, take a dip in the lagoon-style pool, and soak up the ocean views in your own private tropical getaway. Three words: Lazy. River. Pool. Yes, please!

can-inspired compound, designed by famed Montecito architect Bob Easton, includes six bedrooms, seven bathrooms and a three-car garage. Wreathed in ivy, the walled and gated estate offers privacy and the feel of genuine Italian living, no passport needed. Included is a home theatre perfect for binge watching “Hannah Montana,” a music room fit for Billy Ray Cyrus himself, luxurious outdoor living space that includes a pool and fireplace, and—of all the random things for Miss Cyrus to own—a pretty sweet skateboard ramp.

Hawaii living is like heaven on earth. If encyclopedias still exist, that’s probably in there somewhere.

Listed for: $4,950,000 Listed by: Harold Clarke, Luxury Big Island, www.LuxuryBigIsland.com

and enjoy nearby hot spots such as Central Park, the Hudson River and MoMA.

Fifty Third and Eighth: Home Heaven in Hell’s Kitchen

Unit prices begin at $1.1 million and range all the way to $3.25 million.

A newly finished 25-story luxury condominium is changing lux living in Hell’s Kitchen. Fifty Third and Eighth, located at (you guessed it) West 53rd Street, has 252 sleek one-, two- and three-bedroom residences currently looking for their forever owners. Nestled in one of Manhattan’s most vibrant neighborhoods, these units were designed for both function and style, with open space living and dining areas and fully loaded kitchens that include white quartz countertops, white lacquer and polished chrome cabinets and premium appliances. With all of that white, you’ll feel like you’re living in heaven—or at least napping on a nice pillowy cloud. With bathrooms rivaling the most upscale hotels, enjoy white marble floors, accent walls of mosaic Calacatta marble, and custom-designed vanities and medicine cabinets. Once you’re finished soaking up the white-washed luxury, hop outside

Not Your Average Shipping Container

www.53rdand8th.com

Featured on “Grand Designs Australia,” this stunning space is the largest shipping container house of its kind in Australia. Built out of 31 shipping containers, this private residence puts most traditional residential spaces to shame. Sprawling over three levels, the home—built in 2013—features clean lines, open spaces and quality finishes. Located in Brisbane, Australia, this chicly designed container pad uses glass to maximize light. Source: www.zieglerbuild.com.au, www.containerhomeplans.org.

Miley Cyrus’ Family Home Sells in Toluca Lake The family home of infamous pop sensation Miley Cyrus has hit the market like a wrecking ball. The Tus-

Listed for: $5,995,000 Broker: Thomas Atamian, Dilbeck Real Estate, a member of Luxury Portfolio International®

Colorado Home Brings the Outside In Looking to live in luxury with an al fresco feel? This home in Steamboat Springs, Colo., has trees, stone and vines snaked throughout, so you can feel like you’re outside even when you’re in. Set on a tranquil 36 acres with a creek-fed pond and wildlife, this home—which includes a wine cellar and a gourmet kitchen—sits snug in the hills of the exclusive Priest Creek Ranch. Hang out on the deck and ogle the local fauna, like elk and Sandhill cranes. The home also includes unique amenities such as a dog wash, a greenhouse, and a “bunk room” that includes four lofted queen-sized beds, perfect for all of the in-laws, or that occasional slumber party. RE Listed for: $5,475,000 Listed by: Chris Paoli, Colorado Group Realty, a member of Luxury Portfolio International®

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 79

{Life in Mobile}

Talking Tech on Main Street A Conversation with Morris Lyles by Seth Kaplan SK: What is the biggest technological change you’ve seen within the last 12 months? ML: The largest change has come from video and the process of utilizing video as a means of showcasing properties on YouTube. The ease of this system—and the ability for anyone to search and find properties on YouTube—has been a new way to showcase listings. I think we’re just scratching the surface of virtual and stitching technology.

ince I’m sure you’ve all heard enough about what I think, we decided to take it to the streets to hear what you think. This month, we sat down with Morris Lyles of ERA Wilder Realty in Columbia, S.C., and picked his brain on a few things. Here’s what he had to say. Seth Kaplan: What technology are sellers most interested to know if you’re using? Morris Lyles: Sellers want to know that their listings are being displayed on mobile properly; this goes for websites and apps. I think we’ve done a good job of enabling this technology at our company, but I’m still seeing companies that aren’t, which means—according to NAR’s most recent stats—they’re

80 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

missing 40 - 50 percent of buyers who are actively searching. SK: What technology do you find most useful/practical/beneficial as an agent? ML: Definitely an e-signing platform. As more and more agents begin to use this, it helps streamline signing and expedite paperwork. It also makes the whole process more efficient.

Final Thought: Morris hit the nail on the head with his last answer; video on YouTube is growing faster than ever. Not only can consumers access videos across all devices in an instant, it’s a more engaging experience. For more information on how to promote your property video, contact info@mobilerealestateid.com. If you’d like to participate in Talk Tech on Main Street, contact Seth Kaplan at Seth@mobilerealestateid.com. RE

Morris Lyles has been a licensed agent since 1996 and has served in many facets, from sales agent, to Broker in Charge. Currently, he is a selling broker in the Columbia, S.C., market, and is serving as President of the Central Carolina Realtors® Association. He is a consistent top-producing agent for ERA Wilder Realty in Columbia. Seth Kaplan is president of MRE. For more information, visit www.mobilerealestateid.com.

Like Having

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If you’re a top agent, you didn’t become one by doing what everyone else does. And now that you’ve done it, you don’t have time for anything that doesn’t help you stay on top. That’s where the Top 5 in Real Estate Network comes in. As some of America’s most successful agents, our members enjoy exclusive access to an array of personal branding, professional networking and technological resources few others can match. • Top Tools • Top Training • Top Technology From weekly marketing videos to monthly coaching sessions, every element is designed to help you differentiate yourself and dominate your market. Find out how top producers stay on top – and how you can join them there. Visit us at Top5inRealEstate.com today.

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{Ask the Experts}

Ginni Field Vice President, Leadership Development Engel & Völkers www.evusa.com

Why are training and education so important to a real estate professional’s career?

I have a t-shirt that says, “I can explain it to you, but I can’t understand it for you.” As a trainer for over 20 years who has stood in front of more than 10,000 real estate professionals nationwide, this is one of my favorite lines. For me, it’s the difference between successful agents and not so successful agents. The agents who are willing to do what it takes to succeed, which includes actively seeking out opportunities for training and education, 82 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

understand why they have chosen this career in the first place. Not only does the “why” have to be tangible and powerful, it has to be bigger than the reasons that make you say, “I don’t want to.” For some, the “why” is to pay for a child’s college tuition. For others, it’s to take more vacations, or to invest in a retirement property. The “why” is the driver behind investing in the training and education to move your career ahead. Those who get the most value out of the training they attend are the ones who understand that being a real estate agent means running a successful business. They’re the ones who know that a great real estate training program focuses on the numbers and teaches effective ways to create the foundation to manage and grow the business. It’s a foundation that begins with a

financial goal and a detailed business plan that shows what it takes to achieve that goal. To create that plan, the agent must know the market, the average sales price of the homes in the market and how many transactions it will take to achieve the goal. As the head of Academy in North America for an international real estate brand where its agent network represents markets spread out across 39 countries and six continents, our training goes into that level of detail, from the business cards to the design of the brokerages and all the systems and tools in between. In Europe and other parts of the world, unlike the U.S., there are no real estate associations, certifications, Multiple Listing Systems or other offerings available to help agents do business successfully in a real estate agency. For those who want to pursue a career in real estate, the real estate companies they join provide the education. As one of the most well-known and respected companies in the world, Engel &

“Those who get the most value out of the training they attend are the ones who understand that being a real estate agent means running a successful business.” – Ginni Field Vice President, Leadership Development Engel & Völkers

Völkers is a highly desirable brand to be a part of as a real estate professional. This is why we have Engel & Völkers Academy offering comprehensive training that is consistent and thorough. We maintain that education through our North American Academy. For agents, it’s a lesson in looking at real estate as a business. For brokerage owners, it’s teaching leadership. For the homeowners and homebuyers who work with us, it means premium level service that is consistent throughout our network, which is at the heart of our brand promise. Real estate, no matter where you make it a career, will always be challenging and fulfilling because nothing is ever the same. Every deal has its own life. Every buyer is different, as is every seller. You never get bored. It’s a people business, and people are different, which makes it even more challenging to succeed—unless you manage your career as you would a business. Training will help you get there. Training will help you restart the things you

should have been doing all along and keep you at it. It’s easy to explain why training and education are important. It’s up to you to understand why.

“It’s time for real estate professionals to rethink how they measure the value of their social

Adam Selig COO and Managing Partner Lumentus Social www.lumentussocial.com

Likes and comments aside, what is social media’s most valuable metric?

A:aren’t receiving a lot of likes

media efforts. Focus on increasing Web leads instead of just looking to drive engagement.” – Adam Selig COO and Managing Partner, Lumentus Social

When your social media pages

and comments, it’s easy to lose interest. However, if your goal in maintaining a social media page is to raise awareness about your services and generate leads, it might be time to stop worrying about likes and comments. Instead, there is one metric that is less spoken about, and may be your most valuable social key performance indicator—traffic referrals to your website.

Brokers and agents establish a social media presence to strengthen their reputation and engage with both current and potential customers. Social media platforms help you establish your credibility and reach people who want to know more about your

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 83

business. Likes and comments are not a good measure of those goals because they rarely translate into new client opportunities. Instead, it’s time to start paying attention to the number of people that see your posts and visit your website. A Personal Perspective Think about how you interact with social media. If you see an anniversary photo from a friend, you may like the post or leave a passing comment. But if that same friend provides a link to an interesting article about new restaurants in town, you will likely click the link. Once you click through, you’re less likely to go back to Facebook and like the actual post that your friend shared. Instead, your friend’s post drove you to engage with an article, but you didn’t contribute to the post’s social media engagement score. A number of recent studies have demonstrated social media’s increasing importance in Web referrals. Shareaholic analyzed over 200,000 websites and found that the eight largest social media sites drove almost 30 percent of site traffic, which is nearly double the amount of traffic referred by social media sites in 2013. Facebook is the leader, driving 22 percent of that traffic. Social traffic also tends to be more cost-effective than paid search or other forms of advertising. In one case, social traffic was measured to be 6.5 times more effective than banner ads. Working with a national real estate brand with over 250,000 followers across all channels, we’ve seen first-hand the effects of a strong social media presence. While the brand’s audience continues to grow at industry-leading engagement levels, we’ve been surprised by how closely their numbers have mirrored Shareaholic’s findings. Over 37 per84 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

cent of their overall website traffic came from the top social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Google+). In comparison, search referrals only drove 24 percent of their traffic. The Takeaway It’s time for real estate professionals to rethink how they measure the value of their social media efforts. Focus on increasing Web leads instead of just looking to drive engagement. Ready to get started? Here are a few additional recommendations to make social a website driver for your business: Google offers free tools, like Google Analytics, to easily monitor website referrals. Be sure you’ve properly set them up to better understand how people are finding your website. Use Facebook Insights, another free tool, to understand your audience. Write blog posts that match their interests, and share those posts on your social media sites. Use social advertising to increase the reach of your content and generate more website referrals. Tailor your advertising around the content of your posts to reach the audience

members most likely to engage with your posts. Like all good marketing, it takes a strategic approach to yield real results. Social media is often discounted because it cannot generate leads, but our experience shows that perception to be false. Social, done right, can be an invaluable driver of leads to your website. Kathy Cummings Senior Vice President, Consumer Education and Consulting Executive Bank of America Home

Loans www.bankofamerica.com

What are the most important tips for real estate professionals to keep in mind in order to successfully capture single female clients?

A:nities to grow your business?

Looking for untapped opportu-

The single female homebuyer segment represents excellent potential for real estate professionals. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2013 data, there were about 105 million unmarried adults—age 18 or over—living in America. Of

“According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2013 data, there were about 105 million unmarried adults—age 18 or over—living in America. Of that, 53 percent are women.” – Kathy Cummings Senior Vice President, Consumer Education and Consulting Executive Bank of America Home Loans

that, 53 percent are women (never married, widowed or divorced). Do the math: That’s a market segment 55.65 million strong. Of course, not all of these women are in the pool of potential homebuyers. But take a look around your local market and you might be surprised by how many single ladies need your expertise. So, how can you capture your share of single female clients? Set Aside Preconceived Notions No one likes to be stereotyped. Single women are no exception. Here are some tips for real estate professionals to keep in mind. Do: Spend time getting to know the client so that you can show the properties that fit her unique needs. Not only is it more efficient and productive, it helps to ensure satisfied clients who will eagerly send referrals your way.

Don’t: Assume in advance what property type a prospective buyer prefers. The idea that single female buyers only want to purchase condos, townhouses or other lowmaintenance properties is based on outdated gender roles. Some women are not interested in DIY home repairs, however, others find satisfaction in looking after the maintenance and other chores. Do: Encourage your single homebuyer to talk with a mortgage loan professional at the earliest possible time. There are plenty of home financing options available to qualified borrowers of all types. Don’t: Assume a single woman cannot afford to buy a home, or can only afford lower-priced homes. The wage gap between men and women has narrowed, particularly among 25 - 34-year-olds. In fact, a 2014 Pew Research Center study noted that “in 2012, among workers ages

25 to 34, women’s hourly earnings were 93 percent those of men. In 1980, the ratio was less than 70 percent.” Do: Share resources that help single women understand the homebuying process, including the steps involved in the home loan process. Many individuals crave information and pride themselves on being in control of their financial lives. Some organizations, like Bank of America, offer step-by-step tools and resources that can help inform and guide prospective buyers. Don’t: Assume that single female homebuyers want or need oversimplified explanations. According to Pew Research, one-third of nevermarried women ages 25 and older have either a bachelor’s or advanced degree, with similar figures among women who were previously married, but now divorced or widowed. Before the Fair Lending laws were passed in the 1960s, the single female homebuyer market segment was virtually non-existent. Today, the group represents 16 percent of all homebuyers, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. No doubt, we’ve come a long way. So seize the opportunity and grow your business by expanding and cultivating your relationships with prospective single female buyers. RE

Index of Preferred Providers The leading companies providing services to the real estate and relocation industries ABR®....................................................................................... 87 American Home Shield............................................................. 87 Bank of America Home Loans................................................... 87 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices........................................... 87 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC.............................. 87 Carrington Real Estate Services................................................ 87 Centralized Showing Service..................................................... 87 Century 21 Real Estate LLC...................................................... 87 Certified New Home Specialist.................................................. 87 DocuSign................................................................................. 87 Dotsignal................................................................................. 87 Engel & Völkers........................................................................ 88 ERA Franchise Systems, LLC..................................................... 88 FeedbackCentral...................................................................... 88 First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation.................. 88 HomeFinder.com...................................................................... 88 Homes.com............................................................................. 88 HomeSmart International......................................................... 88 HSA Home Warranty................................................................. 88 Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®.......................... 88 Lumentus Social...................................................................... 88 Mobile Real Estate................................................................... 88 National Association of REALTORS®.......................................... 89 On The Move, Inc...................................................................... 89 The Personal Marketing Company............................................. 89 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors.................................................. 89 Point2...................................................................................... 89 The Real Estate Book............................................................... 89 Real Pro Systems..................................................................... 89 Realogy Holdings Corp............................................................. 89 realtor.com®............................................................................ 90 Realtors Property Resource®.................................................... 90 Realty ONE Group.................................................................... 90 RE/MAX, LLC............................................................................ 90 RentalRoost, Inc....................................................................... 90 RIS Consulting Services........................................................... 90 Showing Beacon...................................................................... 90 Stewart Title............................................................................. 90 Top 5 in Real Estate................................................................. 90 Top Producer® CRM.................................................................. 90 VoicePad.................................................................................. 90 Workman Success Systems...................................................... 90 zipLogix.................................................................................... 90

86 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

RREIN Service Providers

Ascent Real Estate, Inc............................................................. 91 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate..... 91 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, REALTORS®......91 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Florida Network Realty....... 91 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty..................... 91 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, Realtors®.......91 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties.............. 91 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties.............. 91 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties................... 92 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty.............. 92 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Towne Realty............................ 92 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Mason-McDuffie.......... 92 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Rand Realty................. 92 Calcagni Real Estate................................................................ 92 CENTURY 21 Affiliated.............................................................. 92 CENTURY 21 AllPoints Realty.................................................... 92 CENTURY 21 Award.................................................................. 92 Century 21 New Millennium................................................... 92 CENTURY 21 Scheetz............................................................... 92 Coach Realtors®................................................................... 93 Coldwell Banker Advantage....................................................... 93 Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS®............................... 93 Coldwell Banker First Realty...................................................... 93 Coldwell Banker High Country Realty........................................ 93 Coldwell Banker Hunter Realty.................................................. 93 Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty.................................... 93 Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners........................................... 93 Coldwell Banker Prime Properties............................................. 93 Diane Turton, Realtors®......................................................... 93 Fillmore Real Estate................................................................. 94 First Team® Real Estate............................................................ 94 GARDNER, REALTORS®............................................................. 94 Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate................................................ 94 Harry Norman, REALTORS®....................................................... 94 J. Rockcliff Realtors®............................................................. 94 Jordan Baris, Inc., Realtors®.................................................. 94 Kinlin Grover Real Estate Real Living......................................... 94 Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.................................................. 94 Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty...................... 94 McCOLLY Real Estate................................................................ 95 Page Taft Real Living................................................................. 95 Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate................................................ 95 Randall, Realtors® Real Living..................................................... 95 Real Estate Teams, LLC.................................................................... 95 RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central........................................... 95 RE/MAX of Boulder, Inc............................................................ 95 RE/MAX Crossroads................................................................. 95 RE/MAX Gateway..................................................................... 95 RE/MAX Professionals.............................................................. 95 RE/MAX Suburban................................................................... 95 RLS, REALTORS®...................................................................... 95

ABR® (800) 648-6224 • www.rebac.net • Chicago, Ill. • Marc Gould 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.

American Home Shield (800) 735-4663 • www.ahs.com/realestate American Home Shield, a subsidiary of The ServiceMaster Company, founded the home warranty industry in 1971 and remains the industry leader. Servicing more than 1.3 million customers across 49 states, the company also issues and administers preventive maintenance contracts on major home systems and appliances in 48 states. The Memphis-based company operates three customer service centers, employs approximately 1,600 people and has a national contractor network made up of more than 10,000 independent home-service contractors.

Bank of America Home Loans www.bankofamerica.com/agentresources At Bank of America, we’re focused on creating real, meaningful connections with individuals, businesses and communities to help them connect with what matters most. Everyday, we’re proud to partner with our customers, bringing them our skills and expertise, in order to help make their financial lives better. AR4ACD29.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices (800) 666-6634 • www.berkshirehathawayhs.com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is a brand-new real estate brokerage network built for a new era in residential real estate. The network, among the few organizations entrusted to use the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name, brings to the market a definitive mark of trust, integrity, stability and longevity. The brand, grounded in the financial strength, efficiency and tradition of its HomeServices of America parent company, will change the face of residential real estate.

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE LLC (866) 616-4224 • Madison, N.J. • Sherry Chris, President & CEO Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC launched its international franchise system in the residential real estate marketplace in July 2008. In October 2007, Realogy, a global franchising with company-owned real estate brokerage operations doing business under its franchise systems as well as relocation and title services, entered into a 50-year agreement to license the Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate brand from Meredith Corporation, one of the nation’s leading media and marketing companies. For more information, visit www.realogy.com/media, or participate on the company blog at www.bhgrealestateblog.com.

Carrington Real Estate Services (877) 330-2773 • Carringtonrealestate.com/Join Carrington Real Estate Services is one of the 18 companies under the Carrington Holding Company, LLC. Together, these businesses cover virtually every aspect of the single-family residential real estate transaction, including investment in U.S. real estate and mortgage markets, loan origination and service, asset management and property preservation, rentals, title and escrow services. By leveraging our family ties, we have grown to be one of the largest residential

real estate brokerages in the country in just five short years. Join our network of more than 1,200 sales professionals serving 26 states.

Centralized Showing Service (877) 688-SHOW (7469) • www.showings.com • Overland Park, Kan. Established in 1994, Centralized Showing Service is one of the nation’s premier home-showing, appointment-setting services, with six call centers that service 70+ markets across the country. Each year, more than 15 million showings are scheduled for their more than 139,000 agent members. Agents can compile detailed showing reports and enter feedback into reports that can be given to sellers to keep them informed.

CENTURY 21 REAL ESTATE LLC (877) 221-2765 • www.century21.com • Madison, N.J. • Rick Davidson, President & CEO Century 21 Real Estate LLC is a leading global residential franchise real estate sales organization, with approximately 6,800 independently owned and operated franchised brokerages and more than 100,000 real estate professionals in 78 countries and territories worldwide. The Century 21® System capitalizes on brand marketing, promotions and sponsorships, and fundraising efforts with Easter Seals to build brand awareness and preference. Technology initiatives include both English and Spanish-language consumer Web sites, www.century21.com and www.century21.com/espanol, a recently redesigned intranet site, www.21Online.com, and the Century 21 Learning System®, a web-based learning platform. Century 21 Real Estate LLC is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp.

Certified New Home Specialist (800) 428-1122 • www.sellnewhomes.com SellNewHomes.com is the online headquarters for Certified New Home Specialist™ and Residential Construction Certified™ training, sales systems and marketing tools, created by Dennis Walsh & Associates, Inc. Based in Newport Beach, Calif., the company is owned and operated by nationally recognized new home, real estate, and construction experts, Dennis and Teresa Walsh. The Walsh’s have established Certified New Home Specialist™ as the #1 brand of training and support products for new home sales success. To learn more contactus@sellnewhomes.com.

Docusign (866) 219-4318 • www.docusign.com/nar • Seattle, Wash. • Suzanne Alberti, Marketing Campaigns Program Manager - Web DocuSign is part of the National Association of REALTORS®’ Second Century Ventures investment portfolio and is the official and exclusive provider of ESIGN services for NAR members, under the REALTOR Benefits® program. Offering the exclusive REALTOR® Edition, DocuSign is the safe, secure way to electronically send, sign and store real estate documents. DocuSigned documents are legally binding and backed with an audit trail.

Dotsignal www.dotsignal.com • (866) 403-6010 Dotsignal is a mobile platform company with a single focus of helping clients engage with consumers using mobile technology. Dotsignal RE is designed to make “mobile” a significant part of the real estate brokerage business. Dotsignal was founded by CEO Matthew Simons in 2010 and represents the mobile initiatives of enterprise clients spanning a range of industries, including some of the largest and most respected brands in real estate. For more information, visit www.Dotsignal.com and www.facebook.com/dotsignal.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 87

ENGEL & VÖLKERS

Homes.com

(212) 234-3100 • www.evusa.com Since its beginning in 1977 as a specialty boutique providing exclusive, high-end real estate services in Hamburg, Germany, Engel & Völkers has become one of the world’s leading companies specializing in the sale and lease of premium residential and commercial property and yachts. Engel & Völkers currently operates a global network of over 5,000 real estate advisors in 500 residential brokerages and 43 commercial offices spanning 38 countries across six continents, offering both private and institutional clients a professionally tailored range of luxury services. Committed to exceptional service, Engel & Völkers supports its advisors with an array of premium quality business services; marketing programs and tools; multiple platforms for mobile, social and web; as well as access to its global network of real estate professionals, property listings and market data.

(866) 697-3308 • http://connect.homes.com/ Homes.com offers brand advertising, lead generation, online reputation and marketing solutions to connect you with over 12.5 million consumers monthly! With a high average visit time, consumers visiting Homes.com are more engaged and more likely to buy when compared to visitors of other national real estate websites. Connect with these motivated homebuyers and sellers with the most powerful suite of tools for your real estate business—and convert more leads to closed transactions.

ERA FRANCHISE SYSTEMS, LLC (800) 869-1260 • www.era.com • Madison, N.J. • Charlie Young, President & CEO Since 1971, ERA Franchise Systems, Inc., a global residential real estate leader, has set new standards in customer service, technology and training for the real estate industry. Top-notch offerings from ERA Real Estate include the Sellers Security® Plan, a comprehensive home protection plan, and ERA.com, its award-winning consumer website. The ERA network includes approximately 2,300 independently owned and operated offices with more than 32,000 brokers and sales associates throughout the United States and 34 other countries and territories. ERA Franchise Systems, Inc. is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp.

FeedbackCentral (366) 369-3215 • www.feedbackcentral.com • Bedford, Texas FeedbackCentral.com contacts showing agents on behalf of sellers or listing agents to collect the feedback necessary to more effectively communicate buyer reaction to their homes. This service is available in two plans. FeedbackCentral.com Online is an automated email system in which showing agents are contacted to provide online feedback. FeedbackCentral.com Voice utilizes FBC representatives to contact showing agents via telephone to gather information on showings.

First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation (800) 444-9030 • https://homewarranty.firstam.com/realtor.aspx First American Home Buyers Protection is a leading provider of home warranties. We offer homeowners, home buyers, and home sellers protection against costly repairs and replacements on their home’s essential systems and appliances. Our services are supported by a national network of independent pre-screened and qualified contractors. Founded in California in 1984, the company operates two call centers in California and one in Arizona, and is a member of the First American Financial Corporation family of companies.

HomeFinder.com (866) 920-9493 • www.homefinder.com/agents-and-brokers • Chicago, Ill. • Kelly Faso HomeFinder.com is a leading online real estate search site and provider of strategic digital marketing solutions. The 20,000 real estate agents that comprise the HomeFinder.com advertising network utilize a unique suite of product offerings, including a patent pending Single Property Website. Through a national affiliate network of 375 online newspaper partners, HomeFinder.com is the only real estate search site to also provide relevant listing content to homebuyers through local online newspaper portals.

88 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

HomeSmart International (800) 865-9025 • www.homesmartfranchise.com Founded in 2000, HomeSmart International is one of the fastest growing real estate companies in the nation with 66 offices in 14 different states, two countries and more than 7,500 agents. HomeSmart International strives on the fundamental principles of efficiency and innovation by offering the systems and technologies necessary to stay on the leading edge of success.

HSA HOME WARRANTY (800) 367-1448 • www.onlinehsa.com • Madison, Wis. • Mike Clear, President HSA Home Warranty provides home warranty coverage in 48 states and E&O insurance in all 50 states. The HSA Home Warranty repairs or replaces mechanical systems and appliances that fail due to normal wear and tear during the coverage period. With HSA Home Warranty, real estate professionals minimize their risk by lowering their exposure to liability. They avoid post-sale disputes about who should pay for the repair, and they can get the problem fixed quickly and conveniently by making just one call to HSA.

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® 312-424-0400 • www.LeadingRE.com Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is a global network of over 500 premier real estate firms with 4,000 offices and 120,000 sales associates in over 40 countries around the world. The company’s luxury marketing program, Luxury Portfolio International®, markets over 25,000 of the world’s most remarkable homes annually and attracts over three million high-net-worth visitors a year to its award-winning website, LuxuryPortfolio.com. Its corporate relocation company, RELO Direct®, Inc., provides global employee mobility services to corporations worldwide.

Lumentus Social contact@lumentussocial.com • www.lumentussocial.com Lumentus Social for Real Estate is an easy to use online solution that helps agents and brokers make their social media assets more effective. By posting from our blend of relevant stories, real estate professionals can remain top-of-mind. Our simple solution ensures that your network receives the kind of news and information they want to read and share within their own social networks, and this helps drive leads.

Mobile Real Estate (877) 720-0988 • www.MobileRealEstateID.com · Seth Kaplan, National Sales Director Mobile Real Estate is a mobile marketing and technology company that helps real estate agents, brokers and real estate-related firms power their mobile initiatives. Our suite of products for real estate professionals allows them to incorporate complex mobile technology throughout their existing marketing mix to reach consumers on all mobile devices. Mobile Real Estate will ensure real estate professionals are positioned to promote their brand

and listings to buyers and sellers across all mobile devices.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (800) 874-6500 • www.REALTOR.org • Chicago, Ill. • Dale Stinton, Chief Executive Officer •B ob Goldberg, Sr. VP, Sales & Marketing, Business Development & Strategic Investments, Professional Development, Conventions • K enneth Burlington, VP, Strategic Alliances, Business Development, Product & Sales Management • Karen Bebart, VP, Marketing, Digital Marketing, Marketing Research • Matt Lombardi, VP, Conventions •M arc Gould, VP, Business Specialties, Dean, Student Services, REALTOR® University • Constance Freedman, VP Strategic Investments, Second Century Ventures The term REALTOR® identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS®, and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. NAR members have access to the REALTOR Benefits® Program, the official member benefits resource for discounts and special offers on products and services just for REALTORS®. Program partners are industry leaders who understand the unique needs of real estate professionals and are committed to your success. Visit www.REALTOR.org/RealtorBenefits. NAR is also proud to make the .REALTOR domain available, exclusively to members, to help them stand out in the marketplace as the trusted source for real estate for consumers. Visit http://about. REALTOR. And, for a lifetime of learning, REALTOR® University can take your career to the next level, with continuing education courses, earning a designation or certification, or a Master in Real Estate degree. Visit www.REALTORU.com. The REALTOR® Store features print and ePublications including top-selling “Social Media for REALTORS®,” and the “2014 NAR Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers.” Visit www.REALTOR.org/Store. Additionally, NAR’s venture capital arm, Second Century Ventures, has invested in companies that push forward innovation in the real estate industry and can benefit NAR’s members. Visit www.secondcenturyventures.com.

On The Move, Inc. (800) 645-9949 • www.onthemovetrucks.com • Boerne, Texas • Susan Nash: President/CEO • Sylvain Mallaise: Director of Sales • CJ Steen: Marketing Director On The Move’s trucks are moving billboards personalized with your company’s graphics and can be used for free by your clients. This moving billboard can be driven around town by drivers you do not have to pay, using gas you do not have to provide, while making thousands of visual impressions daily. A billboard can cost more than $1,000 per month. For less money you can obtain a rental truck for your clients to use and to even donate its use for community goodwill.

THE PERSONAL MARKETING COmpany (800) 458-8245 • www.tpmco.com • Lenexa, Kan. The Personal Marketing Company creates marketing systems for agents to become known in their market and attract clients for long-term success. Our marketing development team brings proven marketing expertise, cutting-edge technology and personal service to develop customized marketing solutions which can include: direct mail, email marketing, contact management, prospecting and farming, newsletter programs, FSBO and expired campaigns, client follow-up systems and marketing planning services.

PILLAR TO POST home inspectors (800) 294-5591 • www.pillartopost.com • Tampa, Fla. · Jay Gregg, Marketing Founded in 1994, Pillar To Post is now the largest home inspection company in North America with over 400 franchisees, located in 47 states and 8 Canadian provinces. The Pillar To Post difference includes printing a computer generated report on-site at the time of the inspection, all inspectors must carry $1 million in E+O insurance that covers both the agent and the broker and we offer three unique home inspection packages designed to better suit the individual needs of our clients.

Point2 (888) 955-7900 • www.Point2Agent.com • Saskatoon, Canada • Linda Moola (lmoola@point2.com) Point2 (www.point2.com) provides real estate marketing and lead management software to brokers and agents in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa, as well as listing data aggregation and syndication solutions to real estate MLSs, Boards and Associations across the U.S. and Canada. Point2’s solutions also include the consumer real estate listings portal, Point2 Homes, as well as end-to-end property management software for small to medium size organizations, managing up to 1,000 units. Point2 is a Yardi Systems Inc. (www.yardi.com) brand.

THE REAL ESTATE BOOK (770) 962-7220 • www.realestatebook.com • Lawrenceville, Ga. The Real Estate Book’s multi-media marketing packages combine print with mobile and digital tools to create the most effective personal branding and lead generation tools and the most complete integrated media buy available. Included are interactive and locally distributed print ads; SMS text lead generation; personally branded web, tablet and mobile sites; GPS-enabled yard signs and more. Go to Store.RealEstateBook.com to find your local Real Estate Book representative.

Real Pro Systems 541-743-8510 • www.realprosystems.com Real Pro Systems is the leading provider of lead capture and management systems for agents and brokers. Our systems provide integration with many tools that make it a complete Internet marketing system that will engage and manage all your leads. Our systems have over 35 commercially available lead sources that are automatically routed into the system. Since we were founded by active real estate agents, we understand the unique needs of your business. We offer basic solutions for new agents just getting started, robust systems for established agents, and complete management systems for brokers and teams. Best of all, we listen!

REALOGY HOLDINGS CORP. (973) 407-7215 • www.realogy.com • Madison, N.J. • Mark Panus, SVP, Corporate Communications Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) is a global leader in real estate franchising with company-owned real estate brokerage operations doing business under its franchise systems, as well as relocation and title services. Realogy’s brands and business units include: Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker®, Coldwell Banker Commercial®, The Corcoran Group®, ERA®, Sotheby’s International Realty®, ZipRealty®, NRT LLC, Cartus and Title Resource Group. Collectively, Realogy’s franchise system members operate approximately 13,400 offices with more than 250,000 independent sales associates doing business in 105 countries and territories worldwide.

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Engage with realtor.com®

Showing Beacon

(800) 878-4166 Realtor.com® is real estate’s most accurate site, with listings pulled directly from over 850 MLSs, and most listings updated every 15 minutes. Homes for sale on realtor.com® only display the real listing price established between seller and broker, not inaccurate machine generated estimates. Visit realtor.com®.

(877) 277-6622 • www.showingbeacon.com • Lenexa, Kan. The Showing BeaconTM is a revolutionary showing notification system that alerts sellers when they can return to their residence after a showing. This patent pending, wireless device can be placed on a counter or tabletop, or hung on the inside of the front door. At the conclusion of the showing appointment, the agent simply pushes the red button as they leave the residence and a text or voice message is immediately sent to the seller’s mobile device.

Realtors Property Resource® (888) 914-7771 • http://blog.narrpr.com • Chicago, Ill. • Dale Ross, CEO • Marty Frame, President • Jeff Young, Senior Vice President of Operations/Industry Relations Realtors Property Resource® (RPR) is a national, parcel-centric database which 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 www.RealtyONEGroup.com • (888) 461-0101 Realty ONE Group is a full-service real estate brokerage with more than 4,000 associates. It focuses on providing ethical, professional and results-oriented services to property owners and prospective real estate buyers. Since its inception in 2005, the company has grown to become the No. 1 real estate brokerage in Nevada and the fastest-growing real estate company in Arizona and California. For more information, visit www.RealtyONEGroup.com.

RE/MAX, LLC (303) 770-5531 • www.remax.com • Denver, Colo. RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, who still manage the company today. From a single office in Denver, Colo., RE/MAX has grown to be a global real estate franchise network with nearly 90,000 Sales Associates working in over 80 countries. The consumer website, remax.com, is consistently ranked among the most visited real estate websites, and LeadStreet provides referrals to RE/MAX Sales Associates with no fees from RE/MAX. To learn how RE/MAX can take your career to the next level, visit www.joinremax.com.

RentalRoost, Inc. (925) 357-3783 • www.rentalroost.com • Pleasanton, Calif. • Nitin Shingate, CEO & Co-founder • Vikram Raghavan, President & Co-founder • Harini Venkatesan, COO & Co-founder • Gabriel Balanag, Director of Business Development • Silvia Englert , Marketing Manager RentalRoost, Inc. is a technology-based rental search and recommendation engine that utilizes social media data and proprietary algorithms to help match users with rental properties. RentalRoost focuses on the users’ livability in each property they search, including how kid-friendly, pet-friendly, and commute-friendly a property is. RentalRoost was founded in 2012. In November 2013, RentalRoost launched nationally.

RIS CONSULTING SERVICES (203) 852-4304 • Norwalk, Conn. • John Sculley, Managing Dir. • Peg Guinta, Projects Dir. RIS Consulting Services is an independent relocation consulting firm dedicated to designing and implementing comprehensive solutions to mobility issues. We deliver a full range of consulting services to our diverse corporate and relocation service company clients. The executives of RIS Consulting utilize their industry and specialty knowledge to analyze your situation, develop strategic options and implement designed solutions. 90 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Stewart title Stewart is a customer-focused, global title insurance and real estate services company offering products and services through our direct operations, network of approved agencies and other companies within the Stewart family. Stewart offers personalized service, industry expertise and customized solutions for virtually any type of real estate transaction. Real estate services include title insurance; mobile applications; eco-friendly closings; SureClose® document management system; specialty insurance services; commercial and global expertise and more. For more information, visit www.stewart.com.

Top 5 in Real Estate (203) 853-2167 • www.Top5inRealEstate.com RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate® is a membership network of leading real estate professionals who wish to “raise the bar.” Top 5 in Real Estate is a network of select real estate professionals from throughout the U.S. and Canada who have met the Top 5 in Real Estate’s stringent series of various career qualifications and who are committed to the future development of their professional skills and services to the consumers and the communities they serve.

Top Producer® CRM (800) 821-3657 Top Producer® CRM is the super-fast, super-easy real estate marketing system that makes it a breeze to build your loyal client base. Keep your sales pipeline running smoothly, follow-up automatically, and manage your business in minutes with Top Producer® CRM. Visit TopProducer.com

VoicePad Toll-free: (888) 595.7347 • www.voicepad.com VoicePad is the real estate industry’s premier source for lead-generating mobile and Telecom technology. VoicePad supplies real estate brokerages with a comprehensive system that provides listing information on any phone; generates high-quality, actionable leads; tracks all leads on an online dashboard; and helps agents promote their listings through marketing and social media tools.

Workman success systems (801) 987-0085 • www.VerlWorkman.com • Salt Lake City, Utah · Rusty Keys, Events Manager For more than a decade, Verl Workman has been one of the real estate industry’s most popular speakers. Verl delivers the necessary performance skills, the latest and most effective tools, practical lead-generating methods, proven dialogues and systems that work, in order to achieve top performance and industry excellence.

zipLogix (866) 693-6767 • www.zipLogix.com With more than 20 years of experience developing real estate-focused software solutions and used by more real estate professionals than any other program, zipLogix has been established as the industry standard. This experience delivers a completely integrated real estate solution system that is led by zipForm® Plus, the exclusive and official forms software of the National Association of REALTORS®.

RREIN Member Profiles Ascent Real Estate, Inc. (619) 325-4100 • www.ascentrealestate.net Owned and operated in San Diego since 2005, Ascent Real Estate embodies an enviable combination of entrepreneurial energy, comprehensive industry experience, and local market knowledge. This mix lets Ascent “out national” its local competition, thanks to its exceptional professional team and world-class infrastructure, and “out local” the national competition, thanks to its laser-like focus on the specific markets in which it operates. Our highly productive sales team of approximately 140 agents has elevated Ascent as a leader in marketshare in the Metro San Diego areas that we service. Our agents receive ongoing training and education, and they go above and beyond to deliver the diligent and ethical standard of care we are committed to providing. And, as the exclusive San Diego affiliate of Leverage Global Partners, Ascent Real Estate is a hyper-local brokerage with a global reach.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate (402) 493-4663 or (800) 477-7653 agents@BHHSamb.com • www.BHHSamb.com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate is dedicated to providing progressive, quality real estate services in Nebraska’s metropolitan Omaha and Lincoln surrounding areas. We service all types of markets: single-family residential, new construction, condos, corporate relocation, third-party relocation, acreages and commercial real estate. With approximately 400 licensed agents, we have an agent to meet your needs regardless of the style, price or age of the property you are looking for. We look forward to helping you sell your home or find that dream home you are looking for. We believe in each other and ourselves. We understand that trust is earned and that good, professional service is an essential part of that.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. DAN JOYNER, REALTORS® (800) 476-6650 · www.cdanjoyner.com Locally owned and operated, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, REALTORS® has been serving communities in Upstate, South Carolina since 1964. With more than 275 agents on board and nine offices serving the Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson area, we are ready to assist with any commercial and residential real estate need. In addition to residential and commercial sales, we also offer corporate services, relocation and property management. With a passion for fostering long-term relationships with our customers and clients, while upholding the highest level of professionalism, it’s easy to see why we’ve been the No. 1 real estate company in the Upstate for more than 20 years.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Florida Network Realty (904) 296-1906 • www.FloridaNetworkRealty.com or www.BHHSFloridaNetworkRealty.com Since 1988, Founder, President and CEO Linda H. Sherrer has led a team of more than 300 real estate professionals in eight branch offices in the buying and selling of residential property throughout Northeast Florida. The company also operates a corporate REO and relocation division, a builder sales and marketing division, a title company, a referral company and is in a mortgage partnership with EverBank. During the past decade, the company has sold

more than 31,000 homes valued at more than $8.5 billion. This year, the company is celebrating its 25th anniversary and is giving back to the Northeast Florida community in a big way. For every listing and home sold, the company is making a donation to Dreams Come True, a nonprofit organization that makes dreams come true for children battling life-threatening illnesses in Northeast Florida. In honor of its 25th anniversary, BHHS Florida Network Realty has a goal of contributing $25,000 in the next year.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty (954) 693-0100 • (800) 386-1554 www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com • Sunrise, Fla. • Rei Mesa, CRS, CRB, President & CEO Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty (formerly Prudential Florida Realty) is a full-service brokerage servicing 17 counties throughout Florida and is a wholly owned subsidiary of WCI Communities, Inc. It is a franchise member of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. The company is the 5th largest brokerage in the nation among the affiliate Network brokers and offers residential and commercial services, seasonal rentals, property management, REO & Foreclosures, corporate relocations, referral services, mortgage, title, insurance, home service plans, and personal concierge services. BHHS Florida Realty is the No. 1 Fundraiser for The Sunshine Kids, having raised over $2.3 million since 2001. For more information, visit www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices FOX & ROACH, REALTORS® (610) 889-7705 • www.foxroach.com Now the nation’s second largest provider of total home services, the company has 4,000 Sales Associates in 65 sales offices throughout the Tri-State area. These two legendary companies have joined forces to begin a new era in real estate. Through its affiliate, the Trident Group, the company provides one-stop shopping and facilitated services to its clients including mortgage financing and title, property and casualty insurance. For more information on Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, go to www.foxroachfuture.com. Visit our website at www.foxroach.com.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties (770) 992-4100 • www.BHHSGeorgia.com BHHS Georgia Properties has 22 locations and 1,100 agents, and is an independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Under the leadership of CEO Dan Forsman, the company is known for innovation and delivering exceptional value to associates and their clients. BHHS Georgia Properties is ranked No. 1 in homes sold, buyers represented and overall transactions for 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 for the Greater Metro Atlanta area.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices nevada Properties (800) 735-4488 • www.BHHSNV.com With more than 260,000 homes sold and 35 years in the industry, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties is the leader in Las Vegas real estate. Consistently rated among the top brokers in the nation, our agents successfully help families find their dream homes. With six area offices, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties is a full-service brokerage focused on quality service and the development of its agents. Call today to see how we can help increase your business. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 91

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices select properties (314) 835-6000 • www.bhhsselectstl.com Since 2002, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties has helped keep the St. Louis real estate market local. With 11 offices in the metro area, BHHS Select ranks as the No. 1 locallyowned real estate firm in St. Louis. BHHS Select prides itself on providing the highest quality real estate brokerage services to its clients and customers and takes pride in being recognized in the community for high standards and ethics.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices the Preferred Realty As one of southwestern Pennsylvania’s largest real estate companies, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty provides quality service, care and expertise. No matter what your real estate needs, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty’s team of expert and experienced real estate professionals can help. As a full-service real estate company, BHHS The Preferred Realty provides real estate buying and selling services, mortgage and financing, title and settlement, property management, insurance, relocation services and more.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Towne Realty (888) 737-9246 • www.bhhstownerealty.com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Towne Realty is a dynamic and progressive real estate company that is dedicated to excellence, integrity and professional service. All of our agents are full time REALTORS® that are trained and committed to staying ever aware of our local market conditions and trends. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Towne Realty offers an extensive line of services throughout Hampton Roads and Southeast Virginia, including resale, new homes, relocation, property management, commercial and luxury home divisions.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Mason-McDuffie (888) 971-4636 • www.bhghome.com Founded in 1887 as Mason-McDuffie Real Estate and transitioning to the Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate name in 2010, we are the 17th largest real estate services firm in the nation (RISMedia), No. 1 in the San Francisco East Bay (SF Business Times), and a leading innovator of real estate technology solutions to our agents and clients. With 29 offices and 1,700 agents, we bring a fresh approach to the business through the universal awareness of the Better Homes and Gardens brand.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Rand Realty info@randrealty.com • www.randrealty.com Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty, founded in 1984, is the No. 1 real estate brokerage serving the northern suburbs of New York City, covering the counties of Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Sullivan and Putnam in New York and Bergen and Passaic in New Jersey. Rand has more than 850 sales associates, a commercial real estate company (Rand Commercial Services) along with title, mortgage, and insurance services (Hudson United). The companies can be found online at RandRealty.com, RandCommercial.com and HudsonUnited.com.

Calcagni Real Estate (203) 272-1821 • www.calcagni.com • www.land-consulting.com Calcagni Associates is the premier independently owned and operated real estate company servicing central Connecticut for over four decades. We understand the benefits of providing service that goes beyond what is expected and pride ourselves on establishing lifelong relationships with our clients. In addition to residential real estate, we also specialize in land consulting and 92 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

new construction, and have divisions that handle bank-owned properties and commercial real estate.

CENTURY 21 Affiliated (800) 238-4646 • www.Century21Affiliated.com • Dan Kruse, President, dankruse@c21affiliated.com Founded by Bill Kessler in 1977, CENTURY 21 Affiliated quickly emerged as a leader within the CENTURY 21 system. The business philosophy states to treat the public fairly, treat the agents as customers, be assertive and proactive, be positive, be professional, and be state-of-the-art. With this philosophy, CENTURY 21 Affiliated has grown into Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin with more than 56 locations and 1,200 top professionals. We are ranked as one of the top 50 real estate companies in the world and No. 1 within the CENTURY 21 system!

CENTURY 21 Allpoints realty (800) 525-7793 • www.C21AllPointsRealty.com CENTURY 21 AllPoints Realty is an award-winning, full-service real estate company with six offices serving Connecticut. We work with buyers and sellers in our own communities and throughout the country, establishing life-long relationships by delivering outstanding service when it comes to any of their real estate needs.

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 company specializing in residential and luxury properties. In addition to its newest Washington D.C. location, the Virginia locations are in Alexandria, Centreville, Culpeper, Fredericksburg, Gainesville, McLean, Stafford, and Woodbridge. The Maryland offices are located in Annapolis, Columbia, Dunkirk, La Plata, Lexington Park, Lusby and Waldorf. Its core services include: mortgage financing, investing, settlement services, property management, property insurance, global relocation assistance, and commercial real estate.

CENTURY 21 Scheetz (317) 844-5111 • www.c21scheetz.com CENTURY 21 Scheetz has serviced the Metropolitan Indianapolis Market since 1976 and is the No. 1 CENTURY 21 office in the Indiana/Ohio region as well as one of the top 10 companies in the CENTURY 21 System. CENTURY 21 Scheetz Company was awarded the 2011 CENTURY 21 Art Bartlett 2100 Cup, the most coveted company award in the CENTURY 21® System. The CENTURY 21 system continues to evolve and change and is not afraid of new ideas and innovative ways of doing business, excels in customer service and professionalism, as well as embraces all of the CENTURY 21 tools and systems.

Coach Realtors®

Coldwell Banker Hunter Realty

(800) 321-7356 x139 • www.coachrealtors.com · LP Finn, Operating Officer, LP@coachrealtors.com Coach Realtors® is a Long Island-based, full-service real estate company with 18 office locations and over 600 sales associates serving Nassau and Suffolk counties, N.Y. Coach Realtors® is an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates, a division of the famed auction house, a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and has been recognized by Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate for over 14 years.

www.cbhunter.com With 16 sales offices throughout Northeast Ohio’s 11-county area, Coldwell Banker Hunter Realty has emerged as one of the Midwest’s largest, nationally linked real estate firms and among the region’s top producing real estate companies. Coldwell Banker Hunter Realty distinguishes itself by offering unparallel service by its extensively trained sales associates, specializing in residential and commercial real estate sales and leasing, relocation services, new construction, land sales and one-stop service for mortgage, title, escrow and home warranty. Coldwell Banker Hunter Realty has been presented the highly acclaimed Coldwell Banker Chairman Circle award yearly since 1991. Visit us online at www.cbhunter.com.

Coldwell Banker Advantage (800) 274-5345 • info@AdvantageCB.com Coldwell Banker Advantage is a leading real estate company in the Fayetteville/Triangle area of North Carolina and is a nationally ranked Coldwell Banker office serving the communities of Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, Cary, Raleigh, Wake Forest, Creedmoor, Clayton, Durham, Benson, Southern Pines, Pinehurst and Lake Gaston. Coldwell Banker Advantage represents the highest levels of experience, knowledge and customer service. Our full-service office can assist with mortgage financing, insurance, title insurance and in-house Concierge Service.

Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS® (210) 483-7002 • www.cbharper.com Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS® is the largest full-service real estate company servicing the metropolitan San Antonio, Texas, market. Since opening in 1986 and specializing in corporate relocation, the company has become a trusted name in the real estate industry. With almost 350 sales associates and 7 offices, the company’s extensively trained representatives have the knowledge and expertise to service all aspects of the real estate business. Its core services include global relocation, property management and rentals, commercial sales and leasing and mortgage financing. The company has earned the prestigious Coldwell Banker Chairman Circle award continuously since 1990.

COLDWELL BANKER FIRST REALTY (800) 676-3626 • www.fmrealestate.com • Fargo, N.D. • Mark D. Vanyo, President/CEO • Barbara Grande, Secretary/Managing Broker Residential Sales Coldwell Banker First Realty is the largest full-service real estate company in the Upper Midwest. Carrying on the same tradition of quality, integrity and the highest standards of business ethics that Colbert Coldwell and Benjamin Banker started in 1906, Coldwell Banker First Realty is locally owned and operated and offers a complete network of real estate services to their clients. With a team of 65 educated and experienced sales associates and a skilled support staff, their dedication and teamwork led them to achieve the 2011 Number One Office in North Dakota within The Coldwell Banker® System.

COLDWELL BANKER HIGH COUNTRY REALTY (800) 307-0777 • www.cbHighCountry.com • email: juneslusser@tds.net Coldwell Banker High Country Realty is the leading regional real estate firm serving the Blue Ridge Mountain resort markets in North Georgia, Western North Carolina and Tennessee. Our specialties include second- and vacation-home lifestyles, retirement living, investment property, land, commercial real estate, reo and asset management and relocation services.

Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty (800) 426-0898 • 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 for more than $600 million in sales dollar volume in 2012. Welcoming more than 240 agents in seven offices serving Solano County 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. Call (800) 426-0898 or log on to our website at www.KappelGateway.com.

Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners (800) 505-8111 • www.mycbpp.com Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners is a full-service real estate firm spanning from Beaufort, S.C., through Savannah to St. Simons Island, Ga. Contact us today if you or someone you know is interested in listing or selling residential real estate. Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners also provides services in commercial real estate, property management, relocation, specialty markets, real estate education and mortgage lending. Please call (800) 5058111 or visit us online at www.mycbpp.com.

Coldwell Banker Prime Properties (866) 323-2277 • www.ColdwellBankerPrime.com With 15 sales offices and 500+ full-time real estate professionals, Coldwell Banker Prime Properties is the No. 1 Coldwell Banker affiliate in New York State. Coldwell Banker Prime Properties is a full-service brokerage dedicated to meeting and exceeding the needs of their clients, customers and sales associates. If you want a successful career in real estate, call us today.

DIANE TURTON, REALTORS® (877) DTURTON • www.dianeturton.com Founded in 1986, Diane Turton, Realtors® is a full-service real estate company with 16 offices throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties in New Jersey. Whether you’re looking to buy, sell or rent in New Jersey, you’ll receive service that will surpass your expectations. Diane Turton, Realtors® consistently ranks in the top of the markets it serves. The firm also provides a full range of financial services through Turton Signature Services, including home mortgages, property and casualty insurance and title insurance.

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Fillmore Real Estate

J. Rockcliff Realtors®

(800) 528-6673 • www.fillmore.com Fillmore Real Estate is the New York Metro area’s largest independently owned real estate broker. Specializing in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Bronx and parts of Westchester, Fillmore has residential, commercial and rental divisions. For more information, visit us at www.fillmore.com or call us at (800) 528-6673.

(925) 251-2501 • www.rockcliff.com • www.rockliffcares.com J. Rockcliff Realtors®, located east of San Francisco, is the East Bay’s premier real estate company. Recently named No. 1 in residential sales (in the East Bay) by the San Francisco Business Times, J. Rockcliff specializes in service. With leading-edge technology, state-of-the-art marketing across multiple mediums, the most experienced management team in the Bay Area and dedicated, ethical and professional agents, our goal is to provide a client experience that is second to none. With almost 600 agents and nine offices, J. Rockcliff Realtors® is the fastest growing real estate company in the East Bay.

First Team® Real Estate (888) 236-1943 • www.FirstTeam.com First Team® Real Estate is the No. 1 privately held real estate company in Southern California with 2,000 agents and employees across 60 locations. First Team wins marketshare in any economic climate through innovation and proprietary marketing tools, and by successfully targeting the luxury market with First Team Estates®. Contact First Team today to find out how we have helped thousands of families realize their dream of homeownership—and how we can help you find yours.

GARDNER, REALTORS® (800) 566-7801 • www.GardnerRealtors.com Since 1943, GARDNER REALTORS® continues our tradition of excellence as the leading full-service real estate company in the Southeast Louisiana and Southern Mississippi Region. The GARDNER Real Estate Family includes over 800 real estate professionals in 24 neighborhood offices that serve over 100 communities. Our professional services include residential and commercial sales & leasing, relocation and corporate services, asset management/REO, and property management; plus, the convenience and added value of one-stop shopping for mortgage, title, and home warranty services. We are proud to be home grown, locally owned and internationally known. Also, we love to give back to the communities we serve through GARDNER LOVE, which is the philanthropic arm of GARDNER REALTORS® and The Gertrude Gardner Foundation.

Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate (732) 450-2300 • www.glorianilson.com Founded over 30 years ago, we are one of the leading real estate brokerages in central New Jersey with 15 offices servicing Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties. Headquartered in Red Bank, N.J., we’re owned by SCS Realty Investment Group LLC and led by 40-year real estate veteran, Dick Schlott. We are a full-service brokerage offering real estate, title and mortgage services. Our success is built on a commitment to redefining personal service.

HARRY NORMAN, REALTORS® (404) 504-7300 • www.harrynorman.com Founded in 1930, Harry Norman, REALTORS® is Atlanta’s oldest and largest residential real estate firm with 12 sales offices, various franchise and satellite offices, and more than 1,000 real estate professionals. Harry Norman, REALTORS® is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. Harry Norman, REALTORS® is the exclusive Atlanta affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate and achieves additional international exposure through membership in such exclusive real estate networks as Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, the largest network of independent residential real estate firms, with 600 members representing 5,000 offices and 150,000 associates across the U.S. and in more than 35 countries.

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Jordan Baris, Inc., Realtors® (800) 4-JBARIS • (973) 736-1600 • www.JordanBaris.com info@jordanbaris.com Founded in 1952, Jordan Baris Inc., Realtors® is among the most respected full-service real estate brokerages in Northern New Jersey. With a team of close to 150 associates, the firm operates offices in West Orange and South Orange, with teams focused on Essex, Morris, Union and Hudson counties. Jordan Baris, Inc. offers real estate brokerage to buyers and sellers of residential and commercial properties, developers, tenants and landlords; title services through JB Title Agency, LLC; and global relocation services through its membership with The Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®.

Kinlin Grover Real Estate Real Living (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 largest independent residential real estate company in the country, is part of The Long & Foster Companies, which includes Prosperity Home Mortgage, Long & Foster Insurance and Long & Foster Settlement Services. It is the exclusive affiliate for Christie’s International Real Estate throughout select parts of the Mid-Atlantic, and a founding affiliate of LeadingRE, a prestigious global network that includes Luxury Portfolio International. Long & Foster represents over 10,000 agents in seven states, plus Washington, D.C.

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. Call us today for your real estate needs.

McCOLLY Real Estate

RE/MAX of Boulder, Inc.

(800) 348-2100 x206 • www.mccolly.com Since 1974, thousands of families in Northwest Indiana, Chicago Southland and Daytona Beach Shores, Fla., have trusted their home-buying, selling and relocation needs to the more than 500 sales professionals at McCOLLY Real Estate. We’ve created a onestop shopping environment to save you time and money with our inhouse mortgage, title and rental services.

(800) 825-7000 • www.BoulderCO.com Established in 1977, RE/MAX of Boulder was one of the first RE/MAX franchises in the country and has been a model of success. RE/MAX of Boulder offers one-stop shopping for the benefit of its clients and customers with a mortgage broker, an independent insurance agent and a title company all under one roof. A recognized leader in real estate sales for over 30 years, RE/MAX of Boulder prides itself on its involvement in the community. RE/MAX of Boulder specializes in relocation.

Page Taft Real Living (203) 453-6511 • www.pagetaft.com Since opening its Guilford office in 1980, Page Taft has expanded its presence with offices in the historic towns of Madison and Essex, Conn. Page Taft agents foster long-term relationships with clients, based on a strong foundation of trust and an unsurpassed commitment to excellence. These unique strengths set us apart from our competitors and make us your most valuable resource in fulfilling your real estate needs.

Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate (877) 456-4663 • www.pattersonschwartz.com • pattersonschwartz@psre.com Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate is Delaware’s largest independent REALTOR® with 50 years of service to the Delaware real estate market and surrounding communities in nearby Pennsylvania and Maryland. With seven offices and 350 sales associates, we are committed to excellence, integrity and quality service. We offer a full range of services, including residential home sales, purchase and rental, relocation services and property management.

Randall, Realtors® Real Living (401) 364-3388 • www.randallrealtors.com Randall, Realtors® Real Living has been a consistent leader in the marketing of Southern New England properties for more than 28 years. Specializing in waterfront properties and second homes, our agents boast a 98.5 percent client satisfaction rating and are among the most highly trained anywhere in New England. 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.

Real Estate Teams, LLC (301) 695-3020 · www.realestateteams.com • info@realestateteams.com Real Estate Teams, LLC provides professional real estate services to clients in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. We specialize in residential, new construction, land, commercial, relocation and rental properties. Our agents have sold more properties than any other real estate office in Frederick County since 2004. Professionally trained agents take advantage of today’s technology to help their clients realize a bright tomorrow. Contact us today for more information about our real estate services. Free online property searches are available at www.realestateteams.com.

RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central (215) 453-7653 • www.pahomesforsale.com • Tom Skiffington, Broker/Owner, tskiffington@remax.net 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 Crossroads (800) 887-7444 • www.remaxneo.com • Dennis Steed, ABR, CRB, CRS, GRI, e-Pro, Broker/Owner, dsteed@remax.net RE/MAX Crossroads is locally owned and operated with 7 locations in the greater Cleveland and Akron/Canton area. Serving our communities with over 150 sales partners and support staff, RE/MAX Crossroads is the largest RE/MAX Company in Ohio. One-hundred percent of our sales partners choose to contribute a portion of each transaction to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN). Since the company’s inception in 1993, RE/MAX Crossroads has contributed over $600,000 to CMN. Crossroads’ outstanding partners closed nearly 3,700 transactions in 2013, making us one of the top 25 Real Estate Companies in the U.S. ranked by per agent productivity.

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.

RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS (303) 455-3300 • www.homesbythepro.com RE/MAX Professionals boasts the finest Realtors® in the Denver metro area. For more than 30 years we have led the industry in sales, technology and professionalism. Recently RE/MAX Professionals was recognized as the fastest growing RE/MAX in the world with nearly 400 licensed agents.

RE/MAX SUBURBAN (847) 577-9888 • www.remaxsuburban.com RE/MAX Suburban is the leader in the Chicagoland Northwest Suburbs of Illinois market. The company has seven offices and over 180 sales associates.

RLS, REALTORS® (908) 221-1244 • (973) 543-1000 • www.rlsrealtors.com Opened in March 2010, and sister company to Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate, RLS, Realtors® services the needs of homebuyers and sellers in Somerset and Morris counties in New Jersey. RLS is owned by SCS Realty Investment Group LLC and led by 40-year real estate veteran Dick Schlott. We are a full-service brokerage offering real estate, title and mortgage services.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 95

Your Broker-to-broker source for Referrals from Real Estate’s Leading Residential Brokerage Companies california

Ascent Real Estate Inc. 410 Kalmia Street, San Diego , CA 92101 Contact: Client Services • Tel: (619) 325-4140 Email: info@ascentrealestate.net • URL: www.ascentrealestate.net Coverage areas: San Diego Offices: 7 • Associates: 140 Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate 2260 Douglas Blvd., Ste. 140, Roseville, CA 95661 Contact: Linda Howard, President, Network Services Tel: (916) 488-1787 (Direct) • (800) 451-3131 (Toll Free) • (Fax) 916-488-3749 Email: linda.howard@bhghome.com • URL: www.bhghome.com Coverage areas: Northern California, Northern Nevada Offices: 29 • Associates: 1,700 CENTURY 21 Award - Orange County 22342 Avenida Empresa, Suite 110, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 Contact: Kathy Paddock, CRP, Vice President Relocation Services Toll Free: (800) 821-1411 • Fax: (949) 480-5345 Email: kpaddock@century21award.com Coverage areas: Orange County Offices: 15 • Associates: 1,200 CENTURY 21 Award - San Diego, Riverside 7676 Hazard Center Drive, Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92108 Contact: Kathy Paddock, CRP, Vice President Relocation Services Toll Free: (800) 821-1411 • Fax: (949) 480-5345 Email: kpaddock@century21award.com Coverage areas: San Diego, Southern Riverside Offices: 15 • Associates: 1200 Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty 750 Mason Street, Ste. 101, Vacaville, CA 95688 Phone: (707) 427-5344 or (800) 426-0898 • Fax: (707) 446-9830 Contact: Loretta Neubert E-mail: relo@kappelgateway.com • URL: www.KappelGateway.com Coverage Areas: Vacaville, Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun City Vallejo and Winters, Calif. Offices: 7 • Associates: 240 First Team® Real Estate 108 Pacifica Avenue, Suite 300, Irvine, CA 92618 Toll Free Phone: (855) 858-8028 Contact: Gayle D. Glew CRP, CRB, Director, Relocation and Corporate Services URL: www.firstteam.com • E-mail: gayleglew@firstteam.com Coverage areas: Southern California counties of Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego Offices: 36 • Associates: 1865 J. Rockcliff Realtors® Headquarters Office: 4115 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Ste. 201, Danville, CA, 94506 Contact: Robin Dickson, CRS, GRI, Executive Vice President Tel: (O) 925.251.2501, (C) 925.324.1323, (TF) 877-JRCKCLF (572-2523) Email: rdickson@rockcliff.com URL(s): www.rockcliff.com • www.rockliffcares.com Coverage Areas: Alameda County: Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Dublin Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Oakland, Piedmont, Pleasanton, San Leandro, Sunol, Union City; Contra Costa County: Alamo, Antioch, Bethel Island, Brentwood, Byron, Canyon, Clayton, Concord, Crockett, Danville, Diablo, Discovery Bay, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill Port Costa, Richmond, Rodeo, San Pablo, San Ramon, Walnut Creek; San Joaquin County: Country Club, Lathrop, Lodi, Manteca, Mountain House, Stockton, Tracy, Silicon Valley/San Jose area

96 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

COLORADO

RE/MAX of Boulder, Inc. 2425 Canyon Blvd. #110, Boulder, CO 80302 Contact: D.B. Wilson, CDPE, SFR, CRS, GRI Broker Assoc./Mgr., Relo. Svcs. Tel: (303) 449-7000 • Toll Free: (800) 825-7000 • Fax: (303) 449-8554 • Email: dbwilson@BoulderCO.com • URL: www.BoulderCO.com Coverage areas: Boulder, Longmont, Louisville, Lafayette, Broomfield, Niwot, Nederland, Lyons, Superior, Westminster, Erie, Firestone, Frederick, Jamestown, close in mountains and the entire Boulder Valley. Covering much of Adams, Larimer, Weld, Denver, Jefferson, Gilpin and all of Boulder and Broomfield counties Offices: 1 • Associates: 85 RE/MAX Professionals 390 Union Boulevard, Lakewood, CO 80228 Contact: Brad Whitehouse, Broker/Owner Tel: (303) 268-4236 (office) • (303) 887-5159 (mobile) Email: bradwhitehouse@remax.net • URL: www.homesbythepros.com Coverage areas: Denver and surrounding areas Offices: 8 • Associates: 380

CONNECTICUT

Calcagni Real Estate 330 South Main Street, Cheshire, CT 06410 Contact: Steven Calcagni, President Tel: (203) 272-1821 ext. 302 Email: Steven_Calcagni@calcagni.com • URL: www.calcagni.com Coverage areas: New Haven County, Central Connecticut Offices: 4 • Associates: 140 CENTURY 21 AllPoints Realty 117 North Main Street, Southington, CT 06489 Contact: Kelly Peterson, COO • Tel: (800) 525-7793 Email: C21KellyPeterson@gmail.com • URL: www.c21allpointsrealty.com Coverage area: Southington, Cheshire, Plainville, Bristol, Farmington, Newington, Berlin, New Britain, Waterbury, Watertown, West Hartford, Enfield, Somers, Suffield, Manchester, Windsor, South Windsor, East Hartford, Vernon, Tolland, Granby, New Haven, Branford, Northford, Meriden, Wallingford, North Haven, East Haven, Guilford, Old Saybrook, Orange, Naugatuck, Milford Office: 6 • Associates: 214 Page Taft Real Living 89 Whitfield Street, 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® Real Living 4009 Old Post Road, Charleston, RI 02813 Contact: Jean Fournier, Dir. of Relocation & Referral Services Tel: (401) 486-9677 Email: jfournier@randallrealtors.com • URL: www.randallrealtors.com Coverage areas: Connecticut and Rhode Island Offices: 9 • Associates: 175

Delaware

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Pandra Richie, President of Corporate Real Estate Services Phone: (800) 336-0356 Email: Pandra.Richie@Longandfoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 170+ • Associates: 10,000+ Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate 7234 Lancaster Pike, Suite 220B, Hockessin, DE 19707 Contact: Marjorie Murray, RCC, Relocation Manager Office: (302) 234-3600 • Direct: (302) 234-3605 • Toll free: (800) 443-2295 Email: mmurray@psre.com • URL: pattersonschwartz.com Service area: Delaware (New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties), Pennsylvania (Chester and Delaware counties), Maryland (Cecil, Kent and Harford counties) Offices: 8 • Associates: 350

FLORIDA

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Florida Network Realty 4190 Belfort Road, Suite 475, Jacksonville, FL 32216 Contact: Linda Lindenmoyer, Dir. Relocation, Referral Services and Bus. Dev. Tel: (800) 456-8036 • Direct: (904) 296-6400 ext. 313 Email: Linda.Lindenmoyer@Prunet.com URL: www.prudentialnetworkrealty.com or www.BHHSFloridaNetworkRealty.com Coverage Areas: Northeast Florida including: Jacksonville, Avondale, Ortega, San Marco, Riverside, Neptune Beach, Arlington, Southside, Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Mandarin, St. Johns, World Golf Village, St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach, Crescent Beach, Orange Park, Fleming Island, Middleburg. Serving Clay, St. Johns, Duval, Flagler counties Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty 1580 Sawgrass Corporate Pkwy, Suite 400, Sunrise, FL 33323 Tel: (954) 693-0100 or (800) 386-1554 • Fax: (954) 236-6962 Contact: Rei Mesa, CRS, CRB, President, CEO Email: ReiMesa@BHHSFloridaRealty.com • URL: www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com Relocation Contact: Sharon Sapp, Vice President, Relocation, Referrals & REOs sharonsapp@BHHSFloridaRealty.com Serving 17 counties throughout Florida, including Southeast Florida, Southwest Florida and Orlando area Offering mortgage, title, insurance, home service plans, 1031 exchange services! Offices: 39 • Associates: 1,350 McCOLLY Real Estate 800 Deer Creek Drive, 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: Daytona, Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, Flagler, Holly Hill, New Smyrna Beach, Ormond Beach, Ponce Inlet, Port Orange, South Daytona Offices: 15 • Associates: 550

georgia

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties 863 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell, GA 30076 Contact: Kathy Connelly, SVP Corporate Services • Tel: (678) 352-3321 Email: Kathy.Connelly@BHHSGeorgia.com • URL: www.BHHSGeorgia.com Coverage areas: Metro Atlanta and North Georgia Offices: 22 • Associates: 1,100 Coldwell Banker High Country Realty 274 W. Main Street., Blue Ridge, GA 30513 Contact: Barbara Phillips, Director of Referral and Relocation Services Tel: (706) 632 7311 X227 Email: brphillips_cb@tds.net • URL: www.cbHighCountry.com Coverage areas: The Blue Ridge Mountain Areas of: Murphy, Robbinsville, Hayesville, (N.C.), Hiawassee, Young Harris, Blairsville, Blue Ridge, and Ellijay, (Ga.), and

Polk County (Tenn.) Offices: 4 Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners 6349 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA 31405 Contact: Christy Woiwode, COO, Vice President of Relocation Tel: (800) 505-8111 Email: Christy@cbplatinumpartners.com • URL: www.MyCbpp.com Coverage areas: Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head (S.C.), Savannah, Pooler, Richmond Hill, Statesboro, St. Simons Island, Brunswick, St. Marys (Ga.) and all areas in between Offices: 7 • Associates: 150 Harry Norman, REALTORS® 532 East Paces Ferry Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30305 Contact: Patsy Alston, patsy.alston@harrynorman.com Tel: (404) 504-7950 Email: patsy.alston@harrynorman.com • URL: www.harrynorman.com Coverage Areas: Atlanta, Ga. Offices: 12 • Associates: 1,000

illinois

CENTURY 21 Affiliated 221 West Beltline Highway, Madison, WI 53713 Contact: Bonnie Kunstman, Relocation Director Tel: (815) 207-6813 • Cell: (815) 922-3246 Email: bkunstman@C21Affiliated.com • URL: www.Century21Affiliated.com Coverage Areas: South Central Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, Greater Chicagoland area, Northwest Indiana, Eastern Minnesota, Southern Michigan. Offices: 56 • Agents: 1,200 McCOLLY Real Estate 800 Deer Creek Drive, 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, Beecher, Blue Island, Bourbonnais, Bradley, Burbank, Burnham, Calumet City, Channahon, Chicago, Chicago Heights, Chicago Ridge, Clearing, Coal City, Country Club Hills, Crestwood, Crete, Dolton, Evergreen Park, Frankfort, Glenwood, Grant Park, Harvey, Hazel Crest, Hegewisch, Hickory Hills, Homer Glen, Homewood, Joliet, Kankakee, Lansing, Lemont, Lockport, Lynwood, Manhattan, Manteno, Markham, Matteson, Midlothian, Mokena, Momence, Monee, Morgan Park, Mount Greenwood, New Lenox, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Orland Hills, Orland Park, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Park Forest, Peotone, Plainfield, Posen, Richton Park, Riverdale, Romeoville, Roseland, Sauk Village, Shorewood, South Holland, St. Anne, Steger, Tinley Park, University Park, Worth Offices: 15 • Associates: 550 RE/MAX SUBURBAN 330 East Northwest Highway, Mount Prospect, IL 60056 Contact: Layla El Said, layla@laylaelsaid.com Email: layla@laylaelsaid.com • URL: remaxsuburban.com Coverage areas: Northwest suburbs of Chicagoland Offices: 7 • Associates: 180

indiana

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 97

Massachusetts

McCOLLY Real Estate 800 Deer Creek Drive, 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, Burns Harbor, Cedar Lake, Chesterton, Crown Point, DeMotte, Dyer, East Chicago, Fair Oaks, Gary, Griffith, Hammond, Hebron, Hessville, Highland, Hobart, Kentland, Kouts, La Crosse, La Porte, Lake Station, Lake Village, Lakes of Four Seasons, Lowell, Merrillville, Michigan City, Morocco, Munster, Ogden Dunes, Portage, Porter, Rensselaer, Roselawn, Schererville, Schneider, Shelby, St. John, Sumava Resorts, Thayer, Valparaiso, Wanatah, Westville, Wheatfield, Wheeler, Whiting, Winfield Offices: 15 • Associates: 550

louisiana

GARDNER, REALTORS® 3332 N. Woodlawn Avenue, Metairie, LA 70006 Contact: Nancy Harmann, Director of Relocation & Corporate Services Tel: (504) 200-5080 • Cell: (504) 402-9567 • Toll Free: (800) 256-5677 Email: NHarmann@GardnerRealtors.com • URL: www.GardnerRealtors.com Coverage Areas: Southeast Louisiana, including Greater New Orleans and Greater Baton Rouge, and Southern Mississippi, including the MS Gulf Coast Offering a full range of services including Residential, Commercial, Leasing, New Homes, REO, and Loss Mitigation; plus individual and corporate Relocation, Property Management and National/International Referral Network services. Offices: 24 • Associates: 800

Maryland

CENTURY 21 New Millennium 5990 Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315 Contact: Todd Hetherington, CEO • Tel: (800) 382-1101 • Fax: (703) 822-0136 Email: move@c21nm.com • URL: www.c21nm.com Relocation Contact: Scott Becker, Director, NM Relocation • URL: move@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: Pandra Richie, President of Corporate Real Estate Services Phone: (800) 336-0356 Email: Pandra.Richie@Longandfoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 170+ • Associates: 10,000+ Real Estate Teams, LLC 50 Citizens Way, Suite 400, Frederick, MD 21701 Contact: Kim Koval, Relocation Director • Main Office: (301) 695-3020 Email: relo@realestateteams.com • URL: www.realestateteams.com Coverage Areas: Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. Offices: 4 • Over 150 REALTOR® Associates

98 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Kinlin Grover Real Estate Real Living 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

Michigan

Minnesota

CENTURY 21 Affiliated 221 West Beltline Highway, Madison, WI 53713 Contact: Jennifer Wagner, Relocation Director Tel: (608) 223-2797 • Cell: (608) 751-2576 Email: Jennifer.Wagner@C21Affiliated.com • URL: www.Century21Affiliated.com Coverage Areas: South Central Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, Greater Chicagoland area, Northwest Indiana, Eastern Minnesota, Southern Michigan. Offices: 56 • Agents: 1,200

mississippi

Missouri

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties 1650 Des Peres Road Suite 205, Saint Louis, MO 63131 Contact: Angie Ignatowski, Relocation Director Tel: (314) 835-6000 Direct (314) 835-6050 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 and 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., Suite 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 Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate 2260 Douglas Blvd., Ste. 140, Roseville, CA 95661 Contact: Linda Howard, President, Network Services Tel: (916) 488-1787 • (800) 451-3131 • Fax: (916) 488-3749 Email: linda.howard@bhghome.com • URL: www.bhghome.com Coverage areas: Northern California, Northern Nevada Offices: 35 • Associates: 2,000

NEW JERSEY

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, Realtors® 1 International Plaza, Suite 100, Philadelphia, PA 19113 Contact: Linda Zanzinger, Vice President, Relocation/REO Services, (610) 595-3149 Email: Linda.Zanzinger@foxroach.com • URL: www.foxroach.com Coverage areas: Greater Philadelphia Region, Greater Allentown and Easton Region, SE Pa., Southern and Central N.J., Northern Del. Offices: 65 • Associates: 4,000 Diane Turton, Realtors® 511 Forman Avenue, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742 Contact: Dawn Fetherston, Director of Relocation & Corporate Services Diane Turton, Realtors Relocation Services • Tel: 1-877-DTURTON Email: dturton@dianeturton.com • URL: www.dianeturton.com Coverage areas: Monmouth County and Ocean County (N.J.) Member Organizations: Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, Luxury Portfolio, Luxury Real Estate Offices: 16 · Associates: 350 Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate and RLS, REALTORS® 826 Alexander Road, Princeton, NJ 08540 Contact: Pat Renner, Director of Business Development Relocation Line: (888) 467-MOVE • Direct: (609) 750-7605 Email: prenner@glorianilson.com • URL: www.glorianilson.com Coverage areas: Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean and Somerset counties Offices: 17 • Associates: 600+ Jordan Baris, Inc., Realtors® 50 Mt. Pleasant Ave., West Orange, NJ 07052 Contact: Carol Abdo, Relocation Director Office: (973) 736-1600 • Toll Free: (800) 4-JBARIS • Fax: (973) 736-5159 Email: relocation@jordanbaris.com • URL: www.jordanbaris.com Coverage area: Essex, Union, Hudson and Morris counties. Specifically West Orange, South Orange, Maplewood, Livingston, East Hanover, Roseland, Short Hills, Montclair, Bloomfield, Belleville, Newark, East Orange, Orange, Irvington, Jersey City, North Bergen, Union, Vauxhall, Parsippany-Troy Hills Offices: 2 • Associates: 150 Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Pandra Richie, President of Corporate Real Estate Services Phone: (800) 336-0356 Email: Pandra.Richie@Longandfoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 170+ • Associates: 10,000+

NEW YORK

Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty 10 Schriever Lane, New City, NY 10956 Contact: Janet Farsetta, Vice President, Relocation Tel: (845) 825-8071 Email: janet.farsetta@randrealty.com • URL: www.randrealty.com Coverage areas: The major New York suburbs, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, Putnam, Sullivan and Ulster counties in New York

Offices: 25 • Associates: More than 800 Coach Realtors® 66 Gilbert Street, Northport, NY 11768 Contact: Elaine Elish, Inbound Referral Coordinator, (800) 321-7356 x138, Email: elaine@coachrealtors.com URL: www.coachrealtors.com/buying-and-selling/relocation.cfm The Coach Realtors Relocation Department understands the complexities and challenges of employee transfers and is very responsive to the many needs of relocating families. Coach’s relocation division is supported by three full-time referral coordinators; Elaine Elish, Kathy Brandofino and Roseanne Tourto. These 3 professionals draw upon more than 50 years of combined relocation experience in order to make client transition a comfortable one. Offices: 18 • Associates 618 Coldwell Banker Prime Properties 10 Osgood Avenue, Green Island, NY 12183 Contact: R. James Long, Broker/Owner Tel: (518) 640-4008 • Fax (518) 456-8980 Email: jim.long@ColdwellBankerPrime.com Coverage Areas: New York State, primarily Capital Region and Central New York Offices: 16 • Sales Associates: 500 Fillmore Real Estate 2990 Avenue U, Brooklyn, NY 11229 Contact: John Reinhardt, President/CEO • Tel: (800) 528-6673 Email: JohnReinhardt@Fillmore.com • URL: www.fillmore.com Coverage areas: Brooklyn, Staten Island, Bronx and parts of Westchester Offices: 16 • Associates: 400

NORTH CAROLINA

Coldwell Banker Advantage 7610 Six Forks Rd. Suite 100, Raleigh, NC 27615 Contact: Benina Drake, CRP, SVP Relocation and Referral Services Tel: (800) 274-5345 • Direct (919) 846-3330 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 Coldwell Banker High Country Realty 274 W. Main Street., Blue Ridge, GA 30513 Contact: Barbara Phillips, Director of Referral and Relocation Services Tel: (706) 632 7311 X227 Email: brphillips_cb@tds.net • URL: www.cbHighCountry.com Coverage areas: The Blue Ridge Mountain Areas of: Murphy, Robbinsville, Hayesville, (N.C.), Hiawassee, Young Harris, Blairsville, Blue Ridge, and Ellijay, (Ga.), and Polk County (Tenn.) Offices: 4 Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Pandra Richie, President of Corporate Real Estate Services Phone: (800) 336-0356 Email: Pandra.Richie@Longandfoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 170+ • Associates: 10,000+

NORTH DAKOTA

Coldwell Banker First Realty Number 1 Coldwell Banker Company in North Dakota 2731 12th Avenue S, Fargo, ND 58103 Contact: Amber Olsen, Relocation Director Tel: (800) 676-3626 • Office: (701) 293-3423 Email: aolsen@fmrealestate.com • URL: www.fmrealestate.com RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 99

Coverage Areas: North Dakota cities - Casselton, Fargo, Grand Forks, Harwood, Horace, Kindred, Larimore, Mapleton, Mayville, Northwood, Reynolds, Thompson, and West Fargo. Minnesota cities – Barnesville, Crookston, Dilworth, East Grand Forks, Glyndon, Hallock, Hawley, Moorhead, and Oslo. Covering all of Cass and Clay counties. Offering mortgage, title, commercial real estate, and property management services. Offices: 1 • Associates: 65

ohio

CENTURY 21 Scheetz Scheetz Relocation: (800) 634-6099 – Award-winning, CARTUS Principle Broker, USAA, Brookfield, Lexicon, SIRVA, Weichert, NEI, Altair, Parago, The MI Group, Crown, Prudential, Graebel Contact: Annie Hamilton, Vice President of Relocation Email: ahamilton@c21scheetz.com • url: www.c21scheetz.com Coverage Areas: Indianapolis, Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Zionsville, Greenwood, Brownsburg, Avon, Plainfield, Cicero, Fortville, McCordsville, Franklin, Greenfield, Sheridan, Trafalgar, Lebanon Coldwell Banker Hunter Realty 24600 Detroit Road, Suite 265, Westlake, OH 44145 Contact: Jean Strelou, Relocation Director Office: (216) 899-2544 • (800) 777-0793 Email: cbhunter@coldwellbanker.com • URL: www.cbhunter.com Coverage Areas: Northeast Ohio including the following counties and cities: Ashtabula, Cuyahoga (Cleveland), Erie (Sandusky), Geauga, Lake (Mentor), Lorain, Medina, Portage, Summit (Akron), Stark (Canton) and Wayne (Wooster) Offices: 16 • Associates: 320 RE/MAX Crossroads 17149 SouthPark Center, Strongsville, OH 44136, Northeast Ohio Contact: Dennis Steed, Broker/Owner, Tel: (800) 887-7444 Email: dsteed@remax.net • URL: www.remaxneo.com Coverage areas: Northeast Ohio, Akron, Canton, Medina, New Philadelphia, Rocky River, Stow, Fairlawn, Strongsville, including Carroll, Cuyahoga, Medina, Lorain, Summit, Stark and Tuscarawas counties. Offices: 7 • Associates: 150

Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty  100 Foxshire Drive, 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 Real Estate Teams, LLC 50 Citizens Way, Suite 400, Frederick, MD 21701 Contact: Kim Koval, Relocation Director Main Office: (301) 695-3020 Email: relo@realestateteams.com • URL: www.realestateteams.com Coverage Areas: Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. Offices: 4 • Over 150 REALTOR® Associates RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central 701 West Market Street, Perkasie, PA 18944 Contact: Tom Skiffington: Broker/Owner, Email: tskiffington@remax.net Tel: (215) 453-7653 • (215) 643-3200 URLs: www.pahomesforsale.com and 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® Real Living 4009 Old Post Road, 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 Drive, Greenville, SC 29607 Contacts: Karen Taylor, Director of Relocation, ktaylor@cdanjoyner.com, (864) 678-5244 Jo Anne Conner, Network Mgr., jconner@cdanjoyner.com, (864) 678-5227 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: 9 • Associates: 275+

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty 9401 McKnight Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 Contact: Elaine DeBildt • Tel: (412) 261-4800 Email: edebildt@thepreferredrealty.com • URL: www.ThePreferredRealty.com Coverage areas: Southwestern Penn., including the following counties, Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Armstrong, Westmoreland, Washington, Lawrence, Fayette and Somerset Offices: 18 • Associates: 650

Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners 6349 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA 31405 Contact: Christy Woiwode, COO, VP of Relocation, Tel: (800) 505-8111 Email: Christy@cbplatinumpartners.com • URL: www.MyCbpp.com Coverage Areas: Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head (S.C.), Savannah, Pooler, Richmond Hill, Statesboro, St. Simons Island, Brunswick, St. Marys (Ga.) and all areas in between Offices: 7 • Associates: 150

tennessee

PENNSYLVANIA

100 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Coldwell Banker High Country Realty 274 W. Main Street., Blue Ridge, GA 30513 Contact: Barbara Phillips, Director of Referral and Relocation Services Tel: (706) 632 7311 X227 Email: brphillips_cb@tds.net • URL: www.cbHighCountry.com Coverage areas: The Blue Ridge Mountain Areas of: Murphy, Robbinsville, Hayesville, (N.C.), Hiawassee, Young Harris, Blairsville, Blue Ridge, and Ellijay, (Ga.), and Polk County (Tenn.) Offices: 4

Texas

washington, D.C.

Virginia

Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS® 18756 Stone Oak Parkway, Ste. 301, San Antonio, Texas 78258 Contact: Pam Poitevent, Sr. VP Relocation Services Toll Free: (800) 521-1408 • Direct: (210) 483-7035 Email: ppoitevent@cbharper.com • URL: www.cbharper.com Coverage areas: San Antonio metropolitan area including New Braunfels, San Marcos, Seguin, Spring Branch, Bulverde, Canyon Lake, Schertz, Universal City, Boerne, Bandera, Kerrville and surrounding areas. Our areas of expertise range from Fortune 500 executives to specialized training in military and government relocation. Offices: 7 • Associates: 350 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Towne Realty 600 22nd Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451 Contact: Darlene Lamb, Director of Corporate Relocation Services Toll Free: (757) 296-0003 • Direct: (757) 709-2947 Email: relocation@bhhstowne.com • URL: www.bhhstownerealty.com Coverage areas: Southeast Virginia/Hampton Roads: Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Smithfield, Newport News, Hampton, York County, Williamsburg and Gloucester. Offices: 15 • 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 Email: move@c21nm.com • URL: www.c21nm.com Relocation Contact: Scott Becker, Dir., NM Relocation, Email: move@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: Pandra Richie, President of Corporate Real Estate Services Phone: (800) 336-0356 Email: Pandra.Richie@Longandfoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 170+ • Associates: 10,000+ Real Estate Teams, LLC 50 Citizens Way, Suite 400, Frederick, MD 21701 Contact: Kim Koval, Relocation Director Main Office: (301) 695-3020 Email: relo@realestateteams.com • URL: www.realestateteams.com Coverage Areas: Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia & Washington, D.C. Offices: 4 • Over 150 REALTOR® Associates RE/MAX Gateway 4090B Lafayette Center Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Scott MacDonald, President Tel: (703) 652-5776 • Cell: (703) 727-6900 Email: scottmacdonald@remax.net • URL: www.gateway2realestate.com Coverage areas: Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, West Virginia Offices: 4 • Associates: 108

Real Estate Teams, LLC 50 Citizens Way, Suite 400, Frederick, MD 21701 Contact: Kim Koval, Relocation Director Main Office: (301) 695-3020 Email: relo@realestateteams.com • URL: www.realestateteams.com Coverage Areas: Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. Offices: 4 • Over 150 REALTOR® Associates

west virginia

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Pandra Richie, President of Corporate Real Estate Services Phone: (800) 336-0356 Email: Pandra.Richie@Longandfoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 170+ • Associates: 10,000+ Real Estate Teams, LLC 50 Citizens Way, Suite 400, Frederick, MD 21701 Contact: Kim Koval, Relocation Director Main Office: (301) 695-3020 Email: relo@realestateteams.com • URL: www.realestateteams.com Coverage Areas: Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. Offices: 4 • Over 150 REALTOR® Associates

wisconsin

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE March 2015 101

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index of service providers ABR®...................................................................................14

National Association of REALTORS® Global.................103

American Home Shield...................................................19

NextHome........................................................................BC

Bank of America Home Loans........................................21

On The Move, Inc. ...........................................................75

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC..............5, 7

The Personal Marketing Company..........................60, 68

Carrington Real Estate Services.....................................29

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors...........................................2

Centralized Showing Service..........................................58

Point2.................................................................................76

Century 21 Real Estate LLC...............................................1

The Real Estate Book.......................................................67

Dotsignal...........................................................................31

Realtors Property Resource®...........................................35

Engel & Völkers.................................................................13

Realty ONE Group............................................................27

ERA Franchise Systems, LLC............................................40

RE/MAX, LLC.....................................................................10

First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation.... 38

RentalRoost.......................................................................63

HomeTeam Inspection Service.......................................50 Homes.com......................................................................17

RISMedia’s Real Estate Information Network® (RREIN)...............................................................................32

HSA Home Warranty...................................................... IFC

RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network®...............70, 81

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®............9, 11

Resort and Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS) Certification......................................................................64

Lumentus Social...............................................................49 Mobile Real Estate....................................... 69, 73, 85, IBC National Association of REALTORS®............................8, 26

VoicePad..........................................................................37 Workman Success Systems......................................20, 102

In an increasingly diverse marketplace,

what you don’t know could hurt your bottom line. NAR’s Global Education can help. At Home With Diversity (one day course) Assess and understand attributes of diversity in your local market to earn the confidence of all buyers and sellers. The online AHWD course counts as continuing education credit in most U.S. states. Visit realtor.org/ahwd.

Certified International Property Specialist Designation (CIPS) The CIPS designation includes five full days of study focusing on international real estate transactions. Become part of an elite referral network of over 2,000 professionals worldwide. Visit realtor.org/cipscourses.

{re: Real Estate} REALTOR® University Provides Credible Research When Facts Matter

t is widely known that the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) conducts industry research that is second to none. But did you know that another resource for independent, practical, and applied research is REALTOR® University’s Richard J. Rosenthal Center for Real Estate Studies? The Rosenthal Center for Real Estate Studies provides credible, high caliber, scholarly research that all members of the real estate community will find valuable, useful and relevant.

Current Research Currently, the Rosenthal Center is partnering with other organizations on several projects, including:

By conducting research on hot-button real estate issues, the Rosenthal Center for Real Estate Studies helps brokers and industry leaders access valuable data and insights developed by objective third-party academics. The credentials of these research institutions add an important dimension of intellectual rigor and academic honesty. Working in partnership with academics and other leading research institutions across the country, its research extends beyond theory and methodology to applied, every-day issues that practitioners can use in their business, and examines key issues and topics facing the broader real estate industry.

In addition, the Rosenthal Center is directly sponsoring several research projects, including:

The Journal of the Center for Real Estate Studies All research projects adhere to strict professional guidelines. Once complete, every study is vetted via a double-blind peer review prior to publication. The most essential findings and implications are distilled into briefs that appear in The Journal of the Center for Real Estate Studies, making it easier for practitioners to quickly extract relevant facts and insights. Published three times each year, the Journal presents Center-sponsored research, as well as articles written by and for practitioners on topics and issues of importance to today’s real estate industry. Copies of The Journal of the Center for Real Estate Studies can be downloaded free via the REALTOR® Store at www.REALTOR.org/Store. Past Research Research projects sponsored by the Rosenthal Center cover a wide range of topics and issues. Recent issues examined include: 8Generational Homeownership Trends 8 Residential Mobility and Housing Choice Among Echo Boomers and Baby Boomers 8Wind Farms and Housing Values

104 March 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

8 Changing Office Demand and Space Utilization in the United States and Canada 8 International Commercial Real Estate Investment in the United States and Canada 8 Real Estate and Education in Building Wealth among the Asian Immigrant Population

8 A Study of the Impacts of Extreme Storms on Property Values in Coastal Markets 8 A Study of the Effects of Commercial Development on Residential Values 8 The Development of a Dynamic Affordability Index

Benefits for Brokers Findings from these studies are essential for framing meaningful, solutions-based discussions at the national, state, and local level. Many of the topics researched are of interest to brokers as they investigate real-world business issues that everyone is facing across the country. Turn to the Richard J. Rosenthal Center for Real Estate Studies for the hard facts and powerful insights you need to inform your business decisions today and in the future.

“This research from REALTOR® University is incredibly valuable to leaders in our industry—from the national level right down to local brokerages—because it provides a rigorous framework for discussing solutions.” - J. Lennox Scott CRB, Broker with John L. Scott Real Estate, Bellevue, Wash.

Re:sources 8 Studies are available free of charge at www.realtoru.com/real-estate-studies. 8 Copies of The Journal of the Center for Real Estate

Studies can be downloaded free via the REALTOR® Store at www.REALTOR.org/Store. 8 Send research topic suggestions and requests

for printed copies of The Journal to Peter Burley, Director, Richard J. Rosenthal Center for Real Estate Studies at pburley@realtors.org. RE