Real Living Network Updates
Be Sure to Join Us for These Upcoming Fall Diversity Events
This fall, Real Living Real Estate will participate in several events, conferences and conventions celebrating diversity in our industry. Join Gino Blefari, Chris Stuart, Teresa Palacios Smith and more team members at these events happening all over the country.
NAHREP CONVENTION, SEPT. 26-29
The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) Convention takes place in San Diego, CA Sept. 26-29, 2019. This national convention is NAHREP’s marquee event, where top-producing real estate professionals, industry experts and corporate executives convene for four days of education, networking and entertainment. Chris Stuart, Vice Chairman of Real Living Real Estate, will serve on a panel with David Acosta, 2019 NAHREP president, to discuss all the exciting new initiatives and brand offerings.
Stop by our booth No. 207 at the EXPO hall where you will get a chance to meet our team, take photos and pick up goodies! If you haven’t registered yet, contact teresasmith@hsfranchise.com for discounted pricing! For registration information, visit nahrep.org/convention/.
NAGLREP CONFERENCE, OCT. 1-3
Join Teresa Palacios Smith at the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP) Conference, held in Palm Springs, CA Oct. 1-3 at the Riviera Resort & Spa. NAGLREP will unite over 700 LGBT and allied industry leaders for three power-packed days of learning and networking with some of the best masterminds in the country. Come ready to gain insights into what top-producing peers are doing, hear from industry executives who are shaping innovation and learn more about the LGBT culture. Celebrate the Top LGBT+Agent Awards and remember to stop by our booth during the event.
All Real Living Real Estate network members will get $100 off NAGLREP conference registration! Now’s the time to spread the word and get registered. Remember to use the discount code bhhs100 when registering. For more details, visit naglrep.com/2019/.
VAREP NATIONAL CONVENTION, OCT.13-15
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is sponsoring the Veteran’s Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP), which will hold its National Convention in Orlando, FL Oct. 13-15. The convention will educate, develop and empower by equipping you with the necessary tools to serve the military and veteran housing needs. There will be powerful networking, dynamic breakouts and industry leading classes along with a military and veteran expo. Stop by our booth at the convention. Take advantage of our discount when registering by using the code HOMESERVICES.
For registration details, visit varep.net/convention/.
AREAA NATIONAL CONVENTION, OCT. 17-19
The Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) holds its National Convention in Boston, MA, Oct. 17-19 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. Experience three inspiring days focusing on education, networking and professional development. Learn more about the greater AAPI community, how to connect with them in real estate, and how to make an impact in your local market. Teresa Palacios Smith will be one of the featured panelists at the conference. Please stop by our booth #225 located in the marketplace where you will get a chance to meet our team, take photos and pick up goodies!
For more information and to register, visit web.cvent.com/event/324cd465-f5eb-482d-a7ae-6fad6b27ab3a/summary
A Letter from Leadership: Let's Get More Political in Real Estate
by Allan Dalton
I have always been of the view that real estate professionals can learn a lot from politicians and politicians can learn even more from those of us in real estate. For those of you who are either disgusted, or who think all of politics is a joke, I disrespectfully say: I no longer approve of political jokes as I have seen too many of them get elected.
So why then, do we need more politics in real estate?
The reason is that approximately 90% of members of congress, down from a one time high of 98%, get re-elected. To the contrary and despite our decades’ old plea, “I want to be your real estate agent for life,” according to the National Association of REALTORS®, fewer than 13% in our industry enjoy a vote for their real estate candidacy the second time around.
One definition of politics is, “the activities, actions and policies that are required to hold power in government.” Notice how the definition is about holding power more than accomplishing anything. Speaking of activities and actions, elected politicians, given their insatiable desire for career longevity, have mastered the following:
- Social media
- Mobile and overall digital marketing
- Networking, door knocking, direct mail
- Hyper local targeted messaging and advertising
- And, of course, prodigiously photoshopped personal promotion
They also invest in their campaigns. Above all, however, they are responsive to the needs of the community.
Being community centric is in the DNA of all politicians. Unsurprisingly the word politics is from the Greek word “affairs of the city.” I will leave the possible jokes that can result from that double entendre about affairs to others.
Seriously, if we are going to get elected and re-elected, then we must illustrate the same demographic acuity that is found in the political world.
Those who seek to gain and keep political office have distinct messaging for seniors, different income groups, ever-changing needs, as well as an overarching theme or campaign message. Their messaging, like all good advertising, is almost always consumer centric … as in “I love New York and not, “I love me.”
Therefore, I am pleased that Real Living can now reach out through Real Living. Real Answers.SM to people who are either downsizing, moving up, moving with children or pets, looking to develop a lifestyle plan for life or who relish the idea that where they live is where Real Living begins.
Additionally, we have two universal campaigns “Real Living, The Home of Lifestyle Advisors” or “Real Living, The Leader in Customized Real Estate.”
Where we can coach all politicians is on how we work together to get things done. We accomplish real and relevant results for the good of humanity because of the exemplary and highly ethical way we individually and collectively do business.
Indeed, we can all proudly point to the following:
That our industry is not known for scandals, deception, negative campaign advertising or being divisive.
The same cannot be said for our elected officials on either side of the aisle. In fact, as unifiers we represent the opposite. We as an underappreciated industry, masterfully and sensitively, unite the inherently divided or polarized interests of buyers and sellers.
Our immense professional and people skills enable us to majestically create an outcome whereby both parties leave the closing table or high-tech enabled transaction with smiles and gratitude.
We also differ in how politicians attend partisan-only conventions while we attend both brand-only as well as industry-wide gatherings. It is there where we continue to celebrate the most mutually respectful, collegial and collaborative of all professions.
Also, despite the realities of our competitive environments, we maturely put aside our company and political loyalties to the benefit of our clients and thus to the greater society; a society whose very economy is inextricably interwoven with real estate results. Politicians are compensated regardless of their governing success or failures. Because they are rewarded richly for their political strengths, this is where their remarkable talents lie, notwithstanding the lack of trust the public has in the political class.
Real estate agents, regardless of surveys, categorically engender trust. Therefore, consumers write checks and come into open houses as strangers. Experience has taught them that both their money and physical presence is safe with real estate professionals. Regarding trust, while it appears so few politicians seem to trust one another, real estate professionals embody complete trust in one another, in my opinion.
Throughout our industry all real estate professionals know that they can trust the referral they send to another professional. Such trust extends the referral to an agent that they may not have never met and who lives and works thousands of miles away.
Real estate professionals have come to learn, and deeply appreciate, that after the transaction – regardless of the brand or brokerage affiliation or how formal or informal the referral was – that the referring agent will be paid a referral fee.
While I do wish that we would be more political to protect our “books of business” from all potential disrupters, it is even more important that politicians might learn from us and govern themselves with the same ethics and ethos replete throughout our industry … and that is no joke!
See you in California at the Real Living Real Estate Connection convention, where we will introduce programs designed to help you get new and renewed clients. And … please leave your politics at the door.
Real Living Carolinas Real Estate Joins the Real Living Real Estate Brokerage Network
Real Living Real Estate welcomes Real Living Carolinas Real Estate to the network!
The brokerage remains independently owned and operated by real estate veterans James and Kathleen Rebhan and serves clients in the counties of Mecklenburg, Union, Iredell, Gaston, Cabarrus, Lancaster and York throughout the Carolinas.
Kathleen Rebhan said joining the Real Living brokerage network was a natural choice as both organizations share a common philosophy focused on the needs of clients. “Real Living is the most recognized and highest-rated brand among the only group that counts – consumers,” she said. “As a brokerage, we understand that leveraging the Real Living brand name, as well as the support of its parent companies, would position the company competitively in the Charlotte market.”
Jim Rebhan added that the brand will appeal to buyers throughout the bustling Charlotte area. “We believe that people moving to the Carolinas will place more value on a brand that connects with clients and the reasons they move,” he said. “Charlotte is a world-class leader in financial services and other industries, and an incomparable hub of opportunity for families and individuals looking to call the region home.”
“Real Living Carolinas Real Estate brings a unique consumer-centric approach that strongly aligns with the Real Living brand,” said Allan Dalton, chief operating officer of Real Living Real Estate. “The brokerage accepts that as lifestyle advisors they’re doing more than marketing homes, but instead marketing overall lifestyles. To many people in the region, and particularly Charlotte, the Carolinas represent where real living begins.”
The full-service brokerage is proud to be nationally certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Greater Women’s Business Council® (GWBC®), a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
Gino Blefari, CEO of HSF Affiliates, congratulated the Real Living Carolinas Real Estate on its network membership. “Kathleen, Jim and their team are highly-respected in the metropolitan Charlotte marketplace and we’re excited to help them grow within their dual-state region.”
Visit www.RealLivingCarolinas.com for details.
Going Above the Call of Duty: How One Agent Worked to Turn Around an Entire Town
The road to a career in real estate was quite unconventional for Milt Thomas, agent with Real Living Capital City. After stints as an English teacher in Japan, a bartender and a filmmaker, Thomas found himself in the small mill town of Porterdale, GA, roughly 35 miles east of Atlanta along the banks of the Yellow River.
It was there the 2017 Atlanta REALTORS® Top Producer discovered his passion for the preservation of the historic mill homes – houses built between 1910 and 1920 as homes for the worker families of the mills – as well as a knack for selling real estate.
Porterdale was once a thriving mill town named after the local mill owner, Oliver S. Porter. The mill was the county’s main employer, operated the area’s only fully staffed hospital, provided recreation programs for the mill workers and their families, and built homes, schools and churches within the town limits. The mills closed in the 1970s and the town fell into disarray after much of the population left for jobs elsewhere.
After discovering the village about four years ago, Thomas became interested in renovating one of the small mill homes and purchased a property of his own.
Thomas, along with the Porterdale’s mayor, economic development director and other civic leaders worked together to bring awareness to area’s affordable housing. Thomas joined the historical preservation group and held events showcasing what could be done to renovate the mill homes.
“After 20 years of living in Atlanta, I moved to Porterdale because of the neighborly feel, the river, the peace and quiet,” said Thomas. “I never imagined I would be helping to restore a town to its historic integrity but I feel really passionate about the preservation of these homes and the opportunity restoration could mean for the community.”
To promote Porterdale’s historic richness, Thomas created the site porterdaleusa.com. The site is a resource for homebuyers looking for information on homes for sale, various loan programs, schools and arts programs and nearby entertainment and tourism.
When Thomas first started selling homes in 2014, properties sold for an average $27,000. Today, the current market value of many mill homes is more than $100,000.
Rusty Willis, broker/owner of Real Living Capital City, described Thomas’ efforts as going beyond the call of duty to really elevate the reputation of network professionals and the areas they serve. “He’s helping the town restore itself to former glory,” said Willis. “It’s not just real estate, it’s the whole community.”
New to the Network: Real Living Home Realty Group
Real Living Real Estate, one of the nation’s leading real estate franchisors and a member of the HSF Affiliates LLC family of real estate brokerage franchise networks, today announced that independent brokerage Properties at the Market Common has joined the network. Real Living’s newest member will operate as Real Living Home Realty Group.
“We’re proud to be joining the Real Living Real Estate network family,” said Jim Parker, co-owner. of Real Living Home Realty Group. “We see this relationship as an opportunity to leverage Real Living’s marketing tools and industry resources. Working with Real Living will expand our reach and help even more homebuyers and sellers in the Myrtle Beach area.”
The brokerage already has a long-standing reputation for connecting with the community and local businesses through its print and online publication, The Insider at the Market Common. The Insider has a readership of over 77,500 and is currently mailed to over 21,000 residences and businesses; 10,000 copies are distributed through 100+ business locations along the Grand Strand.
With their membership in the network, the brokerage will also benefit from Real Living’s comprehensive and integrated suite of resources aimed at helping real estate agents and their clients successfully navigate the home buying and selling process. The technology and systems provided by Real Living will allow the brokerage’s current agents to provide an even higher level of support to clients while encouraging new agents to join the brokerage.
“The Real Living brand is synonymous with lifestyles. Real Living Home Realty Group is a natural fit to market the distinctiveness of Myrtle Beach and the surrounding communities,” said Allan Dalton, chief operating officer of Real Living Real Estate.
Robert McAdams Jr., president of Real Living Real Estate, welcomed Real Living Home Realty Group to the network. “We look forward to providing this already exceptional firm the support it deserves to grow even further,” he said. “We’re thrilled they’ve chosen Real Living and we’re confident they’ll continue their tradition of serving the community of Myrtle Beach under the new name and brand.”
CEO of HSF Affiliates Gino Blefari added, “Jim and the Real Living Home Realty Group team will be exceptional ambassadors for the Real Living network and we’re excited to support them in their strategic growth.”
Real Living Home Realty Group will celebrate joining the network with a community ribbon cutting in the spring of 2018. Details regarding the event, the new branding and new opportunities to work with the brokerage will be available online atwww.reallivinghomerealtygroup.com.
Real Living Greater Montana Presents Benefit for Bikers Against Bullies
Team members from Missoula, MT-based Real Living Greater Montana banded together for a charity event that raised more than $13,000 for Bikers Against Bullies. The national non-profit empowers school-aged children with anti-bullying social skills through assembly appearances and role-playing exercises.
In February, the team produced the Winterfest-Rock for the Kids! featuring live musical performances by Jared Blake from The Voice and Jared Weeks from Saving Abel.
The event was held at the DoubleTree hotel in Missoula, which donated the cost of the room for the fundraiser. The team sold individual tickets to the event and raised more than $4,000 in sponsorships. The event also included a silent auction and a giveaway to raise additional funds.
To get a front-row view of the fun, watch this video from the event!
Freedom Realty & Property Management Joins Real Living Real Estate Brokerage Network
Real Living is pleased to announce that Freedom Realty & Property Management in Winchester, KY, has joined the network. Freedom Realty & Property Management is the first company to join Real Living under the brand’s repositioning as “The Leader in Customized Real Estate.”
As part of the re-engineering of Real Living’s branding, franchisees like Freedom Realty & Property Management are now afforded maximum flexibility in business. New network brokerages may retain more of their local identity while fully leveraging brand support and resources. The brand is still selling franchises under the traditional Real Living branding but offers this new option to potential and existing franchisees.
“It was very important that Real Living allowed us the flexibility to retain our local identity backed by the Real Living solutions, systems, tools, training and network reach,” said Greg Wood, broker/owner of Freedom Realty & Property Management.
Allan Dalton Named as COO of Real Living Real Estate Brokerage Franchise Network
HSF Affiliates LLC, which operates the real estate brokerage franchise networks Real Living Real Estate, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and Prudential Real Estate, announced the appointment of Allan Dalton as chief operating officer at Real Living. Dalton, reporting to network president Bob McAdams, will oversee franchise sales and, with McAdams and the team, is working to reposition Real Living for long-term growth. He will remain as a special consultant to Gino Blefari, president and CEO of HSF Affiliates.
Dalton has served HSF Affiliates in a consulting role for two years. Working with McAdams and the Real Living team, he is re-engineering Real Living to offer maximum branding flexibility for franchisees. This will enable new brokerages to retain more of their local identity when they join the network, such as incorporating their existing logos and brand identity with the familiar Real Living markings and tagline, “A Real Living Network Member.” It will also help the brand to attract more independent brokerages that want brand support and resources without compromising their unique brand identity, and will establish Real Living’s new direction, “The Leader in Customized Real Estate.” The brand transformation will be introduced later in the fall.
“Allan knows the real estate business from so many angles – he’s a true asset,” said Gino Blefari, president and CEO of HSF Affiliates. “His energy and ideas are already shaping our Real Living network and value proposition.”
Dalton brings a wealth of real estate experience to his position. He is the former CEO of realtor.com and past president and co-owner of a 32-office Regional Brokerage – Murphy Realty Better Homes and Gardens. He was also named by the National Association of REALTORS as one of the real estate industry’s 25 most influential thought leaders.
“Real Living has developed many exceptional programs and services and Allan will help us better communicate Real Living’s value within our network and to consumers and prospective franchisees.”
Dalton, a former draft pick of the NBA’s Boston Celtics, brings with him deep branding and franchising experience. While growing Murphy Realty, he was credited with creating the Better Homes and Gardens Pacesetter networking group, and co-created its business-to-consumer marketing systems. As a consultant to Cendant (now Realogy), Dalton co-created national marketing systems for NRT, Coldwell Banker, Century 21 and ERA.
Dalton, author of several books on real estate, is a former SVP for NRT, president of Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty and chief marketing officer of RISMedia. He is also a sought-after public speaker for the real estate industry.
Such experience, leadership and industry-wide respect will help Real Living blossom in the months and years ahead, said Blefari. “Allan possesses a remarkable ability to construct, package and present a real estate value proposition,” he explained. “Real Living has developed many exceptional programs and services and Allan will help us better communicate Real Living’s value within our network and to consumers and prospective franchisees.”
McAdams said Dalton is an ideal fit for the brokerage franchise network. “I worked directly with Allan the past several months to reposition Real Living,” he said. “The experience was terrific and made it clear we needed Allan to help us grow the network as ‘The Leader in Customized Real Estate.’ Of course, Allan’s knowledge of the industry, of consumers and of the web and emerging technologies will help us in our ongoing strategies and planning.”
Dalton said he’s excited to join HSF Affiliates and the Real Living brand. “Real Living has attracted a legion of fiercely loyal brokers and associates who possess a deep connection to the brand and to one another,” he explained. “Their integrity, independence and optimism make it inspiring to work with them and for them.
“Of course, having the full support of Gino Blefari and the broader HSF Affiliates team bodes extremely well for the long-term growth prospects Bob and I see for the Real Living Real Estate network,” Dalton added.
Real Living Real Estate Sales Professional Named REALTOR® Emeritus
VIDEO // Real Living Casa Fina Realty Experiences Massive Success
Nick Parrinello, broker/owner at Real Living Casa Fina Realty in Tampa, FL, explains how he’s able to grow his brokerage under the Real Living brand in this new YouTube video. Parrinello took over ownership of the brokerage more than two years ago – when the firm was selling about 100-130 homes per year with 15 agents – this week, Casa Fina Realty hired its 40th agent and is on pace to sell more than 300 homes in 2017. Under Parrinello’s leadership, the brokerage has grown all aspects of the business, including sales volume, agent count and per person productivity.
Watch as Parrinello explains the factors responsible for this success.