LORE Summer 2016 Issue by REAL Trends

Summer 2016 • Volume 10 / Issue 2

INSIDE:

Realogy’s President and CEO Alex Perriello

Calm, Collected and Creative We uncover the personal side of Realogy’s leader and uncover his zeal for life and love. Coming to America: A Journey to Citizenship

Meet a recruiting extraordinaire, a farming sensation, an advocate for the LGBT community and an agent who is building homes in Nicaragua

This issue of LORE magazine was brought to you by ERA and RE/MAX International

Summer 2016 Volume 10 / Issue 2

6 12

COVER STORY Realogy’s President and CEO Alex Perriello: Calm, Collected and Creative We uncover the personal side of Realogy’s leader and uncover his zeal for life and love.

Feature: Coming to America— A Journey to Citizenship Determined to make a better life for himself in the United States, Realtor® Alex Bruno faced many challenges along the way.

DEPARTMENTS

18 22 27 29

How I Got My Start: Go-Getter—From Dreamy Eyes to Dream Homes Jackie Root is a broker’s dream recruiter. Find out how she honed her skills at Mary Kay before changing careers.

Saving the World: Building Homes in Nicaragua Building homes for the less fortunate is a passion of this Alabama real estate broker.

Personal Passions: Farming—Growing His Real Estate Business Raised on a farm, Allen Mosbey thought he wanted more than a farmer’s life. He was only partially correct. Here’s his story.

Leadership Profile: Filling a Void—Giving the LGBT Community a Voice Keller Williams Realtor® Jeff Berger is educating real estate professionals on working with LGTB community. LORE

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

CELEBRATING REAL ESTATE’S PROFESSIONALS

t’s always fun when we get to write about one of the true greats in our industry. Alex Perriello and I have known each other for nearly 30 years. Through the years, we’ve had many times when we got to work together on something (remember Hawaii?) or just kicked back to enjoy a drink and a good cigar. The story about Alex could have run to 100 pages and not told the whole story of the smart professional and strong friend that he is to so many. Here’s to you, Alex. What’s interesting about residential real estate is that it is, in fact, an interesting field. No, it’s not rocket science. But, it may be one of the few remaining industries where people do matter. When you read Alex’s story or Allen Mosbey’s story, people who might never have a thing in common in their lives share the same passion for serving others. Both, along with Jackie Root and Jeff Berger have amazing stories of how they got into the business and how they succeed. The release of this edition of LORE coincides with the start of the 30th year of REAL Trends. As I think back to all of the interesting times, I am reminded that the purest form of joy from all those years is the wonderful, smart, successful people who we’ve had the privilege of knowing. Some of the very best even though we know better. In fact, it’s the people that make this business so enjoyable.

Stephen H. Murray Publisher

Lives of Real Estate

www.loremagazine.com Steve Murray

Publisher smurray@realtrends.com Tracey C. Velt

Editor-in-Chief tvelt@realtrends.com David Grassnick

Graphic Designer chiefcreative@msn.com Bryan Warrick

Creative Director bwarrick@realtrends.com Doniece Welch

Advertising dwelch@realtrends.com 303-741-1000 Lore magazine is published online via Issuu four times a year—in February, May, August and November—by REAL Trends Inc. 7501 Village Square Drive, Ste. 200 Castle Rock, CO 80108 (303) 741-1000 Free Subscriptions: Click Here or call 303-741-1000 psalley@realtrends.com

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COVER STORY

Realogyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s President and CEO Alex Perriello

Calm, Collected and Creative We uncover the personal side of Realogyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s franchising leader and his zeal for life and love. 6

Lives of Real Estate

t was Friday, March 13, 2015, when Alex Perriello, president and chief executive officer of the Realogy Franchise Group, had a moment of clarity. “I’m not superstitious, but it was Friday the 13th,” he says of the accident that sent both Perriello and his wife to the hospital with broken bones and multiple injuries. “My wife, Jerri, and I were coming from a conference in Palm Springs, driving a rental car down a two-lane road that I have taken hundreds of times to the San Diego airport, when we were hit head-on by a drunk driver in a stolen pickup truck who was being chased by police,” says Perriello. The pickup caught fire, setting Perriello’s rental car on fire. To make matters worse, the stolen truck was filled with ammunition that started going off due to the intense heat. “The police shielded us from the danger by moving us behind their police car,” says Perriello. “People asked me if my whole life flashed before my eyes. There wasn’t enough time for that, but I did have a if my whole life flashed moment of clarity, which I’ve heard is common for b e f o re m y eye s . T h e re people in accidents like mine. My only priority at that moment was the safety and well-being of my wasn’t enough time for wife (the couple has no children). That was all that t h a t , b u t I d i d h a ve a mattered,” he says. “It made me realize that most of what we stress about in life doesn’t mean a thing mo me nt of clarity, when you’re in a life or death situation.”

PEOPLE ASKED ME

w hi c h I ’ ve h e a rd i s common for people i n a c c i d e n t s l i ke m i n e ” – A l ex P e r r i e l l o

Loyal to the Core Anyone who knows Perriello wouldn’t be surprised by his revelation that the only thing that mattered to him was his wife’s well-being. In fact, most wouldn’t find that to be a revelation at all. “Alex and Jerri are like high school sweethearts,” says Jim Gillespie, chairman emeritus of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate and a long-time friend of the Perriellos. “It’s genuine. They hold hands. He’s very lucky to have Jerri in his life, as I am lucky to have my wife, Jenny, in mine. Both of our spouses enjoy the business world, and we’re all close friends.” Perriello agrees. “My wife has been extraordinarily valuable in my career. I’m blessed with an amazing woman. From my earliest days at Coldwell Banker to now, she comes to every brand event because she wants to be there. The brokers and agents like her better than me,” laughs Perriello, who says that Jerri has been “instrumental in my success.” In fact, she is so truly engaged and interested in the industry that she volunteers to attend conference sessions that Alex can’t attend to take notes for him. Career Beginnings That success was germinated in an Arizona town so small that “they had to close the zoo when the duck died,” jokes Perriello, who was in the retail clothing business. “In the late ‘70s, I was investing in land, and after a few transactions, LORE

COVER STORY

I N T H E L AT E 7 0 S , I w a s i n ve s t i n g i n l a n d , a n d a f t e r a f ew t ra n s actions, I thought I s h o u l d g e t m y re a l e s t a t e l i c e n s e a n d s ave on commissions. I fell in l ove w i t h t h e b u s i n e s s .” – A l ex P e r r i e l l o

I thought I should get my real estate license and save on commissions,” he says. “I fell in love with the business.” He soon sold his retail stores to pursue a full-time real estate career that took him to San Diego, where in 1983, he went to work for Coldwell Banker. “I worked as a Coldwell Banker agent in a Sears store. My first love is real estate and my second is retail, so this was great.” His work ethic and smarts got him promoted time and again until he landed in New Jersey in 1996. “I had 14 different jobs at Coldwell Banker,” he says. He ultimately rose to become president and CEO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corp., a position he held from 1997 to 2004 prior to taking the helm of the entire Realogy Franchise Group.

Hard Work Pays Off Perriello learned his strong work ethic from his family. “I grew up in Boston. I lived with my parents, two sisters and grandparents. My grandfather immigrated from Italy. He was a

Alex and Jerri Perriello with good friends Jenny and Jim Gillespie

Lives of Real Estate

barber and never missed a day of work. I was surrounded by people who told me I could do anything I wanted to do, but at the same time taught me the value of hard work and a dollar.” Perriello says his family was not rich so he had to work at a young age. “I swept floors in a local drugstore, shoveled snow, trimmed bushes. I even delivered Fuller Brush magazines door to door. The local salesman hired several of my friends and me to deliver magazines. He told us to ring the doorbell, wait for the lady of the house to answer and show her the page where the new items were located. I would meet my friends to hang out when we were done. I was always the last one to finish. My friends laughed at me when I told them I actually rang the doorbell and did what the salesman asked,” he says. However, Perriello got the last laugh when the salesman gave him an extra $5 each month for doing it right. “That stayed with me. You have to do the job right.” Lessons Learned There’s another lesson that he learned from that experience, and that is how to treat employees. “Alex’s door is always open. He is approachable and kindhearted. He values loyalty,” says Tanya Reu, Realogy’s senior vice president of human resources and diversity. “I’ve worked for him for 14 years. He is engaged with our workforce, walking the halls, participating in employee events, championing company-wide initiatives and being involved. This extends into our customer base as well. He is not your typical executive.” Gillespie agrees. “He is the ultimate professional and has respect for both internal and external clients. But the one thing people don’t realize about him is his sense of humor. He is extremely creative and funny.”

Top Five Reasons to Read “Jacob’s War” “Jacob’s War,” written by Perriello, is the compelling tale of one soldier’s exceptional influence on the American Revolution. A carpenter by trade, Jacob was an unlikely war luminary. But, a series of astonishing and mysterious events changed everything. Inspired by actual events, this is one historical novel you will not soon forget. REAL Trends asked Perriello to come up with one of his infamous Top 5 lists of reasons to read the book. Enjoy! 5) It’s much shorter than “War and Peace.” 4) You may actually want to visit the Garden State of New Jersey sometime in the future. 3) It makes Revolutionary War history entertaining, unless of course, you happen to be British. 2) All profits from the sale of the book will be donated by the author to Easter Seals Military and Veteran Services. 1) You may wind up believing in magic! To buy the book, go to amazon.com. LORE

COVER STORY

That creativity has recently been channeled into a book. “I just finished reading the production proof of my novel, ‘Jacob’s War,’ which is the story of an American veteran of the Revolutionary War. It took me four years of work,” says Perriello. Incredibly, he wrote the entire book on his iPhone. “I started writing it in the Notes

IN HIS WORDS: ALEX PERRIELLO Lessons Learned: Embrace change. So many people resist change, but ironically, change is the one constant in our lives. In addition, Chandler Barton (president of Coldwell Banker Real Estate from 1989 to 1996) told me this: it doesn’t matter what happens; it’s what you do about what happens that matters. Be flexible and don’t worry about the things you can’t control.

Personal Passions: I love to boat. My wife and I live on a lake, so in the summertime we spend a lot of time on our boat. I just finished writing an historical novel as well. It’s called “Jacob’s War.” (See Perriello’s Top 5 list on page 9 for more details about the book.)

Inspiration: My grandfather was an Italian immigrant. He was a barber and never missed a day of work. If there was a snowstorm and the buses weren’t running, he would walk to work. My grandmother told me, “Your grandfather would never disappoint a customer.”

Motivation:

app, ” he says. “Soon, I realized how dangerous that was when I accidentally deleted about half a chapter,” he laughs. “From that point on, I would write a page or two and then email it to myself immediately.” Whether it’s leading a company, writing a book or spending quality time with his wife and friends, Perriello does it with passion and style.

Lives of Real Estate

What motivates me is challenging the status quo. I get bored easily, so if we’re blazing a trail, sign me up. When the Coldwell Banker website first came out in the mid ‘90s, we had a Golden Retriever icon. People visiting the site would tell the dog what they were looking for, and it would send an automated email about listings that matched their criteria. Within a year, the dog was sending half a million emails a month to consumers, and that’s before the Internet was even a big thing.

Three Things You Can’t Live Without (other than family and friends): Starbucks espressos (I have a machine in my office and one in my house); the Mansion section of The Wall Street Journal and my boat, appropriately named Real Escape.

Bucket List:

©Mark Hatfield / istock

Sail around the world, write another book and watch my 3-year-old grandnephew, Brennen, graduate from college.

A P E R S O N A L S T O RY P E R R I E L L O : L O YA L A N D V I S I O N A RY Mike Good, Executive Champion of Ascend: The Executive Leadership Experience and Chairman Emeritus of Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC has known Perriello since 1985, when the two started working together on a home search, which allowed Sears department store shoppers to use a touch screen to view all MLS properties in the Sears Network Center in Tampa. “It was the forerunner of what became the Internet search for properties,” says Good. “Alex was one of the finest brand presidents of a franchise that I have ever witnessed,” he says. In fact, says Good, it was his loyalty and vision that made him stand out. “During my nine years as CEO and President of Sotheby’s International Realty, Alex was very supportive of my efforts to create something extremely unique in franchising. I went against the grain of the traditional processes, and Alex was a strong advocate for me.” One such time was at a monthly Franchise Review Committee meeting at Realogy Headquarters. “This was shortly after Alex had become the CEO of Realogy. We were in our first year of franchising Sotheby’s International Realty,” says Good, who adds that they had spent over six months completing the legal work and registration processes and designing a Value Proposition and Vision for this new franchise. “Most affiliates in the old model were naysayers and didn’t believe we would keep the quality of the brand supreme in our growth process. They fought me until I finally terminated all old affiliates who hadn’t franchised,” says Good. “We brought our first four companies into SIRA right at the end of 2004, two old affiliates and two new companies. We needed to build momentum and one of the franchise salespeople (who had been outstanding with other brands and was now with SIRA) brought in a $4 million-plus GCI firm from Massachusetts. Alex and the executive vice president of franchising wanted our approval badly,” says Good. However, Good and the group of owners

didn’t think this firm would “represent the upperend quality we needed, mostly because they weren’t buying into our vision on how to separate ourselves from all other franchise organizations from a price point perspective,” he says. When it was SIRA’s turn to review franchise applications, this firm was discussed. “I was facing extreme pressure to approve this company. I took a stand that I would not approve this company. After a 20-minute standoff with heated conversations, Alex stood up and said that he supported my position. The importance of his decision to support the vision and mission of my brand over needed GCI growth was a crucial moment in how the franchise review process moved forward in coming years at Realogy,” says Good. “Had Alex failed to support me in this early dispute on the direction of SIRA, it could have had long-term, detrimental effects on our growth and success. I will always be grateful to Alex for this and many stands he took to support me in my role as CEO of SIRA,” says Good.

LORE

FEATURE

Determined to make a better life for himself in the United States, Realtor速 Alex Bruno faced many challenges along the w a y.

Coming to America

A Journey to Citizenship 12

Lives of Real Estate

By Doniece Welch, vice president and general manager, REAL Trends

rom Uruguay to a successful business in South Florida, Alex Bruno can teach us all a lot. Nine years ago, Bruno started as a buyer’s agent for a team at RE/MAX Executive Realty in Hollywood, Fla., working his way into becoming a top agent in his office and eventually into the top 1 percent of all RE/MAX agents nationwide as a RE/MAX Diamond Club Award producer. To look at him now, you would never know the hardships he endured along the way. World War I American Fighter Ace Eddie Rickenbacker once said, “Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared.” A Journey Begins There was a time when Bruno was scared. His journey began in 1992, when he was 20 years old, in his home country, Uruguay. “I wanted to join my mom (who was working as a nanny in the United States) but was unsuccessful at getting a U.S. visa,” he says. So he explored another option, an assumed safe way to come to the United States. He flew to Mexico City, where he stayed alone for seven days waiting for a contact to be made. “When the contact arrived, he took me overnight on a train to a small Mexican village. It was a sad environment, full of crosses on the highway,” says Bruno. “It was semideserted, a very poor area.” The contact dropped him off with a family of farmers in a one-room shack with a metal roof and hammocks on the wall. “They told me that I would have to swim across the river, which was not part of the original arrangements. The river was dark, cold and filled with sewage from the local neighborhood,” he says. To make matters even more stressful, he says, “Nearby was a cemetery filled with the remains of those who didn’t make it across.” The farmer told Alex that once the sun went down, his 12-year-old son would take him across the river on an inner tube. “When the time came, I stripped to my underwear, put my clothes in a plastic bag, hung onto the inner tube and crossed the

©EdStock / istock

T h ey t o l d m e t h a t I wo u l d h ave t o s w i m a c ro s s t h e r i ve r, w h i c h w a s n o t p a r t o f t h e o r i g i n a l a r ra n g e m e n t s . T h e r i ve r w a s d a r k , c o l d a n d f i l l e d w i t h s ew a g e f ro m the local neighborhood. — A l ex B r u n o

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river. The water was so filthy that I couldn’t see an inch into the cold, fast current,” he says. The two were struck by many objects in the water, but finally made it to the other side, where there was a chain link fence cut into pieces. “I put my clothing on and climbed up and over the fence. When we approached some farm fields, my guide told me to run and hide in the ditches whenever a vehicle approached. The first hour was exhausting,” he says. Bruno remembers that he asked his guide if he could go back, but was shoved down and told that it was too late. “Exhausted and bleeding, I ran until I made it through a broken gate that led us to a street somewhere in the United States.” Coming to America The two went to a house that belonged to the farmer’s relatives. “Once inside, we sat against a wall with about 45 other people from different places. A man told me to be patient as his brother, a legal U.S. resident, was going to pick us up,” says Bruno. Eventually, the brother picked them up and stopped at a gas station, where they bought a case of beer. “I will never forget the taste of the best beer I have ever had in my life,” he says. “It was my 21st birthday that day.” From there, he was taken to a hotel. “They said I had to wait for the big boss, who was coming from Houston. Then, they asked me how much I had paid for the trip, and I told them,” he says. “It was a lot of money and represented my hard-earned savings and money from my mom, who worked as a nanny. Apparently, that news was not good. The people helping me didn’t think they were getting paid enough,” he says. Bruno heard arguments, and then, all was silent. The head guy (called the Coyote) entered

Lives of Real Estate

Wo r d s o f W i s d o m Bruno’s surefire tips for success: • Make it personal. “Some sales associates want the owners out of the property when they show the home, but I think it’s depressing to show an empty house. I’ve found that buyers like to shake hands with the sellers.” • Do what no one else will do. “Currently, I have 65 listings. Other agents wonder how I get so many listings. I get them because I go to the office before anyone gets there, and I leave the office after everyone leaves.” • Take it seriously. “We have too many agents who don’t take selling real estate seriously. This is their second or third job. They make it difficult for dedicated, professional agents.”

DOING MORE FROM

FOR SALE TO

SOLD That’s the sign of a RE/MAX agent

COMMERCIAL | LUXURY | RESIDENTIAL

FEATURE

the room, introduced himself and told Alex that he should never have disclosed the amount of money he paid for the job, but he assured Alex that he was safe. The next morning, the Coyote took him to get a haircut and bought him a change of clothing. Using his passport from Uruguay, Alex bought a plane ticket to Houston. “When we got to Houston, the Coyote quickly turned against me and stated that he was out of money and would not pay for my airline ticket to Miami. Thankfully, I had $2,000 tucked in my socks. However, I contacted my mom and her boss, and they bought me an airline ticket,” he says. Fearful of being arrested and deported, he recalls that the flight seemed to take forever. Finally, 10 days after his journey began, he arrived in Miami, where his mom was waiting for him. By that time, Bruno admitted that he was suffering from panic attacks from the accumulated stress of the ordeal. He and his mom shared a studio apartment with only one bed and a microwave. They were happy to be together again. Bruno was determined to pay his mom back and make her proud of him.

“I LEARNED Q U I C K LY that no matter how bad the market was, there were always buyers. I built my business on that concept” — A l ex B r u n o

Miami Living In 1992, he got a job as a stock boy in an electronics store. The job paid $3 per hour. When the manager saw his enthusiasm, he was promoted to a sales job within three weeks. “I applied to school to learn English. I worked during the day and went to school at night,” he says. Within a month, he was promoted again. The store trusted Bruno to make the the store’s bank deposits. At the bank, Bruno met a bank teller whose husband was also from Uruguay. “He helped me get a maintenance job at a local hotel. I worked there for four years, earning Employee of the Month and Employee of the Year.”

Wanting to do more, Bruno eventually opened a gift shop in a different hotel. He ran that business for more than 10 years until one of his friends suggested that he get his real estate license. His first year in real estate was 2007, right after the market crashed. A Real Estate Career Is Born “I learned quickly that no matter how bad the market was, there were always buyers. I built my business on that concept,” says Bruno. “I focused on the lower-income buyers who were left out 16

Lives of Real Estate

of the market because they were looking for a lower price range or needed government loans.” He noticed how much they appreciated his help. “I sold to one person, and the whole family ended up buying houses from me,” he says. Bruno learned that most of the buyers were honest, hardworking people just like him. They all had the same dream to become homeowners. “My business grew by word of mouth,” he says. Bruno is quick to share credit with his RE/MAX team, which consists of two buyer’s agents, two assistants, a drone operator and two photographers. He speaks English, Spanish and some Portuguese, and other members of the team speak French and German. Bruno earned several certifications such as Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE),

Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS), and Counselor of Real Estate (CRE). Bruno defines his success as being the result of many years of dedication, hard work, relationship building and, last but not least, having his heart in the real estate business and in his community. “I am proud to report that I became a U.S. citizen about 10 years ago,” he says. There was a time when Bruno was scared; yet, he continued to persevere and overcome hardships. Today, he thrives doing what he loves, selling real estate and helping people. Remember what Babe Ruth once said, “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.”

B r u n o ’s V i e w s o n I l l e g a l I m m i g r a t i o n REAL Trends asked Bruno to share his views on the hot topic of illegal immigrants in the United States and whether or not they should have a path to U.S. citizenship. His response: “I love America. It’s the country of opportunity, and one can have a future here. The United States can’t take everyone from everywhere. It would ruin our country. We must also make our borders safe. I believe the United States should do criminal background checks before allowing immigrants into the country. If individuals have no criminal history, we need to conduct individual screenings of their personal goals. We need to accept individuals who love this country, want to learn the English language and are willing to work hard and pay taxes. Attitude is important.”

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Go-Getter:

FROM DREAMY EYES TO DREAM HOMES Jackie Root is a b r o k e r â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s d r e a m r e c r u i t e r. F i n d o u t how she honed her skills at Mar y Kay before changing careers.

Lives of Real Estate

ike many young mothers, Jackie Root was lured by the promise of a job that allowed her to make her own hours and had unlimited earning potential. So in 1989, the 28-year-old mom of a 2-year-old and an infant decided to sell Mary Kay cosmetics. Unlike other young mothers, Root had a vision and a plan in place before she sold her first lipstick. She knew that to be successful she had to work long hours. “I had $800,000 in retail sales that first year, breaking a 31-year company record and growing from just me to 225 people in one year,” she says. You heard that right, from one person to 225 people in just one year, all while raising a young family. “I preplanned for success and hired a full-time office assistant, a housekeeper and a nanny. Preparation is the secret to success,” she says. “I’m a big thinker. My strong suits, which translate well into real estate recruiting, are vision casting and helping people do more than they thought they could.” For 27 years, she was a top executive director for Mary Kay. “I built a large organization of 300 people, and I’ve retained that to this day,” she says. However, tragedy struck in 2006, forcing her to step back from Mary Kay. “My husband of 21 years, John, died suddenly in an accident. It changed my life. My son, Josh (now 28 years old), was only 18, and my daughter, Julia (now 24 years old) was 14,” she says. Her husband owned five Tuffy

TRAGEDY STRUCK IN 2 0 0 6 , f o rc i n g her to step back f ro m M a r y K a y. “My husband of 2 1 ye a r s , J o h n , died suddenly in an accident. It changed m y l i f e .” – Jackie Root

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Tire & Auto Service Center Franchises. “I took three years off from building my Mary Kay business to take care of the franchises. I had to learn about the industry and deal with my husband’s expartners, who tried to sue me,” she says. “I was a brand new widow and was being attacked from all sides.” After three years, she decided to sell the Tuffy franchises. “It was just too much. I didn’t know enough about the industry, and I didn’t have a passion for it. A huge part of being successful is having a passion for what you are doing,” she says.

A New Start Unfortunately, after the Tuffy sale, Root realized she didn’t have much of a passion for building her Mary Kay business either. She stuck it out for a few years before deciding to change careers. She still has her Mary Kay business, which is maintained by a virtual assistant. However, real estate was calling. “I didn’t want to do anything halfheartedly. I started in real estate by flipping houses, and then decided to get my license,” she says. In 2014, Root joined Five Star Real Estate, based in Grand Rapids, Mich. “A successful broker recommended Greg Carlson of Five Star because he knew I wanted to align myself with a company that had an excellent reputation for integrity and authenticity,” she says. “We had a two-and-a-halfhour coffee meeting where I asked him three legal-sized pages of questions,” laughs Root. Team Building After her success in building her Mary Kay team, it’s no wonder that Carlson quickly noticed her talent for recruiting and quickly promoted her to her current position. “Now and then, you find the gem in the haystack,” says Carlson. “Jackie is that gem. She found a job that totally engages her personality. We have found a person who brings an energy level, a caring and understanding that is remarkable,” he adds.

Lives of Real Estate

After all, says Carlson, “I was convinced I would never find a recruiter better than myself. The owner always knows more, right? Jackie has debunked just about everything I previously thought or believed about hiring a recruiter. She joined our brokerage in late 2014, driving a pink Mary Kay Cadillac and has recruited 104 agents into Five Star since April 2015,” he says. As of February 2016, she’s already recruited 35 agents this year, he adds. “I have a goal to help Five Star grow to 500 agents in the next two years,” she says. What’s her secret? “I work really hard to keep relationships with agents. I send personal notes, meet for coffee, invite them to our sales meetings and open houses, and I don’t stop once they join our brokerage. “We created a community. We want agents to feel a part of something, recognize their successes. People love to be praised, and they will rise to the level that you expect of them. You have to have passion. It’s contagious. I want people walking away from me thinking they can do anything,” she says. By the look of things, we’d say she’s succeeding.

R o o t ’s R e c r u i t i n g T i p s 1. Set a growth goal. You have to have a goal, whether it’s volume, number of transactions or number of agents. Determine where you want to focus. 2. Seek out agents who are producing $3 million to $5 million and have been in the business for one to three years. They have huge potential to grow, as they are already succeeding beyond the norm. And, they are much more likely to switch companies as they aren’t yet entrenched in one. Plus, they are willing to be coached. They’re ambitious and add energy to your existing group of agents. 3. Know your value proposition. Know what makes your company special. What do you have that others don’t? Find out what agents’ pain points are and provide solutions.

4. Always close, but be prepared to walk away as long as you establish your next step. If agents need time to think about their decision, make sure you have an action step, so you’re not letting people fall through the cracks. Be diligent. You have to be proactive. 5. Track it. Having a system to keep track of the progress and stage I am at in the recruiting process with each sales associate is critical. My assistant sets up alerts in my calendar for follow-up dates and actions. She also takes over the on-boarding process once the agent has made the decision to join our team. 6. Consider the source. I have done exponential growth by recruiting multiple agents from a single brokerage many times. I now go into a brokerages thinking, “This awesome agent has five or six friends or co-workers who will want to come to Five Star too.” LORE

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Building Homes in

Nicaragua

Building homes for the less fortunate is a passion of this Alabama real estate broker. 22

Lives of Real Estate

he day in May 2015 when Matt Curtis, brokerowner of Matt Curtis Real Estate in Huntsville, Ala., arrived in Nicaragua, he knew his life was changed forever. “The children got to me. One out of every four children dies before the age of 5, and that’s directly due to inadequate housing,” says Curtis. “They catch diseases from the dirt floors, and some die falling into the latrine pits.”

During this mission, Curtis and others built houses for local families. “There was a little boy named Christian on the job site every day. He was living in a home with a metal roof that leaks and has a dirt floor. They have a very active rainy season, and I couldn’t help but think about him doing his homework in the rain or waking up in the night because he’s being rained on. Imagine an 8-year-old sleep-deprived boy going to school every day,” he says. Because of that trip, Curtis says, he “decided to lead two building trips per year, raise additional funds and learn to speak Spanish. I went on the mission with Habitat for Humanity knowing how important housing is; however, it’s one thing to read about the needs and see pictures. It’s completely different being on the ground,” he says.

IMAGINE

8 - ye a r - o l d s l e e p - d e p r i ve d b oy g o i n g t o s c h o o l eve r y d a y.” – Matt Curtis

“MY 9-YEAR-OLD SON gave me a goal of 1,000 houses. He said that he will make it his personal mission when he’s older to ensure we meet that goal.” – Matt Curtis

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Before the mission, Curtis had read about an organization that was providing a way for real estate professionals to give a percentage of each closing check to help families in Nicaragua. His goal is to build 1,000 homes. “My 9-year-old son gave me a goal of 1,000 houses. He said that he will make it his personal mission when he’s older to ensure we meet that goal.” As for office giving, Curtis says they don’t have a formal method in their office, but “many agents are matching my $50 per transaction amount.” He’s also spoken to his church and other community organizations to raise money.

insurance agent friend. One day, that friend, David Perkins of State Farm, gave me a check for $2,500. We matched his amount,” says Curtis. Between that extra money and a Nicaraguan government program that allowed them to build a $5,000 house for $1,000, they built an additional five homes. To date, Curtis has raised enough money to build 27 homes.

“It costs about $5,000 to build a new house for a family, so I set aside $50 from every transaction so every 100 sales, we can build a home,” says Curtis. In addition, he says, “I shared that story with an

Interested in giving? Call (256) 270-9393, email to Matt@MattCurtisRealEstate.com or visit MattCurtisRealEstate.com or Facebook/MattCurtisRealEstate

ANY TIME WE CAN DO SOMETHING to take the focus and attention off of ourselves —and that can be difficult—we become better people, and we b e t t e r s e r ve our clients and families” — Matt Curtis 24

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“Any time we can do something to take the focus and attention off of ourselves—and that can be difficult—we become better people, and we better serve our clients and families,” says Curtis.

Curtis with wife Courtney and their three children (from left) Macy (4), Calli (11) and Bryce (9).

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FA R M I N G

GROWING His Real Estate Business Raised on a farm, Allen Mosbey thought he wanted more than a farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. He was only partially correct. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s his story.

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llen Mosbey, a sales associate with ERA First Advantage Realty in Newburgh, Ind., knows a thing or two about farming and not just the real estate kind. “I was raised on a farm. I come from a big Catholic family with five kids,” he says. Because of the farm upkeep, “We never went on vacation growing up. We never had any money. We [the kids] had a two-acre garden and sold strawberries to make extra money,” he says. “But we had family values, and we went to church.” However, when it came down to college or taking over the farm, Mosbey chose college. “I was in my second year of college when my dad asked me to farm with him. I was in the elementary education program and realized that I didn’t want to be a teacher, so I took on 700 acres,” he says. Mosbey, along with his wife, Pam, farmed soybeans and corn, which would be shipped to places as far away as China.

Lives of Real Estate

“WE NEVER HAD A N Y M O N E Y. We [the kids] had a two-acre garden and sold strawberries to make extra. But we had family values, and we went to church.” — A l l e n M o s b ey

Selling the Farm As the city of Evansville, Ind., grew and farmers started selling off land, Mosbey decided to part with 400 acres. Looking for a new career, on the advice of a dear friend, Janice Miller, who is also the broker/owner of ERA First Advantage Realty in Newburgh, Ind., Mosbey decided to try his hand at real estate. “At first, he watched me sell real estate and told me I was crazy,” laughs Miller. “He asked, ‘Why are you working those crazy hours?’” However, Mosbey soon came around. “That was 2004. I was 48 years old and going back to school,” chuckles Mosbey. “I took the test and passed it; then, I joined ERA.”

“ I C A N B E AT H O M E S I C K , and he’s standing outside my door with soup. If I can’t get out of my driveway because of snow, he’s there shoveling. And he doesn’t do these things for just me; he does it for everyone. He’s the first to show up and the last to leave.” — J a n i c e M i l l e r, b r o ke r/ow n e r, ERA First Ad va n t a g e R e a l t y, N ew b u r g h , I n d . LORE

Planting Season Mosbey still farms 300 acres of corn and soybeans. “For three weeks in the fall and three weeks in the spring, it’s crazy,” he says. “I rely on good friends to help me with my office paperwork. My wife and brother help too.” Lest you think Mosbey is slacking on his real estate duties, think again. Says Miller, “He’s out in [the air-conditioned cab of a tractor] with his cell phone and laptop. If I call him with a property question, he’ll shut down the tractor, pull up the MLS on his laptop, check the property, give me the answer and get back to farming.” The truth, says Mosbey, is that “I don’t want to be a big farmer anymore. Ninety-five percent of my life is real estate.” That, says Miller, suits him well. “He has a huge heart and wants to do whatever he can to ensure customer satisfaction,” she says. While farming for leads will soon replace farming for vegetables, Mosbey can think of nowhere else he’d rather be. “I am blessed,” he says.

IN HIS WORDS: ALLEN MOSBEY Life Lesson: I don’t want this to sound sappy, but when I first got engaged, I had a farming accident. I got 50 stitches in my head from the accident. Then, two months before my wedding to Pam, I was in a fire where I was burnt from the waist down. The doctors told me I would be in the hospital for months. But I healed perfectly after a month and was able to get married on time. Then, when my wife got pregnant, she miscarried. Then, we had a full-term baby who was stillborn. Eventually, we had a healthy daughter, Ashton. To go through all of that together, you learn to appreciate every day. Life is short.

Personal Passions: We love to travel and garden. We have tomatoes and green beans. One thing Pam and I have done over the years is antiquing. We buy one big antique every year as our anniversary present.

Accomplishment: I am most proud of being nominated for two years in a row for the Jim Jackson Award, which is all about excellent customer satisfaction. I strive for that. I couldn’t believe I made the nomination. Just seeing what could be done was wonderful.

Bucket List: Win the Jim Jackson Award, travel more and stay healthy. Three Things You Can’t Live Without (other than family and friends): My good friend Cindy Macy, my new Ford truck and the gym. I’m almost 60 years old, and my daughter is getting married, so I need to stay healthy. 28

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F I L L I N G A VO I D

Giving the LGBT Community a Voice Educating real estate professionals on working with LGBT community

n 2007, Jeff A. Berger was doing Internet marketing and advocacy work for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) community and saw a void. “The LGBT real estate market was not being served, and I knew there was an advocacy mission there. I saw a need to advocate for housing rights,” says Berger, who has been a sales associate with Keller Williams Realty in Jupiter since 2012. After some initial research, he founded the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit business networking and advocacy group for those friendly to the LGBT community. NAGLREP is best known for assisting the LGBT and all communities locate LGBT-friendly Realtors and for its work in helping amend the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Code of Ethics to

About the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals Established in 2007, the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP) is a mission-driven trade organization that is part business and part advocacy. On a business level, the 1,000+ members of NAGLREP share a LGTB-friendly Realtor® referral network. In addition, members provide their services to more than 35,000 LGBT and non-LGBT home buyers and sellers who visit the organization’s website each month. Its referral network also includes mortgage professionals, appraisers, home inspectors, title agents, insurance agents, commercial agents, trainers and educators. The organization has members in almost every state, with local chapters in Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin; it also includes international real estate professionals. LORE

include sexual orientation as a protected class. Prior to the addition of sexual orientation to the NAR Code of Ethics in January 2011, sexual orientation in housing discrimination was more or less an unspoken topic within the Realtor community. Prior to the change, if an LGBT person was discriminated against by a Realtor for his or her sexual orientation, no action was taken because NAR had no rules to act on. The most recent changes are bringing awareness to the topic and setting a new standard for fair housing and employment nondiscrimination. Soon after, also in 2011, HUD announced a similar policy, including sexual orientation and gender identity nondiscrimination.” Thankfully, the number of complaints since the change has been limited, but it is important to note that there have been recorded incidents of discrimination,” says Berger. The cornerstone of the group is its yearly conference, which Berger says, “offers a voice to the LGBT community and brings [its member] business opportunities.” This year’s conference is Oct. 10-12 in Fort Lauderdale and features keynote speaker Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff at the heart of a Supreme Court case that could

legalize same-sex marriage nationwide. Early Years As a child, Berger grew up in Long Island. “It was a very liberal culture, and that was important to my growth and understanding of who I was,” he says. “I had a great childhood, where I was supported by friends and family,” he says. It’s especially important now that he is a dad to 5-year-old Caitlin. “I co-parent with my daughter’s mom,” he says. In his downtime, Berger enjoys traveling with his daughter. “Over spring break we’re going skiing in Beaver Creek, Colo. I take her on all my vacations, and we’ve been all over,” he says. Right now, Berger is enjoying the success of his organization. “I’ve always been a believer that overnight success takes 10 years. Building NAGLREP has been an evolution. In 2007, when same-sex marriage was far from legalized and we had a lot of polarity in the country, it was a challenge to get people to join our organization. It was one thing to come out personally, but coming out professionally was very difficult,” he says. “Things are slowly changing.”

BERGER IS ENJOYING THE SUCCESS of his organization. “I’ve always been a believer that overnight success takes 10 years.” — Jeff A. Berger

Lives of Real Estate

IN HIS WORDS: JEFF A. BERGER Inspiration: There isn’t one person who inspires me. I consider myself a lone wolf; I work in that way. However, entrepreneurial people inspire me. I am also inspired by what I’ve learned from my failures over the years. You don’t learn much out of success, even though it’s more enjoyable. People who have risen from hardships inspire me.

Motivation: In general, I have a macro outlook on life and work, so what motivates me is having a sustainable mission and keeping up with technology. I want to stay relevant. Ultimately, I have to assist others to help them accomplish their goals to remain relevant.

Three things you can’t live without (other than family and friends.) Sunny days, exercising and my pool.

Bucket List: My mom is going to be 75 years old this year, so taking a family cruise, being a grandfather and visiting New Zealand are on my bucket list. Also, federal fair housing that includes LGBT protections.

Aha moment: In 2013, I received an email from the White House inviting me to attend the LGTB Pride Month reception. While there, I met U.S. Rep. John Lewis (Ga.-5th Dist.). He shared that he is the only living person who spoke on stage on the occasion of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. It was pretty cool speaking with him, and it made me realize that life is about the legacy that you leave behind. I hope that what I’m doing today will make a lasting impact. Ken Brown / iStock

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