Real Estate Magazine - NextHome - September 2021

How NextHome Ranked as the No. 1 Franchise in Owner Satisfaction Record-setting growth starts with bringing on the right people

September 2021 $7.95

- Page 50

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Happening This Month @RISMEDIA INSIDE THE COVER As Century 21 Real Estate celebrates its 50th birthday, President & CEO Mike Miedler has just a few goals for the brand’s next 50 years: “Lead the way in driving the rapid transformation of real estate into a more customer-centric, experiences-driven, digitally-enabled industry.” Find out more in this month’s cover story on page 44. ‘

TRENDING ON HOUSECALL It’s a seller’s market out there, and homeowners can claim top dollar by implementing a few DIY staging tips. Share this handy infographic with clients, “5 Golden Rules of Home Staging on a Budget,” available on our Housecall blog, blog.rismedia.com.

SAVE THE DATE

TUNE IN: HOW TO BE ‘GLOBALLY AWARE AND WORLD WISE’

Check out LeadingRE President & CEO Paul Boomsma on our RealEdge podcast where he discusses how relocation patterns are changing across the globe.

Listen at rismedia.com/podcasts.

DEADLINE EXTENSION

RISMedia is back LIVE for our Power Broker & Newsmakers Reception & Dinner at the San Diego Marriott on Friday, Nov. 12, during the REALTORS® Conference & Expo.

Contact Deb Ryan at deb@rismedia.com for information on attending.

There’s still time to nominate a 2022 RISMedia Real Estate Newsmaker! Honor your deserving candidate at rismedia.com/ newsmaker-nomination by September 15.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 3

CONTENTS September 2021/Vol. 37, No. 9

ON THE COVER 50 How NextHome Ranked as the No. 1 Franchise in Owner Satisfaction There’s an interesting mantra at NextHome: “Humans Over Houses.” And it’s not just a catchy phrase. Rather, it speaks to the core of the company’s culture. As Vice President of Sales Charis Moreno says, “The emotional toll on buyers alone is not something that technology can help navigate with empathy. However, another human can, and our members do this like no one else every single day.” In this month’s cover story, Moreno shares how NextHome’s core belief system has helped propel the franchise to recordsetting growth and achievements in the past year...and more importantly, how it’s helped real people achieve real dreams.

HIGHLIGHTS 44 A Step Above

Find out how the CENTURY 21® brand is celebrating 50 years of elevating the customer experience.

56 W hat’s Next for Fannie and

Freddie?

Having played a pivotal role throughout the pandemic, see what’s in store for the government-sponsored enterprises.

59 R ISMedia Survey: 42% Say COVID

Is Still Impacting Their Business

21

Check out the results of RISMedia’s exclusive survey for an in-depth look at the industry’s confidence level as pandemic concerns resurge in light of the Delta variant.

64 G lobal Spotlight: Island Life Awaits

in the Caribbean

Here, take a closer look at two popular markets that offer the best in island living.

HEADLINERS 11 Marketwatch 12 N AR Power Broker Roundtable: A Real Estate Bubble: Fact or Fiction?

14 W omen in Real Estate: Diane Ramirez Joins Candace Adams’ NYC ‘Dream Team’

16 Meet the Newsmakers: Live

Newsmakers Hall of Fame Induction Taking Place This November

59

4 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

21 P olicy & Legal Matters: Rental

Assistance Is Available...and Critical to Preventing Evictions

18

83 D an Steward – Skip the Home Inspection, Face the Consequences

BROKER STRATEGIES 84 L ouis and Christine Parrish,

United Real Estate | Specialists Southern Arizona and United Real Estate | Specialists - Scottsdale

22 R EBAC Report: Weighing In on Buyer Representation Agreements

26 P ower Broker Perspectives: Matthew O’Connor

COACHING 29 B uffini & Company – Do This, Not That: Real Estate Marketing Fundamentals

30 S herri Johnson – 6 Tips to

Coach Your Agents to Greater Success

31 D arryl Davis – ‘The Happiness Cluster’—Why Your Choice of Friends Matters

32 T erri Murphy – Having Problems Prospecting?

33 V erl Workman – Strategies

for Becoming More Emotionally Intelligent

35 T he Experts at McKissock

Learning – How to Prepare for Gen Z’s Transition Into Homeownership

BUSINESS BUILDERS 37 C inch Home Services: Home

Warranties Provide a Competitive Edge in Today’s Booming Market

38 H omesnap: Increased

Engagement Sets the Stage for Continued Success

39 B oomTown: Anticipating and Adapting to Consumer Needs

40 I nside Real Estate: Building a Future-Proof Business Model

42 R eal Estate Webmasters:

Attracting and Retaining Clients

FEATURES 50 How NextHome Ranked

as the No. 1 Franchise in Owner Satisfaction 54 Diminishing Distress? More Households Made Housing Payments in Q2 2021 66 Exclusive Discounts on Home Cleanouts and Identity Theft Protection for REALTORS® 68 How to Maximize Instagram for Your Real Estate Business

TRENDS & ISSUES 71 A shley Bowers – Cutting Out

the Compromise: Providing Agents Everything They Need to Succeed

72 F rank Chimento – 3 Actions

You Must Take to Succeed in Today’s Real Estate Environment

73 A nthony Lamacchia – When Is the Housing Market Going to Crash?

75 C harlie Oppler – Addressing

Misinformation Surrounding Agent Commissions

76 D aniel Ramsey – The

Philippines a Top Destination for Businesses Outsourcing Their Needs

85 Ed Rae, RE/MAX Select Realty 86 D avid Victor Johnson, Corcoran BVI

87 A nna-Marie Ellison, ERA King Real Estate

88 A ndy McDonald, HomeSmart Advantage Group

89 M ichael Slevin, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Colorado Properties

90 E lizabeth D. Nunan, Houlihan Lawrence

92 V erl Workman – Connecting With Younger Generations

TEAM TALK 94 P ower Team Profile – Arizona Team Leader Doubles Down on New Agent Mentorship

96 V erl Workman – Upping Your Game: Deliver CompetitionCrushing Service

98 S arah Bernard – Leverage

Your Team to Create a Memorable Consumer Experience

99 R on Howard – A Dynamic Team Approach

EVERY ISSUE

77 S tefan Peterson – The Next

1 Happening This Month

78 R eal Estate Recovery: Economic Factors to Watch 80 A llen Alishahi – Leveraging

7 From the Publisher

Evolution of iBuyers: ‘Power Buyers’

Opportunities to Build Better Lines of Communication

82 M ichael Minard – Why You

Don’t Need VC or Wall Street Funds to Succeed as a Tech Firm

@RISMedia

18 Great Spaces 100 Service Profiles 108 Referrals

112 RE: Real Estate—3 Essential Safety Strategies to Protect Agents in the Field

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 5

SEPTEMBER IS REALTOR® SAFETY MONTH Help Your Agents Stay Safe in September — and Throughout the Year!

With tips and tools from the REALTOR® Safety Program

TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEW REALTOR® SAFETY TOOLKIT FOR BROKERAGES! Use the materials to develop a strategy for your office or incorporate them into your safety program. Resources include: SAFETY PRESENTATIONS

SAFETY FORMS

SAFETY MARKETING MATERIALS

SHAREABLE SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS

WEBINARS AND VIDEOS

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

nar.realtor/safety

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Building a Better Experience

F

or today’s consumers, expectations have risen on every level. We’re no longer just looking for “good service”—we want a completely enjoyable, satisfying experience, whether we’re getting a pizza delivered or buying a home.

Century 21 Real Estate was ahead of the curve when it started focusing on the consumer experience several years ago, as opposed to just the transaction. And today, as the brand celebrates its 50th anniversary—navigating a market tossed around by a pandemic—that mission is more critical than ever.

In this month’s cover story (page 44), CENTURY 21® President & CEO Mike Miedler explains how innovation has been key to transforming the real estate experience, and the brand has no plans to slow its pace. “We have an exciting future ahead as we...lead the way in driving the rapid transformation of real estate into a more customer-centric, experiences-driven, digitally-enabled industry.”

The importance of delivering a superior experience is critical to profitability. “When you examine the experience you’re providing clients, remember that every client is worth nearly $75,000 in lifetime revenue,” says Verl Workman on page 96. “This assumes that clients conduct three home purchases and two home sales with you over their lifespan...it’s worth putting in extra effort to keep them happy and fully engaged.”

When it comes to delivering an exceptional experience, we couldn’t agree more. In fact, that’s exactly RISMedia’s goal in transforming its branding, magazine design, enews format and delivery, and forthcoming website redesign. In today’s saturated media environment, information is currency, and as the independent voice of the real estate industry, we will continue to evolve in order to deliver the most relevant content through the best possible reader experience.

Speaking of relevant content, don’t miss our survey results and infographic regarding the COVID-19 Delta variant’s effect on real estate confidence. Forty-two percent of your colleagues believe the pandemic is still impacting their business. Find out more on page 59.

I hope to see you virtually on September 14 for RISMedia’s CEO & Agent Leadership Exchange where we’ll discuss these topics and more in two separate tracks for brokers and agents. There’s still time to register at ceo.rismedia.com, so be sure to tune in.

Wishing you continued success,

John E. Featherston CEO & Publisher

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

Janice Bradford

Real Estate Agent, Keller Williams Home Town Realty

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Save the Date RISMedia’s Power Broker & Newsmakers Reception & Dinner

Friday, Nov. 12, 2021 | Marriott San Diego

Honoring those brokers who ranked in RISMedia’s 2021 Power Broker Report, and our 2021 Real Estate Newsmakers

rismedia.com/rismedia-power-broker-annual Photo Credit: AJ Canaria of MoxiWorks

CEO & Publisher John E. Featherston

EDITORIAL Executive Editor Maria Patterson Vice President, Online Editorial Beth McGuire Managing Editor Paige Tepping Content Director Caysey Welton Senior Online Editor Liz Dominguez Blog/Social Media Editor Jameson Doris Content Editor Paige Brown Associate Online Editor Jordan Grice Contributing Editors Lesley Grand; John Voket; Barbara Pronin; Keith Loria; Andrew King

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

CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT Senior Vice President Jay Featherston

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

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

SALES

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Lee Goldstein

Broker/Owner, InTrust Realty Inc.

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HEADQUARTERS

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

69 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851 RISMedia: (203) 855-1234 Fax: (203) 852-7208 www.rismedia.com www.rismedia.com/acesocial www.top5inrealestate.com

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

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

PUBLICATIONS & SERVICES Real Estate magazine Annual Power Broker Report & Survey ACESocial (Automated Content Engagement) www.rismedia.com (Daily e-News) blog.rismedia.com (Housecall) RISMedia’s Real Estate CEO Exchange Power Broker Forum, Reception & Dinner Real Estate Newsmakers Reception & Dinner Real Estate’s Rocking in the New Year Copyright® 2021 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.

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

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

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MARKETWATCH

Housing-Related Labor Shortage Continues

Homeowner Equity Surges 34.4% of mortgaged residential properties in the U.S. were considered equity-rich in the second quarter of 2021. This is up from 31.2% in the first quarter of 2021 and from 27.5% in the second quarter of 2020. Additionally, just 4.1% of mortgaged homes, or one in 24, were considered seriously underwater in the second quarter of 2021.

Source: ATTOM 2021 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report

There were 388,345 jobs posted for skilled trades-related workers between May and June, a 50% increase from pre-pandemic levels—with most positions remaining unfilled for an average of 24 days. Among the postings for skilled jobs that have seen the most growth compared to prepandemic numbers are: •Concrete masons - up 904% •Window glaziers - up 422% •House painters - up 329% •Electricians - up 130% •Plumbers - up 129% •Carpenters - up 121% Source: skilled.peopleready.com

2.86 million renters (8.6%) and 2.19 million (4.6%) mortgagors missed payments in June, up from 7.2% of renters and 4.5% of mortgagors who missed payments in March (4.53 million households).

Source: MBA Research Institute for Housing America (RIHA)

Home Prices Reach New High Home values reached a 40-year high, with home prices increasing 17.2% YoY in June 2021. Month-overmonth, home prices increased by 2.3% compared to May 2021. Home price gains are projected to slow to a 3.2% increase by June 2022.

Source: CoreLogic Home Price Index

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 11

NAR POWER BROKER ROUNDTABLE

A Real Estate Bubble: Fact or Fiction?

Cindy Ariosa, Senior Vice President, Regional Manager, Long & Foster Real Estate, Chantilly, Virginia; Liaison for Large Firms and Industry Relations, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR): Real estate is a series of moving parts, and the truth is, those parts have been moving so fast and furiously over the last 18 to 20 months that it’s been hard to get an accurate snapshot. It seems we are emerging from a fiercely competitive and exhausting environment into a season of relative normalcy. Is inventory beginning to inch up? Yes. Are some sellers looking at five offers instead of 15? Yes. And those are good omens in my view. Interest rates are low, there is money to spend, and a generation of new buyers appears ready to enter the market. If some media mavens are mouthing the word bubble, I think they are way off the mark.

Christina Pappas, Vice President, The Keyes Family of Companies, Miami, Florida: I agree.

People get nervous when they hear the word bubble, but the indicators belie anything like that. Houses in our market are taking a bit longer to sell, but we have the same number of listings today that we had in 2019. The foreclosure rate is 50% lower than it was during the recession of 2008, and the millennials—the largest buying group since the boomers—are turning 32, the average age of most first-time buyers. High demand and low interest rates are the recipe for a continued good market.

Melanie Thompson, Principal Broker, Century 21 Real Estate, Ashburn, Virginia: The truth is, buyers are as worn out as we are at the moment. After more than a year of emotional stress, losing out on properties one after another, they are taking a little breather—so yes, there is a bit of softening in the market. But prices are on solid footing, sellers are not harmed by a more normal environment, and with more freedom to work where you live, the vacation and secondhome markets are very strong.

Keith Robinson, Chief Strategic Officer, NextHome Inc., Pleasanton, California: We saw a 20 - 25% run-up in prices last year, so I agree there is buyer fatigue. But there

12 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

is nothing that resembles a market getting ready to pop. There are at least four major differences compared to 2008: Individual savings rates are higher; equity rates are higher; buyer quality is better; and as Christina noted, there’s been a steady decline in foreclosures. The fact is that properly priced, move-in ready homes are still seeing multiple offers.

CA: So, frustrated buyers are no longer willing to buy at all costs, which is helping to move us back into a more traditional market environment. At the same time, we expect the ship to stay on course for the foreseeable future.

CP: The pandemic has put us in a new world. People are still reassessing their living situations and those who are able to, for whatever reason, are making the decision to live in their dream destinations. Unless and until interest rates begin to rise markedly, I expect we will see continuing demand.

MT: Low inventory has made rental prices jump to supercrazy rates. That could hurt the affordability factor, and all the forbearance during COVID concerns me. We need to caution agents early on to be certain their sellers understand exactly what their equity position is.

KR: I see the inventory shortage finally moving from hyperlow to low. But with new construction lagging, and no signs of it picking up, I don’t see any inventory solutions on the horizon.

CP: On the other hand, prices have been rising at reasonable rates, and that’s expected to continue.

CA: Valid points. But we recently returned from our first big in-person management meeting, and I’m seeing great confidence and enthusiasm from my team, most of whom are glad to see a return to a more traditional market—and that inspires confidence for me.

MT: And for me. The craziness of the past 18 months has been as hard on real estate professionals as it has been on buyers and sellers. It’s time to back up the train, take a deep breath, and get out there with a fresh, new perspective. RE

The Power Broker Roundtable is brought to you by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and Cindy Ariosa, NAR’s liaison for Large Firms & Industry Relations. Watch for this column each month, where we address broker issues, concerns and milestones.

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

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WOMEN IN REAL ESTATE

Diane Ramirez and Candace Adams

Diane Ramirez Joins Candace Adams’ NYC ‘Dream Team’

by Maria Patterson

E

xecutive moves in the world of Big Apple real estate were all the rage last month. Dottie Herman stepped down as head of Douglas Elliman (replaced by long-time Elliman exec Scott Durkin), and real estate industry icon Diane Ramirez was appointed as chief strategy officer for the New York City brokerage operations of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices (BHHS) New England/Westchester/New York Properties. One of the industry’s most prolific and venerated leaders, Ramirez left her post as executive chairman and senior advisor of Brown Harris Stevens (BHS) to join the firm run by Candace Adams. In 2020, BHS acquired Halstead, the firm Ramirez founded in 1984 with Clark Halstead.

In her new role, Ramirez is charged with expanding the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices footprint within New York and throughout surrounding states, and will oversee key initiatives, such as the implementation of technology and services to bolster agents’ business.

“This opportunity is playing to all my creative juices,” said Ramirez.

“This is putting me back to what I really love doing—connecting with 14 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

agents, staff and executives, and really listening and collaborating. This is going to play into my love of thinking forward and being innovative. It’s like a clean canvas.”

Ramirez has been a long-time admirer of Adams, president and CEO of BHHS New England/Westchester/New York Properties, and got to know her over the years at New York real estate board meetings. “I got to see first-hand her vision and her

knowledge,” she said. “Now we’re starting to finish each other’s sentences. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with her.”

Adams is equally excited. “Diane is an incredible strategist, and she oozes emotional intelligence,” she explained. “She brings hands-on expertise with her in the New York City market and the industry as a whole.

She’s got a tremendous reputation and is incredibly respected by brokers and agents. She knows how to build culture, and that’s what’s most important to me.”

Ramirez’s wide-ranging influence, keen market insight and tireless work ethic have been hallmarks of her decorated real estate career. She broke into the industry as an agent before co-founding Halstead. Terra Holdings purchased Halstead in 2001, and through Ramirez’s leadership, the company grew to more than 30 offices and 1,400 agents across New York City, The Hamptons, Hudson Valley, New Jersey and Fairfield County, Connecticut.

“Diane is a real estate genius,” said Adams. “Her wisdom and grace, coupled with her unparalleled expertise, make this a phenomenal partnership—not only for our New York Properties family, but neighboring markets.”

Ramirez holds equal esteem for the BHHS brand. “Berkshire Hathaway is a brand that I’ve admired for so long, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it,” she said. “Because of the great depth of resources, leadership and knowledge they have, they know what agents need—not what some techie thinks they need.”

The addition of Ramirez will help Adams achieve her goal: “Everyone will always say they want to be No. 1, but we want to be the best.” RE For more information, please visit www.bhhsNEproperties.com, www.bhhsNYproperties.com or www.bhhsWestchester.com.

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MEET THE NEWSMAKERS

Live Newsmakers Hall of Fame Induction Taking Place This November

R

ISMedia will be honoring its 2020 and 2021 Real Estate Newsmakers Hall of Fame members during its Power Broker & Newsmakers Reception & Dinner* at the San Diego Marriott on Friday, Nov. 12. The event is taking place in conjunction with the annual National Association of REALTORS® Conference & Expo. The following real estate leaders will be inducted into the Newsmakers Hall of Fame during the gala event.

2020 & 2021 NEWSMAKERS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

Marilyn Eiland & Mark Woodroof Managing Partners

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene

Stuart & Dan Elsea

Co-Presidents Real Estate One Family of Companies

Paul Boomsma

Brian Buffini

Harold Crye

Georgianna Findlay Finn

Lawrence ‘Larry’ Flick IV

Bob Hale

President & CEO Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®

Co-Owner & Founder Coach Real Estate Associates, Inc.

RISMedia’s Real Estate Newsmakers is brought to you by 16 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Chairman & Founder Buffini & Company

Chairman Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® and the Trident Group

Principal & CEO Crye-Leike REALTORS®

President & CEO Houston Association of REALTORS®

Dave and Gail Liniger

Nick Shivers

Co-Founders, Vice Chairs of the Board RE/MAX

President & CEO Nick Shivers Team, Keller Williams Portland Central

Sherry Chris

Rosey Koberlein

President & CEO Realogy Expansion Brands

Chairperson Long Companies

Leslie AppletonYoung

Craig Cheatham

Allan Dalton

Joan Docktor

Dan Forsman

Cameron Merage

J. Lennox Scott

Vinnie Tracey

CEO, Real Living Real Estate; Senior Vice President, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Owner & CEO First Team Real Estate

Senior Vice President & Chief Economist The California Association of REALTORS®

President Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS®

President & CEO The Realty Alliance

President & CEO Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties

Chairman & CEO John L. Scott Real Estate

President Realty ONE Group

Nominate a 2022 Newsmaker by Sept. 15 RISMedia has extended its deadline to nominate a deserving individual as a 2022 Real Estate Newsmaker until Sept. 15, 2021. Make your nomination today at rismedia.com/newsmaker-nomination. *RISMedia’s 2021 Power Broker & Newsmakers Reception & Dinner is an exclusive event for brokers who ranked in RISMedia’s 2021 Power Broker Report, and RISMedia’s 2020 and 2021 Real Estate Newsmakers. For information on attending, please contact Deb Ryan at dryan@rismedia.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 17

GREAT SPACES

Outer Banks Home With Historic Price Tag Hits the Market In this month’s edition of Great Spaces, we take a closer look at the $11 million private estate that recently hit the market on North Carolina’s coast.

by Jameson Doris “A Welcome Respite,” an 11,000square-foot luxury oceanfront estate located in the Outer Banks was recently listed for $11 million—making it the highest-listed home in the history of the islands, according to the Outer Banks Association of REALTORS®. “‘A Welcome Respite’ is an exclusive, rare and spectacular property,” says Melanie Day, a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty OBX. “The estate is the perfect retreat for those seeking privacy and adventure surrounded by unmatched natural beauty.”

With 360 degrees of unobstructed views and 250 feet of private beachfront, the home features nine bed18 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

rooms, 10 full bathrooms and two half bathrooms. The estate also includes a spacious open-concept living area with massive windows overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Additional home features include a large theater room, two gas fireplaces, a sauna, a recreational room, a sunroom, an elevator and a spacious two-car garage.

Listed by: Melanie Day, Mattingly/ Melanie Day Real Estate Listed for: $11,000,000 Photos by: Mattingly/Melanie Day Real Estate RE

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POLICY & LEGAL MATTERS

Rental Assistance is Available— and Critical to Preventing Evictions

T

By Erin Stackley

he Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) national eviction moratorium ended on July 31, 2021, nearly a year after it was originally imposed. Shortly after it ended, on Aug. 3, the White House announced a new, targeted eviction moratorium in areas with “high or substantial transmission of COVID,” through Oct. 3. While the eviction moratorium provides a safety net for tenants unable to pay rent due to COVID-19, it also makes providing that housing unsustainable for many property owners. It is especially difficult for “mom-and-pop landlords” with just one to four units, who have to pay mortgages, taxes, insurance, and maintain their properties with less or, in some cases, no rental income. These mom-and-pop landlords represent more than 40% of the nation’s 48 million total rental units. They are found in every community, providing rental housing where it is otherwise difficult to find, and they serve an important function by providing housing to people who are not in a position to purchase a home.

The federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) holds promise for assisting both tenants and their housing providers who are struggling financially. However, delays in federal guidance for ERAP, followed by long waits for some state programs to launch and disburse funds, hindered its efficacy. Additionally, many

states and localities structured their programs in such a way that it is difficult for housing providers to receive money, and there can be confusing and conflicting regulations across jurisdictions for applying and receiving the funds. There have also been challenges at the federal and state level communicating that this aid exists to

both tenants and housing providers who would not otherwise have cause to work with federal or state agencies to receive aid.

Even with those complications, ERAP has successfully provided aid to hundreds of thousands of in-need households. With the eviction moratorium over, the Administration’s priority is spreading the word that aid is available—both to renters and housing providers—to ensure that no qualifying household or housing provider misses out. Swift and efficient disbursal of ERAP funds can provide stability to the market and prevent unnecessary eviction actions. In most states, housing providers are able to apply on behalf of tenants (with their permission), and they can receive direct payments to cover up to 18 months of rent, which includes several months of prospective rent for those who qualify.

Ideally, housing providers and tenants will work together to ensure that they receive all the aid they qualify for. To assist in that effort, the White House launched a call to action to raise awareness. They also created a multi-functional “toolkit” to help both renters and housing providers learn about available aid, who qualifies and how to apply for it: www.consumerfinance.gov/renthelp.

Housing providers were and are being harmed financially by the eviction moratorium, but they are also working with their tenants to find solutions, sometimes taking a loss themselves in the process. The emergency rental assistance program and other relief programs can go a long way toward keeping people housed and keeping struggling rental property owners above water, but people must take advantage of them while they are available. RE Erin Stackley is senior policy representative, commercial issues, for the National Association of REALTORS®.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 21

REBAC REPORT

ers—and excel at cementing solid client relationships.

Fair Housing Considerations

Weighing In on Buyer Representation Agreements

Agents who prefer discretion in deciding when and how to use buyer representation agreements should be reminded that flexibility can invite fair housing violations.

The 2019 Newsday investigation drove this point home—that any prerequisite to providing services, including the use of a buyer representation agreement, should be applied consistently and objectively. For risk management purposes, it may be advisable to review your office policies and discuss these considerations with your agents.

Agents who have mastered the buyer t the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC), buyer reprerepresentation sentation agreements are viewed as a crucial tool for establishing mutual expectations, preventing misunderstandings, and instilling agreement tend to loyalty between agents and their buyer-clients. have a solid handle on To help brokers gain insights from • I prefer working on a trust basis their responsibilities.

A

By Jennifer Rzeszewski

agents in other markets, I wanted to share some feedback we received from ABR® designees in our annual membership survey, as well as related perspectives.

Support and Reluctance

The Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation course strongly encourages the use of written agreements, and most of our members concur. Our latest survey found that 59% of members always formalize their working relationship with a buyer’s agreement, while 22% said “sometimes,” and 19% never use them.

Among those who do not use buyer agreements consistently, respondents told us that various issues stand in their way (multiple replies allowed): • I’d rather remain flexible and make this decision on a case-bycase basis – 49% 22 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

with all buyer-clients – 32%

• I’m concerned that buyers will use another agent who doesn’t require a signed agreement – 15% • I don’t feel confident persuading buyers to sign one – 13% • Other – 24% Admittedly, getting agreements signed can feel like walking a tightrope. As one respondent commented, “If I ask them to sign right away, they may not be confident in my skills. If I wait too long, they may feel insulted.”

Successfully threading the needle requires training and practice.

The benefits, however, can be substantial. Agents who have mastered the buyer representation agreement also tend to have a solid handle on their responsibilities—what is on and off the table when working with buy-

Boosting Agents’ Confidence

Learning how to use buyer agreements consistently and confidently is a distinct skill that the ABR® designation course addresses comprehensively, along with many other best practices when representing buyers. If your agents would benefit from honing their buyer representation skills, consider supporting their efforts to earn the ABR® designation. To learn more, visit abr.realtor. RE Jennifer Rzeszewski is the vice president of Member Development and the executive director overseeing the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC), the largest association of professionals focused on representing buyers. REBAC awards the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation. Learn more at abr.realtor.

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© 2021 ERA Franchise Systems LLC. ERA®, ERA Real Estate Powered®, and their respective logos are registered service marks of ERA Franchise Systems LLC. ERA Franchise Systems LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. This is not intended, and shall not be deemed to constitute, an offer to sell a franchise. Franchise offerings made only by a Franchise Disclosure Document. THESE FRANCHISES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE FRANCHISE INVESTMENT LAW OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. SUCH REGISTRATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE APPROVAL, RECOMMENDATION OR ENDORSEMENT BY THE COMMISSIONER OF CORPORATIONS NOR A FINDING BY THE COMMISSIONER THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HEREIN IS TRUE, COMPLETE AND NOT MISLEADING. This advertisement is not an offering. An offering can only be made by a prospectus filed first with the Department of Law of the State of New York. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law. The Minnesota registration number for this franchise system is #F3285. ERA Franchise Systems LLC, 175 Park Ave., Madison, NJ, 07940.

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POWER BROKER PERSPECTIVES real estate market in northern New Jersey has been very strong. We, like most everywhere in the country, are experiencing an “inventory crunch.”

That said, we are still setting records for the number of deals booked and closed throughout the first half of the year. As we all know, there are two sides to every real estate transaction.

New listings are coming onto the market at a normal pace, but the overwhelming buyer demand absorbs the inventory at record rates. I fully expect the market to remain strong for the foreseeable future as there is no shortterm solution to the inventory crunch and there is still a significant backlog of buyers.

Real estate runs in the family (L to R): Joseph O’Connor, Terrie O’Connor, Matthew O’Connor and Katy O’Connor-Smiechowski

Tackling the Inventory Crunch

by Keith Loria

M

atthew O’Connor literally grew up in the real estate business.

His mother, company namesake Terrie O’Connor, earned her license when he was in the first grade, and as he got older, paid him to manually update the paper MLS books for the office.

“Most successful agents are still doing the vast majority of their business from their sphere of influence.”

-Matthew O’Connor, Chief Operating Officer, Terri O’Connor REALTORS®

Throughout high school and college, O’Connor provided tech support for his mother’s firm, Terrie O’Connor REALTORS®. After graduating college with an electrical engineering degree, he worked for a tech firm in New Orleans, and in 2002, relocated back to New Jersey. In 2004, O’Connor joined the company full-time to help run and grow the business, using his technology expertise to create the infrastructure and agent tools that are still employed today. He currently serves as chief operating officer and helps lead agents through today’s challenging market conditions.

How did the pandemic change the way you operate?

MO: It’s my belief that the pandemic didn’t fundamentally change much of anything operationally, rather it greatly accelerated many changes that were already in progress. We ramped up the volume of virtual photography and tours we produced. We were already up and running with online conferencing software, digital transaction management systems and the ability to work remotely. We all upped our game as a result of the pandemic, and many of those trends will continue long-term.

How has your market fared in 2021?

Matthew O’Connor: Thus far, the

What do you look for in agents joining your firm?

MO: First and foremost, we are look-

Power Broker Perspectives is brought to you by 26 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

VITALS:

Terrie O’Connor REALTORS® Years in business: 30 Size: 8 offices, 425 agents Regions Served: Northern New Jersey and Southern New York State 2020 Sales Volume: $675 million 2020 Transactions: Approx. 1,100 www.tocr.com ing for quality people who are highly ethical and possess a strong work ethic. This business isn’t easy. To be successful, you can’t wait for the business to come to you...you must actively prospect for listings and buyers.

If you possess those inherent qualities, we can teach you the skills required to succeed.

What is the best advice you can offer agents?

MO: The best advice I can offer is to choose action over in-action. Communicate, network, pick up the phone, talk to people and develop relationships. Most successful agents are still doing the vast majority of their business from their sphere of influence.

How are you handling the inventory shortage?

MO: The inventory shortage is certainly a challenge, but in most parts of the country, record sales are occurring. A real estate transaction has two sides, so you can’t have record sales without also having record numbers of new listings. The buyer demand is outstripping the number of listings and creating a very tight inventory, but new homes are being listed. Times of change create a lot of churn, and if you don’t stay in touch with people, you’ll be surprised when their home is listed with somebody else. RE

COACHING • Send Monthly Mailers. Share valuable info on tax prep, real estate trends, home improvement hacks, personal growth strategies or other good-to-know topics.

• Personalize It. Use first names in email blasts, text messages or other communications when possible.

Don’t • Cold Call. Swap cold calls for interactions with your sphere of influence—people you already know and enjoy.

Do This, Not That: Real Estate Marketing Fundamentals

By Buffini & Company

T

hese days, it seems like there are many ways to run a real estate marketing strategy—but only a few will set you apart from the crowd.

A strong real estate marketing plan should be grounded in the fundamentals. Rather than relying on the flashiest new technology to generate leads, agents who want to ensure their longevity in the industry should tap into timeless business principles, like building relationships and providing exceptional service. The technology tools you use should support these activities, not replace them.

To help you hone your own marketing tactics, we’ve compiled this list of what to do—and what not to do—to run a business rooted in the fundamentals. See if there’s anything you’d like to add or change within your current marketing plan.

Do • Write Notes. Write to say thank you for referrals, follow up with new leads or just check in. These unexpected extras make a client’s day.

A strong real estate marketing plan should be grounded in the fundamentals.

• Pick Up the Phone. In this digital age, a voice-to-voice conversation stands out. Call clients to check in, share market updates, etc. Shake it up with an occasional video message.

• Pop-Bys. These are small client appreciation gifts you drop off to remind clients that you’re never too busy for their referrals or real estate needs.

• Buy Leads. These are costly and rarely convert. Instead, focus on providing value to relationships you already have in order to generate referrals.

• Prioritize Online Ads. While digital ads can be helpful for brand awareness, they shouldn’t be your entire strategy, as they rarely offer a return on investment.

• Pay for Billboard Advertising.

There is no reason you should have to pay for your face to appear on a bus bench or grocery store divider when your marketing puts relationships first.

• Lose Touch With Clients. Real estate shouldn’t be a “one-anddone” deal. Nurture the client relationship even after the sale to earn some of their referrals down the line.

For a real estate marketing kit that incorporates more “do’s” than “don’ts,” check out Buffini & Company Referral Maker® PRO. Get print and digital marketing materials, a real estate CRM, notecards and complimentary access to the industry’s most comprehensive training program. Give Referral Maker PRO a try today. RE

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

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 29

COACHING Focus on today’s market price.

Explaining the benefits of buying in today’s market to help a buyer maximize their buying power with low interest rates—or for a buyer to maximize the current value of their home as-is and sell at the peak of the market—provides agents with great financial real estate advice to share with their clients.

6 Tips to Coach Your Agents to Greater Success

By Sherri Johnson

W

hen navigating highly complex, multiple-offer negotiations, it’s important for agents to be prepared and proactive in order to provide clients the best chance to win a bid for their dream home.

Your agents should employ strategies that will give them and their clients a leg up in the market. For best results, host a training class or have a sales meeting discussion to review the following strategies.

Over-communicate how to compete as a buyer in today’s market.

Agents should over-communicate to their buyer-clients that they need to be motivated, financially prepared and have a sense of urgency to act on a home they want to purchase. They need to be ready to go when they see a house they want.

Over-prepare on pricing strategies in advance. Agents should educate their buyers on a solid pricing and negotiating strategy before they write an offer. Explain that the “over ask price” may be based on the price 30 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

In today’s highly competitive market, it has never been more important for agents to go find listings for their buyer-clients.

Be relentless and resourceful. Help buyers write the best offer by contacting the listing agent to find out their preferred terms for closing dates and occupancy, rent backs if necessary and financing or cash options so that they can put the best terms in their initial offer.

Go find the inventory for your buyers. It takes more than waiting for the right home to appear in the local MLS, and in today’s highly competitive market, it has never been more important for agents to go find listings for their buyer-clients. Going after listings is a way to reengineer your real estate brain to stop relying only on the MLS. Network with the agents in your office or surrounding offices and send out consistent messaging that you’re taking new listings in specific neighborhoods because you have qualified or cash buyers for their home. RE

Over-prepare buyers to be creative and flexible with terms. It may take an escalation clause for buyers to offer more than those they’re competing against. Other options include using an appraisal gap guarantee or inspection cap on repairs to keep the buyer’s financial interests intact while being competitive and attractive to the seller.

Sherri Johnson is CEO and founder of Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting. Johnson offers individual and group real estate coaching, and is a preferred coach for multiple national brokerages.

She consults and speaks regularly for many leading industry organizations, including RISMedia, NAR, McKissock Learning and Homes.com.

point of that home and neighborhood.

By doing this, buyers will be prepared to present their highest and best offer.

COACHING Level® in your life, take an honest look at the people you spend your time with. Are they people you would take advice from? I’ll tell you this. As a newlywed, I would not take marriage advice from someone who had never been married or married and divorced several times. Parents would never take parenting advice from someone who never had children. Investors would never take advice from someone who had been bankrupt more times than they could count on their fingers.

‘The Happiness Cluster’— Why Your Choice of Friends Matters

By Darryl Davis, CSP

W

hen I was growing up, my mother used to tell me, “Show me who your friends are, and you show me who you are.” It was her way of telling me to be careful who I hung out with.

The Happiness Cluster I wrote a book a while ago about designing a life worth smiling about, and it was based on scientific research behind the neurology of smiling. In my research, I read a lot about a study conducted at Harvard University that focused on something called “the happiness cluster.” This study revealed that happy people hung out with other happy people, and unhappy people gravitated toward other unhappy people.

It didn’t just stop there, though.

Successful people were more inclined to hang out with other successful people, while people who found themselves struggling complained that they were stuck hanging out with others who found themselves in the same position.

What’s My Point?

Our happiness, our success in business and even our finances have a lot to do with the people we spend our time with. Not only do you absorb their positive energy, but you feed your own into it as well. You feed your creativity into the group, and you might say things like, “This is an exciting idea. Let’s figure out how we can make this work.”

Struggling people, on the other hand, will feed their negativity to others. Those conversations sound more like this: “I can’t believe this is happening to me again.” They become the victim of their own life rather than the creator of their own life.

Onward and Upward If you truly want to reach the Next

Our happiness, our success in business and even our finances have a lot to do with the people we spend our time with.

Go out and find those people who are successful and who have reached the point you strive to reach in your own life. Those are the people you should be spending your time with because those are the people who will positively impact your life. RE Darryl Davis has trained and coached more than 100,000 agents globally. He is the best-selling author of “How to Become a Power Agent® in Real Estate,” which tops Amazon’s charts for most-sold book to real estate agents. Davis hosts a weekly webinar to help agents succeed in changing times. Visit www.DarrylSpeaks.com/ Online-Training.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 31

COACHING Be a problem solver. It doesn’t matter if you’re experienced or not.

Be exceptional and look at the data in order to determine how you’re going to use it to solve a problem for a buyer or seller.

Having Problems Prospecting?

O

By Terri Murphy

ne of the proven strategies of top-producing sales professionals is their ability to data-mine the upper echelon of their contacts rather than spend extra time, money and energy converting low-level leads.

Let’s face it; making prospecting calls reeks of “commission breath.” You and the contact both know you have a reason for connecting other than getting an update on their family, friends, vacations and dreams.

Why do so many agents avoid prospecting? It’s proven that agents would rather seek out incoming leads from strangers than mine the rich resources of people who already know, like and trust them because they don’t know what to say.

But what if that call was so valuable that your contact couldn’t wait to spread the word about your services? What if the result was real referrals?

If you’re making prospecting calls for the purpose of earning a commission, you have the wrong mindset.

Without sharing the right information to move the process forward, 32 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

you’ll be stuck when it comes to the second, third or fourth conversation because you’re missing the vital link to build and strengthen that connection. If you keep calling with nothing of value, you’re bound to damage the relationship.

Here are some tips to take your prospecting to profitability: Make the call a “care” call. As agents, we know that our prospects are likely being influenced by the national news. Because agents are more aware of their “local” market inventory, list-to-sell ratios, days on market and other nuances of a given area, they can share this valuable information about the “real” market indications. By offering insights and educating prospects about the real marketplace, you’re becoming a valuable and trusted resource.

It’s proven that agents would rather seek out incoming leads from strangers than mine the rich resources of people who already know, like and trust them.

Go deep. Go back to local sales within the past year and see what the average sales price was. Then, share with homeowners in the neighborhood how much their equity has increased. This opens the door to helping them make decisions about home improvements, trading up or down, or using that extra equity for acquiring investment properties.

The Bottom Line Agents avoid prospecting because they don’t know how to stay away from saying the same script over and over. When you shift from “follow up call” to “care call,” with information that’s relevant to the needs and timeline of your contact, prospecting makes you more money...and makes you their hero. RE Terri Murphy is a communication engagement specialist, author, consultant and master coach with Workman Success Systems. She is the author of five books, a TED Talk speaker and the founder of the Women’s Wisdom Network on Facebook.

For more information, visit TerriMurphy.com or email Terri@TerriMurphy.com.

COACHING when you experienced a similar situation and what you did to get through the experience. Also remember how you felt. What emotions did that situation create? Having empathy will help you better understand the needs of your clients and the best ways to make improvements.

Strategies for Becoming More Emotionally Intelligent

R

By Verl Workman

eal estate coaching isn’t just about business strategy. You can be the world’s greatest entrepreneur—with an unmatched mastery of the housing market—but lacking emotional intelligence will leave you confused and unmotivated. Here are a few strategies for becoming more emotionally intelligent.

Outline the Concern When your client describes an issue or problem, even if you have 30 years of experience and think you’ve seen it all, you shouldn’t assume that you know everything about their specific situation.

Don’t try to fill in the gaps in their story. Instead, allow them the time for a complete explanation of the problem and its context, then ask as many follow-up questions as necessary to get a complete understanding. Once you’ve heard the whole story, you can offer solutions. But it’s important to first let your client explain the problem in its entirety.

cesses, failures and everything in between. Once you know how someone truly feels about something, you can create a stronger connection and provide solutions that are tailor-made for their situation. When a client feels happy about their past or current results, you can slip in a challenge to double or even triple their revenue... but only if you’re in an emotionally intelligent spot.

Be sure to focus on both positive and negative emotions. You can work on overcoming negative emotions and set new growth targets, both professionally and personally, even when emotions are high.

Clarify the Emotions Emotions impact business decisions, so you’ll need to understand how your client is feeling about their suc-

Make a Connection When a client describes an issue they need help with, the best way to help is to empathize. Think about a time

Improving your emotional intelligence is as simple as learning listening skills and scripts to collect information.

If your client’s issue isn’t similar to something you’ve experienced, it may be beneficial to expand your thinking to past clients or colleagues who may have had a similar issue. If those colleagues or clients confided in you and described how they were feeling while experiencing that problem, use that information to better relate to your client.

Practice Emotional Intelligence If the idea of discussing personal details and emotions sounds uncomfortable, set aside some time to practice.

Improving your emotional intelligence is as simple as learning listening skills and scripts to collect information.

Email me at verl@workmansuccesssystems.com and I’ll send you a script you can use with new clients to connect on a more personal and emotional level. 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. For more information, visit www.WorkmanSuccess.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 33

COACHING that saw an influx of Generation Z homebuyers were Grand Rapids, Wichita, Virginia Beach, WinstonSalem, Scranton, Oklahoma City, Cincinnati and Baton Rouge.

Most are college towns with strong local economies, suggesting that this first wave of Gen Z homebuyers tend to settle down in the same city where they attended college.

How to Prepare for Gen Z’s Transition Into Homeownership

J

By the Experts at McKissock Learning

ust when you thought you had mastered marketing to millennials, it’s time to prepare for a new generation of homebuyers: Gen Z. According to realtor.com®’s fourth quarter generational propensity report, these tech-savvy adults now own about 2% of the homes on the market.

So, what does this mean for real estate agents? Besides the obvious advice to jump on the TikTok bandwagon to get in front of these consumers, Generation Z’s desire to get out of big cities and into urban and suburban markets could mean a growing need for real estate agents in these areas.

Here’s a snapshot of what to expect from this emerging demographic.

What Can Gen Z Afford?

Realtor.com® recently revealed that Gen Z is poised to surpass millennials when it comes to spending power.

Jason Dorsey, president of the Center for Generational Kinetics (a Gen Z and millennial research firm), says that as of December 2020, Gen Zers were spending a median price of $106,600 on starter homes.

That number is 37% less than what millennials are currently spending and 46.5% less than the $300,000 national median. But it’s an 11% jump from what Gen Z buyers spent the year before.

Another defining characteristic is a lower down payment than their millennial predecessors or Gen X parents.

Rather than the traditional 15% 20% down payment, Gen Zers are putting down 5% just to get their foot in the door despite the higher monthly payments.

Where Is Gen Z Looking to Buy? In 2020, Gen Z homebuyers took out the most mortgages in Toledo, Ohio—a much more suburban environment than you might find their millennial counterparts. Other cities

Realtor.com® recently revealed that Gen Z is poised to surpass millennials when it comes to spending power.

How to Connect With Gen Z Homebuyers If you guessed that the best way to connect with Gen Zers is online, you guessed correctly.

While they have this in common with millennials, Gen Z buyers are even more entrenched in online content and tend to trust those who position themselves as “influencers.”

To earn their trust, show up consistently on platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat with bite-sized, practical content.

Content can include topics such as, how to save for that first down payment, an explanation of the lending process and other tips that help “demystify” the home-buying experience.

If you’re interested in working with this demographic, don’t be afraid to think and create outside the box. RE As part of the Colibri Real Estate family of premier education brands, McKissock Learning helps hundreds of thousands of real estate professionals each year achieve sustainable success throughout each stage of their career via continuing education and professional development courses. Learn more at mckissock.com/ real-estate.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 35

THE VOICE OF THE AAPI COMMUNITY AREAA is dedicated to promoting sustainable homeownership opportunities in the AAPI communities by creating a powerful national voice for housing and real estate professionals that ser ve this dynamic market.

To find out more about AREAA visit areaa.org

Follow us around the web /areaa.national

/areaa

/areaanational

BUSINESS BUILDERS According to McQuillen, encouraging agents to include a Cinch home warranty at the time of listing goes a long way toward providing sellers a little piece of mind not only through the sales process, but also during the inspection.

“There have been a number of times that a Cinch home warranty came into play to save a deal at the inspection because of something like a cracked heat exchange in a furnace,” says McQuillen. “We also encourage every buyer to ask for a Cinch home warranty in their offer to purchase.”

McQuillen

Home Warranties Provide a Competitive Edge in Today’s Booming Market CINCH HOME SERVICES CONTINUES TO RAISE THE BAR, NO MATTER THE MARKET

D

By Jameson Doris

an McQuillen, broker/owner of The Danberry Co., REALTORS® in Toledo, Ohio, understands the importance of partnering with vendors he can trust. He got his start in real estate in 2004 as a REALTOR® before earning his broker’s license in 2006. Throughout it all, one of the constants in his career has been Cinch Home Services—an award-winning home warranty company.

“They’re ahead of industry standards,” says McQuillen, who has been working with Cinch for the last 15 years.

“Besides the warranty itself, there are some really nice perks that they offer. For example, [Cinch offers a] $100 credit for HVAC cleaning after 10 months of living in the property. They also provide locksmith services for a new homeowner who locks themselves out of the house.”

But it doesn’t end there. In fact, Cinch plans offer additional features that separate the company from the competition. These include multi-year pricing discounts and a premier upgrade package that provides buyers with up to $1,000 of coverage for non-covered charges that can be used twice a year. Better yet, all covered repairs are backed by the industry’s only 180-day service guarantee.

“There have been a number of times that a Cinch home warranty came into play to save a deal at the inspection.”

-DAN MCQUILLEN Broker/Owner, The Danberry Co., REALTORS®

Recently, Cinch has begun offering discounted pricing on their home warranty for a higher deductible, which has positively impacted buyers who need to make a competitive offer to get into a home in today’s hot market.

Although the benefits of working with Cinch are numerous, McQuillen explains that his clients’ peace of mind is the biggest thing for him. When buyers decide to work with Cinch, they know that if something goes wrong with the major components of the home, it will be covered under the warranty.

“In a normal market, the warranty being offered in the listing has helped separate our listings from those not offering a warranty,” says McQuillen.

Aside from the high level of service that Cinch provides, McQuillen also speaks highly of Maggie Schmidt, the sales representative he works with directly.

“Maggie is an amazing partner,” says McQuillen.

“She’s always available for phone calls from agents or even their clients. She has a calming presence about her that diffuses any tense situations that may arise. Customer service is her top priority, and she excels at that more than anyone I have seen in any industry.”

He also compliments Schmidt for being extremely knowledgeable about Cinch’s products.

McQuillen goes on to say that the service he and his agents receive from Cinch is top notch. Schmidt and other sales representatives are available after hours and can even be reached during the weekend.

“They do everything they can to make us and our agents look really good,” concludes McQuillen. RE To learn more about how you can partner with Cinch Home Services, please reach out to Doug Stein, chief growth officer, at dstein@cinchhs.com or visit www.cinchhomeservices.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 37

BUSINESS BUILDERS “Each January, I review my marketing decisions,” explains Chiappetta. “When I don’t find success, I move on.

But I always give something else a shot.”

That’s how she discovered Homesnap, a service she came upon when it was a free offering.

Utilizing the free version that includes a GPS locator, it wasn’t long before Chiappetta decided to get a Pro Agent subscription. She then transitioned to the higher-level service with Homesnap Concierge.

Chiappetta

Increased Engagement Sets the Stage for Continued Success LONG ISLAND REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL HARNESSES THE POWER OF HOMESNAP

By Keith Loria

F

or Debra Chiappetta, a broker with Stonington Realty, LLC in Melville, New York, one of the keys to her continued success over the years centers on finding ways to achieve higher levels of engagement.

Before entering the real estate game, Chiappetta had a strong background in finance. She worked as a controller in the investment banking industry, and provided accounting and consulting services to small businesses.

From there, she ran her own mortgage company for eight years, and while doing that, she went for her real estate license. Since 2004, Chiappetta has found success as a real estate professional in her local market.

“I have three agents currently and two more who recently took their test and are waiting for their results,” says Chiappetta. “And while my volume has been pretty consistent over the last several years, I’ve established relationships through old-school networking, and I have a lot of repeat business.”

According to Chiappetta, increasing engagement tops the list when it comes to remaining successful.

38 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“I’m looking forward to any other software developments Homesnap is currently working on.”

-DEBRA CHIAPPETTA Broker, Stonington Realty, LLC

By using Homesnap Concierge, Chiappetta has been able to get several closings under her belt by taking advantage of Google’s Local Services ads. Working the leads that roll in has created a tremendous ROI and an impressive level of engagement.

Since adding Homesnap Concierge to the mix, Chiappetta says that her phone is constantly ringing. “But it didn’t happen that first month, as you need time for the SEO to kick in,” explains Chiappetta, who appreciates the fact that the assisted software platform eliminates the need for questions to be asked about her clients.

“Even though some of the people who call are not in my niche market, I take every call,” says Chiappetta. “I’ve been able to print a list of all the leads I’ve connected with and have even turned over several buyer leads, so it’s been profitable for me,” she adds.

Chiappetta also appreciates that the Homesnap team, including Customer Success Manager Andrea Nickel, is there to help if any problems arise.

While it takes one deal to cover the cost of Homesnap Concierge, Chiappetta has found that and much more.

As of July 2021, Stonington Realty, LLC has been very active, and the market is looking strong.

“I’m looking forward to any other software developments Homesnap is currently working on,” says Chiappetta, who points to the Homesnap platform as a key piece of the puzzle when it comes to helping the firm thrive. RE For more information, please visit www.homesnap.com.

BUSINESS BUILDERS work some of the nomenclature and the mindset to make sure people don’t talk themselves out of being involved in the market,” says Collins.

Collins has built his business model around what the consumer needs. “We are an industry that is under evolutionary attack,” he explains. “We can’t fight against that, but what we can do is focus on delivering the best real estate transaction and building clients for life by expressing ourselves with care.”

Collins

Anticipating and Adapting to Consumer Needs NORTH CAROLINA BROKER DELIVERS A BETTER EXPERIENCE FOR AGENTS AND THEIR CLIENTS

C

By Maria Patterson

hip Collins is one of those leaders who has come out of pandemic times better than before. With his team out of the office for more than a year, Collins—the broker-in-charge/owner of Collins Group Realty in Hilton Head, South Carolina—adapted and modified operations to meet the changing needs of his employees, agents and, most importantly, the consumer. As Collins says, “Wouldn’t it be a shame to have gone through all this and not evolve? Not learn something new that we can employ and be different and better moving forward?”

This is the very attitude that has helped propel Collins to success over his 25 years in real estate, nearly 20 of which has been spent at the firm that bears his name. And the need to evolve to help agents better serve consumers has never been more necessary than during the past year and a half.

“Pre-COVID, we were already a destination where people were telecommuting,” Collins explains. “That accelerated once people were seeking low density areas and outdoor space. The craziness, overlaid with price appreciation, created a lot of mobility.”

It also created a lot of buyer fatigue. “We have to re-

“If the commission structure is to stay intact, agents are charged with bringing a lot more value to the table.”

-CHIP COLLINS Broker-in-Charge/Owner, Collins Group Realty

To help deliver on the experience consumers have come to expect—what Collins refers to as “the Amazon effect”— he and his team have leaned into powerful technology, such as BoomTown, which offers CRM, lead gen, lead management and more.

“We’re blessed with a great partnership with BoomTown,” says Collins. “Their tech stack is filled with resources that make the client experience more of what they’ve come to expect.”

And Collins strongly believes that consumers should expect a lot of service for what they pay. “If the commission structure is to stay intact,” he says, “agents are charged with bringing a lot more value to the table—market knowledge and care that goes beyond the sale.”

According to Collins, technology goes hand in hand with a modern consumer experience, and BoomTown’s platform, which helps automate workflows and communications to clients, helps his team provide a high level of value. “Whether it’s the workflow-based system, drip campaign or continuity plan, BoomTown triggers your next todo items.”

The baked-in accountability that the BoomTown platform provides is especially valuable with the many balls Collins and his team are juggling in today’s market, offering workflows that customize the entire experience from listing to contract to close, including personalized video messages to clients. “This layered, automated process adds huge value and educates them right in the moment,” he explains. “It makes the client experience more robust in an automated, personalized way.”

The technology solutions provided by BoomTown have been life-changing for Collins and his team. “It’s all about RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 39

BUSINESS BUILDERS showing people the value of a piece of technology,” he explains. “You create these ‘aha’ moments...when the team is in synergy with that technology, it translates over to the consumer.”

And the response from Collins Group Realty’s clients says it all. “We get the best accolades from people telling us how quality the experience was,” says Collins. “They saw that we had the answers, anticipated their needs and provided information.”

Ultimately, partnerships like BoomTown help secure ongoing success for Collins and his team. As he explains, “When you look at every transaction, every communication with a caring lens, that’s where our value comes from.”

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

Snow

Building a Future-Proof “I’ve spent a lot of time Business Model building out a system to INSIDE REAL ESTATE CONTINUES TO INNOVATE, DRIVING MASSIVE GROWTH FOR UTAH BROKERAGE

F

By Paige Tepping

or Ron Snow, broker/owner of RE/MAX Associates of Utah, building a future-proof business model is the only way to compete with the Goliaths of the world.

A pioneer in real estate automation and technology, Snow launched his career in the grocery industry, spending 11 years in the technology management department at Kroger. While he ultimately got into real estate as an investor, Snow has made it his mission to resolve the dysfunction associated with the buying and selling process for homeowners and investors alike.

“A lot of what I’m doing comes from the way in which we worked things in the grocery industry,” says Snow. In fact, it’s this under-one-roof mentality that drives every decision Snow makes as he works toward creating a techenabled, integrated brokerage.

“I’ve spent a lot of time building out a system to walk the consumer through the entire real estate journey while positioning the agent as the consumer’s point of entry,” says Snow.

As revenue streams grow thinner, brokers and agents need to engage clients across the full lifecycle in order to create broad, sustainable revenue streams. But a soundproof business model can only take you so far. And, ac40 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

walk the consumer through the entire real estate journey while positioning the agent as the consumer’s point of entry.”

-RON SNOW Broker/Owner, RE/MAX Associates

cording to Snow, it only works with the right technology.

“I found out very quickly that it was better for us to partner with the right technology company than try to be a technology company ourselves,” notes Snow, who explains that getting more heavily involved with Inside Real Estate over the last 18 months was the logical next step.

“We’d been working with Inside Real Estate for eight or nine years,” says Snow, who points to a shared vision as one of the main reasons behind the partnership.

Partnering with Inside Real Estate was a no-brainer. A leader in innovation, Inside Real Estate offers a tech platform, kvCORE, that’s designed for growth.

“There are no limitations, and the platform was built to grow and evolve alongside my business,” explains Snow, who has leveraged kvCORE to not only help his top agents and teams expand their business, but to build upon the tech foundation with ancillary services for additional revenue streams.

According to Snow, since partnering with Inside Real Estate, he and his team have been able to exponentially

grow their repeat and referral business. As impressive is the growth they have seen in highly profitable affiliated services revenue. Between these and other improvements, Snow’s business has seen a massive 400% increase in profitability. And, more importantly, this growth is not slowing down.

“We’re able to generate leads at a fraction of the cost using Inside Real Estate’s system and technology,” says Snow. “While we can throttle it up or down as much as we like, the biggest problem we’re running into is that we’re generating 10 times more leads than we saw previously— so much demand, in fact, that we’re reinventing our followup strategy.”

So what’s next?

As the future continues to unfold, there’s a lot on the horizon for RE/MAX Associates and Inside Real Estate as they get ready to launch the first-ever end-to-end experience this fall on Inside Real Estate’s new Homeownership Platform, CORE Home.

“Today’s consumer demands an experience with a single focal point, and that’s exactly what we’ve built,” says Snow. Tightly integrated with kvCORE, the Homeownership Platform enables agents to deliver the seamless experience consumers demand, and keeps agents at the center of this process long term.

Providing a superior, portal-grade consumer experience that spans the entire homeownership lifecycle, from buying and selling to moving to owning and then buying again, the Homeownership Platform allows consumers to track the entire lifecycle process in one place, keeping them informed and connected to everyone and everything they need during each phase of the process.

While there are others out there in a race vying for the homeownership consumer, Inside Real Estate has put the brokerage first, ensuring that this technology empowers the brokerage and agent brands vs. a third-party brand.

“This is what sets them apart, and why it will undoubtedly be successful, and why they have always been our longterm tech partner,” says Snow.

“In the end, it all boils down to what the consumer really wants, not what the system can be designed to do,” says Snow, who can’t say enough about the success he’s seen since working with Inside Real Estate. “And the best part is that it’s letting agents deliver what the consumer really wants, not a large portal.

“If you’re not running this type of system with the technology and support to back it up, you’re not going to be around to see what the future holds,” concludes Snow. RE For more information, please visit insiderealestate.com/HOP.

BUSINESS BUILDERS deliver enhanced functionality to his agent team while supplying real-time information so that marketing colleagues and executives could better allocate resources.

Arriving at the firm in 2019, it didn’t take Yun long to notice a variety of red flags that caused concern with the web vendor the brokerage had recently retained.

“They were already pretty far along,” Yun says of the new web project, “but we found a lot of things that led us to believe that we couldn’t launch with this partner.”

“We want every visitor to come to our website and say, ‘Hey, I want a relationship with this brand.’”

-SUNGJIN YUN Senior Director, Digital Strategy, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

Yun

Attracting and Retaining Clients REAL ESTATE WEBMASTERS HELPS NEW YORK BROKERAGE MAXIMIZE THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCE

By John Voket

A

fter developing marketing, websites and content for the healthcare industry, financial institutions, TV networks and World Wrestling Entertainment, SungJin Yun wanted to apply his experience in a new way. When he was presented with an opportunity to help shepherd a new web platform that would enable Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty to attract and retain clients in today’s competitive environment, it seemed like the perfect fit.

“I heard from real estate friends that the industry was always five to 10 years behind when it came to technology, web design, marketing, content or email development,” says Yun. “But when they asked about solutions, all I could tell them was that the solutions already existed.”

As senior director of digital strategy at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty on Long Island, New York, Yun saw an opportunity to have a voice at a brokerage that was on the verge of exponential growth.

With 25 offices, 1,000 agents and $4 billion in sales last year, Yun was excited to help the century-old brand shine online via user-friendly web features that would better attract and retain clients. At the same time, he wanted to 42 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

After careful consideration, Yun and his employer made the call to pivot and began working with Real Estate Webmasters—a decision Yun was impressed with after speaking with company CEO Morgan Carey.

“Morgan was personally invested in making sure we’d have a successful website,” says Yun. “We were looking for a partner, not a vendor whose only interest was how much money we could spend, and Morgan took the reins and said that he would be our project manager. And I took him up on it.”

Poised to begin unveiling their new web presence, powered by Real Estate Webmasters’ Renaissance platform, Yun expects a few important things to occur as the transition and new integration is completed.

“We want to launch with a maximized consumer experience. A lot of our traffic comes from community pages, so we want to emphasize and enhance that on our new website,” explains Yun. “I’m hoping to see a greater lead generation influx that I can use as a talking point between agents and sellers,” he adds. “I want to make sure we have better search visibility and do better when people are searching specifically for listings. I also want to show that we’re innovative. We’ve been around for 100 years, but we’re not old. We’re experienced, and we want every visitor to come to our website and say, ‘Hey, I want a relationship with this brand.’”

Yun has such confidence in his team’s ability to work hand-in-hand with Real Estate Webmasters that he didn’t balk when CEO Deirdre O’Connell challenged her digital marketing team to help the firm double its sales to $8 billion in the first year of the new web platform’s integration.

“I hope it’s $10 billion,” Yun says with a laugh. “I know CEOs like to double things, but I try to go over the mark.” RE For more information, please visit www.realestatewebmasters.com.

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The CENTURY 21® brand goes for the gold, holding steadfast to its mission to continue to raise the bar.

A STEP ABOVE

A STEP ABOVE

The CENTURY 21® Brand: 50 Years of Elevating the Customer Experience

The CENTURY 21® Brand: 50 Years of Elevating the Customer Experience

By Paige Tepping

W

hen President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Miedler assumed the role as leader of Century 21 Real Estate in 7.5x10.5_RealEstate_Cent21_R2_3 2019, after 21 years of working his way up within the company, he made his “why” very clear: “Everything that we do should help our customers grow their business and marketshare.”

And since that day, that focus has translated into a growing momentum, with consumers and industry professionals alike, as Miedler’s relentless mindset and positive attitude inspire the C21® Network. His mission has laid the groundwork for the CENTURY 21® brand to elevate the real estate journey 44 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

from one of transactions to personalized moments and experiences that further build the global franchisor’s brand reach and influence on the market. As one of the industry’s most recognized and respected brands marks its milestone 50th anniversary this year, Miedler and his leadership team know

that this is just the beginning. They have set their sights on owning the next 50 years and beyond by continuing to push the envelope, challenge the triedand-true methods of real estate, surpass consumer expectations, and drive to make the home-buying and -selling process the exciting, once-in-a-lifetime experience it truly is.

“We’re proud of everything that our brand has accomplished along its 50-year journey to becoming the first choice for real estate consumers and industry professionals, which began when trailblazers Art Bartlett and Marsh Fisher launched the first-ever

real estate franchise model,” says Miedler (see sidebar). “We have an exciting future ahead as we reconfirm our commitment to growth and lead the way in driving the rapid transformation of real estate into a more customer-centric, experiences-driven, digitally-enabled industry.”

NON-STOP INNOVATION From being first-to-market with thirdparty ratings that push its sales professionals to deliver excellence, to introducing the Relentless Agent Awards—a program that goes beyond sales and celebrates the C21® go-getters and midnight-oil burners delivering a 121% experience for their clients—to developing innovative products and tools agents need to better exceed the needs of clients and customers, the C21 brand is focused on elevating every aspect of the real estate business for its System members.

The team delivered on this promise earlier this year with the unveiling of the CENTURY 21 TrackerTM, an AI-enabled mobile app designed to streamline communication between real estate agents and their homebuying and -selling clients, and bring unique clarity and visibility to what is often a complex process by ensuring that consumers are kept up to date on every step, ensuring that they are as informed and prepared as possible throughout the real estate journey.

“What we found is that people still desire human engagement complemented by innovative technology that makes their lives simpler and more convenient, and the Tracker serves as that connection during the complex real estate process,” says CENTURY 21 Chief Marketing Officer Cara Whitley. “We want homebuyers, sellers and investors of all segments who choose to partner with a CENTURY 21 sales professional to do so every time they, or anyone in their sphere, have a real estate need. At the end of the day, they’re not going to remem-

ber every step of the process, but they will remember what their agent did to make that journey seamless and stress free.”

“We’re proud of everything that our brand has accomplished along its 50-year journey to becoming the first choice for real estate consumers and industry professionals.”

- Michael Miedler President and CEO, Century 21 Real Estate

EXPANDING HOMEOWNERSHIP AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES To remain thought leaders and innovators over five decades takes a commitment to adaptability, and while CENTURY 21 leads as a tech and communications innovator, the brand has also earned a reputation for delivering homeownership and entrepreneurial opportunities to people of all cultures and backgrounds. In particular, the brand’s impact on the Hispanic community is unequalled in the industry. From its decades-long sponsorship of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) and its L’ATTITUDE convention, Spanish-language marketing and communications support, newly onboarded bilingual brokers and affiliated agents, to its breakthrough Empowering Latinas scholarship program that will open a path for more Hispanic women to

earn their real estate license, the industry is taking notice. This year, C21 had 27 of their affiliated “relentless” sales professionals recognized on the NAHREP 2021 “Top 250 Latino Agents” list—that’s 11% of all honorees. The hard work and dedication of CENTURY 21 affiliated brokers and agents is helping drive sustainable homeownership and business ownership opportunities to the fastest growing segment in the United States today.

“During a year unlike any other in our industry, the high-performing affiliated agents, brokers and teams recognized on this year’s NAHREP list persevered and adapted to not only achieve their business goals, but also exceed all expectations while delivering excellence for their home-buying and -selling clients,” says Miedler.

“At the CENTURY 21 brand, we understand the importance of having a team of professionals who represent the same level of diversity as the communities they serve every day. We are proud to continue supporting Hispanic entrepreneurs and providing them with the opportunities and resources they need to drive growth in their business as they continue to elevate the real estate experience for all.”

Looking ahead to help grow tomorrow’s leaders and reinforce the brand’s commitment to advancing diversity and representation within the real estate industry, Century 21 Real Estate recently unveiled an alliance with Project Destined, a national social-impact platform providing diverse high school and college students, as well as military veterans, with critical business and real estate fundamentals as they pursue careers in real estate.

Focused on education, mentorship and career guidance, the three-year sponsorship provides students access to the industry-leading knowledge and expertise of CENTURY 21 affiliated real estate professionals, creating a pathway to success and ownership within the sector.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 45

The CENTURY 21 tracker is an AI-enabled mobile app designed to streamline communication between real estate agents and their clients.

Kicking off in June 2021, CENTURY 21 intern team members represented diverse students from colleges and universities throughout Chicago, including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Illinois at Chicago, DePaul University, Purdue University and Amherst College, who participated in a paid, virtual internship program alongside CENTURY 21 employee mentors.

FACILITATING A COLLABORATIVE CULTURE Leaders within the CENTURY 21 Network, whether that be long-time brand advocates or newly affiliated brokerages, are thriving in its open and collaborative culture. Many rely on and leverage the knowledge and experiences of hundreds of others “like” them for advice and support on critical business challenges—at no cost with zero consulting fees—priceless wisdom from the brand known for its family-oriented culture.

“We have been able to rapidly grow and expand our footprint across multiple states because of the support that exists within the C21 Network. It is an invaluable tool for us as company leaders, and for our agents who have been instrumental in help46 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“We want homebuyers, sellers and investors of all segments who choose to partner with a CENTURY 21 sales professional to do so every time they, or anyone in their sphere, have a real estate need.”

- Cara Whitley Chief Marketing Officer, Century 21 Real Estate

ing us become the No. 1 CENTURY 21 franchise,” says CENTURY 21 Affiliated CEO Thomas Bretz, referring to the growth of his company from one office to 100-plus offices across Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, home to 2,300 sales professionals. “While the ability to leverage the strength of the CENTURY 21 brand has cer-

tainly helped grow our company, CENTURY 21 Affiliated owes much of its success to the vast institutional knowledge that accompanies such a powerful network of experienced, dedicated professionals.”

This collaborative and competitive drive to always elevate and give 121% is directly impacting the company’s franchise sales and renewal efforts. The franchise sales team is currently ahead of 2020 and is on pace to have a record-breaking year in 2021, while renewals stand at 115% of goal, with 46 companies signing agreements, including the brand’s fourth-largest franchise, CENTURY 21 Award in southern California.

“When looking at all of the successful companies that have renewed with our brand over the past year, it’s reaffirming to know that entrepreneurs and California real estate legends like Philip and David Romero and their CENTURY 21 Award team choose to remain affiliated with our organization despite having almost every option to go elsewhere,” says CENTURY 21 Chief Operating Officer Greg Sexton.

“We couldn’t be more excited to build on our collaboration and help marketleading companies such as theirs attain their aggressive growth goals.”

THE POWER OF BRAND For the CENTURY 21 Network, success is measured in system-wide collaboration, consumer relevance and top-of-mind awareness, with the franchisor building momentum faster than ever. In fact, Entrepreneur magazine recently named the CENTURY 21 brand the No. 1 Fastest Growing Franchise worldwide, across all categories. Plus, it earned the No. 7 ranking as a Top Global Franchise, behind giants like McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts and Taco Bell. And Century 21 Real Estate continues its leadership position as the most recognized and most respected brand in real estate— and, for 22 years running, the leader in brand awareness.

“The CENTURY 21 brand fosters this collaboration of sharing resources and experiences,” says Eli Tene, CENTURY 21 Peak and CENTURY 21 Peak Commercial in Los Angeles. “As owners, we build on this culture by encouraging open discussion of success stories as well as challenges that help us in helping our agents find a fast track to success.”

The brand’s success and achievements can be seen in markets around the world. CENTURY 21 UK, for example, was ranked No. 18 in the 2021 Franchise Direct ranking, jumping 33 places from 2020 and achieving the top property company spot. With the top three brands being McDonald’s, Autosmart and Domino’s, CENTURY 21 UK is the only property and estate agency franchise to fall within the top 80. In addition, Stephen Yeager, CEO of CENTURY 21 Mexico, was recognized as the top real estate professional of 2021 by the International Association of Top Professionals, with his picture and announcement proudly displayed on Wall Street.

“It’s almost like a fraternity in that no matter where you go, once you meet a colleague, you’ve got a connection regardless of where you’re from,” explains Craig Beggins, broker/owner of CENTURY 21 Beggins Enterprises in Apollo Beach, Florida. “I went to

1971 CENTURY 21 established a corporate partnership with Easterseals, which has since raised over $129 million.

1985 CENTURY 21 received four industry leading customer satisfaction awards in the annual J.D. Power 2015 Home Buyer/Seller Satisfaction Study.

2018 Unveiled the AI-enabled mobile app, CENTURY 21 TRACKERTM, designed to streamline and elevate communication between real estate agents and their clients.

Today the C21 Network is 155,000 strong with approximately 14,250 offices across 86 countries and territories worldwide.

Founded by two real estate trailblazers, Art Bartlett and Marsh Fisher, in Santa Ana, California

1979 Have you seen the 1980s movie “War Games?” Sure enough, Matthew Broderick’s mom was a real estate agent and wore the iconic gold jacket.

2015 To prove that it was no longer your grandfather’s real estate agency, the brand needed to make a big, bold and ambitious move. This meant revolutionizing the brand from the ground up.

With a new mission to Defy Mediocrity and Deliver Extraordinary, it took back its title as pioneers of the industry and is leading the change from transactions to experiences.

TODAY

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 47

Project Destined participants worked alongside CENTURY 21® leaders as part of the brand’s inaugural mentorship program this summer.

China last year and spoke at their national convention of nearly 4,500 people. I’ve never been kissed and hugged so much by people in gold jackets.”

RETHINKING HOME The brand’s global footprint has influenced how Century 21 Real Estate is marking its 50th anniversary year.

As the pandemic impacted people around the world, it also brought a significant shift to how we all think about home. To truly understand what this means for both the future of the real estate industry and consumers’ lives, the C21 team commissioned a global research study to better understand this concept through the eyes of consumers, affiliated brokers/agents and industry experts in key markets across the globe. The results of this research will culminate in the brand’s first-ever documentary in collaboration with National Geographic titled “Rediscovering Home,” airing on the network this September.

CENTURY 21 affiliates bring that same commitment and relentless effort to supporting the communities where they live and work, especially during the most challenging times.

This is evident in the thousands of service hours and dollars raised to assist 48 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

“We couldn’t be more excited to build on our collaboration and help market-leading companies attain their aggressive growth goals.”

- Greg Sexton COO, Century 21 Real Estate people and families in need. From stepping up to support local first responders and families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to raising over $129M over the past 42 years for the brand’s philanthropic partner, Easterseals, which supports persons with disabilities, their families and caregivers, the CENTURY 21 brand holds strong together and lives by its brand culture of giving back to those in need.

In a myriad of ways, CENTURY 21 companies of all sizes and from markets both large and small are executing on transforming this industry from transactional to experiential.

From one agent taking a two-hour drive at 5:00 a.m. to notarize docu-

ments his clients needed to close to another touring houses with first-time buyers just days before giving birth to her third child, there isn’t much that a CENTURY 21 affiliated agent can’t or won’t do to deliver those extraordinary experiences for their clients. This passion and determination are what the brand was founded on. It’s what differentiates the CENTURY 21 Network today—and will continue to do so in the future.

As he closes out every meeting he moderates or brand event he attends, Miedler challenges everyone in the room to “dream big” and always ask, “what if?” This is what drives the CENTURY 21 headquarters team to help affiliates grow their business and marketshare, and what has real estate consumers and the brand’s approximately 155,000 relentless sales professionals in 14,250 offices across 86 countries and territories proudly waving the CENTURY 21 flag. RE For more information, please visit www.century21.com.

Paige Tepping is RISMedia’s managing editor.

PROVEN. RESULTS.

Schedule a FREE Call Today to Learn Sherri’s Proven Strategies sherrijohnson.com/strategycall www.sherrijohnson.com

How NextHome Ranked as the No. 1 Franchise in Owner Satisfaction Record-setting growth starts with bringing on the right people

T

By Paige Tepping

here’s an interesting mantra at NextHome: “Humans Over Houses.” And it’s not just a catchy phrase. Rather, it speaks to the core of the company’s culture. As Vice President of Sales Charis Moreno says, “The emotional toll on buyers alone is not something that technology can help navigate with empathy. However, another human can, and our members do this like no one else every single day.” In this exclusive interview, Moreno shares how NextHome’s core belief system has helped propel the franchise to record-setting growth and achievements in the past year...and more importantly, how it’s helped real people achieve real dreams.

50 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Paige Tepping: Give us an update on the past year. Where is NextHome today?

Charis Moreno: The past 18 months have been full of uncertainty and unprecedented events, yet NextHome continues to expand at a record-setting pace—2020 was our second-best year for growth, with 98 new offices joining our franchise. We project ending 2021 with 575 offices and over 5,200 members nationwide.

Recent events have created a

NextHomies, dutifully clad in orange, heading to a football game at Levi’s® Stadium in California.

need for community and connection among brokers, teams and agents.

The idea of franchising is more appealing than ever, especially for independents. The importance of a well-known brand, a network of like-minded entrepreneurs and the right tools has propelled our growth as well as collaboration among our members. “NextHomies” look out for each other. They share their wins and the lessons they have learned along the way.

This culture of camaraderie and support didn’t happen overnight.

Since its inception in 2014, NextHome’s focus has been on growing with the right people. It’s why being named the No. 1 franchise based on owner satisfaction earlier this year is our most meaningful recognition to date.

Franchise Business Review ranked over 300 of the country’s top franchise brands across all industries, and it was the anonymous feedback of our owners that placed us at the top of the list.

It’s an achievement we don’t take lightly, and one we aim to preserve in 2022.

PT: It’s clear that the pandemic didn’t stop your growth. What other threats is NextHome monitoring?

CM: The real estate industry has

“It’s not about collecting tech just so we can say we have it—we ensure the tools complement the agent’s business more than they disrupt it.”

- CHARIS MORENO Vice President of Sales, NextHome

always faced threats and forever will—and the quicker we embrace that, the better prepared we will be to deflect, overcome and even defeat them. We recognize the cyclical nature of our industry, from the seasonal ups and downs to macro housing-market shifts. Anyone who is not prepared to bob and weave will certainly struggle.

Our entire NextHome leadership team continually stays up to date on the challenges we all face as an industry: low inventory, downward pressure on commissions, portals

making moves and various real estate tech providers consolidating or promising to forever change the way we buy and sell real estate.

While others might see these as threats, we see opportunities to be better prepared and stay true to our vision. It’s important to understand the current environment, but at the end of the day, we focus on what we can control—and we firmly believe that nothing can replace the absolute need for a real human to guide other real humans through their real estate transactional needs.

Especially when faced with some of the challenges of today’s housing market, the emotional toll on buyers alone is not something that technology can help navigate with empathy. However, another human can, and our members do this like no one else every single day. At NextHome, we have a mindset, a movement, a mantra we refer to as “Humans Over Houses”—a belief that if we take care of the humans, then the selling of the houses will take care of itself.

We believe this so wholeheartedly that earlier this year, we invested in unearthing the stories of the people who buy and sell real estate, sharing them on HumansOverHouses.com. People like the Neeson family who became foster parents and quickly outgrew their home. Years later, the family experienced loss and it was time to heal and make memories in a new, smaller home. The same NextHomie helped them with both transitions. Or people like Donna Bahena Bustos who made two big promises when she was only eight years old—that she will one day go to college and that she will buy a home for her mother. Her parents helped her keep the first promise. Then during the pandemic, with five people and a dog living in a three-bedroom apartment, Donna made her second promise a reality.

These are just two of the stories that so many of our NextHomies help navigate every day. This is the biggest and most emotional transRISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 51

Donna Bahena Bustos (left) promised her mother she would buy her a home when she was only eight years old.

action most people make in their lives, and there is a real need for a real human to help guide them with patience and understanding. Technology can’t do that.

PT: ‘Humans Over Houses’ is an interesting concept. How has it shaped your culture?

CM: I’ve said it before and I’ll take this opportunity to say it again: We are very comfortable saying “no.”

Being selective is how we ensure that we’re continuing to grow with the right people—real estate professionals who are living and breathing the “Humans Over Houses” mindset, even if that’s not what they are calling it…yet.

Part of our secret sauce is our culture. We’re vigilant to protect it by doing our best to only let in people who are a great fit for what we do.

That is when it works the best—when we can find someone who is looking for a solution that looks exactly like ours. You want help with real estate technology, a world-class brand and a forward-looking, vibrant environment focused on helping people. We can deliver.

Our organization is overflowing with incredible owners, brokers and agents. It’s a truly diverse network with 61% of our offices having women in an ownership role and 52 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

34% of our offices having minorities in an ownership role. Add to this an average per-agent production of 6.2 units annually, plus an over 70% adoption rate of our products and tools, and you can easily see that our members bring their Agame every day. We are simply here to give them the tools and flexibility they need to run their business effectively and efficiently. Our goal is to free up more time for them to do what they do best: connect with more buyers and sellers, helping the humans in their communities.

Many of our members take this commitment to heart—starting 501(c)(3) organizations to help feed their neighbors in need, hosting fundraisers for local foster homes and animal shelters, and so much more. Our clients are more than “leads” or “consumers”—and we are so much more than REALTORS®.

PT: You talk about giving your members all the tools they need. What specifically sets NextHome apart?

CM: There are companies out there that have no discerning strategy behind the tech tools they are buying, or don’t know what to do with them once they have them. For us, each tool we build or invest in must add value, compete and integrate. It’s

A member installs NextHome’s eyecatching yard sign in front of a new listing in Shreveport, Louisiana.

“We firmly believe that nothing can replace the absolute need for a real human to guide other real humans through their real estate transactional needs.”

- CHARIS MORENO Vice President of Sales, NextHome

not about collecting tech just so we can say we have it—we ensure the tools complement the agent’s business more than they disrupt it.

NextHome Unlimited proudly displays their core values at one of their three office locations in Kansas.

Our single sign-on platform is ever-evolving. We continue to tweak and add, then tweak some more year-round with the help of our in-house engineers and developers. They make sure everything our members click on performs as expected 24/7. The marketing and tech tools in our platform work together seamlessly, so there is no need to log into 18 different places and remember numerous passwords. Or my personal pet peeve, retyping the same information over and over. We save our NextHomies screen-time so they can focus on face-time with their clients.

It’s a robust system, and our Member Services team deserves a shoutout here because they know our products and services inside and out. They support our members with any and all questions. For example, if one of our brokers or agents has a question on DocuSign Rooms or HomeSpotter’s Spacio—which are fully integrated and included inside our system—they don’t call DocuSign or HomeSpotter. They call the NextHome Member Services team.

We take pride in our toolkit and it

Vice President of Sales Charis Moreno addresses the audience at NextHome’s annual conference.

makes sense to have members of the corporate team support it. Our NextHomies have to remember a single phone number or email address for assistance—again, allowing them to get back to their business faster.

Their business can take on pretty much any shape and any size they wish. This is what sets NextHome apart—the flexibility we offer. With one-year and five-year franchise agreements, and zero requirements on office size or agent count, our model supports large brick-and-

mortar offices, smaller virtual offices and everything in between.

The technology, the marketing, the training and the agility built into our model all come together to support our franchise owners so they can grow at the right time and at the right pace for them. RE

Paige Tepping is RISMedia’s managing editor.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 53

down from $7.48 billion in Q1 2021.

- Over the five quarters of the pandemic, aggregate missed rental payments reached $41.7 billion.

PAY MORTGAGE

Diminishing Distress?

More Households Made Payments in Q2 2021

By RISMedia Staff

S

lightly under 5 million households did not make their rent or mortgage payments in Q2 of 2021, according to a recent study by the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Research Institute for Housing America (RIHA).

“Housing-Related Financial Distress During the Pandemic” reported that 8.6% of renters (2.86 million households) missed, delayed or made a reduced payment in June 2021, while 4.6% of homeowners (2.19 million) missed their mortgage payment.

Twenty-eight million student debt borrowers (44.8%) missed their payments as well, up from 26 million in March.

By the numbers: - Slightly fewer renters and homeowners missed payments in Q2 of 2021 compared to Q1, but more renters and homeowners missed

54 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

their June payment than their March payment.

- 2.86 million renters (8.6%) and 2.19 million (4.6%) mortgagors missed payments in June, up from 4.53 million households that missed payments in March (7.2% of renters and 4.5% of mortgagors).

- 11% of renters missed one payment over the 15 months of the pandemic, while 4.4% missed two payments, 2.7% missed three payments and 6.8% missed four or more payments.

- Rental property owners lost as much as $7.10 billion in second-quarter revenue from missed rent payments—

- On average, in Q2 2021, 9.7% of renters received permission from their landlord to delay or reduce their monthly payment (by week).

- 85.4% of mortgagors made all their mortgage payments, while 5.6% missed one payment, 1.9% missed two payments, 1.4% missed three payments and 5.7% missed four or more payments.

- On average, in Q2 2021, 15.5% of mortgagors received permission from their servicers to delay or reduce their monthly payment (by week).

- Total missed mortgage payments reached an estimated $10.8 billion for the second quarter ($12.2 billion for the first quarter).

- Over the five quarters of the pandemic, total missed mortgage payments reached almost $76.5 billion.

The takeaway: Homeowners were the least likely of the three groups to miss a payment since the second quarter of 2020 and property owners continue to play a key role in helping renters, according to the report.

“Given the level of government support during the pandemic and the more recent improvements in the economy and labor market, it is quite possible that the observed levels of rental non-payments may be at or close to pre-pandemic levels,” said Gary V. Engelhardt, professor of Economics in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. “However, the recent rise in COVID-19 cases, and elevated inflationary pressures, could slow economic growth and hiring. These potential headwinds could also impact households still facing hardships.” RE

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What’s Next for Fannie and Freddie?

By Ken Fears

I

n June, Sandra Thompson became the acting head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) after a Supreme Court ruling that allowed President Biden to replace the previous director.

This appointment will likely have significant impact on FHFA, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. And since 50% - 60% of home sales depend on these government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) for funding, FHFA is critically important to REALTORS® and their businesses.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are federally backed home mortgage companies, created by Congress to free up financial institutions’ balance sheets. Neither company originates or services mortgages. Instead, they buy loans from lenders, package them as mortgage-backed securities, and sell them to investors globally with a guarantee—resulting in a unique system without which millions of people would be locked out of homeownership. Together, these companies provide a liquid, stable 56 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

and affordable housing market, even during a crisis, as happened in 2008 and 2020.

The Great Recession Before the financial crisis of 2008, the GSEs got into trouble by buying an outsized number of private-label mortgage-backed securities (PLS) that were loaded with risky subprime mortgages. When the housing market slowed, these toxic loans sent default rates soaring and nearly destroyed the market. The govern-

ment stepped in, bailed out Fannie and Freddie, and took controlling ownership. In response to the crisis, Congress created FHFA in 2008 to regulate the GSEs and operate them under conservatorship, a system that remains today.

The Pandemic COVID-19 put Fannie and Freddie to an unprecedented test, and overall, they performed as designed. During this crisis, they provided the rescue for many mortgagees by taking immediate actions like issuing a foreclosure moratorium and offering forbearance before Congress required it. The GSEs leaned in when much of the private market left, causing their marketshare to surge from about 40% to well over half the market, valued at over $10 trillion. Rates fell to pre-crisis levels, home sales rebounded, and housing became and remains a bright spot in the economy.

Looking Ahead As a Biden appointee, Thompson will likely focus on eliminating economic inequities. Thompson has expressed a commitment to ensuring the housing finance system operates “in a safe and sound manner,” but said she’s concerned about “widespread lack of affordable housing and access to credit, especially in communities of color.” She views FHFA’s duty as ensuring that “all Americans have equal access to safe, decent and affordable housing.”

On top of that, Thompson is likely to revisit recent changes made by her predecessor in anticipation of ending the conservatorship established in 2008. Those changes make the GSEs riskier and less apt to support their charter duties. For now, Thompson will likely shift the focus away from ending the conservatorship.

These goals align tightly with the National Association of REALTORS®’ (NAR) agenda. We believe that transitioning the GSEs to a utility model provides the most efficient and viable approach. Under NAR’s proposal, the GSEs would be re-chartered as privately held utilities, with Fannie and Freddie’s products, rates and operations remaining under government oversight to ensure compliance with their mission. This public-private collaboration is the most promising model to uphold three imperatives for the market and consumers under all economic conditions: maximizing credit access, minimizing taxpayer risk and keeping costs down.

During the pandemic, Fannie and Freddie have played a pivotal role in helping the market survive and thrive. Moving forward, they will remain central to the housing mar-

ket and overall economy, and NAR will continue to serve in a key advisory role, offering expertise and immediate “boots-on-the-ground” feedback as we work in close partnership with senior government officials, academicians and economic leaders on these vital issues.

Rest assured that NAR is fighting every day on your behalf to preserve competition, maintain liquidity, support underserved markets and protect the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for your clients. RE Learn more and find out how to get involved at NAR.realtor/GSEvision.

Ken Fears is a senior policy representative, Banks, Lending & Housing Finance, for the National Association of REALTORS®.

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COVID Delta Variant Survey

RISMedia Survey: 42% Say COVID Is Still Impacting Their Business 55% OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS SAY THEY ARE “VERY” PREPARED TO KEEP BUSINESS OPERATING VIRTUALLY

I

By Liz Dominguez

t’s hard to believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has been a fixture of everyday life since March 2020. While much of the U.S. has returned to some semblance of “normalcy,” highly infectious variants such as Delta threaten to curb back some of the newly-gained momentum, and a huge swath of the industry is concerned, according to new RISMedia survey results.

RISMedia recently surveyed nearly 500 real estate professionals to gauge the industry’s confidence level as it relates to the ongoing pandemic and emerging variants. While the majority of survey respondents (58%) say the pandemic is not currently affecting their business, a significant segment (42%) report otherwise.

Confidence levels in the industry

have decreased amid rising concerns about COVID’s variant, Delta, which is more contagious than its predecessors and the cause of more than 80% of new U.S. COVID-19 cases, according to Yale Medicine.

Safety Protocols Still in Play For survey respondent James Moore, a REALTOR® with HomeSmart in Ari-

zona, there’s more at risk due to his own age and the age bracket of his typical client. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the risk for hospitalization from a COVID outbreak increases for people in their 50s to 80s, with those 85 and older most likely to get severely sick.

“As a senior working with seniors, we are the most vulnerable group if unvaccinated. We are less likely to allow open houses or showings,” says Moore, who takes several precautions when clients ask for live showings in homes he’s listed. These include: • Asking them to read the “Guidance for Fair Housing Compliance During the COVID-19 Pandemic” from the National Association of REALTORS® • Requesting that buyers and agents wear a face mask while on the property • Having them wear booties and use the sanitation solution provided at the front door • Requesting that the buyer agent note which items were touched in the house and wiping down those areas RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 59

fice has remained closed, with brokers and agents working virtually.

Many industry practitioners have followed a similar pattern, implementing a hybrid in-person and virtual strategy.

“The concern with the Delta strain is whether the tighter government restrictions on activity will be reimposed.”

-JAMES HARRIFF Broker, RE/MAX Masters

“I still provide sanitizer, gloves and masks if people feel more comfortable wearing them. Now we’re hearing that California is requiring all masks again, inside and outside,” says Nancy Davis, a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Consultants Realty in Ohio. “Most of us have been vaccinated, but this variant is scaring people. People throughout our states are beginning to realize that a vaccination is good and will save lives. None of us want another close-down.”

Across the board, showings and open houses are the business areas most affected by COVID, as reported by 28% and 26% of respondents, respectively. Office environments (21%) and closings (13%) continue to see an impact as well.

As some regions revert back to indoor-mask wearing per new CDC guidelines, we may see a rise in business impact and a return to 60 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

safety protocols. Many areas across the U.S. have continued implementing precautionary measures to help control the spread of the virus and keep both agents and consumers safe and comfortable.

Survey respondent Kay Marlin, broker with Chatel Real Estate in Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia, continues providing hand sanitizer at her listings, and her of-

More Shutdowns Ahead?

By far, another widespread closure is what respondents fear the most, with 58% believing that Delta or other strains could reintroduce shutdowns or restrictions.

“Our leaders worked hard to bring COVID under control, and we have obtained a high vaccination rate, allowing people to go about their business. Our buyers and sellers are comfortable with current CDC guidelines,” says James Harriff, a broker with RE/MAX Masters in New York. “The concern with the Delta strain is whether the tighter government restrictions on activity will be reimposed.”

Despite these fears, brokers and agents agree that another “shutdown” would not halt real estate completely as industry professionals are now better equipped to handle COVID-related restrictions. In fact, 55% of survey respondents say they are “very” prepared to keep business operating virtually, with only 39% “somewhat” confident they can do so and 6% “not at all ready.”

But being prepared comes at a cost. Anita Pulido, REALTOR® with RE/MAX Gold Coast REALTORS®, expressed how exhausting the process can be, from having to adapt to individual comfort levels to being ready for what COVID may bring next.

“There are concerns and there are too many variables for us to follow,” says Pulido. “Each buyer and each seller has their own personal platform, and we have to zig zag to meet them. It’s very exhausting and time consuming! And we have to continue expenses of all supplies for COVID so we can be ‘prepared.’”

The general pulse is cautious but confident. The industry is watching CDC guidance carefully, ready to pivot if new restrictions are imposed.

“Buyer and seller confidence is up overall for the time being,” says Bob Edwards, customer data manager at Coldwell Banker Real Estate Group. “We do see concern of the uptick in COVID, which could easily turn to a slowdown.”

Real estate markets are hyperlocal and economic health ranges

widely, particularly depending on regional vaccination rates, market activity, jobs, supply and several other factors. According to a new report from ATTOM Data Solutions, Florida, New Jersey, other East Coast states and Illinois had 37 of the 50 counties most exposed to the potential economic impact of the pandemic in Q2 of 2021. Only Florida, New Jersey, Illinois, Louisiana and Delaware had more than two counties in the top 50.

Real Estate Proves to Be Resilient While several other segments of the economy experienced a slowdown or complete pause amid the pandemic, housing demand skyrocketed and home values increased.

The unprecedented, competitive environment has created a doubleedged sword, making it difficult for

“COVID-19 has impacted a market already low on inventory by further decreasing supply.

This has led to a highly competitive market for buyers, causing frustration and rushed purchases.”

-CHRISTINE WHITTAKER Sales Associate, HomeSmart Professionals

both agents and consumers to navigate a ruthless housing market in addition to an ongoing pandemic, but giving the markets a boost.

“COVID-19 has impacted a market already low on inventory by further decreasing supply. This has led to a highly competitive market for buyers, causing frustration and rushed purchases,” says Christine Whittaker, a sales associate with HomeSmart Professionals in Rhode Island. “Many would-be sellers had not listed properties due to uncertainties surrounding the economy, unemployment, etc. Now, as the world ‘re-opens’ and sellers contemplate sale, many are faced with the question of where they would go.”

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 61

Some have stepped out altogether, says Chris Suranna, vice president of RLAH Real Estate in Washington, D.C. “Many who are vaccinated are taking vacations and taking a break from the white-hot market. We have even had a few clients taking what we are calling ‘revenge vacations,’ meaning more than one to make up for last year,” says Suranna. “They are exhausted with so many offers and no results. Also, the lack of inventory at reasonable prices is a big problem.”

Signs of softening have begun to show, however. For the company’s latest report, Todd Teta, chief product officer with ATTOM, stated that the coronavirus pandemic is easing, and the U.S. economy is gradually coming back to life, “which suggests that the nation’s housing market will indeed escape any major damage from the crisis.”

Several elements are shrouded in uncertainty, however. Federal moratoriums recently expired (at press time), with only a few housing agencies choosing to extend deadlines.

Nearly 1.5 million homeowners were past due on their mortgages in June and more than 7 million renters are behind on their rent, according to NPR. The Associated Press reports that the $2.4 billion in aid to renters and landlords has not yet been distributed, leaving them at a standstill.

Despite looming fears of an eviction and foreclosure wave, or concerns surrounding COVID and its variants, most industry members agree on one thing: nationwide, we’ve seen measurable progress. Forty-two percent of respondents say “we have improved,” but business is not yet back to normal. RE

Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s senior online editor.

62 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

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ernment and the lowest crime rate in the Caribbean, Aruba is tops among buyers.

What home features are especially popular with your buyers?

Ultra-modern baths with floor-toceiling tile and state-of-the-art fixtures are in high demand. Eurokitchens are also popular among buyers. Being American, I have noticed that most kitchens in the U.S. are constructed of various shades of wood, while we enjoy kitchens of all colors here in Aruba.

Aruba

Global Spotlight: Island Life Awaits in the Caribbean

By RISMedia Staff

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

Almost all of our buyers are from North America, but some are from Europe and South America. We have a large Chinese immigrant population—they love the opportunities here.

We recently had the opportunity to talk to brokers from two popular Caribbean markets offering the best in island living to see what makes these destinations so special.

Aruba

condos are close to being sold-out, and villas Jan Falcone, director and are getting scarcer in deowner of Aruba Palms, sirable neighborhoods. A shares insights on this poptypical villa needs some ular island in the mid-south sort of refurbishment unof the Caribbean Sea. less it is in the $500,000Aruba Palms offers a vaplus range. Affordable riety of services including new sea-front condos start relocation, buyer and seller Falcone at $550,000—completely representation, and worldturnkey.

Our prices are excellent, wide marketing of listings, including and all construction is concrete residential real estate, commercial block, including the walls in bereal estate and land in Aruba. tween the rooms.

What is your average price What draws people to your point, and how would you area? describe a typical property in With the friendliest people in the your market?

Our average price point is around Caribbean, no disastrous events $350,000. Prices have stayed rea- such as hurricanes, weather that is sonable, even though new-build always warm, a stable Dutch gov64 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Above: Dutch-colonial architecture in Oranjestad, Aruba

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

Come whenever you can and enjoy the white sand beaches, warm sun, nice breezes and amazing restaurants as well as the casinos and nightlife. Give us a morning early in your stay so that we can show you most everything in your price range.

You will not be disappointed!

What do you love most about living in your area?

The ease of life, not having to deal

“I love that Trinidad and Tobago is not a hyped-up, over-marketed Caribbean product.”

– HEIDI RAJNAUTH ELLIOT, Director, Dynamic Real Estate Consultancy

Maracas Beach, Trinidad

with cold weather, and the people.

There is also a lot to do, including a new IMAX theater complex not far from the hotels. Housekeeping is not at all expensive, leaving plenty of time to enjoy life. Your investment can generate a nice revenue stream of rental income when you are not using your property, and this offsets any expenses associated with owning a property.

gives us comprehensive market data, I would say that the average price point for a house in a nice suburban area would be $460,000 for a 2,000-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom home on roughly 5,000 square feet of land. However, being an island, space is at a premium, so townhouses and apartments are more frequently purchased and more affordable.

For more information, visit arubapalmsrealtors.com.

What home features are especially popular with your buyers?

Gated communities are big for us locally.

Trinidad and Tobago

Heidi Rajnauth Elliot, director of Dynamic Real Estate Consultancy, provides an inside look at this captivating dual-island Caribbean nation. Dynamic Real Estate Consultancy offers residential and commercial purchase and sales services as well as rental and property management assistance.

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

Our borders have only recently opened from being shut down due to COVID, so it is too early to say what level of foreign investment Elliot will come in. However, I What is your average price am expecting a large portion of acpoint, and how would you tivity from returning residents from describe a typical property in both the UK and the U.S. your market?

The property market in Trinidad and What advice do you have for Tobago has always been a bit insu- foreign buyers interested in lated from the drastic swings that are buying in your area? seen in markets like the U.S. Although Negotiate in your currency. Bewe do not have an MLS system that cause forex (the foreign exchange)

Above: The north coast of Tobago

can be difficult for locals to get their hands on, many sellers are happy to give a better price to those willing to purchase in a foreign currency. Be sure you are working with an established firm, as legislation covering the real estate industry has not yet been enforced due to the fact that it was implemented right before the pandemic began.

What do you love most about living in your area?

I love that Trinidad and Tobago is not a hyped-up, over-marketed Caribbean product. We have so much to offer, from birdwatching to natural wonders like the Pitch Lake to many trails for hiking. We have a more cosmopolitan bigger city feel and the conveniences that match.

RE For more information, visit dynamicrealestatett.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 65

Exclusive Discounts on Home Cleanouts and Identity Theft Protection for REALTORS® By the National Association of REALTORS®’ REALTOR Benefits® Program Team

N

AR’s REALTOR Benefits® Program, the association’s exclusive member benefits program, has rolled out two exciting new offers for its members. One gives REALTORS® and their clients access to a $50 discount on 1-800-GOT-JUNK? services, and another offers up to 60% off identity theft protection plans from Securus ID. Declutter with a Discount from 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Even before COVID-19 began in 2020, many Americans were decluttering, downsizing, dumping and donating their belongings. But the pandemic has dramatically accelerated those trends as millions of people started working from home or decided to relocate. As people 66 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

continue to re-evaluate their homes, spaces and living arrangements, junk removal services are in high demand. In fact, in a study conducted last April by 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, decluttering and moving were the top two reasons given for needing junk removal services, with neither trend showing signs of reversing.

As an invaluable member re-

source, NAR’s REALTOR Benefits® Program aims to partner with leading companies that understand the unique needs of real estate professionals and provide relevant and necessary products or services for REALTORS®—and even for their families and clients. The program’s newest partner, 1-800-GOT-JUNK, is no exception. They are the world’s largest junk removal service ready to help REALTORS® and homebuyers/sellers—before, during or after they move. Plus, this offer provides a perfect opportunity for REALTORS® to stay top of mind with their customers by providing a value-added and timely offering.

Based in Vancouver, BC, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? has been providing full-service residential and commercial junk removal services for more than 30 years through a broad network of franchise partners.

They will take just about anything, as long as it’s non-hazardous and can be lifted by a two-person crew. This includes household and workplace items, such as mattresses, furniture, electronics, appliances, televisions, exercise equipment and more. In keeping with the company’s environmental goal to divert items from landfills, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? recycles whenever possible, and many local franchisees collaborate with charities like Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill and the Salvation Army to donate what they can.

Through the NAR REALTOR Benefits® Program, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? offers members and their clients $50 off any full-service junk removal service. With ready-to-go and exclusive NAR marketing materials, the discounted offer can easily be shared with clients, helping them save before, during or after the real estate transaction.

To learn more visit: www.NAR.realtor/ RealtorBenefits/1-800-got-junk

Securus ID is Serious About REALTOR® Security To help REALTORS® protect their personal data and financial information, the REALTOR Benefits® Program has partnered with Securus ID to provide identity theft protection plans through valuable offers with exclusive member discounts.

Unfortunately, everyone is at risk of having their personal data breached and real estate professionals are often prime targets for scammers due to the nature of their businesses. All of us share sensitive data like our name, date of birth, and Social Security number whenever we apply for a credit card or take out an insurance policy, but RE-

ALTORS® often have their personal finances intertwined with their businesses since they are usually independent contractors, putting them at even greater risk.

And now, during the pandemic, protecting identities is even more important due to an increase in cyber crime. According to Securus ID, identity theft is on the rise and is expected to continue as cybercriminals use emerging tactics to harvest data. In fact, the number of records exposed in 2020 exceeded 36 billion—and that was just in the first six months of the year.

Powered by Experian, a global reporting agency, Securus ID provides industry-leading identity theft protection plans that include fully managed restoration services and offers individual, child monitoring, and small business plans to meet various protection and budget needs. Designed to safeguard members, plan options feature the most advanced monitoring available, along with best-in-class restoration—all at the best rates in the industry.

Through NAR’s REALTOR Benefits® Program, Securus ID offers members and their families high quality identity theft protection plans at up to 60% off. Starting at

just $6/month, these comprehensive plans include: • F ull-Service Identity Restoration/Recovery • L ost Wallet Service •C yberAgent®/Dark Web Monitoring • Social Media Monitoring • Social Security Number Trace with Monitoring • Up to $1 million of Expense Reimbursement Insurance with $0 Deductible, including stolen funds • Change of Address Monitoring RE To learn more visit www.nar.realtor/ realtor-benefits-program/securus-id The REALTOR Benefits® Program is the exclusive member benefits program of the National Association of REALTORS®, bringing savings and special offers just for NAR members. In one year, over 800,000 REALTORS® gained an edge by leveraging at least one REALTOR Benefits® Program offering, saving $74 million on member benefits from industry-leading companies.

Program partners are carefully selected and understand the unique needs of real estate professionals. Learn more and save by visiting NAR.realtor/RealtorBenefits.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 67

How to Maximize Instagram for Your Real Estate Business

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By Paige Brown

n the world of real estate, Instagram is a tool that every agent and broker should have in their marketing arsenal. With over 500 million daily Instagram users, this platform can quickly become a gold mine for generating leads and building your brand.

Whether you already have an Instagram account for your real estate business, or you plan to create one to add to your current social media marketing strategy, here are some tips to help you maximize this platform.

Know Your Audience One of the most important pieces of any marketing strategy is to know who your audience is and the content they are looking to consume from you. Instagram Insights helps you to understand your followers, providing 68 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

data related to your content, activity and how your audience responds to your brand.

Discover when they engage with your content the most, who likes and saves your content and even statistics on your individual posts, including who clicked through to your profile.

Not only will this allow you to view specific audience demographics, but it can also help you determine how and when to tailor your content for this platform.

Bonus tip: Be sure you set up or

switch to a “Creator” or “Business” account to take advantage of Instagram Insights.

Share Educational Content The job of a real estate agent doesn’t simply start or end with a transaction. Yes, you are there to help buyers and sellers buy and sell homes, but you should strive to become a resource that your audience can depend on.

Not sure where to start? Check out RISMedia’s ACESocial (acesocial. rismedia.com), a service that provides curated consumer real estate and lifestyle content directly to your social sphere that helps you stay top of mind. The new Instagram feature allows agents to post videos, infographics and even links to articles specifically designed to showcase your expertise. This feature is free for Executive and Premium accounts.

When you can share valuable and educational information about a specific topic, location or other niche in the industry, you will stand out and quickly become a go-to source.

Engage and Entertain Just like any other social media platform, you are there to connect with prospects and leads. But without conversation, you don’t have a chance.

Staying engaged can come in many forms, from responding to comments to sending direct messages to hosting Instagram Live Q&A sessions.

Stories and IGTV offer real estate agents a chance to share videos, such as virtual walk-throughs, homebuying tips and other educational content. These features also allow for face-to-face conversations, which are a great way to build trust and maintain your reputation as a hands-on resource. You can also use stories to host polls, giving your audience the chance to interact with your profile while showcasing your interest in what these potential clients will expect from an agent.

Highlight Your Business You are on Instagram to sell your-

self and your services, so utilize this platform to highlight your business, whether that be your latest listing, a walk-through of a for-sale home or even a link to your website where prospects can learn more about you and your business.

You can add links to your Instagram bio with special tools, such as LinkTr.ee, to guide prospects to your website, listings, market and community information—or even other social platforms. Let your followers know that these links exist through captions on posts, stories or direct messages.

To promote listings, choose a few of your best, eye-catching listing photos to post. Add some information from your listing description and be sure to include any unique or “sellable” features in the home, such as an updated kitchen, a large backyard or a pool.

Take this a step further and host live virtual home tours on IGTV or prerecord them to share on your stories later. This will offer your audience a

chance to see into the home in a casual and fun way. While live, you can also answer questions in real-time, increasing your engagement.

Be Genuine and Authentic When you constantly boast about your business and services, you may come off as disingenuous. At the end of the day, you are human, and that is what your audience, especially the Instagram demographic, wants to see. As you develop your content strategy, be sure to share relatable and personable stories, such as client highlights, things going on in your community and even a few selfies or personal triumphs. Keep it professional, but don’t be afraid to have some fun and show off your personality! RE Paige Brown is RISMedia’s content editor. Email her your real estate news ideas to pbrown@rismedia.com.

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TRENDS & ISSUES ages should provide ongoing learning opportunities.

Health and Wellness Should Come Standard

No matter the industry, figuring out insurance options as an independent contractor is always a quagmire.

Health, life, dental insurances and other forms of benefits are needed by agents, so a brokerage should help agents find the best options to cover themselves and their families, including benefits like surgical opinions, coordination of care, dual-network options and more.

Cutting Out the Compromise: Providing Agents Everything They Need to Succeed Commentary by Ashley Bowers

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very brokerage has a reputation for something. Some brokerages are known for their training, while others offer complete commission or a brand name. But why do agents have to pick one over the other?

A brokerage should give agents the freedom to operate however they need to in order to reach their goals.

That’s why agents should look for a brokerage that offers a range of resources so they can succeed, regardless of what their definition of business success is.

Here are some key benefits every brokerage should offer their agents:

Top-Tier Tech

Agents need technology that allows them to be more productive and efficient. Business management tools like RealSmart Agent help agents with compliance, closing transactions, marketing and more, while keeping overall transaction management and related costs low.

Versatility in the Workplace

It’s important that brokerages help agents adjust to the new normal. If agents want to operate within brickand-mortar offices where they take meetings with clients in person, they should be able to. If they want to continue to work virtually, they should have access to the tech and support they need to keep them and their clients engaged online.

Next-Level Training

Agents need to stay current on changes in the industry and their local market. The right training resources expand industry and entrepreneurial knowledge to fuel growth at any stage. From mastering marketing to learning the latest trends, broker-

Count on Your Commission

Agents should have control of their commission and be able to make their own decisions about what they think is best for them. Since it’s the agent doing the work, shouldn’t they be able to keep more of their own money? A brokerage can provide the benefit of 100% commission or a commission structure that offers several plans to meet the needs of each agent.

The Power of Prestige

While brand recognition shouldn’t be the main reason behind an agent’s choice of business, having the backing of industry prestige offers more visibility and resources to get the job done right. From technology to autonomy to full-scale support systems, a brokerage has many ways it can create the prestige agents want.

We feel it’s not too much to expect all this from a brokerage. Do you? RE Ashley Bowers is president of HomeSmart International. She uses diagnostics and leadership interaction to build engagement and alignment throughout the organization. For more information about joining HomeSmart as an agent, visit homesmart.com/join, or visit HomeSmart.com/ Franchising for franchising opportunities.

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TRENDS & ISSUES you. Talk to them. Bring them value.

Ask them to hire you.

3 Actions You Must Take to Succeed in Today’s Real Estate Environment Commentary by Frank Chimento

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or years, I was fortunate to work alongside leading sales, persuasion and influence experts like Dr. Robert Cialdini and Tony Robbins. They share a common philosophy about success and failure. They both believe that rather than fear failure, most people are used to it. What people fear is success, because they haven’t attained it and cannot visualize what it looks like or what is required to achieve it. Here, we’ll explore three actions you must take to succeed in today’s real estate environment.

Since success can be relative, we’ll define success as earning at least $100K per year. For the typical agent in the United States, that means doubling your production. Understanding the commonalities among successful people typically provides a mental shortcut for what needs to be done. The real secret, however, is finding that internal achievement drive that pushes you to accomplish the activities necessary for executing on your plan.

Simply put, successful agents are working smarter and not harder than 72 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

their peers. Here are a few actions they’re taking that you may want to consider: 1. Talk to and provide value for your sphere of influence. The data doesn’t lie. The typical agent has 397 people in their database. Each year, 37 transaction sides will take place within that sphere of influence. The typical agent only conducts seven to eight transactions annually. Your sphere of influence is the Holy Grail.

These are the people most likely to hire you, recommend you and refer

2. Provide excellent service after the transaction. It’s no secret that most agents disappear after leaving the closing table. Successful agents realize that this is when their customer is in the best state of mind to recommend and refer them. Offering service and relevant lifestyle tips for your new homeowner friends will return opportunity tenfold. Help your customers with their utilities and home services.

Provide discounts and recommendations for local home pros. Help your customers better connect inside their local communities by inviting them to events or gatherings.

In business and in life, you get what you focus on.

3. Be likable. While this sounds obvious, it’s surprising how many agents need to work on their interpersonal communication skills. Zig Ziglar said it best: “People buy from people they like.” Smile, be nice and be likable.

In business and in life, you get what you focus on. And there is no such thing as failure, only feedback, outcomes and results. Let your fear of success become a thing of the past.

Learn more about how we at MooveGuru help agents and brokerages, absolutely free, maintain better relationships and create better social and transactional experiences while providing new revenue streams that serve a brokerage’s agents and customers. RE Frank Chimento is executive vice president of Revenue and Business Development at MooveGuru and has been helping agents and brokerages for more than 20 years.

TRENDS & ISSUES Here’s the bottom line: we will not see the housing market crash, at least in the next 18 months. Even if inventory lifts a lot more, there are not enough homes for sale. And the number of buyers who didn’t find homes is substantial, so homes will keep getting eaten up. By winter, we will run right back into low inventory. I don’t believe it will be as low as it was last winter, but it will be low—and there will be plenty of bidding wars.

When Is the Housing Market Going to Crash?

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Commentary by Anthony Lamacchia

his was one of the top three questions people posed on Google this past spring. Why? Because too many buyers have post-traumatic stress from the 2008 meltdown. While it’s fascinating to see how many people still live in fear of that exact scenario happening again, the truth is, we’re not even close to the market crashing!

The 2008 meltdown was an economic crisis, real estate crisis and credit crisis all at once. We don’t even have one of those crises going on right now.

Last year after the pandemic hit, as far as I know, I was the first to publicly say that this was not a 2008 scenario. To watch the video and read more about it, visit www.ThisIsNot2008.com.

How was I so sure right at that moment, during the height of the lockdown, that the market wouldn’t crash?

One reason: inventory. Inventory levels were decreasing each week, and for the market to tip over, inventory must increase dramatically. Inventory was excessively low all winter and spring, which led to buyers fighting over properties, multiple-offer situations and cash buyers winning

while everyone else was losing.

Once spring came around, everyone thought we’d be stuck with extremely low inventory for a long time.

In fact, many were thinking it would be a non-stop frenzy. I knew it would ease up by this summer, and it has.

Over the last 60 days, sellers have been coming out of the woodwork and listing their homes.

What are buyers doing? Many are acting like there’s blood in the water and wondering if the market is about to crash.

What are sellers doing? In many cases, they’re not accepting the fact that this shift is happening and are of the mindset that inventory is excessively low like it was last winter and spring.

While it’s fascinating to see how many people still live in fear, the truth is, we’re not even close to the market crashing.

We need to communicate this to buyers by showing them the data, charts and graphs from our MLS. If you get them to understand what’s happening and the way the market flows on a seasonal basis, they’ll be dying to buy a property this summer.

At some point, interest rates are going to go up, so if someone scores now while there’s more for sale and interest rates are still low, they’ll do well. Those who wait will end up regretting it and paying more. RE

Anthony Lamacchia is broker/owner of Lamacchia Realty and Crush It In Real Estate. For more information, visit www.lamacchiarealty.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 73

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TRENDS & ISSUES

Addressing Misinformation Surrounding Agent Commissions

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By Charlie Oppler

lass action attorneys looking for a payout and those illegitimately trying to position themselves in the real estate market are trying to mislead people with misinformation and glaring omissions about the real estate agent commission structure. I want to set the record straight about how this structure works and how it gives everyday Americans and small businesses critical advantages.

This structure makes the dream of homeownership within reach for more Americans. The commission structure where the listing broker offers to share his or her commission with the buyer broker ensures greater equity and equality for first-time, low-income and many other homebuyers who otherwise couldn’t afford a home and professional representation. If buyers had to pay an out-of-pocket commission to their agent at closing in addition to the price of the home, it would increase their costs and freeze many out of the market.

The associated Multiple Listing Service (MLS) database and system also is designed to incentivize cooperation between brokers who share all their information in one place, providing the best and greatest number of options for buyers as efficiently and transparently as possible. In turn, sellers get access to the largest possible pool of buyers within a market.

There is real value in a structure that levels the playing field for buyers and pays everyday Americans for a critical service. A home is the

single largest, most complex purchase most people make in a lifetime. Even as internet research about a home purchase reached an alltime high of 97% in 2020, nine in 10 people still choose to work with a real estate agent to buy a home. Real estate agents help people navigate complex, data-heavy and voluminous information, details and decisions, all for a median gross income of $49,700 for REALTORS®.

Small businesses participate and thrive because of the cooperative MLS structure. The cooperative broker MLS system makes it possible for smaller brokerages to compete with larger ones. This gives consumers different choices, including which customer service approach, broker and commission model they prefer.

This structure is enabled by REALTORS® who go above and beyond to give back to their local communities. In 2020, 79% of broker/ owners volunteered their time on a monthly basis, and 92% made monetary donations. Meanwhile, 82% of REALTORS® made charitable donations, and 91% of REALTOR® associations conducted a fundraiser for their community.

So, beware of the alternative reality being advanced by big money plaintiff’s attorneys looking for a payout and those illegitimately trying to position themselves in the real estate market. What’s real are the everyday real estate agents living and serving in our communities across the country who are helping everyday Americans achieve the ultimate American Dream. RE See the complete version of this commentary at rismedia.com.

Charlie Oppler is the 2021 president of the National Association of REALTORS® and CEO of Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 75

TRENDS & ISSUES easily be understood. The Philippines is currently ranked No. 14 out of 88 countries globally on the English proficiency index and No. 2 in Asia as of 2018.

The Philippines a Top Destination for Businesses Outsourcing Their Needs

3. The Education and Job Market.

According to the Philippine National Statistics Office, there are 42.5 million Filipinos in the labor force, with a median age of 23—and a 60.6% labor force participation rate. The Philippines has also been recorded to have a high English proficiency rating (60.59) and is No. 3 in Asia and No. 15 out of the top 80 countries.

English is the medium of instruction in school and the official language of businesses.

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4. Lowered Cost and Liability. When you hire a real estate virtual assistant, you get a deduction from the taxable income of 50% of labor expenses and consigned equipment as well as a tax deduction of 50% equivalent to training fees. In addition, all legal risks are transferred to the outsourcing provider. You also save on overhead costs, as virtual assistants will be working from their home, so you don’t need to provide office space.

While countries such as Malaysia, South Africa and India are wellknown for offering virtual services, the Philippines is making headway in the outsourcing world.

Hiring a virtual assistant empowers you to delegate your non-revenue productive tasks and allows you to focus on what you need to do to work on your business instead of in it.

Remember, if you don’t have an assistant, you are the assistant. RE

Commentary by Daniel Ramsey he Philippines is fast becoming one of the top destinations for major corporations to outsource business needs in order to keep overhead low. Lower overhead cost aside, compensation is still significantly lower when it comes to outsourcing business, but higher than the average minimum wage of 400 - 500 PHP a day ($7 - $10 USD) for remote staff.

Why should you consider outsourcing to the Philippines?

1. The People and the Talent. Filipino people are known to be loyal and hard-working. The deeply rooted spirit of being family-oriented is a benefit to you as an employer because you know they will work hard without letting you down in the process. Since the Philippines was oc76 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

cupied by Spain for several hundred years and liberated by America in the early 1900s, the Filipino people are open to different cultures. Influenced by Western media and culture, it’s easy for them to understand the lingo and cultural references, allowing them to adapt quickly to your real estate business setup.

2. The Accent (or Lack Thereof). The Philippines boasts a 95% literacy rate wherein the medium of instruction is mainly in English. Many companies outsource their business processes to the Philippines because the accents of Filipinos are primarily neutral and can

Daniel Ramsey is the founder and CEO of MyOutDesk, rated No. 1 virtual assistant service by TechRadar. With over 6,000 clients and 700-plus verified five-star reviews, he helps businesses gain indispensable leverage with real estate virtual professionals.

To learn more, visit www.myoutdesk.com/ services.

TRENDS & ISSUES the country confirm that iBuyers are often making offers above prices expected on the open market.

Power buyers are enjoying 2X to 10X growth by solving the biggest marketplace problem: lack of inventory.

The Next Evolution of iBuyers: ‘Power Buyers’

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Commentary by Stefan Peterson

he past year has changed the way people buy and sell homes, with new buying and selling options gaining traction in the marketplace. In addition to the well-known iBuyers, these include a more recent category of companies such as EasyKnock, Homeward, Knock and Ribbon. The details of these programs vary, but one common denominator is dramatically increasing the consumer’s power as a homebuyer—hence our preferred term for these companies, “power buyers,” coined by global real estate tech strategist Mike DelPrete. zavvie facilitates thousands of agent requests for power buyer and iBuyer offers each month. Analyzing the offer flow, we are most impressed by two megatrends that have important implications for real estate practitioners: 1. Power buyers are enjoying 2X to 10X growth this year by solving the biggest marketplace problem: lack of inventory. This makes it hard for potential sellers to buy a house, creating a “chicken-and-egg” scenario. Power buyers solve this for sellers by helping them buy without a loan contingency before they sell.

We conducted a study of offers made by one of our Denver partner brokerages, revealing that buyers with a loan contingency needed to make an average of seven offers before going under contract, while buyers utilizing a power buyer program had a 1:1 offer-to-acceptance ratio. For sellers and buyers, power buyers are a gamechanger.

2. The iBuyers are making stronger offers than ever. In fact, on average, their offers came in at an impressive 104.1% of market value during the first half of the year. Anecdotal reports from brokers across

At the same time, iBuyer service fees dropped from 7.2% in 2020 to 5.1% at the end of Q2 2021.

Moreover, their average concession for home repairs fell from 3.6% to 1.9%. Combined, that’s 3.8 percentage points lower, equating to a 35% reduction in the consumer’s costs of selling to an iBuyer. That dramatic decrease brings the iBuyers’ fees in line with what sellers pay on the open market.

For agents, the takeaway is that iBuyers are making great offers, and these offers may be the best option for their clients. Agents who aren’t requesting these offers are missing out—and arguably not fulfilling their fiduciary duty to sellers.

Modern brokerages aren’t standing idle. They are proactively getting out in front of these changes and co-opting the power buyers, iBuyers and other options for selling and buying. By adapting to the changes in the marketplace, they’re getting more deals done.

These trends and others are presented in more detail in our midyear Seller Preferences Report at zavvie.com/seller-preferences. RE Stefan Peterson is co-founder and chief data officer of zavvie, a technology company that is empowering the modern agent by making it easy to provide today’s consumers all the selling options: iBuyers, bridge and open market. For more information, visit zavvie.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 77

TRENDS & ISSUES against COVID-19 variants unfolds, owners and buyers continue to benefit from some of the lowest mortgage rates of all-time,” said Sam Khater, chief economist at Freddie Mac. “Largely due to the current environment, the 30-year fixed-rate remains below 3% for the fifth consecutive week, while the 15-year fixed-rate hits another record low.”

Real Estate Recovery: Economic Factors to Watch

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By Liz Dominguez

he real estate industry is unlike any other, exemplified through the market’s resilience during this pandemic while the overall economy was hit hard. However, much of real estate hinges on overall recovery, and there are several economic factors you’ll want to keep an eye on.

The Delta Variant Concerns over COVID-19 variants, particularly the highly infectious Delta strain, have begun cropping up, especially in areas with low vaccination rates where the virus has taken hold.

At press time, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) had revised its mask guidelines, again recommending wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where Delta is surging.

Some areas are already seeing an impact at the consumer confidence level.

Inflation The Labor Department’s last Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is a strong gauge of inflation in the markets, reported that consumer prices increased by 0.9% in June, a sign that things are continuing to heat up.

78 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

However, there are several elements that point to a stabilized real estate market: low interest rates, stronger lending practices and an increase in equity-rich households.

Interest Rates Fed rates are still holding near zero, with the committee optimistic that the economy continues to “strengthen,” according to a report on July 28. The Federal Reserve continues to state that it is nowhere near a rate hike. While Fed interest rates don’t directly impact mortgage rates, they are a good indicator of what’s to come.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) recently increased slightly to 2.8%, still staying below the 3% threshold, according to Freddie Mac. “As the economy works to get back to its pre-pandemic self, and the fight

There are several elements that point to a stabilized real estate market: low interest rates, stronger lending practices and an increase in equity-rich households.

Supply Chain While real estate’s surging demand has been a boon for the industry, it hasn’t been without repercussions, particularly in exacerbating the nationwide inventory shortage. A slowdown in global trade and supply chain constraints, especially in lumber, have only lifted home values, pricing homebuyers out of their markets and encouraging a year-long competitive atmosphere that is just now starting to soften.

The future of these economic indicators heavily rely on the pandemic’s path. The growing concern surrounds new variants, and although another quarantine period is likely not in the cards, new indoor protocols could have an impact on consumer confidence and real estate business practices. RE Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s senior online editor. Email her your real estate news ideas to lizd@rismedia.com.

TRENDS & ISSUES document management company, I frequently hear about this during conversations. One common thread among all the agents I speak with is the fact that their lives became much easier when the expectations around the paper trail shifted to one where every single thing can be sent and signed electronically.

When communicating via phone, clients feel more comfortable asking the questions they’re often hesitant to ask when talking face to face.

Leveraging Opportunities to Build Better Lines of Communication Commentary by Allen Alishahi

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ne of the most fascinating shifts to come out of the past year has been the way conversations have changed for the better between agents and clients even though we’re spending less time together in person. While the real estate industry is built on relationships, it’s been a longstanding belief that we have to meet face-to-face in order to make those relationships meaningful. But when the pandemic hit and this was no longer an option, it opened up opportunities that we didn’t even realize existed.

One such opportunity is the ability to talk to clients at specific moments in their day when they’re able to fully process more information. When an agent discusses important details during a listing presentation or while at a showing, it’s all too easy for bits and pieces of the conversation to be glossed over or forgotten completely.

But when talking with clients by phone or video, it’s much easier for the client to focus on what’s being said instead of being distracted by thoughts of where they’re headed next.

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I’ve also noticed that when communicating via phone, clients feel more comfortable asking the questions they’re often hesitant to ask when talking face-to-face. There’s something about extra physical distance that makes it easier for clients to ask questions that make them feel vulnerable, which often pertains to anything related to their finances.

This level of ease shows up again when it comes to the many documents that make up a real estate transaction. Since cofounding DocuWalk, a

Though we’ve been sending files electronically for years, going over the most important or overwhelming documents in person is still a lingering habit for many. Yet, when it became necessary to do everything digitally due to COVID, agents found that clients had decreased levels of anxiety around this approach because they were able to read through files at a less pressured pace. Not only does it eliminate the stress of arriving late to an actual meeting because of traffic or trying to fit it in between work and family obligations, but clients also have more of a choice about when they open the documents and read through them.

This subtle change has led to improved conversations with our clients because we don’t have to spend time reassuring them about something they misunderstood because they were so overwhelmed when they first heard it. Instead, we can focus on building stronger rapport so that they come back to us for repeat business. RE

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

NAR’s PSA Certification is the key to mastering the CMA. Regardless of your experience in the real estate industry, you know that properties don’t come with a sticker price — that’s where your professional expertise and commitment to accurate pricing comes into play.

NAR’s Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) Certification prepares you to: • Select appropriate comparables and make accurate adjustments • Guide buyers and sellers through the details of comparative marketing analyses (CMAs) and the underlying pricing principles that comprise the real estate transaction • Collaborate effectively with appraisers Get started at pricingstrategyadvisor.org

OFFICIAL CERTIFICATION

TRENDS & ISSUES es, it’s almost growth at all costs.

Your focus remains on the outside investors, trying to give them what they want.

• Pressure comes with the checks.

You avoid doing things that cost money when funding is tight. Then, when you’re flush, you can grow too rapidly and not be able to onboard new customers in a way that makes them happy and best served.

• Economic changes can turn off funding. The dotcom bust and the Great Recession showed us how the VC funding spigot could shut off overnight.

Why You Don’t Need VC or Wall Street Funds to Succeed as a Tech Firm Commentary by Michael Minard

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t’s a myth that real estate tech firms need outside equity investment to be successful. In fact, the opposite is true. The average lifespan of a family-owned business is more than double that of publicly traded companies, and only half of new businesses survive more than five years.

Having sat on the other side of the table as a venture capital investor gives me a broad perspective as the owner of a 25-year-old real estate tech firm.

I’ve owned Delta Media since 2000, when its VC funding ran out during the dotcom bust. Ironically, I’ve been turning away VC funding offers ever since. When you run a 100% family-owned business, you gain a slew of competitive advantages.

When you’re family-owned, like nearly all our brokerage customers, you must run a profitable business to survive. There’s a sign in my office that says, “Be willing to grow slowly to survive.”

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But when you have outside equity investors, things are much different, including: • E xit pressure. VCs have an exit plan. They want to achieve 10X or more revenue growth, typically within three to five years. At worst, VCs want to break even, and as we’ve seen with giants like WeWork, can pull the rug out from under the highest-profile startups at a moment’s notice.

• Business focus is on growth, not the customer. Companies must grow revenue to keep outside investors happy. Growth is the focus, not profitability. And in some cas-

• Employee churn. VC-funded firms are notorious for employee turnover versus how common it is for employees to stay with familyowned firms for a decade or more.

You don’t need VC or Wall Street funds to succeed as a tech firm. Delta has been profitable every year and has grown every year since I became an owner in 2000, including the recent tripling of our staff.

Family-owned firms can also invest millions each year into R&D. Providing clients AI and automation capabilities is not limited to tech firms that take outsider equity. These are some of the reasons Delta will remain 100% family-owned.

I enjoy having a family-owned company with a great team that loves being here. Almost 100% of our clients are also family-owned. They get it, and we’re having fun doing it. RE

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

TRENDS & ISSUES process take place much quicker, with less time invested from both the REALTOR® and the client. If a home inspection is needed in a hurry, this is an excellent solution.

Skip the Home Inspection, Face the Consequences Commentary by Dan Steward

W

e recently distributed a press release urging homebuyers to beware of the consequences associated with waiving the home inspection in the booming seller’s market we’re currently experiencing. The national release garnered over 2.2 million views—and with good reason.

The hot seller’s market, which is occurring all over the U.S. and Canada, has found many buyers being urged to skip the home inspection and a few other contingencies in order to rate first among the competition for the house they want.

One such case in Canada proved to be an amazing example, according to a CBS News report. The buyer was so anxious to obtain the seller’s home that in addition to buying the house, he also purchased the condo that she was downsizing into!

Regrettably, some buyers did not heed the warnings from many sources, including us.

For example, the Song family of Brampton, Ontario, recently bought their dream home and waived the

home inspection at the seller’s request to get a firm “yes” on the deal. They waited a few months to move into their new home due to the pandemic and the issues that went along with moving during that period, and by the time they discovered that they had no well water, it was too late to do anything.

Worse, they discovered that they had to have the entire septic system replaced—at a cost of $120,000.

This is something a home inspector would have easily caught. The couple eventually had to take out a mortgage just to pay for the new septic system.

What we’re seeing is that technologies such as virtual tours can be used to help the home inspection

No matter the market, home inspectors will tell you that skipping the inspection is a huge gamble.

Reports can be delivered within 24 hours in most cases, based on a 3,000-square-foot home. Larger homes require more time. After the completion of the home inspection, the following should be made available: • A report of the inspection that lists the condition of the property • Recommendations on what needs to be fixed • A measured floor plan to help with furnishings, etc.

No matter the market, home inspectors across the board will tell you that skipping the inspection is a huge gamble. RE Dan Steward is president and CEO of Pillar To Post Home Inspectors USA and has been lauded as a 2019, 2020 and 2021 RISMedia Real Estate Newsmaker.

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors has been named No. 1 in category for nine years in a row on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500® prestigious list ranking top franchise companies. Visit www.pillartopost.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 83

BROKER STRATEGIES

Louis and Christine Parrish

Succeeding With a Values-Driven Brokerage Model Louis and Christine Parrish

Broker/Owners United Real Estate | Specialists - Southern Arizona www.UnitedRealEstateSouthernArizona.com United Real Estate | Specialists - Scottsdale www.UnitedRealEstateSpecialists.com Region served: Metro Tucson and Scottsdale Years in real estate: Louis: 26; Christine: 13 Number of offices: 2 Number of agents: 75

Tell us about how you got into real estate.

Louis Parrish: Christine grew up in a real estate family, however, I didn’t get my license until 1995. While I had no training or real estate skills when I started, I was able to learn fast and do really well. Early on, I was taught how to treat people right, the importance of admitting to mistakes early so that they could be fixed and how to write a contract—all of which provided the foundation I needed to succeed.

Why did you decide to transition to brokerage?

LP: We were operating a successful real estate team and realized that we found great joy in our passion for building people and seeing the results in the person, their families and our community. Opening a real estate brokerage is our path to do the same thing on a much greater scale.

What attracted you to United Real Estate?

Christine Parrish: Louis was spending a lot of time working on systems and processes and researching technology, but every time we launched new tech-enabled marketing and 84 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

support, it was outdated by the time it was implemented.

We agreed that it was time to look for a broker support organization with systems and processes in place so we didn’t have to reinvent the wheel. Louis was attending a class and noticed United’s logo in his materials. He looked them up and sent me a video outlining their core values— they were almost identical to ours.

LP: We left no stone unturned when shopping for a franchise that would give us the freedom to work our business in a way that would fit our market. With United, we did the right thing in that we focused on the alignment of values prior to looking at their tech/marketing stack and other tools they offered. And while United’s tools are fantastic, one of the main reasons we joined is because we finally found our people.

“The only truly sustainable, strategic, competitive advantage is aligning with the right people who have the skills to learn and adapt to the marketplace. Louis and Christine understood this from the start, and by making decisions based on that, they are reaping great rewards.”

-RICK HAASE President, United Real Estate

You’re celebrating a milestone this year. To what do you attribute your success?

LP: We celebrated our third birthday this past spring, which is a big milestone for us. Our 2020 sales also brought us into a Top 10 category in our primary market. It’s fun to see our name at the top of the charts, and other brokers and agents watch those numbers, too.

CP: Now that we’re established and thriving, agents are calling us and having conversations about moving their license. We attribute this success to the tools and support United offers us, which, in turn, allows us to provide our agents with what they need to be successful.

How do you work together to run your company?

LP: We’re fiercely competitive, yet we have some very complementary skill sets. Now that the company is growing, there’s enough space for us to do our own thing in parallel with one another.

CP: We learned early on that working together required a sense of humor and a level of grace. We have a lot of

BROKER STRATEGIES the same strengths and weaknesses too, so we hire where we’re weakest to round out the company’s abilities.

What else should people know about growing a business?

CP: The most important piece of the puzzle is the people you choose to work with. When interviewing agents, I enjoy getting to know them and understanding their goals.

LP: Real estate is a relationship business, so it’s important to determine who you want to be in a relationship with. RE For more information, please visit www.GrowWithUnited.com.

-Paige Tepping

agent-centric brokerage that allowed me to expand my entrepreneurial mindset, and I happened to be in a transaction at the time with a RE/MAX agent who suggested I look into RE/MAX. The business model was exactly what I was looking for, but there were no local options to choose from. That’s when I decided to purchase my first franchise in 2000.

You have been focused on growth before, during and after the pandemic. What do you think is helping your office grow right now? Growing this company is always the goal. Everything we do is centered on making the sales associates and our offices more productive. It’s not quantity as much as it’s quality for us. We focus on state-of-the-art offices, technology, education and training as well as a unique value proposition—all of which will help us continue to grow.

“Marketing and CRM tools help to elevate our agents’ productivity and earning potential. ” -ED RAE President and CEO, RE/MAX Select Realty

Rae

Utilizing Brokerage Tools and Resources to Accelerate Growth Ed Rae

President and CEO, RE/MAX Select Realty Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania https://selecthomefinder.com Region served: Pittsburgh and the surrounding communities Years in real estate: 27 Number of offices: 11 Number of agents: 330

What originally attracted you to the RE/MAX brand? I had been selling real estate in traditional brokerages for more than six years and had hit the glass ceiling both personally and professionally. I was looking for an

How do you differentiate your office from the competition? We aren’t a fit for everyone. That’s not the goal. At RE/MAX Select Realty, I believe the sales associates have unlimited potential. We can do this by offering one of the highest commission splits in the industry while keeping the fees at a minimum. And the agents still have the support and infrastructure they need. The RE/MAX Select Realty “Simply Better” culture promotes full-time agents, and we have performance expectations.

Which RE/MAX tools and resources do you and your agents find most valuable? There are too many to list, but I will begin with the fact that RE/MAX leads the industry in brand awareness.1 RE/MAX is the most recognized brand in real estate. Just the brand alone gives our sales associates immediate credibility. Megaphone and booj, through RE/MAX, LLC, are also phenomenal. These marketing and CRM tools help elevate our agents’ productivity and earning potential. Combined with the training and assistance from our office’s in-house marketing team, it’s a gamechanger.

Additionally, we have an exceptional management staff who support the agents with whatever they need, from tech training to answering all their transaction questions.

We also recently added an in-house school, which allows us to offer our agents designation and continuing education classes and pre-licensing courses. Aside from our company websites, we constantly look to implement and RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 85

BROKER STRATEGIES improve technology that heightens RE/MAX Select Realty and our agents’ exposure to the public.

What do you think today’s agent finds most valuable when considering which brokerage to join?

How do you ensure your office provides that value? Trust and transparency are key. Of course, every real estate agent is different, but those two components make us who we are. We are a versatile company that attracts the most entrepreneurial spirits in our area. RE/MAX Select Realty provides those individuals with structure and freedom. RE 1

Source: MMR Strategy Group study of unaided awareness.

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

-Jameson Doris

Corcoran offers a unique experience and is an industry leader in the high-end markets where we live and work. It’s the perfect fit, and we’re on a mission to make Corcoran a household name in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).

“We’re not selling the house that people have to have, but rather, we’re providing people with an opportunity to live the life they want to live.”

-DAVID VICTOR JOHNSON Chairman, Corcoran BVI

How does your affiliation with Corcoran help you stand out in the marketplace? We’ve been in the BVI for 15 years, and we’re the premier developer of high-end communities. In fact, we were recently awarded best new island community, which we are very excited about. Thanks to our affiliation with Corcoran, we now have $100 million in resale listings, and they are the perfect partner to help us showcase our listings with discerning buyers around the world.

Please describe some of the current trends you’re seeing in your market. We’re not selling the house that people have to have, but rather, we’re providing people with an opportunity to live the life they want to live.

Whether they’re choosing a 2,000-square-foot home or a 10,000-square-foot home, purchasing a house in the BVI is all about living life on their terms.

Johnson

Living a Life of Adventure David Victor Johnson

Chairman, Corcoran BVI British Virgin Islands www.corcoran.com/corcoran-bvi/11 Region served: The British Virgin Islands Years in real estate: 30-plus

As Corcoran’s first global brand affiliate, what does it mean to be a part of the brand? We’re thrilled to be a part of Corcoran, not only because of Realogy’s backing, but also their continued global expansion. And we’re especially thrilled with Pam Liebman’s leadership.

86 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

How has the pandemic changed the way in which people view living in the BVI? The pandemic has also given younger people the ability to live their adventure now rather than waiting until retirement, which has led to an increase in the number of people in their 30s and 40s coming to the area. In fact, we recently sold a home to someone in their 30s who is going to live here full-time and run their tech company instead of settling in California. Because we have built the infrastructure for them to be connected, they can raise their kids in harmony with nature, which is one of our goals as we continue to attract families to the area. Lastly, they’re working to expand the runway coming into the BVI by 2024-25, which will be a gamechanger for those coming from places like New York, Charlotte and Atlanta.

Looking ahead, what’s on the horizon for Corcoran BVI? Our future is looking very bright, as we have a number of things on the horizon that will solidify our position as the ultimate destination in the Caribbean. We’re ex-

BROKER STRATEGIES cited to be a part of Corcoran, and together, we’re going to accomplish great things and dominate the BVI market. RE For more information, please visit www.corcoranaffiliate.com.

-Paige Tepping

That said, we’re always on the lookout for great agents. If they’re top agents and produce a lot, that’s great, but it’s more important that they’re aligned with the core values and ethos we have for our agents.

What values do you promote at ERA King Real Estate to help your agents succeed? Our charge is to do the right thing all the time. We want our agents to deliver a consistently exceptional experience to their clients, and we help them do that by providing support—a ton of professional development for agents looking to get better and hone their craft. We want them to keep their REALTOR® hats on and let us handle the office and administrative project-management responsibilities to get a client from listing to closing.

“A house is the largest purchase that many people make, so act like it and build relationships around that.”

-ANNA-MARIE ELLISON Broker/Owner, ERA King Real Estate Ellison

The Value of Building Relationships Anna-Marie Ellison

Broker/Owner, ERA King Real Estate Anniston, Alabama www.era.com/era-king-real-estate--568c Region served: Central Alabama Years in real estate: 15 Number of offices: 10 Number of agents: 202

How did you come to partner with ERA, and how has the partnership helped mold your brokerage? ERA is all about building relationships, the power of the network and collaboration, and the brand aligns with who we are as a company. It was a natural fit for us to partner with them.

What traits do you look for in agents, and how do you attract top talent? We’re constantly trying to build connections with agents at other companies so that any time they begin thinking about where they are in their careers, we have an at-bat to talk to them about what we offer our agents and how we help support their business.

What strategies have you implemented to snag listings during this time of limited inventory? We focus on building a relationship. You’ve got your core people and your sphere people, but what are you doing to get to know their family and help them make the best decision for them? A house is the largest purchase that many people make, so act like it and build relationships around that.

How do you and your agents approach the client experience? Here in the south, you have a Publix shopping experience and a Winn-Dixie or Walmart shopping experience when buying groceries. We try and model the Publix shopping experience for our business, which involves under-promising, over-delivering and exceeding expectations. We also encourage our agents to be predictive of what they think their clients are going to need.

How does tech use fit into your brokerage’s daily business strategy? While tech is a tool to help us support relationships with our agents, it also allows our agents to support their relationships with their clients. We’re a paperless company, and we’ve supported that initiative since 2016. It allows our agents to move more nimbly in this market where inventory is tight. As a result, our agents didn’t have to pivot when the pandemic began because we had a digital platform for them to work remotely within our framework.

What advice do you provide your agents regarding how they incorporate tech into their business RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 87

BROKER STRATEGIES strategies? Don’t change anything until you’re ready to work on your business. Adopting tech is like establishing a new habit. You can’t give it a week or two weeks and complain that it isn’t working. Agents sometimes get distracted by the latest shiny thing, but they have to give tech, or any process and workflow change, enough time to evaluate if it’s truly worth it. RE For more information, please visit www.era.com.

-Jordan Grice

pay if they were to buy their own house. We typically get to a reasonable number after that.

What is your No. 1 tip for dealing with difficult clients? Give them 24 hours to sit on new information and understand what their options are before asking them to make a decision in order to avoid knee-jerk responses.

Time allows for the big picture to set in.

Please describe your most effective way to motivate agents. We promote agent success with a monthly Top 10 list. Agents appreciate the recognition that they can share with their sphere, and it motivates them to make the list every month.

“Our agents have done a fantastic job of connecting with clients and providing superior service.”

-ANDY MCDONALD Designated Broker/Owner, HomeSmart Advantage Group

McDonald

Connecting With Clients and Providing Superior Service Andy McDonald

Designated Broker/Owner, HomeSmart Advantage Group Tucson, Arizona homesmart.com/real-estate-agent/arizona/ tucson/49283-andrew-andy-mcdonald/Welcome Region served: Greater Tucson Years in real estate: 24 Number of offices: 2 Number of agents: 300

What is your best tip for getting the right listing price? Show sellers the comps, ask them to consider improvements they’ve done, then ask how much they would 88 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

How do you successfully get buyers and sellers to work together? Agents set the tone for clients by working professionally with one another. When our clients see us being respectful, they typically follow suit. Remaining professional is key to a successful closing.

How has affiliating with HomeSmart helped you elevate your company above the competition? A forward-thinking brand, affiliating with HomeSmart has given us an edge in technology, price structure and overall franchise support. Matt Widdows (founder and CEO) and his team are constantly evolving to keep up with the changing times and provide advantages that enable us to stay on top. Whether it’s new elements, features or apps on our proprietary tech platform, recruiting assistance in every market, or promotional materials, HomeSmart leadership is always implementing value-added services to help us maintain a top market position.

How has your recruiting strategy changed over the years, and how has that affected your agents’ productivity/sales ratios? Nine years ago, I was eager to recruit anyone and everyone in our Tucson agent pool. Our company works hard for all agents, high and low producers alike. However, a few years ago, I decided to be more selective and recruit only producing agents. As a result, our units and sales volume has increased yearover-year along with our per-agent production. Our typical agent is now selling double the national average.

BROKER STRATEGIES What role does your mentorship program play in enhancing agent performance? Our mentorship program in combination with readily available broker support has been successful in launching new agents into their careers. We focus on teaching agents how to handle every aspect of a real estate transaction so that they are equipped to have a long, successful career. We are attracting younger agents with our mentorship program, which is a benefit for our long-term growth. Currently, four of our Top 10 agents went through our mentorship program.

Your company recently received a huge media boost in your market. What does this mean for your brand and team? HomeSmart Advantage Group recently received the “Best Real Estate Company/Broker” award from the Arizona Daily Star, an award that was voted on by the public, which means that our agents have done a fantastic job of connecting with clients and providing superior service. I’m extremely proud of our HomeSmart company, because 10 years ago, we were not a household name in southern Arizona. The recognition means that Tucson residents have shown their appreciation for HomeSmart Advantage Group and for our level of service and commitment to our profession. We look forward to continuing to provide exceptional service to the greater Tucson market. RE For more information, please visit www.homesmart.com.

-John Voket

Finding Balance in the Market Michael Slevin

President, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Colorado Properties Vail, Colorado | www.BHHSColoradoProperties.com Region served: Vail and Beaver Creek Resort, Breckenridge and Eagle County, Colorado Years in real estate: 25 Number of offices: 9 Number of agents: 130 Work philosophy that you live by: It’s important in our busy 24/7 industry that we find balance—get out of the hustle and bustle a bit and enjoy what we have around us.

What made you choose to work with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices? It was an incredibly easy decision to align ourselves with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, an organization built on the values of

Slevin

“I’m looking forward to some more inventory coming to market, which will make our area attainable for more people.”

-MICHAEL SLEVIN, President, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Colorado Properties

Berkshire Hathaway and Warren Buffett and the strength, integrity and respect that his organization is known for.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is very much in line with our core values, and the brand resonates with a lot of people, especially our affluent second-home market.

What do you like most about the region in which you work? Where we live is magical. It is unique in what it affords in terms of lifestyle and community. You have to make certain sacrifices to live and work here, but they are all worth it when you get to experience living in a small community that offers so many options in terms of activity, recreation and culture.

What are some of the current trends in your market? As much as we’re a unique destination/resort community, we’re seeing some of the same challenges that the rest of the country is seeing, namely inventory being at an all-time low. We’re seeing the same trends in buyer activity, with more buyers than supply. There has also been a trend of younger individuals, couples and families moving to our area.

As we continue through 2021, what are you most looking forward to? Finding some balance in the market. As prices have risen, it’s making it challenging for RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 89

BROKER STRATEGIES homebuyers. I’m looking forward to some more inventory coming to market, which will make our area attainable for more people. And as great as this market has been, it has also been incredibly taxing for our brokers and staff.

Once we get through our summer selling season, I hope our group can take a collective breather and regroup for the winter season.

How are you preparing your agents for the future of real estate? We were early and heavy tech adopters, but with that comes the need to deepen client relationships.

It’s that very important blend of technology and becoming the go-to resource for clients who are either locals living here full-time or second homeowners. It’s not just about real estate, but rather, a concierge service for our clients so that when it comes time to make a buying or selling decision, without a second thought, they’ll reach out to their broker to help them not only get into a property, but serve them all the way through.

Where do you find inspiration for new business strategies, and how do you go about implementing them? Inspiration comes from all places. The leadership at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is one of the places I go. Gino Blefari and our new CEO, Christy Budnick, are awesome inspirations. The network within Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is amazing as well. As a leader, you sometimes have to make decisions that you believe are for the benefit of the entire organization, but I very much rely upon a collective group-think within our organization. We are a very collaborative, horizontal organization where everyone has a voice and can contribute to our overall success. RE For more information, please visit www.bhhs.com.

-Paige Brown

Providing the Ultimate in All Aspects of Service Elizabeth D. Nunan

President and CEO, Houlihan Lawrence, a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® Rye Brook, New York |www.houlihanlawrence.com Region served: Markets North of New York City, as well as Fairfield County, Connecticut Years in real estate: 30 Number of offices: 30 Number of agents: 1,335 90 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Nunan

Why is the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® network a good fit for Houlihan Lawrence? We’ve been members of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE)—a network of 550 firms that span over 70 countries—since the beginning. While the network is invitation only, members must follow a stringent set of criteria. For sellers, our membership in LeadingRE means that they get a steady stream of homebuyers interested in being with the brokerage.

We’re also members of Luxury Portfolio International, the luxury marketing division of LeadingRE. While we handle all price points and homes that range from a one-bedroom co-op or condo to an entire estate located in the back country of Greenwich, Connecticut, it’s important to note that each exclusive property deserves the highest level of service. No matter who is buying or selling, our LeadingRE membership means that we’re able to give the ultimate in all aspects of service.

Please describe your management style. My role is to serve the agents and employees of our company, not the other way around. That being said, everything I do is guided by our core values: integrity, building, excellence, passion and community. I took on the role as president and CEO just as COVID hit, but my management style has been consistent throughout my career. I’d also like to add that authenticity is a guiding principle of mine. I do not ask anything of anyone that I wouldn’t do myself, and I’m not afraid to roll up my sleeves and do the work. I also like to focus on the positive and practice daily gratitude. This isn’t something I’ve always done, but it makes life easier for both me and those I work with.

BROKER STRATEGIES How do you attract the best agents? While our company and office culture provide unrivaled support to all of our agents, we also have very experienced office leaders who are the best in the business. In addition, our reputation and integrity are second to none.

For us, being a market leader means never standing still, so we’re constantly working to make sure we give the best tools to our agents so that they can give the best service to their buyers and sellers. Chief among them is an excellent tech suite. When I first became CEO, we went from being reliant on one vendor for all of our tech services to creating a best-in-class suite of tools.

“Being a market leader means never standing still, so we’re constantly working to make sure we give the best tools to our agents.”

What are your best strategies for agent retention? I work very hard at listening and being accessible. In fact, my agents know they can call, text or otherwise get a hold of me at all times. I want to hear from our agents and know how we can help them, so we invite them to weigh in during our monthly brain trust.

Our agents inspire me every day, so the least I can do is be there for them.

-ELIZABETH D. NUNAN President and CEO, Houlihan Lawrence

What is the one thing you hope agents say about you? That I care. I want to make sure we are providing our agents the best tools to grow their busi-

ness. When the shutdown occurred, I worried about our agents making a living because they are commissionbased. As it turns out, many of our agents had their best year ever in 2020. RE For more information, please visit www.leadingre.com.

-Lesley Grand

TAKE YOUR EVENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH

VERL WORKMAN “We’ve been hiring Verl Workman year after year for our company events, manager meetings, and team summits.

His energy, content and, ability to lift an audience are unprecedented. Verl brings it every time with new ideas and content that is relevant to what’s going on in our market.”

—Michel Metzneer, REmax Michigan Regional Owner

Supercharge your event and connect with Verl! Scan here:

(385) 282-7112

BROKER STRATEGIES

Connecting With Younger Generations

M

By Verl Workman

any real estate professionals prefer to do things the oldfashioned way. We grew up before technology was an important aspect of everyday life, so we don’t always see the value of quickly implementing new tech tools. The world is moving on with us or without us, though, so a mindset change is a must.

As new generations of buyers enter the market, we’ll be working with clients who are digital natives, who grew up on a steady diet of innovative technology. The trend can already be seen among millennials, the largest share of homebuyers in the U.S. over the past seven years. Inextricably connected to technology, millennials are accustomed to having real-time access to everything from the palm of their hand.

Soon, Gen Z buyers will begin entering the housing market. This generation is even more dependent on technology than prior generations, so if you’re interested in staying up to date in the way you communicate with these younger generations, here are three tools you should implement to create a better experience.

92 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Virtual Showings While many real estate professionals turned exclusively to virtual showings to conduct business during the pandemic, as we move toward getting the virus under control, virtual showings should continue to be an option for clients.

The flexibility of virtual home showings helps you meet the needs of a variety of clients, allowing you to expand your client base among outof-state buyers. Virtual showings can also be easier on parents or busy working professionals. Offering a virtual option goes a long way toward showing that you care about your client’s time. To learn how to host a better virtual showing, email me at verl@ workmansuccesssystems.com, and I’ll send you our free guide.

Real-Time Info It’s important to keep clients informed as to the buying or selling process in real time. Tech-savvy clients are used to on-demand information, so when you can’t provide them the information they’re seeking in a timely manner, it can lead to frustration.

It can be overwhelming to stay in touch with clients on a consistent basis, but by implementing automation systems, you can keep them informed.

However you choose to stay in touch, make sure you’re providing timely and accurate information. A shared Google Drive document where both you and your clients can exchange ideas and questions will keep the lines of communication open.

As new generations of buyers enter the market, we’ll be working with clients who are digital natives, who grew up on a steady diet of innovative technology.

Surveys and Testimonials There are many technology-oriented options for measuring client satisfaction. Use survey and analysis tools to learn more about what your clients like about you and your process and what you could stand to improve. A simple online Google form that surveys clients during and after the sale can go a long way. 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.

For more information, visit www.WorkmanSuccess.com.

DO YOU KNOW A REAL ESTATE NEWSMAKER? Here’s Your Chance to Honor Them!

2018 Real Estate Newsmakers Award

Teresa Palacios Smith HSF Affiliates, LLC

RISMedia is proudly accepting nominations for our 5th Annual 2022 Real Estate Newsmakers. This one-of-a-kind recognition program is designed to spotlight and celebrate individuals from across the U.S. who are making headlines for their commitment and contributions to the residential and/or commercial real estate sectors, as well as going the extra mile to positively impact their peers, colleagues, clients and the communities they serve.

The hundreds of Real Estate Newsmakers selected by RISMedia’s editorial team will be featured in an issue of Real Estate magazine and on RISMedia.com in early 2022.

Additionally, an elite group of finalists will be inducted into our exclusive Newsmakers Hall of Fame at a can’t-miss extravaganza in 2022. Stay tuned for more details!

Share your Newsmaker’s story with us, and help us honor those making a difference in real estate!

To nominate a 2022 Real Estate Newsmaker and learn more, go to rismedia.com/ newsmaker-nomination.

NOMINATION DEADLINE:

SEPT. 15, 2021

TEAM TALK could do this on a flexible schedule so I could spend time with my toddler.

But I quickly realized that, first of all, real estate takes a full-time commitment, and second, that I needed help, and I needed to learn fast.

The Mariesa-Arthur Team

Arizona Team Leader Doubles Down on New Agent Mentorship

By Barbara Pronin

M

ariesa Arthur was a single mom with a toddler 23 years ago when she began her career in real estate. She had absolutely no idea what she was getting into, she says.

But she figured it out, and came to be known as today she leads a strucCareer Agent Developtured team of 40 agents, ment (CAD). She ultimately took the unique serving Maricopa County approach to DPR Realty, and greater Mesa and where her team today Phoenix, Arizona, with the averages between $45 full support and mentorship million and $60 million in she longed for as a new sales annually in a comagent struggling to make petitive market where the her mark.

Arthur “Real estate can be a sink or swim average sales price is $365,000. effort for a new agent,” Arthur says.

“Without the proper guidance and Barbara Pronin: What was support, and with no income guaran- the wake-up moment for you, tee, too many feel like failures, drop- Mariesa—way back when you ping out before they reach their first were an inexperienced agent? anniversary.”

Mariesa Arthur: I went in knowing In response, Arthur developed a I was a people-person, thinking I was mentorship-based team program that a pretty good salesperson and that I 94 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

BP: What did you do?

MA: I read everything I could, I asked for advice and I worked my tail off to prospect and gain as much experience as I could with as many people as I could—and I was lucky. Before long, I was reaching and exceeding my goals. By then, I had become a team leader, and I understood that coaching and mentoring can be the key to success for many agents. So, I joined a mentor program and developed the bones of an extensive agent training curriculum designed to provide a pathway to success. As it grew, I realized that to be really effective as a leader, I would need to fully devote to it—which I did.

BP: This was the team model now called Career Agent Development?

MA: Yes. In 2002, I was hired to direct a structured training program, and for recruiting, training and managing a team of new and veteran agents along with a team of field coaches and support staff. It became CAD, and it’s the program I took with me when I joined DPR Realty in 2009.

BP: How do you manage a team of 40 agents?

MA: With the help of five devoted accountability coaches, plus an admin and marketing and social media manager who are both licensed agents and who are as passionate about CAD as I am. In addition to monthly business and planning meetings, each agent gets our hands-on support. We are their challengers, their cheerleaders and their devoted resources—and it isn’t just about production. We are family, with a collective attitude.

TEAM TALK

“I had become a team leader, and I understood that coaching and mentoring can be the key to success for many agents.”

-MARIESA ARTHUR

BP: What do you look for in a prospective team member?

MA: Our goal is to recruit people who are driven to succeed and who are in it for the long haul. We don’t want any “divorces” in the family, so to speak, so we look for people of integrity who are team players, ready to pull together and provide support as well as receive it.

BP: What differentiates CAD from other team programs?

MA: Our success as a team and as individuals is based on referrals and long-term relationships, so we provide our team members with high-quality lead generation systems based on relationship-building, and ongoing sales technique training to ensure they don’t miss out on opportunities. We also provide things like monthly client pop-in gifts, and client appreciation parties like our family picnics and Winter Wonderland events that can bring as many as 600 attendees.

BP: How did COVID-19 impact your team in 2020?

MA: The year started off slow before it roared to life in the second half, so while it wasn’t our best year—we did over $50 million in sales—it was a good year. Much of our internal and external communication had to

be Zoomed, of course, and our client appreciation parties were out, but our client reach-out never faltered, and thanks to our relationship-building, neither did the loyalty of our clients.

BP: What are your goals looking forward?

MA: We are looking into a technology-oriented website for our agents— and we’re always looking for new ways to improve our processes and communication. Mostly, we are bent on nurturing successful careers for our family of agents. This is such a cliche to say, but teamwork really does make the dream work. RE

Barbara Pronin is a contributing editor to RISMedia.

E G A R E K O R B R BUILD YOU WITH TEAMS! STOP recruiting one agent at a time and START attracting and retaining teams of 2-6 agents using the industry’s most impactful training and development systems.

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TEAM TALK 2. Organize a virtual “what have you improved since moving in” tour where clients can show you around and highlight the many things they’ve done since moving day. Not only will this be fun for the client, but it will also help you step up your service by keeping you involved. It also allows you to suggest vendors for future projects and even ask for referrals.

Upping Your Game: Deliver Competition-Crushing Service

T

By Verl Workman

hink about the last time you had a fantastic experience as a customer. Remember how that experience made you feel? Now think about the last time you had a poor experience. The way you think about these two experiences should have a profound impact on how you look at your business and the service your team provides.

When you examine the experience you’re providing clients, remember that every client is worth nearly $75,000 in lifetime revenue. This assumes that clients conduct three home purchases and two home sales (on average) with you over their lifespan. Now that you better understand a client’s long-term value, it’s worth putting in extra effort to keep them happy and fully engaged. Start by updating your systems and processes to provide service that overdelivers in every way.

Your goal as a member of a real estate team is to anticipate your client’s needs before they even know they have one. For example, don’t wait until the day of settlement/clos96 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

ing to review the numbers with your client. At Workman Success Systems, we push our coaches, team leaders and team members to go above and beyond to provide clients with real value.

Here are two simple ways to increase your business: 1. Your customers expect the interactions with you and the information they receive to be delivered in realtime and on any device. Keep up with this trend and you’ll succeed as the market continues to change. Look into adding automated systems (email and text communication) in order to provide information they can access from the palm of their hand.

Simple ways to increase the level of service you provide: •Vendor recommendations •A nswers to housing-related questions •Copies of closing documents •Home anniversary letters •Home maintenance reminders • Nosy neighbor program (keeping them up to date on sales in their neighborhood) •Informational webinars • BombBomb videos (video messaging) If you’re interested in learning more about how to implement strategies like this in your business or want to get access to systems used by the nation’s top real estate teams, schedule a meeting with a Workman Success Systems expert business analyst (https://meetings.hubspot. com/nate203/15-minute-businessanalysis). When you implement Workman Success Systems’ proven strategies, you’ll unlock real growth in your business. RE Verl Workman is the founder and CEO of Workman Success Systems (385282-7112), an international speaking, consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and building successful power agents and teams. For more information, visit www.WorkmanSuccess.com or email Verl@WorkmanSuccessSystems.com.

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

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

Janice Bradford

Real Estate Agent, Keller Williams Home Town Realty

With ACESocial, you can…

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

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

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

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

Join ACESocial Today!

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TEAM TALK This is when it all begins—the gift that keeps on giving. Create systems for regular check-in phone calls and even pop-bys. Never lose touch, and you’ll never be forgotten.

4. Remember the anniversary.

Every year, send a handwritten card to your clients during the month of their closing anniversary. If they’ve

Leverage Your Team to Create a Memorable Consumer Experience

By Sarah Bernard

T

he consumer experience is important for your business. If it’s memorable, it will set your team apart from the competition. Here are five easy-to-implement ideas for creating a lasting experience for your clients.

1. Use your team. As agents, we start off doing it alone and quickly get overwhelmed being both a marketing and sales expert, knowing how to measure rooms, taking photos, keeping everything on track and on time, painting a bathroom, etc. Bringing in the team creates a better experience for your client. With your team working together in their specific areas of expertise, you can meet all of your clients’ needs with ease. Everyone is responsible for their own role, and your clients will see the difference between you and 99% of other agents.

Don’t have a team yet? Outsource. You’ll spend a little more of that cherished commission, but it will free you up to take on more clients and show them that you’re a pro.

98 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

2. Show up. The best agent teams make their presence known. Be present at inspections, sit with your clients at the closing table and be visible at community events that your clients are likely to attend. If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s the importance of showing up virtually as well. We all have out-of-town buyers and sellers, and scheduling a video meeting is hands down better than a phone call any day of the week. Again, part of the experience is seeing you and getting to work with you.

3. Stay in touch. While this is easy throughout the transaction, one could argue that the true customer experience begins after the closing. In my business, we take the experience to a new level after we’ve been paid.

The consumer experience is important for your business. If it’s memorable, it will set your team apart from the competition. experienced several transactions with you, commemorate the first one. We call it the “anniversary of our partnership.” Recognizing this important anniversary helps create an ongoing experience.

5. Celebrate. Host at least one event a year for past and present clients. By doing something fun and being yourself, you’ll attract like-minded clients.

The majority of a successful agent team’s business comes from referrals from past clients, and a good event will bring you five to 10 referrals. Do it annually and it becomes part of the experience for your customers and clients for years to come. RE Sarah Bernard is a Workman Success Systems senior coach. She helps her clients build top-producing teams while sharing tactics and systems for greater success in the real estate industry. You can reach her at sarahbernard@workmansuccesssystems.com or www. linkedin.com/in/sarahbernard-real-estate.

TEAM TALK If you’re a team leader, you’ll want to set your team up so that your agents only have to prospect, show houses and negotiate deals. A team that’s set up correctly will provide listing management, transaction coordination, marketing management and MVP programs to nurture past clients and leads with a great CRM. If you’re a team member, you’ll want to be on a team like this.

A Dynamic Team Approach

By Ron Howard

I

magine going to your doctor’s office and having the doctor do everything from reception, checking your insurance and even checking your vitals. While it would be a unique consumer experience, it probably wouldn’t be a good one. With a one-man show like this, not only would there be a packed waiting room, but paperwork would also be a mess, and the quality of service would be less than great.

If you were telling this doctor that they had to redefine the consumer experience, you’d most likely suggest hiring a receptionist, a paperwork admin and a nurse.

Like the doctor in this scenario, the typical real estate agent or team leader wears too many hats, and that has a negative impact on the average real estate consumer experience.

Poor service creates a vulnerable service gap that has led to industry disruption. This is why venture capitalbacked disruptors, tech companies and others are knocking on our doors.

As a real estate agent who wants to redefine the consumer experience, the first thing you have to do— like most consumer-facing businesses—is build a high-performing team. Many of the most successful and profitable agents and brokers

run their businesses with a dynamic team approach.

The trick to building your team properly, with discipline, is what we call “operational excellence.”

While there’s more than one way to build a successful team, you can make your journey shorter and faster by following proven systems and processes. If you’ve been struggling with creating effective improvements in your office, you may benefit from adding systems to your arsenal.

With a great team in place, two things happen: you make more money, and you have more time.

Time is what you need in order to focus on redefining the consumer experience, but the experience will likely already be in great shape if you hire the right employees for the clearly defined roles on your team.

As a real estate agent who wants to redefine the consumer experience, the first thing you have to do is build a high-performing team. Many of the most successful and profitable agents and brokers run their businesses with a dynamic team approach.

Teams are slowly taking over the real estate industry, and for good reason. Teams lead to more closed deals, higher incomes and a better work-life balance. If you’re a team leader and want to create a highfunctioning team, reach out to randy@workmansuccess.com and see what you need to help your team thrive. RE Ron Howard is a senior coach at Workman Success Systems. His specialty in the technology of automating work groups and workflow has bolstered his success in pioneering a new team approach to the real estate business.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 99

SERVICE PROFILES

Index of Preferred Providers

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

ABR®.................................................................................. 101

McKissock Learning..........................................................103

Amarki............................................................................... 101

MyOutDesk Virtual Assistants..........................................103

American Home Shield ................................................... 101 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices................................. 101

NAGLREP (National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals).........................................................103

BoomTown........................................................................ 101

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

Buffini & Company............................................................ 101

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors®........................................104

Buyside.............................................................................. 101

Propertybase....................................................................104

The CE Shop...................................................................... 101

Real Estate Webmasters...................................................104

Century 21 Real Estate LLC............................................... 101

Real Living Real Estate......................................................104

Cole Information Realty Resource.................................... 101

Realogy Holdings Corp....................................................104

Constellation1...................................................................102

REALTOR Team Store®......................................................104

The Corcoran Group.........................................................102

Realtors Property Resource®............................................104

CRS Data...........................................................................102

Realty ONE Group...........................................................104

Curbio...............................................................................102

REBAC...............................................................................104

Darryl Davis Seminars......................................................102

REeBroker Group..............................................................104

Earnnest............................................................................102

RE/MAX, LLC...................................................................105

eXp Realty.........................................................................102

Residential Real Estate Council........................................105

Fathom Realty...................................................................102

Rocket Mortgage..............................................................105

Homes.com.......................................................................102

Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting............................105

HomeSmart International.................................................103

United Real Estate.............................................................105

HomeVisit by CoreLogic...................................................103

Updater.............................................................................105

HSASM Home Warranty....................................................103

Weichert Family of Companies........................................105

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World ................103

Workman Success Systems...............................................105

Lone Wolf Technologies....................................................103

zavvie................................................................................105

®

®

RREIN Service Providers Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate........................................................................106

Kinlin Grover Real Estate.................................................. 107

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty.........106

Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty............ 107

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties.... 106

McCOLLY Real Estate....................................................... 107

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties.... 106

Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate........................................ 107

CENTURY 21 Award.........................................................106

Randall, REALTORS®...............................................................107

CENTURY 21 New Millennium.........................................106

RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central.............................. 107

Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty.......................106

RE/MAX Gateway........................................................... 107

Jordan Baris, Inc., REALTORS® Real Living...................... 107

100 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.......................................... 107

SERVICE PROFILES ABR® (800) 648-6224 • www.rebac.net • Chicago, Illinois • 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.

AMARKI (877) 405-0040 • www.amarki.com •Grass Valley, California • Ian Francis, CEO

Amarki was purposely built by real estate experts for brokerages and agents based on years of industry experience and firsthand REALTOR® feedback. We have developed a marketing tool accessible to anyone, no matter your experience or marketing budget.

By providing an intuitive tool that works “for” the agent, Amarki is able to remove the complexity of marketing tasks such as email, social media, text messaging and search and display ads. With Amarki, any digital marketing campaign can be created and deployed with three easy steps in under two minutes.

AMERICAN HOME SHIELD® (800) 735-4663 • www.ahs.com/realestate

American Home Shield® founded the home warranty industry more than 45 years ago and remains the industry leader, with more than 1.8 million customers who depend on us every day. We offer not only home warranty plans that help protect against unexpected covered breakdowns of home systems, but we offer services that buyers can take advantage of day one of their contract. Current additional services offered are: rekey service, electronics plan, TV mounting service and pre-season HVAC tune-up service. We’re also leveraging our network of more than 15,000 licensed and qualified contractors to test even more services, like: pest control coverage, house cleaning services, garage door tune-ups, electrician services, and more.

Discover the shield difference—contact your local AHS® Account Manager today by visiting ahs.com/find-rep.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES (800) 666-6634 • www.berkshirehathawayhs.com

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, based in Irvine, California, is a real estate brokerage franchise 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, now counts more than 50,000 agents and nearly 1,500 offices throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and the Middle East. It is known as the FOREVER Brand with FOREVER Agents aspiring to work with clients over time through all phases of real estate. Network members also embrace the community and have contributed over $30 million to the Sunshine Kids Foundation supporting kids with cancer.

BOOMTOWN (866) 430-1408 • www.BoomTownROI.com Charleston, South Carolina

BoomTown has all the tools, technology and teams you need for real estate success. It’s the only solution that generates and manages your

leads, with 300-plus experts at your back. Lead generation, consumerfacing websites, CRM technology, lead management services, and more, come in flexible packages that scale with success. Our mission is to make real estate agents successful, and our service offerings extend far beyond technology: peer coaching support, lead concierge services to contact, qualify and nurture leads, and dedicated advisors offer personalized support at every step.

BUFFINI & COMPANY (800) 945-3485 • www.buffiniandcompany.com

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

BUYSIDE (855) 928-9743, 855-9-BUYSIDE • getbuyside.com Brentwood, Tennessee • sales@getbuyside.com

Buyside is a data analytics and marketing company on a mission to help real estate brokers and lenders profit from their largest untapped asset: data. Buyside aggregates behavior signals generated online, using it to power actionable insights and intelligent marketing tools that help brokers, lenders and other ancillary services capture more homeowners. Our team brings decades of real estate and technology industry expertise. We understand the unique challenges real estate brokers face, and we wake up each day excited to help you conquer them.

THE CE SHOP (888) 827-0777 • www.theceshop.com Greenwood Village, Colorado

Founded in 2005, The CE Shop has become the leading provider of online real estate education through an encyclopedic knowledge of the real estate industry. Our ever-expanding course catalog of pre-licensing, exam prep, post-licensing and continuing education products are trusted throughout the industry and offer agents across the country the education they rely on.

CENTURY 21 REAL ESTATE LLC (877) 221-2765 • www.century21.com • Madison, New Jersey • Michael Miedler, President & CEO

The approximately 139,000 independent sales professionals in over 11,600 offices spanning 83 countries/territories in the CENTURY 21® System live their mission everyday: to defy mediocrity and deliver extraordinary experiences. By consistently chasing excellence, giving 121% and always elevating, the CENTURY 21 brand is helping its affiliated brokers/agents be the first choice for real estate consumers and industry professionals.

COLE INFORMATION REALTY RESOURCE (888) 231-0732 • www.colerealtyresource.com Omaha, Nebraska

Cole Information Realty Resource helps thousands of agents and brokers find success. Agents are staying top of mind by connecting with the neighborhood by promoting open houses or just listed/sold properties, while brokers recruit, retain and support new agents, al-

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 101

SERVICE PROFILES lowing for confident prospecting. All of this can be achieved through a combination of innovative technology, industry knowledge of end-user practices and comprehensive data providers.

CONSTELLATION1 (800) 503-5163 • constellation-1.com • Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Markham, Ontario • sales@constellationreg.com

Constellation1 is an all-in-one brand of award-winning front office, back office and data services for brokerages, franchises and MLSs. Constellation1 simplifies the process of finding and implementing the right real estate technology by providing a portfolio of solutions tailored to the real estate industry. Regardless of a brokerage’s, franchise’s or MLS’ technology needs, Constellation1 is of service, providing industry leading front office sales and marketing tools, including lead generation and relocation management; back office software like accounting, eSignature and transaction management; and extensive IDX feeds and datasets. For more information, visit constellation-1.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

THE CORCORAN GROUP (800) 544-4055 • www.corcoran.com • info@corcoran.com

The Corcoran Group has been a leading residential real estate brand for nearly 50 years. Through its New York City, Hamptons and South Florida brokerages, along with its rapidly growing affiliate network, the firm is home to more than 100 offices and 4,200 independent salespersons in key urban, suburban and resort markets nationwide. Corcoran agents earn and keep their clients’ trust with an unwavering commitment to white-glove service, expertise and integrity. In every market served, Corcoran helps you find the home that’s just right for you. Live who you are®. The Corcoran® brand comprises both offices owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices, which are independently owned and operated.

CRS DATA

DARRYL DAVIS SEMINARS (800) 395-3905 • www.ThePowerProgram.com

Darryl Davis Seminars was founded by real estate expert, coach and international speaker Darryl Davis, CSP. For more than 30 years, Davis has been helping agents double their production by learning the listing and sales skills of real estate. These money-making skillsets are vital when agents are working with buyers and sellers to move their career to their Next Level™. His fast-growing membership platform, www.ThePowerProgram.com, helps real estate sales professionals design lives and careers worth smiling about. He is the best-selling author of three books with McGraw-Hill Publishers, one of which, “How to Become a Power Agent® in Real Estate,” is the No. 1 book sold to REALTORS® on Amazon.

EARNNEST (888) 870-2336 • www.earnnest.com • Greenville, South Carolina • Melissa Kandel, Chief Marketing Officer

One hundred-percent digital earnest money, no checks required. Earnnest is the largest digital earnest money service in the United States, allowing buyers to securely and electronically deposit funds directly to an escrow holder. Earnnest keeps agents, buyers and escrow holders in the loop with automated emails and tracking information.

EXP REALTY https://join.exprealty.com/ • Bellingham, Washington

eXp World Holdings and its global brokerage, eXp Realty, is one of the fastest-growing real estate tech companies in the world with more than 55,000 agents globally and continues to scale internationally. eXp Realty provides real estate professionals the unique opportunity for generous compensation and community all within its cloud-based brokerage. eXp World Holdings and its businesses offer a full suite of brokerage and real estate tech solutions, including its innovative residential and commercial brokerage model, professional services, collaborative tools and personal development.

(800) 374-7488 • www.crsdata.com

FATHOM REALTY

For more than 30 years, CRS Data has provided a wealth of property tax data through the MLS Tax Suite. This beautiful system integrates seamlessly into your MLS system, offering REALTORS® current tax data, detailed map layers and robust features that are accessible on all browsers and mobile devices. Consistent product enhancements help ensure that the MLS Tax Suite performs as the industry’s leading and most innovative service. We’re proud to provide a personalized customer experience that is unmatched. Learn more by visiting www.crsdata.com.

(888) 455-6040 • www.FathomRealty.com • Cary, North Carolina

CURBIO

(866) 697-3308 • http://marketing.homes.com

(844) 944-2629 • https://curbio.com• Potomac, Maryland

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.

Curbio partners with real estate agents and homeowners to deliver a smart and hassle-free home improvement experience designed to get every home on the market and sold fast. Curbio’s turnkey approach, trusted team and all-in-one app allow REALTORS® to confidently take on home improvement projects of all sizes. Trusted by more than 800 brokerages nationwide, Curbio is making real estate move by redefining what the home improvement industry represents: transparency, reliability and speed.

102 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Fathom Realty is a national, cloud-based real estate brokerage powered by a proprietary technology platform called IntelliAgent. Agents enjoy a higher net income through Fathom’s 100%-commission, transaction-fee compensation model, allowing them to invest more money into growing their business. Fathom agents also earn stock grants based on their contribution to revenue and company growth. For more information, visit www.fathomcareers.com.

HOMES.COM

SERVICE PROFILES HOMESMART INTERNATIONAL

MCKISSOCK LEARNING

(800) 865-9025 • www.homesmart.com • Scottsdale, Arizona • Tori Sokol, Director of Marketing and Communications

(877) 277-5376 • McKissock.com/real-estate

Founded in 2000, HomeSmart International is one of the fastest-growing real estate franchisors in the nation, with a mission to lead the industry by providing the highest level of service, support, technology and value to our customers. The company offers franchisees efficiency and innovation coupled with the systems and technologies necessary to succeed in today’s evolving real estate industry.

Its low-fee, high-value 100%-commission brokerage model keeps costs down for its nearly 19,000 agents across 31 states.

HOMEVISIT BY CORELOGIC (833) 643-0445 • www.homevisit.com • Chantilly, Virginia • service@homevisit.com

Real estate marketing services spanning photography, video, image editing, Matterport 3D models and floor plan renderings, aerial imaging, print materials, direct mail and property websites. HomeVisit provides a single workflow that enables real estate professionals to significantly expand the scope and range of the marketing services they offer to homebuyers and sellers.

As part of the Colibri Real Estate family of premier education brands, McKissock Learning has helped hundreds of thousands of real estate professionals achieve sustainable success throughout each stage of their career via continuing education and professional development courses.

MYOUTDESK VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS (800) 583-9950 • www.myoutdesk.com www.myoutdesk.com/contact-us

MyOutDesk is the largest, most trusted and reputable provider of virtual staffing in real estate—having served more than 6,000-plus clients, including corporate giants such as Keller Williams, Coldwell Banker and RE/MAX. MyOutDesk virtual assistants (VAs) allow real estate teams the ability to focus on core activities that drive income and sales—saving our clients over $55 million a year. Focus on dollar-productive tasks without sacrificing your quality of service. Hire a Real Estate VA for up to 70% less than the cost of a traditional, full-time employee.

HSASM HOME WARRANTY

NAGLREP (NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GAY & LESBIAN REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS)

(800) 367-1448 • www.onlinehsa.com HSASM Home Warranty has provided outstanding products and ser-

(561) 865-6117 • naglrep.com • Jupiter, Florida • Jeff Berger, Founder

vice to real estate professionals and homeowners for more than 35 years. The home warranty helps sellers and buyers protect their budget from the cost of repairing or replacing the covered home system components and appliances in their home. HSASM also offers additional services to help buyers maintain their homes, including rekey service, an electronics plan and pre-season HVAC tune-up service. With HSA Home Warranty, your clients get reliable budget protection backed by exceptional service, and you get a provider who works hard to better serve you. Contact your local HSA Account Manager today by visiting onlinehsa.com.

NAGLREP is the No. 1 forum for LGBT homebuyers, sellers and LGBT and allied real estate professionals.

LEADING REAL ESTATE COMPANIES OF THE WORLD® (312) 424-0400 • www.LeadingRE.com

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) is a selective community of the world’s highest-quality independent real estate companies with 550 firms in 70 countries. Its 150,000 sales associates generate over 1.3 million transactions annually, with $296 billion in home sales last year among the top 500 U.S. firms. Over 200 of LeadingRE’s members have a dedicated commercial arm. LeadingRE exists to help members by connecting them to opportunities and people around the globe, supporting its agencies with an international referral network, professional development programs, unique events and connections to both people and opportunities worldwide. In 2020, LeadingRE was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Training Magazine for its learning and development programs.

LONE WOLF TECHNOLOGIES (866) CRY-WOLF • https://www.lwolf.com

Lone Wolf Technologies is the leader in real estate technology, from back office, accounting and insights to transaction management. We provide agents and brokerages with everything they need to lead in real estate, all in one place—so they can amaze their clients, manage their business and improve their profits.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (800) 874-6500 • www.NAR.realtor • Chicago, Illinois • Bob Goldberg, CEO • Victoria Gillespie, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer • Katie Johnson, General Counsel, Chief Member Experience Officer • Mark Birschbach, SVP, Strategic Business Innovation and Technology • Marc Gould, SVP, Member Development

The term REALTOR® identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. NAR members have access to the REALTOR Benefits® Program, NAR’s official member benefits resource, providing savings and special offers on products and services just for REALTORS®. Program partners are industry leaders who understand the unique needs of real estate professionals. Visit NAR.realtor/RealtorBenefits. NAR is also proud to offer the .realtor™ and .realestate top-level domains to members. Visit get.realtor. NAR offers a number of designations, certifications and opportunities for continuing education that support member development. Visit OnlineLearning.realtor. NAR empowers REALTORS® to evaluate, enhance and showcase their highest level of professionalism with the Commitment to Excellence program. Visit C2EX.realtor. The REALTOR® Store features publications, webinars and research reports, including the top-selling 2018 NAR Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers. Visit Store. realtor. Additionally, NAR’s venture capital arm, Second Century Ventures, has invested in companies that push forward innovation while benefitting NAR members. Visit secondcenturyventures.com.

RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE September 2021 103

SERVICE PROFILES PILLAR TO POST HOME INSPECTORS®

REALTOR TEAM STORE®

(800) 294-5591 • www.pillartopost.com • Tampa, Florida • Stephanie Bowling, Director of Marketing (416) 620-3572

(847) 991-4010 • www.NarTeamStore.realtor • Palatine, Illinois • Jordan Dunne

Founded in 1994, Pillar To Post is the No. 1 home inspection brand in North America with over 550 franchisees located in 49 states and nine Canadian provinces. The Pillar To Post difference includes a printed on-site report allowing for faster closings, each inspector carrying $1 million in E&O insurance to cover both the agent and the broker, and convenient scheduling options to meet every client’s needs.

We are a promotional products distributor selling logo products, and we have been the official supplier for the National Association of REALTORS® for 17-plus years. We sell logo items; if you have seen an item with a logo, we can get it. We stock over 300 items with the REALTOR® logo. They can be ordered on our website at www.NarTeamStore.realtor. We can custom-produce 10,000-plus items with any logo. We have considerable buying leverage in our industry; our factories are very interested in working with 1.4 million REALTORS®.

PROPERTYBASE (855) 390-2273 • www.propertybase.com • John Voigt, Director of Marketing Communications

Propertybase is the leading global real estate and mortgage software provider with lead generation, CRM, websites, compliance-driven transaction management, mortgage business growth platform and more. Over 4,500 brands trust Propertybase to deliver innovative technology to scale their business. The Propertybase family of brands includes Propertybase, BoldLeads, BoldMortgage and Unify.

REAL ESTATE WEBMASTERS (877) 753-9893 • www.rew.com • Nanaimo, British Columbia • Morgan Carey, CEO • morgan@rew.com

Real Estate Webmasters (REW) is the leading technology provider for the top 1% of real estate professionals in the world. Since 2004, we have helped shape real estate technology to grow with your professional needs. We are the secret weapon behind many of the names you already know and love, creating cutting-edge websites that generate leads, maximize efficiency and help ensure unrivaled success. If you can dream it, we can build it!

REAL LIVING REAL ESTATE (866) 373-6228 • www.realliving.com

Real Living Real Estate is a full-service real estate brokerage franchise network with a comprehensive and integrated suite of resources for franchisees and their sales professionals, as well as for consumers who work with them. Real Living Real Estate earned a record 98% customer satisfaction rating for 2019, according to independent rating service Quality Service Certification, Inc., Additionally, the Real Living brand and its innovative concepts were recognized

by Entrepreneur magazine. Real Living Real Estate is a network brand of HSF Affiliates LLC, which is owned by HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate.

REALOGY HOLDINGS CORP. (973) 407-2162 • www.realogy.com • Madison, New Jersey • Trey Sarten, VP, External Communications

Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) is a global leader in residential real estate franchising with company-owned real estate brokerage operations doing business under its franchise systems, as well as relocation and title services. Realogy’s brands and business units include Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Climb Real Estate®, Coldwell Banker®, Coldwell Banker Commercial®, The Corcoran Group®, ERA®, Sotheby’s International Realty®, ZipRealty®, Realogy Brokerage Group (Formerly NRT LLC), Cartus, Title Resource Group and ZapLabs LLC. Collectively, Realogy’s franchise system members operate over 16,300 offices with approximately 300,000 independent sales associates doing business in 113 countries and territories worldwide.

104 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

REALTORS PROPERTY RESOURCE® (877) 977-7576 • www.narrpr.com • Chicago, Illinois • Jeff Young, Chief Operating Officer/General Manager

Realtors Property Resource® (RPR) is a national, parcel-centric database that is a free, exclusive benefit for REALTOR® members of the National Association of REALTORS®. The database provides REALTORS® with all available information about every parcel of residential and commercial property in the United States, giving brokers and agents valuable tools and features to make them better informed in order to increase their efficiency in the marketplace.

REALTY ONE GROUP (949) 297-2020 • www.RealtyONEGroup.com Laguna Niguel, California • Eddie Sturgeon, EVP, Global Growth

Founded in 2005, Realty ONE Group is an industry disruptor, radically changing the face of real estate franchising with its unique business model, fun coolture, technology infrastructure and superior support for its real estate professionals. Realty ONE Group has been recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as a Top 5 Real Estate Franchise and has been on Inc. 500’s list of the Fastest-Growing Companies for seven consecutive years. Realty ONE Group is surging ahead, opening doors, not only for its clients, but for real estate professionals and franchise owners.

REBAC (800) 648-6224 • www.REBAC.net • Chicago, Illinois • rebac@nar.realtor

The Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC) provides training and support that help buyer’s representatives be successful in their business—and educates consumers about the benefits of buyer representation and the ABR® designation in order to improve their home-buying experience.

REeBROKER GROUP (760) 722-3222 • www.reebroker.com • Carlsbad, California • Vgandas Anthony Razhas, Broker & CEO • info@reebrokerca.com

REeBroker Group is the original and largest of virtual brokers in California, having handled 31,580 real estate transactions for a total sales volume of more than $10 billion since its inception in 2005. The Carlsbad-based, flat-fee brokerage partners with more than 2,000 real estate agents throughout the state and began its Loan Division in spring 2020. The company’s mission is to expand its technology platform, innovative agent tools, and outstanding support and mentoring programs to bring extensive opportunities for its agents to find success as real estate professionals while paying out the industry’s most competitive commission splits.

SERVICE PROFILES RE/MAX, LLC (303) 770-5531 • www.remax.com • Denver, Colorado

RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by original disruptors Dave and Gail Liniger, who changed the real estate industry forever. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, RE/MAX is now a global franchise network with over 130,000 sales associates in more than 110 countries and territories. 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.

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE COUNCIL (800) 462-8841 • www.crs.com • Chicago, Illinois CRS Help: CRShelp@crs.com

The Residential Real Estate Council was established in 1976 to provide real estate brokers and agents with shared knowledge and tools.

Recognizing the need for advanced education, the Council developed training courses and established the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Designation. The Council is recognized as the leading provider of real estate education and networking for residential real estate agents, and the CRS Designation is considered the most prestigious designation a real estate agent can achieve.

ROCKET MORTGAGE RocketPro.com/RealEstate

Detroit-based Rocket Mortgage is the nation’s largest home mortgage lender. The company closed $320 billion of volume across all 50 states in 2020. Rocket Mortgage moved its headquarters to downtown Detroit in 2010. Today, Rocket Mortgage and Rocket Companies employ 24,000 full-time team members across the U.S. and Canada. The company ranked highest in the country for customer satisfaction for primary mortgage origination by J.D. Power for the past 11 consecutive years, 2010 - 2020, and also ranked highest in the country for customer satisfaction among all mortgage servicers the past seven straight years, 2014 - 2020.

SHERRI JOHNSON COACHING & CONSULTING (844) 989-2600 • www.sherrijohnson.com

Sherri Johnson is the premier national real estate coach offering worldclass coaching, keynote speaking and consulting services. No other real estate coach matches her 20-plus years of experience as a top agent, manager and executive of a Top-3 national brokerage, having personally led over 700 agents to $1.6 billion in annual sales volume. Sherri’s unique and proven coaching programs—including her exclusive Goldmine PipelineTM strategy—produce immediate, reliable results for agents nationwide, regardless of current production level.

UNITED REAL ESTATE (888) 960-0606 • www.GrowWithUnited.com • Rick Haase, President

United Real Estate (URE), a division of United Real Estate Group, was founded in 2011 to provide solutions for brokers and agents in a rapidly changing real estate industry. Recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the nation’s fastest-growing real estate companies, United has helped thousands of agents Find Their Freedom® with its full-service, 100%-commission, transaction-based model. The company offers brokerage franchise and conversion opportunities, as well as merger and succession opportunities. Its proprietary technology, Bullseye™ Agent & Broker Produc-

tivity Platform, provides on-demand access to next-generation technology, marketing and training for brokers and agents, powered by a 1.8 million-plus listings data warehouse. United operates in 24 states with more than 10,500 agents and over 100 franchise and company-owned locations.

UPDATER www.updater.com • New York, New York • Chris Avery, VP of Real Estate • realestate@updater.com

Think about your last move…it was probably confusing, stressful and chaotic. Your clients experience the same thing and desperately need moving help. Updater is the nation’s leading moving and home management app that saves your clients countless hours on various moving-related tasks including connecting TV and internet, reserving a moving company, securing insurance, connecting utilities, and much more. The experience is branded for your brokerage and each agent, and fully personalized for each client’s unique move. Both brokers and agents find Updater to be an incredible way to differentiate and provide an excellent client experience during a stressful time.

WEICHERT FAMILY OF COMPANIES (800) 401-0486 • www.weichert.com • Morris Plains, New Jersey

Since 1969, Weichert, Realtors® has grown from a single office into one of the nation’s leading providers of homeownership services, made up of 18 full-service real estate-related companies dedicated to putting customers first. Its network of real estate brokerages includes more than 500 offices, serving markets in 42 states, with thousands of agents. As a Weichert agent, you have access to industry-leading sales and marketing tools, powerful technology, national and international referral networks and top-notch coaching and training, as well as a unique culture of support and sharing, from interactive staff to collaborative affiliates across the country. Franchises available.

WORKMAN SUCCESS SYSTEMS (385) 282-7112 • www.workmansuccesssytems.com Salt Lake City, Utah

Workman Success Systems delivers comprehensive team solutions to agents, brokers and companies, private and group coaching solutions for every level of business, and proven seven-figure income-earning systems. Workman Success Systems Founder, Master Coach and Speaker Verl Workman delivers the necessary performance skills, the latest and most effective tools, and proven dialogues and systems that work. To hire Verl to speak at your next event, visit www.workmansuccess.com/speaking. Sign up for a free coaching consult by going to www.workmansuccess.com/consult.

ZAVVIE (888) 407-4556 • https://zavvie.com • Boulder, Colorado • Lane Hornung, CEO

Founded by Lane Hornung and Stefan Peterson, zavvie combines proprietary technology with real world operating expertise, to provide a superior iBuyer strategy for brokers. zavvie is making the experience simple and seamless for iBuyers and agents to work together in the best interest of the consumer by facilitating and empowering listing agents to get all available offers for their clients. Its platform is a one-of-itskind offering, backed by market specific iBuyer and Open Market data and efficient technology. Its customer friendly interface works well with its top-notch Customer Success Team to create a seamless consumer-centric process for brokers and their clients.

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SERVICE PROFILES

RREIN Member Profiles BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES AMBASSADOR REAL ESTATE (402) 493-4663 • (800) 477-7653 www.BHHSamb.com • agents@BHHSamb.com

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate is dedicated to providing progressive, quality real estate services in Nebraska’s metropolitan Omaha and Lincoln surrounding areas. We service all types of markets: single-family residential, new construction, condos, corporate relocation, third-party relocation, acreages and commercial real estate. With approximately 400 licensed agents, we have an agent to meet your needs regardless of the style, price or age of the property you are looking for. We understand that trust is earned and that good, professional service is an essential part of that.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES NEVADA PROPERTIES (800) 735-4488 • www.BHHSNV.com

With more than 260,000 homes sold and 35 years in the industry, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties is the leader in Las Vegas real estate. Consistently rated among the top brokers in the nation, our agents successfully help families find their dream homes. With six area offices, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties is a full-service brokerage focused on quality service and the development of its agents. Call today to see how we can help increase your business.

CENTURY 21 AWARD (800) 293-1657 • www.century21award.com

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES FLORIDA REALTY

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.

(954) 693-0100 • (800) 386-1554 www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com • Sunrise, Florida • Rei Mesa, CRS, CRB, President & CEO

(800) 727-6888 • www.c21nm.com

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty serves 21 counties throughout Florida with more than 40 locations and approximately 1,800 sales professionals. The full-service brokerage company, founded in 1999, is part of HomeServices of America, the nation’s premier provider of homeownership services. The company is a franchise member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ network, one of the few organizations entrusted to use the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name. The company offers residential and commercial services as well as seasonal rentals, property management, REO & foreclosures, corporate relocations, referral services, title, home warranty plans and personal concierge services. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty ranks in the Top 10 in the network and is the overall No. 1 fundraiser for The Sunshine Kids Foundation in Florida, having generated more than $3.6 million. Visit www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com.

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES GEORGIA PROPERTIES (770) 992-4100 • www.BHHSGeorgia.com

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties has over 1,600 associates and 26 locations across the Greater Metro Atlanta and North Georgia area. The company generated over $4.1 billion in sales volume in 2019. Trendgraphix reports that Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties is ranked No. 1 in home sales for the Greater Metro Atlanta area. Led by president and CEO Dan Forsman, the organization offers a full suite of real estate services including residential real estate, luxury real estate, new homes services, condo/high-rise services, commercial real estate, corporate relocation, property management, mortgage lending, title and settlement services, home warranties and insurance. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Visit http://www.BHHSGA.com.

106 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

CENTURY 21 NEW MILLENNIUM CENTURY 21 New Millennium is a full-service real estate brokerage in the greater Washington, D.C., area. The company, which specializes in residential and luxury properties, joined the CENTURY 21® System in 1998 and has established a sound and successful organization providing traditional residential and commercial services, on-site mortgage, title, and property management, and access to a vast network of relocation and other real estate service providers worldwide. It has earned the status of No. 1 CENTURY 21 Firm in the World for the past three years. With 20 locations and approximately 900 real estate professionals, New Millennium is consistently included in REALTOR® Magazine’s Top 100 Companies List for all real estate firms nationwide regardless of brand. It is also a past winner of the prestigious Cartus Masters Cup, the Network’s highest honor.

The Cartus Broker Network is the largest relocation network in the world and includes more than 775 hand-selected brokerages in the United States.

COLDWELL BANKER KAPPEL GATEWAY REALTY (844) 861-5631 • www.KappelGateway.com

Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty was created through the merger of Kappel & Kappel Realty, Inc. and Solano Gateway Realty, Inc. Both firms, founded in 1972, are the market leaders in Solano County, combining more than $600 million in sales dollar volume and welcoming more than 240 agents in seven offices, with branch offices in Vacaville, Fairfield, Dixon and Green Valley. Eighty-five percent of our business is derived from returning and referred clients, a true testament to our clients’ high level of satisfaction with our services and our trusted real estate professionals.

SERVICE PROFILES JORDAN BARIS, INC. REALTORS® REAL LIVING

MCCOLLY REAL ESTATE

(800) 4-JBARIS • (973) 736-1600 • www.JordanBaris.com info@jordanbaris.com

(800) 348-2100 x206 • www.mccolly.com

Founded in 1952, Jordan Baris, Inc. Realtors® Real Living 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. Realtors® Real Living 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 Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®.

KINLIN GROVER REAL ESTATE (508) 420-1130 • www.kinlingrover.com

Kinlin Grover has 16 real estate offices covering Cape Cod from the bridges to Provincetown, specializing in the marketing and sale of waterfront, village, commercial properties and fine homes. From the very beginning, the Kinlin Grover mission has remained constant: “to help our clients make the best real estate decisions and to uphold the highest standards of ethics and professionalism.” In addition, Kinlin Grover Vacation Rentals is the largest real estate firm on Cape Cod with over 600 privately-owned Cape Cod vacation rental homes. We value every client and pledge to deliver unsurpassed service as trusted advisors, expert facilitators and skilled negotiators.

LONG & FOSTER REAL ESTATE, INC. (866) 677-6937 • www.LongandFoster.com

Long & Foster Real Estate, the nation’s No. 1 independent brand by sales volume, is part of The Long & Foster Companies, a subsidiary of HomeServices of America, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. HomeServices is the nation’s second-largest real estate brokerage and one of the largest providers of integrated real estate services. Long & Foster Real Estate is the exclusive affiliate for Christie’s International Real Estate throughout select parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, and it is a founding affiliate of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, a prestigious global network of real estate professionals that includes the Luxury Portfolio International division. Long & Foster Real Estate has over 220 offices, stretching from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Fair Haven, New Jersey, and from Martinsburg, West Virginia, to the Atlantic Ocean, and it represents more than 11,000 agents in seven Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states, plus the District of Columbia. The company, which has a productive commercial business in addition to its residential side, sold more than $31.1 billion worth of homes and helped people buy and sell homes nearly 85,000 times in 2017.

LUSK & ASSOCIATES SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY (717) 291-9101 • www.LuskandAssociates.com

When you work with Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty, you can count on specialists who can answer your questions, apply in-depth knowledge of current market conditions and access extensive resources that can expedite the sale of your home.

Since 1974, McColly Real Estate has found your place to call home, from the shores of Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana to Lake Street Beach in Chicago. McColly is a proud LeadingRE member with bilingual agents in 14-plus languages among 450-plus Realtors® in 18 offices. McColly Companies is the One Source for All Purpose Real Estate with its ancillary companies of McColly Insurance, Community Title, McColly Auctions, McColly Bennett Commercial, McColly New Homes Division and Luxury Home Portfolio™.

PATTERSON-SCHWARTZ REAL ESTATE (877) 456-4663 • www.pattersonschwartz.com pattersonschwartz@psre.com

Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate is Delaware’s largest independent REALTOR® with over 50 years of service to the Delaware real estate market and surrounding communities in nearby Pennsylvania and Maryland. With nine offices and 415 sales associates, we are committed to excellence, integrity and quality service. We offer a full range of services, including residential home sales, purchase and rental, relocation services and property management.

RANDALL, REALTORS® (401) 364-3388 • www.randallrealtors.com

Randall, Realtors® has been a consistent leader in the marketing of Southern New England properties for more than 28 years. Specializing in waterfront properties and second homes, our agents boast a 98.5% client satisfaction rating. Through our extensive marketing network, we offer tremendous exposure for our property listings and continue to deliver successful sales and representation for our clients. In addition, Randall, Realtors®’ Vacation Rental Department offers a large selection of vacation rental properties serving the Southern Rhode Island shoreline and Eastern Connecticut.

RE/MAX 440 AND RE/MAX CENTRAL (215) 453-7653 • www.pahomesforsale.com • Tom Skiffington, Broker/Owner, tom@tomskiffington.com

RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central is a first-class, professional real estate company. Our goal is to provide the most prompt, courteous and professional services to all our customers and clients. We are the leading RE/MAX in Pennsylvania and Delaware with the highest sales volume and transactions. RE/MAX 440/Central has 10 different offices in Bucks, Montgomery and Lehigh counties.

RE/MAX GATEWAY (703) 652-5760 • www.gateway2realestate.com

The real estate market is ever changing. It takes constant evaluation, review of recent trends to forecast a potential future and education of agents through mastermind groups and real estate information exchanges. These are areas in which we excel at RE/MAX Gateway. Contact us today if you are looking to advance your career in real estate through a multitude of educational experiences and resources, or if you need real estate advice in order to make informed decisions when buying and selling houses.

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BROKER-TO-BROKER REFERRALS CALIFORNIA

DELAWARE

Ascent Real Estate, Inc. 410 Kalmia St., San Diego, CA 92101 Contact: Gina Lancelot • Tel: (619) 325-4100 Email: info@ascentrealestate.net • URL: www.ascentrealestate.net Coverage Areas: San Diego Offices: 9 • Associates: 180

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+

CENTURY 21 Award - Orange County 22342 Avenida Empresa, Ste. 110, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 Contact: Joshua Tucker, Director of Relocation Services Tel: (760) 217-2491 (Toll Free) • Fax: (619) 374-2706 Email: jtucker@century21award.com • Coverage Areas: Orange County Offices: 15 • Associates: 1,200 CENTURY 21 Award - San Diego, Riverside 7676 Hazard Center Dr., Ste. 300, San Diego, CA 92108 Contact: Joshua Tucker, Director of Relocation Services Tel: (760) 217-2491 (Toll Free) • Fax: (619) 374-2706 Email: jtucker@century21award.com Coverage Areas: San Diego, Southern Riverside Offices: 15 • Associates: 1,200 Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty 750 Mason St., Ste. 101, Vacaville, CA 95688 Contact: Rachel Guerin Tel: (707) 427-5344 or (844) 861-5631 • Fax: (707) 446-9830 Email: info@kappelgateway.com • URL: www.KappelGateway.com Coverage Areas: Vacaville, Benicia, Davis, Dixon, Fairfield, Napa, Rio Vista, Suisun City Vallejo and Winters, California Offices: 7 • Associates: 240 J. Rockcliff REALTORS® 4115 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Ste. 201, Danville, CA, 94506 Tel: (925) 251-2501 (O), (925) 324-1323 (C), 877-JRCKCLF (572-2523) (TF) URL(s): www.rockcliff.com • www.rockliffcares.com Coverage Areas: Alameda County: Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Dublin Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Oakland, Piedmont, Pleasanton, San Leandro, Sunol, Union City; Contra Costa County: Alamo, Antioch, Bethel Island, Brentwood, Byron, Canyon, Clayton, Concord, Crockett, Danville, Diablo, Discovery Bay, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill Port Costa, Richmond, Rodeo, San Pablo, San Ramon, Walnut Creek; San Joaquin County: Country Club, Lathrop, Lodi, Manteca, Mountain House, Stockton, Tracy, Silicon Valley/San Jose area

CONNECTICUT Page Taft 89 Whitfield St., Guilford, CT 06437 Contact: Karen Stephens, Executive VP • Tel: (203) 453-6511 Email: kstephens@pagetaft.com • URL: www.pagetaft.com Coverage Areas: Connecticut • Offices: 3 • Associates: 60 Randall, REALTORS® 4009 Old Post Rd., Charleston, RI 02813 Contact: Jean Fournier, Dir. of Relocation & Referral Services Tel: (401) 486-9677 Email: jfournier@randallrealtors.com • URL: www.randallrealtors.com Coverage Areas: Connecticut and Rhode Island Offices: 9 • Associates: 175

108 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate 7234 Lancaster Pike, Ste. 220B, Hockessin, DE 19707 Contact: Brian Pomije, Relocation Manager Tel: (302) 234-3600 (Office) • (302) 234-5207 (Direct) • (800) 443-2295 (Toll Free) Email: bpomije@psre.com • URL: pattersonschwartz.com Coverage Areas: Delaware (New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties), Pennsylvania (Chester and Delaware counties), Maryland (Cecil, Kent and Harford counties) • Offices: 9 • Associates: 415

FLORIDA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty 1580 Sawgrass Corporate Pkwy., Ste. 400, Sunrise, FL 33323 Contact: Rei Mesa, CRS, CRB, President & CEO Tel: (954) 693-0100 or (800) 386-1554 • Fax: (954) 236-6962 Email: ReiMesa@BHHSFloridaRealty.com Relocation Contact: Sharon Sapp, Vice President, Relocation, Referrals & REOs Email: sharonsapp@BHHSFloridaRealty.com URL: www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com Coverage Areas: 21 counties throughout Florida, including Southeast Florida, Southwest Florida and Orlando area • Offices: 40 • Associates: 1,750

GEORGIA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties 863 Holcomb Bridge Rd., Roswell, GA 30076 Contact: Kathy Connelly, SVP Corporate Services • Tel: (678) 352-3321 Email: Kathy.Connelly@BHHSGeorgia.com • URL: www.BHHSGeorgia.com Coverage Areas: Metro Atlanta and North Georgia Offices: 26 • Associates: 1,600

ILLINOIS McCOLLY Real Estate 800 Deer Creek Dr., Schererville, IN 46375 Contact: Deborah Horton, CRP, RCC, Director of Referral/Relocation Services Tel: (800) 348-2100 ext. 206 Email: dhorton@mccolly.com • URL: www.mccolly.com Coverage Areas: Alsip, Aroma Park, Beecher, Blue Island, Bourbonnais, Bradley, Burbank, Burnham, Calumet City, Channahon, Chicago, Chicago Ridge, Clearing, Country Club Hills, Crest Hill, Crestwood, Crete, Evergreen Park, Flossmoor, Frankfort, Glenwood, Grant Park, Harvey, Hazel Crest, Hegewisch, Hickory Hills, Homewood, Kankakee, Lansing, Lemont, Lockport, Lynwood, Manteno, Matteson, Mokena, Momence, Monee, Morgan Park, Mount Greenwood, New Lenox, Oak Lawn, Orland Hills, Orland Park, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Park Forest, Peotone, Richton Park, Riverdale, Roseland, Steger, Tinley Park, University Park, Worth • Offices: 18 • Associates: 450+

INDIANA McCOLLY Real Estate 800 Deer Creek Dr., Schererville, IN 46375 Contact: Deborah Horton, CRP, RCC, Director of Referral/Relocation Services Tel: (800) 348-2100 ext. 206 Email: dhorton@mccolly.com • URL: www.mccolly.com Coverage Areas: Beverly Shores, Cedar Lake, Chesterton, Crown Point, DeMotte, Dyer, Dune Acres, East Chicago, Gary, Griffith, Hammond, Hebron,

BROKER-TO-BROKER REFERRALS Highland, Hobart, Kouts, La Porte, Lake Station, Lake Village, Lakes of Four Seasons, Long Beach, Lowell, Merrillville, Michiana Shores, Michigan City, Miller Beach, Morocco, Munster, Ogden Dunes, Otis, Portage, Porter, Rensselaer, Roselawn, Schererville, Schneider, St. John, Sumava Resorts, Thayer, Valparaiso, Westville, Wheatfield, Whiting, Winfield Offices: 18 • Associates: 450+

MARYLAND CENTURY 21 New Millennium 5990 Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315 Contact: Todd Hetherington, CEO • Tel: (800) 382-1101 Fax: (703) 822-0136 Relocation Contact: Jeff Hetherington, Director of Relocation Email: move@c21nm.com • URL: www.c21nm.com Coverage Areas: Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Southern Maryland markets. Our areas of expertise range from Fortune 500 executives to specialized training in military and government relocation.

Offices: 16 • Associates: 700+ Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+ Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate 7234 Lancaster Pike, Ste. 220B, Hockessin, DE 19707 Contact: Brian Pomije, Relocation Manager Tel: (302) 234-3600 (Office) • (302) 234-5207 (Direct) (800) 443-2295 (Toll Free) Email: bpomije@psre.com • URL: pattersonschwartz.com Coverage Areas: Delaware (New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties), Pennsylvania (Chester and Delaware counties), Maryland (Cecil, Kent and Harford counties) • Offices: 9 • Associates: 415 RE/MAX Gateway 4090B Lafayette Center Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Scott MacDonald, President Tel: (703) 652-5760 • (703) 727-6900 (Cell) Email: scottmacdonald@remax.net • URL: www.gateway2realestate.com Coverage Areas: Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland Offices: 6 • Associates: 170

MASSACHUSETTS Kinlin Grover Real Estate 4 Wianno Ave., Osterville, MA 02655 Contact: Lucy Cundiff, Director of Agent Services Tel: (508) 420-1130 Email: lcundiff@kinlingrover.com • URL: www.kinlingrover.com Coverage Areas: Southeastern Massachusetts Offices: 16 • Associates: 275

MISSOURI Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties 1650 Des Peres Rd., Ste. 205, Saint Louis, MO 63131 Contact: Angie Ignatowski, Relocation Director Tel: (314) 835-6000 • (314) 835-6050 (Direct) Email: aignatowski@bhhsselectstl.com • URL: www.bhhsselectstl.com Coverage Areas: St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, Lincoln County • Offices: 11 • Associates: Over 500

NEBRASKA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate 13340 California St., Omaha, NE 68154 Contact: Katie Adams, CRP, GMS, VP Corp. Relocation & Business Development Tel: (800) 477-7653 or (402) 547-5137 Email: Katie.adams@BHHSamb.com • URL: www.BHHSamb.com Coverage Areas: Omaha and Lincoln Metropolitan Area, including Omaha, Bellevue, Ralston, LaVista, Papillion, Gretna, Elkhorn, Fremont, Lincoln, Council Bluffs and surrounding communities

NEVADA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties 3185 St. Rose Pkwy., Ste. 100, Henderson, NV 89052 Contact: Eileen Mitchell, Dir. of Relocation & Referral Services Tel: (800) 735-4488 Email: relo@BHHSNV.com • URL: www.BHHSNV.com Coverage Areas: Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Summerlin and Pahrump • Offices: 6 • Associates: 1,050

NEW JERSEY Jordan Baris, Inc., REALTORS® Real Living 50 Mt. Pleasant Ave., West Orange, NJ 07052 Contact: Carol Abdo, Relocation Director Tel: (973) 736-1600 (Office) • (800) 4-JBARIS (Toll Free) Fax: (973) 736-5159 Email: relocation@jordanbaris.com • URL: www.jordanbaris.com Coverage Areas: Essex, Union, Hudson and Morris counties. Specifically West Orange, South Orange, Maplewood, Livingston, East Hanover, Roseland, Short Hills, Montclair, Bloomfield, Belleville, Newark, East Orange, Orange, Irvington, Jersey City, North Bergen, Union, Vauxhall, Parsippany-Troy Hills Offices: 2 • Associates: 150 Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+

NORTH CAROLINA Coldwell Banker Advantage 7610 Six Forks Rd., Ste. 100, Raleigh, NC 27615 Contact: Benina Drake, CRP, SVP Relocation & Referral Services Tel: (800) 274-5345 • (919) 846-3330 (Direct) Email: BDrake@AdvantageCB.com • URL: AdvantageCB.com Coverage Areas: Apex, Cary, Clayton, Creedmoor, Chapel Hill, Durham, Falls Lake, Fayetteville, Ft. Bragg area, Henderson, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Lake Gaston, Lillington, McGee’s Crossroads, Pinehurst, Pittsboro, Pope Air Force Base area, Raleigh, Southern Pines, Wake Forest and Zebulon Offices: 17 • Associates: 325 Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+

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BROKER-TO-BROKER REFERRALS PENNSYLVANIA Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+ Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty 100 Foxshire Dr., Lancaster, PA 17601 Tel: (717) 291-9101 • Fax: (717) 393-2336 Contact: Sandy Zercher Email: sandra.zercher@sothebysrealty.com URL: www.LuskandAssociates.com Coverage Areas: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; Susquehanna Valley, Pennsylvania; South Central Pennsylvania • Offices: 1 • Associates: 40 Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate 7234 Lancaster Pike, Ste. 220B, Hockessin, DE 19707 Contact: Brian Pomije, Relocation Manager Tel: (302) 234-3600 (Office) • (302) 234-5207 (Direct) • (800) 4432295 (Toll Free) • Email: bpomije@psre.com • URL: pattersonschwartz.com Coverage Areas: Delaware (New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties), Pennsylvania (Chester and Delaware counties), Maryland (Cecil, Kent and Harford counties) • Offices: 9 • Associates: 415 RE/MAX 440 and RE/MAX Central 701 West Market St., Perkasie, PA 18944 Contact: Tom Skiffington, Broker/Owner • Tel: (215) 453-7653 or (215) 643-3200 • Email: tom@tomskiffington.com URLs: www.pahomesforsale.com • www.lehighvalleyrealestate.com Coverage Areas: Pennsylvania counties: Bucks, Berks, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Lehigh, North Hampton, and New Jersey Offices: 10 • Associates: 170

RHODE ISLAND Randall, REALTORS® 4009 Old Post Rd., Charleston, RI 02813 Contact: Jean Fournier, Dir. of Relocation & Referral Services Tel: (401) 486-9677 Email: jfournier@randallrealtors.com • URL: www.randallrealtors.com Coverage Areas: Connecticut and Rhode Island Offices: 9 • Associates: 175

SOUTH CAROLINA Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, REALTORS® 745 N. Pleasantburg Dr., Greenville, SC 29607 Contacts: Nichole Moore, Director of Relocation, (864) 678-5362, nmoore@cdanjoyner.com, Jo Anne Conner, Destination & Broker-to-Broker Mgr., (864) 678-5227, jconner@cdanjoyner.com • URL: www.cdanjoyner.com Brookfield GRS, SIRVA, AIReS Relocation, Graebel, MI Group Coverage Areas: Greenville, Greer, Taylors, Duncan, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Fountain Inn, Powdersville, Easley, Piedmont, Anderson Offices: 10 • Associates: 400+ CENTURY 21 New Millennium 5990 Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315 Contact: Todd Hetherington, CEO • Tel: (800) 382-1101 Fax: (703) 822-0136 Relocation Contact: Jeff Hetherington, Director of Relocation Email: move@c21nm.com • URL: www.c21nm.com

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Providers of world class real estate services in the Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Southern Maryland markets. Our areas of expertise range from Fortune 500 executives to specialized training in military and government relocation. • Offices: 16 • Associates: 700+ RE/MAX Gateway 4090B Lafayette Center Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Scott MacDonald, President Tel: (703) 652-5760 • (703) 727-6900 (Cell) Email: scottmacdonald@remax.net • URL: www.gateway2realestate.com Coverage Areas: Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland Offices: 6 • Associates: 170

VIRGINIA Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+

WASHINGTON, D.C. CENTURY 21 New Millennium 5990 Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria, VA 22315 Contact: Todd Hetherington, CEO • Tel: (800) 382-1101 Fax: (703) 822-0136 Relocation Contact: Jeff Hetherington, Director of Relocation Email: move@c21nm.com • URL: www.c21nm.com Providers of world class real estate services in the Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the Southern Maryland markets. Our areas of expertise range from Fortune 500 executives to specialized training in military and government relocation. • Offices: 16 • Associates: 700+ Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+ RE/MAX Gateway 4090B Lafayette Center Dr., Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Scott MacDonald, President Tel: (703) 652-5760 • (703) 727-6900 (Cell) Email: scottmacdonald@remax.net • URL: www.gateway2realestate.com Coverage Areas: Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland Offices: 6 • Associates: 170

WEST VIRGINIA Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Headquarters Office: 14501 George Carter Way, Chantilly, VA 20151 Contact: Vicki Hamp, SVP of Corporate Real Estate Services Tel: (800) 335-0356 Email: Vicki.Hamp@LongandFoster.com • URL: www.LongandFoster.com Coverage Areas: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia Offices: 220+ • Associates 11,000+

INDEX OF SERVICE PROVIDERS ABR®.........................................................................................10

National Association of REALTORS®................................ 6, 41

American Home Shield®........................................................IFC

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

Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA)............ 36

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

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

Real Estate Webmasters................................................... 24-25

The CE Shop............................................................................. 74

RE/MAX, LLC...........................................................................15

Century 21 Real Estate LLC.....................................................27

RISMedia’s ACESocial................................................7, 9, 97, 111

Darryl Davis Seminars, Inc......................................................79

RISMedia’s Power Broker Reception & Dinner.......................... 8

ERA Real Estate......................................................................23 Fathom Realty.......................................................................... 63

RISMedia’s Real Estate CEO & Agent Leadership Exchange..................................................................................70

Homes.com..............................................................................19

RISMedia’s Real Estate Newsmakers Nominations..............93

Lamacchia Realty............................................................................55

Rocket Mortgage..................................................................... 13

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®..............................1

ShelterZoom.............................................................................28

McKissock Learning........................................................................43

Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting.................................49

NAR’s Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) Certification.............. 81

United Real Estate....................................................................34

National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP)®........................................................20

Workman Success Systems................................. 57, 69, 91, 95

®

Weichert, Realtors®................................................................. 58

Simplify Your Social Media Strategy “I think anyone getting into this business who is looking to reach out and have some type of identity on social media needs to look at ACESocial.”

- Andrew Velez, Real Estate Consultant/Licensed REALTOR®, RE/MAX Advisors

For more information, visit acesocial.rismedia.com

RE: REAL ESTATE

3 Essential Safety Strategies to Protect Agents in the Field

D

id you know that nearly one in four REALTORS® reported that they have feared for their personal safety while on the job? An even higher number, nearly one in three, reported feeling fearful when hosting open houses or conducting showings. In fact, according to the 2020 Member Safety Report, 4% of REALTORS®, or about 60,000 members, said they’ve been victims of a violent crime, including assault, sexual abuse, rape, robbery and murder.

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) is deeply concerned about the welfare and safety of REALTORS® and has dedicated September as REALTOR® Safety Month—the perfect time to reassess your safety protocols and focus on ensuring that your agents are as safe as possible in the field. The REALTOR® Safety Program is designed to help with dozens of resources and tools to increase safety. Get started with these three essential takeaways that could keep your agents out of harm’s way.

NO. 1 UNDERSTAND THE RISKS Many real estate practitioners have the misconception that most crimes against agents are opportunistic street crimes rather than a product of predatory behavior. In fact, police reports and research show that the majority of crimes upon agents meet all the classic predatory behavior patterns and that criminals “victim shop” for signs of weakness and vulnerability.

Motive + Means + Opportunity = Crime For a crime to be committed, there must be a motive (a reason), means (an ability) and opportunity (a chance to commit the crime). Though agents can’t affect the predator’s motive, typically the desire for power and control, there are many steps they can take to prevent the crime by removing the means, the opportunity, or both. Make sure your agents understand their risks, learn the warning signs and know how to avoid becoming a victim.

NO. 2 MAKE A SAFETY PLAN NAR strongly encourages brokerages to create and implement a comprehensive safety plan that agents follow every day, with every client, every time. Since each office has unique needs, NAR doesn’t prescribe a standard plan, but instead offers customizable safety-related forms

112 September 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

and processes like an Agent ID Form, Agent Itinerary and Office Safety Action Plan.

NO. 3 PRIORITIZE SAFETY YEAR-ROUND As a broker, it’s important to make safety a top priority for agents from day one—and every day after that. Safety topics should be a prominent part of your onboarding process, ongoing training, regular meetings and communications. Promote a strong safety culture in your office by working with agents and staff to devise your safety plan and protocols and commit to following them. Remind your agents that safety is always more important than the sale. Post the REALTOR® Safety Pledge in your office and make sure your agents take it—and take it seriously.

NAR’s REALTOR® SAFETY PROGRAM Everything you need to increase your agents’ safety, understand their risks, create an effective safety plan, and keep safety top of mind is available through NAR’s REALTOR® Safety Program and the broker’s REALTOR® Safety Toolkit. NAR provides training presentations, dozens of safety tips, articles, reports and videos, a monthly discussion-topics booklet, free webinars and even a list of safety presenters. New information and resources are added regularly, including webinars and open panel discussions, so check back often.

Visit NAR.realtor/safety to access the safety resources mentioned above, and more, from NAR’s REALTOR® Safety Program. RE

Top Safety Tips to Share With Agents Today • Meet new clients at the office or a neutral location—not at the property.

• Don’t host open houses alone.

• Share your schedule with a colleague or family member.

• Don’t overshare about your personal life.

• Communicate with your office about safety concerns, like a poor cell signal at your listing.

• Never ignore a gut feeling that something is wrong.

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