Real Estate Magazine - FiveStreet - Sept. 2015 by RISMedia

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(L-R) Eric Bashkoff, Software Engineer, FiveStreet; Rusty Klophaus, Director of Product and Technology, Move, Inc.; Marius Pop, Software Engineer, FiveStreet; Craig Simoneau, Senior Product Manager, Move, Inc.

Addressing the Lead Conversion Conundrum

Page 50

FiveStreet hones in on helping real estate professionals crack the conversion code

SOLD A HOME BASED SOLELY ON A NEARBY DOG PARK. WELL PLAYED.

We’re always scouting for agents who realize there’s a smarter way to do real estate. Agents who should affiliate with a brand that is already the most recognized brand in the industry*, plays the marketing game on the world’s biggest stage and has all the tools to back it up. So, if being ahead of the game is the kind of thing that appeals to you, let’s talk.

C21.COM/CAREERS © 2015 Century 21 Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. CENTURY 21® and the CENTURY 21 Logo are registered service marks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC. Century 21 Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. STUDY SOURCE: 2014 Ad Tracking Study. The survey results are based on 1,200 online interviews with a national random sample of adults (ages 18+) who are equal decision makers in real estate transactions and who have bought or sold a home within the past two years or, plan to purchase or sell a home within the next two years. Brand awareness results are significant at a 90% confidence level, with a margin of error of +/-2.4%. The study was conducted by Millward Brown, a leading global market research organization, from May 14 – June 4, 2014.

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{Contents} {On the Cover}

September 2015/Vol. 31, No. 9 • www.rismedia.com

50 Addressing the Lead Conversion Conundrum

50 29

{Highlights} 24 The New Scope of NAHREP NAHREP CEO Gary Acosta has an ambitious goal for his organization: to double the number of Hispanics in real estate and mortgage lending over the next 10 years. As the association gears up for its 15th annual National Convention this month, find out how NAHREP plans to elevate financial status and homeownership for Hispanic real estate professionals and their consumers alike.

36 RE/MAX: Innovating, Improving, Serving, Moving Ahead with Energy The power of attitude, high achievement and constant

{Headliners} 15 Policy Matters: Independent improvement is woven into the culture at RE/MAX. The result is an attractive proposition for productivity-minded professionals who want to be part of a thriving global network. In this feature, find out how RE/MAX plans to keep the momentum going and keep evolving for the future.

70 The Changing Global Economy

say 76

For real estate professionals across the board, successfully converting online leads into clients can be a challenging proposition, considering the numerous demands on their time. As the lead conversion conundrum continues to unfold and brokerages look for value-add solutions, many are doubling down and expanding their business by focusing on online lead conversion. That aha, breakthrough moment is coming via FiveStreet, Move Inc.’s lead management system, as brokerages utilizing the platform are making significant headway in agent lead conversion—often seeing substantial improvement in conversions overnight. Find out how and why FiveStreet works so well for so many in this month’s exclusive cover story.

According to Frank Kowalski, NAR Global Business & Alliances’ chairman, while the global landscape continues to shift, there is consistent interest in U.S. real estate: “Whether it be for personal freedoms, milder weather or the potential for financial gain, the root drive for those investing in the U.S. is not all that different than it was 100 years ago.” Find out more about how to succeed in the current global real estate climate.

Contractor Status in Real Estate

16 NAR Power Broker Roundtable: Smart Strategies for Growth: From Recruiting to Acquisitions

18 REBAC Report: Curating Your Online Identity: Using Online Profiles and Agent Performance Data to Benefit Your Business

21 Executive Appointments 22 The RREIN Reporter 29 The Death of the Downsize: Homeowners Buying Bigger in Retirement

32 REALTOR Benefits® Program: The More You Know, the More You’ll Save

49 How Do Top Brokers Stay Successful? Exclusive Think Tank Shares Secrets

73 Homebuying Swagger Starts with Understanding Credit

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 3

{Features} 42 Periscope: Are You Ready to Redefine Your Marketing Strategy? 44 3 Must-Haves to Recruit Millennial Agents 50 Addressing the Lead Conversion Conundrum 63 It’s Not About You Anymore 64 Strategies: American Home Shield; Dotsignal; First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation; NAR - GRI; Realtors Property Resource® 74 Industry Insight: Feng Shui a Driver of Home Selection and Investment for ChineseAmericans 83 Webinar Recap: Keep Up with Technology or Be Left Behind 84 T rending: Amid U.S. Housing Recovery, Brokers Keep a Concerned Eye on China 86 RISMedia’s Great Spaces 91 Ask the Experts: Becoming an Indispensable Agent; Finding the Perfect Tenant; The Three R’s of Real Estate

{Interviews} 56 Doug Maselle, CENTURY 21 Maselle and Associates 57 David Mussari, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty 58 Vicki Evarts, Engel & Völkers Concord

4 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

86 59 Mike Russell, CENTURY 21 Signature Properties

59 John Meesseman, Real Living Kee Realty

{Experts} 30 Budge Huskey - Bringing It All into Focus

34 V erl Workman - Basic Training: The Listing Mastermind

47 Dermot Buffini - Creating a Happy Workplace: How to Sustain a Culture of Enthusiasm and Engagement 79 John Lim - Life in Mobile: Take Back Your Listings

{Every Issue} 9 Publisher’s Desk 12 REtrends 95 Service Profiles 105 Referrals 111 Index of Service Providers 112 RE: Real Estate—Continuing the Conversation about Safety during REALTOR® Safety Month

WE’RE PART OF A NETWORK

THAT HELPS US DEVELOP OUR BUSINESS,

STRENGTHEN RECRUITING EFFORTS, AND HELP ANALYZE

NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

WE JOINED

MAKES US

MIGUEL BERGER | PRESIDENT

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Tech Valley

A BRAND THAT

FEEL AT HOME

WE’RE BETTER

bhgrefranchise.com ©2015 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. A Realogy Company. 175 Park Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940. All Rights Reserved. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Better Homes and Gardens® is a trademark owned by Meredith Corporation and licensed to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. This is not intended, and shall not be deemed to constitute, an offer to sell a franchise. Franchise offerings made only by a Franchise Disclosure Document.

THESE FRANCHISES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE FRANCHISE INVESTMENT LAW OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. SUCH REGISTRATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE APPROVAL, RECOMMENDATION OR ENDORSEMENT BY THE COMMISSIONER OF CORPORATIONS NOR A FINDING BY THE COMMISSIONER THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HEREIN IS TRUE, COMPLETE AND NOT MISLEADING. This advertisement is not an offering. An offering can only be made by a prospectus filed first with the Department of Law of the State of New York. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law. The Minnesota registration number for this franchise system is F-5883.

{Online} Trending on Social Media

Trending on ‘Green’ Construction Presents Challenges for Industry

As marijuana goes mainstream, a related development may have equal effect on the industry: cannabis construction. bit.ly/1Dx6tJD

7 Simple Tips for Superior Deck Design and Safety

10 Tips for Handling a Hoarder’s Home

If you find yourself handling the buying or selling of a hoarder’s home, you might feel like you’ve landed in an episode of the reality TV show “Hoarders: Family Secrets.” To cope with these issues, here are 10 tips from the experts. bit.ly/1KT6ZS1

Decks are great outdoor entertainment and relaxation areas, especially in the summertime, but they also need regular maintenance and checkups to stay in shape. Here are some tips to keep your deck looking its best. bit.ly/1gN27nP

8 Real Estate Cat Memes to Live By These cats really know their real estate! Snuggle up with your favorite kitty, and share the joys and pains of the biz together with these real estate cat memes! bit.ly/1HtzAZp

Move Over Man Caves, ‘She Sheds’ Are Taking Storm Now

If you’ve just about had it with the man cave trend that’s been taking the industry by storm the last few years, it’s time to put your foot down and demand your very own space. And no, we’re not talking about your bedroom sanctuary. We’re talking: she sheds. bit.ly/1VPUkpi

– Howard Hanna Macedonia, Macedonia, Ohio

8 Cheap and Easy Kitchen Facelifts bit.ly/1gMY8Yy

“That could easily be read ‘When the purchaser’s agent hasn’t returned your call, emails or text messages in over 36 hours!’ Goes both ways.” - Joyce Shuemake, Long and Foster Real Estate, Reston, Va.

8 Real Estate Cat Memes to Live By bit.ly/1HtzAZp

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6 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“Budget-friendly facelifts - like the sound of that!”

“Sidewalk communities with niche amenities trump suburbia.” - Deanna Kastner, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Southern Coast Real Estate, Summerville, S.C.

Millennials Favor Walkable Communities, Study Shows bit.ly/1W0waZi

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.

NAR: My Advocate

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adVOCaCy NAR advocates every day on behalf of the nation’s 1 million REALTORS® and 75 million property owners through lobbying, policy development, political communications, grassroots advocacy and as the nation’s largest contributor to federal candidates. reALtOr.Org/POLitiCAL-AdVOCACy

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MeMber Center Access benefits from your Local, State, and National REALTOR® Associations, and customize and view your 2015 membership card. Access your benefits on the go with the app for your tablet or mobile device! MeMberCenter.reALtOr.Org

{Publisher’s Desk} Role Models of Success

little later this month, we will once again head into Manhattan for what has become one of our industry’s most significant events— RISMedia’s Real Estate CEO Exchange.

While the event has changed in terms of venue and dynamics over the years, it has remained true to its original intent: to bring together a select group of brokerage leaders to candidly discuss the obstacles and opportunities that line the path of real estate success. For such an esteemed event, we chose an esteemed location— the Yale Club in Midtown Manhattan. We also limit attendance to approximately 180 brokers, franchise leaders and select service provider executives. Remaining true to our criteria for the CEO Exchange ensures high-level, straightforward, noncompetitive dialogue. At the CEO Exchange, we are all colleagues, coming together for the common good of all. Our theme for this year’s CEO Exchange is “Building Sustainable Success.” The 30-plus broker and expert speakers at the CEO Exchange are those who have not only built a model for success, they know how to adapt that model—or change it altogether—to stay successful throughout the many iterations of the real estate market. We’re not just talking about the biggest trend or the next, great tech idea—we’re talking about careful and constant analysis of the factors that can boost or torpedo profitability. Find out more on page 49. To highlight the concept of sustainable success, one of our special keynote speakers at RISMedia’s CEO Exchange will be Paul Charron, chairman of the board for the Campbell Soup Company, among several other leading firms. Sometimes in this industry, we tend to get a bit myopic—Paul’s presentation will demonstrate the importance of looking outside to other industries for lessons in leadership and success. Of course, the RE/MAX organization is a great example of sustainable success. Constantly in motion to evolve and keep up with the changing business of real estate, RE/MAX offers great insight into how to stay on the path to growth. Find out more starting on page 36. For those of you joining us at the CEO Exchange this month, we look forward to another spirited, insightful event! For those who cannot be there, stay tuned to RISMedia.com and Real Estate magazine for follow-up coverage. Wishing you continued success,

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 John A. Daugherty, Jr. and Cheri Fama, of John Daugherty, Realtors, a luxury market leader in Houston. As the firm’s chairman and CEO, John continues to build upon the company he established in 1967, when he pioneered the concept of a modern and professional real estate firm. Today, nearly half a century later, that vision is stronger than ever, with Cheri serving as president and COO. Under their combined leadership, the company’s legacy is stronger than ever, specializing in Houston’s most sought-after neighborhoods and representing more than three million dollars in property sales each day. Leaders like Cheri and John 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

GAME CHANGER You wouldn’t miss out on your share of referral-fee free leads from LeadStreet® now would you? More than 15 million have been sent to RE/MAX agents since 2006. Add this free resource to your routine and not only could it boost business, but change the game entirely. Find yourself at RE/MAX. ©2015 RE/MAX, LLC. Each RE/MAX® office is independently owned and operated. 150620

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

EDITORIAL Executive Editor Maria Patterson Online Managing Editor Beth McGuire Managing Editor Paige Tepping Senior Editor Nick Caruso Senior News Editor Zoe Eisenberg Online Associate Editor Suzanne De Vita Contributing Editors Lesley Grand; John Voket; Barbara Pronin; Keith Loria; Andrew King; Deborah Kearns; Reva Nelson

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Chief Information Officer Edward T. Kingston Web Designer Kevin Kirwan Director, Client Solutions Peter Di Salvo Information Technology Manager James Jones

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

SALES Senior Vice President Anne Kraft Senior Vice President Kara T. Stripay Vice President Elizabeth Spivak Business Development Advisor Brett Johnson Guidebook Sales Gus Olsen

ADMINISTRATION Client Relations Manager Patty Sinisko Circulation Manager Alice Heffron EVENTS AND MEMBER NETWORKS Events & Network Relations Manager Randi Vannucchi Research Analyst Jaxson Corsi 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 Content Solutions www.rismedia.com (Daily e-News) blog.rismedia.com (Housecall) RISMedia’s Real Estate CEO Exchange Power Broker Forum, Reception & Dinner at NAR Annual Power Broker Forum & Reception at NAR Midyear Copyright® 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 Lynsey Engels, president of real estate brokerage for Mel Foster Co. Founded in 1921 and now under the leadership of Rob Fick, his daughter Lynsey, and their management team, the company continues to be a leader in real estate in the Iowa and Illinois market. Lynsey and her family put significant value in giving back to the communities they serve and were the catalysts for the Mel Foster Color the Quads, a colorful charity 5k run hosted by the company and other local businesses that in three years has raised over $180,000 for local charities serving youth and families in the Quad City and surrounding areas. Leaders like Lynsey 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

{REtrends} Consumer Confidence Stumbles

Jobs Holding Steady The U.S. economy added 215,000 new jobs in July, according to a recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is a little lower than the average of the past year, notes the Conference Board, but overall employment growth is holding up well. With GDP growth expected to slightly pick up in the second half of 2015, 200,000+ monthly job gains are possible for the coming months, according to the report. One of the stronger numbers reported was the uptick in average weekly hours, which contributed to a 0.5 percent growth in aggregate weekly hours, a nice boost to the purchasing power of consumers. The unemployment rate stayed at 5.3 percent in July. Given that the labor force is barely growing at all, current job growth rates will continue to rapidly lower the unemployment rate, perhaps reaching 5 percent by year’s end. As the labor market continues to tighten, however, faster wage growth is expected in late 2015.

The share of consumers who believe now is a good time to sell a home fell 7 percentage points to 45 percent, while those who believe it is a good time to buy dropped to 61 percent—an all-time survey

low.

12 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Consumer attitudes toward the home-selling environment stumbled in July despite positive home price-change expectations, according to results from Fannie Mae’s July 2015 National Housing Survey™ (NHS). Among those surveyed, the share of consumers who believe now is a good time to sell a home fell 7 percentage points to 45 percent, while those who believe it is a good time to buy dropped to 61 percent—an all-time survey low. The dip comes as more consumers reported a negative outlook regarding personal finances and the direction of the economy. The share of consumers saying the economy is on the wrong track rose by 3 percentage points to 54 percent in July. Additionally, those who expect their personal financial situation to improve over the next year fell to 44 percent, while those reporting a significantly lower income compared to 12 months ago increased to 15 percent—marking the first change in this indicator in three months.

Admin Admiration New research suggests that the influence of administrative staff is growing. Three in five (60 percent) senior managers surveyed by staffing firm OfficeTeam and the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) said support staff are more valued now by their companies than they were 10 years ago. Sixty-two percent of administrative workers who were polled agreed. 8 Managers and support staff didn’t see eye to eye on the most important skill for success in the administrative profession. Time management topped the list for executives polled (39 percent), while 30 percent of administrative workers surveyed cited organizational abilities. 8 Both managers (38 percent) and administrative professionals (61 percent) indicated flexibility is the most valuable attribute for support personnel, outranking a positive attitude, initiative and diplomacy.

“Engel & Völkers has allowed us to excel and move to the next level of real estate while, at the same time, maintain the boutique integrity of our office. Charlotte is more than ready for the sleek, modern, client-centric business model that Engel & Völkers offers, and we fully embrace this change.” Frances Bryant and Yuriy Vaynshteyn, Engel & Völkers South Charlotte

Only the best in the business join our brand. After achieving market leadership as the owners of Carolinas Metro Realty, Yuriy Vaynshteyn and Frances Bryant decided to partner with Engel & Völkers in order to achieve even greater heights in the booming Charlotte market. Yuriy and Frances were attracted to Engel & Völkers’ culture and opportunities for growth. As the owners of Engel & Völkers South Charlotte, they now have access to world-class tools and marketing strategies, as well as international presence to make an impact on the thriving Charlotte market.

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

©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.

Change is on the horizon. We’re here to help you prepare.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau® (CFPB) rule for mortgage disclosures is right around the corner and brings a lot of changes. There are new forms, new timing for the transaction and more. Don’t worry. We’re here to help you prepare for the coming changes so you can prepare your clients for their transactions. We’ve developed a wealth of educational materials that help you see everything more clearly. Visit stewart.com/cfpb-ris today to access a host of CFPB educational information.

{Policy Matters}

Independent Contractor Status in Real Estate

Many state and federal laws recognize the unique nature of the real estate industry and have created specific carve-outs for real estate salespeople.

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

by Lesley Walker

s a wave of recent litigation challenging the real estate industry’s long-standing practice of classifying real estate professionals as independent contractors is making its way through the legal system, the age-old question of worker classification is garnering the real estate industry’s attention. Not only are these potential class action lawsuits raising the issue of worker classification, the attention of federal and state agencies to this issue, including a recent U.S. Department of Labor Administrator’s Interpretation, has also caused brokers to pause in order to ensure that proper attention is paid to the classification of their real estate salespeople.

The fact is, when it comes to worker classification, the real estate industry is unique. Unlike a typical employer/employee relationship, an independent contractor largely maintains the control in the relationship. However, state real estate license laws run contrary to this principle. Pursuant to real estate license laws, brokers are legally obligated to supervise their agents, thereby requiring a broker to exercise control over his or her real estate salespeople. The regulatory structure of the real estate industry often makes it difficult for brokers to fulfill their obligations under the real estate license laws and adhere to employment and labor laws pertaining to independent

contractors. But, there is good news. Many state and federal laws recognize the unique nature of the real estate industry and have created specific carve-outs for real estate salespeople. For example, the IRS has a safe harbor that allows real estate salespeople to be treated as independent contractors for federal tax purposes, provided the following three conditions are met:

1 2

The salesperson is a licensed real estate professional.

A written contract exists between the parties that clearly states that the salesperson will not be treated as an employee for federal tax purposes.

Substantially all of the salesperson’s compensation is directly related to their sales or other output, rather than the number of hours worked. So how can you, as a broker, properly manage your independent contractor relationships? First, know your state laws. Also, become familiar with any carve-outs available for real estate professionals in your state so that you can tailor your relationships to take advantage of them. Next, be sure to have a written agreement with your independentcontractor salespeople. Not only is this important in setting the tone for the relationship and addressing issues related to creating a successful independent contractor relationship, it is also a required element of

the IRS safe harbor and a number of state law carve-outs for real estate salespeople. In addition to having a written agreement, be sure to avoid certain actions, such as referring to your independent contractors as employees in any oral or written communications, making monthly meetings mandatory or requiring your independent contractors to report to the office on certain days or during certain hours. The National Association of REALTORS®authored a 2015 White Paper Report titled, “Independent Contractor Status in Real Estate,” which outlines this issue and the recent litigation matters challenging the real estate industry’s practice of classifying salespeople as independent contractors. This 2015 White Paper Report, among other valuable worker classification resources from the National Association of REALTORS®, is a good place to start becoming familiar with how you can protect your brokerage from being the subject of a future worker misclassification lawsuit. To learn more, please visit www.realtor.org/topics/independentcontractor. RE

Lesley Walker is associate counsel for the National Association of REALTORS®. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 15

{The NAR Power Broker Roundtable} Smart Strategies for Growth: From Recruiting to Acquisitions MODERATOR:

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

Joe Clement Broker/Owner, RE/MAX Properties, Colorado Springs, Colo.

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

Rick Haase President, Latter & Blum, New Orleans, La. 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: ‘Getting there is half the fun.’ That was the slogan when the first Cunard liners began sailing passengers across the Atlantic way back in 1919. For today’s business owners looking to grow their companies, it’s a slogan that still holds true. Establishing your firm at the top of your marketplace is at least half the fun of ownership. So this month, we are looking at smart strategies for growth. Joe, what does growing smartly mean to you? Joe Clement: It begins with hiring

quality agents—whether they are new or experienced…people who are clearly of high integrity, have a demonstrated passion for helping others, and have had a history of productivity in whatever they’ve done

16 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

before. Experienced agents come to us from a variety of sources, but we’ve hired people from many walks of life who seem to have the right chemistry and who turn out to be top producers.

David Boehmig: My preference in

terms of smart strategies for growth is to hire more agents rather than open additional offices. Like Joe, I look for new people who’ve had some success in other areas—especially those who seem to fit right in with our distinctive company culture— because I have full confidence our training program will get them up and running in real estate.

Rick Haase: When I joined the com-

pany five years ago, our chairman, Bob Merrick, and I had a specialized vision for growth. For us, the right mergers and acquisitions are a necessary part of recruiting. Our focus has been on expanding our footprint into contiguous markets, and as a result, we’ve made 11 acquisitions— including two title companies—over the past 60 months…not necessarily because they are the biggest in their markets, but because they have strong leadership teams who we feel will represent us well.

JI: How do you identify companies you might be interested in acquiring? RH: We look for customer- and

community-focused companies with a similar culture to ours. Often, the owners are looking for the right succession plan. We’re a 100-year-old company, and they know from our track record that we take good care of the broker and employees after the transaction closes. In many cases, the broker continues to work with us until he or she is ready to retire— they know we will continue to be supportive throughout the discussions, the contracting, and the launch.

DB: Although that’s not a road we’ve ever gone down much, the ID process, in terms of recruiting experienced agents, is pretty much the same. Working agents are either happy where they are or they’re going through some sort of disconnect. Maybe they’ll call because they know our brand and admire our position in the market. Or maybe one of our agents will suggest we talk to a friend. If the leading indicators are right, we will certainly initiate the discussion. JC: Something else that works well for us in terms of growth is hiring teams. It’s a little like an acquisition, but not as complicated because you’re taking on a team of five or six agents who are happy to transition together. They’re looking for what we, as a company, have to offer—and we’re happy to have them on board. JI: For me, networking is the best way to find and identify recruits—and that’s true whether you’re focused on acquisitions or simply on agents or sales teams. JC: I also send out our company newsletter to a select distribution list…and the occasional letter to let someone know, “I’ve got my eye on you. Can we talk?” RH: A smart strategy for growth is

always emphasizing the importance of cultural fit. It’s incredibly important that our goals and our strategies are in sync.

DB: The industry today is back in growth mode. There are plenty of quality people out there. I look for the ones who want to change their lives…who are looking for a new song to sing. RE 8For an expanded version of this article and other NAR Power Broker Roundtable topics, please visit www.rismedia.com.

{REBAC Report}

Curating Your Online Identity: Using Online Profiles and Agent Performance Data to Benefit Your Business by Marc Gould

our online profile is a digital representation of you and your business, which is why it’s important to make it strong. Referrals are still the No. 1 source for buyers looking for an agent, but the amount of buyers finding agents online without a referral is increasing. Of the buyers that find agents via referral, most still go online to read reviews to confirm that the recommended agent is a good fit. Regardless of how the client finds you, it’s imperative to manage your online identity. When it comes to managing your identity online, there are two sides to consider: what you say about yourself and what other people say about you. The first part of managing your online identity is ensuring that YOU control the message. Be selective in the information provided and be consistent across all profiles. Include keywords and phrases that reflect the expertise, skills and education you want emphasized. Pay attention to tone as well. You are speaking to potential clients, so keep it professional but conversational. An NAR report found that when choosing an agent, younger buyers are more likely to value honesty and trustworthiness, while older buyers tend to value reputation and knowledge of the neighborhood. It’s important to keep this in mind when creating content— who are you trying to reach? Finally, keep profiles current; consumers pay attention and expect up-to-date information. The second part of maintaining your online identity is managing what others are saying, as reviews and ratings impact your business. According to NAR’s latest Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 19 percent of buyers used online recommendations when choosing an agent, a trend that con18 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

tinues to grow. Potential clients may not read your bio, but they will read your reviews. Keep track of what is being said about your company with a search engine alert notifying you of online mentions and use positive reviews to your advantage by promoting them on your website and in marketing collateral. In the event of negative reviews, have a procedure in place for handling them. Address every negative comment if possible. Respond on the same platform or website that the customer used, and be thoughtful and professional in your response. Potential clients will see these exchanges and this is the perfect opportunity to turn a negative into a positive. Just as there are many platforms for agent reviews, agent rating websites are proliferating, driven largely by consumer demand. Sites are so numerous that the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® released a report card last year to rank agent rating sites based on policies, features and functionalities. Brokerages like ZipRealty and Redfin have integrated agent-rating systems into their web-

sites and have seen an increase in new client leads as a result. Other brokerages have chosen to partner with any number of third-party customer service management companies. No company has emerged as the dominant market leader, but you should evaluate each one and determine if it meets your needs. The numbers don’t lie. More and more agents and brokerages are being chosen based on online profiles and performance. You can distinguish yourself by maintaining an active online presence. Establish brokerage-wide policies and best practices for consistency and encourage your agents to maintain an active online presence as well. NAR’s ePRO® certification and training program is an excellent resource when it comes to managing an online profile and so much more. Positive reviews and rankings add to your online reputation at no cost to you. Curate your online identity—and your online reputation—by managing your profiles and your client feedback. RE Marc Gould is vice president, Business Specialties, for NAR and executive director of REBAC. A wholly-owned subsidiary of 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 buyer-clients. To learn more, visit REBAC.net.

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Strengthen your team and your bottom line. Visit rebac.net/abr/benefits-brokers 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.

{Executive Appointments}

ERA Real Estate announced the appointment of Susan Yannaccone as chief operating officer. In this newly created position, Yannaccone will be a key member of the executive leadership team and play an integral role in setting the strategic direction for the brand. She will be responsible for servicing, consulting, transitions, learning, events, awards and recognition and general operations for ERA Real Estate. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC has named Craig Hogan as its vice president of Luxury. Hogan joins the Coldwell Banker® brand with 20 years of real estate sales and marketing experi-

ence. Hogan will report to Chief Marketing Officer Sean Blankenship and be responsible for leading all luxury marketing efforts tied to Coldwell Banker Previews International.

Move, Inc. has bolstered its consumerfacing and strategic capabilities and built Tapan Bhat out its executive leadership team with the appointments of Tapan Bhat as chief product officer, Nate Johnson as chief marketing offiNate Johnson cer, Bryan Charap as chief financial officer and Hahn Lee as senior vice president, Business Development and Strategy. Bhat brings a strong background in consumer Web, mobile marketing

and product development to the table while Johnson brings extensive consumer-facing Bryan Charap marketing and product management experience to his role. Charap brings leadership experience in financial planning and analysis, Hahn Lee business unit finance and analytics, investor relations, accounting, treasury and sales compensation to his new role and Lee offers a broad range of business development, strategy and finance experience across the media, entertainment and technology industries. RE

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{RREIN Reporter} News and information for and about RISMedia’s Real Estate Information Network® (RREIN) Coach REALTORS® LP Finn Operations Chief

Whitney Finn LaCosta Branch Manager

Robert LaCosta Managing Partner, Coach Title Insurance

Succeeding through Innovation Coach REALTORS® by Barbara Pronin Barbara Pronin: LP, I know that you and your sister, Whitney, literally grew up in the Coach REALTORS® business. Is the whole family still involved today? LP Finn: Yes, pretty much. My parents, Larry and Georgianna Finn, remain a guiding force for us today, as chairman and president/general manager, respectively. My sister, Whitney Finn LaCosta, serves as deputy to the general manager and oversees a group of branch offices—and her husband, Robert LaCosta, oversees our mortgage and title operations, Coach Title Insurance Agency, and our co-owned lending institution, Fairfield Mortgage. We are all involved in any major decision-making, and our solidarity is, I think, one of the things that keeps us focused. BP: How would you characterize the company’s positioning? Robert LaCosta: We have 19 offices and over 600 brokers, sales associates and support personnel serving over two million people in Nassau and Suffolk counties alone. And through our global affiliations, we have the reach of more than 800 brokerages and 130,000 sales associates. We are proud to be a market leader and a member of some of the finest real estate networks in the world: Christie’s International Real Estate, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, Mayfair Luxury Portfolio International® and Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate. We posted over $1 billion in sales last year. A large percentage of those were multimillion-dollar properties. BP: What would you say is your competitive differentiation? Whitney Finn LaCosta: We cheerfully provide all the full-service benefits—and more—of any company in our marketplace. But we are free to develop the programs and policies that work best for us and our

22 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

customers, without the brand constraints placed on franchise companies or the financial constraints experienced by smaller brokerages.

BP: What are today’s consumers most concerned with

when it comes to buying and selling?

WFL: Today’s buyers and sellers still want an advocate on their side, someone to help guide them through this very complex and expensive transaction. I am proud to say that the hundreds of sales professionals with Coach REALTORS® are some of the best trained, most trusted and intelligent individuals in the industry. BP: How is your technology evolving to meet changing needs and expectations? LPF: Mobile is no longer, “the future of search or engagement.” It is the No. 1 way consumers interact with each other and with businesses. At Coach, we have two wonderful tools that meet the mobile needs of our agents and our customers. For agents on-the-go, we offer a unique and personalized iPad listing presentation—a swipe-enabled presentation that looks great and uses custom videos and other imagery to convey the value we bring to homeowners. We have also partnered with Mobile Real Estate ID (MRE) to bring complete text messaging and GPS solutions to each listing. By using the GPS capabilities of a smartphone, prospective buyers can get detailed information on their phone about any Coach listing they are near— and then connect with a Coach agent using “short

“We cheerfully provide all the full-service benefits—and more—of any company in our marketplace. But we are free to develop the programs and policies that work best for us, without the brand constraints placed on franchise companies or the financial constraints experienced by smaller brokerages.” -WHITNEY FINN LACOSTA Branch Manager Coach REALTORS®

codes” via SMS text messaging. These short codes also mobilize our print ads. Combining mobile technology with proven print media increases buyer interaction and drives more qualified leads to our agents.

BP: What about your marketing and promotional strategies? LPF: In the largely upscale markets we serve, success is all about reaching the greatest number of qualified buyers and investors. We promise that every property we list will get a customized marketing plan designed to bring it the attention it deserves. Our prestigious luxury home networking partnerships and our global marketing affiliations, as well as an expanded footprint through the Tri-State Alliance, help us to fulfill that promise. BP: What are your plans for continuing to grow the company? RL: We will continue to grow vertically, adding to the sales teams in each branch office as our marketshare continues to increase. To do that, we are actively recruiting new and experienced agents who are a good fit with our company culture. We are also open to timely and strategic acquisitions and to new partnerships that help us do an even better job of what we do best. RE For more information, please visit www.coachrealtors.com

RREIN Network News Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty President and CEO Rei L. Mesa announced Cindy Warren as the new assistant manager for the Lakewood Ranch Branch sales office. Warren is working under the leadership of Mike Holland, managing broker for Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota, and the recently opened Palmer Ranch Branch sales offices. Warren has more than 28

years of real estate experience with almost 12 years in brokerage management. Prior to joining Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty, Warren was with WCI Communities in the homebuilding division as a new home community representative since 2012. Prior to WCI, she was a managing broker/team leader with Keller Williams Realty from 2009-2012 and Wagner Realty from 20012008. Her real estate career started in Jacksonville with Watson Realty Corp. Warren holds a Florida Real Estate Broker license and the professional designation of Graduate, REALTOR®. www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty was recently presented with the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network’s highest company honor, the Berkshire Elite Circle award. The Northeast Florida real estate firm placed No. 23 nationally among the Top 50 companies in the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network. Formerly called the Gibraltar Circle award, the company has received the esteemed award for 22 consecutive years in recognition of its service excellence and outstanding sales achievements. The award recognizes Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty as part of an elite class of real estate entrepreneurs who are the best among the most advanced and respected real estate brokerage network in North America. www.FloridaNetworkRealty.com

CENTURY 21 New Millennium collected school supplies July 15 - August 19 as part of its Back to School Supply Drive. The supplies were distributed to students in need. Businesses and individuals contributed to the drive by dropping off school supplies, from pencils to backpacks, at their local CENTURY 21 New Millennium office. Earlier this year, CENTURY 21®Real Estate, LLC announced that CENTURY 21 New Millennium’s annual production for 2014 has again exceeded all other firms worldwide. This is the third consecutive year for the Alexandria, Va.-based company to receive the distinction of No. 1 CENTURY 21 Company in the World. www.c21nm.com RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 23

The New Scope of NAHREP The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals kicks off expanded strategy at annual convention this month by Maria Patterson

ary Acosta has an ambitious goal for his organization—one he has no doubt will be achieved.

“NAHREP established a goal to double the number of Hispanics in real estate and mortgage lending over the next 10 years,” explains Acosta, co-founder and CEO of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP). “The goal is part of our Hispanic Wealth Project initiatives and necessary to adequately serve the needs of our growing population. Hispanics are expected to account for 55 percent of new Gary Acosta household formations during the same 10-year period, making Hispanics, far and away, the largest source of new homebuyers in the coming years.” NAHREP is currently the nation’s largest minority real estate trade association with over 20,000 members and 35 local chapters. Founded in 2000, the association has held a convention since its inception. This year’s National Convention & Latin Music Festival—taking place Sept. 20 - 22 in Chicago—will discuss details of the Hispanic Wealth Project (unveiled at NAHREP’s Policy Conference this past March) and much more. Featuring a full line-up of educational and networking opportunities, this year’s convention will also be infused with key elements of the Latino culture, from food to music. Teresa Palacios Smith, 2015 NAHREP president and vice president of Business Development & Cultural Initiatives for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties, explains that NAHREP’s original mission of increasing Hispanic homeownership has expanded to include a broader, more critical goal: sustainable wealth for Latinos. Teresa “Gary and Ernie (Reyes, NAHREP Palacios Smith cofounder)’s mission for the organization was to increase Hispanic homeownership by empowering the real estate professionals who serve the 24 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

community,” explains Smith. “Sustainable homeownership is still a strong focus, but we have expanded that mission to help real estate professionals who serve the Hispanic community understand how to create wealth. In the last recession, Hispanics lost two-thirds of their wealth because almost all of their investments were in the equity of their homes. When the market tanked, so did their equity.” Wanting to avoid a repeat scenario during future market fluctuations motivated NAHREP to introduce the Hispanic Wealth Project, Smith explains. The Wealth Project is a blueprint and a business plan to triple Hispanic household wealth in the next 10 years. NAHREP members will not only use this business plan to increase their own financial strength, but will also use the blueprint with their clients and thereby become not just their real estate professional, but a trusted financial advisor as well. Capturing the Mission Live The 2015 Convention will reflect NAHREP’s expanded direction and also capture the essence of the Latino culture. “During the last few years, NAHREP has focused on

strengthening our chapter network, improving the value proposition for stakeholders, developing original educational content and attracting the best and brightest Latinos in the industry to our network,” says Acosta. “This conference is shaping up to be our largest to date with some of the best content we have ever produced. We expect a gathering of some of the best young entrepreneurs in the industry today with more energy and passion than you’ll find anywhere.” In addition to rolling out the Hispanic Wealth Project in detail, this year’s convention will place a heavy emphasis on education. The invitation-only NAHREP Icons Mastermind Session, for example, offers top Latino real estate agents from across the country the opportunity to exchange ideas, business practices, and success tactics with other top-producing agents. A highlight of the 2015 NAHREP Conference will be a presentation by special guest speaker Darren Hardy, founder of SUCCESS magazine and author of “The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster” (see sidebar). Hardy watched his father become a real estate entrepreneur after many years of service as a university football coach, and gain a financial independence the likes of which he had never seen. According to Hardy, he and NAHREP share the same mission: to empower entrepreneurs and help them succeed. “Each NAHREP member is a part of the 25 million existing business owners and the 100 million-plus wouldbe entrepreneurs,” says Hardy. “My goal is to create a worldwide movement (#JoinTheRide) in support of entrepreneurship. This makes NAHREP a huge part of my mission. What inspires me about NAHREP is the entrepreneurial drive of each of its members and NAHREP’s investment in their success. Together, we can help 10 million new entrepreneurs succeed.” The Chicago convention will go a step further and incorporate strong cultural elements, an integral part of doing business in the Hispanic market. “In addition to the education, we’re making the event fun and exciting. This year, we are adding a Latin Music Festival and a Latin Food Festival & Closing Party as a culmination of three days of hard work,” explains Smith. “This allows members to see the difference in what we do compared to other real estate associations…our energy and power.” The Future of Hispanic Homeownership: Challenges and Opportunities NAHREP’s overarching goal for its members is to empower them to effectively serve this rapidly growing segment of the American population. According to NAHREP’s annual report, The State of Hispanic Homeownership, Latinos are the fastest grow-

Darren Hardy’s Top 3 Success Strategies As the keynote speaker at NAHREP’s National Convention & Latin Music Festival, SUCCESS magazine founder Darren Hardy will impart invaluable strategies for making it big as a real estate entrepreneur. Here are his top three keys to success:

1. Discipline “Discipline is the key to all success,” says Hardy. “Our nature in life is to take the easy or the comfortable way in everything we do. But success is seldom found on the path of least resistance. Success is only achieved when we march on the path of hard work and consistent, focused effort. Discipline is a skill, not a talent. Discipline is a habitual process that becomes a character trait. We cannot be disciplined in big things and not in small things. It permeates every aspect of our lives…or doesn’t. If you want success, you must first get control of yourself and become disciplined.”

2. Tracking “Tracking is a simple exercise. It works because it brings momentto-moment awareness to the actions you take in the area of your life you want to improve,” Hardy explains. “You cannot manage or improve something until you measure it. Every professional athlete and his or her coach track each performance down to the smallest minutiae. They know how to adjust their performances based on what they’ve tracked. At any given moment, I want you to know exactly how well you’re doing. Track yourself as if you’re a valuable commodity. Because you are. So, regardless of whether you think you’re aware of your habits or not (believe me, you’re not!), start tracking. Doing so will revolutionize your life, and ultimately, your lifestyle.”

3. Focus According to Hardy, “The most important skill of the 21st Century will be learning to control your attention and keep your focus on what’s really important to you—your goals and the future of your family. To do that, you need insane, laser-like focus. Right now, so many other things are controlling your attention…things unrelated to your goals, priorities, values and desired outcomes in life.” Here is the mastery skill I have learned from the best: a. Identify the few things that are most important, and b. Remove the noise, drain and distraction of everything else, because it is the “everything else” that is sabotaging your progress, stifling your potential and crippling your success. To learn more about how to do these two skills and to leverage your own productivity, visit INSANEPRODUCTIVITY.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 25

ing demographic in the United States and are already a majority in several states, including California and New Mexico. The purchasing power of Hispanics is $1.5 trillion and is expected to be at $2 trillion by 2020. “A Hispanic youth turns 18 every minute of every day,” says Smith. “These are our future REALTORS® and homebuyers. Hispanics will account for 50 percent of new homebuyers by 2020.” To succeed with this growing consumer force, real estate professionals from all backgrounds will need to learn the nuances of the Hispanic culture and heritage, advises Smith, including the importance Latinos place on developing lasting relationships. “REALTORS® need to understand that when you work with a Hispanic firsttime homebuyer, this is an opportunity that has the potential to continue for 30 years or more. Hispanics will continue to come back to you because they’re very loyal and they will refer you to everyone they know. That’s how tight-knit we are.” While the ample opportunity is clearly undeniable, challenges to Hispanic homeownership persist. “Access to both credit and affordable housing inventory are the largest barriers to Hispanic homeownership growth,” Acosta explains. “These are macro issues that require cooperation from a large segment of stakeholders, industry leaders and government. NAHREP is helping to address these issues by creating broader awareness

through our annual State of Hispanic Homeownership Report and our grassroots advocacy efforts.” “Our primary goal is to continue to advocate in Washington, D.C., and talk to congressmen on both the national and local level to ensure that Hispanics have consistent access to low-down payment mortgage options,” adds Smith. “We also need to increase our housing inventory and increase the number of Hispanics working in the real estate and mortgage industries.” Bright Future, Big Goals Despite the challenges and potential barriers to Hispanic homeownership, Acosta believes continued growth in this market is attainable…and inevitable. “Hispanics are passionate about homeownership and our economic clout is growing by the day,” says Acosta. “I have complete confidence that our industry will do what is necessary to serve the needs of this growing population. Our job at NAHREP is to help create the best environment possible for Hispanic homeownership growth and to guide the industry in the most efficient and sustainable way. The Hispanic market isn’t for everyone… just the companies that want to be in business in the next five years!” RE

For more information, please visit www.nahrep.org.

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The Death of the Downsize: Homeowners Buying Bigger in Retirement

any retirees are choosing not to move to a smaller home, according to a recent Merrill Lynch retirement study conducted in partnership with Age Wave. While some retirees are interested in renovating, and others are looking to relocate, two-thirds (65 percent) of respondents believe they’re living in the best home of their lives. The study explored topics including new retirement realities, shifting family dynamics and fewer home-related expenses. Results showcase where retirees most want to relocate, their top renovation projects for those choosing to stay in place, and why new options are empowering retirees to stay in their homes and remain independent later in life. During the next decade, the number of 65-plus households in the U.S. will increase by nearly 11 mil-

percent anticipating doing so. Perhaps the most interesting finding is that retirees are opting for larger homes, instead of the traditional late-life down-size. The study found that half (49 percent) of retirees didn’t downsize in their last move— in fact, 30 percent moved into larger homes. Retirees’ top reasons for upsizing were to have a home large and comfortable enough for family members to visit (33 percent) or even live with them (20 percent). Retirees who did downsize (51 percent) cite greater freedom from the financial (64 percent) and maintenance (44 percent) burdens of a larger home among their top reasons. RE

lion, while growth in the number of households across all other age groups will be less than two million. This tremendous growth is driven by powerful demographic forces, including the massive baby boomer generation now moving into their retirement years and increasing longevity, leading to longer retirements. The study found that 64 percent of retirees are likely to move at least once during retirement, with 37 percent having already moved and 27

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and solutions to the critical challenges brokerage owners face: 8 Restoring the broker as a source of lead generation in the digital space with Zap, an innovative platform using behavioral analytics to predict the next buyers 8 Leveraging big data at the kitchen table to win listings with CBx 8 Building the marketing and communication channels of the future 8 Offering development opportunities at every level 8 Capturing a premier position in the desirable luxury market sector

Bringing It All into Focus Commentary by Budge Huskey

wners of real estate brokerages are the definition of entrepreneurs. They work on (and sometimes in) their business, managing the countless tasks required to successfully execute their role, though the frenetic pace makes it challenging to focus on what’s around the corner and initiate plans to ensure future relevance to agents and consumers. As the industry transforms and realigns its priorities in a post-downturn environment, many in ownership are coming to realize that the once fundamental priorities for success— efficiently and effectively managing business operations, attracting and retaining successful agents and building strong connections with the community—are no longer enough. Companies that dealt primarily with local buyers and sellers are faced with the need to develop national and international networks. Companies that had been able to effectively advertise with local print and mailers are presented with an ever-changing landscape of lead generation and digital marketing. Com30 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

panies that met goals for growth through word-of-mouth and basic recruiting are finding that mergers and acquisitions may present the best path to the benefits of scale. Companies that were historically run by an individual or family are often searching for the next leader. We have moved beyond individual tools to integrated platforms, from going it alone to strategic alliances, from customers around the corner to around the world. Have your firm’s capabilities and its people evolved at a similar speed? My priority for Coldwell Banker Real Estate is to honor the value of the brokerage leader by bringing to the table talent, expertise, resources

8 Leading in the emerging smart home space with innovation partners 8 Guiding company growth strategies and funding to increase marketshare The caliber of the Coldwell Banker network is a direct reflection of the business acumen provided by the brand and programs offered. Our network has maintained a leading position in the industry with $216 billion in sales volume in 2015. Our professionals on the Wall Street Journal top agent list posted a 40 percent higher dollar volume for sales than the next nearest franchise. Nothing is more fundamental to the success of brokerage companies than the leadership of owners who set the tone and direction every day, and our commitment at Coldwell Banker is to constantly be looking over the horizon to anticipate what is necessary to ensure their place at the top. I would welcome sharing how we deliver on this promise, so please reach out to me at budge. huskey@coldwellbanker.com. RE

Budge Huskey is president and CEO, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

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REALTOR Benefits Program: The More You Know, The More You’ll Save ®

by Bob Goldberg

hen you know where to find the best deals on the products and services you use every day, the savings can really add up. The same holds true for the REALTOR Benefits® Program from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR). In fact, in 2014 alone, over 700,000 NAR members saved an estimated $57 million combined by taking advantage of one or more offerings available through the REALTOR Benefits® Program. The REALTOR Benefits®Program (REALTOR.org/RealtorBenefits) is your official member benefits resource, delivering discounts and special offers on a large collection of products and services. Carefully selected program partners understand the unique needs of real estate professionals and are committed to your success. All members have access to and can take advantage of any offers in the program as an exclusive benefit of membership. Spread the word and ensure your agents know they can enjoy special offers and discounts from over 30 industry-leading companies. Banking Services & Credit Card REALTORS® Federal Credit Union, a Division of Northwest Federal Credit Union, offers personal and businessbanking services created exclusively 32 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Personal Insurance Get exclusive access to health and dental insurance options, plus supplemental health plans and more, through REALTORS® Insurance Marketplace, as well as member-only savings on auto, home and renter’s insurance from Liberty Mutual, which offers personalized coverage, multi-policy discounts, 24-hour claims assistance and much more. http://www.realtor.org/programs/realtorbenefits-program/personal-insurance

for NAR members. The Credit Union now offers NAR’s official REALTOR® Credit Card, with exclusive REALTOR® branding options, customized real estate-themed designs, no annual fee, no fees on balance transfers or cash advances, competitive interest rates, and a comprehensive rewards program. http://www.realtor. org/programs/realtor-benefits-program/ banking-services-credit-card

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Office Supplies & Services Save time and money on the tools you need to keep your office running smoothly, including office supplies from OfficeMax or shipping and print

Download the 2015 Catalog Today! For a convenient summary of all the members-only offers included in the REALTOR Benefits® Program—and details on how to obtain them—go to REALTOR.org/RealtorBenefitsCatalog. (Score points at your next office meeting by passing out copies to your agents!)

services from FedEx and FedEx Office. http://www.realtor. org/programs/realtor-benefits-program/office-supplies-services Transaction Management Manage each part of the real estate transaction process and save with member-only pricing for eSignature, forms software, and transaction management services from industry leaders DocuSign, zipForm®Plus, and relay®. http://www.realtor.org/programs/realtor-benefits-program/ transaction-management Electronics & Mobile Technology Stay ahead of the curve and work smarter with exclusive discounted pricing on the hottest gadgets, wireless services, and multifunction printers from technology leaders Dell, Lenovo®, Sprint®, and Xerox. http://www.realtor.org/programs/realtor-benefits-program/ electronics-mobile-technology Technology Services Gain a competitive edge with exclusive pricing from our newest program partner, Placester, offering discounts on beautiful, turn-key real estate websites with IDX integration. Other technology partners include SentriLock, NAR’s official lockbox solution, and Rackspace, offering discounts on hosted email solutions. http://www.realtor. org/programs/realtor-benefits-program/technology-services Travel & Automotive FCA US LLC (formerly Chrysler Group LLC) offers NAR members a $500 cash allowance on the purchase or lease of select new FCA US LLC vehicles, as well as two years of no-charge oil changes for that vehicle. Additionally, enjoy NAR member discounts on car rentals from Avis, Budget, and Hertz. http://www.realtor.org/ programs/realtor-benefits-program/travel-automotive Educational Tools Enhance your skills and receive 10 percent off select online designation and certification courses, including ABR®, BPOR, e-PRO®, GREEN, SFR, and SRES®. http://www.realtor.org/programs/realtor-benefits-program/ educational-tools Learn More Whether shopping for your professional or personal needs, make REALTOR.org/RealtorBenefits your first stop. For the latest news and limited-time offers, be sure to follow the REALTOR Benefits® Facebook page (Facebook.com/NARRealtorBenefitsProgram). If you have questions about the REALTOR Benefits® Program, please call 1-800-NAR-5233 for live support available Monday–Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Central Time. Bob Goldberg is NAR senior vice president, Marketing & Business Development.

{Basic Training}

The Listing Mastermind by Verl Workman

ver the past several months, in conjunction with RISMedia, we have focused on providing webinar mastermind groups to help agents and brokers dominate their markets with listings.

One thing I’ve learned along the way is that the only limits we have are the ones we place on ourselves. I want to publicly thank Melinda Estridge (Long & Foster), Dano Sayles (RE/MAX Lifestyle), Rob Zwemmer (Keller Williams), Sam Miller (RE/MAX Stars Realty), Rob Levy (Keller Williams), Cleve Gaddis (RE/MAX Center), Julie Timms (Hilton Head Island Real Estate Brokers), Christy Buck (RE/MAX Top Realty), Dave Chamberlain (Realty Executives), Mike Parker (HUFF Realty), David Brenton (David Brenton’s Team) and so many others who have contributed to this amazing series. From all of these superstar givers we have learned processes, systems and mindsets in addition to real todo’s related to building a seven-figure income business. Here are the top 10 tips from some of these recent webinars.

1. Differentiate yourself from the competition.

Your branding, marketing plan, listing syndication, market knowledge and ability to clearly communicate what makes you different will go a long way in winning the business.

2. Pre-appointment packages set the stage for success.

Almost every power agent uses a pre-listing package, setting the stage for an effective one-call close.

34 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

3. Be prepared and communicate clearly.

Whether you present with paper or on a tablet, it’s important to be prepared and communicate in a way that’s comfortable for the client.

4. Establish your unique marketing plan and then deliver.

A clear, comprehensive marketing plan is one of the biggest things that separates the exceptional from the average.

5. Prospect daily. If you don’t prospect, you don’t win. Creating daily success habits will teach you that measuring the right activities can create predictable results.

6. Build a team to provide a higher level of service and create a more fulfilling lifestyle.

Knowing when and how to build a team is daunting for some, but this is where we excel. Our specialty at Workman Success Systems is providing agents with the tools, skills, programs and training to successfully build a power team.

7. Work your database. While most of these power agents use Top Producer, the key is that they have systems for contacting, systems for follow-up and systems for managing a high-volume business. And they follow these systems

to provide a higher level of service and achieve operational excellence.

8. Be aggressive in your customer service.

Provide world-class, second-to-none service to make clients for life. Make each customer feel as if they were your most important client, and always go the extra mile.

9. Know your market. There’s no substitute for knowledge. People like to do business with agents who are confident, professional and have real knowledge that’ll help them get more for their home while assisting the appraiser in establishing value. 10. Hire a coach. One thing that every one of these power agents and teams has in common is they’ve all had exceptional coaching, whether currently or in the past. We hire coaches for exercise, nutrition and mindset, but we hesitate at spending money on a business coach. Now’s the time to do your research and find a coach that aligns with your core values. Then follow their direction to truly succeed. RE Verl Workman is the founder and CEO of Workman Success Systems (385-282-7112), 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.

RE/MAX:

Innovating, Improving, Serving Moving Ahead with Energy by Maria Patterson

Laura Balas is RE/MAX. And RE/MAX is Laura Balas. Every morning, Balas, a team leader with RE/MAX Ocean Properties in northern Palm Beach County, Fla., spends a few minutes soaking up productivity tips via a “DarrenDaily” email from Success magazine publisher Darren Hardy. The routine reflects the mindset she’s had throughout her 27-year real estate career: “I can always improve, no matter how successful I’ve become.” Balas, a RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement Award winner whose 2014 achievements place her among the top 1 to 2 percent of REALTORS®in the country, understands the power of that mindset. “When I go into the office, the energy is contagious. I’m surrounded by confident, capable professionals who are always learning new things, sharing ideas and helping each other,” says Balas, who joined RE/MAX in 1996. “I try to lead my team members that same way, and there’s nothing better than seeing them succeed. Great results drive us to go even further for our clients.”

Daniel Thomas is RE/MAX, too. And RE/MAX is Daniel Thomas. “RE/MAX is helping my career rise to new heights,” says the “30 Under 30” sales associate with RE/MAX Right Choice in Bridgeport, Conn., who joined the network in 2011 and is on pace to close $10 million in sales this year. “Being around some of the top agents in the world gives you a different perspective about where your career can go. You wake up wanting greatness—and you know it’s possible if you put in the effort. I’m looking forward to the day I hang a RE/MAX Hall of Fame plaque in my office.”

36 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

A few members of the RE/MAX officer group at the company’s headquarters in Denver

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 37

Dave Liniger

RE/MAX CEO, Chairman and Co-Founder

CULTURE OF ACHIEVEMENT The power of attitude, high achievement and constant improvement is woven into the culture at RE/MAX. The result is an attractive proposition for productivity-minded professionals who want to be part of a thriving global network. RE/MAX currently stands at over 100,000 agents in nearly 100 countries. Fueled by the addition of industry veterans as well as newer agents with a drive to excel, RE/MAX growth has been constant for the past three years. Steady growth brings more yard signs, more marketshare and more brand visibility, benefiting every member of the network. It also brings opportunity. “We’re in a very strong position right now,” says RE/MAX CEO, Chairman and Co-Founder Dave Liniger. “We have the best brokers and most productive agents in the business. Because of their success, we’re able to explore new ways to serve them and help them build their business even more. Big things are happening at RE/MAX.” President Geoff Lewis and the team at RE/MAX World Headquarters in Denver are charging ahead aggressively, with major initiatives under way in technology, education, marketing and other services. 38 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“We have an energized team at headquarters, with a mandate to be as innovative as possible,” says Lewis, who became the seventh RE/MAX president earlier this year (see interview on page 40). “Everything we’re doing is aimed at creating or refining competitive advantages for our brokers and agents. We want them to have every possible edge.”

SHARPER FOCUS, BETTER RESULTS One major new edge is Momentum, a transformative business development program unique to RE/MAX. Its premise is simple: brokers providing value that helps agents improve and achieve their goals. “Momentum is changing the way our brokers view their business,” says Amy Somerville, RE/MAX vice president, Education & Training. “It sharpens their focus on vital everyday activities, and it helps them define the ‘why’ behind their choices. Most importantly, it gives them a system for supporting their agents at a much higher level.” Carl SanFilippo, broker/owner of RE/MAX First Realty in East Brunswick, N.J., went through Momentum and then met individually with his agents to review their goals, identify obstacles and create plans of action.

“The key was working together on what they needed to improve,” says SanFilippo, who joined RE/MAX in 2013. “It’s great to go back to your agents and say, ‘do you realize you’re up 40 percent from last year?’ The smiles on their faces make me happy. I’ve had agents tell me I changed their lives. What could be better than that?” Adapted from a successful regional program, Momentum debuted on a larger scale last fall. Although it’s a completely optional offering, it has spread like wildfire through the network. The curriculum, delivered to brokers in three parts, has been modified to work in Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and other parts of the world. More than 1,500 brokers and managers have been through it. Many have turned into raving fans and advocates. “Momentum has been extremely valuable for us,” says Ed Evans of RE/MAX All Estates in Visalia, Calif. “It’s really helped us understand who we are and what we stand for.” The material, Somerville notes, is rooted in proven, successful concepts culled from classic business books. But it explores these ideas in a way that creates action. “Momentum isn’t really about learning those principles; it’s about mastering them, committing to

Amy Somerville

RE/MAX Vice President, Education & Training

BY THE NUMBERS

16.3

Average transaction sides for RE/MAX agents in RISMedia’s 2015 Power Broker Report

7.7

Average transactions for all others in RISMedia’s Power Broker Report

890,000

Residential sides closed by U.S. RE/MAX agents in 2014

180,000

Margin, in sides, between RE/MAX and the next competitor change and building habits that generate value for your agents,” she says. “To be honest, it can get uncomfortable for the participants. But most of them see that as a very positive thing.” David Holden, broker/manager of RE/MAX Preferred in O’Fallon, Ill., puts it like this: “Momentum forces you to evaluate what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. It helps you identify areas you can improve. That’s powerful. And it’s important.”

BEING A RESOURCE Providing value is also a major focus within the RE/MAX marketing department. RE/MAX has long been one of the industry’s most recognized brands, with a national and international visibility that serves every agent. An innovative, fresh

Adam Contos RE/MAX Senior Vice President, Marketing

102,416

Worldwide agent count as of July 31, 2015

4,406

Net gain in agents, January-July 2015

Consecutive quarters of agent-count growth

Spots RE/MAX agents filled in the NAHREP Latino 250 rankings, based on 2014 production

8,750,000+

Dollars RE/MAX agents donated to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in 2014 approach is making that advantage even stronger. “People already know the brand; we want them to experience it, too,” says Adam Contos, RE/MAX senior vice president, Marketing. “When someone interacts with a local RE/MAX agent, an emotional connection develops—and it leads to referrals, recommendations and repeat business. On the national and regional levels, we can drive business to our agents and set the stage for those connections.” At the core of Contos’ philosophy is a content marketing strategy focused on providing value and relevant information to consumers through social channels and other means. “The bottom line is that we want to help people,” he says. “If we help

someone become a more informed buyer, seller or homeowner, and they view RE/MAX as a reliable resource, we’ve accomplished something. The same is true if we help someone become a better agent, even if they don’t join our organization.” Complementing that strategy is an aggressive new advertising campaign set to begin early next year. Currently in development at awardwinning San Francisco ad agency Camp + King, the campaign will feature national, regional and local television ads as well as a wide range of creative, social and digital support for offices and agents. The campaign, Contos says, highlights the irreplaceable value a great real estate agent offers to buyers and sellers.

(continued on page 41) RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 39

What does this mean for agents? It means they need to be the absolute best they can be. Professional development is as important as ever. I believe it starts with a culture of learning and with brokers helping their agents improve on a constant basis. Great customer service always wins the day.

One on One with RE/MAX President Geoff Lewis

eoff Lewis, former RE/MAX chief legal officer, became the network’s seventh president in May. A member of RE/MAX senior leadership since 2004, Lewis brings a wealth of strategic business experience and global insight to his new position. There’s a lot of buzz around Project Upstream, and you’ve been heavily involved since day one. Why do you believe in the initiative so strongly? I think Project Upstream is a great example of what can be achieved when the industry comes together. Creating and distributing a database of clean, accurate information will benefit both the industry and the consumers it serves. It will give brokers a single point of data entry and control over their information. It will also empower consumers by providing reliable data wherever they’re searching for real estate, whether it’s a third-party website, a broker site or a franchise site. Do you view it as a new portal? It’s not a portal or an MLS. It’s a data collection, entry and distribution platform that gives brokers control over where and how their information is seen. We won’t be competing with Zillow Group, Move or anyone else, but we’ll be able to ensure consistent display guidelines that add clarity and equity to the process. Are you concerned about the declining homeownership rate? The stats don’t really tell the whole story. The biggest drag on the homeownership rate is economic, not cultural. I think millennials embrace homeownership as much as other generations have—they’ve just been delayed by a number of factors. When they have children and want more space, they’ll recognize the benefits of owning. What are you seeing in the competitive landscape? Competition is brutal right now. In fact, I think we’re back to the level of competition we had right before the recession. In our low-inventory environment, the battle for listings is fierce. 40 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

With a presence in nearly 100 countries, RE/MAX is the most global real estate franchisor. What’s next? RE/MAX has been a trailblazer globally. We were the first global real estate brand to expand into many of these countries. RE/MAX regional teams, brokers and agents have had a huge positive impact—developing new systems and raising standards in areas like ethics, education and professionalism. Our success in North America set the stage, and our regional pioneers took it from there. Now the goal is to deepen our presence. To your North American membership, what’s the relevance of being global? Our worldwide referral network connects exceptional agents on both sides of the transaction. That’s important, because global investment in North American property presents huge opportunities—even in places you might not expect. At a 2014 conference in San Francisco, a RE/MAX broker was telling me about how much success his office was having working with Chinese investors in his city. I asked what part of California he was from, and he said, ‘I’m from Indianapolis.’ The takeaway: Global business isn’t limited to resort markets or the coasts. What’s it like working alongside RE/MAX CEO and Chairman Dave Liniger? Dave has shown a lot of confidence in me over the years, and that makes me very comfortable suggesting new ideas to him. He has amazing instincts, he can see the pluses and minuses of an issue very quickly, and he’s never afraid to make a decision. We have a very strong leadership team, and it starts with him. Are you still the organization’s top legal voice? I’m not involved with the legal department anymore. I’m 100 percent devoted to my new role, which is supporting our brokers, gaining marketshare and building the brand. In fact, I’ve told people that if I start to sound like a lawyer, I want them to call me out on it.

Tech Next: Building a New Foundation

Tara Moore

RE/MAX Select

“A lot of today’s real estate advertising focuses on the start or the end of the process,” he says. “But there hasn’t been much covering the middle part. That’s the part where the agent is working hard on behalf of the client, mostly behind the scenes. “To us, that effort—and that value—is definitely worth celebrating.”

CONNECTING WITH CLIENTS RE/MAX agents make that effort every day. Everywhere. It’s in the culture. One of them is Tara Moore of RE/MAX Select in Oviedo, Fla., who joined the network shortly after earning her license in 2013. The mother of two, who closed $11 million in sales in 2014 and is on pace for $20 million this year, works hard to connect with potential clients and earn their trust. Her best weapon: herself. “I like to get face-to-face with people I might do business with or receive a referral from. I invite them for coffee, listen to what’s going on in their lives, and let them get to know me. I want them to see me as their solution if they ever have a real estate need. If you’re genuine in your approach, provide great service and show people you care, success will come your way.” Clearly, Tara Moore is RE/MAX. And RE/MAX is Tara Moore. RE

ne great example of RE/MAX innovation is Tech Next, a comprehensive enhancement of the main technology systems provided through RE/MAX World Headquarters. The most visible component will be a completely reinvented remax.com website, due to debut in early 2016. “We’re taking a bold, aggressive approach with our entire technology suite, especially remax.com,” says Tim Drouillard, RE/MAX senior vice president, Information Technology. “The current site has been an industry leader in attracting visitors and generating referral-fee-free leads for our agents, and we’ll be building from that success.” The new remax.com, Drouillard says, will have a fresh look, a radically improved mobile interface, a much better user experience and a clear focus on maximizing lead generation. Everything will be geared toward serving the needs of consumers and connecting them to RE/MAX agents who can guide them. The mobile aspect is critical, Drouillard adds. “Every decision has been made with the mobile user in mind.” In fact, a new Apple Watch app was unveiled in August. While the vision for remax.com is new, the firm behind the site is not. Homes Media Solutions, which has powered remax.com for a decade, is working with RE/MAX leaders on the redesign. Since HMS came on board, remax.com has generated more than 15 million feefree leads, delivered directly to RE/MAX agents. “The history we have with Homes is a huge advantage in the redesign,” Drouillard says. “They understand where we’ve been and they know where we want to go. It’s a great fit.” While the new remax.com will provide a solid, common solution for all RE/MAX affiliates, key ancillary components—lead delivery and management, agent or office websites, CRM systems—will vary within the membership. “RE/MAX is a network of very entrepreneurial-minded people,” Drouillard notes. “We want to provide strong options and give regions, brokers and agents the freedom to choose what works best for them.” In addition to remax.com, the Tech Next initiative includes major upgrades to a number of systems—the membership database, tracking, financial reporting and others—that will make affiliate interactions with corporate headquarters more seamless and efficient. X RE/@Ma A glance “We’re committed to making things as convenient as possible for our brokers, agents and office managers. We undernew e Watch App cing the pl Introdu RE/MAX Ap stand how valuable their time is,” Drouillard says. “The Tech Next projects will provide the framework for continual innovation moving forward. In some respects, that’s the most exciting thing of all.” le MAX App ls, the RE/ Apple. rch too tion from home sea venient the latest innova iety of con with with a var y compatible Packed app is full Watch

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For more information, please visit www.remax.com. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 41

{Blog Spot}

Periscope: Are You Ready to Redefine Your Marketing Strategy? by Nick Caruso

f you’re a real estate agent wanting to target millennials, you need to be active on social media and you need to be tech-savvy. Even if you aren’t specifically targeting millennials, an advanced knowledge of technology will help leaps and bounds as you set forth to dominate your local market. Applications like Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat are surefire tools that agents can use to increase their game and reel in those anxious first-time buyers or the timid prospective ones who are still waiting on the sidelines. While these apps can provide a snapshot of an agent’s life or listing, there’s a new app in town that allows followers to see far more than just one static perspective. Welcome to Periscope. After creating their own version called Meerkat, Twitter acquired Periscope, an up-to-the-second live-broadcasting app that is reshaping mobile news and social media as we know it. When the app is opened, users can broadcast a live feed of whatever they’re doing to the Internet. A link of the broadcast is sent out to Twitter followers, and those who decide to check in and watch can live chat throughout. Using Periscope, agents can now market their listings to their entire social following in one fell swoop. 42 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“It allows you to create your own real estate channel,” says Rob Zwemmer, president and team leader of the Zwemmer Realty Group, Luxury Homes by Keller Williams in Indian Wells, Calif. “If you’ve never seen it, you’ve got to log on and try it out. It’s absolutely the coolest interactive app that’s out there.” As opposed to Instagram or Snapchat, Periscope moves as you move, allowing your sphere of influence to watch you in real-time, live and unedited. Since its inception, the savviest of companies have already begun using

the app to reach out to younger audiences and rejuvenate their brands. As a crafty, calculated real estate professional, staying on top of social media means more than just updating your Facebook page once a day. It means embracing all of the latest and greatest, and adopting technologies that your buyers and sellers are using every day. Although Skype and FaceTime also have video broadcasting and conferencing capabilities to a certain degree, Periscope has some additional features that really edge up its cool factor. Users have the ability to only allow access to their broadcasts to certain followers, which could come in handy if your audience is fragmented. In addition, after each broadcast, the video is stored on users’ profiles where followers can go back and re-watch something, or watch a broadcast they missed live. Replays are available for 24 hours starting immediately after a broadcast ends. Users can also save their broadcasts as videos and republish them to other platforms. “Periscope is going to be one of the game changers for real estate,” says Zwemmer in the latest installment of RISMedia’s Agent Webinar Series— and he’s certainly right. If the industry adopts Periscope to its fullest extent, there’s no stopping what agents can do with the latest innovative and powerful social tool. When paired with Facebook targeted ads, for example, or even when used on its own within Twitter’s framework, Periscope can certainly revitalize an agent or brokerage’s mobile marketing strategy. It may even redefine it. RE This article originally appeared on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. Visit us at blog.rismedia.com. Nick Caruso is RISMedia’s senior editor.

3 Must-Haves to Recruit Millennial Agents by Patty McNease

s a generation expected to surpass the number of baby boomers in the U.S., millennials are a target audience for businesses and advertisers alike. Known for being careerdriven, educated, and progressive individuals, millennials are clearly making their dent in the workforce. A key part of the millennial generation is their dedication to brand loyalty. Despite popular belief, 60 percent say they’re loyal to their current brands. What this means for brokerages is the sooner you can develop a relationship with this age group, the more likely they’ll be to stick with you. When it comes to real estate, millennials are hard-working and willing to go the extra mile to help you develop your company. In addition, millennial buyers are more likely to work with millennial agents, giving them an edge as more younger buyers make their way into the market. Here are three ways to entice more millennial agents to work for your brokerage:

1. Market yourself to millennials. Create a company image that attracts millennials. They prefer sleek, clean websites to the bulky, textheavy designs. Make sure your site is fresh and up-to-date and incorporates social sharing widgets. When it comes to blogging, millennials need

44 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

to trust the company before they’re willing to turn to the resource. According to Forbes Business, 43 percent of millennials value authenticity over content. Finally, millennials are known as the social media generation. Your social media presence is of high priority to millennials. In fact, 62 percent of millennials claimed they would become a loyal customer if a brand engaged with them on social media. However, keep in mind that you need to show authenticity before millennial agents are willing to take the next step. It’s also important to show these younger agents that you’re focused on their generation. If you already have millennial agents on your team, highlight their accomplishments. Blog and social media posts on sites like Facebook and Instagram are great ways to show the inner workings of these individuals in your company.

ing seminars on the newest technology, millennials are serious about pursuing educational opportunities. If you’re not able to offer full-ride scholarships to business school, consider hosting guest speakers to teach millennials about the best ways to brand their image or inform them about the most recent Facebook algorithm updates.

3. Technology is a must. Millennials are known for being techsavvy. In fact, 87 percent of millennials juggle two to three different tech devices in a day. Because of this, most want the ability to work and keep in contact while still being onthe-go.

In addition to promoting the latest devices, millennial agents also want technology that they can use to work with buyers and sellers. Show them that your company is on top of the current technology trends for social, video and other online marketing. By creating company accounts for upand-coming technology platforms, such as Periscope, and keeping them updated, millennials will see that your brokerage is as technologically savvy as they are. Hard-working and career-driven, millennials are a great addition to any real estate team. Since the market is shifting toward connecting with buyers and sellers from the same generation, these new agents can form close connections and bond with those in their age group. RE

2. Offer educational opportunities. Whether it’s a scholarship for business or marketing classes or train-

For more information, visit www.homes.com. Patty McNease is director of marketing, Homes.com.

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Creating a Happy Workplace: How to Sustain a Culture of Enthusiasm and Engagement by Dermot Buffini

hat makes for a happy workplace? Is it state-of-the art facilities, ongoing training opportunities, extra vacation days, or simply a rewarding salary? After working with leaders of real estate companies for nearly 20 years, and in my position of leadership as Buffini & Company’s CEO, I have learned that all of these factors can impact job satisfaction, but the difference between a company where employees are engaged and energized and one where they’re unmotivated and lackluster comes down to one main ingredient—feeling appreciated.

The No. 1 reason that people quit their jobs is because they feel undervalued. Work gives a sense of identity and purpose, but if employees believe they’re not being adequately acknowledged or championed, negativity develops. When workers are unhappy, staff turnover rates are high, customer satisfaction is adversely affected, and a firm’s reputation and profits suffer. When employees are content, it’s a different story. They’ll do the very best job they can day after day,

which means that customers will be pleased, morale will soar, and the business will thrive. So, how can you create the sort of workplace where employees are ready and willing to go the extra mile? First, it’s vital to know each team member’s individual strengths and capabilities. At Buffini & Company, each one of our team members receives a Heritage Profile, an outline of their natural strengths, abilities and work styles. This allows our leadership team to communicate

with and motivate each person in a way unique to their particular personality. This also allows those in leadership roles to more appropriately assign tasks and projects to individuals based on their strengths. In addition, you must ensure that they’re consistently and genuinely recognized and respected for the work they do and the contribution they make. This process may mean asking some tough questions of yourself and your management style. We’ve tried to be very intentional about our communication practices at Buffini & Company by doing “Lunch & Learns” with each team to discover more about their individual roles and how we might help them perform at a higher level. Additionally, we have initiated a program where individuals can submit ideas about how we, as a company, can “Do It Better.” During each staff meeting, we recognize the people who have had their ideas implemented and reward them with gift cards. These are similar to the practices we teach Team Leaders who are in our One2One Coaching membership to implement. It’s not an easy task to achieve. It takes a lot of hard work to earn the respect, support and trust of your team. But if you’re true to your word, encourage open dialogue, foster growth and celebrate achievement, an atmosphere of honesty, trust and fairness will be the result. It’s a simple premise: Take care of your employees first and then the kind of happy work environment in which everyone can flourish and win will be created. RE Dermot Buffini is CEO of Buffini & Company, North America’s largest real estate coaching and training company, which has helped over three million sales professionals in 37 different countries improve their business, increase net profit and enhance their quality of life since its founding in 1996. For more information, visit www.buffiniandcompany.com or call 1-800-945-3485 ext. 4.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 47

RREIN RREIN RISMedia’s Real Estate Information Network®

NIERR

RREIN

EMPOWERING NIERR

RREIN

Brokers

NIERR

RREIN

Sales Associates Consumers 48 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

2015 Sponsors Master Level Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Century 21 Real Estate ERA Real Estate Homes.com National Association of REALTORS® realtor.com Host Level

How Do Top Brokers Stay Successful?

Exclusive Think Tank Shares Secrets

or most brokers across the country, business is better—for some, a lot better. But how long will this bullish environment last? This month, power brokers from across the nation will convene in New York City for an invitation-only think tank to candidly share strategies for building and sustaining profitable firms. RISMedia’s 2015 Real Estate CEO Exchange, “Building Sustainable Success,” will take a realistic look at the current and future state of the real estate brokerage business and reveal tactics for long-term viability. The sold-out event will again be held at the historic Yale Club in New York City on Sept. 1617, 2015. To view the complete agenda, visit rismedia.com/events. Among this year’s sessions are:

The event will feature more than 30 expert speakers from the nation’s top real estate firms, as well as keynote presentations from subjectmatter experts, including:

8 Here Today, Ready for Tomorrow: Blueprints for Sustainable Success

Sherry Chris, President & CEO, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate

8Lessons in Leadership

Jeff Detwiler, President & COO, Long &

8The Fate of Data Control 8 Turning Data into Dollars: Broker Strategies for Leveraging Online Leads 8 Leveraging Mortgage & Title Opportunities: Regulatory Compliance & Current Opportunities 8 The Art of Growth: From Recruiting to Roll-ins

Dermot Buffini, CEO, Buffini & Company Paul Charron, Chairman of the Board, Campbell Soup Company Craig Cheatham, President & CEO, Realty Alliance

Foster Companies

Dan Elsea, President of Brokerage Services, Real Estate One

Dottie Herman, President & CEO, Douglas Elliman

Tom Hosack, President & CEO, Northwood Realty Services Fafie Moore, President, Realty Executives of Nevada

Marty Rueter, President, Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc.

Dotsignal Halstead Property Mobile Real Estate (MRE) Quicken Loans® Realtors Property Resource® Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Zillow Event Level American Home Shield Delta Media Group, Inc. dotloop HSA Home Warranty Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® Pillar To Post Home Inspectors Real Estate Webmasters RealtyTrac ReferralExchange TourFactory

Ken Trepeta Esq., President & Executive Director, the Real Estate Services Provider Council Inc. (RESPRO) Mark Stark, CEO & Owner/Broker, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Arizona Properties RISMedia will again close the event with the “Ultimate Power Broker Open House Experience,” sponsored by Halstead Property, a member of Luxury Portfolio International®, where attendees will receive an exclusive tour of a luxury Manhattan listing. RE

For live coverage of the event, including tweets, photos and Periscope broadcasts, tweet us @RISMediaUpdates with #CEOExchange.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 49

{Spotlight}

Addressing the Lead Conversion Conundrum FiveStreet hones in on helping real estate professionals crack the conversion code by Paige Tepping

50 September 2015 RISMediaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s REAL ESTATE

Rusty Klophaus, Director of Product and Technology, Move, Inc.

or real estate professionals across the board, successfully converting online leads into clients can be a challenging proposition, considering the

numerous demands on their time. Agents, by necessity, focus on the customers that are ready to transact, and are traditionally ill equipped to respond to incoming online leads while engaged with a client.

At a brokerage level, solving this challenge often reaches a crisis-level tipping point, as six-figure marketing spends can be greatly impacted due to low conversion rates. It’s a story we’re all too familiar with, yet even a small improvement to conversion rates can make a huge impact on profitability and the health of an office. As the lead conversion conundrum continues to unfold and brokerages look for value-add solutions, many are doubling down and expanding their business by focusing on online lead conversion. That aha, breakthrough moment is coming via FiveStreet, Move, Inc.’s lead management system, as brokerages utilizing the platform are making significant headway in agent lead conversion—often seeing substantial improvement in conversions overnight. Taking the industry by storm over RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 51

the past few years, FiveStreet can be tied into almost any lead source and hooked up to just about any followup system. Not only does this allow real estate professionals to keep up with the fast-paced market, but they can also rest assured knowing that they’ll never miss an online lead— even when they’re out of the office working with a client.

Laying a Solid Foundation “In speaking with agents, we learned that many of them were spending thousands of dollars a month on online leads, yet those leads were continuously falling through the cracks,” says Rusty Klophaus, director of product and technology at Move, Inc. and founder of FiveStreet. It was this disconnect that ultimately laid the foundation for FiveStreet’s creation

Craig Simoneau, Senior Product Manager, Move, Inc.

52 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

in February 2012 when Klophaus and his team began looking into the online lead space and brainstorming ways to help agents deal with them more efficiently. From there, FiveStreet was born and the first leads were processed a few, short months later. While the first paying customers didn’t come onboard until August 2012, Klophaus notes that things kicked into high gear when Craig Simoneau—Move’s senior product manager—was hired to join the founding team. “Things really started to take off in early 2013 when we brought Craig in and put him in charge of sales, support and marketing. He was basically in charge of everything other than writing code and was instrumental in getting the product out into the market,” says Klophaus.

As the program continued to gain traction, the industry took notice and conversations among some of the biggest players in the space began to take shape before FiveStreet was acquired by Move, Inc. in October 2013. Today, FiveStreet has processed more than 5 million online real estate leads, but Klophaus and Simoneau—who describe the program as a lead triage system—are committed to keeping the product as simple and straightforward as possible by continuing to focus on handling the first five to 15 minutes of the lead process.

A Simple and Straightforward Approach As any real estate professional can attest, technology changes on an almost daily basis, and every new tool

Eric Bashkoff, Software Engineer, FiveStreet

Armed with actual data, the team or program that comes to market around leads and put a structure in does so with the promise of making place so that we could get a consis- at FiveStreet put their heads togethlife simpler. But more often than not, tent flow of connection going out to er to bring the concept to fruition by building an engine that would parse they try to do too many things, leav- the lead.” ing the user frustrated and the prodIn addition to the level of frustra- out the necessary data (name, email uct ignored. tion surrounding the online lead address and telephone number) from With many lead gen programs process, other pain points emerged any online lead vendor that sends to contend with, FiveStreet’s team as well. “We found that there were leads through email. “Our software knew they had to create something really three big problems when is responsible for transcribing that info, putting it into different, something that would reso- working with online leads,” nate with today’s agents. Instead says Simoneau, “the first an agent’s customer database and helping them of just assuming what agents were being that they’re delivered get someone on their looking for, they went back to the to an agent’s inbox, rather team to follow-up with the proverbial drawing board and spent than being placed into one potential buyer,” says months speaking with agents to de- dashboard,” causing a lot Jerry R. Reynolds Klophaus. termine the exact pain points they of extra work to get all the Director of IT, Pure were experiencing when it came to information in one place. Today, the program West Real Estate online leads in order to shape the The second pain point reprocesses leads from volves around the fact that product effectively. more than 100 online if an agent is out of the office on vendors and has the capacity to “We’ve experienced a lot of a listing appointment or at a handle 3,000 different lead formats, frustration with lead systems showing when a lead comes a boon for real estate professionals bringing leads in and having a lower close ratio than in, they’re not going to blow looking to simplify their lead gen efwe’d like,” says Joe Clemoff the client to respond to forts. “We no longer require multiple ent, a broker at RE/MAX the lead. And last but not services to handle various marketProperties in Colorado least, many team leading channels,” says Jerry R. Reyners were struggling to olds, director of IT at PureWest Real Springs, Colo. “Our deciJoe Clement sion to choose FiveStreet get the leads into the Estate in Bozeman, Mont., who exBroker, RE/MAX ultimately came down to hands of team members plains that the consolidation of lead Properties sources offered through FiveStreet wanting to get our arms in a systematic fashion. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 53

has truly revolutionized his business. “FiveStreet gives us one easy tool to manage them all.” For those who run their business email on Google Mail/Gmail, connecting their inbox to FiveStreet can be done with a single click of a button. Or they can opt to use the @fivestreet.me email address provided when creating their account.

Grow Your Business While On-the-Go While consolidating the information in one place is a necessary first step toward achieving success with online leads, FiveStreet does much more than extract information from incoming emails. The system also keeps things simple by delivering leads to an agent’s cellphone, turning the device into a virtual command center—a necessity in an age where consumers won’t stand for anything less than information delivered instantaneously. “When we first started designing FiveStreet, we knew that the tools most commonly used among agents were their phone and email,” says Klophaus. “If this was going to be something that agents were going to use, not only did they need to understand what was going on, they needed to be able to interact by clicking a single button.” And the team at FiveStreet has certainly delivered, as thousands of agents all across the nation have come to depend on the program’s lead follow-up software to not only build relationships, but also close more deals. “As soon as an online lead comes in, FiveStreet jumps into action and delivers a customized, automatic email and/or text reply to the prospect, letting them know that someone will follow up and asking if there’s a good time for the agent to call,” says Simoneau. “The lead is then broadcast to a team (teams 54 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“The dynamics of lead delivery have changed with FiveStreet delivering a lead to a mobile device in seconds. Consumers expect an immediate response, and thanks to FiveStreet, we can deliver.” - Mark Hughes, COO, First Team Real Estate

can be created to span different markets or based on agent seniority), and much like a gameshow, whoever hits the button first, gets the lead,” adds Klophaus. “In practice, it’s immensely fair and has huge results.” The results certainly speak for themselves, as 70 percent of the leads in the system that are forwarded out to team members get claimed within six minutes. As the dynamics of lead delivery continue to change, Mark Hughes, COO at First Team Real Estate in Orange County, Calif., credits FiveStreet with providing his firm a truly competitive edge. “The dynamics of lead delivery have changed with FiveStreet delivering a lead to a mobile device in seconds,” says Hughes. “Consumers expect an immediate response, and thanks to FiveStreet, we can deliver.”

Benefits Abound Across the Board Holding true to their vision from the beginning, the FiveStreet team hasn’t wavered from the course they set out on just a few short years ago. And their dedication to keeping things simple is paying off day after day—both behind the scenes and among their growing user base. In fact, the program’s usability was one of the motivating factors behind Reynolds’ decision to use FiveStreet, incorporating the lead response system into his business just two months ago (at press time). “The design appears simple, but the tools behind the design are powerful. It’s an intuitive product with a lot of potential,” says Reynolds, who can’t

say enough about the program’s ease of use. “Everything we do goes back to efficiency,” says Klophaus, who notes that before FiveStreet came along, the typical turnaround time for following up with an online lead stretched into hours. “However, with FiveStreet, 100 percent of leads are getting an automatic follow-up within five minutes.” And the benefits don’t end there. According to Simoneau, what FiveStreet does best is provide a starting point for successfully working with online leads. “FiveStreet provides people with the infrastructure to distribute leads. Once the pipes are in place, it’s easy to tweak various aspects of the program to work toward any firm’s specific goals.” But perhaps most important for those who have integrated FiveStreet into their day-to-day business operations is the level of increased conversion they’re seeing, a huge competitive advantage in today’s market. “On average, lead conversion is typically around 1 - 2 percent,” says Simoneau, “but our users are consistently reporting average rates of five percent or higher.” For Clement, who integrated FiveStreet into his firm in January 2015, the program has exceeded his expectations from the get-go. “We’re seeing a lot of good things happening when it comes to our production level,” says Clement, “and our agents are able to handle more leads and get to more closings.” “Real estate professionals need something they can buy off the shelf

FiveStreet Changes the Online Lead Game for One Chicago Firm

or BJ Tregoning, co-owner of Organic Realty in Chicago, Ill., whose firm generates close to 450 buyer leads a month, the decision to add FiveStreet to the fold was a no-brainer. Having first heard about FiveStreet through a connection on an owner’s page on Facebook, Tregoning looked into the program and was immediately sold. “FiveStreet has truly revolutionized our business,” says Tregoning, who notes that 13 of his team members are currently taking advantage of everything the program has to offer. Before implementing the program two years ago, Tregoning himself was responsible for getting back to prospects, a task that was nearly impossible to do on his own in a timely manner. “When it comes to working with online leads, response time is huge,” says Tregoning, “as that’s what Internet leads are all about.” But Tregoning doesn’t have to worry about that anymore, as FiveStreet has truly lifted a weight off his shoulders. In fact, the firm’s average response

and simply plug in and play,” adds Simoneau, who explains that most of the individuals who work in the industry fall somewhere along the spectrum between purchasing an end-to-end system or one in which they need to manually plug in the components.

Maintaining Momentum There’s no doubt that the future is looking bright for FiveStreet; however, divulging specifics is not part of the game plan. “We have a lot of ideas,” says Klophaus, who notes that Move’s backing has been an integral piece of the puzzle in terms of growing the platform to where it stands today. “When you have the resources of a big company behind you, you’re able to continue functioning with a

time today is just under three minutes, a necessity in a fast-paced market where consumers aren’t willing to wait for anything. In addition to providing Tregoning and his agents the ability to follow-up within minutes of receiving a lead, the program is also a key piece of Organic Realty’s recruiting puzzle. “As an owner, FiveStreet is an invaluable tool when it comes to recruiting agents and increasing our conversion rate,” says Tregoning. “It’s great when I can tell agents that they’ll automatically get leads delivered right to their cellphone 24/7, negating the need to have to sit by the phone and wait for leads like they would have to at a traditional brokerage.” With leads pouring in from seven to eight sources at any given time, FiveStreet has truly given the firm a leg up on the competition when it comes to successfully converting online leads. “FiveStreet even gives me the ability to create rules so that I can direct where leads from certain sources go,” continues Tregoning, adding to the level of customization inherent throughout the program. “It’s a great system and there’s nothing else like it out there.”

start-up group mentality,” adds Simoneau, “and being acquired by Move has allowed us to be innovative while building our own user success.” For those real estate professionals who aren’t currently using FiveStreet? Hughes challenges them to take a step back and consider whether they have the tools to meet the needs of today’s consumer when it comes to offering immediate service. “One crucial tenet in getting things done is having a system you can trust. As soon as you lose trust in it, you begin to doubt your entire method,” says Klophaus, who goes on to explain that this is what is driving Move overall. “FiveStreet provides a trusted system for aggregating leads and Move complements this by offering trusted systems such as Top Pro-

ducer and TigerLead so that agents have a well-integrated, well-trusted program.” Committed to arming real estate professionals with the tools they need to follow up with prospects and turn them into clients, the team at FiveStreet is dedicated to staying true to the goal at hand, so much so that they play to the behavior that comes naturally by the way the product is used, rather than trying to enforce rules or change the way agents work. “Everyone works with online leads,” concludes Klophaus. “If we stick to our roots and keep the product simple and focused on the first five minutes after a lead is received, everyone will understand what we do.” RE For more information, please visit http://topproducer.com/conversion. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 55

{Broker Best Practices} Fostering Success and Longevity by John Voket

Doug Maselle President/Broker CENTURY 21 Maselle and Associates Jackson, Miss.

Region served: Central and Northern Mississippi Years in real estate: 33 Number of offices: 10 Number of agents: 250 Best tip for getting the right listing price: Location determines the price, but the latest history of closing prices in the neighborhood is a good starting point. Best time management tip: Write down what you want to accomplish each day and stick to your list. Make every effort to accomplish the top four things each day. Best tip for running a successful meeting: Make certain the content and information is valuable and relevant to the attendees. Can’t live without tech tool: Reach150, an online reputation-building program we provide for all our agents (and now, because of our recent affiliation with the CENTURY 21® iconic brand, we also provide QSS ratings from RealSatisfied)

What strategies are most effective for you when it comes to recruiting? Agent success depends on comprehensive learning, so the most important thing is to offer both introductory and ongoing best practices. The learning we offer at CENTURY 21 Maselle and Associates incorporates everything from negotiating to business-building tactics. We also support affiliated agents in regard to generating and growing their businesses—especially when the market slows down. Good learning and advanced knowledge fosters success and longevity in real estate.

What are your best ideas in terms of client retention? It’s important that you don’t ever consider a client a transaction, but rather, consider them a client

56 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“Don’t ever consider a client a transaction, but rather, consider them a client for life.” - DOUG MASELLE President/Broker CENTURY 21 Maselle and Associates

for life. Staying in touch with clients for the long run is a key piece of the puzzle when it comes to retention. Retention is about always providing a real service to each client. We’re big believers in Brian Buffini, and as affiliates with the CENTURY 21 System, we are able to access and offer his system to affiliated agents at subsidized rates.

How do you deal with the negative effects of the media? To always be open, honest and transparent about what is happening in the markets we serve. Sometimes, good news in other pockets of the country, for example, can have a negative impact in Jackson, Miss., because it can raise expectations in the marketplace that don’t apply locally. It all comes down to having deep knowledge of the local market while staying on top of local and national news so you can respond with authority and clarity when clients have concerns about a report they may have seen or heard about.

You recently acquired a privately-owned northern Mississippi real estate company. What challenges did you tackle in the transition to CENTURY 21 Maselle and Associates? One of the major challenges associated with taking an independent into a franchise is making sure all the transitional aspects are handled properly and that everybody gets the information they need to succeed. One key issue is explaining the fees involved in a franchise. The key is demonstrating to our independent brokers and agents the value of the fees associated with being affiliated with a

global franchise. Then, we need to inform everyone about the comprehensive suite of technology and support tools, and the many services offered by the CENTURY 21 System.

Keeping Things in Perspective

“A lot can happen between contract and closing, so it’s important that our agents and clients keep things in perspective during this time.” - DAVID MUSSARI Managing Partner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty

by Paige Tepping

David Mussari Managing Partner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty Beavercreek, Ohio

Region served: State of Ohio and Northern Kentucky Years in real estate: 17 Number of offices: 25 Number of agents: 450 Most successful marketing practice: Identify the specific needs of each individual client and then make sure your agents have the tools to best serve those needs. Favorite relationship-building strategy: Make everyone feel important.

When it comes to consumer confidence, where does your market stand? While the markets across Ohio are diverse, overall, consumer confidence is up from where it’s been in recent years. Pending contracts are showing steady increases month-over-month and mortgage activity is up. We’re also seeing a lot of first-time buyers enter the market and the days on market are down. On the consumer confidence front, this means consumers aren’t afraid to act quickly.

What is one of the biggest challenges your market faces and what are you doing to overcome it? Our biggest challenge is lack of quality inventory. We’re seeing a lot of pent-up demand after the down period we went through, but there are still plenty of buyers out there, so it’s all about helping them find the right home. Another challenge is the fact that a lot of folks are still not selling because

they think they’re underwater. To combat this, we have marketing programs targeted toward homeowners to educate them in regard to the realities of today’s market.

What is your top strategy for closing a transaction? While I don’t sell anymore, I make sure my agents understand that there’s a lot more to the transaction than simply getting it under contract. In fact, the time between contract and closing is critical, so we preach one of our core values—Perspective—to keep all parties in the transaction focused on the end goal. A lot can happen between contract and closing, so it’s important that our agents and clients keep things in perspective during this time. This simple practice affords us a significantly higher closing percentage once under contract.

What would you say is the key to real estate success? We are truly a people-driven company, so we try and attract the best staff members and agents in the industry. Hiring the best makes a huge difference, and that includes leadership. We’ve worked hard to establish a strong leadership team. Agents look to leadership, and that’s how we’ve built our brokerage. When you can bring in the best, success follows.

How do you see your market evolving throughout the next year? I see consumer confidence continuing to steadily grow, and mortgage rates starting to tick up. Not only will this act as a catalyst to get people off the

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 57

fence, it’ll also add an extra boost to the recovery we’re experiencing. New construction is going to get stronger as well, providing new product to fill the demand we’re seeing. Overall, I’m very optimistic about the next 12 months.

Developing Strong Personal Relationships

“We take great steps in knowing what the competition is doing, what the trades are saying and how the community dynamics are evolving.” - VICKI EVARTS Engel & Völkers Concord

by Paige Tepping

Vicki Evarts Engel & Völkers Concord Concord, Mass.

Region served: Concord, Mass., and surrounding towns Years in real estate: 8 Number of offices: 1 Number of agents: 7 Favorite part of your job: Putting a grateful family into a house they love One thing people don’t know about you: I’m a yoga teacher on the side.

Where does your market stand in terms of consumer confidence? I want to believe we stand way ahead when it comes to consumer confidence. In addition to working hard to develop strong personal relationships with our clients when they’re considering buying or selling, we also offer boutique-like service.

How does your company make its agents’ jobs easier? Here at Engel & Völkers Concord, we don’t operate in a vacuum; we’re a practice that allows us to benefit from the collective wisdom and skills of all of our associates. Networking is another important part of the process, but it won’t happen without trust in this very competitive business.

What factor has the largest influence on the real estate industry today? Financing. Without sympathetic lenders and reasonable rates, this business cannot thrive.

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What is one challenge your market faces and what are you doing to overcome it? One of our greatest challenges is unrealistic expectations on selling price, which can be a potential deal breaker. To overcome this, we do the tedious work of finding the comparables to show the seller how the subject property can be fairly priced.

How does your company stay flexible and current? Staying flexible and current is all about being aware of what’s going on around us. Therefore, we take great steps in knowing what the competition is doing, what the trades are saying and how the community dynamics are evolving. It’s also crucial that we be aware of zoning changes that may be coming down the line and how properties will be affected by such changes.

How does your background bring a unique perspective to the art and science of real estate? Not only have I lived in the area all my life, but my husband and I have completely renovated four properties, so I understand what it takes to make them attractive to subsequent buyers. In addition, my ancestors have been buying, selling, fixing and renovating homes for more than 100 years. My father created the television show, “This Old House,” that’s been running on PBS for nearly 40 years to take viewers through the process of owning a house and all that it entails.

Finding Success by Blending the Old and the New

weekly in-house training that relates to the factors that drive today’s homebuyer and their preferred methods of quick communication.

by Zoe Eisenberg

Old-school farming still works. The only way to become the neighborhood REALTOR® is to get out there and become the neighborhood REALTOR®. Visit homes, be confident in your presence and deliver helpful updates to the community. Be proactive. There is no secret, this isn’t re-inventing the wheel—this is old-fashioned hard work. There is no marketing substitute for it.

Michael Russell Broker/Owner CENTURY 21 Signature Properties Dartmouth, Mass.

Region served: Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod Years in real estate: 18 Number of offices: 3 Number of agents: 77 Average sales price: $303,000 No. 1 piece of advice for new agents: Be proactive. Hit the ground knowing success is just hard work away. Never expect this business to provide you with opportunity. It will and it can, but you will be as successful as you are proactive in the generation of prospects, the capturing of prospects and the closing of prospects.

How do your agents stay on the top of their field? Through local real estate education and technology education. We capitalize on our position in the marketplace by leaning on our brand. Our successful team members and marketshare provide the confidence needed to compete. As the market improves, listings are tougher to obtain and competition is stiffer.

What is your biggest challenge in today’s market, and how is your company facing it? The generational gap between the average homebuyer and the average REALTOR® is our biggest challenge today. We lost a generation of REALTORS® in the downturn, between 2008 and 2012. REALTORS® have stayed in the business longer than they expected, which has compounded the multi-decade average age difference between consumer and service provider. The communication methods, values and styles among the two groups are tremendously different, creating challenges in fostering strong, long relationships. We focus on bridging that gap through

What marketing strategies do you find most successful?

I know you advertise in The Real Estate Book and on RealEstateBook.com. How do these platforms work into your overall marketing strategy for your own brand and for your listings? Even today there is still a significant segment of print media that remains effective. People still pick up the local Real Estate Book. It is a low-cost, per-contact source and effective when it comes to generating prospects.

Covering All the Bases by Paige Tepping

John Meesseman President Real Living Kee Realty Rochester, Mich.

Region served: Metro Detroit Years in real estate: 22 Number of offices: 4 Number of agents: 150 Favorite part of your job: Accelerating agent success!

What are some of the current trends you see in your market? I am happy to report our market is very healthy, with many areas returning to pre-crash pricing. We have more inventory than we have seen in the past few years. However, there is still a shortage of good, properly priced, inventory. Although we

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 59

have seen healthy appreciation the last few years, many sellers are pushing the pricing envelope in anticipation of continued appreciation, and pricing higher than the comps justify.

How are you working with sellers to help them price their properties to sell? An educated consumer is the best consumer, so we take a consultative approach and go over the data when pricing a home. Once the data has been analyzed, we let the client make the final pricing decision.

“While many first-time buyers came out of the woodwork during the market crash, moveup buyers are truly driving our business today.” - JOHN MEESSEMAN PRESIDENT REAL LIVING KEE REALTY

What demographic segments are driving your business these days? While many first-time buyers came out of the woodwork during the market crash, move-up buyers are truly driving our business today. This shift is most likely a direct result of homeowners realizing more equity in their home, providing them with the opportunity to sell their current home and move-up to their next property.

How does your company make its agents’ jobs easier? We recognize the agent as an internal customer. We apply the Real Living 360 ServiceSM mentality to our agent population. Our agents are actually more important than the external customer. Don’t get me wrong; with a 96 percent customer satisfaction rate, we clearly understand the importance of the external customer. But, without our agents, where would we be? So, our entire management team serves the agent. We work diligently to make the agent experience easier. We do not require agents to turn in closing documents; instead, we work directly with the title company. Agents are paid within 24 hours of the closing with direct deposit. We provide assistance with marketing strategies, such as automatic social media posts, and arrange themed client appreciation events designed for the agent to maintain contact with their past clients and sphere of influence.

How are your agents staying top-of-mind in today’s competitive market? We take advantage of the tools provided to us by Real Living. In 2014, 71 percent of the closed transactions came from our agents’ sphere of in-

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fluence, as well as referral business. Market Advantage is a tool that provides the agent with a robust, repetitive marketing program. Our agents are able to stay in contact with their sphere of influence through multiple channels, on a continuous basis. Market Advantage provides unlimited multimedia marketing opportunities for both the agents and the brokerage. Whether it is online or offline, the program provides access to consistent communication, which we believe is the key to any successful marketing campaign. In fact, we have developed a marketing plan that we manage for our agents using Market Advantage. The plan connects with the consumer on 24 different occasions during the course of the year.

Real Living boasts a 96 percent customer satisfaction rating. Can you talk a little bit about how the brand’s Real Living 360 Service program (formerly Premier Service®) has given you the upper hand in today’s market? Real Living 360 Service is Real Living Kee’s company goal. Not only do we consider outstanding service to be the biggest part of Real Living Kee’s value proposition, we’ve incorporated the mindset of Real Living 360 Service into every part of the brokerage. Having successfully closed over 4,000 transactions in the last three years, we’re very proud of our 96 percent rating. In the end, we believe that providing an outstanding service experience to the consumer is important to the continued success of the brokerage. RE

5 Ways to Craft a Compelling Media Pitch by Humbert Luna

usiness owners need to be able to sell their news to the media and the public if they want coverage. But how do you go about garnering media coverage? Simple: You have to craft a compelling pitch. Here are five ways to get ahead of the game and into the limelight.

Research is key. Any journalist or publicist worth their salt is a pro when it comes to research. You should be too, especially as you try to figure out who you’re going to pitch. You want to start local, and once you get some traction, go national. Read the publications and watch the shows you want to be on. Not only will this help you figure out who to pitch, but also why and what they like to cover.

Find something in common. You already have one thing in common, and that’s your location. Perhaps the journalist you’re pitching to likes Thai food and has an affinity for Roman philosophy. You could use these tidbits to your advantage and use them in a pitch,

provided they’re relevant to your news.

Why should they care? In other words, what’s in it for the reporter and their audience? When pitching your story, it’s best to lead with this and tailor it to that specific journalist. This will help you catch the eye of journalists, who tend to be very busy.

Help them envision the story. Providing journalists with any background information or ideas on how to package a story may convince them to pick up your pitch. It’s best if you have facts and sources that can complement your story. If it’s for broadcast, provide ideas for B-roll or supplemental footage.

Prepare to pitch. Before finding a tie-in to a national story, start off by pitching a few key local journalists that you’ve researched and keep it simple. Remember to target select contacts and refrain from sending mass pitches to the media. Send a followup or two (let a few weeks pass in between) and try to include new info or sources that you think will help flesh out the story. If you still don’t hear back, it’s time to move on and re-strategize. If you do hear back, be sure to respond in a timely manner. Follow these tips, and you’ll start to see your work in the headlines. RE Humbert Luna is an account manager and media strategist at Emerging Insider Communications, a public relations and communications agency specializing in emerging tech in Chicago. Follow @hlunapr.

It’s Not About You Anymore by Ken Goodfellow ing. What I have witnessed is that those who are eager to learn are more open to training than those who feel like they know their job and do it well. We all need to pursue ongoing training. It is a core part of a successful business culture and team success. Here are some ways to expand training: 8 Include employees without specific real estate experience in team meetings.

Those who are eager to learn are more open to training than those who feel like they know their job and do it well.

n real estate, it’s all about you, right? It’s your face and your name on the lawn sign, business card, office and marketing. That’s how much of your business is generated, right? People recognize your face and name and people know you, correct? Wrong. While your face and your name are integral parts of your branding, any successful real estate professional will tell you that a large part of their sustained success in the industry is due to their support staff. Your admin staff. Your marketing team. Your sales team. Your photographers, stagers, loan partners. Everyone that you have employed or partnered with has a hand in your success as a real estate team

leader. Your support staff plays a big role in your team’s success. Some of you are fortunate to have employees who have proper training and a genuine interest in the industry, while others may have hired individuals who lack industry training, but their enthusiasm, interest and commitment to the industry are second to none. With that, I ask you this: What’s more important—proper training or genuine interest and dedication? While the obvious answer is a properly trained and qualified individual, I would argue in favor of an individual who is interested, enthusiastic and ready to learn. Why? Because their curiosity to learn more and take part in training almost always outweighs that of a trained professional. This is not intended to put down qualified professionals, but merely shed light on the importance of train-

8 Give them the freedom to perform their roles without micro-managing them. 8 Invite support staff to real estate events. This will give them a better understanding of industry professionals. 8 CC support staff on emails. You would be surprised how much they can learn from a conversation. 8 Involve them! Your success is dependent on their production, so include them in any situation so that you’re working toward the same goal.

Your support staff and sales team are a vital part of your business and your success, which is why ongoing training is so important. Industries are changing so rapidly these days that staying ahead of any developments can be the difference between success and failure. RE Ken Goodfellow is one of the top real estate coaches in North America to top agents, brokers, and teams. He is well known for taking high-producing agents and real estate companies to the next level. For more information on Coach Ken and coaching programs visit www.goodfellowcoaching.com or email ken@goodfellowcoaching. com. Receive your Complimentary Business Evaluation today: bit.ly/CoachKenEvaluation.

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{Strategies} No Matter the Market, Home Warranties Play an Integral Role FIRST AMERICAN HOME BUYERS PROTECTION CORPORATION OFFERS BUYER CLIENTS PEACE OF MIND By Paige Tepping

hile the real estate landscape has changed in many ways over the years, Stuart Thomas, broker/ owner of RE/MAX Select One in Huntington Beach, Calif., hasn’t wavered for the past 13 years when it comes to offering each and every client that comes through the door the option to purchase a high-quality home warranty. After meeting with Roberta Curlender, area manager at First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation, Thomas notes that the decision to team up with the company for his clients’ home warranty needs was a nobrainer. “Not only does Roberta handle herself professionally from the get-go, she’s always available to assist us with our home warranty needs,” says Thomas, who goes on to say that a home warranty is written into every offer they write. During the past few years when distressed properties were the norm, home warranties played an integral role in enabling a sale to take place. With various plans to choose from, ranging in scope from covering the essential systems and appliances within the home to more comprehensive plans, a First American home warranty goes a long way toward providing buyers peace of mind— which is one thing you can’t put a price on. For a company with a lot of listings on the books at any given time, “it’s great when a buyer feels confident that something’s covered,” says Thomas. In fact, a quick call to First American’s customer service department will connect the contract holder with a service representative to get the issue addressed in a timely manner. “If you think about a real estate transaction, certain elements such as the title and escrow don’t come back into play once they’re taken care of,” says Thomas. “But a home warranty is different. It most likely will come into play once the closing has taken place, so having a reliable homebuyer’s protection company on your side is critical. “I’m constantly hearing from the agents in my office

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that Roberta provides excellent customer service and that First American’s contractors are professional and reliable.” For those real estate professionals that are not providing home warranties? According to Thomas, they’re doing their buyers a disservice. “Even if the buyer doesn’t think they need it, at some point down the road, they most certainly will appreciate the value it brings. “First American is an absolutely rock-solid company, and I know they’ll always be there tomorrow,” says Thomas. “Knowing we are associating our clients with such a solid company, like First American, makes life a lot easier.” RE For more information, please visit www.homewarranty.firstam.com.

Professional Development Leads to Continued Success NAR’S GRADUATE, REALTOR®INSTITUTE (GRI) DESIGNATION PROVIDES REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO SELL REAL ESTATE AND FIND SUCCESS By John Voket

t Coldwell Banker Upchurch Realty in Atlanta, Ga., the level of passion and enthusiasm that broker Charles ‘Charlie’ Upchurch, III and agent Joey Tucker have for

the Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) designation is nothing short of contagious. In fact, both Upchurch and Tucker sing in perfect harmony when it comes to their confidence in the prestigious, nationally recognized designation. A GRI graduate himself, Upchurch is such a big believer in the advanced professional development program that he’s committed to signing new agents up for the course on his own dime, with the understanding that they’ll flip that coin back sometime after they earn their GRI. Having gotten into the real estate business in 1985, Upchurch decided to begin working toward his GRI in 1988, noting that even his very first class was phenomenal. “My next class was about five years later, and I took my last class and got my GRI designation four years ago,” says Upchurch. Through it all, whether his attendance was sequenced months or years apart, Upchurch says that he learned something to add to his skillset—or grow his business—in each and every class. For Tucker, who served as Dean of Georgia’s GRI in 2013 before earning his region’s REALTOR® of the Year award the following year, the GRI served as an avenue for post-licensing requirements—and then some. “My GRI took me further than everything I learned getting my license,” says Tucker. “It helped put my training in perspective and grow my business. Had I not gone through GRI training, I wouldn’t have the education that helped me create a successful business plan.” Not only is the designation instrumental in setting real estate professionals up for success as the industry continues to evolve, the course is a breath of fresh air when it comes to staying up-to-date with the constantly changing market. “The trainers are exceptional and they are very selective about who they get to teach their classes,” Upchurch adds “They keep their material fresh and up-todate, which is one more reason that I encourage all my agents to earn the designation.” “We work really hard to evolve the program to try and stay up-to-date in regard to everything REALTORS®need,” says Tucker, recalling the year he spent as Dean of Georgia’s GRI. While Tucker believes the GRI designation is most beneficial for REALTORS®, the courses offered on subjects, such as becoming an expert on trust accounts, could also be beneficial for brokers. In addition, the market courses may be good for office staff. “The year I was Dean, Charlie provided support by offering the program to new agents who then reimbursed him as they became more successful with the company,” says Tucker. “Today, we’re seeing excited, more energized

REALTORS® after they graduate. I can’t stress enough how the GRI designation helps develop and hone skills that were introduced during an agent’s initial real estate training.” Just about every member of Upchurch’s team who has gone through the GRI training says they’re glad they did. “The course teaches you everything you need to know to sell real estate and be successful,” concludes Upchurch. “It provides the foundation for standing out in the real estate industry.” For more information, please visit www.realtor.org/gri.

Maximizing Business Outside Your Market REALTORS PROPERTY RESOURCE®HELPS AGENTS EXTEND THEIR REACH By Zoe Eisenberg

n an industry that requires its professionals to wear many hats, having access to a solid, one-stop resource center to streamline your day-to-day tasks is critical. From improving your market presence to bolstering your knowledge of outside markets, Realtors Property Resource® (RPR®) has been enabling real estate professionals to better serve their clients since 2009.

The largest comprehensive database of parcel-centric property information currently on the market, RPR allows agents to improve their market analyses and offer an abundance of well-groomed, nicely packaged information to their clients. Real estate professional Jerry Holden of the Holden Agency in Mansfield, Ohio, has been using RPR to better serve his clients for the last year-and-a-half, and claims the tool has changed the way his whole team does business. “RPR levels the playing field in a few different ways,” says Holden. “Now, I have information at my fingertips 24/7, 365 days a year that I can use to help out my clients anywhere in the state of Ohio, or better yet, the country.” Holden, who has been in the real estate business for over 10 years, uses the tool to serve clients outside his typical market, explaining that in real estate, global is the new local. And for today’s real estate professionals, beRISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 65

ing able to offer clients insight beyond their niche market will not only broaden their reach, but also bring in more business. “Before RPR, if I were to help an out-of-state client, I would actually have to go and Google different websites to get information regarding the economics and schools and different real estate data to best serve them,” says Holden. “Now I have every market at my fingertips. I can be anywhere in the country and pull it up on my phone and see any property and all the information about it within seconds.” RPR is 100-percent REALTOR®-owned, which means the program knows exactly what today’s clients need, and how best to deliver it. Only available to REALTORS®, with no third-party or public access, RPR guarantees the only way consumers can access RPR information is through their agent. Holden notes that not only has the resource helped to educate his team, it has allowed them to outweigh their competition as well. “Being an independent brokerage, we may not have the resources that the big franchises do,” says Holden. “However, with RPR, we now have all the information that we could ever need to compete at a very high level.”

“RPR levels the playing field in a few different ways. Now, I have information at my fingertips 24/7, 365 days a year that I can use to help out my clients anywhere in the state of Ohio, or better yet, the country.” - JERRY HOLDEN, Holden Agency

Another upside of RPR? The platform’s accompanying app, which streamlines the power of your smartphone or tablet with the data and reporting from RPR®. From your device alone, agents can now view reports, capture data and send company-branded reports. “I use the mobile app more than I do the desktop,” says Holden. “I can be outside of a property and it will recognize the address and pick up all the information on that property within seconds.” This not only helps Holden better serve his clients, it makes him look extremely knowledgeable, competent and confident in doing so. For more information, please visit www.narrpr.com.

66 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Mobilized Marketing Makes All the Difference for Real Estate Brokerages CONNECT WITH CLIENTS LIKE NEVER BEFORE USING DOTSIGNAL

By Nick Caruso

obile technology has undoubtedly transformed our lives. Not only do mobile devices consume our personal lives, they’ve also completely rejuvenated and streamlined the way we conduct business. For real estate professionals, going mobile is a must in order to communicate with today’s buyers—and not just those highly sought-after millennials. Today’s consumers want information fast and at their fingertips, and the agent who can deliver that info the quickest may be the agent that lands the business. But having a smartphone or tablet isn’t the only answer. REALTORS® must also have trusted tools and partners by their side to help capture leads and deliver these lightning-fast responses. That’s where Dotsignal comes in.

Dotsignal is a mobile-platform company focused on helping real estate companies offer integrated mobile technology to agents that enables them to connect with their consumers. In fact, last year, homebuyers used online media to search for the home they ultimately purchased more frequently than they contacted their agents. Unsurprisingly, half of those searches were done from the comfort of their mobile devices. Proving that mobile is a significant part of the real estate business, Dotsignal aims to facilitate this agent-client relationship all through the use of mobile technology and know-how. For Kate Rossi, executive vice president of the southeast region for NRT, Dotsignal has helped her portfolio of companies mobilize their marketing endeavors and callto-actions within their already-existing print and signage strategies. “We have all types of tools that we give our agents, but Dotsignal has voice-search capability, among other services. We didn’t have that component, so it was attractive to us,” says Rossi. Buyers or sellers standing in front of a property sign have lots of options. They can call and speak the address to get information delivered back to their phones;

they can use their location to look up which homes are for sale nearest to them; they can call and enter a property code to find the home listed on the sign; or they can send a text with the property code to receive the desired information. All of these options powered by Dotsignal ensure that prospective clients get the information they want—exactly when they want it. “It’s all about the consumer today. If you wait three minutes to make contact, sometimes that’s too long,” says Rossi. “The consumer experience is what counts. Using Dotsignal, the agent is able to get back to them instantly, whether it’s speaking to them or texting, or however that client wants to communicate. It’s a better experience for the consumer.” These voice, text and scan call-to-actions can even be incorporated into traditional print and mail marketing materials, helping companies further control the consumer experience and keep all marketing efforts uniform across the board. With this high-level of mobile engagement added to an already existing technology strategy, partnering with Dotsignal can lead to improved lead conversion and accountability. “When we rolled it out in one area for testing, our buyer-controlled sales increased. We got better at converting leads all around, and it gave us an ‘a-ha!’ moment. By adding this one tool, it could be a competitive advantage for our agents compared to the rest of the world,” says Rossi. NRT in Florida also utilizes Dotsignal’s FrontDesk product, a cloud-based phone system designed specifically for the real estate industry. FrontDesk consistently an-

swers and services agents’ office calls using speech recognition technology, and can quickly transfer office calls to the appropriate agents and staff members. Callers can search a company’s inventory by simply speaking a property address 24/7, 365 days a year. As with all of Dotsignal’s activity generated on their platform, agents are notified by text message of any caller activity, including the caller’s name, property of interest and phone number. “Even if someone isn’t in the office late on evenings or weekends, we still get calls that people want addressed quickly. FrontDesk picks up when agents aren’t in the office,” says Rossi. “Once again, the agent who gets back the quickest normally gets to keep that client as a buyer down the road. We all want that instant gratification.” While very satisfied with the robust offerings that Dotsignal makes available, Rossi really champions the company’s customer service, which she calls “incredible.” “Their competitive edge is their customer service. They get back to the client and, if there is ever a challenge, they jump on it,” she says. “It’s a good tool for the agent, and their customer service is second to none.” For more information, please visit www.dotsignal.com or www.facebook.com/dotsignal.

A Quality Home Warranty Completes the Real Estate Service Package AMERICAN HOME SHIELD®ACTS AS THE FINAL INGREDIENT IN RECIPE FOR SUCCESS By Zoe Eisenberg

ny seasoned, successful real estate professional will tell you that client connections do not end on closing day. Keeping up with your clients and making sure they feel supported beyond the sale is how you score repeat clients, referrals, and a good night’s sleep knowing you’re on top of your game. With an abundance of competition and a market that won’t cease fluctuating, every added bell and whistle can bring you closer to your vision of ruling the real estate kingdom.

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For David Morris, Nevada’s top RE/MAX agent, success is directly correlated to providing high-quality services to his clients, his partner, and his team. He does this by surrounding himself with top affiliated companies, including American Home Shield (AHS®), which enables him to extend his quality of service. A national leader in the home warranty sphere, AHS offers exceptional coverage to both buyers and sellers, providing top-of-the-line protection while a home is on the market, and post-sale. This helps the client feel supported and safe, and provides the agent with an assurance that they’re doing all they can to offer a complete service package. “Working with AHS allows me to show a seller or buyer that I am offering another service of value to them,” says Morris, who has been in the real estate industry for 35 years, covering the Reno, Nev., market. Morris notes that his favorite part of his job is not only helping clients achieve their real estate goals, but assisting in problem solving along the way, and after. This is where a great home warranty company comes in. For Morris, none other than American Home Shield will do. “Listing a home with an AHS home warranty gives the seller some comfort during the sales process,” says Morris. A home is, after all, the largest and most important purchase most consumers will ever make. Offering protection will turn you from agent to all-star. “Buyers like having the back-up of an insurance plan after spending all of their time, money and energy to buy.”

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“Listing a home with an AHS home warranty gives the seller some comfort during the sales process. Buyers like having the back-up of an insurance plan after spending their time, money and energy to buy.” - DAVID MORRIS RE/MAX Realty Affiliates

Morris stresses that covering last-minute issues helps clients know they’re being cared for. “Knowing that they were covered by the plan makes for happy customers,” Morris says. Aside from making his clients happy, what is Morris’ favorite thing about working with AHS? Their fast response time and impeccable customer service. American Home Shield has a shiny track record; with the nation’s largest service contractor network, the company is able to assign a contractor to a received service request within 15 minutes on 90 percent of service requests—and that’s a number both you and your clients can feel good about. For more information, please visit www.ahs.com/realestate.

Be the first choice. Stand out from the crowd by earning your GRI Designation. Your clients are more sophisticated than ever, requiring you to perform at a higher level of professionalism. By earning the Graduate, REALTOR速 Institute Designation (GRI), you will lead the pack with real-world knowledge about new technologies, laws, and marketing techniques that positively affect your bottom line. Stay one step ahead of the competition. Earn your GRI.

Learn more by visiting www.REALTOR.org/GRI.

The Changing

Global Economy NAR Global examines the global landscape’s impact on U.S. real estate by Keith Loria

hile global real estate trends continue to change with the ebb and flow of foreign economies, opportunities for U.S. real estate professionals are there for the taking— provided they remain informed and well-versed in the nuances of the global market, including which countries are currently having the biggest impact on the American housing market…and why. Frank Kowalski, chairman of the National Association of REALTORS® Global Business & Alliances Committee, and a REALTOR® with Metro Dade Realty, Inc., in Miami, Fla., notes that while the global landscape continues to shift much like the desert sands, there seems to be a consistent interest in U.S. real estate. “Factors that have impacted the influx of foreign buyers in the U.S. are as diverse and varied as the countries they come from,” he says. “Whether it be for personal freedoms or milder weather or potential for financial gain, the root drive for those investing in the U.S. is not all that different than it was 100 years ago.” Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, says market conditions are solidly improving and he characterizes the global investment market as a good recovery, but doesn’t see it doing anything too impactful in the year ahead. “Foreign buyers typically make up 2-4 percent of all home transactions in the U.S., and there could be movement in the dial, but I expect the international impact to be fairly minimal,” he says. “The impact from China will 70 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“Foreign buyers typically make up 2-4

percent

of all home transactions in the U.S.” - LAWRENCE YUN Chief Economist, NAR

continue to grow positively. The impact on Europe may be held back somewhat because of Greece and other Eurozone economic slowdowns they may be experiencing, and Latin America is always a question mark.” While certain global economies have suffered, others have flourished. As an example, Kowalski cites a recent sale he made for a Venezuelan investor. “Venezuelans have long been anxious to invest in the U.S. real estate market here in Miami. One family in particular bought five new units in 2005 near the peak of the market bubble,” he says. “While many others chose to short sale out of this market, these investors knew holding on to these investments was prudent since rents were strong.”

“While the activity may be temporarily fading from our Canadian neighbors, I believe they will remain in the top five.” - FRANK KOWALSKI Chairman, NAR Global Business & Alliances Committee

Foreign investors seek the same things U.S. buyers do—security and safety of their investments and the hope that the investment will continue to grow. It’s a lesson they have learned from investments in other countries. “While certain economies such as Greece are experiencing considerable upheaval, its impact on other economies in the European Union appears to be minimal. The reason for that is it came as no surprise,” Kowalski says. “The 2008 U.S. meltdown came comparatively quickly, catching many by surprise. The crisis in Greece has been five years in the making. Those who found themselves invested in Greece since 2010 have had time to adjust their strategies to minimize their losses.”

Canada, China, Mexico, India and the United Kingdom were reported as accounting for 51 percent of all U.S. home purchases by foreign buyers. Currency Matters Yun and Kowalski both agreed that fluctuation in global economies is reflected in the currencies’ buying power. The U.S. dollar has really strengthened, so for foreign investors, real estate is more expensive to buy in the U.S. As an example, if a Brazilian investor had US $400,000 to spend on a property last fall, he or she would have been looking at properties listed at BRL 908,000. However, a year later, US $400,000 equates to BRL 1,396,000—a difference of over BRL 488,000. Another high profile example is our neighbor to the north, and the former leader in purchases of U.S. real estate, Canada. The Canadian loon has depreciated 12 percent against the U.S. dollar, cutting sharply into the Canadian ventures across the board. On the flip side, the Chinese yuan and Hong Kong dollar actually appreciated, which is evident by the strong international sales numbers from Asia over the past three years. For the first time ever, China (in this report, China includes People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan) surpassed Canada as the top buyer of U.S. real estate, according to NAR’s 2015 Profile of Home Buying Activity of International Clients. “It is important to note where the interest is coming from for U.S. real estate,” Kowalski says. “In a recent report from 24/7 Wall St., five countries—Canada, China, Mexico, India and the United Kingdom—were reported as accounting for 51 percent of all U.S. home purchases by foreign buyers. While the activity may be temporarily fading from our Canadian neighbors, I believe they will remain in the top five, though not as strong as in the past.”

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Gaining in Popularity Yun says that the expansion of international trade is one of the chief factors mobilizing buyers across borders. “More foreign business people will need to reside here in the U.S., and some of the U.S. companies want to locate abroad, so there will be a greater degree of people movement just because trade of goods and services internationally has been growing,” he says. “This will raise the presence of international buyers in the U.S.” Joao Teodoro da Silva, president of Brazil’s COFECICRECI (Federal Council of Real Estate Brokers—NAR’s partner in Brazil), points out that opportunities for Brazilian investors are on the rise in the U.S., due to affordable prices. “The price reduction that happened during the financial crisis period is now recovering progressively, and will reach its full value in a short-to-medium timeframe. Whomever buys now will certainly make a positive profit,” he says. “On the flip side, this is also an excellent moment for American investments in Brazil, not only because we have a growing market in a developing country, but because the currency exchange rate is, frankly, in favor of American citizens.” Francisco Rodolfo Pesserl, advisor to COFECI-CRECI’s

president and CILA’s (the Latin American Real Estate Confederation) executive secretary, says CILA members and Latin American investors are also finding favorable investments in America. “The U.S. is, and will always be, a large, stable and promising place within which to invest, and CILA members, in general, are attracted to the many options they can find to place their money, be it on the short, medium or long range,” he says. Knowing Where Global Opportunity Lies While tracking international buyer activity is difficult, it is estimated to represent approximately 4 percent of the entire U.S. market, down nearly 10 percent from the prior year in the number of transactions, but up in dollar volume. “Transactions are fueled heavily by the Chinese activity in California where their average purchase is near $1 million,” Kowalski says. “Florida, Texas and Arizona also enjoy the top spots for activity of global investments, with honorable mentions going to New York, New Jersey, and Illinois.” RE For more information, please visit www.realtor.org/global.

Homebuying Swagger Starts with Understanding Credit

he majority of homebuyers (95 percent) know that credit is important when purchasing a home, and those who know their credit scores feel significantly more prepared to buy, according to a recently released survey commissioned by Experian. In addition, 45 percent of future homebuyers say they delayed a home purchase to work on their credit and qualify for better interest rates.

credit scores in securing favorable interest rates to refinance their home (62 percent). Uncertainty Equals Concern: 8 Some groups are uncertain. Future buyers are anxious about getting good interest rates, while 41 percent are concerned their credit score won’t qualify for the best rate available. 8 Of the respondents who say they were concerned that their credit status would hurt their ability to purchase a home, 27 percent do not know their credit score. 8 Of the respondents who do not know their credit score, 48 percent are concerned that their credit status could hurt their ability to purchase a home.

Future buyers are anxious about getting good interest rates, while 41 percent are concerned their credit score won’t qualify for the best rate available.

“No one likes to go into a lender’s office, whether buying or refinancing, and not know the state of their credit; it makes them feel helpless,” says Becky Frost, senior manager of consumer education at Experian Consumer Services. “Our survey shows when people interact with their credit by tracking it and learning more about the factors that affect it, they feel more confident about their purchasing power.” The survey results show the difference that credit knowledge makes in the homebuying or refinancing experience. Knowledge Equals Power 8 People who know their credit scores feel significantly more prepared to buy a home versus those who do not know their credit scores (70 percent vs. 54 percent). 8 The majority of homebuyers understand the importance of their

Taking Action 8 Fifty-eight percent of future homebuyers indicate that they are actively working to improve their credit in order to qualify for a better home loan interest rate. They take specific action, such as paying off debt (55 percent), paying bills on time (54 percent), keeping balances low on credit cards (28 percent), protecting credit card information from fraud/identity theft (20 percent), and not applying for or opening new credit accounts (16 percent). Beyond the Score 8 Seventy-four percent of recent buyers recognize the impact of poor credit on securing a good interest rate, but fewer (61 percent) understand the potential effects of identity fraud on the financing process. 8 Sixty-two percent of future buyers are confident about their credit status, and 60 percent feel financially prepared to buy a home. RE RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 73

{Industry Insight}

Feng Shui a Driver of Home Selection and Investment for Chinese-Americans

etter Homes and Gardens®Real Estate and the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) recently released findings from a national survey of Chinese-Americans that reveal the impact of the ancient design philosophy, feng shui, on this population’s home-buying mindset and preferences.

The majority (76 percent) of ChineseAmericans surveyed are familiar with the principles of feng shui, which are considered to dictate spatial arrangement and building design to produce a harmonious flow of energy. Furthermore, over half of those who are familiar follow the practice in their daily lives. The prevalence of this unique art extends to home buying; 81 percent of those ChineseAmericans surveyed who are also homeowners indicated that feng shui factored into their most recent home purchase. This segment of the population is particular about adhering to feng shui in the home and 74 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

they’re also discerning about the real estate professionals they work with. More than a third (36 percent) would avoid an agent if they had no knowledge of feng shui principles. “It’s critical for real estate professionals to understand all consumer drivers within the home search,” says Sherry Chris, president and CEO, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. “For this population, feng shui applications are as essential as other traditional characteristics of a home. Understanding these considerations is part of being a sophisticated service provider, as well as an invaluable resource for

our clients during the home-buying and -selling processes.” A staggering 86 percent of all respondents stated feng shui will play a role in a future home-buying decision and 79 percent are willing to invest more for a home that incorporates its principles. As such, feng shui often carries a large premium, with respondents willing to pay an average of 16 percent more. On the flip side, for sellers, incorporating feng shui into the foundation of a home may also affect its future on the market, as 90 percent of ChineseAmericans believe implementing its principles increases a home’s resale value. “As the Asian American community’s influence in the real estate market continues to grow, feng shui principles are gaining much needed attention and have already influenced real estate developers and interior designers alike,” says Carmen Chong, 2015 AREAA National Chairwoman. “This research proves there is a significant financial incentive for investors and sellers to consider the application of feng shui in their properties. For an agent, understanding these principles can dramatically improve the opportunity for success within the ChineseAmerican market.” There are many elements of feng shui that range from design to the location of the home. When undergoing the home-buying process, 75 percent of surveyed Chinese-Americans indicated they had at least one dealbreaker that goes against feng shui principles that would prevent them from purchasing a home. These include: the home being located at the end of a dead-end street (31 percent), the home’s back stairs directly facing the front door (29 percent), the home having a sloped backyard (29 percent) and the home’s front and back doors being aligned with

each other (24 percent). Accordingly, when asked to rank the feng shui principles most important in a home-buying decision, 71 percent of Chinese-Americans indicated the cardinal direction the home is facing in their top three choices, followed by the location of the home on the street and the location of the stairs.

Additional Findings A Family Tradition: Nearly half of Chinese-American respondents (49 percent) are more likely than their parents to take feng shui into account when deciding on a home, including 69 percent of those who practice feng shui. That said, 85 percent would bring along a family member other than a significant other when house shopping. Home Is Where There’s Feng Shui: A home’s amenities and the surrounding neighborhood are important when looking to buy, but as findings show, many prioritize feng shui. In fact, 41 percent of Chinese-Americans think it’s important when looking for a home. Two-thirds of those who practice feng shui (66 percent) feel the same, making it the second most important consideration among

that group, only behind neighborhood safety. Elements of Design: Eighty-seven percent of ChineseAmericans have essential feng shui elements they desire for their kitchen, including it being organized and free of clutter (64 percent), its colors complementing each other (32 percent) and the kitchen stove not being directly below the master bedroom (29 percent). The careful arrangement of space and design continues in the bedroom, where 72 percent of ChineseAmericans have essential elements incorporated. These include avoiding the bed directly facing the door (41 percent), mirrors being placed away from the bed (34 percent) and the ceiling having a consistent height with no slopes (25 percent). Sixty-two percent of survey respondents apply spatial fundamentals to the design of their bathroom. These include the bathroom being located away from the home’s center (28 percent), the toilet being located in a separate space (24 percent) and having a full-length mirror (23 percent). RE For more information, visit www.BHGRE.com.

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Survey

Open Houses:

Powerful or Pointless? by Nick Caruso

n the latest RISMedia survey, we asked our readers whether they’re still using the good ol’ fashioned open house as part of their marketing plan. After an overwhelming response, the tribe has spoken: 56 percent said they were pointless,

while 44 percent remained in favor. But this was just the tip of

say

the surprising responses collected and presented in this exclusive infographic. Nearly 72 percent of respondents claimed to host 1-6 open houses per month, while almost a quarter (24 percent) abstain from them all together. While reasons vary as to why agents choose to host or disregard open houses, 35 percent indicated that sellers “frequently” expect open houses to be included in overall marketing plans, while 41 percent said sellers “sometimes” expect them, suggesting that the events are still utilized due to their popularity in the eyes of clients. In terms of benefits to the agent, gaining leads and referrals led the pack, followed second by getting invaluable buyer feedback. To promote open houses, the top method of communication used was hardly a shocker: social media. Email blasts and print advertising were also highly selected by respondents as methods of promotion. Respondents also indicated many other left-of-center methods for drawing in potential buyers, including gift card raffles and other giveaways, a wine tasting, and a “sneakpeek” BBQ held the night before. Other responses were far left-of-center: one agent hired a sign holder and dressed him in a dog costume, and another held a “Where’s Waldo”-style game, with a hidden garden gnome in the house— whoever found it first won a special prize. Creativity seems key when hosting 76 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

% 44 Found hosting an

open house to be powerful

62%

surveyed host 1-3 open houses a month

24% host none 10% host 4 - 6 4% host 7+

Do sellers expect an open house to be included in your overall marketing plan?

Never

18%

Always

35%

Frequently

41%

Sometimes

How do you promote upcoming open houses?

Social Media

Word of Mouth

Email Blasts

Mailers

Print Advertising

Precautions taken to keep buyers safe: 1 2 3 4 5

Plan several escape routes in advance Have emergency numbers ready on speed dial Always have another agent or colleague host with you Carry a weapon Request that police attend or drive by the home The most important thing a seller should do to prepare for an open house is

De-Clutter.

76-100%

50% 51-75%

1-25%

26-50%

Followed by: Remove Valuables Board Pets and Hide Personal Items

Surveyed credit open houses for 1 - 25% of their business.

How do open houses benefit your business?

They don’t help much

1 Gain leads and referrals

Get buyer feedback

I sell many homes through open houses

an open house, and the more unique ideas agents bring to the table, the greater the result, according to the responses. While many indicate that personal phone calls and emails are common follow-up strategies, some stated using the Open Home Pro app as a huge aid to their efforts. While Open Home Pro streamlines the process for agents, automating a follow-up response for them, others responded that handwritten letters were chosen to add a personal touch and help solidify their new leads captured at the event. While answers were varied, open houses remain a very polarizing topic in the industry, and the many additional (and optional) comments received definitely supported that. Said one respondent: “I have worked open houses for one year straight…I only got two clients out of it. The next year I stopped spending money on food and exerting energy on open houses. I give new agents that job. It gives them experience on pulling comps and meeting customers, and they have the time to do so. It does satisfy the seller who wants them. I have never sold one of my listings through open houses. It’s not worth the time and effort.” Becky Babcock of Path&Post Real Estate Team agreed. “Agents use the Internet as a 24/7 open house by using professional photography and video. We sold 200+ homes last year with zero open houses. Inviting strangers into someone’s home is not smart. They can scope out a house and leave a window unlocked with a plan to return to rob or assault the owners. Plus, buyers can spread out in a home, making it impossible to watch them.” Opinions on the topic continued to vary. “Open houses are neither pointless nor powerful, but they do have their place in a marketing plan and many clients expect them. I enjoy hosting them,” said one respondent. Susan Petty from Ron Davis, REALTORS® also had positive remarks toward open houses: “People thinking about buying will drop by an open house. Curious neighbors will, too. Though most agents would prefer not to do them, they are an excellent source of potential buyers and sellers. I have been fortunate enough to sell a couple of homes at open houses and I have met many buyers at open houses who eventually bought a house from me.” Visit RISMedia’s Housecall blog, blog.rismedia.com, to comment and share our infographic. Nick Caruso is RISMedia’s senior editor. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 77

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{Life in Mobile}

Take Back Your Listings by John Lim

oogle is the most popular search engine on the Web by a landslide. You know this because over 70 percent of you begin your searches on Google, which means that over 70 percent of your potential clients also begin their searches on Google. Real estate portals like Zillow, Trulia and realtor.com® know this too, and many billions of dollars of market value are based on the many billions of page views these portals get from Google each year.

As a REALTOR®, it’s virtually impossible to compete with portals as they have seemingly infinite SEO and marketing resources. Search for your listing by address and you’re likely to be buried under many—if not dozens—of sites advertising your listing with another agent’s contact information. The prominence of portals has caused most of the industry to shift their advertising dollars to the portals, as the assumption was that’s where the consumer begins their search. But that’s simply not true; the overwhelming majority of consumers start their searches with Google and then funnel into one of the portals. To that end, in 2014, 41.9 percent of Zillow’s traffic originated from Google. What if your property advertisement came up before Zillow’s in that consumer’s search results? Had it, it’s quite possible that click would have landed the consumer on your website, likely resulting in your phone ringing or a new email in your inbox from a potential buyer. Despite the massive resources both the market and all of you have provided the portals by spending your hard-earned advertising budgets with them, there’s now an al-

ternative. Welcome to part one of a four-part series we’ll be bringing you through the end of the year that details how you can take your listings back by using the Intelligent Advertising Platform released by Life in Mobile on Sept. 1, 2015. The Intelligent Advertising Platform (IAP) allows you to automatically advertise all of your listings within a few clicks. You simply sign up, set a budget per property (e.g., $30 per month per listing), select your IDX feed and enter credentials, and the platform takes it from there. Ad units of all sizes are automatically created and populated with property information, landing pages are automatically created, and your ads begin running within a few hours. More curious users can edit the ad copy and websites to which ad clicks resolve. When your funds are low, the platform automatically bills you (with a courtesy reminder the day before). You literally set it and forget it; you go about your business and the platform ensures that you have maximum visibility for a highly optimized spend. Now, you may ask how this will help you beat the portals. The answer lies in the back-end technology within the IAP. It was designed,

The overwhelming majority of consumers start their searches with Google and then funnel into one of the portals. tested and then optimized to practically ensure your advertisement is at the top of Google, in the prominent and revered “Above the Map” position over 90 percent of the time. Owning this spot puts you at the very top of the search results page, pushing your competitors and portals down the page. Interested in learning more? Visit http://linkto.us/IAP for a video demo, or sign up for one of our weekly webinars. Next month, we’ll talk about further customizing your advertisements with taxonomy and extended keywords to increase your exposure “Around the Map” and on the right-side advertising panel on Google. RE

John Lim is CEO of Life in Mobile. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 79

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Webinar Recap: Keep Up with Technology or Be Left Behind by Nick Caruso

t’s safe to say that in 2015, if agents aren’t utilizing technology to the fullest, including social media, they’re leaving money on the table, according to the latest RISMedia Agent Webinar entitled “Money Makers: Real Estate Technology You Need to Succeed.” Moderated by Verl Workman, the webinar checked in with Rob Levy of The Rob Levy Team, Keller Williams Realty Professionals in Portland, Ore., and Rob Zwemmer, president and team leader of the Zwemmer Realty Group, Luxury Homes by Keller Williams in Indian Wells, Calif.

Presented by Quicken Loans and Homes.com, Levy and Zwemmer packed quite the punch, offering the secrets to their success and their favorite tech tools. “In order to really learn technology and better yourself, spend as much money as you can on RAM and hard drive space. It will make you much more productive,” says Levy. Levy attributes a lot of his business to “people farming.” Connecting with REALTORS® from other

markets has gotten him loads of referrals. But one of the main tools he uses to expand his reach? Facebook. “Facebook has really changed a lot of things. Target marketing on Facebook has become a big deal. You can drill down to income brackets, cities, etc., and then only promote your ads to those people,” he says. Zwemmer, a former upper management executive for Cirque du Soleil, takes what he learned from

traveling the globe with the theatrical production company and applies it to his current business in real estate. As he experienced with the fans of Cirque du Soleil, he says: “Create raving fans that become part of your salesforce. That’s what matters. Do more than what’s expected.” For his website, Zwemmer uses Real Pro Systems, a company cocreated by Levy, which he calls “very cost effective.” His Real Pro website allows his company to remain mobile-friendly, which he deems a “must.” While Levy highly praises Facebook, Zwemmer champions Instagram. His account posts three photos a day of random properties from all over the world, highlighting great views or lavish rooms. “Millennials and new age buyers are all on Instagram. If you want to be in business in 10 to 15 years, you need to start investing in and getting a foothold on Instagram,” says Zwemmer. To help his social media efforts, Zwemmer also hired a social media manager and frequently uses an app called TagsForLikes, which allows users to copy and paste highly used hashtags to add to Instagram photo descriptions. While being tangible and farming still work, Zwemmer believes that Periscope, a fairly new Twitter company, will be the next big thing. Periscope allows users to create their very own real estate-based broadcast channel that others can log in and watch. “It’s absolutely the coolest interactive app out there. For real estate, it’s going to be a game changer.” RE This article originally appeared on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. Visit us at blog.rismedia.com. Nick Caruso is RISMedia’s senior editor.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 83

{Trending}

Amid U.S. Housing Recovery, Brokers Keep a Concerned Eye on China by Andrew King

he news has been grim. Headline after headline has shown

panic setting in across the Pacific Ocean as China reels from a massive crash in its young and volatile stock market. At its worst period, the Shanghai Composite Index plunged a stunning 30 percent in three weeks—the equivalent of the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 5,400 points.

84 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

This economic implosion is particularly alarming for real estate brokers on the West Coast or in any city that has been riding a wave of Chinese investment during the recovery of the U.S. housing market. Credit Suisse issued a statement suggesting that the Chinese stock crash could lead to a new subprime lending crisis due to the fact that so many Chinese stock investors were borrowing money—presumably by refinancing their homes—to buy Chinese stocks on margin. Bank of America/Merrill Lynch agreed that a new financial crisis could be brewing in the Far East. John Wong, managing broker of Better Homes and Gardens Real

Estate Mason-McDuffie in San Francisco, does not see this Chinese stock correction playing out that extremely, though he says it might slow down the flood of Chinese money into the U.S., at least temporarily. He has been selling homes in the Bay area to Chinese nationals and Chinese-Americans for 33 years. In the past five years, these buyers have grown to be about 65 percent of his business. “I’m deep in it,” Wong says. “I’m like, ‘Oh my God, what is this going to do for the U.S. market?’ But as I follow it deeper and deeper, I realize it’s very alarmist in the headlines. The folks who have driven (the Shanghai Composite Index) up are not the folks who’ve bought American real estate.” About 90 million Chinese people are considered regular “retail” investors in their stock market, and many of them are taking the brunt of this summer’s blow. It’s sad that so many have lost so much—and so quickly—but the broader view isn’t that scary from a macroeconomic level, Wong says. Before the recent crash, the Shanghi Composite had doubled in about a year, so most of the early retail investors would still be cash positive or even. The main issue to pay attention to, Wong says, is how the Chinese government will react to this increased volatility. Wong is also watching Chinese development groups such as Greenland, which has been investing billions of dollars in American cities like the resurging downtown of Los Angeles and Manhattan’s Atlantic Yards, to see if they pull the plug on their projects. In the meantime, though, the prevailing motivator could likely be a bullish investment thesis of U.S. real estate. “It makes buying real estate outside of China even more attractive,” says Wong. Seattle and Vancouver have been hot markets for the Chinese, and

brokers there don’t see that trend letting up anytime soon either. “The Seattle area has had a big increase in Chinese nationals buying homes in the past few years, particularly on the Eastside. A large portion of those sales have been in the high-end luxury market, and far more transactions have been all-cash than in the past,” explains Sam DeBord, managing broker of Seattle Homes Group, Coldwell Banker Danforth.

“The Chinese buyers who are purchasing vacation homes may slow down as their assets shrink, but those who are looking for a new life and a stable place to live will probably keep coming.” - SAM DEBORD Managing Broker, Seattle Homes Group, Coldwell Banker Danforth

He acknowledges that some of those who have moved to Seattle from China in the past five years could have been caught up in the stock market action of their homeland, and now they might be squeezed financially, putting their properties at risk. However, the broader market of the city is unlikely to be affected, says DeBord. Asked about Chinese-Americans losing their savings in the crash and being forced to sell their Seattle homes, DeBord admits, “that’s possible, but the most common story we hear is people buying homes in good school districts so that they can send their children here and move permanently, eventually. We’ve had clients who didn’t even have children yet send the future grandparents over to find the future family home. If they’ve already purchased, they’re seeing value appreciation here and it’s another good reason to stay.” The lesson here is that all investments are relative to everything else. In a global economy, when one asset

class falls out of favor, the others look that much better. In this case, an unstable Chinese stock market could reroute those investors to American real estate. “Although American real estate has ups and downs, it’s still seen as a far more stable asset than many others. Tie that to the stability of the dollar, and international turmoil points to more investment here—for those who didn’t lose their assets internationally already,” DeBord says. “The Chinese buyers who are purchasing vacation homes may slow down as their assets shrink, but those who are looking for a new life and a stable place to live will probably keep coming.” The new challenge for brokers is to make sure these buyers are financially sound and haven’t been hurt too badly from the market turmoil back home, DeBord adds. There could be a lot of vulnerabilities hidden in the wealth of a Chinese buyer if they’re either invested heavily in the Shanghai Composite Index and/ or leveraged with their mortgage back home. “Brokers need to do their due diligence with buyers and make sure they’re fully educated on the risk and transactional costs,” advises DeBord. “Get proof of funds from buyers upfront, and explain to them that they must be in a liquid savings account, not a security or anything with potential of quick losses. By having foreign buyers prepared to present themselves as not only willing buyers, but financially and legally prepared buyers, brokers can close more transactions.” 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. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 85

{RISMedia’s Great Spaces} by Nick Caruso & Zoe Eisenberg Luxury living on Kiawah Island S.C.

86 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Live It Up on Kiawah Island Looking for a little island living? How about a lot of island living? This South Carolina home offers 200 feet of stunning ocean frontage, classic architecture and every bell and whistle imaginable. Located on South Carolina’s posh Kiawah island in the pristine Vanderhorst Beach neighborhood, this eight-bedroom, 12-bathroom house spans over 15,182 square feet. Originally built in 2006, the classic shingle-style seaside home is fully decked out with a guesthouse, threestory foyer, billiard room with full bar, infinity pool and spa, iron-gated redwood wine room, soundproof library, media room and more. The home features more than 20 varieties of special stone and marble, with every detail stunning from floor-to-ceiling. Listed by: Kiawah Island Real Estate Listed for: $24 million Photos courtesy of Patrick O’Brien

This island retreat features 20-plus varieties of stone and marble, plus an infinity pool/spa.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 87

Tommy Lee Jones Sells Pristine Polo Ranch That’s probably not the headline you would expect to see regarding the home of the number one man in black and all around mean-muggin’ moviestar, but it’s true. Tommy Lee Jones (“No Country for Old Men,” “Men in Black,” “Lincoln”) is letting go of his San Saba Polo Ranch, located in Wellington, Fla., which he has owned since 2002. While you may not have pegged million, the 3,800 square-foot home offers up four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a swimming pool with spa and jets, an ultra-mod kitchen, balconies and, with sliding doors and a plethora of glass, an abundance of indoor-outdoor living. While Minor originally gained fame on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” the director, composer and producer has also worked on “American Idol” and “America’s Got Talent,” and has toured with many of the greats, including Queen Bey, Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera. We speculate his new home will be filled with mu-

Pony playing and polo at Tommy Lee Jones’ Florida ranch, now for sale.

Jones for a polo man, the eighthgeneration Texan from oil country is a championship player and owns multiple ranches and polo fields in the U.S. and South America. The actor’s Florida ranch stretches over an immaculate 55 acres and includes 48 horse stalls, its own regulationsize, irrigated polo field, an exercise track, seven tack rooms, laundry, wash racks and separate equipment building. A serene lake with an accompanying waterfall sits outside the property, as does a nature preserve equipped with trails. The house itself is a modern fourbedroom, two-bath residence, mod-

88 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

est in size as far as mansions go, but its surrounding property, and its opportunity for major pony play, more than makes up for it. Listed for: $19.9 million Source: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

Band Man Finds New Stage Famous bandleader Rickey Minor, who originally gained notice on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” recently snagged a Hollywood Hills contemporary with soaring ceilings and walls of glass. Sold for just under $3

Here and below: Madonna’s recently remodeled French country mansion has 1.14 private acres right in the heart of Beverly Hills.

photo caption

for $12 million when she married Guy Ritchie in 2003. She listed it for sale in 2012 for $28 million and sold it in 2013 for $19.5 million. It has recently come back on the market. Set at the end of a 500-foot gated drive on 1.14 private acres, the 5,800-square-foot home has nine bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, two living/reception rooms, a two-story dining room, a junior dining room, large kitchen/breakfast room/den, a full-size screening room/theatre, two offices, assistants’ offices, a gym, staff rooms, two guest houses, tennis court and a resort-size pool. One of the closest celebrity neighbors is Simon Cowell. Recently remodeled and meticulously maintained, Madonna’s former Beverly Hills estate is now for sale, priced at $27.995 million. RE Listed by: Kurt Rappaport and Andrew Meyers of Westside Estate Agency Listed for: $27.995 million Source: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

sic, and a celebrity, or five. Rock on, Minor. Rock on.

Madonna’s Beverly Hills French Country Mansion A woman who needs no introduction, Madonna, pop superstar and avid art collector, has listed her Beverly Hills palace. The singer has more than 300 paintings by renowned artists such as Picasso, Léger, Dali and Frida Kahlo. She has also owned and currently owns several fabulous homes. One of the homes she formerly owned is now on the market. Now for sale is the French Country mansion on Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills, which Madge bought RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 89

{Ask the Experts} Lance Malcolm Chief Operating Officer Contractor Connection www.contractorconnection.com

What are your top three tips for becoming an indispensable real estate agent?

A:stop.

Whatever you’re doing now,

Step back and evaluate how you’re making yourself the go-to expert for your clients. Do you have the needed answers and tips that help your clients love their home before—and even after—the sale? What can you do to make yourself their forever REALTOR®? In the new age of instant everything, and the world at our fingertips, consumers have unconsciously taken their customer service expectations to heightened levels. They expect the best, they expect it fast and they expect it to be reliable. Are you delivering? Stay indispensable by keeping yourself involved in the process from beginning to end. This includes the remodeling and repair process. Whether the property is being bought or sold, connecting your client to a trustworthy, qualified contractor delivers value above and beyond, positioning yourself as a valuable resource today and in the

future. But you need to be confident that your referral will deliver timely, quality results and not end in regret. A simple introduction to a managed contractor network can be a game-changer. This once best-kept secret of the insurance industry is now available to consumers. Insurance agencies often outsource their contractor program management for claims to a third party such as Contractor Connection, which offers an expanding network of 4,800 contractors in the United States and Canada. Only the best contractors are accepted after a lengthy and stringent application and credentialing process. Consumer access to the network is free and available 24/7, making it an invaluable tool for you and your client. By answering a few questions online, your client will be connected with the best professional for their project and one that backs their work with a three-year workmanship warranty. And later, after the project is complete, your expertise as a REALTOR® can help your clients realize the return on their investment, if they do decide to sell. Become familiar with managed contractor networks and follow these tips to position yourself as an indispensable agent.

1. Be the go-to expert. Your extensive knowledge of the real

Whether the property is being bought or sold, connecting your client to a trustworthy, qualified contractor delivers value above and beyond, positioning yourself as a valuable resource today and in the future. – Lance Malcolm Chief Operating Officer, Contractor Connection

estate industry and resources available is critical. Be the tour guide for their home and for valuable, expert resources nearby that are proven, trustworthy and easy to use. Using managed contractor networks can help. No need to research who is best in the area and which contractor is highest rated or reviewed. In the case of Contractor Connection, they do the work for you. In just a few clicks, you get access to the expertise, knowledge and large scale of the network. Remember, your clients are looking for a better, faster and reliable referral.

2. Personalize their experience. Providing customized solutions is key to client satisfaction. Use trusted sites and applications to deliver concierge-style services. Do you have a client needing modifications due to special needs or aging? Or one that wants to create a new interior/exterior to set their property apart from the rest? Online resources like Contractor Connection instantly find the best expert nearby out of a network of thousands specializing in home modifications and remodeling. Further, several mobile applications like MyContractor (Google Play and iTunes) allow your client to upload pictures of their project directly into the app for the contractor to review and provide comments.

3. Leverage technology. An easy way to stay competitive is to use tech-savvy vendors. Contractor networks usually depend heavily on technology to ensure the most efficient processes and correct pricing. For example, the entire Contractor Connection network is required to use advanced estimating software to accelerate the process while ensuring that their estimates are fair and reasonable. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 91

Silvia Englert General Manager Houserie.com Tenant Screening www.Houserie.com

What steps should property managers take to find the perfect tenant for their rental property?

A:sociated

One of the hardest jobs aswith being a landlord or property manager is finding that perfect tenant who will pay the rent on time and take care of the property as if it’s their own. Here are some tips to make the process more successful.

Set standards that every prospective tenant must meet to be qualified. Creating a set of standards that all applicants must meet to be considered for a particular rental unit is extremely important. Each rental unit should have its own standards, dependent on the quality and location of the rental. Standards can include a minimum verifiable income-to-rent ratio, a minimum credit score, a history clear of evictions, a pet policy, and so on. As long as those standards stay within the bounds of all fair housing laws and are applied consistently, you as a property manager get to determine what those criteria are.

Conduct a phone interview with every prospective tenant. Talk to every interested candidate on the phone and let them know what the rent and deposit amounts are before showing them the property. A short phone interview can quickly eliminate tenants that are not serious and/or not qualified. Asking the right questions is also important. Examples include: What kind of pet(s) do you have? When do you want to move? Why are you moving? Be sure to take notes and listen for inconsistencies. Then fill out a pre-qualiﬁcation form for all potential tenants that are still interested, review the information and invite applicants that pre-qualify to come and view the property.

Show the rental property and ask prospects to fill out a tenant application. Meet every applicant in person no matter how perfect they sound. Are they on time? Do you like them? Do they seem interested in the property? Do they “fit” the neighborhood? Do you feel they’re being honest? If everything seems right and the potential tenant is still interested, hand them an application and ask them to fill it out right then and there. Personal information, current and last two landlords, current and last

Creating a set of standards that all applicants must meet to be considered for a particular rental unit is extremely important. Each rental unit should have its own standards dependent on the quality and location of the rental.

Review the applications and run a background screening on qualified prospects. When reviewing applications, make sure you comply with federal laws (Fair Housing Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act) as well as any local ordinances that apply. Read all rental apps carefully and compare them with your notes and standards. Background screenings should include previous addresses, national criminal and sex offender search, national eviction search and a credit history. Evictions, bankruptcies, poor payment history, a low credit score and a low income-torent ratio can all be signs that an applicant might not pay their rent on time.

Check references. Last but not least, check employment and landlord references listed in the rental application. Sometimes tenants will give fake references and list a friend as a previous landlord or employer. When talking to their current landlord, beware that they might not be truthful, as they may be trying to get rid of a difficult tenant. For verification of income, request that the tenant provide you with a copy of their most recent paystub(s) or last year’s W-2. You should also call the employer to get more insight. Many companies have rules and regulations on what information they’re able to disclose about their employees, so questions that require a yes or no answer may garner better results.

Select your perfect tenant. – Silvia Englert

General Manager, Houserie.com Tenant Screening

92 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

two employers and monthly income should all be part of the application, as well as an authorization to do a complete background screening.

After reviewing all the information and comparing it with the standards

you set, you can now make your decision. Hopefully you’ve found the perfect tenant and the applicant can sign the lease, agree to all the rules and regulations, and pay the deposit and first month’s rent.

Congratulations on finding the perfect tenant!

John Wendorff Chief Encouragement Officer The Personal Marketing Company, since 1978 www.tpmco.com

When it comes to real estate, what are the three R’s real estate professionals must focus on in order to find long-term success?

A:R’s in school—reading, writing

Most of us learned the three

and “rithmetic”—the basics. But it’s amazing to me how many agents have forgotten to practice their real estate basics, or what I like to call the three R’s of real estate. At the risk of sounding trite, I want to talk about the basics of a longterm, successful real estate business. And add a couple of thoughts about re-engaging.

R #1. Relationships Basic? You bet! I cannot tell you the number of

agents I speak with who still struggle with having enough quality leads to make a successful living. Many have even been driven to purchase expensive, low-response “Internet leads” in order to find prospects. If you’ve been in the real estate business longer than four years and cannot sustain enough quality contacts to build your business organically, you have a relationship problem. Long-term relationships have everything to do with your success and they’re the cornerstone for the next two R’s.

R #2. Repeat Clients I know, everyone talks a good game about repeat business, but check the National Association of REALTORS®’ statistics about how many people actually use the same agent again. In every study I’ve seen, the number is less than 15 percent. Fifteen percent! That’s dismal, and completely avoidable. We survey thousands of clients for REALTORS® every year through our Client Follow-Up programs— more than 10,000 to-date in 2015. The vast majority of consumers don’t just like their agent, they love them and consider them a friend by the time the buying process is over. So, why don’t they come back to their friend? It’s simple. Their “friendly agent” doesn’t treat them like a friend. The

agent treats them like a transaction. Many clients tell us that because they rarely (or never) hear from their agent again, they assume they did something wrong and that the agent would prefer not to do business with them again. Can you believe it? The consumer actually thinks that they are “unworthy” of the agent’s time and attention. That’s disastrous, and it leads directly into the lack of the last R.

R #3. Referrals The successful outcome of relationship development is truly referrals. If 30 - 50 percent of your business isn’t coming from referrals from your friends and former clients, your relationship management needs a makeover. Don’t assume that your contacts recognize your need for their help. Ask for it. Better yet, call them. Invite them to coffee or lunch. Don’t worry, they’ll be glad to reciprocate. Someone has to get the ball rolling.

Why not you? Why not now? If you’re serious about improving your personal and business success, email me at John.Wendorff@ PersonalMarketingCo.com and I’ll send you a game plan to build your three R’s of real estate. Success starts here…because you deserve it. RE

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

Index of Preferred Providers The leading companies providing services to the real estate and relocation industries ABR®....................................................................................... 96 American Home Shield............................................................. 96 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices........................................... 96 Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate LLC............................ 96 Buffini & Company................................................................... 96 Carrington Real Estate Services................................................ 96 Centralized Showing Service..................................................... 96 Century 21 Real Estate LLC...................................................... 96 Certified New Home SpecialistTM............................................... 96 Coldwell Banker®..................................................................... 96 Contractor ConnectionSM........................................................... 96 CRS Data................................................................................. 97 DocuSign................................................................................. 97 Dotsignal................................................................................. 97 Engel & Völkers........................................................................ 97 The Entrust Group.................................................................... 97 ERA Franchise Systems, LLC..................................................... 97 Equity Real Estate.................................................................... 97 FeedbackCentral...................................................................... 97 First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation®................ 97 HomeFinder.com...................................................................... 97 Homes.com............................................................................. 97 HomeSmart International......................................................... 98 HomeTeam Inspection Service.................................................. 98 HSA Home Warranty................................................................. 98 Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®.......................... 98 MRE (Mobile Real Estate)......................................................... 98 National Association of REALTORS®.......................................... 98 On The Move, Inc...................................................................... 98 The Personal Marketing Company............................................. 98 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors.................................................. 98 Point2...................................................................................... 98 Quicken Loans......................................................................... 99 The Real Estate Book............................................................... 99 Real Living Real Estate............................................................. 99 Real Pro Systems..................................................................... 99 Realogy Holdings Corp............................................................. 99 realtor.com®............................................................................ 99 Realtors Property Resource®.................................................... 99 Realty ONE Group.................................................................... 99 RE/MAX, LLC............................................................................ 99 RentalRoost, Inc....................................................................... 99 RIS Consulting Services........................................................... 99 RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network®.............................. 100 Showing Beacon.................................................................... 100 Stewart Title........................................................................... 100 Top Producer® CRM................................................................ 100 VoicePad................................................................................ 100 Workman Success Systems.................................................... 100 zipLogix.................................................................................. 100

RREIN Service Providers

Ascent Real Estate, Inc........................................................... 100 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate... 100 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, REALTORS®....101 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Florida Network Realty..... 101 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty................... 101 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS®.....101 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties............ 101 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties............ 101 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties.................101 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Mason-McDuffie........ 101 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Rand Realty............... 101 Calcagni Real Estate.............................................................. 101 CENTURY 21 AllPoints Realty.................................................. 102 CENTURY 21 Award................................................................ 102 CENTURY 21 New Millennium................................................. 102 CENTURY 21 Scheetz............................................................. 102 Coach REALTORS®................................................................. 102 Coldwell Banker Advantage..................................................... 102 Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS®............................. 102 Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty.................................. 102 Coldwell Banker Prime Properties........................................... 102 Diane Turton, REALTORS®....................................................... 102 Fillmore Real Estate............................................................... 103 First Team® Real Estate.......................................................... 103 GARDNER, REALTORS®........................................................... 103 Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate.............................................. 103 Harry Norman, REALTORS®..................................................... 103 J. Rockcliff REALTORS®........................................................... 103 Jordan Baris, Inc., REALTORS®................................................ 103 Kinlin Grover Real Estate Real Living....................................... 103 Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc................................................ 103 Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty.................... 103 McCOLLY Real Estate.............................................................. 104 Page Taft Real Living............................................................... 104 Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate.............................................. 104 Randall, REALTORS® Real Living...................................................104 Real Estate Teams, LLC..................................................................104 RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central......................................... 104 RE/MAX of Boulder, Inc.......................................................... 104 RE/MAX Crossroads............................................................... 104 RE/MAX Gateway................................................................... 104 RE/MAX Professionals............................................................ 104

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 95

ABR® (800) 648-6224 • www.rebac.net • Chicago, Ill. • Marc Gould, Executive Director Brokers are busy with many competing priorities. They should feel comfortable with their salespeople who have earned the ABR® designation when working with buyer-clients. Real estate professionals can hone their skills in representing the needs of homebuyers in real estate transactions and earn the coveted Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation, giving agents knowledge and confidence to navigate the market.

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.

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.

BUFFINI & COMPANY (800) 945-3485 • www.buffiniandcompany.com Headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif., Buffini & Company is the largest real estate coaching and training company in North America. Founded by real estate expert and master motivator Brian Buffini, the company provides a unique and highly effective lead generation system and comprehensive business coaching and training programs, which have helped entrepreneurs in 37 countries improve their business, increase net profit and enhance their quality of life.

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 prop96 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

erty 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 6,900 independently owned and operated franchised brokerages and more than 100,000 independent 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 websites, www.century21.com and www.century21. com/espanol, a recently redesigned intranet site, www.21Online. com, and the Century 21 Learning System®, a Web-based learning platform. Century 21 Real Estate LLC is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp.

CERTIFIED NEW HOME SPECIALISTTM (800) 428-1122 • www.sellnewhomes.com SellNewHomes.com is the online headquarters for Certified New Home Specialist™ and Residential Construction Certified™ training, sales systems and marketing tools, created by Dennis Walsh & Associates, Inc. Based in Newport Beach, Calif., the company is owned and operated by nationally recognized new home, real estate and construction experts Dennis and Teresa Walsh. The Walshes have established Certified New Home Specialist™ as the No. 1 brand of training and support products for new home sales success. To learn more contactus@sellnewhomes.com.

COLDWELL BANKER® www.coldwellbanker.com/join Coldwell Banker®, the original Silicon Valley real estate start-up founded in 1906, continues to lead the real estate industry with an insatiable appetite for innovation and exceptional experiences. Following a series of industry firsts, including the debut of Coldwell Banker On LocationTM YouTube channel, the consumerfacing Blue Matter blog and the revamped coldwellbanker.com platform that allows sellers to post their own comments, photos and videos about their home, Coldwell Banker recently launched CBx, an exclusive iPad app that allows Coldwell Banker affiliated agents to utilize big data to augment their listing presentations.

CONTRACTOR CONNECTIONSM www.contractorconnection.com Contractor Connection®, an industry leader in contractor managed repair and home improvement services, provides insurance carriers and consumers a national network of residential and commercial contractors who are vetted and managed for performance, measuring quality, timeliness and customer satisfaction. For more information, please visit www.contractorconnection.com.

CRS DATA www.crsdata.com Since 1989, CRS Data has provided you with a wealth of tax data. Our new, customized MLS Tax Suite by CRS Data integrates seamlessly into your MLS system and gives REALTORS® current tax data, detailed maps and robust features on all browsers and mobile devices. Find listings and FSBOs quickly, evaluate them effectively and give clients professional presentations. We’re proud to provide a personal customer service experience to support our intuitive MLS Tax Suite. Learn more by visiting www.crsdata.com.

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 (866) 403-6010 • www.dotsignal.com 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.

ENGEL & VÖLKERS (212) 234-3100 • www.evusa.com Since its beginning in 1977 as a specialty boutique providing exclusive, high-end real estate services in Hamburg, Germany, Engel & Völkers has become one of the world’s leading companies specializing in the sale and lease of premium residential and commercial property 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.

THE ENTRUST GROUP (800) 392-9653 • www.TheEntrustGroup.com The Entrust Group (“Entrust”) has been the industry leader in account administration services and education for Real Estate IRAs for more than 34 years. Entrust helps real estate professionals grow their business by assisting their clients in the purchase of real estate with their retirement funds, an option typically unavailable through banks and brokerage firms. Entrust provides personal service, a knowledgeable staff, and education to make real estate investing with IRAs straightforward and compliant.

ERA FRANCHISE SYSTEMS, LLC (800) 869-1260 • www.era.com • Madison, N.J. • Charlie Young, President & CEO Since 1971, ERA Franchise Systems, LLC, a global residential real es-

tate 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 33,000 brokers and independent sales associates throughout the United States and 34 other countries and territories. ERA Franchise Systems, Inc. is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp.

EQUITY REAL ESTATE (800) 789-9995 • equity-usa.com Equity Real Estate was founded in 2002 on the premise of being just and fair in all dealings. The company achieved prominence in its market of origin with a 17% market share and has since expanded across the nation with an impressive 20%+/year growth rate. Equity provides an unprecedented suite of tools and resources for the amazingly low, flat fee of $499/transaction. Equity Real Estate is a privately-owned, debt-free company.

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 for 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. 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.

HOMES.COM (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.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 97

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.

HOMETEAM INSPECTION SERVICE 844.HOMETEAM • www.hometeam.com You can depend on HomeTeam for a faster, more efficient home inspection every time. Unique to home inspection companies, HomeTeam brings a team of inspectors onsite. Each team member focuses on his or her area of expertise, which keeps us efficient and saves you time. “Fast, Trusted and Accurate.” That’s the HomeTeam promise. We invite you to experience the difference the team approach makes. For more information give us a call at 844.HOMETEAM or visit us online at hometeam.com.

HSA HOME WARRANTY (800) 367-1448 • www.onlinehsa.com • Madison, Wis. • Mike Clear, President HSA Home Warranty 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 the home of the world’s market-leading independent residential brokerages in over 50 countries, with over 500 firms and 120,000 associates producing over one million transactions valued at $321 billion annually. LeadingRE provides these leading local brands with world-class business resources and national and global connections, offering products and services for brand enhancement and marketing; technology and systems; lead generation; career development; and industry advocacy.

MRE (MOBILE REAL ESTATE) (877) 720-0988 • www.MobileRealEstateID.com · Seth Kaplan, National Sales Director MRE 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. MRE 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® 98 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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 http://store.REALTOR.org. 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 eight Canadian provinces. The Pillar To Post difference includes printing a computer generated report on-site at the time of the inspection, requiring each inspector to carry $1 million in E+O insurance that covers both the agent and the broker, and 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, Director of Sales, Syndication, MLS and Association Services (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.

QUICKEN LOANS (866) 718-9842 • AgentRelations@QuickenLoans.com For nearly 30 years, Quicken Loans has been celebrated for providing amazing mortgage services. For five years in a row, J.D. Power has ranked Quicken Loans highest in customer satisfaction for Primary Mortgage Origination. And this year, they’ve also ranked us highest in satisfaction for Mortgage Servicing. We’re currently the leading online lender and the second largest retail mortgage lender in the country. By creating industry-leading technology, we introduce clarity and speed to the mortgage experience. Every Client. Every Time. No Exceptions. No Excuses.

THE REAL ESTATE BOOK (770) 962-7220 • www.realestatebook.com • Lawrenceville, Ga. The Real Estate Book’s multimedia 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 LIVING REAL ESTATE (866) 373-6228 • www.realliving.com Real Living Real Estate is a full-service real estate brokerage network with a comprehensive and integrated suite of resources for franchisees and their sales professionals, as well as the consumers who work with them. The Real Living brand was recognized by Entrepreneur magazine, received Inman Innovator Awards, and named “the Most Promising New National Brand” by the 2013 Swanepoel TRENDS Report. Real Living Real Estate is a network brand of HSF Affiliates LLC, majority owned by HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate.

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 13,500 offices with more than 254,800 independent sales associates doing business in 111 countries and territories worldwide.

ENGAGE WITH REALTOR.COM® (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®.

REALTORS PROPERTY RESOURCE® (888) 914-7771 • http://blog.narrpr.com • Chicago, Ill. • Dale Ross, CEO • Marty Frame, President • Jeff Young, Chief of Operations 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 more than 100,000 Sales Associates in nearly 100 countries. The consumer website, remax.com, is consistently ranked among the most visited real estate websites, and LeadStreet provides referrals to RE/MAX Sales Associates with no fees from RE/MAX. To learn how RE/MAX can take your career to the next level, visit www.joinremax.com.

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 commutefriendly 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

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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.

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

SHOWING BEACON (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.

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 PRODUCER® CRM (800) 821-3657 • www.TopProducer.com Top Producer® CRM is the super fast, super easy real estate marketing system that makes it a breeze to build your loyal client base. Keep your sales pipeline running smoothly, followup 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. 100 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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.

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 fifth 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 Fox & Roach, REALTORS®, go to 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.

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.

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 Real Estate Mason-McDuffie 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 serRISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 101

vice that goes beyond what is expected and pride ourselves on establishing lifelong relationships with our clients. In addition to residential real estate, we also specialize in land consulting and new construction, and have divisions that handle bank-owned properties and commercial real estate.

CENTURY 21 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 lifelong 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. Our 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, and embraces all of the CENTURY 21 tools and systems.

COACH REALTORS® (800) 321-7356 x139 • www.coachrealtors.com · LP Finn, Operating Officer, LP@coachrealtors.com Coach REALTORS® is a Long Island-based, full-service real estate company with 18 office locations and over 600 sales associates serving Nassau and Suffolk counties, N.Y. Coach REALTORS® is an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates, a division of the famed auction house, 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.

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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 serving the entire greater San Antonio metropolitan area, New Braunfels, Boerne, Bandera, Kerrville, Fredericksburg and Hill Country markets, representing buyers and sellers in all phases of their transactions. Since opening in 1986, the company has become a trusted name in the real estate industry. With eight offices, over 350 sales associates and over 100 support staff, the company’s extensively trained representatives have knowledge and expertise to service all aspects of the real estate business. Core services include global relocation, property management and rentals, commercial sales and leasing and mortgage financing. The company has earned the prestigious Coldwell Banker Chairman Circle award continuously since 1990.

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 more than $600 million in sales dollar volume in 2012 and 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 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.

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

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

GARDNER, REALTORS® (800) 566-7801 • www.GardnerRealtors.com Since 1943, GARDNER, REALTORS® continues our tradition of excellence as the leading full-service real estate company in the Southeast Louisiana and Southern Mississippi Region. The GARDNER Real Estate Family includes over 800 real estate professionals in 24 neighborhood offices that serve over 100 communities. Our professional services include residential and commercial sales & 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 35 years ago, Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate is one of the leading real estate brokerages in central New Jersey with 20 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.

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

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

KINLIN GROVER REAL ESTATE 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 quesRISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 103

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

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. 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.

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RE/MAX 440 AND RE/MAX CENTRAL (215) 453-7653 • www.pahomesforsale.com • Tom Skiffington, Broker/Owner, tom@tomskiffington.com RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central is a first-class, professional real estate company. Our goal is to provide the most prompt, courteous and professional services to all our customers and clients. We are the leading RE/MAX in Pennsylvania and Delaware with the highest sales volume and transactions. RE/MAX 440/Central has 10 different offices in Bucks, Montgomery and Lehigh counties.

RE/MAX OF BOULDER, INC. (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 specializes in relocation.

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 seven 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). 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.

YOUR BROKER-TO-BROKER SOURCE FOR REFERRALS FROM REAL ESTATE’S LEADING RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE COMPANIES CALIFORNIA

Ascent Real Estate, Inc. 410 Kalmia St., San Diego, CA 92101 Contact: 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 Real Estate Mason-McDuffie 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, Ste. 110, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 Contact: Joshua Tucker, Director of Relocation Services Toll Free: (760) 217-2491 • Fax: (619) 374-2706 Email: jtucker@century21award.com Coverage Areas: Orange County Offices: 15 • Associates: 1,200 CENTURY 21 Award - San Diego, Riverside 7676 Hazard Center Dr., Ste. 300, San Diego, CA 92108 Contact: Joshua Tucker, Director of Relocation Services Toll Free: (760) 217-2491 • Fax: (619) 374-2706 Email: jtucker@century21award.com Coverage Areas: San Diego, Southern Riverside Offices: 15 • Associates: 1,200 Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty 750 Mason St., Ste. 101, Vacaville, CA 95688 Contact: Loretta Neubert Phone: (707) 427-5344 or (800) 426-0898 • Fax: (707) 446-9830 Email: 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 Ave., Ste. 300, Irvine, CA 92618 Contact: Gayle D. Glew CRP, CRB, Director, Relocation and Corporate Services Toll Free: (855) 858-8028 Email: gayleglew@firstteam.com URL: www.firstteam.com Coverage Areas: Southern California counties of Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego Offices: 36 • Associates: 1,865 J. Rockcliff REALTORS® Headquarters Office: 4115 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Ste. 201, Danville, CA, 94506 Contact: Robin Dickson, CRS, GRI, Executive Vice President Tel: (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

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 Blvd., 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 St., Cheshire, CT 06410 Contact: Steven Calcagni, President Tel: (203) 272-1821 ext. 302 Email: Steven_Calcagni@calcagni.com URL: www.calcagni.com Coverage Areas: New Haven County, Central Connecticut Offices: 4 • Associates: 140 CENTURY 21 AllPoints Realty 117 North Main St., Southington, CT 06489 Contact: Kelly Peterson, COO • Tel: (800) 525-7793 Email: C21KellyPeterson@gmail.com URL: www.c21allpointsrealty.com Coverage Areas: 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 St., Guilford, CT 06437 Contact: Karen Stephens, Executive VP • Tel: (203) 453-6511 Email: kstephens@pagetaft.com URL: www.pagetaft.com Coverage Areas: Connecticut Offices: 3 • Associates: 60 Randall, REALTORS® Real Living 4009 Old Post Rd., Charleston, RI 02813 Contact: Jean Fournier, Dir. of Relocation & Referral Services Tel: (401) 486-9677 Email: jfournier@randallrealtors.com URL: www.randallrealtors.com Coverage Areas: Connecticut and Rhode Island Offices: 9 • Associates: 175

DELAWARE

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 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, Ste. 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 Coverage Areas: 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 Rd., Ste. 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, Ste. 400, Sunrise, FL 33323 Contact: Rei Mesa, CRS, CRB, President, CEO Tel: (954) 693-0100 or (800) 386-1554 • Fax: (954) 236-6962 Email: ReiMesa@BHHSFloridaRealty.com URL: www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com Relocation Contact: Sharon Sapp, Vice President, Relocation, Referrals & REOs Email: sharonsapp@BHHSFloridaRealty.com Coverage Areas: 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

GEORGIA

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties 863 Holcomb Bridge Rd., Roswell, GA 30076 Contact: Kathy Connelly, SVP Corporate Services • Tel: (678) 352-3321 Email: Kathy.Connelly@BHHSGeorgia.com URL: www.BHHSGeorgia.com Coverage Areas: Metro Atlanta and North Georgia Offices: 22 • Associates: 1,100 Harry Norman, REALTORS® 532 East Paces Ferry Rd. 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: 1,000 106 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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 Dr., Schererville, IN 46375 Contact: Deborah Horton, CRP, RCC, Director of Referral/Relocation Services Tel: (800) 348-2100 ext 206 Email: dhorton@mccolly.com • URL: www.mccolly.com Coverage Areas: Alsip, 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

INDIANA

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 McCOLLY Real Estate 800 Deer Creek Dr., Schererville, IN 46375 Contact: Deborah Horton, CRP, RCC, Director of Referral/Relocation Services Tel: (800) 348-2100 ext 206 Email: dhorton@mccolly.com • URL: www.mccolly.com Coverage Areas: Beverly Shores, 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 Ave., 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 Relocation Contact: Scott Becker, Director, NM Relocation Email: move@c21nm.com • URL: www.c21nm.com Coverage Areas: Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Southern Maryland markets. Our areas of expertise range from Fortune 500 executives to specialized training in military and government relocation. Offices: 16 • Associates: 700+ Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: 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, Ste. 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

MASSACHUSETTS

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

MISSISSIPPI

GARDNER, REALTORS® 3332 N. Woodlawn Ave., 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

MISSOURI

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties 1650 Des Peres Rd., Ste. 205, Saint Louis, MO 63131 Contact: Angie Ignatowski, Relocation Director Tel: (314) 835-6000 • 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., Ste. 100, Henderson, NV 89052 Contact: Eileen Mitchell, Dir. of Relocation & Referral Services Tel: (800) 735-4488 Email: relo@BHHSNV.com • URL: www.BHHSNV.com Coverage Areas: Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Summerlin and Pahrump Offices: 6 • Associates: 1,050 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Mason-McDuffie 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, Ste. 100, Philadelphia, PA 19113 Contact: Linda Zanzinger, Vice President, Relocation/REO Services, Tel: (610) 595-3149 Email: Linda.Zanzinger@foxroach.com • URL: www.foxroach.com Coverage Areas: Greater Philadelphia Region, Greater Allentown and Easton Region, SE Pa., Southern and Central N.J., Northern Del. Offices: 65 • Associates: 4,000 Diane Turton, REALTORS® 511 Forman Ave., Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742 Contact: Dawn Fetherston, Director of Relocation & Corporate Services Tel: 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 826 Alexander Rd., Princeton, NJ 08540 Contact: Patricia (Tricia) Kobos Relocation Line: (888) 467-MOVE • Direct: (609) 750-7605 Email: pkobos@glorianilson.com • URL: www.glorianilson.com Coverage Areas: Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean and Somerset counties Offices: 20 • Associates: 700+ 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 Areas: Essex, Union, Hudson and Morris counties. Specifically West Orange, South Orange, Maplewood, Livingston, East Hanover, Roseland, Short Hills, Montclair, Bloomfield, Belleville, Newark, East Orange, Orange, Irvington, Jersey City, North Bergen, Union, Vauxhall, Parsippany-Troy Hills Offices: 2 • Associates: 150 Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Pandra Richie, President of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (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+ RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 107

NEW YORK

Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty 10 Schriever Ln., 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 St., Northport, NY 11768 Contact: Elaine Elish, Inbound Referral Coordinator Tel: (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 the client transition a comfortable one. Offices: 18 • Associates 618 Coldwell Banker Prime Properties 10 Osgood Ave., Green Island, NY 12183 Contact: R. James Long, Broker/Owner Tel: (518) 640-4008 • Fax: (518) 456-8980 Email: jim.long@ColdwellBankerPrime.com Coverage Areas: New York State, primarily Capital Region and Central New York Offices: 16 • 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., Ste. 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 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+

108 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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 RE/MAX Crossroads 17149 SouthPark Center, Strongsville, OH 44136 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

PENNSYLVANIA

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® 1 International Plaza, Ste. 100, Philadelphia, PA 19113 Contact: Linda Zanzinger, Vice President, Relocation/REO Services, Tel: (610) 595-3149 Email: Linda.Zanzinger@foxroach.com • URL: www.foxroach.com Coverage Areas: Greater Philadelphia Region, Greater Allentown and Easton Region, SE Pa., Southern and Central N.J., Northern Del. Offices: 65 • Associates: 4,000 Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: 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+ Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty  100 Foxshire Dr., Lancaster, PA 17601 Tel: (717) 291-9101 • Fax: (717) 393-2336 Contact: Sandy Zercher Email: sandra.zercher@sothebysrealty.com • URL: www.LuskandAssociates.com Coverage Areas: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; Susquehanna Valley, Pennsylvania; South Central Pennsylvania Offices: 1 • Associates: 40 Real Estate Teams, LLC 50 Citizens Way, Ste. 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 St., Perkasie, PA 18944 Contact: Tom Skiffington, Broker/Owner • Tel: (215) 453-7653 • (215) 643-3200 Email: tom@tomskiffington.com 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 Rd., Charleston, RI 02813 Contact: Jean Fournier, Dir. of Relocation & Referral Services Tel: (401) 486-9677 Email: jfournier@randallrealtors.com URL: www.randallrealtors.com Coverage Areas: Connecticut and Rhode Island Offices: 9 • Associates: 175

SOUTH CAROLINA

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, REALTORS® 745 N. Pleasantburg Dr., Greenville, SC 29607 Contacts: Karen Taylor, Director of Relocation, 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+

TEXAS

Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS® 18756 Stone Oak Parkway, Ste. 301, San Antonio, TX 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 Offices: 8 • Associates: 350+

VIRGINIA

CENTURY 21 New Millennium 5990 Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315 Contact: Todd Hetherington, CEO • Tel: (800) 382-1101 • Fax: (703) 822-0136 Relocation Contact: Scott Becker, Dir., NM Relocation Email: move@c21nm.com URL: www.c21nm.com Providers of world class real estate services in the Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Southern Maryland markets. Our areas of expertise range from Fortune 500 executives to specialized training in military and government relocation. Offices: 16 • Associates: 700+ Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: 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, Ste. 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 Dr., 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

WASHINGTON, D.C.

CENTURY 21 New Millennium 5990 Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315 Contact: Todd Hetherington, CEO • Tel: (800) 382-1101 • Fax: (703) 822-0136 Relocation Contact: Scott Becker, Dir., NM Relocation Email: move@c21nm.com URL: www.c21nm.com Providers of world class real estate services in the Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Southern Maryland markets. Our areas of expertise range from Fortune 500 executives to specialized training in military and government relocation. Offices: 16 • Associates: 700+ Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: 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, Ste. 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, Ste. 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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2015 109

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INDEX OF SERVICE PROVIDERS ABR®...................................................................................20

National Association of REALTORS®............................8, 29

American Home Shield...................................................27

National Association of REALTORS® Global.................111

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

On The Move, Inc. ...........................................................72

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.............................. IBC

The Personal Marketing Company..........................82, 90

Centralized Showing Service..........................................21

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

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

The Real Estate Book.......................................................46

Coldwell Banker Real Estate...........................................35

Real Living® Real Estate...................................................19

Contractor Connection®.................................................28

Realtors Property Resource®...........................................31

Dotsignal...........................................................................26

Realty ONE Group............................................................43

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

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

The Entrust Group.............................................................75 Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) Designation........69

RISMedia’s Real Estate Information Network® (RREIN)...............................................................................48

Homes.com......................................................................17

RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network®.............94, 110

HSA Home Warranty.......................................................BC

Stewart Title.......................................................................14

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

Weichert, Realtors®...........................................................62

Mobile Real Estate....................................... IFC, 33, 61, 93

William Raveis...................................................................78

National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP)®..................................................45

Workman Success Systems.........................................80-81

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}

Continuing the Conversation about Safety during REALTOR® Safety Month

ith September comes the end of summer, the beginning of school, and of course, REALTOR® Safety Month. Sadly, this September also marks the one year anniversary of the death of Beverly Carter, a REALTOR® from Arkansas who was murdered last fall. Since her passing, the REALTOR® community has recognized the importance of safety more than ever. REALTORS® all across America are putting their personal safety at the forefront by refusing to meet strangers at unknown/vacant properties, by partnering with other agents to host open houses, and downloading safety apps that use GPS technology—even if these protocols cost a potential commission. Unfortunately, incidents continue to occur, which is why the real estate industry as a whole must keep talking about safety. We cannot be complacent. As a broker, how often have you shared safety strategies with your agents only to be told, “It won’t happen to me” or “If I don’t meet a prospect at a property, I’ll lose the commission?” These are common excuses. So until REALTORS® become invincible, the National Association of REALTORS® will continue to share the message of safety with its members through its REALTOR®Safety Program. And, for REALTOR® Safety Month in September, we have three suggestions for how you can have the safety conversation with your agents.

Attend the Safety Webinar Summit. On September 9, NAR will host its first Safety Webinar Summit, a one-day educational event featuring four webinars on a variety of safety topics—all for free. Invite your agents to the office and stream the webinars live. Or you can download the webinars later in the month and feature them during several meetings.

Educate the public on safety. For years, we have told REALTORS® about the importance of safety, but there is still a fear of losing a commission by not meeting the demands of prospective clients. As an industry, we need to start letting the public know about REALTOR® safety, too. NAR created a new video specifically for consumers for this very reason—to set realistic expectations by educating the public about potential

112 September 2015 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

safety protocols they may encounter when working with a REALTOR®. If a prospect knows what’s expected of them beforehand, they’re more likely to respect the process. This video, which will be available in early September, can be shared by associations, brokerages and members who can then share with clients, prospects and the general public. Safety protocols are not there to impede business; rather, they’re part of doing business safely.

REALTORS® all across America are putting their personal safety at the forefront by refusing to meet strangers at unknown/vacant properties, by partnering with other agents to host open houses, and downloading safety apps that use GPS technology—even if these protocols cost a potential commission.

Share advice. When it comes to giving advice on REALTOR® safety, who is the most qualified? A safety expert? A state or local association? NAR? Everyone has something important to contribute to safety, and the best piece of advice may come from the person sitting at the desk next to you: your fellow REALTOR®. NAR invited members to share their safety advice and compiled it into a booklet titled, “The Little Red Book: Safety Rules to Live By for REALTORS®. ” It contains safety tips for REALTORS® by REALTORS®. Who better to offer your agents advice than the people who know what it’s like to be one? “The Little Red Book” is great for introducing safety to new members and reminding veteran agents the importance of being safe on the job. However you decide to talk about safety, keep it going. We need to have these conversations, at least until REALTORS® become invincible. For additional resources to share the message of safety, visit www.REALTOR.org/Safety. RE

“Being committed to excellence means aligning with the best —that’s why we chose Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.” Gretchen Pearson President/CEO Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties

Good to know.

Residential • Commercial ©2015 BHH Affiliates, LLC. Real Estate Brokerage Services are offered through the network member franchisees of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Most franchisees are independently owned and operated. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Information not verified or guaranteed. If your property is currently listed with a broker, this is not intended as a solicitation. Equal Housing Opportunity. BHH Affiliates, LLC, 18500 Von Karman, Suite 400, Irvine, California 92612 (949) 794-7900. For New York Residents: This advertisement is not an offering. An offering can only be made by a prospectus filed first with the Department of Law of the State of New York. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law. For Minnesota Residents: BHH Affiliates, LLC is registered in the State of Minnesota, Registration number F-7072.

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