Real Estate Magazine - Weichert® - Sept. 2016

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WeichertÂŽ:

Winning with a Grassroots Approach Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. Team: Marty Rueter, President; Bill Scavone, COO; Les Shoaf, SVP of Operations

Page 84

T S E R STAND OUT T S E B E H T

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AGENT / / / CONNECTED HE HAS HIS FINGER ON THE PULSE OF THIS COMMUNITY. HE KNOWS ALL THE BEST SPOTS AND HAS THE LISTINGS EVERYONE WANTS TO SEE. WHAT MAKES HIM EVEN MORE OF AN ASSET? THE CENTURY 21 AFFILIATED AGENT IS CONNECTED TO A GLOBAL ®

NETWORK. WITH OVER 100,000 AGENTS IN 6,900 OFFICES ACROSS 78 COUNTRIES, HE HAS ACCESS TO RESOURCES YOU CAN ONLY DREAM OF. / / / GET CONNECTED AT CENTURY21.COM / / /

© 2016 CENTURY 21 REAL ESTATE LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CENTURY 21®, THE CENTURY 21 LOGO AND SMARTER. BOLDER. FASTER.® 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.

This is home.

It’s a place called amazement.

Home is a word that signifies so much. You understand what it means for each of your clients, and they rely on you to lead them on their journey there. Our goal is to help your clients truly understand their home, so they can feel good, feel right, and know the miraculous feeling of home.

pillartopost.com Each office independently owned and operated.

{Contents} September 2016/Vol. 32, No. 9 • www.rismedia.com 84 18

{On the Cover} 84 Weichert®: Winning with a Grassroots Approach Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. (WREA) recently surveyed its existing franchise officers—as well as prospects who chose not to affiliate—to get a read on how real estate professionals view the company. What came across loud and clear is that Weichert® is defined by its unique culture of support and its unmatched credibility. Jim Weichert’s people-first, grassroots approach when he opened for business in 1969 has remained intact throughout the company’s widespread expansion over the decades. In this exclusive interview, Weichert COO Bill Scavone shares the philosophy and strategies that continue to make Weichert® a growing force in the marketplace.

67

{Highlights} 24 Opportunity Is Knocking – Help Clients Answer the Door

{Headliners} 15 Policy Matters: The

Find out how qualified borrowers can now purchase a home with just 1 percent down.

24

28 Expanding Homeownership Opportunities

Impact of Student Loan Debt on Housing 16 N AR Power Broker Roundtable: Preparing

Radian steps up its commitment to its credit union base, making homeownership a possibility for more Americans.

for 2017: Strategies for Business Planning 18 R EBAC Report: The Key to a Successful Referral Network 20 E xecutive

32 Big Results and Constant Improvement - That’s the Sign of a Thriving Network

Appointments

22 The RREIN Reporter 51 W ebinar Recap: Build Your Brand with NextGen Social Media 64 S teady Demand Seen in Senior Housing

Find out how RE/MAX is speeding forward with great agents, huge momentum and a drive to be the best.

61 Millennials Serving Millennials In this feature, find out how real estate pros are tapping into the wealth of creativity offered by millennials.

79 I s This the New Normal in Real Estate Financing?

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 3

{Features} 42 P ower Broker Perspectives: 49 52

55 58 68 74 80 84 94 99

28

Gretchen Pearson, Chad Ochsner, Jim Napier B logspot: Why Snapchat Is Pure Gold for REALTORS® C orporate Culture Chasm: Employees View Their Culture More Negatively than Management M aking the Most of Mobile Leads 4 Money-Saving Supplemental Health Coverage Options S trategies: Buyside; Homes.com; HomeTeam Inspection; HSA; Moxi Works S howcase Your Listings in a Whole New Light L ighting the Way to a Better Transaction W eichert®: Winning with a Grassroots Approach RISMedia’s Great Spaces A sk the Experts: Value of a Home Inspection; Creating Lasting Change; Selling Your Home in Fall

94

{Interviews} 77 Luigui Corral, RE/MAX United 88 Amanda Todd, The Amanda Todd Group - Keller Williams Realty

89 Al Galperin, Real Living CO Properties

90 Bill Flemming, HomeSmart Connect

90 Bill White, Joyner Fine Properties

91 Matthew Krac, Shane Franko,

67 L. Maria Zywiciel – 5 Things

John Monaghan, Sellstate Partners Realty, LLC 92 Karen Ryan, Weichert REALTORS® - Coastal Properties

{Every Issue}

{Experts} 26 Buffini & Company – Master the Fundamentals

39 V icki Monteagudo – We Are on the Move, Are You?

41 Verl Workman – Marketing vs.

Advertising

47 Desirée Patno – Capitalizing on Your Business Classification 4 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

to Know When Working with Hispanic Clients

6 Online Contents 9 Publisher’s Desk 12 Did You Know?

105 Service Profiles 114 Referrals 119 Index of Advertisers 120 R E: Real Estate – Real Estate Escrow Checking Accounts Now Offered by REALTORS® Federal Credit Union

49

“We found a perfect match in Engel & Völkers to help connect these areas due to their international reach, premium resources and our mutual values and passion for the business.”

Jeremy Broussard, Peggy Grace and Abigail Falgout, Engel & Völkers Lafayette and Engel & Völkers Lake Charles

Only the best in the business join our brand.

Under the leadership of Peggy Grace, Abigail Falgout and Jeremy Broussard, PAR Realty, L.L.P. became one of the most successful and reputable real estate companies in Lafayette and Lake Charles, Louisiana. With their 25 years of shared experience, they built a business that was community minded and consistent in its high level of expert, premium services to its clients. With a growing number of international companies settling into the market, drawn to the region for its oil and natural gas industry, Peggy and her team made the decision to enhance their reach and capabilities by joining the Engel & Völkers network. Today, as Engel & Völkers Lake Charles and Lafayette, they now provide a level of international reach, premium resources and quality that is unmatched in the market.

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

©2016 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.

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

Facebook Live the Latest Trend to Infiltrate the Open House Scene

With the tools and technology available today, connecting with prospective buyers near and far is easier than ever—provided your willingness to explore new avenues that might not be on everyone’s radar.

appliances and tile countertops resurfacing in new, of-the-moment styles.

Luxury Wall Panels Take Home Décor to a Whole New Level

Before you head out to your favorite home décor store and risk the possibility of loading your cart up with the same items your neighbor just purchased, imagine putting your own spin on the process, creating a one-ofa-kind masterpiece.

How to Get Out of Helping Your Friends Move

Decorate Your Child’s Room with a Bed Dreams Are Made of

When one of your friends is moving and asks you to help, there’s not enough free pizza in the world! But you say yes anyway because you don’t really have an excuse not to lend a hand. Not anymore.

- Shane Phillips, Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate

Facebook Live the Latest Trend to Infiltrate the Open House Scene

- Robin Martin, Long & Foster Real Estate

Comeback Kitchen: 3 Old-Is-New Trends

Kitchen design’s trending more behind the times than ahead of the curve, with once-dated features like colored

Rose-Colored Glasses: Homeowners Value Properties 2 Percent Higher Than Appraisers

Connect with RISMedia @RISMediaUpdates

Linkedin.com/company/rismedia

@HousecallBlog

Youtube.com/user/rismediaupdates

@RISMedia

@RISMediaUpdates

6 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“Say it isn’t so!”

“This looks interesting.

Can’t wait to try it on my next listing!”

As children, we yearned to have our worlds be taken over by our favorite fictional universe, if only just our bedroom. With these beds, your child’s dreams could become reality.

@RISMedia

Pokémon GO for Real Estate - Must or Bust?

“Not too shocking to me.”

- Joe Metzler, Mortgages Unlimited

WHAT IS YOUR BROKERAGE’S SAFETY PROTOCOL? September is REALTOR® Safety Month. Help your agents stay safe with an office-wide safety protocol that is used with every client, every time.

What should be included in the safety protocol?

Here are some suggestions: Require agents to meet new clients for the first time in the office and not at a property Make copies of clients’ IDs so there’s a record of who your agent is working with Encourage agents to host open houses with a fellow agent, instead of alone Show new clients NAR’s award-winning video “Real Estate, Safety & You” to better educate them about the importance of REALTOR® safety

REALTOR® SAFETY MONTH SPECIAL: Give your agents “The Little Red Book: Safety Rules to Live By for REALTORS®” and save 30% in September!

Order yours at store.REALTOR.org.

Find more safety tips and resources at

www.REALTOR.org/Safety.

{Publisher’s Desk} Driven to Succeed

N

o matter what we do in life, those who do it best are those who have true drive and deep purpose.

It’s a lesson we teach our kids, but one we unwittingly forgo in our own day-today endeavors. We all know that in the real estate business, in particular, drive and passion are the difference between mediocrity and excellence.

We see this exemplified in the story of RE/MAX. For more than 40 years, RE/MAX has consistently aimed high to achieve big-picture goals for the growth of the brand, as well as more immediate goals in terms of agent production. According to RE/MAX, the network’s agent count has grown every quarter for more than four years, collectively closing over 960,000 sides in 2015.

“We’ve always been the best choice for top producers as well as agents who aspire to become top producers,” says RE/MAX CEO, Chairman and Co-founder Dave Liniger in this month’s cover story (page 32). “Agents join us because they understand that a productive environment, filled with productive people, is the ideal place to build or expand a successful career.”

I had the privilege of participating on the Power Panel at the RE/MAX Broker Owner Conference in Chicago last month. I discussed the evolution of the real estate business and how it’s been shaped by both the seen and unseen. The real message, however, is that all of us—agent, broker or brand—need to shape our own evolution. We need the drive to take our business to the next level by closely monitoring changing consumer needs, technology trends and our overall economic climate.

Let’s face it: If we don’t evolve, we usually fail.

At RISMedia’s Real Estate CEO Exchange this month, Power Brokers from across the country will share their own evolutionary journeys and how they continue to succeed despite the seen and unseen forces that mold our business.

We hope to see you at the Harvard Club in New York on September 13 and 14 for these important discussions.

You can find the full agenda and speaker line-up at www.rismedia.com/ceo-exchange-2016.

Wishing you continued success,

John E. Featherston CEO & Publisher

’

Stay engaged with your prospects and customers with RISMedia’s industryleading content—relevant articles, videos and drip email campaigns for staying engaged between buy/sell transactions!

“Pop-a-Note” (Drip Email) Fun, light and unique way to keep in touch with clients and prospects using an easy drip email platform. Send notes on pop culture topics of interest, helpful real estate-related topics, or both!

Includes custom branding with photo, contact info and links, plus a customized News Hub with more consumer-facing real estate articles.

Content Library Thousands of articles and hundreds of video tips to choose from, updated daily! Access relevant, professionally written and editable content that you can download and use to enhance all of your communications—website, blogs, social media sites, newsletters—including RSS feeds for automatic delivery. Search for keywords, or filter for industry professionals or consumer targets for your communication and engagement systems.

For more information, contact Brett Johnson at 203.855.1234, ext. 143 or bjohnson@rismedia.com.

RE MARKABLE Does your company stand out?

Or blend in? Billions of dollars have been spent promoting the RE/MAX brand, building credibility that translates into transactions for RE/MAX agents. In real estate, there are no perks to being a wallflower.

Find your alternate ending.

Š2016 RE/MAX, LLC. Each RE/MAXŽ office is independently owned and operated. 16_63210

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

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 Senior Vice President Paul Purvis Business Development Advisor Brett Johnson

ADMINISTRATION Client Relations Manager Patty Sinisko Circulation Manager Alice Heffron EVENTS AND MEMBER NETWORKS Events & Network Relations Manager Randi Vannucchi Research Analyst Jaxson Corsi Research Analyst Andy MacPherson 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® 2016 by The Relocation Information Service, Incorporated-RISMedia, Norwalk, Connecticut. All rights reserved. Editorial and executive offices at 69 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851. Telephone: (203) 855-1234. Magazine subscription rate $83.40 per year, including postage ($166.80 for two years); Canadian subscription rate $200.00 (U.S.) per year, including shipping and handling ($400.00 for two years).

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

{Did You Know?} #REalityCheck

More than half (55 percent) of Americans so value the ability to get to work and play without using a vehicle that they’re willing to pay more for their mortgage or rent in order to have this option.

Source: America THINKS national public opinion survey by HNTB Corporation

During the run-up to the housing bubble, many low-income earners bought homes, and the homeownership rate rose from about 65 percent in the mid-1990s to almost 70 percent in 2006.

Source: Zillow

According to the most recent NAR Profile, 72

percent of recent sellers contacted only one agent before hiring one to sell their home.

12 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, first-time buyer activity rose to a four-year high in June, furthering the rise in existinghome sales for the fourth consecutive month. Only the Northeast saw a decline in closings in June, and sales to investors fell to their lowest overall share since July 2009.

Providing real-time customer feedback through social media

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{Policy Matters}

The Impact of Student Loan Debt on Housing This column is brought to you by the NAR Real Estate Services group.

by Vijay Yadlapati

O

ver the past year, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has become increasingly concerned about the impact of student debt on homeownership and the overall economy. The U.S. currently has a student debt load of $1.3 trillion, which accounts for 10 percent of all outstanding debt. While student debt has risen, the homeownership rate has fallen, especially among younger generations. NAR’s second quarter 2016 Housing Opportunities and Market Experience (HOME) survey reports that roughly two-thirds of non-homeowners with student debt said they are not comfortable also paying for a mortgage.

Furthermore, non-homeowners and younger adults with student debt are less likely to believe that they can qualify for a mortgage.

To address the growing concern about student debt, NAR highlighted the issue during the 2016 REALTORS®Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo. The Regulatory Issues Forum featured U.S. Housing and Urban

Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro, along with a panel of speakers, who discussed important regulatory changes that would ensure housing opportunities exist for young people. At the Residential Economic Issues & Trends Forum, Senator Elizabeth Warren discussed Congressional efforts to alleviate the growing burden that student loan debt repayment is having on young adults, the housing market and the overall U.S. economy. Finally, the NAR Board of Directors adopted policy that, “NAR should strongly support policy proposals to allow student loan borrowers to refinance into lower interest rates and to streamline income-based repayment programs. Additionally, NAR supports policy proposals that promote student loan simplification, clarity and education. NAR also shall ensure that mortgage underwriting guidelines related to student loan debt are standardized and do not impair homeownership.”

In June, NAR partnered with the American Student Assistance (ASA) program SALT® to conduct a survey of student loan borrowers who are current in student loan repayment.

The results of the survey demonstrated the impact that student loans have on housing, even among those who are managing to pay their bills on time. Among survey respondents, 67 percent received their loans from a four-year college, 31 percent from a two-year college, 27 percent from graduate/postgraduate school, and 11 percent from a technical college. Twenty-

four percent were delayed by at least two years in moving out of a family member’s home after college due to their student loans. While 18 percent are currently homeowners, 17 percent live with friends or family and do not currently pay rent.

Among non-homeowners, 71 percent cite student loan debt as the factor delaying them from buying a home. This is most frequently the case due to the fact that borrowers cannot save for a down payment because of their student debt. Among homeowners, 31 percent say student debt is impacting their ability to sell their existing home and move to a different home. The delay in buying a home among non-homeowners and homeowners is typically five years.

NAR also continues to work with Congress and the Administration.

NAR submitted letters of support for several pieces of legislation that have been introduced in Congress this year aimed at addressing the issue of student loan debt. These legislative proposals address a variety of issues, including streamlining the student loan process and limiting repayment to 10 percent of a borrower’s income; allowing borrowers to refinance student loans at a reasonable interest rate or utilize an income-based repayment plan; and enhancing financial counseling options. Additionally, NAR worked with HUD to alleviate the burden of student debt for potential homebuyers by revising the calculation of student loan debt for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans. RE NAR remains committed to addressing the impact of student loan debt on the economy and housing market. To learn more, visit www.realtor.org/ political-advocacy.

Vijay Yadlapati is senior legislative representative – Financial Services, National Association of REALTORS®.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 15

{The NAR Power Broker Roundtable} Preparing for 2017: Strategies for Business Planning MODERATOR:

J. Nicholas (Nick) D’Ambrosia Liaison for Large Residential Firms Relations, NAR; Broker of Record, The Long & Foster Companies, Chantilly, Va. PARTICIPANTS:

Jason Waugh President/CEO, BHHS Northwest Real Estate, Portland, Ore.

Jerimiah Taylor Agent/Team Leader, Keller Williams Realty, Tucson, Ariz.

Ben Calhoon Agent/Team Leader, BHHS Calhoon Co., Columbus, Ohio

Jennifer Branchini, Agent/Branch Manager, Better Homes & Gardens Tri-Valley Real Estate, Pleasanton, Calif.

The Power Broker Roundtable is brought to you by the National Association of REALTORS® and Nick D’Ambrosia, NAR’s Liaison for Large Residential Firms Relations. Watch for this column each month, where we address broker issues, concerns and milestones.

Nick D’Ambrosia: While most brokers

know the importance of having a written business plan, too many of us meet with resistance when we ask our agents to prepare one. This month, with the new year already bearing down, we’re asking our panel of highly successful practitioners: Do you prepare a formal business plan? How and when do you do it—and how much does that yearly plan impact your success?

Jason Waugh: John Wooden told his 16 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

players, “If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.” Step one in getting buy-in from agents is that you totally believe in the process. My job is to help my agents grow their business, and I don’t think there’s a better way to do that than by asking them to take a good hard look at their production level and figure out what it will take to increase it.

ND’A: Asking is the operative word,

because no matter how much we believe in business planning, we can’t force our agents to comply.

JW: No, and the fact is, far too many don’t—but we encourage it with quarterly performance appraisals and by providing workshops and outside facilitators to teach them how to do it.

ND’A: Let’s hear from a few top-producing agents. Jerimiah, you lead a highly successful team. Do you use a written business plan?

and we’ll start to put together next year’s plan in October. Our plan includes not just what we need to do, but what we need to spend in technology and marketing to maintain our leading position. We also know a plan isn’t much good without accountability. No matter how busy we are, we meet often to update where we are and re-assign or set new tasks.

Jennifer Branchini: My dad, who was

a successful entrepreneur, always told me that the years he didn’t have a written plan were invariably his worst years. He was right—so for me, a written business plan is mandatory. It not only clarifies my vision and my business goals, it includes my plan for work/life balance. Working without a business plan would be like driving in the dark without a clue where I’m headed.

ND’A: What can brokers do to get more agents on board?

Jerimiah Taylor: We do. It starts and ends with looking at our net profit and what we have to do to beat it: how many listings, how many open houses, how many contracts and closings? We know it takes 100 cold calls to make an appointment, and two appointments to make a sale— so setting the goal dictates what we have to do. I constantly ask myself what must I do in every 24 hours to make the numbers add up.

JW: Keep pushing and providing

JT: Once you see the value of a written plan—how it increases both your productivity and accountability—you can’t help but be a believer.

ND’A: Who keeps you on track?

JB: Someone should take a poll com-

direction with free workshops and speakers—especially during the endof-year push. Am I disappointed that less than half my agents are working without a written plan? You bet...but I won’t give up.

JT: We have assistants on our team

whose job it is to keep us on track.

paring the production levels of agents who use a written plan as opposed to those who don’t.

ND’A: Ben, you lead a top-performing

ND’A: Right. Could be pretty revealing.

Ben Calhoon: Setting goals is crucial,

8For an expanded version of this article and other NAR Power Broker Roundtable topics, please visit www.rismedia.com.

team as well. How important is business planning?

RE

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© 2015 Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Realtors Property Resource, LLC® is a member benefit of the National Association of REALTORS®.

{REBAC Report}

The Key to a Successful Referral Network

by Marc Gould

S

uccess is defined not only in terms of sales volume or the size of a brokerage, but also in terms of your referral network. People often say: It’s not what you know, but who you know. With that in mind, a large referral network is the lifeblood of all successful real estate brokerages. Even though you’ve already discussed this with your agents, it’s important to continually remind them of the value of growing their referral network, with clients and agents alike.

Agents are most likely to get referrals from those with first-hand experience of their reputation, knowledge and professionalism. For this reason, past clients are a natural source of referrals. Encourage your agents to maintain relationships with clients beyond the transaction. Recommend that agents follow up with clients soon after the sale, thanking them for their business and checking in on how they’re settling into their new home. This offers an organic opportunity to ask the client for recommendations of your services. Continue to keep in touch through periodic mailings such as market reports, home trends and cards on the anniversary of the clients’ home purchase.

Connecting with other agents, both locally and beyond, is also critical to building a strong referral network.

Your agents’ reputation in the industry will serve your firm well. Education courses, industry meetings and social events hosted at the local, state and national levels are all great avenues for you and your agents to make new connections. These events provide opportunities to meet new 18 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

colleagues while learning about topics and skills that can help an agent’s business. Encourage your agents to do their research ahead of time and arrive at the event with specific networking goals. For example, perhaps they want to connect with people from a certain geographic region, or area of expertise. This targeted approach to networking will achieve results that are immediately useful. Also, remember that giving referrals is just as important as receiving them. Meeting other outstanding professionals in the field means your agents will be prepared the next time someone asks for a recommendation.

Since conventions offer an abundance of networking opportunities within a relatively short time period, try to attend at least one a year. Many state associations, brokerage firms and affiliate institutes offer conventions annually. If your agents are ready to up their ante, the annual REALTORS® Conference & Expo is right around the corner. Taking place in Orlando, Fla., this event offers education sessions, the trade expo and a global networking center—ideal ven-

ues for networking with like-minded colleagues from across the globe.

REBAC members have access to additional referral resources at REBAC.net, such as developing a systematic referral strategy through the “Art of Referral” webinar and connecting with fellow ABR® designees in exclusive networking forums. If you’re attending this year’s annual Conference & Expo, be sure to stop by the ABR® booth, join us at the ABR®, GREEN and SRES® Networking and Awards Reception, or attend one of REBAC’s pre-convention courses. Hope to see you there! 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.

QUALITY. CONNECTIONS. INDEPENDENCE.

WE’RE LOCAL. WE’RE GLOBAL.

™

LEADING REAL ESTATE COMPANIES OF THE WORLD is a selective global community of the highest quality local independent real estate companies. We exist to make our members better – with an international referral network, marketing and technology resources, professional development programs, unique events, and connections to opportunities and people worldwide. ®

LeadingRE.com

® ®

{Executive Appointments}

Daniel Dannenmann

has joined Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate as chief operating officer. As the newest member of the brand’s senior leadership team, Dannenmann will oversee all aspects of domestic and international business operations, including servicing, financial management and collaboration with the brand’s franchise sales team.

He will report directly to President and Chief Executive Officer Sherry Chris. Dannenmann brings a wealth of experience across franchise brand development, operations and learning in growth environments in the United States and abroad. Most recently, Dannenmann served as vice president for Asia Pacific at customer experience research firm BARE International.

Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC announced the appointment of Charlie Young as the brand’s president and CEO. This marks his return to Coldwell Banker after serving as president and CEO of ERA Franchise Systems LLC since 2009. Prior to that, Young spent five years in se-

nior executive leadership roles with Coldwell Banker Real Estate, most recently as chief operating officer.

Young succeeds Budge Huskey, who elected to retire from the position after spending the past 18 years with the Coldwell Banker system in both franchising and brokerage executive roles. Huskey led the Coldwell Banker brand for the past six years, first as president and chief operating officer before becoming president and CEO in January 2013. Replacing Young as president and CEO of ERA will be Susan Yannaccone. Yannaccone, who currently serves as ERA’s chief operating officer, brings two decades of experience in real estate franchising and sales, and is widely respected in the industry.

The Realogy Franchise Group (RFG) recently announced the appointment of Carter Murdoch, Ph.D. to the newly created role of senior vice president of operations.

Murdoch will oversee RFG’s Centers of Excellence, which provide expertise, support and solutions for Realogy-affiliated brokers across all of its brands in the specific areas of business development, data, learn-

ing and technology deployment.

Murdoch most recently held the role of senior vice president, strategic growth and industry relations at Century 21 Real Estate LLC, which is part of the Realogy Franchise Group.

eXp World Holdings, Inc. recently announced that industry veteran Russ Cofano has joined the company as chief strategy officer and general counsel. Cofano brings more than 25 years of industry experience to eXp. He most recently served as senior vice president of industry relations for Move, Inc., operator of realtor.com®, developing strategy and building relationships with the real estate industry’s leading organizations, MLSs and technology companies. Cofano has also served as chief executive officer for the Missouri REALTORS®, the largest trade association in the state of Missouri, and as vice president and general counsel for John L. Scott Real Estate. RE

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

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{RREIN Reporter} News and information for and about RISMedia’s Real Estate Information Network® (RREIN) Rei Mesa President & CEO Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty www.bhhsfloridarealty.com

A People-First Approach to Success

by Barbara Pronin Barbara Pronin: How has the transition to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices impacted the company’s positioning?

Rei Mesa: We have long enjoyed a reputation in Florida as a leading real estate resource, but there’s no question people know and respect the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand, and we’ve been able to leverage that distinction. We’ve executed strategic acquisitions in the St. Lucie, Sarasota/Bradenton, Orlando, Melbourne and Vero Beach markets. We have expanded our footprint with additional offices, including Palmer Ranch/ Sarasota and Winter Park/Orlando. And, most recently, we opened our second Ritz-Carlton office in Naples. We are proud that our company is the No. 1 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices affiliate in Florida and the fifth-largest in the country, with 1,800 sales professionals at present in 42 locations serving 19 Florida counties.

BP: In what segments of the market are you seeing the most growth?

RM: In 2015, we experienced increases in all price points, most notably in the move-up and luxury markets where the quality and integrity of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand has been especially attractive.

Relocation and broker-to-broker referrals are big components of our business as well. In addition, our brand has global name recognition, a major advantage since Florida is also an internationally favored destination, which provides a competitive advantage for our sales professionals and our Family of Services.

BP: Why is that?

RM: As a people-first and diverse organization, one of our premier tenets is, “We speak your language.” We know that we have a robust international reach, so our diverse team of sales professionals speaks over 32 languages—and our website translates all IDX listings into 22 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

10 different languages in order to serve a broader spectrum of international homebuyers and sellers.

BP: How is your technology changing to meet the needs of today’s tech-savvy consumer?

RM: We stay abreast of the tools and technology that, as you noted, change almost daily, and we make every effort to be certain our sales professionals have access to the best of them. We recently launched a new company website with responsive design to enrich and enhance the customer’s online experience, offering rich content and features, visual property tours and a home value finder.

BP: What’s your strategy in terms of training and developing successful career professionals?

RM: We believe in what we call “selection and development,” which is comprised of both in-person and online training and is focused on every aspect of building a productive business. We augment that with our Leadership Team, Branch Sales Managers and peers who provide maximum mentorship and support. One of the key factors for our success in organic growth is our company culture—an environment we sometimes refer to as “Get a GRIP,” short for Growth, Relationships, Innovation and Passion. We look for career-focused individuals who embrace our people-first strategy.

BP: How do you provide the focus it takes to maintain this kind of people-first culture?

RM: In several ways. First, it’s a spirit that’s deeply ingrained and supported by our Executive, Leadership and Support Teams. We emphasize it with a number of company-wide events that celebrate both individual and team achievements and by working together on giving back, both to the local communities we serve and fundraising for our adopted company-wide charity, the Sunshine Kids.

Over the past decade, as a team, we have raised more than $3.2 million for this amazing organization, which provides trips and group activities, as well as emotional support, for kids with cancer.

BP: In your opinion, Rei, what does it take for today’s REALTOR® to succeed?

RM: It requires a desire to provide the value-added tools and services needed to excel in all aspects of the business, and the support of a company that inspires and celebrates success. It also takes a personal commitment and a passion for exceeding expectations in ev-

ery phase of the transaction and consumer interaction.

Identifying and implementing a healthy work/life balance that keeps you fresh and motivated is also important. I subscribe to the saying, “When you fall in love with your profession, you never have to work another day in your life.” RE For more information, please visit www.bhhsfloridaproperties.com.

RREIN Network News Long & Foster Real Estate has named Patrick Sprouse as the managing broker of its Logan Circle office in Washington, D.C. Sprouse brings more than 15 years of residential and commercial real estate experience to the position. He comes to Long & Foster from The Menkiti Group, a D.C. area real estate services firm where he served as director of sales. In that position, he managed the company’s residential sales division, leading a team of over two dozen associates. While there, Sprouse not only helped his team to increase their sales, but also implemented numerous operational and administrative improvements to make their business run more efficiently. He also oversaw the division’s marketing and transaction management efforts with a focus on providing quality programs to best support his team and their clients. Prior to joining Menkiti, Sprouse held a leadership role at a real estate technology start-up, directing sales and operations. Sprouse is currently studying for his master’s degree in real estate at Georgetown University, and he is actively involved in the Urban Land Institute and the American Real Estate Society, among other real estate associations. www.LongandFoster.com

Glenn “Chip” Gardner, vice president of operations for GARDNER REALTORS®, was recently honored with a Millennial Award for his exemplary work within the real estate industry and dedication to making a difference in the New Orleans community.

The Millennial Awards honor dynamic young profession-

als who contribute to the community through public service, make significant strides in business sectors, or serve as cultural ambassadors. The fourth annual awards, presented by First NBC Bank and Tulane Health System, was produced by Spears Consulting Group.

The honorary event, held at Peoples Health New Orleans Jazz Market, brought together 54 finalists across 18 categories; Gardner won the Millennial Award in the Real Estate category. More than 200 nominations were submitted and judged by a panel of 40 fellow millennials, those born in the 1980s to early 2000s. Gardner is also the youngest real estate professional in the Gulf South to attain a combination of the following real estate licenses and designations: Real Estate Broker – Louisiana, Mississippi & Texas; Certified General Real Estate Appraiser – Louisiana, Mississippi & Texas; Property & Casualty Insurance Producer – Louisiana; and MAI, Member of Appraisal Institute – Global. www.gardnerrealtors.com

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® President Joan Docktor is the winner of the 2016 Helena Devereux Women in Leadership Award given by the Main Line Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with The Society of Professional Women and Devereux. Docktor was selected for her exemplary professional and personal achievements and her positive impact on the Greater Main Line area. The award is named in honor of Devereux’s founder, Helena T. Devereux, and recognizes professional women in the area who have contributed significantly to the betterment of the Main Line community. The nominees and past winners of this prestigious award include senior-level executives from both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. As president of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, Docktor has been instrumental in the company’s growth and profitability in all brokerage departments including 65 sales offices, relocation services, builder’s marketing and land development. Docktor, who started with the company in 1986, was named president in 2013. Recently, she was recognized in Philadelphia Style Magazine and was also a recipient of the 2014 Smart CEO Brava! and Philadelphia Business Journal Women of Distinction Awards. www.foxroach.com

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 23

Opportunity Is Knocking Help Your Clients Answer the Door

by Paige Tepping

T

hanks to a unique home loan program that helps facilitate homeownership for low down payment borrowers, real estate professionals can expand their business. Quicken Loans has partnered with Freddie Mac on a new loan option that allows your well-qualified buyers to purchase a home with just 1 percent down and still start off with 3 percent equity.

There’s no doubt that a down payment on a new home can feel like a lot of money, especially when you factor in all the other costs associated with buying a home. As an agent, you want what’s best for your client and so does Quicken Loans. Stress of a large down payment shouldn’t prevent your client from buying a home, and now it doesn’t have to.

Quicken Loans has partnered with Freddie Mac on a new loan option that allows your well-qualified

24 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

buyers to purchase a home with just 1 percent down and start off with 3 percent equity. This includes both singlefamily residences and condos.

“It’s one of the many innovative things we’re doing for homebuyers right now,” says Quicken Loans Conventional Product Manager Justin Herring. “People don’t realize you can literally buy a $150,000 house with as little as $1,500 in the bank. I tell my friends who are renting that it’s basically like putting down a security deposit and first month’s rent on an apartment, but instead of paying someone else rent that you’ll never get back, you’ll own a home you love and start building equity.”

“We’re excited to partner with Quicken Loans to provide a responsible option to make homeownership a possibility for more of your clients,” says Freddie Mac Senior Vice President Chris Boyle.

This loan option is a great choice for your clients with a FICO score above 680 who are looking for a primary residence. “There are a number of rules as to who is eligible, so the best way to see if your clients qualify would be to have them speak to a Home Loan Expert,” Herring adds.

With the 1 percent down payment program:

8 Conventional appraisal and underwriting requirements apply.

8 Minimum FICO score of 680 is required; primary residences only.

8 Stable monthly mortgage payments with fixed rates are offered.

8 Both first-time homebuyers and move-up buyers may qualify.

8Monthly mortgage insurance payments are reduced.

8 Single-family residences (SFR) and condos are included.

“Our 1 percent down payment program is perfect for clients who credit-qualify for conventional financing, but prefer to keep some additional cash in their pocket after closing for any unexpected expenses that might arise,” says Herring. RE For more information, please call (866) 718-9842.

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Know Your Priorities Your priorities are the people and activities that help you drive your business forward. Instead of squeezing them into your workday, build your workday around them.

Prioritize your people. Periodically sort your database and reclassify your clients. If they’ve sent you multiple referrals, make them a top priority.

Master the Fundamentals

by Buffini & Company

M

ajor League Baseball player and manager Dick Williams once said, “Playing without the fundamentals is like eating without a knife and fork. You make a mess.”

The same could be said for real estate. Many agents start their real estate careers full of motivation and knowledge of the fundamentals, but often lacking the habits and skills they need to thrive in the industry. Over time, their habits and skills may improve, but the basics fall by the wayside. The fundamentals are the things that never go out of style, such as providing your clients with great service, staying in touch with them, focusing on ways to help and doing the activities that generate the leads your business needs to thrive.

Technology May Change, but the Basics Don’t Many agents, especially those new to the business, may become reliant upon the latest gadgets and apps intended to help them generate leads and give their productivity a boost.

While technology certainly helps, without mastering the fundamentals first, it’s difficult to use these tools efficiently or effectively.

Instead of relying on technology to generate cold or lukewarm leads, stay in touch with your clients, look for ways to serve them 26 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

and ask for referrals. The majority of recent buyers and sellers found the agents they worked with through a referral from someone they trusted. Similarly, consumers today tend to put more credence on the referrals of their family and friends than other forms of advertising. We trust the experiences of people we know over the claims touted in traditional advertising campaigns. When you stay in touch with your clients and ask for referrals, you’ll create a dependable stream of referrals.

Prioritize your time. Once you know who to spend your time with, plan your day around doing the activities that’ll help you maintain consistent contact with them and generate reliable leads.

Prioritize your activities. Pick the two activities you must do each day, and when you finish those, focus on the next most important activities. Delegate the small and time-consuming activities to an assistant.

Ignite Motivation with Training The fall is a great time to improve your skills with training and workshops. Don’t think you have time?

Nowadays you don’t need to travel to a classroom to learn; you can access trainings and workshops online. We updated our Peak Producer training program to allow our clients to take it anywhere they are, even if they don’t live near where a class is being facilitated. There’s truly no reason to not keep your skills sharp.

When you master the fundamentals, you’re able to provide clients the highest level of service you can offer, which makes them, in turn, want to refer you to their friends and family.

Brush up on your fundamentals and you’re sure to thrive in real estate today and in the years to come. RE For more information, please visit www.buffiniandcompany.com.

©2016

Expanding Homeownership Opportunities

by Maria Patterson

Radian Guaranty Helps Credit Unions Foster the American Dream

28 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

W

hile Philadelphia-based Radian Guaranty has always worked with credit unions to provide mortgage insurance (MI) solutions, the housing crash of 2007 changed the playing field for everyone. Since the Great Recession, credit unions have become a growing force in the mortgage lending arena, offering an attractive alternative to many disillusioned banking customers. As credit unions spread their tendrils deeper into the communities they serve, Radian has stepped up its commitment to expanding and serving its credit union base, becoming a true partner in every sense of the word, making homeownership a possibility to an increasing number of Americans.

“As [credit unions] grow, we’ll grow with them. Their members place a lot of value on relationships, so our biggest opportunity is to be the best partner that we can for credit unions.”

– MIKE DZIUBA SVP of Business Development, Radian

Why Credit Unions? Why Now? Mike Dziuba, senior vice president of business development for Radian, describes the company’s journey in the credit union space.

“Radian was always focused on large, national lenders and capital markets, but in 2007, everything changed,” explains Dziuba. “We realized we had to build a sales group to call on smaller customers. In November 2007, we went to our first credit union conference and set up a booth.

We must’ve heard a couple hundred times, ‘Who are you? We don’t know you.’ We realized we needed to start

engaging credit unions.”

“Our real focus with credit union customers started in 2008, but we made a dedicated commitment to that segment in 2015,” says Anthony Bruschi, CMB, vice president and managing director of Regional New Business for Radian. “We made sure to have effective sales coverage and a dedicated team. Credit unions really want to see a commitment to their segment, and one way to demonstrate that is to have a dedicated team that understands their needs and how they work with their members.”

While healthy marketshare opportunities in the credit union segment make good business sense for Radian, the company also believes that its credit union partnerships are critical in helping to expand homeownership opportunities for more and more Americans.

“Credit union membership is growing,” explains Bruschi. “With the housing crisis of 2007/2008, credit unions saw an opportunity to grow their marketshare as other lenders were exiting the mortgage arena. Mortgage origination opportunities in that segment have been increasing.”

“The credit union segment is the fastest-growing segment out there,” adds Dziuba. “In 2007, we learned about their mission, which was to be 10 percent of the mortgage origination market by 2015—they got there and continue to grow year after year.

The credit union segment is underserved by our competitors. This is an opportunity for us to get in there with a dedicated sales team and dedicated resources that only service credit unions.”

“Credit unions have become a go-to source for members, REALTORS® and builders who are looking to work with a lender that can RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 29

make decisions locally,” explains Chris McKenna, chief mortgage officer with Homeowners Advantage, a subsidiary of CAPCOM Federal Credit Union. “I am most proud of the fact that we provide options to meet a wide variety of our members’ needs. There is no one loan that fits everyone’s needs, so we get to know each member’s short- and long-term goals and then try to offer solutions that best fit what they are trying to accomplish.”

Understandably, credit unions have grown in consumer appeal since the housing crash. “After 2007, many people were looking for alternative options, allowing credit unions to become trusted advisors,” says Dziuba. “Credit unions are not for profit, so their motivation is around providing better service. That comes through in the borrower experience.”

“Credit unions really want to see a commitment to their segment, and one way to demonstrate that is to have a dedicated team that understands their needs and how they work with their members.”

– ANTHONY BRUSCHI VP and Managing Director of Regional New Business, Radian

Jason Sasena, senior vice president of Residential Mortgage for Kinecta Federal Credit Union underscores this point. “Since the Recession, we have experienced an increase in new members and those taking advantage of our products as the economy strengthens,” he explains. “The credit union industry as a whole is attracting a larger share of the residential mortgage market 30 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

as consumers explore their options outside traditional banks.”

Partnering on Solutions Effectively serving the credit union segment requires understanding how they differ from traditional lenders. To immerse themselves in the industry, Radian works closely with credit union trade associations through event sponsorship, and by hosting educational and networking opportunities.

“Trade associations are very influential in the credit union space, so we spend a lot of time, money and effort to cultivate good relationships with them,” says Dziuba. “Credit unions tend to follow more closely what their trade organizations are telling them.”

“It’s important to really understand the key players in those associations,” adds Bruschi. “We attend their events and even host our own Advisory Council with more than a dozen credit union participants. It’s all about listening to their product needs and their operational needs to learn how Radian can help solve some of their problems and create opportunities.”

Radian’s efforts within the credit union segment are readily apparent.

“Radian has a desire to grow the credit union segment of their business, and it shows,” says Eric Burgoon, senior vice president of Mortgage Lending for Lake Michigan Credit Union. “They ask us for product ideas, educate our members, and share manager access to industry experts.”

The challenges faced by credit unions are often different than those faced by Radian’s banking clients; therefore, the company strives to present solutions specifically geared toward credit unions.

One of the biggest challenges for credit unions, says Dziuba, is transitioning from a business that has been focused on refinance to one that courts purchase-market business. “Even though rates have

dropped and we’re back in another refi boom, it’s still a struggle for credit unions to go out and make contacts with REALTORS® and others to help promote purchase business,” he explains. “Within their memberships, the biggest opportunity is in the first-time homebuyer and low down-payment market. That’s where Radian strives to provide value with mortgage insurance.”

To that end, Radian works with credit union customers on training and building partnerships with key real estate segments. “We’ve made a big commitment to the multicultural market and work closely with the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) and the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA),” says Bruschi. “We’re able to make those types of introductions to our credit union clients and provide educational materials about the future homebuyer population. We’re trying to help them build REALTOR® connections for when the refinance market turns back toward a purchase money market.”

Radian has also taken a proactive role in education for credit union members by offering programs such as Timely Rewards. Through Timely Rewards, credit union members can earn $500 when they make their payments on time for the first five years and complete a brief financial literacy course.

“The member goes through a selfdirected personal financial management course, which teaches them how to create a budget, how credit cards work, etc.,” explains Dziuba.

“We also offer webinars and live training to credit union employees on a variety of topics to help make them better at their jobs. Through our website, Achieve the Dream, credit unions learn more about firsttime homeownership.”

Another exclusive program Radian offers credit union members is its complementary unemployment in-

Increasing Homeownership in Our Communities Credit unions are a growing force in the mortgage arena, as more and more consumers look for alternative lending solutions. Radian Guaranty is helping to bridge that gap.

“We have been approved with Radian for many years, but actively participating for about two years now. They provide a clear value-add to our members through excellent pricing and programs like Mortgage Assure. Radian has created programs that directly benefit our members.”

- ERIC BURGOON, Senior Vice President of Mortgage Lending, Lake Michigan Credit Union

“CAPCOM’s mortgage division truly advocates for our members every day. Whether they are refinancing or purchasing a home, we know a local lender plays an important part in financing the dream of homeownership. Radian is a strategic partner that really understands the difference between a member and a customer. Members own a credit union and, ultimately, we work for them.”

- CHRIS MCKENNA, Chief Mortgage Officer, Homeowners Advantage, a subsidiary of CAPCOM Federal Credit Union

“Credit unions are not-for-profit financial cooperatives, whose earnings are paid back to members in the form of higher savings rates and lower loan rates. Combine that value with a member-centric model and it makes sense why people are searching for alternatives over traditional lenders.

Radian is an important partner to help create sound products to expand homeownership while minimizing the risk. In addition, they invest in training resources for our employees to sharpen their skills by deepening industry knowledge to better serve our membership.”

- JASON SASENA, SVP, Residential Mortgage, Kinecta Federal Credit Union

surance, Mortgage Assure, for those that have a loan insured by Radian.

This creates an important incentive for homeownership, says Bruschi.

“Many homebuyers and first-time homebuyers are on the fence because they’re concerned about the economy and their jobs. We feel that providing unemployment insurance expands the market for homebuyers,” says Bruschi, “and it’s something buyers can only get through their credit union.”

“Radian has created programs that directly benefit our members,” agrees Burgoon. “Mortgage Assure

helps protect our members from unexpected job loss. They are also willing to go the extra mile to make loans work that may be ‘out of the box.’ They respond quickly to our member requests, and the service has been excellent for us both.”

According to McKenna, Radian brings potential solutions to the table on a regular basis. “Their unique programs and value-added services allow our mortgage division to better serve our clients,” he explains. “Without mortgage insurance, most lenders would require larger down payments, which could

present a potential roadblock to first-time buyers.”

The Opportunities Ahead According to Bruschi, the opportunity for continued marketshare growth in the credit union segment is ripe.

“Credit unions are becoming more community-based versus segmentbased,” says Bruschi. “Historically, credit unions only did business with segments they supported, such as the airline and pharmaceutical industries. But they are now placing more and more focus on supporting the community. They go out of their way to help keep members in their homes when they’re going through a financial problem.”

Going forward, Dziuba feels it’s important to help credit unions on their quest to balance their product mix and develop more purchase business, including first-time homebuyer business and diversity homebuyers.

“As they grow, we’ll grow with them.

Their members place a lot of value on relationships, so our biggest opportunity is to be the best partner that we can for credit unions.”

“Radian is committed to the credit union market,” says McKenna.

“When you get to know their local and national credit union representatives and their upper management, it is easy to see how they embody the credit union philosophy of ‘people helping people.’ We are proud to work closely with a company that supports our local charitable foundation while also bringing together a Credit Union Advisory Board to solicit feedback from their clients across the country.”

“It’s probably the most enjoyable part of my business,” adds Dziuba.

“You see the fruits of your labor when working with credit unions. They grow and thrive when we bring them different ideas and approaches…and they’re really thankful for it.”RE

For more information, please visit www.radiancu.biz.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 31

CEO, Chairman & Co-Founder Dave Liniger

Big Results and Constant Improvement That’s the Sign of a Thriving Network

by Maria Patterson

RE/MAX is speeding forward with great agents, huge momentum and an inherent drive to be the best

A

s four superstar panelists explained how they built, managed and motivated their sales teams during the annual RE/MAX Ultimate Team Summit in Las Vegas, one thing became obvious: These people would be successful anywhere—in any business or industry. They each had that undefinable “it” factor: a mix of charisma, confidence, drive and talent.

The panelists generously shared their secrets and detailed their systems and strategies. But they really didn’t talk too much about RE/MAX. Until they did.

And that’s when the audience of nearly 1,000 colleagues heard why these four top producers—with well over $300 million in annual sales among their teams— were so solidly and unmistakably passionate about the RE/MAX brand.

They mentioned credibility. Brand power. Referrals.

Marketshare. Global presence. And then, Marti Hamp-

32 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

The 2016 multimedia advertising campaign spotlights the vital role of hardworking agents.

ton, who has dominated the Raleigh, N.C., market for two decades at RE/MAX One Realty, summed it up in 30 seconds.

“I’d be shortchanging my clients if I didn’t give them RE/MAX. Sure, I could be Marti Hampton Real Estate or go with a different brand, but RE/MAX is the gold standard. And that’s what I owe the people I work with.

“I’m at my best when I have RE/MAX behind me.”

The crowd—a mix of individual agents looking to build a team and team leaders seeking to reach a higher level—erupted in applause.

They knew exactly what she meant.

Expanding on Success Being the best has always been the aim at RE/MAX. It’s evident in the way RE/MAX agents serve their buyers and sellers, and in the way RE/MAX brokers support their agents.

Guided by a mission of helping others achieve their goals, RE/MAX has a culture rooted in service, productivity, collaboration, high achievement and constant improvement. For more than 40 years, agents who share those values have found a home with the brand.

“We’ve always been the best choice for top producers as well as agents who aspire to become top producers,” says Dave Liniger, RE/MAX CEO, chairman and cofounder. “Agents join us because they understand that a productive environment, filled with productive people, is the ideal place to build or expand a successful career.”

RE/MAX agents in the U.S. average 15.4 years of experience. But many of the network’s recent recruits are newer to the business—and a growing number are just starting out.

“It works because of two things. First, because our agents and brokers are highly collaborative and always willing to share their best ideas. And second, because the newer agents joining us are a good fit with our culture—they’re ambitious people who are eager to learn, grow and excel,” Liniger says. “If you’re truly committed to being a great agent who can deliver great service, you’ll find a spot at RE/MAX.” More and more recruits are seizing the opportunity.

The network’s agent count has grown every quarter for more than four years—18 straight quarters since the start of 2012. Following a gain of over 5,100 agents in the first half of this year, the worldwide total reached 109,960 in June.

“I’m at my best RE/MAX has more offices when I have RE/MAX (7,000+) than any other real estate franchise and behind me.” a presence in nearly 100 – MARTI HAMPTON countries, making it the inRE/MAX One Realty dustry’s most global brand (see sidebar pg. 35).

Steady growth brings more yard signs, more marketshare and more brand visibility, all of which benefit every member of the network. But growth is only part of the story. Production and achievement are much higher priorities at this industry-leading brand. RE/MAX agents have led the U.S. in total residential transaction sides every year since 1999, and last year they closed over 960,000 sides—eclipsing every competitor by more than 100,000, according to industry research.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 33

Getting the Job Done Per-agent production also illustrates the gap between RE/MAX and all other national franchises, and is in many respects an even better indica“We get so tor of quality than total sales. excited when we In the 2016 RISMedia Power see people in Broker Report of the nation’s our office grow. largest brokerages, RE/MAX agents averaged 16.4 transCulture is huge.” action sides each—a figure – SHIVANI DALLAS more than double the 8.0 avRE/MAX Infinity Realty erage of all other agents in the survey.

More than double the production of other agents— that’s a powerful statement about the caliber of RE/MAX agents and the quality-over-quantity culture they work in. Savvy buyers and sellers notice it, which brings even more business to the network. And it makes perfect sense. After all, when someone needs surgery, do they want the hospital with the most surgeons, or the one with the most proficient surgeons?

“My brokerage has 90 agents, but our total sales are better than those of nearby competitors who have 400 agents,” says Shivani Dallas, a Hall of Fame member with RE/MAX Infinity Realty in Chandler, Ariz. “That shows the level of agent performance at a RE/MAX office. Per-agent production is something we watch very closely. It means a lot.

“I belong to a RE/MAX office that has a culture of sharing and support for one another. We get so excited when

Feedback Shapes Key Services The greatest asset RE/MAX has is the collective skills, talent and intellect of the 100,000+ professionals in the network. It’s no surprise, then, that input from the field plays a major role in the development of initiatives and programs at RE/MAX Headquarters in Denver.

A prime example is the RE/MAX Broker Leadership Council, a mastermind group consisting of RE/MAX LLC President

Geoff Lewis and 16 broker/owners from across the U.S. and Canada.

In bimonthly meetings and calls, the council helps shape marketing strategies, technology platforms, social media efforts and more.

“These invaluable discussions benefit everyone in our organization,” Lewis says. “The council members are bright, engaged brokers with strong opinions about resources and services. They’ve had a significant impact on several fronts.”

34 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

we see people in our office grow. Culture is huge. It’s probably the biggest reason I’ve been with the same broker and the same group of folks for 11 years now.”

Clearly, great things happen when you combine 1) dynamic, entrepreneurial people; 2) an extremely powerful brand; and 3) a productive, winning, idea-sharing culture.

Visibility that Matters An extremely powerful brand isn’t built overnight. Through the years, billions of dollars have been spent promoting the brand in a way that helps consumers think of their local RE/MAX agents and offices.

Brand matters. When people are choosing from multiple options, they often start the process with a brand they know and would recommend. That’s a big reason RE/MAX uses highly visible national, regional and local marketing to constantly build on its already solid foundation.

With ongoing shifts in content consumption, the strategic marketing effort has grown more digital and social to meet people where they are. But national TV—supplemented by “I don’t have to online video—remains a major explain who I’m differentiator. with. I’m with “People recognize the balloon, the TV commercials, the RE/MAX. Boom. bus stops, the social media The end.” ads. The RE/MAX brand is – ROGER ZELAYA everywhere,” says Roger ZeRE/MAX Time laya, a broker associate with

The council members are glad to serve as a voice representing the membership.

Their terms run either two or three years.

“I’m impressed with the (RE/MAX leadership’s) open-door philosophy,” says Mark Wolfe, broker/owner of eight RE/MAX DFW Associates offices in the Greater Dallas area.

“And I appreciate the sincere attitude that we’re all in this together.”

Sandy Hancock, broker/owner of the five-office RE/MAX Results in St. Louis, shares Wolfe’s enthusiasm.

“I didn’t know what to expect going into this, and I’ve found the focus to be tremendously valuable,” she says.

“It’s good to know RE/MAX LLC cares about our concerns and will make changes based on our input. In the end, we all want the same thing— great programs tailored to meet the needs of the agents and brokers.”

7 Facts About Global Growth 1. Nearly 50,000 RE/MAX Sales Associates (48,325 as of June 30), work at offices outside the U.S.

2. Agent count in Canada has grown every year but one (a dip of just 128 agents in 2009) during the past two decades. It’s over 20,000 agents now, which is more than 18 percent of the Canadian Real Estate Association membership.

3. 2015 was the best year yet for franchise sales outside the U.S. and Canada: 601.

4. Five of the most successful global regions—Israel (1,004 agents), Italy (1,670 agents), Southern Africa (2,402 agents), Spain (1,421 agents)

RE/MAX Time in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. “When I’m calling someone or meeting clients face-to-face, I don’t have to explain who I’m with. I’m with RE/MAX. Boom.

The end.

“People understand who we are, what we do and how we do it—and that helps me tremendously.”

Value of an Agent The 2016 national advertising campaign, “The Sign of a RE/MAX Agent,” was developed by award-winning San Francisco ad agency Camp + King. The coordinated marketing includes extensive TV, radio, outdoor, digital and social elements.

“We wanted to spotlight the critical role real estate agents play and the incredible value they provide,” says RE/MAX Chief Operating Officer Adam Contos. “Buying or selling a home is the biggest financial transaction of most people’s lives, and we want them to have the best, most thoroughly prepared agent guiding them through the process. They can find that agent at a RE/MAX of-

and Turkey (3,169 agents)—celebrated their 20th anniversaries in the past two years.

Together, they account for more than 9,500 sales associates.

5. RE/MAX has a presence in every South American country except Guyana. RE/MAX Argentina leads the way with more than 1,800 sales associates.

6. The largest region outside North America is RE/MAX Portugal, with over 5,000 sales associates. It grew by more than 800 in the first half of 2016.

7. In sheer percentages, some of the most robust agent growth this year is occurring in Ukraine (616 percent gain), Belarus (189 percent), Uganda (133 percent) and Thailand (97 percent).

fice. Yes, the campaign promotes the brand, but more importantly, it helps connect buyers and sellers to expert agents who can help.”

The TV ads appear during a variety of prime-time network programming—including hit shows such as “Dancing with the Stars,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Dateline” and “America’s Got Talent”—as well as in morning and late-night slots. And an aggressive digital spend reaches viewers on their mobile devices. All told, the marketing will create hundreds of millions of brand impressions this year.

With a light, fun tone, the five TV spots remind consumers that when they’re choosing an agent, they shouldn’t overlook the essentials like skill and experience.

“Anytime we reinforce the idea that people should work with the best agent possible, we’re encouraging them to go with RE/MAX,” Contos says. “Advertising gets really easy when you’re promoting a quality choice you believe in.”

The “Sign of a RE/MAX Agent” theme will continue into RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 35

The 2016 R4 convention featured education, networking and an electric fun night at Hakkasan Nightclub Las Vegas.

2017, with executions that are even more creative and adventurous.

“We have no plans to take the safe route,” Contos says. “That’s just not how we do things.”

President Geoff Lewis

COO Adam Contos

Mastering the Business Brand visibility is valuable, but quality agents are even more essential. They transform RE/MAX from being a name consumers know to a brand clients trust.

When satisfactory isn’t good enough and great is just a stepping stone, agents can look to Momentum®, a RE/MAX exclusive that helps participants sharpen their with RE/MAX State Line in Leawood, Kan. “The point focus and grow their business.

The comprehensive business development program is to pick up something, take action on it, evaluate the goes far beyond “training.” In fact, training is just one of result, adjust and repeat. That’s how you get better and four components, along with consulting, accountability better at whatever it is you’re doing. No matter how and masterminding. More than 2,000 brokers have opt- good you are at something, you can always find ways ed in to Momentum so far, in turn delivering the content to improve.” to their agents.

“Momentum has absolutely changed my company,” Specific Steps for Agents says Kim Piper, who owns five RE/MAX Professionals of- Momentum’s agent content centers on the sales essenfices in and around Olympia, Wash. “My managers and tials of generating, converting and servicing leads, and simultaneously marketing or prospecting for I are excited about recruiting because we additional leads. It includes a 13-course sysknow that what we offer is far superior tem that provides specific goals, plans and than anything out there. We know that strategies for each of those elements. The agents who join our brokerage will benefit impact can be profound, especially for relafrom their decision.” tively new agents.

One of the tenets of Momentum is that Brandi Minchillo, a 2014 licensee with mastery of any subject involves three RE/MAX Southern Shores in Myrtle Beach, steps: 1) learning and fully understand“The point is to S.C., earned over $100,000 in commising the material; 2) putting what’s been pick up something, sions last year. She knows what Momentum learned into action—repeating and refintake action on it, can do. ing the process; and 3) teaching the mateevaluate the result, “Momentum has helped me with buyers, rial to someone else. In most Momentum adjust and repeat.” helped me with sellers, and actually helped offices, the broker and/or managers conme carve out more personal time for my famduct the courses personally.

– JOHN KETCHUM ily,” Minchillo says. “It’s a lot of work up front, “The mastery piece is the biggest thing RE/MAX State Line but you learn simple systems that don’t reto me,” says John Ketchum, a manager 36 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

quire so much time as you move through the transaction.”

For more experienced agents, Momentum includes a “Master Team Builder” curriculum outlining a detailed “When you’re able A-to-Z system for assembling and maximizing a sales team. to break everything As with many other parts of Modown into essential mentum, it starts with turning daily activities, you a massive undertaking into a start spending your manageable one. time in a much “When you’re able to break more intentional everything down into essential daily activities, you start spendand purposeful ing your time in a much more way.” intentional and purposeful – AMY SOMERVILLE way,” says Amy Somerville, vice RE/MAX LLC president of Training & Education. “That can make all the difference in the world to a broker who’s trying to strengthen an office, or to an agent who’s trying to build a team or help more buyers and sellers. It takes you from ‘doing’ to ‘being,’ and it changes how you view everything.”

Because Momentum has been so valuable in so many brokerages, a Momentum 2.0 follow-up was recently introduced to provide a deeper dive.

Shared Knowledge The spirit of shared knowledge and mutual improvement behind Momentum is also clearly displayed at major RE/MAX events such as the Catalyst/Premier Broker Summit, the Elite Retreat for top producers, the R4

convention, the Broker Owner Conference (BOC), the aforementioned Ultimate Team Summit and hundreds of regional and local gatherings. Attendees at all of these are quick to note the invaluable, life-changing ideas being exchanged. It’s almost reason enough to join the network.

“RE/MAX people help each other succeed. Simple as that. It happens in our system every single day,” says Nate Martinez of RE/MAX Professionals in Glendale, Ariz. “Anyone interested in reaching a higher level should get to a RE/MAX event. You’re surrounded by the industry’s best—successful, generous peers who are thrilled to share every secret they have. It’s a huge advantage our competitors can’t match.”

The concept of actively helping others succeed is in the RE/MAX DNA, says President Geoff Lewis.

“We’re always exploring new ways to help our agents “RE/MAX people and brokers do more and stay ahead of the competition. help each other And our agents and brokers succeed. Simple are constantly building better as that.” solutions for everyone they – NATE MARTINEZ serve,” Lewis says. “It’s a RE/MAX Professionals continual effort at all levels of our organization, and it raises everyone’s game. Just one more reason it’s exciting to be part of RE/MAX.” RE

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

A Great Site to See A major, game-changing reboot to remax.com earlier this year is designed to increase consumer engagement and deliver more leads to RE/MAX agents. Already No. 1 among the national real estate franchise sites in terms of visits—and a top-10 industry site overall—remax.com has helped drive over 16 million referral fee-free leads directly to RE/MAX agents in the past decade. And that number increases every day.

A cornerstone of the network’s loyalty-building tech and digital enhancement strategy, the remax.com refresh includes these upgrades: 8A fresh, clean, mobile-responsive design 8Dynamic single-page agent websites available to every agent 8Easy, intuitive navigation in map-based searches 8 Enhanced My RE/MAX section that simplifies saved searches

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 37

He’s perfecting his signature marinade tonight because he called Stewart Title 10 years ago.

When he’s not helping clients find the perfect homes, Robert loves to entertain, and he was looking forward to firing up the grill for his friends this Saturday. Then we contacted him about a hidden lien on his latest transaction. In the 10 years he’s worked with us, we’ve always used our expertise to keep Robert’s deals moving, so our discovery had him worried – for about five seconds. Then we told him we’d already found a creative solution to clear the issue prior to closing. And that meant happier clients for Robert – and some extra time to perfect his marinade recipe before his big weekend cookout.

To see how we can help you close your deals, visit stewart.com/ris2.

© 2016 Stewart. All rights reserved.

We Are on the Move, Are You? Commentary by Vicki Monteagudo

Y

ou’ve heard it a hundred times. If your business isn’t growing, it’s dying. For us, “We are on the move, are you?” has been an integral part of the company’s personal and business growth strategy since 2012 when we chose to affiliate with Century 21 Real Estate and open a 2,800-square-foot space in Richland’s financial district with only two licensed affiliated agents. A few years later, by leveraging a comprehensive marketing and advertising program, and an extensive learning strategy for real estate professionals, CENTURY 21 Tri-Cities has grown to 44 sales associates—not including nine administrative staff. As one of the fastest-growing brokerages in the Pacific Northwest, I knew we were outgrowing our space fast…and I mean fast.

We quickly researched a number of possible office and retail spaces and even put in an offer on an existing commercial building. However, after conducting our due diligence process, we found that building a brand new office from the ground up would be a better answer—and the perfect fit for our growing needs.

For the next two years, our journey to find the ideal piece of dirt, an architectural firm and a commercial builder who would all work seamlessly together took place. Secret architecture, builder and low-key color selection meetings were in the works, all

while managing a growing real estate business. After months of planning, securing permits and signing the monthly construction draws, we were “on the move” with the construction of a state-of-the-art CENTURY 21 TriCities building.

Fortunately, while our business could have suffered during this time, our affiliated sales associates trusted us and recognized that we would always have their backs.

The result: a new, two-story, 8,800-square-foot building featuring modern and mid-century elements blended together to produce innova-

tive work spaces, a courtyard, café, four conference rooms, a boardroom and learning facility.

Here’s what we learned: Efficiency Pays Off. From the groundbreaking ceremony to final project completion was a record-setting six months.

Patience. To make one massive move from an old building to a newly constructed one requires total focus on the end result.

Time Management. We took one step at a time through the abundance of tasks, appointments and issues, and the many overwhelming moments we felt during the process faded against the final product and our growing number of satisfied customers.

Inaction does not exist in the competitive business of real estate. Leaders need to be willing to adjust not only tools, products and systems, but also office space itself in order to grow as market leaders. We learned some challenging lessons along the way, but today, we are happy to call 89 Gage Boulevard in Richland, Wash., home to CENTURY 21 Tri-Cities.

Vicki Monteagudo is a broker with CENTURY 21 Tri-Cities.

For more information, visit www.century21tricities.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 39

Where Real Estate & Cultura Connect

2016

National Convention & Latin Music Festival TITLE SPONSOR

{Basic Training}

Marketing vs. Advertising

by Verl Workman

A

gents and brokers are bombarded with programs, apps, lead-generation sources and literally hundreds of ways to spend their hard-earned money. How do you decide what to spend money on, and what types of marketing will make the biggest impact on your business?

There’s a big difference between marketing and advertising. The easiest way to understand the difference is to think about a wheel with spokes. The wheel is marketing and the spokes are advertising. Each spoke is a different piece of the marketing wheel, including public relations, sales strategy, customer service/reviews, market research and community involvement—all of which play a role in your marketing strategy.

Most people think marketing is the same as advertising because they do it to generate more business. Many of the spokes in marketing are directly related to lead generation, while others focus on building a brand and creating awareness of your product or services. As a real estate agent/small business owner, our marketing efforts are focused on what I like to call direct response. That means if I spend $1,000, I need to see direct responses that generate $6,000 in return on that spend.

The other way is less direct. It may be a billboard, geographic farm postcard or even Facebook ad where we drive business to sites, and do our best to engage the prospective client, but we can’t directly track where the business comes from. I like to call this institutional advertising. Beer commercials are

great at this. They show a bunch of beautiful people having a great time on the beach, playing volleyball and Frisbee and swimming in the ocean. At the end, it simply says “Bud Light.” Many times, the difference between direct and institutional advertising is the message on the advertisement. For example “FREE download,” “FREE market analysis,” “FREE home valuation” are all direct response phrases that cause people to take action, that can easily be tracked by downloads or appointments scheduled.

Institutional advertising would be a billboard that says “Doritos” with a cool picture. There is no direct response or call to action phrase.

If you want your marketing strategy to pay huge dividends, here are a few rules to follow:

1

Track every lead in great detail.

We created a Google Drive lead tracker that shows exactly where every lead and sale comes from.

2

Reason for the call. Make sure you ask everyone exactly what message they saw or heard that caused them to call you.

3

Review your numbers often.

The more information you have about what is and isn’t working will allow you to focus and spend in the

right places. We review this data from our high-producing coaching clients and share what is and isn’t working.

4

Allow time for things to work, but when it’s clear that something isn’t working, move those dollars to other marketing activities that are proven.

You don’t have to recreate and guess anymore in this business.

Get with your coach and make sure all of your systems are set up to track and manage your marketing strategy correctly. And when you find what works, crank up the spend. This is a very profitable and predictable business. If you need help, visit http://www.verlworkman.com/coaching/business-evaluation to schedule a free business consult. 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.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 41

{Power Broker Perspectives}

by Keith Loria

Gretchen Pearson: Raising the Standards As president and broker/owner of San Ramon, Calif.-based Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties, Gretchen Pearson has proven­ there’s no ceiling in real estate for women—and she wishes more women would follow her lead.

“I’m not sure why there aren’t more women owners,” she says. “The flexibility allows parents—both moms and dads—to be fabulously involved in the

Above: The women of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties Below (left to right): Frank Trifeletti, senior vice president, Gretchen Pearson, president/CEO, and Gino Blefari, CEO, HSF Affiliates LLC

community and family, plus become a top REALTOR®.”

A mother of three and a wife for 21 years, Pearson is a great believer in honoring long-term relationships, which is why she has been in real estate her entire professional life.

“You can describe me as very myopic. Ever since I graduated college, I’ve only worked in real estate, and I’ve been in it for 38 years,” she says. “I love the fact that it is open in all concepts. Anyone can use their skillsets to succeed.”

Pearson started her ca-

VITALS: Berkshire Hathaway

Walnut Creek office grand opening and ribbon-cutting event

HomeServices Drysdale Properties Years in business: 11 Size: 32 offices, 979 agents 2015 sales volume: $54 million 2015 transactions: Approximately 5,000 Region served: Northern California—San Francisco Metro East Bay into Central Valley www.bhhsdrysdale.com Annual Foundation award ceremony at the Lesher of the Arts in Walnut Creek

42 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

reer as a sales associate and relied on her marketing skills to open up her firm 11 years ago, and in that short time, it has become the 95th largest brokerage in the nation by sales volume, according to RISMedia’s 2016 Power Broker Report.

“Northern California is a very large footprint, and strategically, that works for us,” Pearson says. “When we started in late 2005, we were aggressive, and as a marketer, I knew that to sustain, we needed to move quickly. Our growth strategy was to find companies, agents and people who aligned in value and come together on business terms, and we did.”

Today, the firm deals in properties from the San Francisco Metro East Bay into the Central Valley, working through Fresno, Sacramento and other Northern California cities.

And it continues to grow: Over the next year, Pearson will be adding new offices in Sacramento and aggressively targeting individual agents in the areas the firm is already serving.

“We’re a company that cares, and we are proud to be REALTORS®, ” Pearson says. “Our agents are focused on taking the real estate industry to a higher standard and making the home-buying and -selling process a rewarding one.

They are committed to maintaining an open line of proactive communication, providing information

on market data and trends, and creating that all-important trust between client and agent to lead to longterm relationships.”

For new licensees, the firm conducts a personality skill-assessment test, offering the results whether the individual chooses to come on board or not.

“They see the areas they could work on—closings, opening, personality, and learn what the job is,” Pearson says. “We use that as an attractant for people to engage with us.”

For experienced agents, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties brings them value with help in business and providing balance. The firm offers an in-house program called Success Selling, which covers accountability, working one’s sphere, and other advice agents would get from a coach.

And every Tuesday, the firm has Tech Tuesday, with different webinars available for its agents.

Although Pearson loves the industry, she admits she is a little nervous about where it’s all heading.

“It’s changing. The big are getting bigger and that may be the way of it, but it’s a change that is concerning,” she says. “The bucket brokers—hack shacks—have given up on the value the broker brings, in my opinion. It’s all electronic, but you need more. I have to be within hugging distance and to be within ‘foot in their rear’

distance. It’s that sort of relationship that makes you a success.”

Chad Ochsner: Keeping Pace in a Hot Market A second-generation broker/owner, Chad Ochsner is the employing broker of RE/MAX Alliance in Colorado.

ers Metro Denver through Boulder, and through the first seven months of 2016, he’s seen record numbers.

“Denver continues to make the top three of Case-Shiller’s price appreciation, behind Portland and Seattle; it’s a really hot market,” he says. “We have record-low inventory and price appreciation gains year-over-year around 10 percent. Last I heard, about 1,200 people a week were moving to the Denver area.”

While that is good news, the low inventory and increased demand have created some challenges in the market—especially for first-time homebuyers who are being priced out of certain desirable areas.

Ochsner feels that the

VITALS: RE/MAX Alliance Years in business: 33 Size: 21 offices, 860 agents 2015 sales volume: $4.4 billion 2015 transactions: 12,570 Region served: Metro Denver and Northern Colorado, including Fort Collins www.homesincolorado.com “My father, Chuck, acquired his first RE/MAX franchise in 1983, so I grew up in the business,” says Ochsner. “As a young kid, I didn’t think I wanted to be involved in real estate, but I took some classes and ended up majoring in it—now I’m in the family business.”

Ochsner’s domain cov-

numbers probably won’t sustain, and that the 40 percent increase in inventory over the last year will be helpful.

RE/MAX Alliance continues to grow, both in agent count and philosophy.

“We have a concentrated effort on bringing in new agents and have three full-time recruiters

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 43

try—we really make a concentrated effort to elevate our brokerage.”

Keeping up with the latest and greatest in technology is one way RE/MAX Alliance stays ahead of the curve. Ochsner or a member of his team attend all the big tech and real estate events throughout the year to stay up-to-date. His marketing and IT teams also have quarterly meetings with po-

tential technology vendors so they know what’s coming down the pike.

“We always take time to get a demo and look into everything that’s available to find what’s most beneficial for our agents,” Ochsner says. “Will they use it? Like it? Will it help clients? The end result is choosing technology that helps us help our clients achieve the American Dream.”

Ochsner receives the 2015 Brokerage of the Year award for the RE/MAX Mountain States region.

now helping that cause,” Ochsner says. “RE/MAX has changed its strategy to bring newer licensees in, whereas in the past, we would have let them learn from someone else.”

To that end, the firm has implemented a nine-week new agent course that, so far, 90 people have gone through, with 50 coming aboard.

“We target real estate schools and licensing schools. We’re training and molding them the way we want them to do our business,” Ochsner says. “We have a couple of business coaches for new agents who may need some hand holding, and we look for the very best.”

When it comes to recruiting agents from other firms, RE/MAX Alliance keeps an eye on benchmarks and

broker metrics; when Ochsner’s team sees someone with the performance and productivity they desire, they make a move to bring them on board.

Ochsner’s firm recently opened a new boutique office in the heart of Olde Town Arvada, an area on the rise thanks to the soon-to-be added light rail.

Other expansion through acquisitions will occur in 2017.

“What sets the firm apart is our 21 offices on the front line; we’re able to have economies of scale,” Ochsner explains. “We can offer a higher level of support, be it better quality, technology, services, marketing or branding. One of the things I am really proud of is the fact that we have some of the best managing brokers in the indus-

44 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Top: RE/MAX Alliance Loveland, Colo. associates Bottom: RE/MAX Alliance’s charity golf tournament committee presents a check to Children’s Hospital Colorado.

VITALS: Napier REALTORS®, ERA

Jim Napier: Growth and Change Are Constants While it may not have the fast pace of Northern Virginia and the D.C. Metro area, Jim Napier, president and principal broker of Midlothian, Va.-based Napier REALTORS®, ERA, notes that the Central Virginia marketplace is a strong performer and a great place to do business.

“The Central Virginia marketplace has continued to improve year-over-year with a 5 percent increase in pending sales and a 7.6 percent increase in closed sales, year-to-date for 2016,” Napier says.

“We are a 58-year-old firm that has consistently been an industry leader in Central Virginia. We pride ourselves on our culture of support for our sales team, a stellar reputation within our industry and community, and our focus on family.”

That’s one of the reasons Napier REALTORS®,

ERA has been voted a “Top Workplace” in Central Virginia for the last three years running, and voted “The Best” real estate firm in Central Virginia by the readers of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Richmond.com.

A second-generation broker/owner (his father Oscar started the firm in 1958), Napier’s love of the business comes from the freedom the industry provides, which has allowed him to choose the type of career and type of brokerage he wanted to create.

“The nature of our business calls for constant growth, and we work to achieve that through recruiting new and experienced agents as well as looking for strategic acquisition opportunities, as we did with the acquisition of ZipRealty in January of this year,” he says. “The opportunities are endless. We have to constantly improve as business partners for the benefit of our sales team. We have to work to meet the needs of our top sales associates, improve our on-boarding of new associates to get them up and running quickly, and continue our focus on recruiting quality sales associates and acquisition candidates.”

The firm attracts and retains sales associates by being the best business partner it can be. That means providing a nurturing environment where agents can have the type

Years in business: 58 Size: 4 offices, 150 sales associates 2015 sales volume: $292 million 2015 transactions: 1,206 Region served: Central Virginia, encompassing the Metropolitan Richmond and Tri-Cities area www.napierera.com

Top left: The firm is a consistent winner of awards within the ERA network.

Top right: Napier REALTORS®, ERA has been voted a ‘Top Workplace’ in Central Virginia for the last three years running.

Bottom: The firm provides a nurturing atmosphere and a culture of support for agents.

of career they want.

“We have to help them become the most knowledgeable and professional sales team available,” Napier says. “Today’s consumer has access to tremendous amounts of information. We have to be the ones that can help the consumer use that information to their advantage, understand the process and set appropriate expectations.”

Technology plays a big role in that, and the firm is fortunate to have a fulltime IT director who is constantly evaluating the technologies available, helping the sales team pick the

appropriate systems and software for the benefit of their clients.

“We are constantly evaluating the changing technology landscape in order to help our associates best use those technologies to better serve their clients,” Napier says. “We are working hard to help our sales team improve lead generation and lead management, and not just online leads—sphere of influence leads/referrals are the best source of business. Having a consistent approach to this type of lead generation is critical to any agent’s success.” RE

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 45

BUILDING TEAMS FOR SUCCESS!

Capitalizing on Your Business Classification Commentary by Desirée Patno

I

n today’s competitive business arena, a minute detail or decision can mean the difference between long-term success and immediate failure. In the real estate industry, where networking and connections play a significant role in business performance, what you and your business connote is particularly vital.

As a professional in this highly competitive marketplace, not utilizing the business classifications at your disposal is an oversight. Tailoring to your community is a strategy as old as the industry itself. You must play to your strengths, and increasing your business’ appeal to a particular market, including potential homebuyers, is essential. For women business owners, the utilization of a women-owned business classification is vital.

According to 2014 Census Bureau data, there are currently 18,057,000 female homeowners in the United States. As women make advancements in their careers and their wages grow in parity to those of men, women’s homeownership will continue to grow. With this extended buying power, we’re seeing the emergence of more women homeowners and a specialized niche for real estate professionals. This growing mar-

ket is evidenced by the fact that 10 million American women homeowners live alone.

Utilizing the fact that your company is women-owned will situate your business to potentially capitalize on this emerging market and introduce you to businesses and government agencies that have strong corporate social responsibility.

An incredible value-add to marketing your women-owned business classification is that all employees and independent contractors who hang their license with you will benefit and increase your bottom-line profits.

This isn’t to say women homebuyers automatically want to work with women-owned companies, but those who know they want to use a womenowned business from the start will be especially receptive to your marketing. It’s about growing your book of business by meeting a demand

that’s already present.

Promoting yourself as womenowned also has the potential of opening business avenues in addition to single-women homeowners. As a recent Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate and National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) Hispanic Women Survey reveals, when couples buy homes, women often lead the way.

The survey, which focuses on Hispanic buying trends and activity, shows that 73 percent of the women surveyed preferred to work with a female real estate agent. This is a crucial preference because it shows that a majority of women trust other women with the biggest transaction of their lives.

The Better Homes and Gardens and NAHREP study also found that of participants currently searching for a home, 48 percent prefer a Spanishspeaking agent. Just as it’s beneficial for Spanish-speaking agents to market themselves as such, women real estate agents need to exploit their identity as women-owned. Marketing to your community is a powerful tool to augment your book of business; it’s a valuable resource that can mean higher bottom-line profits.

Buying a home is one of the most important decisions a person will ever make; it follows that within this transaction, the need to feel connected to with whom you’re conducting business grows. Buyers want to feel secure and supported; the importance of this purchase weighs heavy. Making them feel confident in your ability as an agent is half the battle. Exploit your uniqueness and individuality. Advertising that you work for a women-owned company securing large or privately-held contracts is priceless. RE Desirée Patno is founder and CEO of the National Association of Women in Real Estate Business (NAWRB). For more information, please visit www.nawrb.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 47

RREIN RREIN RISMedia’s Real Estate Information Network®

NIERR

RREIN

EMPOWERING NIERR

RREIN

Brokers

NIERR

RREIN

Sales Associates Consumers 48 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

{Blog Spot}

Why Snapchat Is Pure Gold for REALTORS®

by Dustin Brohm

The biggest upside to Snapchat is the opportunity to create relationships with other REALTORS® from around the country and world.

T

here’s a huge amount of attention being paid to Snapchat in real estate right now, and rightfully so. While the buzz can be overwhelming, there are tons of important reasons why REALTORS® should jump on Snapchat.

After being active on Snapchat for eight-plus months and having built a following of thousands, I humbly consider myself an expert on Snapchat for real estate. The biggest upside to Snapchat is the opportunity to create relationships with other REALTORS® from around the country and world— it’s not the ability to snap your open houses or market your real estate services directly to people in your city.

It’s networking on steroids.

Snapchat is loved by its 100 million-plus daily users because it promotes and cultivates authenticity and “real-ness” between users. Your real personality, sense of humor, living conditions and life are shown in all their glory to your friends, because

on Snapchat, you’re really you, and people are attracted to authenticity.

Snapchat is all visual. When you’re having actual conversations with other REALTORS® all day via video snaps, don’t you think you’d feel closer to them versus writing back and forth via email, Facebook or Twitter?

It’s because of this digital “face-toface” means of communicating that you can create close relationships with new people quickly. That’s exactly what happened to me. In a few short months, I’ve become friends with quite a few REALTORS® from all around the world. I now have real real estate buddies from Edmonton to Berlin, down to Australia, and all over the U.S.

That aside, I have sold more homes and my real estate business has grown as a direct result of the relationships I have made on Snapchat.

Because my Snapchat friends know I’m a REALTOR®in Salt Lake City, I’ve received referral business from them.

That’s right—Snapchat is bringing me more business, and it can for you, too.

Start following REALTORS® on Snapchat and start conversations.

Look up what we call “the real estate #Snappack”—a group of seven REALTORS® from all around the U.S. who get together on the Onion Juice Podcast to talk about real estate, marketing, social media, and more. Reach out to us on Snapchat and start networking. The more you talk with other REALTORS®, the more referrals you’ll eventually get—not to mention it’s great to be able to learn what’s working for other REALTORS®.

If you’re a REALTOR®and you’re not on Snapchat, I urge you to start today. There are so many great people out there who may end up becoming close friends. Plus, you never know… you may just sell more homes in the process.

Add me on Snapchat (username: @dustinbrohm). I’d love to meet you and see how we can help each other.

RE

Dustin Brohm is a top Salt Lake City REALTOR®, Snapchat and social media-marketing master, smart home expert, entrepreneur, and founder of SearchSaltLake.com.

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

Visit us at blog.rismedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 49

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Webinar Recap:

Build Your Brand with Next-Gen Social Media

by Zoe Eisenberg

I

f you’re working in the real estate industry, you already know how vital it is to have a social media presence. Social media is now a necessity, offering more than a connection with clients. It’s also an important tool for seeming knowledgeable, professional and relevant. In short, it’s the ultimate branding platform.

The most recent RISMedia Content Solutions webinar, “Beyond Likes: Move Past the Competition with a Next-Gen Social Media Strategy,” looked at ways top producers are utilizing social media to reach success.

Sponsored by Homes.com and Outbound Engine, the July 20 webinar broke down ways you can move past the competition with a next-gen way of looking at social media.

Track Your Traffic Vivienne Wagner, a social media and content strategist and president of Houndstooth Media Group, noted that to make the most of your social media presence, you should not only be posting, but tracking your traffic.

“A lot of people think social media is fluff, but it’s actually quantifiable,” explained Wagner. “It should drive traffic to your website, which you can track, and build brand awareness, which you can track through

growth of engagement on platforms, and your follower numbers.”

Crafting Your Brand Don’t merely report the news. Become the ultimate source for housing information in your area. Add evergreen content—topics consumers search for all the time. Do you have a blog? Write about travel, where to stay and eat in your area, or the top attractions in your neighborhood. Consumers will always be looking for these things, and when they look, they’ll find you.

Facebook is a great place to start on social media, but it’s no longer the king of social media platforms. “If Facebook is the only thing you’re doing, you’re missing out on a holistic marketing plan,” said Wagner.

Pinterest Use Pinterest to position yourself as a knowledgeable asset for de-

sign and housing trends. Make your content easy to pin. Add attractive text over your header images, or go with vertical over horizontal images, which are more Pinterest compatible. If you have a post go viral, it’ll improve your web traffic and appease the Google gods, allowing clients to easily find you in the future.

Instagram According to Wagner, Instagram is the hottest platform in the real estate industry, because it’s photobased, and the use of hashtags makes it easy to search and find content.

“On Instagram, you’re sharing part of yourself. It shouldn’t be a sales pitch. Your feed is a reflection of who you are and what you’re interested in. You need to be authentic on Instagram. It’s vital,” said Wagner.

Use large hashtags (#RealEstate or #Architecture) to tap into a huge pool of conversation, but also smaller ones so you don’t get completely lost (#HoustonRealEstate).

You can also create your own custom hashtag (#123NameStreet) to close in on just pictures of that property, like a photo album.

Posting every day is key, though Wagner suggested posting once a day on Instagram, five to eight times on Facebook, and one to 12 times on Twitter. RE To view the webinar in full, visit http://bit.ly/riswebinarjuly.

Zoe Eisenberg is RISMedia’s Senior News Editor.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 51

{Trending}

Corporate Culture Chasm:

Employees View Their Culture More Negatively than Management

A

new study finds a concerning gap between what managers say they want their company culture to be and what employees say is really valued by those same bosses.

The study, conducted by Joseph Grenny and David Maxfield, cofounders and leading researchers at VitalSmarts, a TwentyEighty Inc. company, shows that while leaders say they want innovation, initiative, candor and teamwork, what employees feel is really valued is obedi52 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

ence, predictability, deference to authority and competition with peers.

Overall, the study, which surveyed more than 1,200 employees, managers and executives, found that employees have a much more negative view of their corporate culture than their bosses. And, the more senior a person is in the organization, the more positive their perception of their company culture.

And these perception gaps matter—a lot. When employees believed that what was really valued was obedience, predictability, deference to authority and competition

with peers, they were 32 percent less likely to be engaged, motivated and committed to their organization.

This perception also had a dramatic impact on their performance. They were 26 percent less likely to rate their organization as successful at innovating and executing.

Survey respondents were presented with 13 cultural norms and asked to identify which norms were most like their own culture. Employees and managers clashed on all 13 norms, but the chasm between employee perception and management perception was statistically widest on five norms: 4Norm is to avoid conflict and maintain pleasant relationships—at least superficially; it’s important to agree with, gain approval of, and be liked by others. (Employees were 54 percent more likely to say this is extremely like their culture than leaders.)

4Norm is to conform, follow the rules and make a good impression; culture is conservative, traditional and bureaucratically controlled. (Employees were 53 percent more likely to say this is extremely like their culture than leaders.)

4Norm is to do what you’re told and clear all decisions with superiors; culture is hierarchically controlled and non-participative. (Employees were 54 percent more likely to say this is extremely like their culture than leaders.)

4Norm is to set challenging goals, establish plans to reach those goals, pursue them with enthusiasm and achieve them; it’s important to pursue a standard of excellence. (Employees were 18 percent less likely to say this was extremely like their culture than leaders.)

4Norm is to speak up immediately whenever there is a question or concern that could affect performance; in this culture, employees speak

truth to power, and both parties are honest and respectful. (Leaders were 67 percent more likely to say this was extremely like their culture than employees.)

Overall, organizations have a lot of work to do when it comes to improving corporate culture. According to the study, only 9 percent of employees have a favorable opinion of their culture. Managers and executives were slightly more optimistic, with 15 percent reporting they viewed their corporate culture favorably.

Grenny says that when it comes to fixing corporate culture, the place to start is with dialogue.

“There is no way to close this gap without honest, open dialogue,” says Grenny. “Basically, people say their leaders hype one set of behaviors, but reward another—that gap in perception is the starting point for conversation. If leaders are seen as sending mixed messages about what they truly believe will drive performance, they should invite employees to point out this perceived hypocrisy. Leaders tend to think employees won’t open up, but we’ve seen the opposite. When an executive sits down and truly listens, employees will be surprisingly honest.”

The study also shows that when leadership is trained in the skills to speak up and hold people accountable, culture change can occur.

“Having leaders participate in interpersonal skills training has a significant impact on the overall health of the culture,” says Maxfield.

“This is because leaders can communicate with and better manage their teams, but they are also in a position to cascade these skills to their employees, ultimately creating a new, healthy cultural norm.”

Grenny and Maxfield, who are also the authors of The New York Times business bestsellers, “Crucial Conversations” and “Crucial Account-

ability,” recommend the following leadership strategies for starting a candid discussion about a culture chasm: 4Understand the business case.

Before you set off to change your culture, be clear about the business reasons for doing so. Leaders who do it as a feel-good strategy turn it into a hobby and tend to create little beyond cynicism. There are hard, measurable reasons for changing culture—articulate those before you begin.

4Focus on vital behaviors. You can’t change 10 - 15 behaviors in a company. You can really only focus on a vital two or three. Pick the behaviors that will make the biggest difference in performance.

4Listen deeply. Before you can change culture, you need to know where you stand. The best way to do this isn’t with a safe, antiseptic survey administered by outsiders.

The best way is for executives to vulnerably engage with the employees who know best. Meet with groups of 8 - 10 employees. Spend 60 - 90 minutes asking open-ended questions like, “What advice would you give a friend if they came to work here?” “What does it take to succeed here?” or “If you had a magic wand, what’s one thing you would change?”

4Take action. Listening creates expectations. Once employees take a risk to share their perceptions, they begin watching to see if you’ve really listened. They’ll want to see evidence. Pick a couple of valued and visible concerns and address them quickly. This builds trust in your sincerity to make longer-term changes that may involve the employees themselves changing their behavior. RE For more information, please visit www.vitalsmarts.com and www.twentyeighty.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 53

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Making the Most of Mobile Leads

Life in Mobile’s Win Local® Suite set to monetize mobile leads

by Keith Loria

F

inding success in real estate can be a challenging job at times, one defined by hard work and determination. After all, you only get rewarded financially when a sale goes through, and for that to happen, you either need to win a listing or engage a buyer. And with so much competition out there from other agents, doing so often requires a great deal of prospecting, marketing dollars and energy.

Over the years, numerous companies have come up with opportunities for brokers and agents to better find leads, with portals like Zillow, Trulia and realtor.com® selling leads. But even then, real estate professionals don’t always find success with the leads they’re spending their hard-earned money on. The real work begins after the RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 55

lead comes in; calling, qualifying and following up with that lead until they’re ready to take action and begin a transaction.

With the abundance of leads coming from lead-generation portals, online advertising and re-targeting, print, signage and a slew of other sources, lead management can be a full-time job in and of itself. In fact, brokers often have to make a significant financial investment to build an internal call center or e-leads team, both of which require additional dollars or commission splits. Taking this one step further, they may even have to hire an external call center.

Plus, in today’s fast-paced, split-screen world, consumers expect an immediate response from their agent, so if someone doesn’t respond right away to an email or call, the consumer is likely to go elsewhere. A big challenge for any agent is managing the consumer’s expectation in regard to responding in a timely manner, in addition to all of their other job functions.

However, there may be a better answer. The Win Local® Suite—offering a new service called Mobile Concierge™, a new type of call center model powered by Mobile Real Estate, LLC—provides real estate professionals with the tools they need to take a mobile-first approach to marketing their brand and listings within their local market.

Made possible by a partnership between Rock Connections and Life in Mobile, Win Local® allows real estate professionals to compete where it matters most.

“Win Local®was built as a turnkey platform that allows residential real estate agents and brokers to help them win on the local market—generating leads, getting more listings, finding buyers,” says John Lim, CEO of Life in Mobile Inc. “We built out a platform that allows them to maximize their ability to mobilize their marketing.”

While Life in Mobile works with a number of fortune 500 clients across numerous industries, the company recently upped its real estate offerings by partnering with prominent call center Rock Connections to create a platform that generates leads through mobile.

The Win Local® Suite takes the philosophy of creating a mobile-first approach to marketing listings within one’s local market by utilizing text message lead generation. It includes branded mobile IDX and GPS search, a custom branded app, vanity text codes and a mobile business card with lead capture.

“We wanted to make sure that the concierge service would bring value, and that the integration process wouldn’t interrupt the agent’s day or make them do more work,” Lim says. “And eliminate the risk.”

According to Lim, the platform allows real estate

56 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

professionals to compete where it matters most…and where the biggest impact to the bottom line can be seen—locally, with mobile consumers who are looking to buy homes.

“A mobile lead is a more aggressive lead than an online lead because the human behind the device engaging is an indifferent consumer, a more powerful consumer.

The ‘I need it now consumer,’” says Lim. “The concierge service will call every single one of those leads back quickly, and customize the response on behalf of an agent personally,” he adds. “No one will have to outlay any money until it works. You only pay if and when you sell a property, or when the lead results in a buyer.”

Once a sale has been made, the only charge is a flat rate that will range from $300 - $500. Monthly rates will be available for all power agents.

With the official launch of the platform slated for October 2016, a number of firms are currently taking advantage of everything it has to offer in beta. One such firm is Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate, serving Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware.

“We have a pretty good pulse on how different online channels perform for us, whether we’re seeing a reasonable return on investment, and it’s helped us to figure out what to continue to focus on and what strategies need to be adjusted,” says Donna Greenspan, director of marketing & technology at Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate. “The call center engages and responds to the lead,” adds Greenspan, who notes that the brokerage has a dedicated business development center that manages the majority of leads that come into the organization through various forms of online activity. From there, the leads are funneled over to a call center before being handed off to the agent.

By using Win Local® Suite’s new model, Greenspan explains that the call center workers will be responsible for calling those who text Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate looking for information. These are people who haven’t actively reached out asking for assistance or to schedule a showing, but have asked for more information.

“I’ve been in the business for about a decade, and we’ve seen a significant shift in taking marketing dollars and investing more online so our listings and agents can be found easier,” Greenspan says. “We’re really not sure what to expect since we’re pursuing the leads a little bit, and being more proactive is a new strategy for us, but there’s not any out-of-pocket cost, so we think it could be a great thing.” RE For more information, please visit www.winlocalnow.com.

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4 Money-Saving Supplemental Health Coverage Options

by Bob Goldberg

I

t pays to protect yourself and your loved ones with health insurance. Members of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) are at a distinct advantage when it comes to coverage and cost savings, with access

to a suite of supplemental options that can expand major medical coverage and potentially reduce total out-of-pocket expenses.

These add-on plans, available through NAR’s REALTORS® Insurance Marketplace, a program available through the REALTOR Benefits®Program, provide the wellrounded coverage they may need.

For example, many major medical 58 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

plans have high deductibles, coinsurance and/or co-pays. Combining a supplemental plan like Accident Deductible Protection or Members TeleHealth with a high-deductible major medical insurance plan may lower monthly insurance costs.

AVAILABLE PLANS*: 1. Members TeleHealth Members TeleHealth provides NAR members with 24/7/365 access to MDLIVE, a network of U.S. state licensed and board-certified physicians and therapists who may be accessed for non-emergency medical issues by telephone, smartphone app, web chat or email.

Using this plan helps you avoid long waits and eliminates the cost associated with potentially unnecessary visits to the ER or Urgent Care. Common medical issues treated include allergies, asthma, cold, flu, fever, headaches, stress, rashes, infections, nausea, pink eye, sore throat, and more.

TeleHealth is currently one of the biggest trends in digital medicine, and is an option that top companies have been employing to assist individuals with cost-saving solutions.

REALTORS® Insurance Marketplace

2. Accident Deductible Protection Adding Accident Deductible Protection coverage as a supplement to major medical insurance coverage helps pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses incurred through an accident. NAR members under 65 have access to low group rates, and individual and family plans are available. As a special bonus, a complimentary subscription to the Members TeleHealth service is included in this plan, at no additional cost.

3. Vision Insurance NEW! REALTORS® Vision Insurance offers two guarantee issue group plans. Both provide great, competitive rates, annual eye exam benefits and savings on frames, lenses and contact lenses: 8Premier PPO Vision Plan – Choose from more than 42,000 network providers, including LensCrafters, Target Optical, Pearle Vision, Sears Optical and JCPenney Optical. This plan also includes discounts on LASIK and PRK procedures at select providers.

REALTORS® Insurance Marketplace (RealtorsInsuranceMarketplace.com) is an exclusive comparative online shopping site, providing NAR members with a roster of health and wellness plans and products, including a major medical health insurance exchange. All plans are from top-rated insurance carriers.

The site is powered by SASid, a trusted NAR partner that specializes in helping members find the best insurance plans and products for themselves and their families.

Interested in sharing this information with your agents? Visit the Broker Resources page on the Marketplace site. There you’ll find product information, downloadable banner ads, and more. Contact Joey Sarow, SASid Account Representative, with questions on Broker Resources at (608)709-2717.

8Freedom Vision Plan (non-PPO) – Visit the eye-care professional of your choice, applying coupons, discounts and negotiated prices to your payment, then submit a claim form and receipt for reimbursement. Includes an additional 15 percent discount on eyewear at Walmart Vision Centers.

4. Dental Insurance REALTORS® Dental Insurance plans provide coverage for preventive, basic and major dental expenses with the dentist of your choice. There are four plans to

About the REALTOR Benefits® Program Designed with you in mind, the REALTOR Benefits® Program is your official (NAR) member benefits resource, bringing you savings and special offers just for REALTORS®. Program partners are carefully selected, so you can be assured they understand the unique needs of real estate professionals and are committed to your success.

Make REALTOR.org/RealtorBenefits the first place you stop when you shop.

choose from, and most plans include bonus benefits like orthodontia, professional whitening, and more.

8Over 300 procedures are covered, including Preventive Dental Benefits (no deductible for routine exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments, and more), plus Basic and Major Dental Benefits.

While you’re free to visit any licensed dentist, these plans do have a nationwide preferred network (PPO). Using an in-network provider can significantly reduce your out-of-pocket costs.

Access all your health and wellness benefits from NAR at REALTOR.org/RIM/RIS. RE *Some states and territories have mandatory requirements based on individual state laws that call for variations in the form of the policy, affecting the ability to offer coverage in those areas. See website for full eligibility information by product.

Bob Goldberg is senior vice president, Marketing & Business Development, the National Association of REALTORS®.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 59

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Millennials Serving Millennials Reaching the next wave of homeowners

by Zoe Eisenberg

I

f your company is hoping to cater to millennial clients, a good place to turn is inward—tap into the wealth of creativity put out by millennial real estate professionals.

Real Estate Advisor Denise Gomez (top left) and REALTOR® Erika Borunda (bottom left) serve the San Diego, Calif., market with Canter Brokerage, an innovative real estate firm that is home to dozens of young, creative real estate professionals.

“San Diego’s spot as one of the top housing markets is the result of a limited supply of homes for sale and an increased demand,” says Borunda, a NAHREP North County San Diego Board Member and president-elect for the NAHREP La Jolla Chapter, launching in January 2017.

Who is stoking the San Diego housing fire? Mid-level and first-time buyers. “Millennials are starting to come around now that banks are implementing first-time homebuyer programs with as little as 3 - 5 percent down,” says Borunda. “After the Brexit vote hamstrung the Fed’s ability to raise interest rates, 30-year fixed mortgage rates fell to historic lows. Combine that with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bringing back 3 percent down mortgages, and increasing wages, we should see very strong millennial buying trends forthcoming.”

To position themselves for success with millennials, the Canter team is arming themselves with a league of young, innovative professionals. Here, Gomez and Borunda offer tips for working with millennial buyers.

Be tech-savvy. “Millennial buyers differ from other buyers in the sense that they start their home-buying process by utilizing online home search websites,” says Gomez.

“Technology available at the click of a button definitely makes today’s buyers a bit more savvy.”

Be social. According to Borunda, millennials trust social media more than anything else. “They’re no longer going

to websites to find you. If you’re not using some form of social media, then it’s likely you will not attract millennials,” Borunda says. “The first place they look is social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Snapchat. Yelp has been a critical place to find reviews on your business, on top of Zillow as well.”

Gomez concurs. “Being well aware of what technology millennial buyers are using to begin their searches can really give you a great screenshot of what sources are informing your buyers.”

Expand your communication avenues. The days of actually talking to your clients on the phone are gone…if your clients happen to be millennials. “Text is the preferred method of communication, and although they’re using a phone, there’s a hesitancy to actually talk,” says Borunda. Be ready to communicate with potential buyers through text, email, and even Facebook chat.

Understand their budgets. While it’s important to know your client’s budget, millennials are more in debt than any other generation, and it’s good to know why. “Salaries are lower for millennials, and they’re saddled with RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 61

debt,” Borunda explains. “Even those who’re making good salaries are paying off big student loans.”

Understand their priorities. A home in the suburbs with an extra bedroom for a maybe baby is no longer the recipe for a starter home. “Millennials see workplace flexibility as critical to quality of life,” says Borunda. “They’re waiting to marry and start families. They want to live in places that are walking distance to restaurants, work and entertainment.”

Make sure you’re on the cutting-edge. “Our team really sets itself apart by ensuring our marketing material is always on the cutting-edge in content, style and design,” says Gomez. “We have a newsletter that goes out every week providing information pertaining to what events are going on in San Diego, along with what projects we have in the present, and future. Keeping our clients well aware of what’s going on makes them feel like they’re in the know of the latest and greatest.”

Create a winning buyer presentation. “A buyer presentation is just as important as a listing presentation, especially when you’re working with first-time homebuyers that don’t know what to expect,” says Borunda. “There’s only a tiny fraction of buyers agents who do buyer presentations, and it’s mind boggling!”

Borunda suggests creating a slick, easy-to-read packet that explains everything from getting pre-approved to submitting offers, opening escrow, releasing contingencies and receiving your keys. “If you can cover all these critical points over a lunch and ensure your client is informed and knows some basic terminology and expectations of the buying process, not only will you stand out as an agent in a very saturated industry, you’ll have very happy clients and a smooth transaction. Everyone wins.”

Be a system for support. “In spite of all of the confidence put out by millennials, there’s an inner insecurity in understanding the process of real estate,” says Borunda.

“Experienced agents know the difference between the flow chart and how things really work. There’s no program or app for this knowledge—there’s just you.”

How else can you attract modern millennials? With a modern company. Gomez and Borunda both agree that the Canter brokerage isn’t your typical real estate company. With a rich company culture, appealing office locations and a collaborative vibe, the team is thriving.

“We all bring each other up on a daily basis and share business practices that are working and are happy to collaborate and share ideas with one another,” says Borunda. “I’m a firm believer that you’re a product of your environment, so I surround myself with the best. It’s rare to find that kind of environment at other firms.”

One thing that allows Canter to stand above the rest is their Development and Wealth Management component.

“We constantly have clients who just sold their home and have equity and want to invest their money,” Borunda explains. “Lucky for us we have our Wealth Management Team that’s able to come in and help discuss financial portfolios with our clients and set them up.”

So how can you attract creative, young agents to your team? Have an office culture that promotes quality and individuality.

“When interviewing for other real estate firms, it seemed like a recruitment strategy based around numbers rather than quality,” says Gomez. “Our company owner Andrew Canter goes out of his way to show his appreciation for each and every one of us. Overall, I would say each of us feels like we’re truly appreciated as a person, not as just another number.” RE For more information, please visit http://realestate.canterbrokerage.com.

N O

O N E

D E L I V E R S

M O R E

Only Homes & Land can give your properties the premium online distribution they deserve. There are hundreds of real estate portals. We give you the websites that matter.

Talk to your local Homes & Land Publisher for more details about this premium program.

Properties must meet price thresholds to be listed on premium websites. The New York Times and its affiliate sites do not accept listings from New York, New Jersey or Connecticut. Syndication partners are subject to change.

Steady Demand Seen in Senior Housing

W

ith an excess of institutional and public capital at the start of 2016, the senior housing market began the year with a slight pause but has now steadied and is poised for long-term growth. Driving the senior housing market is need-based housing, which includes skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, and memory care.

The number of U.S. citizens age 65 and older continues to grow at a record pace. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, this group numbered 46.2 million in 2014—the last year for which data is available. They represent 14.5 percent of the U.S. population and are estimated to rise to 98 million by 2060, more than double compared to 2014.

“Given the vast number of seniors in the pipeline, it will be very difficult for senior housing to be overbuilt in

the long run,” says Paul Aase, CCIM, partner at Active Senior Concepts in Johns Creek, Ga. “The challenge is that the bulk of the resident growth will not be hot for another 10 to 15 years as the baby boomers start to age.”

Most supply is in need-based facilities. While there is also development momentum in independent living facilities, neither markets show an oversupply.

“Skilled nursing in most states

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requires a certificate of need, which creates a barrier of entry, so that area has not been overbuilt,” says Richard Lynn, associate of the National Seniors Housing Group at Marcus & Millichap in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. “Independent living also hasn’t been overbuilt because it is wantbased and not need-based. The supply could exceed demand for some period of time, but ultimately the demand will catch up.”

Roughly 70 percent of U.S. adults over the age of 65 will need longterm care at some point in their lives, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As baby boomers start to shift from being the caregivers to being the receivers of care, they are expected to demand more amenities from senior housing facilities. Demand for senior housing will continue to be steady with many new, well-structured and capitalized projects coming to market. RE For more information, visit www.ccim.com.

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5 Things to Know When Working with Hispanic Clients

themselves understood to each other; the capacity of being able to make oneself understood also founds a feeling of belonging.”

3

Having professionals speak the language, if asked, and having materials (especially educational in nature) will make customers more comfortable. Let’s face it, our industry is a confusing one. Customers need to feel as comfortable as possible in what is likely the biggest investment of their lives.

Commentary by L. Maria Zywiciel

4

I

f there’s any doubt on whether or not accessing the Hispanic consumer is a solid business strategy to grow your marketshare, you haven’t heard these stats:

813 million of the 17 million projected new households between 2010 2025 will be ethnically diverse, of which 40 percent will be Hispanic.

8Since 2000, Hispanics have accounted for 52 percent of the growth in U.S. homeownership.

NAHREP Consulting Services talks to a lot of lenders, real estate professionals and others who are part of the home-buying experience.

Most recognize that reaching the Hispanic market is a solid business strategy, but are hesitant to fully engage for a variety of reasons. At the top of the list is the confusion around whether or not to use the Spanish language, and how.

Let’s be clear: over three-quarters of all U.S. Latinos speak English well or very well. The answer as to whether your company should invest in bilingual language services lies in how your customers prefer to conduct business. There is, however, research from a recent NAHREP membership survey that

showed half of respondents’ clients require Spanish as a main language in the home purchase transaction.

You may ask why, if so many people speak English.

1

It’s a matter of preference, not ability. Just as some clients prefer face-to-face versus online communication or vice versa doesn’t mean they can’t or won’t do business other ways; they will just gravitate toward the companies that can serve them in the manner they prefer.

2

Language is a powerful tool in building trust. The Goethe Institute has interesting research on this very topic. “Those who speak the same language not only can make

Many Hispanics live in extended family situations, meaning relatives are likely to be in the same household. Because you have multiple generations in the home, the language spectrum is likely to be mixed. Like most purchasing decisions, buying a home is a family affair, and to be respectful to the culture means including the family in the process. Spanish would be a must for newer immigrant members or older generations.

5

Finally, somewhat similar to the concept of comfort, having professionals, collateral and other resources available in-language provides transparency. Companies that demonstrate that they want their clients to understand the process and to be well-informed every step of the way are companies that want to be transparent. This will lead to a much happier client, one that will refer their friends and family again and again.

Language is one of many cultural elements, but probably the most powerful, and the gateway to other aspects of culture. Hopefully, you’ll consider language as a way to build rapport with consumers, and not a barrier between you and the consumer. What’s your strategy? RE L. Maria Zywiciel is president of NAHREP Consulting Services. For more information, please visit www.nahrepconsulting.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 67

{Strategies} Setting the Stage for Continued Success AMERICAN HOME SHIELD®PROVIDES AWARDWINNING SERVICE IN FLOURISHING LAS VEGAS MARKET

by John Voket

O

ne glance at the exhaustive list of specialties and markets being served by Tricia Kiefer and Tiffany Lester of The Kiefer-Lester Team at Coldwell Banker Premier Realty in Las Vegas, Nev., proves that these real estate professionals have all the bases covered for their expansive range of clients.

That includes educating each and every buyer and seller as to the advantages associated with home warranty products, such as those offered by American Home Shield®(AHS®).

As the city continues to flourish—with Moody’s Analytics predicting that Las Vegas will have one of the highest employment growths in the country—business just keeps growing for the duo, mostly through referral sources.

“We’re pleased that our clients have enough confidence in us that they’ll refer us to their family and friends, says The Kiefer-Lester Team.

The Kiefer-Lester Team goal is for every client to enjoy the greatest satisfaction and easiest transition from 68 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

their current home or to their new home, which is why they are pleased when their clients choose an AHS home warranty.

“AHS has been a service provider that our clients have used for many years,” says The Kiefer-Lester Team, explaining that home warranty information is in every listing and buyer presentation. “We believe that it helps both the buyer and seller as it allows them to feel comfortable and confident should a covered breakdown arise after the sale. When the client chooses AHS, we know their homes [or budgets] are protected.”

The team also points to AHS’ level of service and professionalism as a key attribute to their continued success.

“We continue to be thrilled with the level of service and professionalism both ourselves and our clients have received from AHS,” says The Kiefer-Lester Team.

“The service is award-winning, and AHS consistently stands out as the best value and coverage for our clients,” adds The Kiefer-Lester Team. They go on to explain that working with Stephanie Ellis—their local AHS rep—is a key piece of the puzzle.

“Stephanie truly believes she sells the best home warranty plan on the market, and it shows. That kind of confidence makes it easy for us to believe our clients are going to get great coverage and service,” says The Kiefer-Lester Team.

“Not only is she calm under pressure, she’s also the most professional, courteous and knowledgeable rep we could ask for. She helps us with any situation that may arise, and goes out of her way to keep us educated on changes in programs or market issues.”

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

The Ultimate Value Proposition MATCHING BUYERS AND SELLERS WITH BUYSIDE

by Nick Caruso

T

here’s no question that lead generation is one of the hottest topics in the industry. Brokerages nationwide are continuously in search of the most effective way to secure and manage leads for their agents, as competition in

their respective marketplaces heats up. But with Buyside, real estate companies can reap lead gen benefits and more, furthering their hold in the market while providing irreplaceable value to their seller clients as well.

For Gurtej Sodhi, chief information & strategy officer/ corporate EVP for the Crye-Leike Group of Companies, the attraction to Buyside’s platform was two-fold. While his company always had a high value proposition for buyers, Sodhi says there’s always been a gap in terms of what web functionality is offered to sellers—an observation that actually extends throughout the entire industry.

When deciding to partner with Buyside, Sodhi’s company focused on two main components, the first being its impressive home valuation feature.

“Buyside allows you to present multiple models of estimates so the property owner can get an idea of the valuation of their house. It’s an estimate that’s provided in one place from multiple models using different algorithms to estimate the value. It indicates to the seller that there’s a range there, and it presents that range very honestly,” says Sodhi.

This set of valuations helps agents establish realistic goals and expectations with their sellers, yet also strengthens the fact that the sellers in question truly do need a market expert on their side.

“It shows them that they truly do need a consultant who can understand these estimations, one who can really be the expert in trying to identify the real value of that property using the hyper-local real estate knowledge they have,” says Sodhi.

Secondly, and also a seller-directed feature, Buyside allows Crye-Leike the ability to “slice and dice” their existing registered buyers database and match specific

buyers to certain listings. “When you talk to a seller, you can say, ‘For your property, in this region, at this price and for these characteristics, we have 100 buyers who have shown interest in this type of property.’ That presents a value proposition to that seller to want to be represented

by Crye-Leike.

“For our agents, it provides them with a base of appropriate buyer clients, and it’s an insight for sellers as to which group of buyers would be most interested in their type of property. It makes the transaction process more effective and efficient and that, in turn, is a huge thing for us in terms of the productivity of our agents,” says Sodhi.

Almost needless to mention is the product’s userfriendly design and clean interface. Buyside is an APIdriven product that Sodhi says is very effective from an integration standpoint. For Crye-Leike, single sign-on was one must that Buyside delivered.

“Single sign-on is almost a given now for any thirdparty product we look at. When it comes to the agents being able to utilize these insights and apply them to their business on a daily basis, ease of use is very critical,” says Sodhi.

With an easy integration to the company’s extensive Intranet and available training for agents in need, CryeLeike’s goal is to have every agent utilize Buyside insights to match up buyers and sellers, and of course, take advantage of the product’s lead generation capabilities as well. With all of the advantages afforded to agents thanks to Buyside, adoption clearly won’t be an issue.

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

Investing in Real Estate, One Lead at a Time HOMES.COM SETS REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL UP FOR SUCCESS TODAY…AND WELL INTO THE FUTURE

by John Voket

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eal estate professional Shena Taylor may have one foot in Chicago (and license) and the other in Florida, but she wants to broadcast to

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 69

the world that many of the people who think they aren’t qualified to buy a home or investment property, really can.

In fact, she’s poised to launch a radio show to discuss this topic—and more.

“Since being selected to host a real estate talk show on Digital TV, I need to spend my time on my clients, rather than looking for them,” says Taylor. “That’s where Homes.com comes in.”

Taylor, of S. Taylor Real Estate, says she and two broker associates will use the platform to discuss the challenges faced by consumers and REALTORS® today.

A huge proponent of Homes.com’s Rental Connect and Local Connect, Taylor notes that one of the segments will focus on how Homes.com has worked for her.

Having learned about Homes.com from a friend when she branched out into the Florida market, Taylor can’t say enough about the business Homes.com has generated for her in her local markets.

“I get a lot of work from Homes.com. So much in fact that I don’t have to do any farming at all. And almost every time I sell or rent to one of those clients, I get another referral,” says Taylor, who explains that she typically gets four to five leads a day. “All I have to do is call them and follow-up.”

While she was a bit apprehensive to jump on board in the beginning, Taylor hasn’t looked back since making the decision to partner with Homes.com.

“Something about the program made me try it, and I’ve been getting lead after lead after lead,” says Taylor, all of which are viable leads with credit and income workable to rent or purchase. “No one wants to pay for leads that can’t close.”

In addition, Taylor notes that Homes.com’s referral game is nothing short of strong. “When I refer clients through Homes.com, they truly value the level of attentiveness they receive.”

As the Florida and Chicago markets continue to heat up, Taylor is poised for success well into the future.

“I recently closed a referral I was working with through Homes.com, and I’m currently working with five new clients (at press time),” says Taylor. “My leads afford me the time required to work for each client as opposed to working to find clients. In addition, I’ve referred three real estate professionals so far who are not only making money, but are very pleased with Homes. com.”

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

70 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Capitalizing on Teamwork HOMETEAM INSPECTION SERVICE GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND TO KEEP THINGS MOVING IN TODAY’S COMPETITIVE MARKET

by Paige Tepping

I

n an industry where timing is everything, Julie Dulaney—a broker with Real Estate Unlimited in Louisville, Ky.—counts on HomeTeam Inspection Service to keep the inspection process moving quickly and efficiently once a property is under contract.

“After meeting HomeTeam Owner Brian O’Rear at a networking event and learning about the way they do business, I was hooked,” says Dulaney, who ultimately chose to work with the company for many reasons, most notably their computerized reports, the photos they provide, the quality of information presented—without being alarming to the client—and ease of scheduling an inspection. “It was an instant win for me, my buyers and my sellers,” she adds.

According to Dulaney, the company’s team approach is one of the biggest benefits. “Having both a master and support inspector on site not only cuts down on the amount of time it takes to complete the inspection, it also provides for a more thorough end result,” says Dulaney. “And for the client, it’s helpful to have more than one person’s professional opinion.”

“My leads afford me the time required to work for each client as opposed to working to find clients.”

- SHENA TAYLOR S. Taylor Real Estate

“Having both a master and support inspector on site not only cuts down on the amount of time it takes to complete the inspection, it also provides for a more thorough end result.”

- JULIE DULANEY Broker, Real Estate Unlimited

Land More Listings with the Help of a Home Warranty HSA HOME WARRANTY OFFERS SUPERIOR SUPPORT FOR REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS AND THEIR CLIENTS

by Zoe Eisenberg

T

o succeed in the real estate industry, you need to have a certain kind of hustle. From landing listings to finding buyers, mastering your marketing material and keeping up with your social media game, you need to be consistently going above and beyond.

Professional opinions aside, Dulaney goes on to explain that the ease of scheduling an inspection is another key factor that can’t be overlooked. “With HomeTeam, buyers and sellers can simply hop online to schedule and confirm an appointment. And with more than one team in the area, it’s easy to schedule an inspection to fit within a specific timeframe,” says Dulaney. “Knowing that the company can do a complete inspection, which includes mold, radon and air quality tests, is huge. They’ll even coordinate the pest inspection,” she adds.

Once the inspection has been completed and the report generated, HomeTeam is still in the mix, keeping the lines of communication open should agents or their clients have questions or concerns that need to be addressed.

“I love everything about HomeTeam. They make the entire process much easier for everyone involved,” concludes Dulaney, who has referred numerous agents to Brian and his team over the years. “While it’s easy to instantly see the value in the quality of work they do, the team approach is a true benefit to the client—whether it’s the buyer or the seller.”

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

“This business is a new challenge every day,” says Jeff Parker, managing broker with Murney & Associates in Springfield, Mo. “There’s not one real estate transaction that’s the same.” With every transaction providing its own unique challenges, it’s important to do everything you possibly can for your clients, from being available whenever they need you, to educating them about additional beneficial services, like a home warranty.

A seasoned real estate professional with 23 years of service behind him, Parker has seen his clients choose home warranties through HSA Home Warranty since 1997. As a leader in his Southwest Missouri market, Parker believes his clients choose to go with both his brokerage as well as HSA because they’re also a market leader, serving up home warranty services across the country since 1984.

To Parker and his team, the service and support HSA offers is invaluable. The added benefit of an HSA home warranty can help land a listing or negotiate a better price. “We consider the home warranty to be a two-fold benefit,” Parker explains. “First and foremost, the warranty is a tool benefiting our clients by helping to resolve some of the unforeseen covered expenses that can arise in the first year of homeownership, when many of them have committed a considerable amount of financial resources to the home purchase. In this regard, the home warranty enhances the service our associates provide to our clients.”

Parker goes on to note that by utilizing HSA to resolve covered issues that may come up soon after closing, pressure is removed from the agent…while the client remains happy. “Many times, an appliance or system will go out right after closing, and the buyer’s first thought is that the inspector missed something or the seller failed to disclose something. It’s so nice to have a solution

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 71

“Jay had been looking for a CRM that would work better for him, and when he found Moxi Engage™, he was very impressed and pleased with what he saw,” says Wilson.

“The CRM is very easy to use and works well with adding notes and keeping track of your conversations and touches with clients and prospects,” says Wilson. “We also like that you can put your goals into the system.

When you open up Engage, they’re right there staring you in the face. This leads to greater accountability, providing a good reminder of whether or not you’re on track to meet those goals.”

In addition to a powerful CRM, the firm was also in need of a quality CMA program. “We had developed some here at RE/MAX of Boulder, but they were a bit cumbersome and didn’t really wow the customer,” says Wilson.

for many of these problems without creating a conflict between the parties,” says Parker.

Each and every agent on Parker’s team is committed to educating buyers and sellers alike as to the advantages that come with a home warranty plan.

And it’s not just HSA’s home warranty offerings that help provide Parker’s clients a sense of comfort. It’s also the attention to detail and care HSA provides with its service. “The local sales representatives assigned to us really show that they care about our clients and agents,” says Parker. “They conduct training and are always available when we have an issue or a question.”

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

Maintaining a Strategic Advantage in Today’s FastPaced Market BOULDER BROKER BELIEVES IN THE BENEFITS OF MOXI WORKS

By Keith Loria

W

ith four decades of real estate experience under his belt, including 35 as a managing broker, D.B. Wilson of RE/MAX of Boulder knows a good thing when he sees it. So when his employing broker Jay Kalinski introduced him to residential brokerage services company Moxi Works, there was no question that his firm needed to utilize the tools they were offering.

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“Moxi Present™ allows our agents to differentiate themselves out in the field by positioning them as knowledgeable professionals, which is incredibly important in our fast-paced market.”

- D.B. WILSON Managing Broker, RE/MAX of Boulder

But thanks to Moxi Works’ Moxi Present™, clients are more impressed than ever before.

“Moxi Present™ allows our agents to differentiate themselves out in the field by positioning them as knowledgeable professionals, which is incredibly important in our fast-paced market,” says Wilson.

Not only does the program provide a level of transparency between the agent and consumer, it can also be personalized to best meet the needs of individual firms.

In fact, RE/MAX of Boulder created specific pages that agents can pick and choose from when putting their presentation together through Moxi Present™.

Moxie Present™ also allows agents to appeal to younger buyers and sellers simply because of the power of the program. For clients who prefer the traditional listing presentation, agents can simply print it out and put it in a three-ring binder.

“We offer this to all of our agents, and we continually remind them of all Moxi Works has to offer,” says Wilson.

“As agents who are using the program have success, more agents are getting on board. It has truly helped us demonstrate to our agents that we’re looking out for their best interests, helping them stay on the leading edge.”

RE For more information, please visit www.moxiworks.com.

Showcase Your Listings in a Whole New Light

by Paige Tepping

Dee Sign’s backlit LED panels transform brick-and-mortar office buildings into one-of-a-kind marketing showpieces

I

t’s no secret that real estate brokers spend a great deal of overhead on the strategic location of their offices. After all, when it comes to catching the eye of prospective buyers and sellers, it’s all about location—and many brokers bank on areas with a lot of foot traffic to generate business.

But in today’s ultra-competitive market, staying ahead of the competition goes beyond simply planting roots in a prominent location. Today, it’s all about transforming your office into a marketing showpiece.

74 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

And thanks to Dee Sign, brokers from Severna Park, Md., to Honolulu, Hawaii are taking their listing presence to a whole new level with the company’s backlit LED window display panels.

Having built its business over 49 years by drawing attention to listings in the front yard through traditional real estate signs, a recent trip to visit family in Sweden had Braden Huenefeld—president of Dee Sign—seeing real estate listings in a whole new light.

“I kept noticing real estate offices in different towns as we were driving through the country and realized that the backlit displays were the standard because their brightness made it so you couldn’t help but look. The backlit

displays allowed for the offices to be a lot more visible save prospective buyers a lot of time in the long run. than empty windows,” says Huenefeld, who explains it “Instead of having to wander around to a lot of open was a natural progression for Dee Sign to provide their houses, they can sit with one of our experts and see evclients the tools and technology they needed to highlight erything that’s available in a certain area on our screen.”

Coile—who has seen a substantial increase in traftheir listings at their offices.

Partnering with VitrineMedia, a French company that’s fic since incorporating 40 11-in.-by-17-in. panels into been making backlit LED display panels for more than 10 the front windows of his two most prominent offices— years—showcased in more than 21,000 offices around couldn’t agree more.

“It’s all eye candy to get people to contact our agents the world—Dee Sign’s high-end product was introduced to the industry at the 2015 National Association of REAL- or come right into the office,” he says.

TORS®Conference & Expo in San Diego, Calif.

In addition to increased traffic, the backlit window dis“It was important to us to work with products that had plays are setting the bar higher when it comes to exuding professionalism within his local been tested and proven reliable in real“The LED panels have market. world conditions, that have undergone “The LED panels have helped to multiple generations of improvement,” helped to raise the raise the professionalism and appearsays Huenefeld, who notes the disprofessionalism and play system is patented in the United ance of our offices, setting the stanappearance of our offices, dard that we have a professional operStates, allowing for the arrangement of panels using varied sizes and orienta- setting the standard that ation and know what it takes to create we have a professional great marketing,” says Coile. tion, providing real estate professionals the ability to create a design that operation and know what Thanks to their vibrant colors and works for their own unique needs. eye-catching appeal, Dee Sign’s backit takes to create great lit LED panels are popping up far and While the end result is nothing short marketing.” wide, allowing real estate professionof sleek, Huenefeld goes on to explain – JON COILE als to create a vivid listing presence— that the LED display panels can easPresident & CEO, ily be changed out as new listings are no matter the type of market they’re Champion Realty added to the mix. “Advertising properworking in. ties is easier than ever,” says Huene“We’re heavily situated in the resort feld. “With our system, listings are simply printed on market,” says Jim Wright, president and CEO of CENTUspecial film using an inkjet or office laser printer, mak- RY 21 All Islands in Honolulu, Hawaii. “Walk-by traffic is ing it easy to showcase exactly what’s available.” high, and it’s important to get the consumer to stop and “When you see a brilliant idea, you don’t wait,” says browse. These LEDs do the trick.”

Jon Coile, president and CEO of Champion Realty, Inc., With two offices up and running and a third just orin Severna Park, Md., who purchased the panels on the dered (at press time), Wright has his sights set on incorporating LED panels into all seven of the company’s spot at last year’s NAR Convention & Expo.

“It was a beacon of light that caught my eye,” adds retail locations.

“In resort markets, it’s somewhat of an impulse for Coile, of Dee Sign’s dramatic display.

But the attention-grabbing power of the LED panels consumers to look at window displays,” says Wright.

“Some are just shopping, or waiting for another who doesn’t stop there.

“Not only are the LED panels very attractive,” says is shopping, and they spend the time looking at our Donna Evers, president and broker of Evers & Co. Real real estate offerings. This gives us a chance to interact Estate in Washington, D.C., “they attract attention in a with them and find out what they like and the timeframe they’re looking at to acquire real estate in the area.” nice way.”

While CENTURY 21 All Islands has had listings posted With two storefront offices and one townhouse-style office—all of which have good foot traffic—the LED panels in their windows in various forms for many years, Wright have been instrumental when it comes to attracting the notes that the LED panels go above and beyond when it type of attention Evers is looking for. comes to making the window pop.

“They provide much more of a draw than the plain pic“I think the LED displays have taken over. If you’re gotures we had in our windows previously,” says Evers, who ing to have pictures in the window, you have to have lightis counting on the signs to bring more people into the ing,” concludes Evers. “Otherwise, it looks dull and like yesterday’s process.” RE office, especially on the weekends.

“Getting them inside the office is our hope,” says Evers, who goes on to explain that the LED panels will For more information, please visit www.deesign.com/displays.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 75

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

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{Rising Stars}

Strategic Marketing Moves Listings

by Lesley Grand

Luigui Corral

RE/MAX United www.luiguicorral.com

“Our brokerage has an outstanding track record using customized marketing techniques.

We understand the art and science of listing a house.”

- LUIGUI CORRAL RE/MAX United

Years in real estate: 9 Region served: Northern Suburbs of Chicago, Ill. Average Market Time: Because the area is so diverse, the average market time varies wildly, anywhere from 30 days to 6 months.

it. But I made a video all about the lifestyle possibilities of living on the beach. I also took 360-degree photographs. Then I targeted people who enjoy this lifestyle and the house sold for full price within one week.

You are consistently ranked as one of the top 250 Latino agents in the country. What makes your business model successful?

Tell us about the innovative technologies you’re using.

If I could only name two things that I do that make my business successful, I would say that first, I have been ahead of the pack in my use of innovative technology.

And secondly, our brokerage has an outstanding track record using customized marketing techniques.

We understand the art and science of listing a house.

Please elaborate on your customized marketing strategies.

Before I list any property, I investigate the area thoroughly. I check out the landscape, the features of the house inside and out, and then I find out about the lifestyle of the area, such as, what parks and schools are connected with that particular house? I do this investigation for several days and when I am finished, I am then ready to market the house properly by advertising to very specific, targeted groups.

For example, I had a listing that no one seemed to be able to sell. The house was very small.

But when I did my investigation, I quickly saw that the small house was directly across the street from a lake with a beach and boating opportunities. The average agent would likely photograph the house and maybe the beach and then list

We are really all about excellent listings, bearing in mind that I don’t only list, I sell homes. One of the best tech strategies we use is creating 360-degree videos. These videos make you feel as though you are inside the house—you can scroll down to see features. I have not seen this done anywhere else.

For photographing the house, we also use drones, which give great wide angle shots. These technologies really bring the listings to life.

What do you see as your niche in the Chicago area?

I work with sellers who, not always but often, have unique homes— homes that are not as easy to pigeonhole. But after I go out and identify all of its special qualities and then market to the audience that would want those same features, I am able to discover the highest and best use for the house and sell it for the best price possible.

If you had to point to the one thing agents love you for, what would it be?

I have two offices with 35 agents and what they like best is that I consult with each one and coach them. I also make an individualized business plan for each agent to execute, so that my agents are able to flourish. RE RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 77

Is this the New Normal for Real Estate Financing?

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here are many indicators that the housing market has at last returned to “normal.” Foreclosure filings are down to 2006 levels, according to RealtyTrac data, and home prices are showing consistent appreciation. In fact, according to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), the median existing-home price for all housing types was $232,500 this past April, a 6.3 percent year-over-year increase and the 50th consecutive month of year-overyear gains. But can real estate agents and consumers expect these positive trends to be reflected in terms of financing for homebuyers?

Unfortunately, the answer is a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no.

Credit availability has been tight since the market downturn, but many were hoping a return to “normalcy” in the housing market would result in something similar for housing finance, with more accessibility for responsible borrowers with less-than-perfect credit. Although no one is advocating for a return to the fast-and-loose lending that led to the crash, many in the industry agree that credit requirements should be reevaluated to allow for more buyers to enter the market. According to the Ellie Mae Origination Insight Report, the average FICO credit score for all closed loans was 723

this past April, the third consecutive monthly increase. On the other hand, the closing rate on all loans hit 70.6 percent this past March, the highest rate since Ellie Mae began tracking the data in 2011.

Clearly, the somewhat confusing financial picture is muddying the waters for potential homebuyers.

In fact, according to a survey from Bankrate.com, 45 percent of all nonhomeowners point to finances as preventing them from buying a home, and nearly 30 percent say they can’t afford a down payment, even though many lenders offer programs that require as little as three percent down.

Real estate agents should be aware that the credit picture is getting better, however, particularly as more lenders increase their mortgage offerings to encompass a wide variety of loan types and products. Mortgage originations are up across the board, and Equifax reports that the number of 2015 first-mortgage originations increased 31.6 percent from 2014. Included in that jump was a 25.2 percent increase in lending to borrowers with less than perfect credit (consumers with an Equifax Risk Score of 620 or below).

So what can real estate agents do to help consumers both better understand today’s mortgage picture and purchase the home they desire? By identifying and partnering with lenders that offer a wide variety of loan products—from programs for credit-challenged borrowers to government and conventional loans—agents can help the greatest number of consumers get into their dream home. Agents should look for experienced lenders that have lower credit-score requirements, low- or nodown-payment programs and manual underwriting. These lenders, with a full range of loan solutions and experience, and serving a wide variety of credit profiles, can help potential borrowers with challenging or unusual credit.

And although the average FICO score for all closed loans was 723 this past April, at the same time, nearly one-third of purchase borrowers had credit scores below 700, according to Ellie Mae. Borrowers with credit scores below 650, however, made up less than 10 percent of closed purchase loans. Lenders will have to do better to serve this often underserved sector of the market, and real estate agents can help consumers by partnering with lenders that provide credit to these borrowers. RE For more information, visit www.carringtonhomeloans.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 79

{Spotlight}

Lighting the Way to a Better Transaction Title Resources Shines Bright for Real Estate Pros and Their Customers by Maria Patterson

FOR TITLE RESOURCES, it’s all about delivering the highest quality services to title agents, real estate agents and consumers. That’s why throughout the firm’s 30-plus years of history—from its inception in 1984, to its current presence as an underwriter in nearly 30 states nationwide—Title Resources still looks to personalized service and education as the cornerstone of its success. Here, President & CEO Scott McCall explains just why the company has earned a reputation as ‘THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY’S UNDERWRITER.’

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The Title Resources Team

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Maria Patterson: First, tell us a little about the background of Title Resources.

Scott McCall: The company was originally formed in 1984 as Title Resources Guaranty Co. by a local underwriter in Texas. In 2006, Title Resources was acquired by Title Resource Group (TRG), a national settlement services provider, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE:RLGY).

The acquisition by TRG allowed us to make a concentrated effort to elevate Title Resources from primarily operating in one state to its current status of being licensed in nearly 30 states across the nation. Since TRG operates over 40 title agencies coast to coast, the benefit of having an underwriter like Title Resources enables TRG to offer a full complement of services to the consumer— ranging from real estate brokerage services through Realogy’s companyowned brokerage operations, a full complement of title, escrow and settlement services, and now title underwriting services. We’ve grown substantially as a title insurer, and we hold some of the highest finan-

cial ratings in our industry.

MP: Even though Title Resources is owned by Realogy, you’re also a major underwriter for other competitive real estate firms. How does that work?

SM: Since 2009, we’ve grown our underwriting business effectively throughout TRG’s operational foot-

1) Sarah Kaseforth 2) Christopher Hinton 3) Elizabeth Ray 4) Janelle Rosenbaum 5) Michael “Mickey” Godat 6) Doug Danielson 7) Lorraine Mann 8) Gretchen Valentine 9) Frank McGovern 10) Paul V. Myers 11) M. Pete Marianos 12) Paul McNutt, Jr. 13) Kelly Ashton 14) Jennifer Battista 15) Al Thacker 16) John Gilbert 17) Owen Girard 18) Mike Volin 19) Lisa Mills Monti 20) Mike Gozdan 21) Mike Dullea 22) Pam Hunter 23) Wade A. Thunhorst 24) Scott McCall 25) Jason Bragg

print and across Realogy and its affiliated brokerage firms. In addition, we’ve also grown through relationships with title agencies owned by competitors of Realogy, like Long & Foster, Windermere and HomeServices of America. Each of those companies has their own title and settlement services operations, yet we’re the largest underwriter for Long &

Title Resources President & CEO Scott McCall

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 81

Foster and Windermere, and one of the largest for HomeServices. Why would a company want to have Title Resources as their underwriter when we compete on the real estate side?

Because we all fight the same fight on behalf of the consumer, which is to provide them with the best quality service possible.

MP: Why are you viewed as the underwriter built for the real estate industry?

SM: First, we understand the business demands of our clients. Secondly, we have proven ourselves to be a highly responsive and trusted partner who provides agents with the highest quality tools and services.

We can provide more local focus and local attention than large companies. If I have 5,000 title agencies, I’ve got conflicting interests in various locations. Because we work with far fewer companies, we’re able to focus on the trends in their respective markets to get them the training and education they need. That’s one of the reasons companies see us as built for real estate.

MP: Why do you believe in a selective strategy when it comes to growth?

SM: I previously worked for a national title underwriter where we were contracted with over 10,000 title agencies. At Title Resources, we work with less than 200 title agencies, which are some of the largest in the country with the highest quality.

By being selective, we can allocate our time and resources to helping our title agent customers grow their business with us. We have found that our consultative approach when working with title agents is mutually beneficial. When our agents grow, we grow—it’s that simple.

We are also focused on risk management when it comes to our growth. By choosing to work with companies that are well run and well capitalized, we are able to minimize 82 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

The Title Underwriter ‘Built for the Real Estate Industry’ In addition to serving Realogy-affiliated real estate brokerages, Title Resources also has become a valued title underwriting partner for other leading brokerage firms and their related title and settlement services companies. Here’s why: “Even though Title Resources is owned by Realogy, the company has resources that are useful for many of our title partners. Title Resources has a good understanding of the affiliated business model used by HomeServices companies. It is a high-touch, serviceoriented underwriter. The Title Resources staff has assisted with training, underwriting and marketing. Their materials around TRID were excellent, and several of our companies used those to help educate real estate agents and loan officers through the implementation process.”

- JIM LAMPHERE, Vice President, Title & Escrow, HomeServices of America

“Title Resources provides us with some services that our other underwriters do not, which, in turn, enables us to provide additional education and training to our customers and staff. They are quick to respond to questions and problems as well. This enhances the overall service that we provide, which helps us build our business.

In addition, the people with which we partner at Title Resources are true professionals.”

- BARBARA GRIEST, President, Trident Land Transfer Company, a HomeServices of America Company

“We were interested in partnering with an underwriter that was a good size, but did not have direct operations we would be competing with. Title Resources is a hands-on firm, such as ours. They handle claims with the highest level of professionalism, which is paramount in growing a strong title agency.”

- DON RILEY, President/CEO, CW Title and Escrow Company, Windermere Real Estate

“Title Resources understands affiliated business. They understand what it’s like to be held accountable to get deals to the table, but they know we can’t cut corners because of our affiliation. They’re working hard on technology that can change the title landscape.

They are able to get us together with peers from around the country to exchange ideas, and they had a great TRID marketing campaign for agents to use.”

- MIKE MADDIEX, President, Long & Foster Settlement Services

occurrences of fraud. Because of the amount of money that moves in a real estate transaction, escrow accounts can often be in the millions of dollars. When money is stolen by a title agent, Title Resources is here to honor its title policies and to provide protection to its consumers and lenders.

Being selective in who we work with gives us the ability to control the transaction. We are dealing with some of the most respected companies in the country. Our agents are similarly focused on the consumer and are actively working with us to mitigate risks and prevent fraud.

MP: What are some of the risks involved?

SM: Hackers and fraudsters recognize that there’s a lot of money in this industry. There are a lot of attempts to misdirect funds from the closing, therefore, it’s incumbent upon us to put in the proper protections. For example, a hacker may target a real estate agent and attempt to send an email using that agent’s email address with a request to change the wire instructions. At Title Resources, we’ve issued guidance to our agents that they can no longer accept emails if there’s any attempt to change wire instructions. All parties have to sign off on such changes face-to-face.

Fraud in real estate is a serious concern today, and we are doing our best on the front lines to combat it and protect all parties involved— most importantly, the consumer.

MP: What are your growth plans?

SM: We have a very strategic model, and we’re very focused on growth while being selective about the number of title agencies that we underwrite. We’re focused on our bread and butter, which is the residential real estate business, and we are always looking at opportunities to partner with best-in-class operations that share our goals.

MP: Given the regulatory environment that exists today, how has your philosophy changed related to your owned title agencies and your independent title agencies?

SM: Many of the changes in the regulatory environment, which are a result of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) trying to protect the consumer, are already being done by our company. We’re making sure that the privacy of consumer information is held in the strictest confidence.

We’re very fortunate because we already work within the highest levels of ethics and professionalism.

MP: How does Title Resources stay ahead of the curve in terms of regulatory changes?

SM: By staying engaged. One of the keys is making sure we’re constantly working with organizations like the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the Real Estate Services Providers Council (RESPRO) and ALTA (American Land Title Association). Realogy has government affairs resources that we leverage, and I’m also personally active on Capitol Hill. You have to make sure you’re out in front, and once you get wind of something, you have to stay ahead of the curve.

MP: How do you differentiate the firm in the market?

SM: In many states, rating bureaus set the fees for all companies, so we’re not competing on price as much as we’re competing on service. It’s all about being responsive—is the consumer being kept in the loop enough? There are ways to make the transaction effective and efficient without having to involve the consumer too much.

MP: What attracts quality employees to Title Resources?

SM: One of the great joys for us has been building this thing from scratch.

We started with 30 employees and now we’re up over 200. Our strength

has been our ability to attract quality people—some of the best underwriters and lawyers in the United States.

We have one of the most flexible workplaces I know, and we believe it’s very important for people to have quality of life and balance.

MP: Training appears to be a cornerstone of your value proposition.

Do you expect this to continue?

SM: Yes, education and training are a core part of who we are as a company. As an example, with the most recent TRID changes, we produced a custom educational platform called Shine Bright, which could be cobranded with our clients so that the title agents we work with can share informative material with consumers about all the regulatory changes that affect them. Our clients were very pleased—it gave them the opportunity to show their customers that they were on top of the changes. Post TRID, we continue to offer the Shine Bright platform to our title agent customers containing marketing materials that are geared toward helping them be more successful with their real estate agent clients.

MP: What is your view of where settlement services will be in 5 10 years?

SM: I would like to see it be a lot less paper intensive. I also hope the mortgage process becomes a little less painful, allowing consumers to shop more effectively. Right now, your credit report gets dinged if you go to three or four lenders. I’d like to live to see the regulators work with credit reporting agencies to come up with a way for consumers to more effectively shop for a mortgage. I’d also like to see more people become interested in getting into the title industry—it’s an exciting business to be in. RE

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

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{Broker Spotlight}

WeichertÂŽ:

Winning with a Grassroots Approach

Unmatched Credibility Jim Weichert - President, Chairman and CEO and James Weichert - Co-President and Vice Chairman

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by Maria Patterson

Culture of Support The Weichert®team of Regional Directors provides service and support to affiliated offices around the country.

W

eichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. (WREA) recently surveyed its existing franchise owners—as well as prospects who chose not to affiliate—to get a read on how real estate professionals view the company. What came across loud and clear is that Weichert®is defined by its unique culture of support and its unmatched credibility. Jim Weichert’s people-first, grassroots approach when he opened for business in 1969 has remained intact throughout the company’s widespread expansion over decades. “Jim and his son James have led the company to tremendous growth since it opened in ’69,” says WREA COO Bill Scavone. “They created a model and systems that are employed not only in company-owned offices, but in franchise offices across the country, since 2002.”

In this exclusive interview, Scavone shares the philosophy and strategies that continue to make the Weichert brand a growing force in the marketplace.

Maria Patterson: Please describe your role as COO of Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. Bill Scavone: I’m involved in many functions, but oversee two main areas. The first is the franchise sales effort—identifying brokers with a dream and a strong desire to build a better, more efficient, productive business. Second, is operations—making sure we’re providing

all possible Weichert resources to our affiliates. I love my job for many reasons, but primarily because I get a firsthand look at the great results companies achieve by implementing our services and using our tools and techniques. It’s incredible for me to see these companies come on board, implement the systems we teach and grow their business. We work as one unit here, so

I get to see that what we sell and promise, we deliver.

MP: How many offices and agents does the firm currently have?

BS: Between franchises and company-owned offices, we have approximately 500 offices and more than 15,000 associates.

MP: What sets your firm apart from the competition?

BS: Our depth of resources; it’s what enables our affiliates to provide the best experience for the consumer. We recently conducted a survey of our affiliates and four areas stuck out as uniquely Weichert.

One, a strong culture of support and core values. Two, our unmatched credibility—we are in the business.

We won’t ask any affiliate to do something that we haven’t done, tested and proven to work. Three, we offer a blueprint for growth.

Weichert has been tracking activities and results since the beginning and understands what needs to be done consistently to be successful. And four, best-in-class technology to assist in marketing, training, lead management and streamlining transactions.

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MP: How do you make sure that serving consumers is always the ultimate goal?

BS: It’s in our DNA. The original Weichert office is still open today, still growing, still profitable…all because our way of doing business works. We build it right into our tools and training, which are designed to provide legendary customer service and ensure it can consistently be delivered to every customer with every interaction by every agent. And “customers” not only means “consumers,” but our sales associates, as well.

Weichert wouldn’t be this successful if we didn’t deliver great resources to our associates so that they can then deliver successfully to their clients.

We have a few sayings at Weichert: We sell more because we do more; We do what we say we will do; Invite us in, we’ll bring results.

MP: Please describe the company’s growth trajectory over the years.

BS: Jim Weichert has followed a continuous path of growth and expansion, adding financial services, corporate relocation, a lead conversion network, corporate housing, property management, new homes, referral associates and commercial brokerage. Today, the Weichert Family of Companies operates approximately 18 different real estate-related businesses.

MP: When did franchising factor into the plan?

BS: Jim and his son James looked at the future and wanted to continue to grow our business. Marty Rueter, a veteran of real estate franchising, was hired to be the architect of WREA in 2001. They realized there were thousands of real estate companies around the country who would love to have all the tools that Weichert had, so franchising was a natural progression. Weichert already built a 86 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

great operating system, so why not let people plug into it?

MP: What has been the cornerstone of your success in the franchising arena?

BS: The key to our success is our unbelievable credibility and the core values we follow. They align with how many brokers tell us they operate.

Jim and James have built a company with a great reputation. There were many brokers who never franchised before and repeatedly said “no” to other brands, but they aligned with us because we’re more than a name.

When a franchise owner is looking to join us, we invite them to come to our headquarters. We want them to see our campus; we want to show them our resources, and understand their values and goals. We show them they can save time, energy, money and stress by sharing in our resources. We are a very organized company with a great structure.

Our franchise owners have a lot of independence in their markets. We offer a huge complement of tools, services and systems to choose from. Every office that joins is assigned a business coach. We give them direction and offer all the services available, from which they can handpick or take it all. There are brokers around the country doing great things, and they can grow their firms by overlaying our systems and resources with their business. They don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We have a huge infrastructure in place to support our offices.

MP: Please describe what makes your corporate culture so compelling to brokers.

BS: Our culture is a real estate culture. We’re in the business every day just like they are. We have the same challenges they have. We understand them, and we have great

resources to overcome those problems and challenges. For example, if there’s a tech problem, we can task our own tech people to find a solution. There is a shortage of listings in the current market, so we challenged our training department.

They developed a workshop called Listing Mastery and provided it to our offices. We see an increase in listings after an office employs what they learned. We have a slogan called “Weichert Works,” which has a dual meaning: We work hard, but our systems work, too.

Our culture is also very activitybased, which comes right from Jim and James. We provide our affiliates with the tools, training, techniques and technology to help them perform the activities that lead to more sales. Without activities, sales don’t materialize. Everyone here is in the business—it’s not an ivory tower.

MP: What is the Weichert approach to support and service ? Why is it like having a personal trainer?

BS: Every Weichert affiliate has an individual relationship with our support staff. We’re always there for them, just like a personal trainer.

We provide them with a blueprint for growth based on their goals and our experience of what works and what doesn’t.

Just like when you want to lose weight, if you follow a proven program, you will. Same with Weichert.

We know from years of measurement what works. We know exactly what needs to happen for an office to grow and make money. That’s no different than a personal trainer giving you a diet and exercise program.

If you follow it, you’ll lose weight.

MP: What’s your approach to coaching?

BS: We provide our owners with oneon-one coaching; it’s personalized

Best-in-Class Technology The Weichert®call center handles and distributes incoming leads from Weichert.com as part of its ongoing commitment to technology.

for each owner and office. We set goals and create a custom business plan and use that plan during coaching sessions throughout the year. We strongly believe in setting stretch goals. We also offer many opportunities for our offices to train together so they can learn from their peers.

We’ve had group sessions on financial management, time management and accountability, recruiting and building middle management. Our affiliates enjoy getting together to share ideas and best practices. We have a strong network of motivated owners. When someone signs with us, they get a service staff at their fingertips. We don’t disappear once they’ve joined. We treat them like part of the family.

MP: Talk about how Weichert provides a blueprint for success.

BS: We have an incredible model in the Weichert Selling System that is time-tested and proven. It has not only survived every type of real estate market, but also it’s thrived because the company continuously adapts and changes with the

times. We don’t believe in staying status quo. You need to innovate, challenge yourself to be better each day and find better ways of doing things. The fundamentals of taking care of the customer don’t really change. What changes are the tools and technology, and we use those to be more efficient and effective in delivering a consistent, legendary customer experience.

We provide a very clear, effective operating system to our offices along with constant support, coaching, training and tools to help them stay on plan.

MP: How do you utilize technology to facilitate this culture of support?

BS: Our support is really driven by our people. We have excellent business coaches, service managers and trainers. They have an incredible amount of experience in the industry and have lived it. We believe in face-to-face communication and interaction; however, we use a variety of technologies, social media, and relationship management systems to stay in touch, communicate and

train our owners, managers and associates. We think the best way to provide support is by reaching out and shaking their hand, sitting down with them and working through their business plans in person.

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

BS: The future of the franchise opportunity for Weichert is huge—we’re just scratching the surface. We’re in 39 states and growing fast. We will continue to add offices in every state. Although we’ve been around a long time, Weichert is new and fresh in most markets. It’s a great opportunity for offices to jump on board while they can.

Weichert will continue its model of adapting and innovating to the changing market. A lot of franchises sound the same, but when you start peeling back the layers, you get to the true depth of the offering. Ultimately, our depth is what makes us different. RE For more information, please visit www.weichert.com or www.weichertfranchise.com.

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{Broker Best Practices} Finding Continued Success Through Lead Generation

also take advantage of Facebook’s targeted ads to get our properties in front of the right people. Social marketing is a key part of our strategy for our team listings that I generate, as well.

by Paige Tepping

Are the leads you have coming in typically ready to hear from a real estate professional as soon as they’re received?

Amanda Todd Founder & CEO The Amanda Todd Group Keller Williams Realty Roseville, Calif.

Years in real estate: 2 Number of offices: 1, while in the process of expanding to several more Number of agents: 11 One thing people don’t know about you: I’m currently listing one of the most expensive homes that’s ever been built.

Your business is reported to be up significantly this past year, increasing from $15 million to $50 million. What is driving you to work this hard?

I started out as a single agent and was blessed with a tremendous amount of success, so I wanted to provide and facilitate a platform to help other agents achieve the level of success I’ve seen. This naturally morphed into me starting my own team.

What kind of prospecting and lead generation do you do to grow this quickly?

Achieving significant growth so quickly begins with training agents in a small group setting so that they can learn to do the business well. I also encourage agents to shadow others who have had success with contacting and converting leads. In the end though, it all comes down to hiring the right people. The right people will not only be motivated and driven to do well, they’ll also do more and be better at it.

How does your branding and social marketing fit into your lead generation and success?

Branding and social marketing play a large role, and because of that, we do social marketing for each of our listings to truly create brand recognition. We create the materials for our agents and

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I have used multiple lead-generation platforms, including Zillow, Trulia, Facebook, etc., but the leads I get from realtor.com®are hands down the highest quality leads I get. And for the most part, the leads from realtor.com® are ready to hear from a real estate professional. While many think we’re the listing agent once we begin communicating, we’re happy to explain that we’re not the listing agent, but we can get them into the property just like a listing agent can.

How do you convert the ‘stranger’ who submits a lead into a customer who trusts you and will work with you?

The key here is to respond quickly. Once you’ve done that, it’s all about getting face-to-face with them as soon as possible. Then you’re able to build rapport and turn them into your client.

Is it hard to start up a lead-oriented business?

How many leads should you be looking to get to make a successful program?

It all depends on how much marketing capital you have. It’s also critical that you have the infrastructure in place to support the leads coming in, or you’ll be wasting money because you won’t be able to respond in the manner that you should be. As far as how many leads you need to find success, there’s no magic number. While most real estate professionals aim for a 3 - 5 percent conversion rate, you’ll want to determine how many leads you want to be closing per month. Once you’ve figured this out, work backwards to determine how many leads you need to get there.

What kind of support do you get once you start a program with realtor.com®? What was the followup like?

The team at realtor.com® has been wonderful. Bill, my account rep, is very aware of the areas where I want leads, and as more leads open up in those

areas, he’s on top of getting me into the areas where I want to be. They have also been extremely responsive any time I’ve had a question.

Any additional thoughts for someone considering making internet leads a big part of their growth?

Make sure you have the infrastructure in place to support those leads.

For more information, visit www.realtor.com.

Laying a Solid Foundation

by Paige Tepping

Al Galperin Broker/Owner Real Living CO Properties Denver, Colo.

Region served: Colorado Years in real estate: 23 Number of offices: 1 Number of agents: 24 Must-have technology tool: A smartphone with the most current technology. With so many different ways to communicate, a smartphone allows you to adjust to your clients’ wants and needs.

Best advice for new agents: Choose the right real estate company. It’s also important to remain visible and have a good contact management program in place.

What are some of the current trends you see in your market right now?

Denver’s real estate market has exploded with new listings and active inventory. In fact, June was a record-setting month for 2016. We set yearly records for active listings, new listings, days on market, average sold price, median sold price, number of homes sold and sold volume. Year-over-year, active listings have increased 9.67 percent, while new listings increased 6.79 percent.

How are you using technology to better serve your clients?

Keeping Real Living’s technology user-friendly has been one of our best resources to serve our cli-

ents. Incorporating a contact management system into the mix adds efficiencies to the entire transaction process from contract to close. We’ve also enhanced the Real Living consumer property search tools, which has been instrumental in establishing our agents’ sites as a go-to resource for consumers.

What are your best recruiting and retention strategies?

Real Living 360 ServiceSM is our No. 1 strategy for agent differentiation. Not only is it the cornerstone of our agents’ personal brand campaigns, supported by training, tools and marketing pieces, it’s also the only service rating program built upon validated customer responses. Also, our agents are not confined to fit within the Real Living mold, but rather, they’re given the foundation, training and support to create and grow their business and their personal brand. They have the power of Real Living and the freedom to be themselves.

What are some of the most significant accomplishments you’ve been involved with during your time as Chair of Real Living’s Broker Advisory Council?

First and foremost, I would have to point to the creation of our Marketing Showcase—an exclusive online catalog where Real Living brokers and agents are encouraged to share outlines of strategies, programs and events they’ve implemented in order to grow their business. Each posting will contain a description of the market’s demographics and the details surrounding implementation, cost and results. A point of contact for further information will also be included. There is also an option to include samples of marketing materials, press releases and links to YouTube videos. Brokers and agents are strongly encouraged to access and contribute to the Marketing Showcase on an ongoing basis in order to keep its content current, meaningful and relevant. Members of the Broker Advisory Council and their respective subcommittees work closely with Real Living executives and staff prior to the introduction of new programs and tools, and serve as beta test groups for them. We’re also charged with spearheading ever-evolving strategies for social media marketing.

For more information, visit www.realliving.com.

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Seamless Organization Leads to Faster Closings

by Gabrielle van Welie

Bill Flemming President/CEO HomeSmart Connect Real Estate Arlington Heights, Ill.

Region served: Chicagoland Years in real estate: 30 Number of offices: 2 Number of agents: 151 Favorite part of your job: Growth (designing/ opening/growing offices), meeting new agents and leading the company.

What is the most unique way you have marketed a new listing?

We recently had a number of properties in the same area and wanted to service all of the sellers with an open house on the same weekend, but we didn’t have enough agents to service seven or eight listings. So, three of us each selected a home to sit and made signs for the others that read: “Agent on Call – Dial 847-454-1700. We will be onsite within 10 minutes to open the property for you to view.” We ended up selling two of the homes that weekend.

What is your favorite time-saving tool that you use on a weekly basis?

DocuSign. I even sign agents up to our company using this tool. It’s my favorite by far.

What strategies do you have in place to successfully reach out to first-time buyers?

Social media is by far the best tool to hook buyers and sellers today. I consistently mix my personal postings with fun and unusual real estate pictures on Facebook because I want my friends and family to look at something I’ve posted, and show it to others or repost it themselves.

How does your company stay flexible and current?

Staying flexible and current begins with our online

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services. With our online platform, there is truly nothing that an agent is required to come into the office for. In addition to all contract documentation being processed online, agents can make remote deposits on their own for earnest money, and commissions are paid via ACH. We also have the lowest fees in our marketplace. This means our agents’ personal income per sale is substantially higher than they see at most local franchise competitors. Our basic plan for an agent is just $39 monthly with a $395 transaction—no splits, no annual fees, etc. It’s like they’re running their own business. We simply oversee everything to make sure it’s all done in accordance with local laws and traditions. I love the HomeSmart System. It really is “real estate made easy.”

For more information, visit www.homesmart.com.

Real Estate as a Relationship Business

by Gabrielle van Welie

Bill White President, Broker/Owner Joyner Fine Properties, a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® Richmond, Va.

Region served: Central Virginia Years in real estate: 32 Number of offices: 4 Number of agents: Approximately 200

Who has most influenced your success?

It’s my good fortune to have worked with several great bosses who have also served as mentors throughout my real estate career, including the original founder of Joyner Fine Properties, Crawley Joyner. Additionally, I’ve worked with not only great employers, but also with great agents and vendors who hold real estate brokerages in high regard and are consummate professionals. With this combination, success is easier and a lot more fun.

What demographic segments are driving your business these days?

The most active part of our market in Central Virginia are first-time homebuyers and buyers wishing to move up. While the middle market has been very active, the upper-end market has been a little slower to recover, but we should begin to see an increase in activity in this segment.

What do you like most about the region in which you work?

I like the Mid-Atlantic and particularly our market in Central Virginia because there’s balance when it comes to industry, jobs, lifestyle and even weather. We’re also well-located, with easy access to the Blue Ridge Mountains or the bay/beach/ river areas. For large city experiences and major urban attractions, Washington, D.C. is only two hours away. Our price ranges are affordable, and our area offers abundant recreational, cultural and educational opportunities. Richmond is a robust and happy place.

What is your top strategy for closing a transaction?

Set reasonable expectations and always maintain clear and concise communication between the agent, buyers and sellers throughout the transaction. There will be bumps along the way, and that’s one reason why real estate professionals are needed. We help our customers and clients navigate any problems with professionalism, honesty and a will for problem-solving, with an expected result of long-term mutual satisfaction.

What is one of the challenges your market faces, and what are you doing to overcome it?

We must stay relevant to the obvious and subtle changes with construction, financing and the home purchase process. Also, we must be constantly aware that we’re in the business of determining what our customers and clients need and want, rather than just selling a product. We’re in a relationship business, not just the business of selling homes.

For more information, visit www.leadingre.com.

Invest in Your Agents, Invest in Your Company

by Zoe Eisenberg

Matthew Krac President/Broker

Shane Franko REALTOR®, Partner/CEO

John Monaghan

Partner/COO Sellstate Partners Realty, LLC Hollywood, Fla.

Region served: Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties, Fla. Years in real estate: 12 Number of offices: 2 Number of agents: 45 Secret to effective time management: Time-blocking and a good CRM Can’t-live-without technology tool or app: Office 365, Google Drive and Inside Real Estate

What makes your company unique in today’s market?

The No. 1 thing that makes us unique are our well-trained professionals. We consistently invest in our agents with the latest sales training and technology tools.

What’s really great is the support we get from Sellstate. It coincides perfectly with our vision and innovation.

How are you prepping your team to tackle today’s challenges?

Tackling today’s challenges comes down to company culture, leads and accountability.

How do you educate consumers on today’s buying opportunities?

High-tech, high-touch real estate. Once we’ve identified the buyer’s interest, we pound the pavement with phone work, face-to-face meetings and dig deep to uncover the best on-market and off-market opportunities. We stay relevant in the market with

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a strong network of producing brokers and leverage these relationships to provide our buyers the best opportunities.

How are you attracting new talent to your team?

Attracting new talent is all about leadership by example, personal growth by design. The word is out; in Sellstate, we have one of the best business models in the industry with high payouts, residual income, excellent training and a unique company culture.

For more information, visit www.sellstaterealty.com.

Discipline and Consistency

by Lesley Grand

Karen Ryan Broker/Owner Weichert, Realtors® - Coastal Properties Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Region served: Hilton Head Island, S.C. Years in real estate: 17 Number of offices: 4 Number of agents: 109 Best time management tip: Throw away your todo list and schedule everything on your calendar. If you make an appointment for a task, it’ll get done.

Your brokerage was named to the Weichert Premier Client Group based on outstanding performance in 2015. What goes into achieving such an honor?

A great deal of our success can be attributed to the systems we use, and our discipline in following them day-in and day-out. Weichert®gives us the systems we need for recruiting and agent training, and because of these tools, we’re able to provide the highest quality agent training in our area. Real estate is constantly changing, so we make sure our agents know as much as possible about these changes by holding weekly sales meetings, agent

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“Weichert® gives us the systems we need for recruiting and agent training, and because of these tools, we’re able to provide the highest quality agent training in our area.”

– Karen Ryan Broker/Owner, Weichert, Realtors® - Coastal Properties

training sessions three times a week, and experienced agent training at least once a week. As the brokers-in-charge, my husband Joe and I are very involved in the business, which enables us to provide the best leadership possible.

How do you stay ahead of the competition?

By not focusing on what the competition is doing.

Instead, we pay close attention to the goals we set at the beginning of each year. In addition, we take the time to listen to new marketing ideas and implement those that we like. Staying ahead is all about staying focused and doing the best we can.

What do you think your agents would say is the best thing you do for them?

It would have to be our attention to detail and all of the support we provide. We’re here for our agents, and we serve them—not the other way around. We also provide our agents with a great deal of excellent marketing materials from Weichert. This marketing resource alone is invaluable.

What are you working on for your firm’s future?

Growing our marketshare. We’re very focused on growing our footprint within our county and becoming No. 1 in the market. We know that discipline and consistency will win out every time. RE For more information, visit www.weichert.com.

{RISMedia’s Great Spaces}

Live large in this Texan ‘Southern Palace.’

by Nick Caruso & Zoe Eisenberg

Texas Ranch with Vista Views Looking for lush Texas living? Head on down to 25 Augusta at Cordillera Ranch, an exclusive, resortstyle community on 8,700 acres of sprawling Texas land, nestled next to five miles of Guadalupe River. The four-bedroom, five-bathroom home, designed by award-winning architect Gustavo Arredondo, features ultra-luxurious amenities such as a beach-entry infinity pool, a cascading waterfall, a decked-out media room, elevator and putting green.

The palatial 7,300-square-foot home has a real “southern palace” vibe, providing a rustic charm offset by every modern amenity you can imagine. Set on 1.67 acres with 94 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

stunning views of a golf course and the spectacular Twin Sisters Peaks, the home offers a three-car garage, multiple decks, outdoor living areas, a stone shower the size of many Manhattan apartments, a royal dining room and a fitness center.

Listed by: Robert Elder, Keller Williams Listed for: $2,250,000

Cher’s Former Beverly Hills Mansion

the main home are several stone terraces, a pool, spa, outdoor kitchen, tennis court and magical secret-garden-style landscaping. A detached 7,000-square-foot fivebedroom “guesthouse” features Moroccan tiles, coffered ceilings and arched walkways.

The property was sold to funnyman Eddie Murphy in 1988, and switched hands again in 1994, going from a four-acre property to a 16-acre parcel fit for an equestrian fanatic, with five

stables, two riding rings and a network of riding trails throughout the property.

Listed by: Aaron Kirman, Aaroe Estate Listed for: $85 million Source: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com, https://www.toptenrealestatedeals. com/homes/weekly-ten-best-homedeals/2016/07-18-2016/

Want to walk the same halls as pop legend Cher and comedic hero Eddie Murphy? Now you can. Hidden in plain sight in Beverly Hills’ Benedict Canyon Drive is the 20,000-squarefoot mega-mansion designed and decorated by Cher herself, and it’s hot on the market.

With 11 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms, you can comfortably house an American football team in this wood and stone paradise. Outside

Do you believe in life after Cher?

For just $85 million, you can live in her former mega mansion.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 95

The Far East meets the American West in this Japanese-inspired Rocky Mountain wonder.

A Japanese-Inspired Mountain Resort in Telluride Known for its unparalleled natural beauty, history and unique lifestyle, Telluride is a beautiful retreat set in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Hovering at 8,750 feet above sea level, Telluride sits in a box canyon surrounded by stunning thirteenand fourteen-thousand-foot mountains—the perfect backdrop for the future owners of this massive “Great Space.”

Nestled in towering spruce trees directly trailside on the Telluride Ski Resort, this custom-crafted residence was inspired by traditional Japanese farmhouse architecture, with its signature massive beams, wood joinery, sliding shoji doors and exceptional levels of detail and workmanship.

Designed by architect Michael Fuller with interiors by Andrea Jovine, the architecture, detail and finish employ the principles of feng shui combined with the time-

96 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

less craftsmanship of hand tools shaping rare and rugged imported materials. Hand-hewn fir timbers sourced from a Japanese temple frame awe-inspiring views of the surrounding mountain peaks, while clean interiors lines, created with rich hardwoods, plaster, limestone and quarried rock from China create a dramatic yet tranquil retreat.

Listed by: Bill Fandel, Telluride Sotheby’s International Realty Listed for: $7,995,000 Photos: Courtesy of Telluride Sotheby’s International Realty

Coming Soon: Porsche Design Tower New York City is home to over 70 of the world’s billionaires, but when they want to get away to decompress, many shed their suit and tie for a guayabera, white slacks and boat shoes and head to South Florida for the white sand beaches, fine dining, yachting and golfing. Some will soon be heading to Sunny Isles, Fla., where, according to the developer, over 20 billionaires have purchased a home at Porsche Design Tower.

What might be the future of South Florida luxury condos opened on September 1 when new owners at the Porsche building will first be able to take their cars up an elevator to their personal sky garage, including the $32.5 million penthouse. Three patented Dezervators, a glass drivein elevator rising at 600-feet per minute, will enable residents to keep an eye on their Ferraris, Porsches and Rolls Royces while sitting in their living rooms reading The Wall Street Journal and checking out the Atlantic Ocean views.

The 60th-floor Porsche penthouse comes with a huge living and dining area, state-of-the-art kitchen, fam-

ily room and four ensuite bedrooms with a total of seven baths, floor-toceiling glass walls, 20-foot ceilings and a private people elevator. The outdoor living areas are equally impressive with a private terrace pool and roof pool, two balconies and two summer kitchens. The penthouse also includes two sky garages and a separate 3,000-square-foot car gallery. The gallery can be customized by the owner for fewer cars to substitute a game room or extra living space.

Building amenities include a threestory lobby with glass car elevator observatory, movie theater, game room, oceanside restaurant with indoor/ outdoor dining, private wine lockers and an oceanside bar and lounge with fireplace and large-screen TVs. In addition, an oceanfront pool with

food and beverage service, Intracoastal Waterway sunset deck, virtual golf simulator, virtual car-race game, ballroom with bar and catering kitchen, oceanfront gym and yoga room, spa, sauna, steam rooms, hair salon and a car concierge are available to give the luxury cars a wash and maintenance.

Having broken ground in 2014, the tower is now 95 percent sold out. The penthouse is priced at $32.5 million; other units remaining for sale start at $6.2 million. The Porsche is located in Sunny Isles—a ritzy part of the Atlantic Ocean stretch of Miami Beach to Fort Lauderdale condos.

The developer is Dezer Development in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla. RE Photos: Courtesy of toptenrealestatedeals.com.

The sky’s the limit for you and your luxury vehicles when you live in this new Florida high-rise.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 97

AGENTS & MORTGAGE ORIGINATORS NAHREP’s Top 250 Latino Award recognizes the industry’s leading Hispanic real estate agents and mortgage originators from across the country. We congratulate the individuals whose hard work has led them to close an outstanding number of transactions in an effort to increase the rate of sustainable homeownership in communities across the country.

This year’s agent group represented a combined total of $24,280 in closed transaction sides in 2015 and over $5.18 Billion in total volume. The mortgage originator group represented a total of 32,783 closed mortgages, $8.1 billion dollars in closed mortgages, and 50 different companies.

#

2

Mario Negron RE/MAX Prestige Houston New Home Team Houston, TX

3

#

#top250 nahrep.org/top250

Marshall Carasco Marshall Realty Reno, NV

1

#

Claudia Restrepo Keller Williams Realty The Legacy Group Spokane, WA

LEADING TOP 250 LATINO AGENTS

2

#

Manuel Corral Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. Pomona, CA

3

#

Sergio Corona Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Des Moines, IA

LEADING TOP 250 LATINO MORTGAGE ORIGINATORS

1

#

Carlos Larrazabal Washington First Mortgage Fairfax, VA

{Ask the Experts} Adam Long President HomeTeam Inspection Service www.hometeam.com

Q:

How can a home inspection company add value to the real estate process?

A:

A home inspection is now a common practice for clients who are looking to buy or sell a home. In addition to performing a high-quality inspection, a good home inspection company adds value for all parties involved in the transaction. How? They Understand Your Time Is Valuable Most real estate transactions are time sensitive, and the typical home inspection can last anywhere from 2.5 - 4 hours. HomeTeam Inspection Service cuts this time nearly in half by utilizing a team of inspectors. This approach allows for more time slots available each day, and greater availability when you need an inspection.

They Utilize Technology to Simplify the Process The home inspection process— from scheduling to report delivery— should be convenient for you and your clients. Offering several scheduling options—over the phone, online or through an app—provides greater flexibility. HomeTeam offers real estate professionals an app on their mobile phone that allows them to call or email HomeTeam, schedule an inspection online and view all past inspection reports with the click of a button.

They Offer a Full-Service Solution Home inspection companies offer a

wide range of services, starting with the basic whole house inspection and then adding additional services that include items your client may or may not need. Since different homes, different clients and different regions require different types of inspections, choose a home inspection company that offers a la carte services like pest, radon or mold inspections.

They Handle Coordination for You Valuable time is often spent calling and coordinating various types of inspections from several different service providers. HomeTeam schedules any additional inspections for you and your clients. Therefore, you only need to make one call, or indicate the services you would like in your online booking, and they’ll be scheduled at the same time as the home inspection.

They Present Themselves as a Professional Recommending a home inspection company with a professional brand image serves as an extension of your professionalism. Home inspection companies that show up in uniform with branded vehicles help make the client feel at ease. Be sure the home inspection company your client chooses provides email and text message reminders of the

inspection time, as well as a verbal introduction to the home. They should also review their findings and answer any questions.

Choosing a home inspection company that can add value results in a true benefit to the client, and ultimately, more referrals for all.

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

Q: A:

What can I do to create lasting change?

Next month is the month that will separate the agents who thrive in 2017 from the ones who just hold on. I’ve found that fall is the ideal time to create lasting change because something about moving from summer into autumn really motivates me.

But, the challenge is keeping the change alive after the initial rush of enthusiasm leaves us.

We all know that feeling: the initial “pink cloud” of emotional energy when we first decide to make a change, followed by the inevitable letdown when the newness of the change wears off. I’ve experienced it dozens of times.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 99

“Forgetting to clean up the yard is the No. 1 place sellers often drop the ball when preparing their home for sale.”

– Dan Steward President, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors

First, the initial rush, then the long slide back into our old behaviors, with predicable results.

However, I’ve been experimenting with a different kind of behavioral change. The behavior of not stopping anything, but starting something new, which will hopefully replace something else, over time.

The technique is called substitution, and I think it has enormous possibilities for many of us in this industry.

Here’s the way substitution works.

Suppose I want to lose weight.

There are two ways I can approach it. First, stop eating all the things I love that don’t love me back, or stop sitting on the couch and watching so much TV. Or, I can start eating an apple every day, walking more and concentrating on doing the right things.

Ideally, my new behaviors will take over from my old behaviors, and I’ll naturally eat better and move more.

What about fear of loss, fear of failure, fear of rejection?

Well, what if, rather than focusing on stopping the fear feeling, we started acting with courage? We select one thing to focus our attention on that’ll give us the feeling of moving forward with courage, instead of away from fear.

I believe humans were built to move toward things they want, not away from things they don’t want.

We get so focused on what might happen (fear) that we don’t make forward progress.

100 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Pick something that’s important to you, and then decide to use next month as a test. This one thing must move you forward to your goal.

Agree to invest 15 minutes each and every day in moving forward. If you need help formulating your goal, email me at John.Wendorff@PersonalMarketingCo.com.

By helping you track your efforts and results, I’ll be able to validate the concept as well as figure out how to present it to all of our clients.

Let me know if you want to participate. I have some interesting gifts for those who are willing to share.

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

Q:

For clients looking to sell this fall, what can they do to get their home in tip-top shape?

A:

While spring is usually designated as the best time to put a home on the market, fall is also a lovely season to show a home.

Clean Up the Exterior It’s well-known that outdoor space is one of the top five most important factors for buyers, however, forgetting to clean up the yard is the No. 1 place sellers often drop the ball when preparing their home for sale. If you’re lucky enough to have

magnificent trees on your property, spend a few dollars and get them trimmed so that they look their best.

Some of the most important fall clean up tasks that should be completed include: -Raking leaves -Removing loose sticks -Weeding flower beds - Trimming flowers, bushes and shrubs -Aerating the lawn -Cleaning gutters - Painting the exterior of the house, even if you can only afford to do the trim -De-cluttering, both inside and out Cozy Up the Interior Since you’re selling a home in the fall, it’s a great time to use scents to make the space more inviting.

Some ways to introduce a fall scent include: - Brewing a fresh pot of pumpkin coffee -Boiling cinnamon sticks -Burning fall scented candles Another important tip to prepare for showings during the fall season is to make sure you turn on all the lights. Since the number of daylight hours in the fall decreases, it’s more likely your home will be shown when it’s dark. Having all the lights on for showings will make the home appear larger and more cheerful.

Jackie Amato Customer Service Manager RealEstateCalendars.com www.realestatecalendars.com

Q:

How can an Every Door Direct Mail campaign help me grow my business?

A:

Offered by the U.S. Postal Service®, and in partnership with the printer of your choice, Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) allows you to specify neighborhoods, carrier routes, zip codes, or entire towns as the target of your marketing campaign.

With a well-designed and customized postcard or flyer delivered to every mailbox in the area you choose, you can grow your brand recognition, reach more potential clients and increase business.

Here are four specific advantages:

1

Reach. EDDM has the ability to target current and prospective clients geographically by allowing you to select specific zip codes and carrier routes, ensuring that your message reaches customers in areas where you want to grow your business.

2

Flexibility. There are a variety of postcard sizes and flyers available, providing different marketing possibilities.

3

Value. Let the USPS do the work of creating the specific lists you want to target instead of spending time and money creating your own.

There are no mailing permits or lists to buy, and with postage as low as 17.6 cents, EDDM delivers a big bang for your buck.

4

Effective. Print marketing can strengthen the overall effectiveness of an online campaign by providing an attention-grabbing and tangible touch that customers can immediately engage with.

The following list provides some suggestions on how you can grow your business and connect with the clients you want to reach by using EDDM. Acquire new customers.

With postcards or fliers in every mailbox of your targeted marketing area, you can effectively reach your customers and prospective clients.

Give them a reason to use your services with an eye-catching and compelling message.

Increase your sales. Sales drive your business, and direct mail marketing can increase your ROI by reaching out to new and existing customers.

Build up website traffic. A great marketing campaign can ensure that customers seek out your website, find out more information about you and what you offer, and generate sales.

Fill your open houses. An EDDM postcard or flyer highlighting an open house can go a long way in creating awareness and making your company a household name. The more attention you can create, the better positioned you’ll be to grow your business.

Introduce products and services.

Successful businesses continuously introduce products and services that appeal to their customer base.

Use marketing materials that set you apart from the competition to generate buzz about what you have to offer.

Promote community events. Sponsoring a fundraiser for a charity or a good cause is an act of goodwill that your customers will long remember.

Use EDDM to reach out to your targeted neighborhoods, and give the reputation of your business a warm boost while increasing the awareness of your brand.

Become a Subject Matter Expert (SME). Whether a customer is looking to buy or sell, they’ll have many questions. A newsletter detailing valuable information about buying and selling homes would benefit your customers, as well as grow your brand recognition.

Ward off competitors. EDDM is an effective and affordable way to keep your agency front-and-center. Stay ahead of the competition by taking advantage of EDDM with a regular marketing campaign. RE RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 101

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

RREIN Service Providers

ABR®..................................................................................... 106

Ascent Real Estate, Inc........................................................... 110

American Home Shield........................................................... 106

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate... 110

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices......................................... 106

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, REALTORS®....110

BoomTown............................................................................. 106

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty................... 110

Buffini & Company................................................................. 106

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS®.....110

Century 21 Real Estate LLC.................................................... 106

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties............ 111

Certified New Home SpecialistTM............................................. 106

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties............ 111

Contractor Connection®......................................................... 106

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties.................111

CRS Data............................................................................... 106

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Mason-McDuffie........ 111

DocuSign............................................................................... 106

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Rand Realty............... 111

Engel & Völkers...................................................................... 106

Calcagni Real Estate.............................................................. 111

The Entrust Group.................................................................. 107

CENTURY 21 AllPoints Realty.................................................. 111

ERA Franchise Systems, LLC................................................... 107

CENTURY 21 Award................................................................ 111

HomeFinder.com.................................................................... 107

CENTURY 21 New Millennium................................................. 111

Homes & Land....................................................................... 107

Coach REALTORS®................................................................. 111

Homes.com........................................................................... 107

Coldwell Banker Advantage..................................................... 112

HomeSmart International....................................................... 107

Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS®............................. 112

HomeTeam Inspection Service................................................ 107

Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty.................................. 112

HSA Home Warranty............................................................... 107

Coldwell Banker Prime Properties........................................... 112

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®........................ 107

Diane Turton, REALTORS®....................................................... 112

Moxi Works............................................................................. 108

Fillmore Real Estate............................................................... 112

MRE – Win Local®.................................................................. 108

First Team® Real Estate.......................................................... 112

National Association of REALTORS®........................................ 108

GARDNER, REALTORS®........................................................... 112

Oakley Signs & Graphics........................................................ 108

Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate.............................................. 112

On The Move, Inc.................................................................... 108

J. Rockcliff REALTORS®........................................................... 112

Paradym................................................................................ 108

Jordan Baris, Inc., REALTORS®................................................ 113

The Personal Marketing Company........................................... 108

Kinlin Grover Real Estate Real Living....................................... 113

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors................................................ 108

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc................................................ 113

Quicken Loans....................................................................... 108

Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty.................... 113

Real Living Real Estate........................................................... 109

McCOLLY Real Estate.............................................................. 113

Realogy Holdings Corp........................................................... 109

Page Taft Real Living............................................................... 113

realtor.com®.......................................................................... 109

Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate.............................................. 113

Realtors Property Resource®.................................................. 109

Randall, REALTORS® Real Living...................................................113

Realty ONE Group.................................................................. 109

RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central......................................... 113

RE/MAX, LLC.......................................................................... 109

RE/MAX Gateway................................................................... 113

RIS Consulting Services......................................................... 109

RE/MAX Professionals............................................................ 113

RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network®.............................. 109 Stewart Title........................................................................... 109 Top Producer® CRM................................................................ 109 Workman Success Systems.................................................... 109 Zillow Group........................................................................... 110 zipLogix.................................................................................. 110

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 105

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

real estate sales organization, with approximately 6,900 independently owned and operated franchised brokerages and more than 104,000 independent real estate professionals in 76 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.

(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.

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.

BOOMTOWN

CRS DATA

www.boomtownroi.com/ris The BoomTown platform, an essential part of the agent’s daily business, cultivates relationships that turn people into lifelong customers. Our solution includes a customized real estate website integrated with local MLS data, client success management, a cutting-edge CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system with marketing automation for real estate, and personalized advertising services. Google-certified digital marketers handle our clients’ online marketing needs so they can focus on the most dollar-productive activity: closing deals.

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.

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.

(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.

CENTURY 21 REAL ESTATE LLC

ENGEL & VÖLKERS

(877) 221-2765 • www.century21.com • Madison, N.J. • Rick Davidson, President & CEO Century 21 Real Estate LLC is a leading global residential franchise

(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,

106 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

CONTRACTOR CONNECTION®

DOCUSIGN

Engel & Völkers has become one of the world’s leading companies specializing in the sale and lease of premium residential and commercial property, yachts and private jets. Engel & Völkers currently operates a global network of over 8,000 real estate advisors in more than 700 brokerages spanning 36 countries across five 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 estate leader, has set new standards in customer service, technology and training for the real estate industry. Top-notch offerings from ERA Real Estate include the Sellers Security® Plan, a comprehensive home protection plan, and ERA.com, its award-winning consumer website. The ERA network includes approximately 2,350 independently owned and operated offices with approximately 36,000 brokers and independent sales associates throughout the United States and 33 other countries and territories. ERA Franchise Systems, LLC is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp.

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 & LAND (800) 726-6683 • www.homesandland.com Homes & Land, one of the industry’s most trusted and recognized brands, offers real estate professionals a marketing solution that combines the prestige of print and a suite of digital products. With a network of 220+ magazines in communities throughout the U.S. and Canada, Homes & Land connects top agents and brokers with qualified homebuyers and sellers. Publishers provide custom advertising in an upscale magazine, global reach through HomesAndLand.com, and website partners including The Wall Street

Journal, The New York Times, duPont REGISTRY and Robb Report.

Visit HomesAndLand.com/Magazine-Directory to find your local publisher.

HOMES.COM (866) 697-3308 • http://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.

HOMESMART INTERNATIONAL (800) 865-9025 • www.homesmartfranchise.com Founded in 2000, HomeSmart International is one of the fastestgrowing real estate companies in the nation with 66 offices in 14 different states, two countries and more than 7,500 agents.

HomeSmart International strives to meet 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 on-site. Each team member focuses on his or her area of expertise, which keeps us efficient and saves you time. Fast, Trusted and Accurate. That’s the HomeTeam promise. We invite you to experience the difference the team approach makes. For more information give us a call at 844.HOMETEAM or visit us online at hometeam.com.

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

LEADING REAL ESTATE COMPANIES OF THE WORLD® (312) 424-0400 • www.LeadingRE.com Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is a selective global community of the highest quality independent real estate companies. We exist to make our members better by connecting them to opportunities and people around the globe, supporting them with a global referral network, professional development programs, unique events and connections to people and opportunities worldwide. For more information on our 500 firms that span over 50 countries with 120,000 sales professionals, visit LeadingRE.com.

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MOXI WORKS

OAKLEY SIGNS & GRAPHICS

(206) 673-4591 • www.moxiworks.com Moxi Works is a residential brokerage services company that makes agents significantly more productive and brokerages more profitable by helping them effectively run their businesses. Moxi Works’ integrated tools are centered on a sphere-based selling process that drastically increases agents’ repeat and referral business, while lowering overall technology costs for the brokerage.

Brokerages with Moxi Works collectively sell over $72 billion worth of homes annually.

(800) 373-5330 • www.OakleySign.com Oakley Signs & Graphics (since 1972) offers real estate yard signs nationwide. They are known for their high-quality, high-gloss signs, fanatical customer service, fastest order turnaround times in the industry, and guaranteed low prices. With over 500 products and an experienced staff who is fanatical about helping their customers, you can’t go wrong working with Oakley Signs for your yard signage needs!

MRE – WIN LOCAL® (877) 720-0988 • www.MobileRealEstateID.com · Seth Kaplan, National Sales Director MRE – Win Local® 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 – Win Local® will ensure real estate professionals are positioned to promote their brand and listings to buyers and sellers across all mobile devices.

(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.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

PARADYM

(800) 874-6500 • www.REALTOR.org • Chicago, Ill. • Dale Stinton, Chief Executive Officer •B ob Goldberg, Sr. VP, Sales & Marketing, Business Development & Strategic Investments, Professional Development, Conventions • K enneth Burlington, VP, Strategic Alliances, Business Development, Product & Sales Management • Karen Bebart, VP, Marketing, Digital Marketing, Marketing Research • Matt Lombardi, VP, Conventions •M arc Gould, VP, Business Specialties; Dean, Student Services, REALTOR® University • Mark Birschbach, 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 “The Little Red Book: Safety Rules to Live by for REALTORS®,” and the “2015 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.

(800) 873-0700 • sales@paradym.com • www.paradym.com Building a successful real estate brand can be difficult. But you don’t have to do it alone. The Paradym Edge Platform is an all-inone real estate marketing solution built just for you. From automation and distribution to mobile marketing, social media and technical support, Paradym provides you with all the tools and resources you need to achieve real estate marketing success at your pace.

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ON THE MOVE, INC.

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.

QUICKEN LOANS (866) 718-9842 • AgentRelations@QuickenLoans.com For more than 30 years, Quicken Loans has been celebrated for providing an amazing mortgage experience. In fact, J.D. Power ranked Quicken Loans highest in client satisfaction for mortgage origina-

tion the last six years. Along with being the second largest mortgage lender, Quicken Loans leads the industry in technology with Rocket Mortgage—the first ever completely online mortgage experience. Whether applying for a mortgage online or with a mortgage banker, Quicken Loans is committed to client experience.

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, has received Inman Innovator Awards, and was 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.

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 residential real estate franchising with company-owned real estate brokerage operations doing business under its franchise systems as well as relocation and title services. Realogy’s brands and business units include Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker®, Coldwell Banker Commercial®, The Corcoran Group®, ERA®, Sotheby’s International Realty®, ZipRealty®, NRT LLC, Cartus, Title Resource Group and ZapLabs LLC. Collectively, Realogy’s franchise system members operate approximately 13,600 offices with more than 261,000 independent sales associates doing business in 109 countries and territories worldwide.

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

REALTORS PROPERTY RESOURCE® (888) 914-7771 • http://blog.narrpr.com • Chicago, Ill. • 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 (888) 461-0101 • www.RealtyONEGroup.com 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.

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.

RIS CONSULTING SERVICES (203) 852-4304 • Norwalk, Conn.

• John Sculley, Managing Dir. • Peg Guinta, Projects Dir. RIS Consulting Services is an independent relocation consulting firm dedicated to designing and implementing comprehensive solutions to mobility issues. We deliver a full range of consulting services to our diverse corporate and relocation service company clients. The executives of RIS Consulting utilize their industry and specialty knowledge to analyze your situation, develop strategic options and implement designed solutions.

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.

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, follow up automatically, and manage your business in minutes with Top Producer® CRM.

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 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2016 109

in order to achieve top performance and industry excellence.

als maximize business opportunities and connect with consumers.

ZILLOW GROUP

ZIPLOGIX

www.zillow.com Zillow Group houses a portfolio of the largest real estate and homerelated brands on the web and mobile. The company’s brands focus on all stages of the home lifecycle: renting, buying, selling, financing and home improvement. Zillow Group is committed to empowering consumers with unparalleled data, inspiration and knowledge around homes, and connecting them with the right professionals to help, and helping real estate agents, lenders and rental profession-

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

RREIN Member Profiles ASCENT REAL ESTATE, INC. (619) 325-4100 • www.ascentrealestate.net Owned and operated in San Diego since 2005, Ascent Real Estate embodies an enviable combination of entrepreneurial energy, comprehensive industry experience, and local market knowledge.

This mix lets Ascent “out national” its local competition, thanks to its exceptional professional team and world-class infrastructure, and “out local” the national competition, thanks to its laser-like focus on the specific markets in which it operates. Our highly productive sales team of approximately 140 agents has elevated Ascent as a leader in marketshare in the Metro San Diego areas that we service. Our agents receive ongoing training and education, and they go above and beyond to deliver the diligent and ethical standard of care we are committed to providing. And, as the exclusive San Diego affiliate of Leverage Global Partners, Ascent Real Estate is a hyper-local brokerage with a global reach.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES AMBASSADOR REAL ESTATE (402) 493-4663 • (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 Up110 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

state 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 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 and foreclosures, corporate relocations, referral services, mortgage, title, insurance, home service plans, and personal concierge services. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty is the No. 1 Fundraiser for The Sunshine Kids, having raised over $2.3 million since 2001.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES FOX & ROACH, REALTORS® (610) 889-7705 • www.foxroach.com Now the nation’s second largest provider of total home services, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® has 4,000 Sales Associates in 65 sales offices throughout the TriState area. Through its affiliate, the Trident Group, the company provides one-stop shopping and facilitated services to its clients including mortgage financing and title, property and casualty insurance. For more information, go to www.foxroach.com.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES GEORGIA PROPERTIES

CALCAGNI REAL ESTATE

(770) 992-4100 • www.BHHSGeorgia.com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties has 22 locations and 1,100 agents, and is an independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Under the leadership of CEO Dan Forsman, the company is known for innovation and delivering exceptional value to associates and their clients. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties 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.

(203) 272-1821 • www.calcagni.com • www.land-consulting.com Calcagni Associates is the premier independently owned and operated real estate company servicing central Connecticut for over four decades. We understand the benefits of providing service that goes beyond what is expected and pride ourselves on establishing lifelong relationships with our clients. In addition to residential real estate, we also specialize in land consulting and new construction, and have divisions that handle bank-owned properties and commercial real estate.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES NEVADA PROPERTIES

(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.

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

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES SELECT PROPERTIES (314) 835-6000 • www.bhhsselectstl.com Since 2002, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties has helped keep the St. Louis real estate market local. With 11 offices in the metro area, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select ranks as the No. 1 locally-owned real estate firm in St. Louis. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select prides itself on providing the highest quality real estate brokerage services to its clients and customers and 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) and title, mortgage, and insurance services (Hudson United). The companies can be found online at RandRealty.com, RandCommercial.com and HudsonUnited.com.

CENTURY 21 ALLPOINTS REALTY

CENTURY 21 AWARD (800) 293-1657 • www.century21award.com CENTURY 21 Award is the premier Southern California-based, full-service real estate company serving San Diego, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties from 15 distinctive office locations. Our 1,000 professional agents and staff are fully equipped to assist you with all of your real estate needs. Our services include residential, commercial, relocation, property management and bank-owned properties.

CENTURY 21 NEW MILLENNIUM (800) 727-6888 • www.c21nm.com CENTURY 21 New Millennium is a full-service real estate brokerage in the greater Washington, D.C. area. The company, which specializes in residential and luxury properties, joined the CENTURY 21® System in 1998 and has established a sound and successful organization providing traditional residential and commercial services, on-site mortgage, title, property management, and access to a vast network of relocation and other real estate service providers worldwide. It has earned the status of No. 1 CENTURY 21 Firm in the World for the past three years. With 18 locations and approximately 750 real estate professionals, New Millennium is consistently included in REALTOR® Magazine’s Top 100 Companies List for all real estate firms nationwide regardless of brand. It is also a past winner of the prestigious Cartus Masters Cup, the Network’s highest honor. The Cartus Broker Network is the largest relocation network in the world and includes more than 775 hand-selected brokerages in the United States.

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

FILLMORE REAL ESTATE

(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.

(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.

COLDWELL BANKER D’ANN HARPER, REALTORS® (210) 483-7002 • www.cbharper.com Coldwell Banker D’Ann Harper, REALTORS® is the largest full-service real estate company serving the entire greater San Antonio metropolitan area, New Braunfels, Boerne, Bandera, Kerrville, Fredericksburg and Hill Country markets, representing buyers and sellers in all phases of their transactions. Since opening in 1986, the company has become a trusted name in the real estate industry. With eight offices, over 350 sales associates and over 100 support staff, the company’s extensively trained representatives have knowledge and expertise to service all aspects of the real estate business. Core services include global relocation, property management and rentals, commercial sales and leasing and mortgage financing.

COLDWELL BANKER KAPPEL GATEWAY REALTY (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, 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.

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

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

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

GARDNER, REALTORS® (800) 566-7801 • www.GardnerRealtors.com Since 1943, GARDNER, REALTORS® continues our tradition of excellence as the leading full-service real estate company in the Southeast Louisiana and Southern Mississippi Region. The GARDNER Real Estate Family includes over 800 real estate professionals in 24 neighborhood offices that serve over 100 communities. Our professional services include residential and commercial sales and leasing, relocation and corporate services, asset management/REO and property management, plus the convenience and added value of one-stop shopping for mortgage, title and home warranty services.

We are proud to be home grown, locally-owned and internationally known. Also, we love to give back to the communities we serve through GARDNER LOVE, which is the philanthropic arm of GARDNER, REALTORS® and The Gertrude Gardner Foundation.

GLORIA NILSON & CO. REAL ESTATE (732) 450-2300 • www.glorianilson.com Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate, owned by Dick Schlott, has serviced the most discerning buyers and sellers of residential real estate in New Jersey for over 35 years with more than 700 sales associates within our 23 offices throughout New Jersey and Bucks County, Pa. As an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, along with our luxury lifestyle magazine, we offer our clients and associates the most cutting-edge marketing services both globally and locally. For additional information about Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate, please visit www.glorianilson.com.

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 questions, apply in-depth knowledge of current market conditions, and access extensive resources that can expedite the sale of your home.

MCCOLLY REAL ESTATE (800) 348-2100 x206 • www.mccolly.com Since 1974, McColly Real Estate has found your place to call home, from the shores of Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana, to Lake Street Beach in Chicago. McColly is a proud LeadingRE member with bilingual agents in 14-plus languages amongst 450-plus REALTORS® in 18 offices. McColly Companies is the One Source for All Purpose Real Estate with its ancillary companies of McColly Insurance, Community Title, McColly Auctions, McColly Bennett Commercial, McColly New Homes Division and Luxury Home Portfolio™.

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.

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

RE/MAX GATEWAY (703) 652-5760 • www.gateway2realestate.com The real estate market is ever changing. It takes constant evaluation, review of recent trends to forecast a potential future and education of agents through mastermind groups and real estate information exchanges. These are areas in which we excel at RE/MAX Gateway. Contact us today if you are looking to advance your career in real estate through a multitude of educational experiences and resources, or if you need real estate advice in order to make informed decisions when buying and selling houses.

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.

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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 Tel: (760) 217-2491 (Toll Free) • Fax: (619) 374-2706 Email: jtucker@century21award.com Coverage Areas: Orange County Offices: 15 • Associates: 1,200 CENTURY 21 Award - San Diego, Riverside 7676 Hazard Center Dr., Ste. 300, San Diego, CA 92108 Contact: Joshua Tucker, Director of Relocation Services Tel: (760) 217-2491 (Toll Free) • Fax: (619) 374-2706 Email: jtucker@century21award.com Coverage Areas: San Diego, Southern Riverside Offices: 15 • Associates: 1,200 Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty 750 Mason St., Ste. 101, Vacaville, CA 95688 Contact: Rachel Guerin Tel: (707) 427-5344 or (800) 426-0898 • Fax: (707) 446-9830 Email: info@kappelgateway.com URL: www.KappelGateway.com Coverage Areas: Vacaville, Benicia, Davis, Dixon, Fairfield, Napa, Rio Vista, Suisun City Vallejo and Winters, Calif.

Offices: 7 • Associates: 240 First Team® Real Estate 108 Pacifica Ave., Ste. 300, Irvine, CA 92618 Contact: Gayle D. Glew CRP, CRB, Director, Relocation and Corporate Services Tel: (855) 858-8028 (Toll Free) Email: gayleglew@firstteam.com URL: www.firstteam.com Coverage Areas: Southern California counties of Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego Offices: 36 • Associates: 1,865 J. Rockcliff REALTORS® Headquarters Office: 4115 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Ste. 201, Danville, CA, 94506 Contact: Robin Dickson, CRS, GRI, Executive Vice President Tel: (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

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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 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 Offices: 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 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 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+ Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate 7234 Lancaster Pike, Ste. 220B, Hockessin, DE 19707 Contact: Marjorie Murray, RCC, Relocation Manager Tel: (302) 234-3600 (Office) • (302) 234-3605 (Direct) • (800) 443-2295 (Toll Free) 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 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

ILLINOIS McCOLLY Real Estate 800 Deer Creek Dr., Schererville, IN 46375 Contact: Deborah Horton, CRP, RCC, Director of Referral/Relocation Services Tel: (800) 348-2100 ext. 206 Email: dhorton@mccolly.com URL: www.mccolly.com Coverage Areas: Alsip, Aroma Park, Beecher, Blue Island, Bourbonnais, Bradley, Burbank, Burnham, Calumet City, Channahon, Chicago, Chicago Ridge, Clearing, Country Club Hills, Crest Hill, Crestwood, Crete, Evergreen Park, Flossmoor, Frankfort, Glenwood, Grant Park, Harvey, Hazel Crest, Hegewisch, Hickory Hills, Homewood, Kankakee, Lansing, Lemont, Lockport, Lynwood, Manteno, Matteson, Mokena, Momence, Monee, Morgan Park, Mount Greenwood, New Lenox, Oak Lawn, Orland Hills, Orland Park, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Park Forest, Peotone, Richton Park, Riverdale, Roseland, Steger, Tinley Park, University Park, Worth Offices: 18 • Associates: 450-plus

INDIANA McCOLLY Real Estate 800 Deer Creek Dr., Schererville, IN 46375 Contact: Deborah Horton, CRP, RCC, Director of Referral/Relocation Services Tel: (800) 348-2100 ext. 206 Email: dhorton@mccolly.com • URL: www.mccolly.com Coverage Areas: Beverly Shores, Cedar Lake, Chesterton, Crown Point, DeMotte, Dyer, Dune Acres, East Chicago, Gary, Griffith, Hammond, Hebron, Highland, Hobart, Kouts, La Porte, Lake Station, Lake Village, Lakes of Four Seasons, Long Beach, Lowell, Merrillville, Michiana Shores, Michigan City, Miller Beach, Morocco, Munster, Ogden Dunes, Otis, Portage, Porter, Rensselaer, Roselawn, Schererville, Schneider, St. John, Sumava Resorts, Thayer, Valparaiso, Westville, Wheatfield, Whiting, Winfield Offices: 18 • Associates: 450-plus

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

MARYLAND CENTURY 21 New Millennium 5990 Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315 Contact: Todd Hetherington, CEO • Tel: (800) 382-1101 • Fax: (703) 822-0136 Relocation Contact: 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 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+ RE/MAX Gateway 4090B Lafayette Center Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Scott MacDonald, President Tel: (703) 652-5776 • (703) 727-6900 (Cell) Email: scottmacdonald@remax.net URL: www.gateway2realestate.com Coverage Areas: Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, West Virginia Offices: 4 • Associates: 108

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MASSACHUSETTS

NEW JERSEY

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

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

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

MISSOURI Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties 1650 Des Peres Rd., Ste. 205, Saint Louis, MO 63131 Contact: Angie Ignatowski, Relocation Director Tel: (314) 835-6000 • (314) 835-6050 (Direct) Email: aignatowski@bhhsselectstl.com URL: www.bhhsselectstl.com Coverage Areas: St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, Lincoln County Offices: 11 • Associates: Over 500

NEBRASKA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate 13340 California St., Omaha, NE 68154 Contact: Katie Adams, CRP, GMS, VP Corp. Relocation 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

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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 Tel: (888) 467-MOVE(Relocation Line) • (609) 750-7605 (Direct) Email: pkobos@glorianilson.com URL: www.glorianilson.com Coverage Areas: Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean and Somerset counties, N.J.; Bucks County, Pa. Offices: 23 • Associates: 700+ Jordan Baris, Inc., REALTORS® 50 Mt. Pleasant Ave., West Orange, NJ 07052 Contact: Carol Abdo, Relocation Director Tel: (973) 736-1600 (Office) • (800) 4-JBARIS (Toll Free) Fax: (973) 736-5159 Email: relocation@jordanbaris.com • URL: www.jordanbaris.com Coverage Areas: Essex, Union, Hudson and Morris counties. Specifically West Orange, South Orange, Maplewood, Livingston, East Hanover, Roseland, Short Hills, Montclair, Bloomfield, Belleville, Newark, East Orange, Orange, Irvington, Jersey City, North Bergen, Union, Vauxhall, Parsippany-Troy Hills Offices: 2 • Associates: 150 Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: 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+

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: 800+

Coach REALTORS® 66 Gilbert St., Northport, NY 11768 Contact: Elaine Elish, Inbound Referral Coordinator Tel: (800) 321-7356 ext. 138 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 • (919) 846-3330 (Direct) Email: BDrake@AdvantageCB.com • URL: AdvantageCB.com Coverage Areas: Apex, Cary, Clayton, Creedmoor, Chapel Hill, Durham, Falls Lake, Fayetteville, Ft. Bragg area, Henderson, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Lake Gaston, Lillington, McGee’s Crossroads, Pinehurst, Pittsboro, Pope Air Force Base area, Raleigh, Southern Pines, Wake Forest and Zebulon Offices: 17 • Associates: 325 Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: 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+

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

Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate 826 Alexander Rd., Princeton, NJ 08540 Contact: Patricia (Tricia) Kobos Tel: (888) 467-MOVE(Relocation Line) • (609) 750-7605 (Direct) Email: pkobos@glorianilson.com • URL: www.glorianilson.com Coverage Areas: Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean and Somerset counties, N.J.; Bucks County, Pa. Offices: 23 • Associates: 700+ Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: 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+ 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 RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central 701 West Market St., Perkasie, PA 18944 Contact: Tom Skiffington, Broker/Owner • Tel: (215) 453-7653 or (215) 643-3200 Email: tom@tomskiffington.com URLs: www.pahomesforsale.com 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

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Tel: (800) 521-1408 (Toll Free) • (210) 483-7035 (Direct) Email: ppoitevent@cbharper.com • URL: www.cbharper.com Coverage Areas: San Antonio metropolitan area including New Braunfels, San Marcos, Seguin, Spring Branch, Bulverde, Canyon Lake, Schertz, Universal City, Boerne, Bandera, Kerrville and surrounding areas Offices: 8 • Associates: 350+

VIRGINIA CENTURY 21 New Millennium 5990 Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315 Contact: Todd Hetherington, CEO • Tel: (800) 382-1101 • Fax: (703) 822-0136 Relocation Contact: 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 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+ RE/MAX Gateway 4090B Lafayette Center Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Scott MacDonald, President Tel: (703) 652-5776 • (703) 727-6900 (Cell) 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 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+ RE/MAX Gateway 4090B Lafayette Center Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Scott MacDonald, President Tel: (703) 652-5776 • (703) 727-6900 (Cell) Email: scottmacdonald@remax.net URL: www.gateway2realestate.com Coverage Areas: Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, West Virginia Offices: 4 • Associates: 108

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 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+ RE/MAX Gateway 4090B Lafayette Center Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Scott MacDonald, President Tel: (703) 652-5776 • (703) 727-6900 (Cell) Email: scottmacdonald@remax.net URL: www.gateway2realestate.com Coverage Areas: Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, West Virginia Offices: 4 • Associates: 108

INDEX OF SERVICE PROVIDERS ABR®...................................................................................14 American Home Shield................................................. IFC

National Association of Women in Real Estate Businesses (NAWRB).................................65

Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA)....54

On The Move, Inc. ...........................................................64

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

The Personal Marketing Company..........................73, 93

Buyside..............................................................................60

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

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

Quicken Loans.................................................................BC

Engel & Völkers...................................................................5

Real Living® Real Estate...................................................66

ERA Franchise Systems, LLC............................................27

Realtors Property Resource®...........................................17

Homes.com........................................................................7

Realty ONE Group............................................................46

Homes & Land..................................................................63

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

HSA Home Warranty........................................................13

RISMedia’s ACE (Automated Content Engagement)....21

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World ................19

RISMedia’s Content Solutions...........................................9

®

MRE – Win Local®..........................................11, 62, 78, 118

RISMedia’s Real Estate Information Network................48

NAR’s Green Designation...............................................57

RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network®.............76, 104

National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP)®............................................40, 98

Stewart Title.......................................................................38

National Association of REALTORS ............................8, 25

Weichert, Realtors®...........................................................50

National Association of REALTORS® Global.................119

Workman Success Systems.....................................102-103

®

SWAT Environmental.........................................................20

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{re: Real Estate} Real Estate Escrow Checking Accounts Now Offered by REALTORS® Federal Credit Union

E

arnest money deposits play an important role in real estate transactions. While you’ve had several options for establishing escrow accounts for earnest monies, traditionally, credit unions haven’t been included in your options because of federal legislation prohibiting them from offering escrow accounts. That recently changed, however, thanks to efforts on behalf of real estate agents by the REALTORS® Federal Credit Union, a Division of Northwest Federal Credit Union.

“Whenever we talked to real estate professionals about our services,” explains Victoria Gillespie, senior vice president, REALTORS® Division and Enterprise Marketing, “the question kept coming up, ‘Can I open an escrow account?’” Recognizing that there was clearly demand and interest in this service, the Credit Union decided to challenge the status quo on behalf of its members and the real estate industry.

Rewriting federal laws, however, is never easy. As a first step, the Credit Union approached and gained the support of the National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU), a direct membership association that provides federally insured credit unions with advocacy, education and compliance support. Once NAFCU was on board, the next step involved lobbying efforts with the industry’s governing body, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

Finally, earlier this year, the Credit Union’s efforts paid off and legislative changes went into effect. “We listened to our members and made it happen,” says Gillespie. Now, eligible Credit Union members have the option to open a Real Estate Escrow Checking Account with no minimum balance, no monthly fee and no peritem charges to house clients’ earnest money deposits.

Fees are often associated with these accounts at other financial institutions.

Comprehensive Banking Services Exclusively for REALTORS® Created by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) in 2008, the REALTORS® Federal Credit Union, a Division of Northwest Federal Credit Union, was formed to address the unique savings, lending and credit needs of NAR members.

Federal credit unions are not-for-profit cooperative financial institutions that are owned and operated by 120 September 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

their members. Unpaid volunteers comprise the Credit Union’s Board of Directors, including two NAR representatives. All profits are reinvested in the co-op, keeping costs as low as possible for members.

In addition to the new availability of Real Estate Escrow Checking Accounts, members have access to a full complement of business banking services, including traditional and money market savings, competitive certificate investments, business loans (including commercial real estate loans and lines of credit), and much more.

The Credit Union also offers a full suite of personal banking products, making it simple to separate your personal and business expenses for easier record keeping while enjoying across-the-board cost savings. Members can also apply for two different REALTOR®Credit Cards, further simplifying efforts to separate business and personal records.

Benefits of Credit Union’s Real Estate Escrow Checking Accounts 8No minimum balance 8No monthly fee 8No per-item charges Convenient Access REALTORS® Federal Credit Union is available 24/7 online, via mobile banking and through its bank-by-phone services. Members can make remote check deposits (using mobile technology) up to $250,000 per day for business accounts or $25,000/day for personal checking. In addition to over 30,000 ATMs nationwide, members receive personal assistance at more than 5,000 shared branch locations, or by contacting a Member Care representative at 866-295-6038.

Support the REALTOR® Family By supporting REALTORS® Federal Credit Union, you support the entire REALTOR® family and help members get better borrowing rates, earn higher rates of return, and keep their banking costs as low as possible. New Real Estate Escrow Checking Accounts, along with all the other services offered by REALTORS®Federal Credit Union, serve as another example of the many ways NAR members can save money and gain special privileges through the REALTOR Benefits® Program.

“Real estate is one of the last ‘service’ industries where personal relationships matter.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices empowers us to make those connections.”

Maryann Vitale Alles President/CEO Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties

Residential • Commercial ©2016 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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