Industry Perspectives

  Part 1: Identifying the Right Market Regardless of where you’re at in your career as a real estate brokerage owner, the most savvy business people in this industry are always looking ahead to the next phase of their organization. That next phase may vary for each person– opening up additional offices in their current area, expanding into a new region and in some cases acquiring a competing company in their market. But too often, broker/owners think acquiring a competing company in their marketplace is unattainable or improbable as a means of growth, so they dismiss the idea. I recently

  By: HomeSmart Realty Group Broker Lynn Chute When buying a house, everyone talks about the three rules of real estate: location, location, location. Well… the same holds true when deciding to open a brokerage. I’ve been part of a growing brokerage in Denver, and the thriving market itself is dictating that success. I did a Q&A in RISMedia where I talked about why real estate in Denver is booming and how the desirability of the Denver area for living, working and playing has and will undoubtedly continue to allow Denver and the surrounding area to be very competitive in

  Inman’s article released last month, “The rise of the next-generation 100% commission brokerage,” made it clear that the 100% commission model is not only here to stay, but also catching on in the industry. If you’re a top performing broker looking to truly evolve your business, it all comes down to embracing the proper business model and support to make the evolution happen. Inman says the concept of the model is proven and industry people support it. “In all of their varieties, they are here to stay,” said Steve Murray of the 100% model. “The data supports it.” All

  By: HomeSmart Professional Partners Realty Broker/Owners Marie and Mark Hischier As a seasoned real estate agent who is licensed in three states, I’ve worked for brokerages that follow both the traditional and flat fee model. Some were dedicated to outstanding support and technology, while others struggled to keep up with the industry. After experiencing and evaluating varying structures at several brokerages, I knew we needed to end up with a company that shared our values. We have successfully grown our brokerage by heeding to three core values: visibility, efficiency and referrals.   1. Visibility First thing’s first… It’s important to

  By: HomeSmart Advantage Group Designated Broker Andy McDonald Agents not only drive your business, but also represent it, so it’s important for your brokerage to keep them happy. I’ve spent 17 years in real estate, and over the last 4.5 years have locked in on what it takes to keep agents satisfied and working hard for you. Technology Efficient technology creates consistency for agents. Choose technology that manages the agent experience, allows for excellent customer service, supports brokers and agents and empowers them to take their business to the next level. End-to-end technology that is 100% integrated will allow

  By: Bryan Brooks There is nothing worse than hitting a wall in your real estate brokerage business! Maybe you can’t seem to reach (or finally break through) your  revenue goals or maybe your real estate brokerage isn’t as profitable as you planned when starting out. Having worked with independent and franchised brokers for well over 16 years, I unfortunately hear this all too often, so you are not alone. Although everyone has their own unique situation, I’ve found there are 4 common challenges brokers struggle with in today’s market: 1. Recruiting agents 2. Retaining your top producing agents with

  By: HomeSmart Realty West Broker/Owner Roger Lee and CFO Abe Hamideh At one time or another, everyone struggles growing their brokerage. Maybe you hit a ceiling and need help breaking through by recruiting more agents. Maybe your agents aren’t feeling supported or trained, and therefore leave the team. We spoke to RISMedia about how we’ve managed to grow, stay ahead of competition and keep our agents happy. There are many reasons why brokers struggle to grow their business, but we have three surefire tips to help nurture yours. 1. Flat Fee Model HomeSmart Realty West runs on a flat

  I recently stumbled onto a few articles that provided basic advice on how to be a top producing real estate agent. Basically the secrets of top producers. All of the articles provided basic sound advice, • Show-up • Follow-up • Be versatile • Be creative in your solutions, etc There were 20-25 concepts or things to do to be on your way to a top producing agent, however 3 stood out to me: • Systematize and automate your business • Adopt best practices versus reinventing the wheel • Effectively use and manage technology When I went through the articles and read

  HomeSmart is back in the news again! This time it’s a RISMedia feature story with Randy Rector, CEO of HomeSmart Evergreen Realty, located in Irvine, California. To call Randy successful is a massive understatement; he’s truly a top performing HomeSmart broker. Since starting with HomeSmart in 2012, Randy is experiencing increased business growth beyond his wildest expectations. RISMedia caught word of Randy’s amazing business results with a flat-fee model and wanted to know his secret. His results are off-the-charts. They knew he must be doing something unique. Here’s the story… In 2005, Randy Rector joined the family business; a

  HomeSmart Broker Bill Flemming is a real estate marketing genius and a tried and true innovator. His HomeSmart Connect Real Estate office, located in Arlington Heights, IL, is experiencing explosive growth, while competitors around him are closing their doors.           Bill’s success caught the attention of RISMedia, who recently conducted a spotlight interview with him to learn more about how he operates his brokerage from both a marketing and technological perspective. That interview started out with an incredible story that was the epitome of turning a ‘lemon into lemonade.’ One weekend, Bill found himself in a little dilemma. His