Summer 2017 • Volume 11 / Issue 2
Dave Colmar:
A Friend Indeed An industry stalwart, Colmar (shown with wife Cathy) touches on his passion for the industry.
PLUS: Warrior-Realtor Luke Murphy, Industry Leader Marci Rossell, Compassionate Team Leader Jeff Johnson and Tech Leader Max Diez
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Summer 2017 Volume 11 / Issue 2
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COVER STORY Dave Colmar: A Friend Indeed An industry stalwart, Colmar touches on his passion for the industry.
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Feature: 30 Years of REAL Trends YOU Make All the Difference … While many, many brokerage leaders and executives have supported REAL Trends through its 30 years, we had the chance to speak with three of them to find out what Steve Murray and REAL Trends has meant to them personally and professionally through the years.
DEPARTMENTS
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A Giving Heart Luke Murphy is a True Warrior
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Industry Leader Marci Rossell is a Foodie with a Green Thumb
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Saving the World Jeff Johnson is Boosting the Foster System
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Coming back from Iraq severely injured, a retired Army staff sergeant set his mind to get to work. Now, he’s working for other wounded warriors to help them build a better life.
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As the new chief economist of LeadingRE, Marci Rossell flexes her analytical side at work, but at home, it’s all about the gardening.
Colorado real estate team The Johnson Team RE/MAX Real Estate Group goes above and beyond to support foster care agencies and other charitable organizations in its region.
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Tech Leader Max Diez is Rethinking Traditional Real Estate Moving from a traditional brokerage to an online brokerage has given Maximillian Diez a new perspective on customer relationships.
LORE
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER
YOU’VE MADE US SUCCESSFUL
E
very time I sit down to read the articles in LORE magazine, I tear up. What comes to mind is, where in the world do we find such people? A vet, who lost one entire leg and half of another, views himself as fortunate to have lived through and found a passion for helping others. A man and his wife who dedicate themselves to helping foster children and admit that among the lessons learned is not to judge others. A young man—whose family is from another country—learns early that passion and hard work can help you achieve anything. How can you not be moved by these stories? With all of the ragged-edged discourse in our country today, I can’t help but think that if we stepped into the less-privileged shoes of so many, we could forget what made us unhappy in the first place and focus on the many blessings this country affords us. In this 30th anniversary of REAL Trends issue, there are some of my best friends, all made over the 40 years I’ve been in this industry. It is men and women like Brad, Larry and Lorne who make it easy to love this business and, more importantly, love the people of real estate, for the blessings of the great people of our industry make the hard work all worthwhile. And P.S.—they are the ones that helped make us successful; not the other way around! Enjoy LORE, the Lives of Real Estate, for it reminds us all that there are great people all around us.
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:
Stephen H. Murray Publisher 4
Lives of Real Estate
Click Here or call 303-741-1000 psalley@realtrends.com
2017 REAL Trends DealMakers Conference August 10-11, 2017 Denver Colorado
REAL Trends is launching a new conference focused solely on understanding the valuation of brokerage firms, mergers and acquisitions among brokerage firms, and that of businesses related to our industry. This first year we are limiting attendance to 100. Present will be the main deal makers from the leading national and regional brokerage industry, attorneys with expertise in deal structuring and tax considerations along with the leading merger and acquisition advisory firms in the country in this industry. Register today by going to http://realtrends.com/index.cfm/events/deal-makers-conference
COVER STORY
A friend of REAL Trends and Steve Murray for more than 30 years, Colmar shares his life with us.
Dave Colmar
A Friend Indeed
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Lives of Realand Estate Colmar his wife Cathy enjoy travel and outdoor activities.
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ickleball. Ever heard of it? “It’s a fast-paced game, kind of like a giant game of Ping-Pong on a badminton-sized court,” says Dave Colmar, founder of Colmar & Associates, a Rancho Santa Fe-based brokerage consulting business. It’s his sport of choice these days and is the way he keeps in shape. “You have a solid paddle and play with a whiffle ball. The rules are designed to create parity so that men and women of any age can play together,” he says. However, it wasn’t all fun and games for Colmar, who suffered some serious health issues about 14 years ago that had him reassessing what was important to him. “I had a heart attack and several surgeries,” he says. “It made me realize that I needed to take better care of myself mentally, physically and emotionally. It was pretty eye-opening,” he says. Thus, Pickleball. In addition, he says, he still swims, a holdout from his college days of water polo and competitive swimming. Starting Out However, before Pickleball and health issues, Colmar did everything from working as the Director of parks and recreation at an Illinois park district to founding a property management firm, home warranty company and eventually a residential development company that developed projects in Chicago’s south suburbs and in northwest Indiana in the 1980s and 1990s.
Pickleball is a ra c q u e t s p o r t that combines elements of badminton, tennis and table tennis.
It was with that company, Naughton Development Corp., that Colmar really felt the pressure. “I had my Series 7 license, so we put together a syndication to buy a lot of land, develop it and build houses. It petrified me because friends and acquaintances invested in it. The responsibility of making sure they got their money back was overwhelming,” he says. “I thought it would be fun. Fortunately, we were successful, but it was an eye-opener for me.” A Passion for Leadership It’s no surprise he was successful, as leadership has been a passion of his since high school and college. “I was captain of the swim team and senior class president,” says Colmar, who was inspired by a swim and water polo coach who taught him to persevere. Perhaps even more motivating was a college professor who, says Colmar, “Walked up to me at my college graduation and told me I was never going to make it. That professor didn’t like to be challenged; however, my dad taught me that you never accept things at face value. You always challenge things.” Soon after the development project, he found himself in sales and management with Naughton Realtors® in Chicago. “I got recruited by a local LORE
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COVER STORY
Relationships are important to Colmar, who notes that although he and Murray are competitors, their friendship reigns supreme. “We share best practices, lessons learned and more.” — Dave Colmar attorney into a real estate company owned by a widow who had 11 children, none of whom wanted to go into the business,” he says. Eventually, she wanted to sell, so in 1982, he acquired Naughton Realtors and grew it from three offices to nine offices. It was in the 1980s when he met Steve Murray while Murray was running Equity Realty Network. “That was 34 years ago,” remarks Colmar. In 1989, Naughton Realtors merged with their major competitor and affiliated with Coldwell Banker. The company was sold to NRT in 1998. Orginally from California, Colmar eventually relocated to San Diego, California, to serve as vice president and regional manager overseeing operations with Coldwell Banker corporate. “I didn’t fit into the corporate culture very well, so I started consulting in 2000,” laughs Colmar.
Colmar’s daughter Julie Colmar-Davis (at left) is in real estate in Wisconsin.
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Family Time When he’s not working, Colmar is spending time with wife, Cathy, who is in real estate with a local Sotheby’s office. He has three grown children. Julie Colmar-Davis (38) followed her father’s footsteps into real estate and is with a small boutique office in Madison, Wisconsin.
Lauren Mastny (36) is married with three children, teaches school and lives in Chicago, Illinois. Andrew (32) lives in Santa Monica, California, and is in investment banking. “He also played water polo and swam in high school and college,” says Colmar. Colmar also loves to ski and plans trips with both his wife and his friends. “I didn’t learn to ski until I was 27 years old, and I want to be skiing when I’m 80 years old. I ski about 10 days a year,” he says. He also has a vineyard, called Old Oak Vineyard located in Paso Robles, the Central Coast of California “We own 65 acres with 31 acres planted with nine varietals.” Building Relationships Relationships are important to Colmar, who notes that although he and Murray are competitors, their friendship reigns supreme. “We share best practices, lessons learned and more,” he says. Plus, they seek each other out for second opinions about their personal companies and trends in the industry. “It’s a relationship that will always be there. I know I have a friend that if something goes wrong at 2 a.m., I can call him and he knows he can call me.” Colmar says, “There have been any number of people who entered my life along the way … many of them relatively new as I’ve lost four of my best friends. Perhaps we don’t want to recall some of the sad times in our lives, but certain friends along the way have been incredible.” Reminiscing about life, Colmar says, “I feel my life has been blessed in many ways. There is much to be thankful for and no regrets.” Life is good.
In his words: Dave Colmar
Inspiration: My wife Cathy, my kids and friends and family. I also had a high school English professor who had us memorize this Teddy Roosevelt quote: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” I love it and use it today. May the learning never end!
Motivation: I’m self-directed and self-motivated. Success is a great motivator, as is fear of failure. I love a challenge. That’s probably why I got into playing Pickleball. I used to play a lot of tennis, but as I got older moved on to other things. My hips and knees did too! Three Things You Can’t Live Without (excluding family and friends): My iPhone. My dogs. Milo is an Australian Shephard, and Jake is a 16 year old Jack Russell. He’s the alpha dog. I also can’t live without exercise and wine. Bucket List: I want to go to Australia and Africa. I would like to learn to speak Spanish better. I would like to ski until I’m 85 years old and keep living my life with a sense of humor. Spend more time with my wife, an accomplished equestrian Hunter/ Jumper, and my best friend!
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FEATURE
3 0 Ye a r s o f R E A L Tr e n d s
YOU Make All the Difference … While many, many brokerage leaders and executives have supported REAL Trends through its 30 years, we had the chance to speak with three of them to find out what Steve Murray and REAL Trends has meant to them personally and professionally through the years.
Brad Hollingsworth founder and chairman Corporate Management Advisors How we met: I met Steve in 2003. My company was predominantly a search firm centered around banks and mortgage. We were looking for a vertical market, and I ran across the REAL Trends 500 top brokerages. I called Steve, and he was open to discuss what we do. His father had been in the executive search business. I flew out to Denver, and he vetted me and my company. We were supposed to go out to dinner. Instead, he took me to his house for a visit and then out for pizza and a movie with his wife and son. I got a glimpse of the man and the family. Impact: In a culture so dominated by prominent men and women with fiercely loyal sales appetites, I didn’t expect there to be much information sharing. I soon realized that Steve and REAL Trends were building bridges for people to share knowledge and still remain competitive. Steve wanted all brokerage leaders to prosper. 10
Lives of Real Estate
That’s life: On my first trip to visit Steve, he invited me to stay at his house. We hung out on the back deck and had a great time. I woke up at 3:45 a.m. and guess who was up playing Solitaire on the computer? Yes, Steve. I’m sure that was pretty common for him. Relationship: What really resonated with me was Steve’s character. He has been an ambassador for the industry like few others. He constantly gives back to the industry, and as a result, many people benefited. Steve has impacted this industry like few others. Through his work with the CEO groups, he has always looked to ensure the success of both the prosperous firms as well as those just developing.
“STEVE’S IMPACT GOES FAR BEYOND REAL TRENDS and his relationships with brokerage owners and executives.” – Larry Kendall, chairman of The Group, Inc.
Larry Kendall author of “Ninja Selling” and chairman The Group, Inc. How we met: I met Steve in 1992 at the Gathering of Eagles (GOE) in Dallas. I didn’t know a thing about REAL Trends, but they called me to tell me that our company was the most productive in America in terms of agent production. So, I jumped on a plane and was blown away by the conference. I’ve attended almost every GOE for the past 25 years. Steve and I hit it off immediately. We were both in Colorado. Plus, we ended up at a lot of conferences together as speakers. We connected long before using Steve as a consultant for our company. He made us famous. That’s life: I remember he invited some of his closest friends and thought leaders in the industry over to his house. We spent three days talking about the future of the industry and sharing ideas. All I remember of that time was laughing harder than I’ve ever laughed. I’ve never met anyone who is such a balanced combination of smart and personable. I consider him to be the smartest person in the industry, and he probably has the best network around. Relationship: Steve is my best friend in the real estate industry. He and his wife spend time with my wife and me. He’s the nicest guy from a standpoint of people skills and relationships, but it goes deeper than that. From a business standpoint, he’s my confidant, mentor, sounding board and trusted adviser.
Impact: Steve and REAL Trends made The Group, Inc. and Ninja Selling famous. Before I met Steve, we had a nice, productive real estate company, but I’m not so sure Ninja would be what it is today without Steve. The Ninja program started small, but the early clients were Steve’s clients. They were from REAL Trends mastermind and CEO groups. This year, we’ll surpass 60,000 graduates and teach our first class in Italy.
LORE
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FEATURE
“FROM STEVE
I know I’ll get the unvarnished truth. Plus, his ethics are impeccable.” – Lorne C. Wallace
Lorne C. Wallace executive chairman Lone Wolf Real Estate Technologies How we met: I met Steve in 1999 at the Gathering of Eagles (GOE) in Ashville, North Carolina. I had just started dating my wife, Kelli Todd-Wallace, and she and her dad ran a big 600-agent RE/MAX operation in Los Angeles. She was my second U.S. client. Steve had a strict “no vendors allowed” policy, so she had to get permission for me to attend. I wasn’t attending as a vendor. I had dinner with a bunch of people while Kelli went to a RE/MAX dinner. The entire table talked about Steve and how well respected he was. I realized he was someone I needed to know, and it evolved from there. We crossed paths at many more events and developed a friendship. I’m a big ethics guy. You meet a lot of people in real estate as it’s a social business, but I met my ethical match when I met Steve. That’s life: Steve embarrassed me very badly once at the GOE Wednesday night welcome dinner. It was my birthday. When he announced sponsors and had me stand up, he started singing “Happy Birthday” to me. I think that was the first time I ever blushed. For the next two days, everyone I ran into called me “the red-faced guy.” Impact: Steve is a really great friend. He’s my sounding board. I know I’ll get the unvarnished truth from him. Plus, his ethics are impeccable. Attending the 12
Lives of Real Estate
GOE and being able to network with people at that executive brokerage level allowed me to understand their challenges better, which allowed me to develop better products. Common thread: We both love to read. And, when we both get a chance to slow down, we’re going to attend a Lee Child book signing and ask why he sold the movie rights to the Jack Reacher character to Tom Cruise.
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A GIVING HEART
Luke Murphy:
A True
Warrior Coming back from Iraq severely injured, a retired Army staff sergeant set his mind to get to work. Now, he’s working for other wounded warriors to help them build a better life.
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uke Murphy was 17 years old when he signed up for the Army. He was so young that he had to have his father’s consent. Once he graduated from high school a year later, he headed off to boot camp. It’s just something people in his family did. “One of my relatives had been in every scrap since the Civil War. My dad was a Marine, and my uncle served under General Patton. My dad instilled in me the fact that I may have been born free, but you still have to do your part.” A year and a half into his service, at age 19, 9/11 happened. “That made me even more ready to do my part. I went to Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division as an infantry member,” says Murphy, who did two tours in Iraq before getting injured several months into his second tour. He is now a sales associate with Southern Land Realty in Tallahassee, specializing in land and large acreage. Life Changed in an Instant That injury changed the trajectory of his life in an instant. Leading a 12-man team on reconnaissance outside of Baghdad, the bumper of Murphy’s
Humvee triggered an infrared laser attached to an improvised explosive device (IED). The explosion instantly removed Murphy’s right leg and blew his left leg in half. Despite his injuries, he managed to escape the burning vehicle and drag himself to safety. The driver and other passengers did the same. Within 18 minutes, Murphy’s fellow soldiers had him back on base, where he was transferred to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. “At the hospital, there were hundreds of us. We picked on each other, were jealous of each other, inspired each other. Most importantly, we pushed each other. With one leg blown off and the other blown half off, I wasn’t one of the worst wounded,” says Murphy. “This isn’t a woe-is-me story. I’m proud of my service. I was 24 years old when I was hit and spent a year in the hospital. I had over 33 surgeries and had to learn to walk again many times over. But in that time, I concentrated on the positive things in my life. I realized that helping others is how I could avoid dwelling on myself,” he says.
The bumper of Murphy’s Humvee triggered an infrared laser attached to an improvised explosive device (IED). The explosion instantly removed Murphy’s . . .
. . . right leg and blew his left leg in half. Despite his injuries, he managed to escape the burning vehicle and drag himself to safety. LORE
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A GIVING HEART Coming Back While still healing, in late 2007, Murphy joined other wounded soldiers on the Achilles Freedom Team, racing marathons in America and overseas on a handcrank bike. He took second place in two races. Sent for continued recovery and rehabilitation at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital in Washington, D.C., his personality entertained visiting celebrities such as former secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld, former president Barack Obama and singer Cher. He appeared on CNN, NPR and the BBC, collecting numerous commendations along with way, including the coveted Purple Heart. Soon after his recovery, he enrolled in Florida State University. “I had great job offers after I graduated. I was raising money for Wounded Warriors across the country and locally for homeless vets. When I went to pick up a donation, I noticed the guy was wearing jeans
and boots. He told me he was in real estate and sold large acreage,” says Murphy. That was Murphy’s aha moment. “I started riding with him every day, got my real estate license and in 2013, we became partners and started Southern Land.” With a love for the outdoors and a desire to avoid suits and ties, Murphy had found his career. “I had fought on the land, defended it and now I’m working the land,” he says. A Giving Heart While he found a career in real estate, he found his passion in helping other vets. While volunteering in Germany at the medical hospital where he was once a patient, he learned about Homes for Our Troops, a charity that builds homes mortgage-free for post 9/11 veterans who have been severely injured. “I didn’t think I was severely injured enough to get a home, and I didn’t want to take one away from a vet who needed it more than I did, but I signed up for the program
“ I n o t i c e d t h e g u y wa s we a r i n g j e a n s a n d b o o t s . H e t o l d m e h e w a s i n re a l e s t a t e a n d s o l d l a rg e a c re a g e ,” s a ys M u r p h y. T h a t wa s M u r p h y ’s aha moment.
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anyway,” he says. In the meantime, he continued his volunteer work, speaking at major fundraising events and traveling the country speaking for Fortune 500 companies as well as at small prayer breakfasts. Finally, Homes for Our Troops called. “I got into the program and felt like I won the lottery. I thought about backing out to give the home to another vet. Most of us don’t feel we deserve a house. I picked 10-acres way outside of town that cost the same price as a lot in town. Every day since I received that house, I have been trying to pay it back,” he says. In February 2014, he moved in, and he says, “I could finally recover (he had a bone infection that required surgery) in a home that was handicap-accessible. I didn’t have to drag myself into the bathroom because I couldn’t fit the wheelchair through the door.” He knew that he wanted other vets to have what he had. “Homes for Our Troops turned my life around, so I want to help them
turn other lives around. They spend 90 cents of every dollar collected to help vets have a new life and achieve success.” Murphy, along with wife Stephanie, is also on the National Campaign Team for the Wounded Warrior Project, joining other soldiers who tell their stories to raise awareness for the most recently injured servicemen and women while serving as an example of the successes one can achieve after injury. Murphy’s memoir, “Blasted by Adversity: the Making of a Wounded Warrior,” was published Memorial Day weekend 2015. It received a gold medal from the Florida Authors & Publishers Association’s President’s Book Awards. “I’ve always wanted to help people, I’m just doing it in a different way now. I always go back to the oath I took to defend our country and constitution, and that’s what continues to drive me.”.
Watch It: CLICK To Learn More about Luke Murphy
“I’ve always wanted to help people, I’m just doing it in a different way now. I always go back to the oath I took to defend our country and constitution, and that’s what continues to drive me.”
LORE
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INDUSTRY
LEADER
Marci Rossell:
A FOODIE WITH
A GREEN THUMB As the new chief economist of LeadingRE, Marci Rossell flexes her analytical side at work, but at home, it’s all about the gardening.
Photography courtesy of AJ Canaria from PlanOmatic
G
rowing up the daughter of a rice farmer in Louisiana, Marci Rossell knew her way around a tractor. “I came from a farm background and that love of the outdoors is deep inside of me,” she says. In fact, the city she lived in was so small that it wasn’t until she was 16 years old and moved to Dallas with her mom that she saw her first big grocery store. “I was smitten with the grocery stores. I still get that feeling when I go into a big Tom Thumb (grocery store). I get giddy,” she laughs. You might say these early experiences are what gave her such a deep-rooted love of food. “I love food from its inception to consumption. I garden obsessively. My backyard (in South Haven, Michigan) is a food forest,” she laughs. “I have peach trees, squash, strawberries and more.” Right now, she’s on a bit of a cheese kick. “I’ve been making fresh ricotta. And I’ve been making some fresh pastas, baking bread and recently took a try at bagels.” Trial by Fire If that sounds peaceful, life hasn’t always been
that way for Rossell, who worked for CNBC as its chief economist for one year. “My first day on air for CNBC was Sept. 11, 2001. So, my introduction to television was difficult to say the least,” says Rossell, who was introduced as the new chief economist for the network shortly before the first plane hit the Twin Towers. “I think that experience colored my experience with television. It was a difficult time for New York City, the economy and financial markets, which is what I reported on.” Not only that, but that day there were no commercials, and the network depends on the financial industry for content. Obviously, guests you usually had on air weren’t able to be there as they were just trying to figure out what their lives looked like going forward.” However, Rossell stays positive. “If there is one lesson I’ve taken away from that experience, it’s that regardless of the crisis, the U.S. economy is resilient. While the greatest threats come from within, the United States can bounce back from anything.”
“My first day on air for CNBC was Sept. 11, 2001. So, my introduction to television was difficult to say the least.”
LORE
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INDUSTRY
LEADER
A New Chapter As the chief economist for Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE), Rossell is excited to provide updates and strategic economic insights for members of LeadingRE as well as Luxury Portfolio International®, the luxury face of the company. “It’s critical for us to provide our members with in-depth economic analysis on a global basis,” said Paul Boomsma, COO of LeadingRE and president of Luxury Portfolio International. “Marci has the innate ability to explore complex economic issues and make them relevant to people’s lives, families and their homebuying and -selling decisions.” Says Rossell, “This position meshed with where I am professionally and personally. It was important that my work be secondary to my life, which is unusual for someone like me who’s driven and Type A, but it’s a choice I made about 15 years ago to live differently. This position allows me to do that.” Rossell and husband Michael McCarthy have a blended family that includes Matthew (29), Sadie (27) and twins Eastin and Gabrielle (26).
Lessons Learned 1. Buy low, sell high. I see people forgetting that. The point is to buy low and sell high! 2. Choose your friends wisely. We tend to become like the main five people we hang out with, so be careful with whom you choose to associate! 3. Take a sabbatical. If you can take a year sabbatical, do it. If you can’t, at least get away for a week or even a day. Even putting the phone down for an hour can help you recharge.
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“My husband is a very disciplined writer. He can spend hours doing what we call ‘chair work’,” she laughs. “I was not that type of person when we got married, but I find that we are getting more alike the longer we’re together.” McCarthy is a former journalist and editor for The Wall Street Journal. He is a New York Times best-selling author and writes poetry and nonfiction. Inspiration While her husband provides a source of inspiration, her career path can be credited to a professor she had in undergraduate school. “In 1991, I was a senior at Southern Methodist University. I had a degree in economics and business administration with an interest in finance. The professor talked to me about the difficulty of the job market (at that time) and suggested I go to graduate school. It changed the course of my life.”
At the time, she says she was interested in the CEO track. “That professor sent me on a trajectory to be who I am today,” she says. In addition to CNBC, Rossell also served as corporate economist and investment spokesperson for OppenheimerFunds, one of the nation’s largest mutual fund companies. She began her career as an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and earned a Ph.D. in economics from Southern Methodist University. Winding Down Through it all, she’s learned a valuable lesson. “It’s important for me to get out of my head, and that comes through in my passions. My life is my yard, my garden, my home. For me, it’s critical to my thought process and work to get away from it completely and give myself time to purge.” That’s why, for Rossell, while she enjoys travel and her career, “there’s something that draws me back to the postage stamp that is mine and where I grow a lot of our food.” Sometimes, it’s the simple things that mean the most.
“It’s important for me to get out of my head, and that comes through in my passions. My life is my yard, my garden, my home. For me, it’s critical to my thought process and work to get away from it completely and give myself time to purge.”
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INDUSTRY
LEADER
I n H e r Wo r d s : M a rc i R o s s e l l Inspiration: It’s a perfect stranger! Each day, there is a guy who runs by my house in Michigan. He doesn’t run fast, but over the last two years, he’s slowly lost over 100 pounds. He runs in the rain, heat and snow. When I don’t want to do something — write an email, go to the gym — I think of that guy. I’ve been inspired by him for some time.
Three Things You Can’t Live Without (Other Than Family and Friends): A good latte first thing in the morning, white wine at the end of the day and lots of sunscreen in between.
Motivation: The only motivation for me is self-motivation. You have to be careful about what motivates you. Money has never been enough for me. I can’t get out of bed for money. I have to really love what I’m doing, and I love talking about economics and the factors that drive the global economy.
Bucket List: I had an aunt who passed away a few years ago. She was barely 60 years old. My thoughts around bucket lists changed when I realized that life is short. So, if there is something on that list that you want to do, you better do it now — don’t wait. Empty that bucket as quickly as you can.
Personal Passion:
Greatest Accomplishment: Getting my Ph.D. because it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
I love plants. I know the names of all the individual plants in our yard. If the snow melts, I’m digging out to see which plants are sprouting. I am motivated to share, and food is one of the ways I do that.
Forecasting the Year Ahead According to Rossell, “This is one of those unusual times where typical forecasting for the next 12 months is not that easy.” However, she says, when she looks at the long-term, she is extremely optimistic about the fundamentals for real estate. “Even though interest rates are creeping up, and people are worrying about the dampening effect that can have on real estate, I’ve noticed that the strength of real estate hinges on the strength of future income. If people are more confident about future income, that will motivate them to commit to real estate.” 22
Lives of Real Estate
That’s why she thinks the most promising long-term trend domestically is the emergence of millennials (ages 18-35). “The bulk of them are in their late 20s. They are on the verge of beginning to form households and commit to a real estate investment. That is a powerful trend that is driving the real estate market beyond the political volatility. Those demographic trends are what we should be focused on rather than politics, the Federal Reserve and the stock market.”
NEW PODCAST SERIES LAUNCHING IN MAY
The Secret Lives of Real Estate
QuantumDigital and REAL Trends partnered to create The Secret Lives of Real Estate Podcast Series, where we pull back the curtain to share the personal passions, philanthropic efforts, community spirit and industry insights from real estate leaders, trendsetters and legends.
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S AV I N G
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WORLD
Colorado real estate team goes above and beyond to support foster care agencies and other charitable organizations in its region. By Bridget McCrea
BOOSTING the Foster System
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Some 80 percent of the nation’s prison population was once in foster care. A full 40 to 50 percent of these children don’t complete high school, and 66 percent wind up homeless, in jail, or dead within one year of turning 18 and exiting the foster care system.
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he data from Arrow Child and Family Ministries is shocking. Some 80 percent of the nation’s prison population was once in foster care. A full 40 to 50 percent of these children don’t complete high school, and 66 percent wind up homeless, in jail, or dead within one year of turning 18 and exiting the foster care system. Those are not good odds by any measure, and Jeff Johnson knows it. That’s why this leader of The Johnson Team RE/MAX Real Estate Group in Colorado Springs not only expanded his own family to include both foster, adopted and biological children, but he also provides support, time and money to foster organizations in his area. “One of the most influential moments in my life was when we were still foster parents and had not adopted our children yet,” says Johnson, who has been licensed since 2010. “We made it a point to help their mom get her life back together so she could get her kids back.” Then the moment came when the group stood still for a moment, hugging and crying together. “That changed my life forever,” says Johnson, who remembers having no feelings of judgment or anger for the mom. “The feeling and realization that hit me at that time was that everyone has their [issues]. I don’t know how else to say it,” says Johnson, who went on to adopt those children. “She’d done some pretty bad things, but who’s to say that if I grew up in her circumstances that I wouldn’t have done the same or worse in her shoes?” Since that moment, Johnson says judging others became a thing of the past for him. And while that doesn’t mean that people don’t face the consequences of their actions (she didn’t get her kids back), says Johnson, “I don’t think I’m better than her.”
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S AV I N G
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A Higher Calling Ever since he was a young man, Johnson has felt that he was put here to fulfill a higher calling. And while being a good father, husband and team leader are all top priorities for him, Johnson says he truly enjoys helping others achieve their goals and aspirations. Johnson says he originally got into real estate to flip properties, but realized that he liked working directly with buyers and sellers even better. In Colorado’s fast-paced real estate market, he says he loves helping people find and seal deals that they probably wouldn’t have been able to do on their own. “We put a ton of time and research into what home-selling philosophies work,” says Johnson, “We put together plans that mimic what other successful brokers were doing, and then innovate off those ideas.” Parent Date Nights As part of their charitable efforts, Johnson and his team host “Foster Parent Date Nights” for Hope & Home parents, many of whom are stressed to the limit
by their expanding families and unable to take time out to cultivate their own relationships. Based out of Colorado Springs, Hope & Home trains and certifies foster families to care for kids in need of a home. Johnson and his team work directly with Hope & Home, which drops off the children for three hours on the designated night on a twice-per-quarter basis. Held at a residence that’s locked and adequately staffed with adults (for the last event, the ratio was 12 adults to 35 children), the event gives foster parents a safe place to leave their kids while they go out for a few hours. The Johnson Team is also close to meeting a 2017 goal of donating $20,000 to area foster care agencies (and some additional funds to other organizations). “I think we’ll be able to hit that number this year.” The funds are generated from individual donations from every sales associate, each of whom gives a portion of his or her commission checks to the cause.
The Johnsons have a dream of starting a school for foster children who are aging out of the system.
“We want to help stem the flow of kids who turn 18 and wind up in homeless shelters or in jail.” — Jeff Johnson 26
Lives of Real Estate
Johnson says team members also volunteer their time to other organizations, including the Salvation Army, homeless shelters, food pantries and various churches. “As a team, we’ve visited a homeless shelter, torn down their old bunk beds and put together 50 new ones for them,” says Johnson.
amazed by Jessamy’s ability to drill down on the little things, like wishing someone a happy birthday or holding the door for them. “She inspires me so much and represents Christ more than anyone I’ve ever known. She sacrifices of herself for everyone around her all day long.”
The Future Looks Bright When he’s not moving mountains, Johnson enjoys backpacking and mountain biking, but says he really likes spending time with his family and his team members. “I like to partake in those activities with my family,” says Johnson. “I’m not just off doing it on my own.” He says he’s most inspired by his wife, Jessamy, who gives of herself continuously and without worrying about how tired, fatigued or overscheduled she may be.
The Johnsons have a dream of starting a school for foster children who are aging out of the system but who still need a strong, affordable (or free) support system to shepherd them into adulthood. “We want to help stem the flow of kids who turn 18 and wind up in homeless shelters or in jail,” says Johnson, whose own adopted daughter thrived in an alternative school, but the yearly bill was a cost-prohibitive $10,000. “That school has worked a miracle for her, so that’s one of our big goals,” says Johnson. “We’re already looking at land and getting a few other people involved, so it’s starting to come together.”
“There are many beautiful women out there, but to find someone who is as beautiful on the inside as the outside is simply amazing,” says Johnson, a selfproclaimed “big picture guy” who is continually
Bridget McCrea is a Clearwater, Florida-based freelance writer.
The Johnson Team is close to meeting a 2017 goal of donating $20,000 to area foster care agencies.
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TECH
LEADER
Max Diez:
Rethinking Traditional Real Estate Moving from a traditional brokerage to an online brokerage has given Maximillian Diez a new perspective on customer relationships. 28
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“I’m a pretty laid back person. Some leaders tend to be micro managers, but that’s not me. I believe in synergy and work balance.” — Maximillian Diez, Movoto
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t’s not like Maximillian Diez had a choice in his career selection. Well, he says, “I did have a choice, but my entire family was in real estate. I was rebellious out of college and worked for Franklin Templeton Investments selling mutual funds for a short time, but the lure of the limitless opportunities in real estate drew me in.” One of his first deals sealed his career choice. His aunt was one of the first of a large immigrant class from the Philippines. “She ran a boutique real estate office in San Francisco in the early 70s and was one of the first Pilipino brokers,” says Diez, whose mother was a real estate professional and father managed a real estate stock cooperative. “My first broker was my aunt. One time, my client was on the verge of working with someone else,” says Diez. “He was trying to fire me over the phone. I remember taking the time to tell him that my negotiation would help him get the best deal. He told me he would stick with me for another month.” Diez says, “My aunt looked at me and said, ‘You’ll make it in this business.’” In real estate, every day is a negotiation. “I figured out I could be good at what I do if I could focus on helping people make decisions.” Licensed since 2000, Diez is now the vice president of real estate operations for Movoto Real Estate, an online referral brokerage that practices in all 50 states. Diez is based in San Mateo, California. Finding His Passion He says a San Francisco Giants baseball game can be credited with his decision to join the family business. “For one season, when I was 15 years old, I was a bat boy for San Francisco Giants. I understood that hard work equated success, but seeing the baseball players during the games, I realized that passion was a way to success as well.” When deciding what career that would be, Diez realized that he truly loved real estate. “I now love to share my passion with others in real estate.” While his family had a traditional real estate brokerage, Diez saw the potential of an online brokerage. “In 2006, Redfin recruited me when they launched their California business. Then, in 2008, I earned my broker’s license.”
Max with wife Nina and daughter, Milaena. The couple is expecting their second child in August.
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TECH
LEADER
Now with Movoto, he says it’s all about the technology. “We have more than 80 million visitors coming to our website. It’s an elegant way to connect. We offer agents an opportunity for client nurturing.” In his personal life, aside from being a self-proclaimed Uber driver, for his 6-year old daughter, Milaena, Diez practices martial arts and loves to hike and play basketball. He and his wife, Nina, also enjoy traveling,
although with a new baby due in August 2017, traveling has taken a back seat. Diez says he’s learned many lessons along his path, including persistence. “I had a mentor who told me that difficult times and your reaction to them can shape your character. Many people shy away from the tough times, but I’ve learned that I had to jump right in,” he says. He notes that he also learned that, “It’s not the strength of one push, but the consistent push that gets results.”
“I had a mentor who told me that difficult times and your reaction to them can shape your character. Many people shy away from the tough times, but I’ve learned that I had to jump right in.” — Maximillian Diez
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I n H i s Wo r d s : M a x D i e z Aha Moment: When I was at Franklin Templeton Investments, a client-mentor took me under his wing. I was a director of two of his foundations. I was 20 years old and managed my first million-dollar account. The fact that I was so young and he trusted me to manage his money made a huge impact on me. He trusted me before I realized that I could do it. Motivation: I am driven by people telling me I can’t do something. Someone telling me I don’t have the skills or I’m not the right fit gets me fired up. I’ve always felt like I can be whomever I want to be as long as I’m honest and put in the work. Three Things You Can’t Live Without (Other Than Family and Friends):
Photo: pixelfit/ iStock
Cellphone: I can’t live without my cellphone because real estate is a business where you need a phone to get things done. It’s my lifeline and livelihood. Parker pen: I also can’t live without my Parker pen. It’s not even a nice one, but someone gave it to me after a deal, and it reminds me that as technology is evolving, we’re still managed by a signature. This pen represents where we are and where we will be. Notebook: I used to have a yellow legal pad. Now that I’ve gotten more successful, it’s a Moleskin notebook. I write goals, thoughts and more in my notebook. Bucket List: Professionally, I would love to see Movoto be a brand recognized nationally. Personally, I would love to fish in the Amazon and totally disconnect — no phone, no pen and no notebook!
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You are what you do. Not what you say you’ll do. Join the real estate movement #forsocialgood
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