CHICAGO – (May 4, 2018) – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® has named Home Partners of America as a preferred provider through its Solutions Group program, a collection of select business resources for the global network of 565 real estate firms.
Home Partners of America offers a Lease Purchase Program, which provides qualified renters the opportunity to select a home for sale to lease with a right to purchase. Participants can lease the home for up to five years (three years in Texas) and purchase the home at any time during their residency at a predetermined price.
“Home Partners of America offers our members a way to help more people realize homeownership – whether working with first-time homebuyers who are not quite ready to buy, relocating clients who are still exploring the area or creditworthy households who are unable to obtain a mortgage for one reason or another,” said Robin LaSure, vice president of corporate marketing for LeadingRE. “And, by extending services to these clients, an agent can convert a rental prospect into sales transaction, earning a full sales commission.”
Home Partners of America has already had great success working with LeadingRE members throughout the U.S., including ReeceNichols Real Estate in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
“LeadingRE companies not only represent the top independent real estate firms across the country, but also they share our values and commitment to a quality experience,” said Ayoub Rabah, SVP of Marketing. “We are honored to further develop our relationship with LeadingRE by becoming part of the Solutions Group program.”
“Home Partners of America’s Lease Purchase Program provides LeadingRE members an opportunity to better serve their rental customers by providing them with a transparent solution offering more choice, control and flexibility, along with A New Path to Homeownership®,” added Rabah.
– Global real estate network has led the industry in sales for over 10 consecutive years. –
CHICAGO – (4/25/18) – The independent firms that comprise Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) continue to lead the industry, with $372 billion in U.S. home sales in 2017, $55 billion ahead of its closest competitor.
Among the top 500 U.S. real estate firms, LeadingRE was responsible for more sales units than any other group, with 24.5% of the total units, totaling 1.1 million transactions.
Figures for the top 500 firms are verified and published by REAL Trends each April. Figures for total sales of all networks are estimated by using average sales units per agent for each network’s firms in the REAL Trends 500, multiplied across each network’s entire agent population.
“Independent brands continue to resonate with consumers, who are drawn to the authenticity and local expertise of firms that are deeply rooted in the community,” said LeadingRE President/CEO Paul Boomsma. “When these firms are further strengthened by the connections and resources of a global network like ours, they offer home buyers and sellers the best of both worlds – locally and globally.”
With 565 member firms in over 70 countries, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® invites only the highest quality independent companies for membership and supports them with its award-winning professional development programs and events, innovative technology and marketing resources, industry-leading referral network, Luxury Portfolio International® marketing program, and connections to people and opportunities worldwide. To learn more about LeadingRE, visit LeadingRE.com.
– Company’s past President/CEO Pam O’Connor also assumes board seat. –
LeadingRE BOD Member and Global Advisory Board Chairman Frank Morrice, Servmor Realty, Panama City, Panama
CHICAGO, IL – (04/05/18) – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® has named Frank Morrice of Servmor Realty in Panama City, Panama, to its 13-person board of directors, which provides guidance for the global community of market-leading real estate firms in 70 countries. Also joining the board is Pam O’Connor, who recently retired as LeadingRE president/CEO.
Morrice serves as general manager of Servmor Realty (formerly Semusa Realty), a position he has held since 2001. He is a promoter and active contributor of ACOBIR, Panama’s Multiple Listing Service, and was recognized by ACOBIR in 2011 as a featured member for his efforts in developing the MLS. Among other industry positions, he is a member of the International Entrepreneur Organization, serving on its board in 2016 and 2017. Morrice also serves as chairman of LeadingRE’s Global Advisory Board.
“Frank is an excellent addition to our board of directors and ideal for his role as chairman of our Global Advisory Board. He is an enthusiastic advocate for all our programs, ranging from cross-border referrals to online learning through Institute, supporting our mission of providing relevant, impactful services for our members around the world,” said Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® President/CEO Paul Boomsma. “Of course, we are also fortunate to benefit from Pam’s continued involvement and know that she will complement the talented brokers who provide leadership for our network.”
Joining Morrice and O’Connor on the board are Chairman Joe Horning, Shorewest Realtors, Wis.; Immediate Past Chairman Pat Riley Allen Tate Company, Charlotte, N.C.; Vice Chairman Diane M. Ramirez, Halstead Real Estate, New York, N.Y.; Secretary Howard W. (Hoby) Hanna IV, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, Cleveland, Ohio; Treasurer Rob Sibcy, Sibcy Cline, Realtors, Cincinnati, Ohio; Carol Bulman, Jack Conway & Company, Norwell, Mass.; Harold Crye, Crye-Leike Inc-Nashville, Memphis, Tenn.; Mike Pappas, The Keyes Company, Miami, Fla.; Ron Peltier, HomeServices of America, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.; Patrick M. Shea, Lyon Real Estate, Sacramento, Calif.; and William Watson, Jr., Watson Realty Corporation, Jacksonville, Fla.
Morrice succeeds Ron Stader, president and co-owner of CIR Realty in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, who previously served on the board and as chairman of the Global Advisory Board.
With a global membership that spans seven continents, LeadingRE connects more than 565 firms and 130,000 sales associates who produce over 1.1 million real estate transactions each year. LeadingRE provides its affiliates with an extensive range of brokerage services, which include lead generation, cross-market referrals, branding support, luxury marketing, online exposure, technology systems, professional development and unique events.
To learn more about Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, visit www.LeadingRE.com.
– LeadingRE implements succession plan that also includes Stephanie Anton’s promotion to Luxury Portfolio president. –
LeadingRE President/CEO Paul Boomsma and Luxury Portfolio International President Stephanie Anton
CHICAGO – (April 2, 2018) – Paul Boomsma assumed the role of president and chief executive officer of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) today. Boomsma, who has served as the company’s chief operating officer and president of its Luxury Portfolio International® division, succeeds long-time CEO Pam O’Connor, who announced her retirement from LeadingRE in January.
“We are very pleased to have Paul’s leadership as we continue the progress achieved over the past 20-plus years,” said LeadingRE Chairman of the board Joe Horning of Wisconsin’s Shorewest Realtors. “I have had the pleasure of working with Paul for the past 13 years and have always been inspired by his passion, insight and dedication to the success of LeadingRE and our members around the world. His grasp of both marketing and technology are ideally-suited to this phase of our business, and his history with the organization makes this a very seamless transition.”
Boomsma brings more than 20 years of real estate experience to his new position. He began his career marketing luxury office towers, later heading marketing for a top Chicago residential firm before becoming national marketing director for a major franchise. Boomsma is responsible for creating Luxury Portfolio International®, the highly successful high-end marketing division of LeadingRE and subsequently was tasked with also heading operations and strategic marketing for LeadingRE as COO.
He is a frequent industry speaker on topics that include consumer trends, technology innovation, global business practices and working with affluent buyers and sellers. Among his many distinctions, he was named to the 2018 Swanepoel Power 200, ranked on Inman’s Most Influential and received the Unique Homes’ Award for Excellence in Luxury Home Marketing.
Robust Executive Team
Stephanie Anton, who has served as executive vice president of Luxury Portfolio International®, was also promoted as part of the LeadingRE succession plan and is now president of Luxury Portfolio. A graduate of Boston University with a Masters in Integrated Marketing from Northwestern, she has over 15 years of experience in real estate and luxury marketing for brokerages and networks and has been instrumental in building Luxury Portfolio for the past 12 years.
Other members of the company’s current senior management team include long-time Chief Financial Officer Alan Cazzato; Bob Portale, chief executive officer of the company’s sister relocation management company, RELO Direct®, Inc.; Executive Vice President, Member Services Elizabeth Nunan; Executive Vice President, Operations Jessica Edgerton; and Executive Vice President, Global Operations Chris Dietz.
Dan Elzer, LeadingRE Institute Dean of Professional Skill and Technique for Institute.
CHICAGO – (February 26, 2018) – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) has named Dan Elzer as Dean of Professional Skill and Technique for Institute, the network’s online learning platform. Institute is a key component of LeadingRE’s learning initiatives, which recently ranked #1 on Training magazine’s 2018 Training Top 125.
In this role, Elzer will provide content focusing on skill development for leaders, managers and sales associates, including online courses, webinars and other resources. Founder and president of The Training Academy LLC, Elzer is a nationally acclaimed speaker, trainer and consultant with over 30 years of experience in the real estate industry who is widely known for his powerful skill-based programs.
“Dan is a master at helping real estate professionals develop competencies that result in growth and profitability. For brokers and managers looking to support top talent and for agents striving to build their business, Dan provides actionable strategies aimed at achieving peak performance. We are delighted to have him on the Institute faculty,” said Dan Nelson, LeadingRE vice president of Performance Excellence.
Elzer joins other industry thought leaders who comprise the Institute faculty, including Chief Learning Officer Mike Staver, Dean of Innovation Matthew Ferrara and Dean of Customer Experience Debbie Maier. Institute currently boasts 350 online courses with new classes each month and includes certifications for sales, service, leadership, marketing and relocation, as well as an extensive resource library for managers and agents.
LeadingRE is a select global community of over 565 independent real estate firms spanning six continents. To learn more, visit LeadingRE.com.
Representatives from Allen Tate Company accept the Diamond Award, LeadingRE’s highest honor.
CHICAGO – (February 19, 2018) – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® honored top-performing member firms and individuals earlier this month at the Wynn Las Vegas during its Annual Conference – the culmination of its Conference Week, which attracted an audience of 3,000 real estate professionals from 24 countries.
“Our Conference Week brings together professionals from the best residential real estate companies in the world to focus on global real estate trends and providing exceptional experiences to home buyers and sellers,” said LeadingRE President/CEO Pam O’Connor. “A highlight of the event is celebrating the achievements of those members who have performed at the very highest levels.”
The organization’s top honor, the Diamond Award, went to Allen Tate Company (Charlotte, NC), in recognition of outstanding performance and engagement in all of LeadingRE’s business programs. It is the eighth year Allen Tate Company has won the Diamond in the award’s 16-year history.
LeadingRE’s Lifetime Achievement Award, provided for just the third time in the network’s history, went to Larry Kendall of The Group Inc. Real Estate (Fort Collins, CO) for his impact on the personal and professional lives of the more than 50,000 real estate professionals who have adopted his Ninja Selling system.
The Leadership Award, celebrating brokers whose leadership skills and achievements have drawn the attention and admiration of others, was presented to two deserving recipients this year: Larry Roberts, Bahamas Realty Limited (Nassau, Bahamas) and Lennox Scott, John L. Scott Real Estate (Seattle, WA). The Customer Experience of the Year Award went to David Steele, Blanchard & Calhoun Real Estate (Augusta, GA), and the Referral of the Year was presented to Steve Wrenn, CRYE-LEIKE, Realtors of Atlanta, Inc. (Atlanta, GA) and Elaine Pardalos, Halstead Real Estate (New York, NY).
Included in the top marketing awards were the Best Overall Website, presented to Chas Everitt International Property Group (Johannesburg, South Africa), and the Most Innovative Brokerage Award, given to London Properties, Ltd. (Fresno, CA). Most Innovative Office Design was presented to Haring Realty Inc. (Mansfield, OH) and PorchLight Real Estate Group (Denver, CO).
The Crown of Excellence referral awards were given in seven company size categories: Allen Tate Company (Charlotte, NC); Lyon Real Estate (Sacramento, CA); Beverly-Hanks & Associates (Asheville, NC); John Daugherty Realtors (Houston, TX); Platinum Group, REALTORS (Colorado Springs, CO); Townsend Real Estate (Fayetteville, NC); and Tina Bilazarian, Inc., REALTORS (Shrewsbury, MA).
Earning the Million Dollar Award for Highest Valued Outgoing Closings was Houlihan Lawrence Real Estate (Rye Brook, NY). The Global Alliance Award for Most Outgoing International Referral Closings was presented to The Keyes Company (Plantation, FL). Awarded for having the Top 5 Most Outgoing Closings, in order of volume, were: WEICHERT, REALTORS (Morris Plains, NJ); Long & Foster Real Estate Inc. (Chantilly, VA); Howard Hanna Company (Pittsburgh, PA); Ebby Halliday Realtors (Dallas, TX); and Allen Tate Company (Charlotte, NC).
Recognized with the Pinnacle Award for having the most outgoing revenue-generating referrals were: Long & Foster Real Estate Inc. (Chantilly, VA); Lyon Real Estate (Sacramento, CA); RealtyAustin (Austin, TX); John Daugherty Realtors (Houston, TX); WK Real Estate (Boulder, CO); Marx-Bensdorf Realtors (Memphis, TN); and Farrell Smyth, Inc. (San Luis Obispo, CA).
The Service Recognition Award was presented to individuals who have demonstrated an extraordinary level of commitment to the LeadingRE community in a variety of areas. The top individual honor, the Hall of Fame Award, was presented to Eileen Cherny, Marx-Bensdorf Realtors (Memphis, TN) and Catharine Pappas, Dickens Mitchener (Charlotte, NC). Presented with the Chairman’s Award were Mark Bardo, The Keyes Company (Plantation, FL) and Vicki Hamp, Long & Foster Real Estate Inc. (Chantilly, VA).
Earning the President’s Service Award were Andrea Bowles, Blanchard & Calhoun Real Estate (Augusta, GA); Berry Everitt, Chas Everitt International Property Group (Johannesburg, South Africa); Tom Flanagan, The Group Inc. Real Estate (Fort Collins, CO); Michael Guthrie, Roy Wheeler Realty Co. (Charlottesville, VA); Jeremy Hurst, IRG- International Realty Group Ltd. (George Town, Cayman Islands); Matthew Leone, Halstead Real Estate/Brown Harris Stevens (New York, NY), Silvana Malpelli, Brown Harris Stevens (New York, NY); Frank Morrice, Servmor Realty (Panama City, Panama); Kimberly Mullins, HUFF Realty (Cincinnati, OH); Ueli Schnorf, WETAG Consulting (Locarno, Switzerland); Pat Shea, Lyon Real Estate (Sacramento, CA); Andrew Smith, Peabody & Smith Realty, Inc. (Franconia, NH); Tammy Vlah, Watson Realty Corp. (Jacksonville, FL); and Merle Whitehead, Howard Hanna Company (New York Region).
LeadingRE’s next event is the 2018 ASEAN Immersion Conference, taking place May 8-10 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
– Ranking recognizes the organizations with the most successful learning and development programs in the world. –
CHICAGO – (February 16, 2018) – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) was ranked #1 on the 2018 Training Top 125, which recognizes the organizations with the most successful learning and development programs in the world. The only real estate network named to this year’s Top 125, LeadingRE’s first-place position reflects the company’s rapid rise in the elite ranking, placing 3rd in 2017, 9th in 2016 and 64th in 2015.
LeadingRE, a select global community of over 565 independent real estate firms spanning six continents, earned the distinction based on its commitment to delivering best-in-class training and development for its member brokerages, as well as its corporate employees. A key component of LeadingRE’s learning programs is Institute, a robust online learning platform that currently boasts 350 online courses with new classes each month, including certifications for sales, service, leadership, marketing and relocation, as well as an extensive resource library for managers and agents.
The MAESTRO Leadership Program is another offering that played an integral part in LeadingRE’s #1 ranking, recognized for its high performance results and life- and career-changing impact for participants. The only program of its kind in the industry, MAESTRO empowers select leaders by focusing on the three pillars of great office leadership, with interactive workshops, a behavioral assessment tailored for real estate sales managers, numerous pre- and post-workshop assignments, webinars, accountability partner pairings, and ongoing communication and motivation.
Other popular options in LeadingRE’s robust menu include courses centered on the company’s landmark Consumer Insights research, the Career Gold workshop for training professionals, CEO Exchange Groups and numerous conferences held around the world for its broad membership. A new offering for 2018 is the LeadingRE Agent Accelerator, powered by Ninja Selling, a training process designed to accelerate sales associate performance and help owners and managers deliver powerful sales meetings.
“Giving our member brokerages world-class training on the most timely, relevant topics in digestible, accessible formats is a top priority for us, so we are incredibly proud of this recognition,” said LeadingRE President/CEO Pam O’Connor. “Our brokerages and sales associates enthusiastically embrace these opportunities, continuously raising the bar on their own performance, expertise and professionalism.”
Heading the company’s learning initiatives are Vice President of Performance Development Dan Nelson and Executive Director of Institute Content Cecelia Chott, as well as Chief Learning Officer Mike Staver. Institute Deans Matthew Ferrara, Dan Elzer and Debbie Maier and other thought leaders from the industry and beyond regularly contribute content on a full array of topics.
Now in its 18th year, the Training Top 125 ranking is based on myriad benchmarking statistics and determined by assessing a range of qualitative and quantitative factors, including innovation and financial investment in employee development, the scope of development programs, and how closely such development efforts are linked to business goals and objectives. Other companies ranking in the Top 125 include ADP, Assurant, Best Buy, BNSF Railway Co., CVS Health, Dollar General, Edward Jones, Mohawk Industries, New York Community Bancorp, Sonic Automotive and Western Union.
LeadingRE Announces New Cloud Initiative
– Program ensures independent brokerages have easy access to latest technologies. –
CHICAGO – (February 7, 2018) – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® announced at its Annual Conference in Las Vegas last week that it is rolling out the LeadingRE Cloud to give its 565 member brokerages in 65 countries an easy way to implement a wide range of the most innovative technology solutions available today.
The initiative is part of strategic relationships with DocuSign and MoxiWorks to deliver a new platform with integrated technology for agent productivity, marketing resources, back office solutions and more. The LeadingRE Cloud will offer options ranging from marketing tools – like real-time CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) presentations, virtual tours, custom print solutions and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) – to transaction management systems.
The LeadingRE Cloud is an open platform, allowing member brokerages to choose the service providers with whom they engage. “Our culture has always been one of choice, and that philosophy is integral to this initiative,” said LeadingRE COO Paul Boomsma. “Our members can choose the technologies that work best for their companies and within their markets, while benefiting from the power of this system to streamline implementation and day-to-day use.”
While choice will be offered in all product areas, DocuSign has been selected as the preferred eSignature and transaction management provider, based on the company’s ability to transact in 40+ languages, which complements LeadingRE’s global scope.
“We’re excited to be aligned with LeadingRE to further strategic integrations with multiple technology providers. Together, our goal is to streamline and accelerate the transaction so brokers can fully achieve the benefits of our Lead to Close vision,” said Georg Gerstenfeld, vice president and general manager of DocuSign’s Global Real Estate business. “And we’re doing it in a way that guarantees brokers maintain ownership and control of their data.”
Also integral to the LeadingRE Cloud is another long-time participant in LeadingRE’s Solutions Group program, MoxiWorks, which has already been embraced by a significant number of LeadingRE member firms and will power the LeadingRE cloud.
York Baur, CEO of MoxiWorks said, “The LeadingRE Cloud is a rare example of a network providing technology to independents. This new benefit delivers all the benefits of the MoxiCloud to LeadingRE members – more flexibility, digital lead to close, plug and play tools and services, to name a few.”
“The LeadingRE Cloud is only the latest in a series of investments we have made in technology on behalf of our members,” said LeadingRE President/CEO Pam O’Connor. “Other recent investments include Testimonial Tree, which gives our members a way to capture and share consumer reviews, and Moderne Ventures, an investment fund focused on technology companies innovating in the real estate space. We are excited about the role the LeadingRE Cloud will play in ensuring all of our members remain on the forefront with technology.”
Integration with the LeadingRE Cloud for both members and vendors will take place in the coming months.
CHICAGO – (1/23/18) – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, a global community of more than 565 real estate firms, has selected Contactually as a preferred provider through its Solutions Group program of carefully-vetted business resources.
Contactually is an intelligent CRM (customer relationship management) platform that helps real estate agents nurture new, repeat, and referral business, while allowing brokers to track results and recruit and retain the best talent. By centralizing contacts and documenting relationship touchpoints, Contactually creates actionable follow-up plans and automates relationship workflows.
“Contactually was developed for brokerages, but designed for agents, creating unparalleled adoption rates at companies with brokerage accounts, which is critical in the success of any new technology,” said Robin LaSure, LeadingRE vice president of corporate marketing. “By helping agents easily stay organized and in touch with their network, with the right messages at the right time, Contactually gives agents more time to build relationships and grow business.”
Zvi Band, Contactually CEO & co-founder, welcomes the opportunity to engage with more LeadingRE members. “Having already proudly built partnerships with a number of LeadingRE member organizations, including Pacific Union, FirstTeam, and Zephyr Real Estate, we’re thankful to deepen our relationship with LeadingRE, and look forward to being part of the community,” Band said.
LeadingRE members will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from Contactually at the network’s upcoming conference, January 31-February 2 at Wynn Las Vegas. Learn more about Contactually at www.contactually.com. Learn more about Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® at www.LeadingRE.com.
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About Contactually
Contactually provides a SaaS-based intelligent customer relationship management (CRM) platform for real estate agents and brokerages. In simply minutes a day, Contactually’s easy-to-use platform enables personal engagement at scale, resulting in more leads, referrals, and increased business. Proudly located in Washington, DC, Contactually employs approximately 70 people and has raised $12 million in capital to date from Grotech Ventures, Rally Ventures, Bull City Venture Partners, Middleland Capital, and others. For more information please visit at www.contactually.com.
CHICAGO – (January 18, 2018) – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® announced today that it has named Imprev to its Solutions Group program, which identifies select business resources for its global community of more than 565 real estate firms.
Imprev provides marketing automation services for brokerages, creating complete marketing packages every time a key event occurs for a listing. Imprev’s Marketing Center includes a wide variety of materials for print, digital, and social media channels—all of which can be fully branded to meet a brokerage’s unique needs and specifications.
“By creating targeted marketing throughout the cycle of a listing, Imprev empowers agents to effectively promote listings and drive new business, while offering brand protection for the brokerage,” said Robin LaSure, vice president of corporate marketing for LeadingRE. “Our brokers place great importance on delivering this type of value to their agents, and we look forward to introducing more of our members to these services.”
Imprev’s President and Chief Revenue Officer Bill Yaman said, “LeadingRE members excel at creating best-in-class brand experiences, because they understand that brand is one of their most important assets. Joining this prestigious network’s preferred Solutions Group allows us to work closely with more top brokerages to jointly address their key business challenges and maximize their marketing opportunities. Our goal is to help brokerages protect their hard-won brand power so they can wow agents, impress clients, and generate more business for everyone.”
He adds, “We’ve been thoroughly impressed by our current LeadingRE clients’ commitment to brand excellence and look forward to partnering with other LeadingRE members in the future.”
Imprev will be a sponsor at LeadingRE’s upcoming conference, January 31-February 2 at Wynn Las Vegas. Learn more about Imprev at www.imprev.com. Learn more about Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® at www.LeadingRE.com.
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About Imprev
Many of the most respected brands in real estate leverage Imprev’s Automated Marketing Services to set themselves apart from their competition. With Imprev, brokerages automatically create and continually update fully-branded print, digital, and social media marketing packages for all their agents’ listings, giving them a recruiting edge and driving unprecedented brand consistency. Launched in 2001 and constantly updated, the Imprev platform powers the marketing centers for hundreds of brokerages and franchises— representing over 20% of real estate agents in North America. Discover more at www.imprev.com.
