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VISIBILITY. CREDIBILITY. FOUNDATION. Enjoying the advantages of four decades on top. • Emerging opportunities. • R4 an epic celebration.
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PLUS MyRU DEBUTS 23 | GARY VEE! 29 | NEXT BIG THINGS 39
T H E R E / M A X M A G A Z I N EWINTER 2013 REMAX.COM/ABOVE
YOU’RE INVITED TO THE PARTY!
PLAN FOR R4PAGE 26
VISIBILITYCREDIBILITYFOUNDATION
Enjoying the Advantages of Four Decades on Top
8PAGES OF HISTORY INSIDE!PAGE 30
When you’re working on a short sale, communication between the agent and the servicer is critical to success. That’s why Bank of America has provided a convenient escalation web tool for RE/MAX agents that can help resolve short sale issues quickly and keep the process moving.
Understand when it may be appropriate to escalate. Resolving an issue always begins with contacting your assigned Short Sale specialist through Equator.® The welcome page of the escalation web tool provides guidelines to help you understand when it may be appropriate to submit an escalation as well as how to use the tool.
Connect to a dedicated team. If an escalation is appropriate, simply complete all required fields on the escalations form and click Submit. Your escalation will be sent directly to the RE/MAX Escalations team, who will contact you within two business days. Actual resolution of an issue can take up to 30 days depending on the situation.
A resource for buyer’s agents. Buyer’s agents may also submit escalations that will be reviewed and acknowledged. However, to protect the seller’s privacy, specific transaction information will be provided only to the listing agent.
This escalation web tool is just one more way Bank of America is working to make the short sale process easier for RE/MAX agents.
To learn more, please visit the REO-Short Sale Initiatives page on RE/MAX Mainstreet.®
THIS INFORMATION IS NOT INTENDED OR AUTHORIZED FOR CONSUMER DISTRIBUTION.All trademarks are the property of Bank of America Corporation or their respective owners. Bank of America and other advertised companies are separate entities; each is independently responsible for its products, services and incentives. Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. ©2011 Bank of America Corporation.AD-08-12-1060 09-2012 ARD53427
With an escalation web tool for RE/MAX®agentsKeep your short sales moving
REMAX.COM/ABOVE • WINTER 2013 1
OPENING REMARKS
That’s what happens with a brand
presence built up over a long time and
viewed as the cream of the crop. It
brings the sort of awareness and trust
new brands would kill for. And we – all
of us – have it, because for 40 years
RE/MAX has attracted the best agents
and been defined by their actions.
Every agent who has worn a
RE/MAX pin has contributed to what
we are today. Every interaction,
situation and transaction is woven into
our collective image.
Whether you’ve been with us for 20
days, 20 months or 20 years, you are
the face of the company to the people
you work with or know. And because
you’re so good at what you do, the
foundation we have grows even
stronger every day.
So as we highlight the 40th
anniversary throughout the year – and
I really hope you’ll be at R4 for the big
celebration – you should know that it’s
as much about you as it is about Dave
and Gail. They started the ball rolling –
and continue to lead us, with amazing
courage and vision – but the rest
wouldn’t have been possible without
people like you.
Happy 40th. I’ll see you soon in
Las Vegas!
IT’S BEEN 40 YEARS SINCE DAVE
and Gail Liniger made their huge
leap of faith, betting their futures on
a belief in themselves and a great idea.
Richard Nixon was president, “All in
the Family” was must-see TV and the
average price of a home was about
$32,000.
It’s fun to think about what the
world looked like – and what we all
looked like – in 1973, but the real
meaning of our 40th anniversary goes
far beyond nostalgia.
The essence of the 40th is the
competitive edge it represents,
involving elements like credibility,
stability and reputation. An agent who
joined RE/MAX last month – even if he
wasn’t born in 1973 – already has all
of those things working for him. It’s a
built-in edge.
You know the old line about buying
a certain make of car and then seeing it
everywhere? A similar thing happens
in our profession, but with a twist.
Consider a couple on the verge of
buying their first home. They’ve seen
RE/MAX yard signs and ads for years,
but they’ve never really paid attention
because they had no need to. Now,
though, when it’s time to care about real
estate and choose an agent, RE/MAX is
top of mind.
What 40 years really meansBY MARGARET KELLY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, RE/MAX, LLC
ABOUT THIS COLUMN
Opening Remarks
features the thoughts
of top RE/MAX leaders,
speaking on major
themes within ABOVE.
Margaret Kelly is one of the most well-known, well-liked and highly respected leaders in the real estate industry. In her 25 years with RE/MAX, she has initiated and inspired tremendous growth, innovation, creativity, compassion and results. As CEO of RE/MAX, she dedicates her efforts to maintaining a culture of collaboration across the network and across the industry for the benefit of real estate professionals and the consumers they serve.
2 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
FEBRUARY 25 – 28, 2013
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
features
ABOVE ONLINE View this and past editions of ABOVE at remax.com/above. Enhanced with videos and additional resources, the ABOVE website is a fun, interactive way to experience and share the magazine.
AN EPIC CELEBRATIONThe 2013 RE/MAX R4 Convention will
celebrate the network’s legendary history while
looking ahead to what Associates will need to
stay competitive and on top.
26RE/MAX AT 40A lot can happen in 40 years – and did! In celebration
of the 40th anniversary of RE/MAX, here’s a year-by-
year timeline that highlights just a fraction of what made
RE/MAX the powerhouse it is today.
30
CONTENTS
Back then, women were turned away
from real estate offices, and
the maximum commission concept was very new. Our competitors
said we’d never survive. But
RE/MAX was innovative.
– MARY GEDACK, RE/MAX ALLIANCE,
WESTMINSTER, COLO. JOINED IN 1976
You’re thinking about selling homes. But what are onlinecustomers thinking about you?
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HOM-0017.indd 1 12/17/12 5:11 PM
4 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
23
departments
IN EVERY ISSUE: 01 OPENING REMARKS 48 JUST FOR FUN
Copyright © 2013 RE/MAX, LLC. All rights reserved. ABOVE is a regis-tered trademark of RE/MAX, LLC. The material herein may not be dupli-cated, copied or reproduced – in whole or in part – in any way without written permission. ABOVE magazine is provided to RE/MAX Affiliates as one of many benefits. The opinions of guest contributors and inter-viewed guests are their own and not necessarily those of RE/MAX, LLC, or its Affiliates, or any of its owners, officers, employees or agents.
RE/MAX, LLC, is not responsible for the content of advertisements and assumes no liability for any claims arising therefrom.
RE/MAX, LLC, is an Equal Opportunity Employer and supports the Fair Housing Act. Each RE/MAX® office is independently owned and operated.
RE/MAX, LLCCHAIRMAN & CO-FOUNDER Dave Liniger
VICE-CHAIRMAN & CO-FOUNDER Gail Liniger
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Margaret Kelly
PRESIDENT Vinnie Tracey
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS AND BRANDING Mike Ryan
ABOVEDIRECTOR, CHIEF NEWS EDITOR George White
CREATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR Collin Meek
SENIOR EDITOR Amanda Derengowski
EDITOR Deborah Ball Kearns
To reach the editors of ABOVE, call 303.796.3573 or email [email protected].
To order additional copies, call the RE/MAX Order Desk at 303.796.3672
or visit www.remax.net.
ABOVE®
WINTER 2013, VOL. 3, NO. 1
ABOVE, a quarterly publication (January, April, July, October), is the official magazine of RE/MAX, LLC, the international real estate franchisor serving the
industry’s most productive Sales Associates.
RE/MAX World Headquarters5075 S. Syracuse St.
Denver, CO 80237-2712
PO Box 3907 Englewood, CO 80155
remax.com®
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PRESIDENT Brendan Harrington
EDITOR Tom Wilmes
ART DIRECTOR Lindsay Burke
PROJECT MANAGER Susan Humphrey
NATIONAL AD SALES Susan Wist
303.378.1626 [email protected]
15 39
INSIDE STORY
6 SNAPSHOTSRelief after Superstorm Sandy, RE/MAX Commercial website debuts, RE/MAX tops Entrepreneur’s 2013 Franchise 500, and more!
15 LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR GREATNESSThe leaders of RE/MAX China foresee limitless opportunities and positive consumer reception as RE/MAX launches in China.
18 LEADING THE CHARGEJohn Veneziano and the 70 Sales Associates in his brokerage are enjoying the results after moving from ERA to RE/MAX.
BUILDING BLOCKS
20 UNDER THE HOODThe new remax.com delivers more leads, more listings, more customization – and more business to RE/MAX Associates.
23 MEET THE NEW MyRUMyRU, the latest evolution in the industry-leading education offered by RE/MAX University, delivers an interactive, custom-tailored eLearning experience.
FULL SPECTRUM
39 THE NEXT BIG THINGSFrom attracting clients around the globe to honing their digital marketing strategies, these agents are paying attention to emerging opportunities.
42 STAY THE COURSEWayne Moen, President of the Canadian Real Estate Association, discusses his tenure and what lies ahead for the Canadian market.
ABOVE & BEYOND
44 SERVING THOSE WHO SERVERE/MAX agents find success and fulfillment helping military families buy and sell homes.
47 SCOUT’S HONORThrough her longtime com-mitment to Scouting, Sharon Watson has helped generations of young people learn to lead.
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Perfect Soil for
Your Flower Beds
With proper preparation your flower beds can
produce beautifully, even in times of drought.
• Take time to improve the soil early in the spring
before setting out bedding plants. Plants that go
into beds of prepared soil, instead of into individual
planting holes, will grow large, spreading root
systems. The larger a plant's root system, the less
water it takes to sustain it.
• Work in substantial amounts of leaf mold, compost,
or rotted cow manure into the top 8 to10 inches of
soil. Incorporate about 25 percent of this organic
matter into the soil. The dividends include increased
moisture retention in the soil and substantial
improvements to the soil structure. You can never
add too much organic matter to the soil.
• Once plants are in, cover the soil with a layer of
mulch (but keep it about 6" away from the base of
the plant). This will help retain moisture and
substantially reduce weed growth.
Chris Johnson
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Keeping in touch makes you money! According to NAR, nearly 90% of home buyers and sellers said they’d use their last agent again, but only 9% of buyers and 22% of sellers actually did. Why? They forgot their agent’s name! Don’t let future sales slip through your fingers! Keep in touch and keep those clients.
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6 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
INSIDE STORY S N A P S H O T S
RE/MAX OF NEW JERSEY
Regional Director Amanda
Brown expected the worst
when she toured the
popular tourist town of
Point Pleasant on the Jersey
Shore a few weeks after
Superstorm Sandy wreaked
havoc on the East Coast.
Brown had heard from
RE/MAX Associates that
their homes were destroyed,
offices were lost and
countless transactions were
in jeopardy of not closing.
When Brown arrived to
survey the damage, she
was taken aback for an
unexpected reason.
“Everyone was in clean-
up mode,” Brown says.
“It was one of the most
inspiring things I’ve ever
witnessed. You had offices
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SANDYIn the Aftermath of
RE/MAX RELIEF FUND DONATIONS HELP AGENTS IN NEED
that were completely
ripped out and agents
who had lost their
homes, yet everyone was
determined to get this
mess cleaned up.”
RE/MAX Affiliates who
were affected by Sandy had
a unique resource to turn to:
The RE/MAX Relief Fund. It
can provide immediate aid
when catastrophe hits the
RE/MAX family.
Rene Zipfel, a Sales
Associate with RE/MAX
Real Estate in Lavallette,
N.J., lost her home on
Ortley Beach — one of the
hardest-hit neighborhoods
— and nearly all of her
business. The RE/MAX
Relief Fund assistance
came at just the right time.
Zipfel’s family used the
money for food, gas and
incidental items.
“It helped us tremendous-
ly,” she says.
SANDY BY THE NUMBERS
820 milesSandy’s total
diameter
305,000homes destroyed
8.1 millionhomes lost power
$50-$70 billion
in total damage
REMAX.COM/ABOVE • WINTER 2013 7
Months later, Zipfel
and her family now live
in a rental property, and
she is trying to rebuild
her business as cleanup
continues in her island
community.
“I had two closings
scheduled in November that
didn’t happen,” Zipfel says.
“It’s tough to re-establish
and market your business on
a budget of zero.”
Valerie Shalomoff’s Long
Island home flooded and was
without power and heat for
more than two weeks. Her
family also lost both of their
cars. Assistance from the
RE/MAX Relief Fund was the
first type of aid she received
from any agency or group.
“We still haven’t seen
anything from the insurance
company,” says Shalomoff,
a Sales Associate with
RE/MAX Liberty in Queens,
N.Y. “The money we
received from the Relief
Fund helped pay the bills.”
The Relief Fund distrib-
uted more than $30,000 in
aid to the first group of
East Coast applicants.
RE/MAX Affiliates have
donated more than $35,000
to the Relief Fund to help
Sandy victims.
“We are fortunate to have
had such a quick response
from the RE/MAX network,”
says Mike Reagan, President
of the RE/MAX Relief Fund.
“We continue to keep those
impacted by the storm in
our thoughts, and hope for
a quick recovery.”
1. Choose a gift card they'll love
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WANT TO HELP? NEED ASSISTANCE?The RE/MAX Relief Fund provides help when catastrophe hits. Download a donation
form or application for aid on RE/MAX Mainstreet. Email [email protected].
8 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
IN ITS FIRST MONTH, 35,000 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE THEIR WAY TO
remaxcommercial.com, the new, standalone website dedicated to reinforcing
RE/MAX as a top global commercial real estate brokerage network.
The new RE/MAX Commercial website, which launched in mid-November,
features nearly 250,000 commercial listings from around the world, and not
just RE/MAX listings. The site generates leads worldwide and distributes them
to RE/MAX Commercial Practitioners through LoopNet, Gryphtech and the
commercial side of MLSs.
A key perk: RE/MAX Commercial Practitioners still benefit from the power
of remax.com, which routes all consumer traffic seeking commercial real estate
listings to the RE/MAX
Commercial website. Links to
remaxcommercial.com appear
right on the remax.com home
page and numerous other
pages throughout remax.com,
which averaged 4 million visits
per month in 2012.
The big goal of the
remaxcommercial.com site is
to influence buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, brokers, bankers, municipalities,
and other commercial professionals to choose their local RE/MAX Commercial
Practitioner for their investment needs.
A STRONG Debut
INSIDE STORY S N A P S H O T S
REMAXCOMMERCIAL.COM. HIGHLIGHTS.
250,000 commercial listings
35,000 unique visitors in first month
118,029 page views in first month
Commercial lead-generation for
RE/MAX Associates around the world
Websites for Commercial Offices,
Divisions and Practitioners
Blog covering top RE/MAX Commercial
dealmakers, their deals and hot industry topics
Global industry news
A comprehensive directory of services –
and more!
By having RE/MAX Commercial on a standalone site, it’s not just a sub-brand of remax.com anymore. That separation is important for commercial brokers. For us to be more competitive online and even the playing field, we needed this. – MARK HULSEY, RE/MAX RESULTS-COMMERCIAL DIVISION,
ST. PAUL, MINN.
REMAX.COM/ABOVE • WINTER 2013 9
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LENDING REGULATIONS HAVE
become overly strict in response to the
loose lending standards
that contributed to the
housing downturn. Tighter
restrictions are stifling
the housing recovery,
Dave Liniger said in
a point-counterpoint
feature in the January
2013 issue of DS News
magazine.
“The reaction of the lending industry
to the housing crisis was to overreact.
The pendulum of reason has swung too
far in the opposite direction,” he said.
The RE/MAX Chairman and Co-
Founder presented his
thoughts alongside Ivy
Zelman, CEO of real
estate analysis company
Zelman & Associates,
in a discussion on
whether regulators have
“overreached” in tightening
lending regulations.
Liniger went on to
state that despite incredible interest
rates and favorable home prices, the
stringent policies are not just stalling
the housing industry, but also the
nation’s recovery from the recession.
“What this market desperately
needs is commonsense regulation and
lending,” he said. “Housing policies
should truly safeguard consumers
without stifling economic growth.”
For her part, Zelman stated that
ongoing uncertainty has led lenders
to tighten their restrictions above
and beyond what is required. What’s
needed, she said, is more clarity in
the rules, which will let lenders get
back to offering mortgages to credit-
worthy borrowers.
Chairman Dave Liniger weighs in on lending standards
INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
4x4
Four top producers answer
four questions on performing
at the highest level.
MAXIMIZE RESULTS
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:
Jodee Duenas, RE/MAX Diamond Realty,
Hagåtña, Guam (Hall of Fame)
Chopper Russo, RE/MAX Traditions Real
Estate, Oakland, N.J. (100 Percent Club)
Cherie Hansen, RE/MAX of Bigfork,
Bigfork, Mont. (Lifetime Achievement Award)
Sherri Mercurio, RE/MAX Preferred,
North Providence, R.I. (Executive Club)
What tools help you elevate your business and level of service?
Jodee: RE/MAX Mainstreet is filled with resources, and I use the Design Center to create marketing fliers. I’m also loving our local MLS database online. My most recent training, Brian Buffini’s Peak Producers, has also made a big difference.
Chopper: LeadStreet helps keep our buyers and sellers engaged, and the new Every Door Direct Mail program from the USPS has proven to be a great tool.
Cherie: I’m an old Top Producer user and usually carry 90 listings at a time.
Sherri: It’s almost impossible to function without my iPad, and I believe my phone has become a permanent part of my face! It’s critical to anyone’s success to be visible on a consistent basis and to have 24/7 “virtual availability” for clients.
What motivates you to keep aiming higher
in your career?
Jodee: Setting goals helps keep me on schedule and in check. And my husband and two boys are my big-gest supporters.
Chopper: It’s a matter of self- motivation – I love what I do and I won’t settle for second best. Only the lead dog has the best view.
Cherie: Always wanting better for myself and my clients. I’ve worked hard to have a great reputation; part of that is personality, the other is how you do business. If you’re hon-est, strive to learn more and are the best you can be, then the rewards are endless.
Sherri: You get out of life what you put into it. It’s that simple. My family, my two Chihuahuas and my peers keep me working harder and harder.
What new market segment would you like
to explore in 2013?
Jodee: I would like to focus more on single-family, new construction and commercial sales.
Chopper: The new RE/MAX Commercial site has us more fo-cused on multifamily and mixed-use buildings going into the new year.
Cherie: I’m looking forward to the RE/MAX R4 Convention for inspira-tion. I’m interested in learning new ideas to help me perfect something I do now, like improving my market-ing pieces, and finding out about emerging opportunities.
Sherri: I’d like to become more involved with REOs. I’ve been focus-ing on short sales for five years and have successfully closed more than 100 short-sale transactions. I’d like to share my knowledge with other professionals who may be hesitant to approach a short sale, and edu-cate them about the process.
ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 201310
INSIDE STORY S N A P S H O T S
How do you manage tough decisions and
situations?
Jodee: I stay focused on the task at hand, tap into all my resources and get creative. I’m the facilitator of the transaction, so I need to communi-cate effectively and not take issues and situations personally.
Chopper: I stop, take a deep breath and remember I have two ears and one mouth that I try to use propor-tionately. I’ve had very different life experiences, and challenges offer opportunities that others often don’t see.
Cherie: Quoting Howard Brinton: “I provide; the client decides.” It puts things in perspective.
Sherri: I believe a real estate trans-action is typically a win-win situation for buyers and sellers. There’s always a solution to a problem. A closing attorney once said to me “It’s not a problem if you can write a check,” and boy was he right.
REMAX.COM/ABOVE • WINTER 2013 11
AFTER 17 YEARS ON ESPN, THE RE/MAX WORLD LONG
Drive Championship is moving to the Golf Channel for the 2013
event. In addition to the final competition airing live on the
Golf Channel, NBC Sports will air a 60-minute recap, mark-
ing the first time that power golf’s premier event will be seen
on network television.
“Through the Long Drive Championship, people all over
the world become familiar with the RE/MAX brand,” says Mike
Reagan, RE/MAX Senior Vice President of Business Alliances.
Millions tuned in to the 2012 ESPN coverage in December. The event
also generated buzz in major magazines like Sports Illustrated and Golf
Magazine, online and through social media.
In the Open Division, Ryan Winther overcame swirling winds to defeat
Tim Burke for the 2012 title, with a swing of 343 yards in the final round. In
the Senior Division, Eric Lastowka defeated Frank Miller 387 yards to 369.
RE/MAX WORLD LONG DRIVE CHAMPIONSHIP SLATED FOR NEW CHANNEL, NETWORK DEBUT
Increased Reach
RYAN WINTHER
Full competition
coverage moving to
Golf Channel in 2013
12 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
INSIDE STORY S N A P S H O T S
RE/MAX RANKS AS THE NO. 1 REAL
estate brand in Entrepreneur magazine’s
2013 Franchise 500. It’s the 10th time
that has happened in the past 14 years.
Just as Subway, 7-Eleven and other
elite brands dominated their categories,
RE/MAX finished ahead of the five other
real estate franchisors that qualified
for the 500. Key criteria include finan-
cial strength and stability, growth
rate and size, low startup costs and
global presence.
“We are pleased, but not surprised,
to be ranked No. 1,” RE/MAX CEO
Margaret Kelly says. “Our Sales
Associates and Broker/Owners are
talented people who help each other
excel, whatever the market conditions.”
The No. 1’s keep coming
CROSSWORD ANSWERS (FROM PAGE 48) ACROSS 6. EXPERIENCE 7. OUTSTANDING 8. RSN 9. GAIL LINIGER 10. CRS 13. YARD SIGN 15. ABOVE 16. LUXURY
19. EUROPE 21. ABR 24. ABOVE THE CROWD 26. LAS VEGAS 28. HALL OF FAME 29. FORTY 31. PREMIER 33. COMMERCIAL 36. OUT IN FRONT
37. MISSOURI 38. DESIGN CENTER 39. SALES 40. MYRU DOWN 1. DENVER 2. WINS 3. LEADSTREET 4. NOBODY 5. ONE LOG 10. CDPE 11. BRAND NAME
12. WHAT MOVES YOU 14. SIX 17. REGIONS 18. REFERRALS 20. EARN 22. REMAX.COM 23. CALGARY 25. DAVE LINIGER 27. MARGARET KELLY
30. BALLOONS 32. EXPERTS 34. OFFICES 35. KOMEN
REMAX.COM/ABOVE • WINTER 2013 13
CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK
Hospitals has a new program called
Give Miracles that lets supporters
choose exactly how their donations
will benefit the CMN Hospital of
their choice.
Donors can browse hospital wish-
lists at GiveMiracles.org and purchase
items hospitals need. Options range
from a comfort toy for $30 to a
pediatric wheelchair for
$970 to an entire hospital
wing devoted to neonatal
intensive care for $12 million. And many
more items in between can make a big
difference for sick and injured children.
The Give Miracles “crowdfunding”
is a great opportunity for RE/MAX
offices or Associates who are
interested in coordinating efforts
to purchase top-tier gifts. Groups
of individuals essentially pool
resources to purchase higher-cost
items, such as a $6,500 jetted
therapy tub or $8,500 life-saving
organ transportation service. On the
GiveMiracles.org website, groups can
follow their progress toward raising
the funds.
Learn more at GiveMiracles.org.
Reliable, HigH-Quality Office PHOne SyStemS. One lOw mOntHly PRice.
The Mitel AnyWare VoIP office phone system delivers RE/MAX® offices excellent call quality, industry-leading reliability, and feature-rich phones all for one low fixed monthly price.
2 fRee mOntHS wHen yOu SubScRibe by maRcH 31, 2013.
Call or visit today! 877-291-0322 • www.mitel.com/above
DONOR’S CHOICE
Step into my office
To sign up today, visit att.com/wireless/REMAXOr, to find the nearest AT&T store, visit att.com/find-a-store
Please have proof of eligibility (employee badge, pay stub or business card)Mention FAN: 22541
* IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Available only to RE/MAX. Other conditions and restrictions apply. See contract and rate plan brochure for details. Subscriber must live and have a mailing address within AT&T’s owned wireless network coverage area. Equipment price and availability may vary by market and may not be available from independent retailers. Purchase of additional equipment, services or features may be required. Not all features available on all devices or in all areas. A $36 activation fee may apply. See your AT&T Representative for more information. ©2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All Rights Reserved. AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property. Printed in the U.S.A.
REMAX.COM/ABOVE • WINTER 2013 15
INSIDE STORYG L O B A L D E V E L O P M E N T
MEET RE/MAX CHINA LEADERS HENGBIN YU AND QI HAN.
THEY FORESEE LIMITLESS OPPORTUNITIES AND POSITIVE CONSUMER RECEPTION
OF THE BRAND AS IT LAUNCHES IN CHINA. BY DEBORAH BALL KEARNS
LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR
GREATNESS
HENGBIN YU
QI HAN
16 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
Q| Welcome to RE/MAX! You
had other brands to choose from;
why RE/MAX?
Yu Quite simply, RE/MAX is the
No. 1 real estate brand in the world.
The global referral network will be
a major advantage, both in terms
of exchanging referrals with agents
in other countries and for the Sales
Associates within China.
Han RE/MAX is well established
around the world. It’s a brand name
people know and trust. There’s so
much support and training offered at
the corporate level that other brands,
like Century 21, which operates in
China, do not offer. We believe the
RE/MAX model will appeal to top
producers, because it values the
independent sales professional,
making it ideal for spurring
productivity and competition.
Q| What’s the Chinese real
estate market like right now?
Yu There are three factors that
heavily influence housing demand
in China: 1) Tradition (it’s typical in
Chinese culture to get married, buy a
home and have children); 2) Inflation;
and 3) Limited investment choices
due to housing policies. Because
of the restrictions, many wealthy
Chinese citizens are investing in real
estate abroad, particularly in the U.S.
and Canada.
Han The Chinese government
influences housing prices through
policy. To avoid a housing bubble, the
government instituted homebuying
restrictions in dozens of major cities
in 2011, including limits on foreign
real estate purchases by non-
residents, higher down payments,
and caps on the number of units
homebuyers can purchase. The
policies worked, forcing prices down.
Q| What challenges will RE/MAX
face as it enters China?
Yu We feel that now is a great
time to bring RE/MAX into China.
Government policies have decreased
the number of transactions brokers
are closing. Office owners don’t have
enough transactions, so commissions
also are down. But as the market
demand increases due to more
hiring and middle-class growth, we’ll
see that trend reverse. RE/MAX
offers maximum commission, which
THERE’S A CHINESE PROVERB THAT SAYS: “IF YOU WANT ONE
year of prosperity, grow grain. If you want 10 years of prosperity,
grow trees. If you want 100 years of prosperity, grow people.”
Every entrepreneur strives to build a business and find capable
people to run it for long-term success. RE/MAX China’s new leaders,
Chairman and Owner Hengbin “Brandon” Yu and CEO Qi “George”
Han, are looking to do just that as they introduce RE/MAX to more
than 1.3 billion Chinese consumers and prospective agents.
Yu, a quiet leader who commands the respect of his entire team, and
Han, a sharp-minded franchising veteran, share a common goal: They
want to revolutionize China’s real estate market by focusing on attract-
ing top-producing real estate agents to a well-established brand. And
they found a perfect match for their ambitions in the RE/MAX model.
They sat down with ABOVE recently during a month-long stay in
Denver for business training at RE/MAX World Headquarters. Here’s
what they had to say about plans for RE/MAX China in the year ahead.
INSIDE STORY G L O B A L D E V E L O P M E N T
PHO
TO
S B
Y M
AR
C P
ISC
OT
TY
REMAX.COM/ABOVE • WINTER 2013 17
differentiates it from traditional
Chinese brokerages. We’re confident
that this Sales Associate-centric
model will appeal to and attract top-
producing Chinese real estate agents.
Han China has a franchising law
that prohibits the sale of individual
offices within the first year of
operation, so we’ll focus on building
our regional operations. We have
plans to headquarter master regions
in Beijing; Hong Kong; Zhengzhou,
Henan; and Nanjing, Jiangsu.
Q| How do you think Chinese
consumers will receive RE/MAX?
Yu I think the Chinese people will
welcome an established, professional
real estate brand like RE/MAX.
Business relationships are very
important in China; consumers
expect to establish an amicable
relationship – even a friendship –
with someone they do business
with. The real estate agent who is
knowledgeable and friendly, with
a willingness to learn and embrace
the RE/MAX way, will fit in best with
RE/MAX China – and invite more
consumers to trust the brand.
Han Chinese people, in general,
are not aware of RE/MAX. But those
who have traveled or studied abroad,
particularly in North America or
Europe, have encountered the brand
and have a positive impression of it.
ABOUT THE LEADERSHENGBIN YU Yu, a seasoned
entrepreneur, has held
a variety of leadership
positions across numerous
industries, such as
mining, IT development,
banking, investment and
franchising, to name a few.
He is currently Director
of the Beijing Franchise
Equity Exchange, as well
as chairman of four other
companies, in addition
to being Chairman and
Owner of RE/MAX China.
QI HANHan, CEO of RE/MAX
China, has worked in
franchising operations
for more than 15 years.
His extensive franchise
experience includes
working with non-
domestic brands that
want to enter the Chinese
market, as well as Chinese
franchise chains. Han has
worked with more than
100 franchises across
43 different industries,
including real estate
organizations B.A. & 5I5J
Group, a Chinese real
estate brand, and Century
21, for which he served as
vice president of China
operations for seven years.
NEW HORIZONS: CHAIRMAN AND OWNER
HENGBIN “BRANDON” YU (RIGHT) AND CEO QI
“GEORGE” HAN, DISCUSS THE INTRODUCTION
OF RE/MAX INTO CHINA DURING A TRIP TO
RE/MAX WORLD HEADQUARTERS IN DENVER.
18 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
LAST SEPTEMBER, JOHN
Veneziano made a bold but
calculated move. He dropped
his longtime association with ERA – a
relationship that dated to 1989 – and
rebranded his brokerage to RE/MAX.
“Complacency is the No. 1 killer
of business,” he says. “I wanted more.
I wanted branding. I wanted leads.
I wanted marketing. I wanted a more
close-knit network. I really looked
into the key differences between
the brands, and at all the pros and
cons, and it came down to the fact
that others just can’t compete with
RE/MAX.”
By joining RE/MAX, Veneziano
and his agents gained stronger
brand-name recognition, better sales
prospects, more visibility on the
street and on the Internet, a strong
regional office that fosters networking
opportunities, and a better grasp on
future success.
Veneziano has a history of fighting
stagnation to the benefit of his
agents, and his brokerage as a whole.
For instance, he scaled back and
reduced overhead just before the
2006 downturn. His competitors
thought he was going out of business,
but after the market hit bottom, they
were the ones closing up shop.
NEW TOOLS FOR RESULTSSince the switch to RE/MAX,
Veneziano and the 70 Associates at
RE/MAX Andrew Realty Services in
Medford and Stoneham, Mass., have
reaped the rewards. Agents have
received more than 300 leads and
have been plenty busy.
Broker Associate Sory DeOliveira
has already had
success with
LeadStreet. After
receiving a lead
generated on
remax.com, DeOliveira
and the prospective
client signed an
agreement within
a week.
She also received
a phone call from a
seller who liked her
new RE/MAX profile
online. Soon after, DeOliveira met with
the woman at her waterfront condo
on Boston’s inner harbor and secured
the listing over a cup of tea.
DeOliveira has seen the advantages of
the branding change in other ways, too.
“I contacted all of my former clients
to let them know I was now a RE/MAX
agent,” DeOliveira says. “I was able to
re-establish connections that could
result in transactions in the future.”
THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENTPositive outcomes like this were
exactly what Veneziano imagined
when he gathered his agents in a
conference room at a local hotel in
September to announce
the change. He had kept
the news a secret by saying
he was moving up the
company’s annual New
Year’s meeting to the fall.
He told the group he
had heard requests for
more leads and more
marketing services – and
had found a solution. He
then led everyone to the
other end of the hotel,
where a huge RE/MAX
welcome event was set up in another
conference room. By the time they
left, Veneziano’s Associates had new
business cards and a new brand identity.
“They were excited,” Veneziano
JOHN VENEZIANO SWITCHED FROM ERA TO RE/MAX FOR ITS COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGES. HIS ADVICE? EMBRACE CHANGE TO STAY ON TOP. BY NATHAN SOLHEIM
SORY DeOLIVEIRA
PHO
TO
BY
KEN
RIC
HA
RD
SON
INSIDE STORY M A J O R C O N V E R S I O N
LEADING
CHARGEthe
REMAX.COM/ABOVE • WINTER 2013 19
KEY TAKEAWAYSWhat’s best for your
business might be to change the way you do business.
Use the tools at your disposal in ways that work
toward your goals.
Align yourself with strong partners.
JOHN VENEZIANO
Complacency is the No. 1 killer of business. – JOHN VENEZIANO
recalls. “They felt they were getting
a company they liked working for
and a brand they were excited
about working with.”
Tom Lee, who’s been with
Veneziano’s brokerage since
1996, said Veneziano’s way of
breaking the news was dramatic
and effective. And to Lee, the
advantages of moving to RE/MAX
were quickly evident.
“Comparing the two brands in the
local market, there’s no question,”
Lee says. “Even people who knew
us as a company didn’t necessarily
know ERA. But RE/MAX is instant
recognition. RE/MAX is top of mind.
You see it on a daily basis.”
Veneziano expects the switch to
help his agents build their business.
And, as he sees it, they deserve
a leader who acts in their best
interests.
“The day I sit in my chair like Captain
Kirk and think everything is great is
when you should ask me to retire,”
Veneziano says. “Complacency will
hurt my agents’ income, and I won’t let
that happen.”
20 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
1
The first thing consumers see is
a large search bar that lets them
quickly filter their results. It’s
prominent and makes finding their
perfect place a cinch.
BUILDING BLOCKS O N L I N E
As search results come in, consumers
see large photos of homes and all
the important details. If there’s a
property they don’t want to see
again, they can click “hide” and it will
disappear from all future searches.
If they want to save a search, they
simply click the heart logo to see more
results later.
2When consumers click on a listing,
they can browse larger photos
and request more information from
their local RE/MAX agent. They can
focus just on the photos by clicking
the “Quiet mode” button, which
darkens the entire background and
enlarges the photo gallery.
3
INDUSTRY-LEADING SEARCH
The search
tool on the new
remax.com is a
huge upgrade that
gives consumers
everything they
want: bigger
photos, more
listings, less clutter
and customizable
results. Each time
a person returns to
the site, results are
tailored to their
previous searches
or their saved
search criteria.
On the surface, the newly redesigned and re-engineered digital home of
RE/MAX is a sleek, elegant portal that empowers consumers in their home search.
Dig deeper, and it’s a robust platform for agents to customize search and
branding functions. Here’s what’s inside.
Under HoodTHE NEW REMAX.COM DELIVERS A CONSUMER-DRIVEN,
AGENT-FRIENDLY EXPERIENCE
TH
E
21REMAX.COM/ABOVE • WINTER 2013
SHORTEN AND BRAND ANY URL.
Associates anywhere in the world
can use the rem.ax URL Shortening
Tool to create shorter, cleaner links
to any web page. It shrinks long –
sometimes unsightly – URLs down
to just 13 characters and adds the
valuable RE/MAX branding.
Not only will rem.ax links
be easier for people to read,
remember and enter into their
browser, they’re also great to use
on social networks, especially
when you’re trying to stay under a
140-character limit.
This tool also helps you monitor
traffic to your links and provides
you with a QR code you can use in
marketing materials.
Start shortening your URLs
today, via the RE/MAX Mainstreet
Marketing tab.
Listings and much moreIn addition to listings, other great resources include:
BRANDED FOR YOUR BUSINESS
TWO DESIGN CENTER ePOSTCARDS.
Put your rem.ax URLs that link to remax.com on two high-impact
ePostcards now available in the RE/MAX Design Center. They’re
the perfect way to let your contacts know about the new, robust
remax.com – and keep them linked to you.
On the Move blog covers everything from housing tips and market trends to news and observations
Get Advice section full of tips on buying, selling, financing and more
Home Values provides instant home values and recent sale prices in thousands of cities and towns
1Copy the URL
of any page on
remax.com
(a listing, a
tips article –
just about any
page)
4Copy the
new URL (or
download the
QR code!) and
add it to your
marketing
materials
3Click “Shorten”
2Paste the
remax.com URL
into the rem.ax
URL Shortening
Tool on
Mainstreet
Complementing its great search
functionality, the new remax.com also
allows U.S. Associates to put their name
and business in the forefront.
You can brand many pages on
remax.com with your photo, name and
contact information, when you use the
new rem.ax URL Shortening Tool to
send consumers to the site.
Become the go-to agent on
remax.com in just a few short steps:
22 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
BUILDING BLOCKS T O O L S
NEARLY 9,000 RE/MAX
Associates use the RES.NET
cloud-based portal to manage
their Short Sale and REO transactions
– and now the technology solution is
available for managing any type of real
estate transaction.
RES.NET has evolved to meet the
transaction-management needs of
agents working in traditional sales.
And the RE/MAX Approved Supplier is
helping RE/MAX Associates evolve, too,
by offering them the same tools that
have already proven to be successful in
the distressed property arena.
The more than 80 percent of
consumers starting their home search
online are looking for easy access to
information, and efficiency that only
top technology can provide. RES.NET
gives agents the infrastructure to
deliver what consumers want and how
they want it – online.
Through the RES.NET
Agent Portal, agents can
connect to other real es-
tate professionals – and
to buyers and sellers
via the RES.NET Buyer
and Homeowner portals.
The service empowers agents to handle
every aspect of a transaction in one
centralized system. Much like social
media, RES.NET offers subscribers the
ability to keep in constant contact with
all transaction participants, through
every step of the process.
It also makes the process more
transparent. Agents, their clients and
other parties can easily
send, view and sign
documents online using
e-signature technology.
Plus, submitting offers
is a breeze. RES.NET
provides an automated,
paperless environment
that minimizes everyone’s time in front
of the computer and maximizes agents’
time in front of clients.
One-Stop SolutionCLOUD-BASED SERVICE EXPANDS BEYOND DISTRESSED PROPERTIES
22 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
Learn more about the ways RES.NET puts technology
to work for you and your clients. Visit
www.res.net/remax.
23REMAX.COM/ABOVE • WINTER 2013
BUILDING BLOCKSR E / M A X U N I V E R S I T Y
Q: Is MyRU the same as RU?A: MyRU is the interactive
learning component of RU
that gives you a wide variety
of tracks to choose from and
a personalized learning plan.
Q: What is “MyRU Trax”?A: MyRU Trax is a collection
of multi-step courses, such
as “Building Your Business:
Facebook” and “Diving into
Distressed Properties,” that
you can tackle all at once
or one segment at a time.
The whole idea is that the
individual tracks provide
paths to a new level of
understanding about each
subject. You can start and
stop at any time on virtually
any device, including a tablet.
Q: How long do the tracks take?A: As long as you need.
That’s the beauty of MyRU.
You can start a track from
anywhere, pause your course
and then pick up where you
left off when you’re ready
again – whether it’s the next
day or the next week.
MyRU,
the
latest
evolution in the
industry-leading
education from
RE/MAX University, has
taken everything you
loved about RU and
transformed it into an
interactive, custom-
tailored and completely
redesigned eLearning
experience.
And although the
packaging has changed,
rest assured that all the
great education is still
there. The best has just
gotten better.
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE BASE WITH A CUSTOMIZED, INTERACTIVE
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Meet the
MyRUNEW
Q: Can I still watch RU videos?A: Yes. They’ve been
catalogued within MyRU to
help you find the videos
you need even quicker.
They’re right alongside the
courses.
Q: Can I still earn professional designations?A: Of course! All of the full
designation courses, such as
ABR, CDPE and CRS, are all
right there on RU.
Q: How do I know if MyRU is right for me?A: The only way to know for
sure is to log in and try it out.
Keep reading to get started.
24 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
BUILDING BLOCKS R E / M A X U N I V E R S I T Y
*Not all courses are compatible with the iPad or other tablets.
Explore the home page.
In the upper left-hand corner,
you’ll see your name and
office. Your Learning Plan
appears below that. The right-
hand bar includes a catalog
search bar, a few quick links,
and your completed work
section. Make sure to click
“Check System” in the upper-
right corner of the page to
ensure your computer and
browser are able to run the
eLearning modules.
2
Visit Mainstreet and click the RU tab.
On the RE/MAX University
page, click the MyRU button,
which takes you to
your MyRU personalized
home page.
1
Once you have a few items in your Learning
Plan, click a title to get started.
Make sure your browser’s
pop-up blocker is turned off.
A new window will appear
and take you through the
course step-by-step. When
you need to stop, pause the
player and close the window.
3
Use the search bar to find a topic.
With MyRU, you choose the
content that fits your needs.
Not sure what you want?
Click “Browse Catalog” to
see the entire catalog of
courses and videos. Once
you’ve found what you’re
looking for, select your
desired course and either
add it to your Learning Plan
by clicking “Add to To-Do
List,” or jump straight into it
by clicking “Go to Content.”
5 Easy Steps to
Start Learning
with MyRU
4Log in from any
computer or device. Maybe you’re on an iPad*
or a laptop, or even a
smartphone. Not a problem;
log back in from any device,
go to your Learning Plan and
pick up where you left off.
5
25REMAX.COM/ABOVE • WINTER 2013
No one else makes advertising on radio and television easier and more profitable.
Now accepting qualified applicants for select U.S. and Canadian markets.
joiN the re/max
top 100 list
www.RadioAndTelevisionExperts.com
What’s the secret weapon that helped Marti Hampton become the new #1 team leader in the U.S. for RE/MAX?
I can directly attribute 40% of my business to radio. I’ve worked with Matt for 7 years. His knowledge of how to market on radio and the network of superstars he’s built is amazing.
MARTi HAMpTon | RE/MAX onE REAlTy | RAlEigH, nC
#33 bUddy blAkE | WilMingTon, nC. RE/MAX ESSEnTiAl.
“I’ve worked with Matt for several years and made well over $1,500,000 GCI that I can directly attribute to Matt’s marketing system on radio.”
#25 lonniE bUSH | viRginiA bEACH, vA. RE/MAX fiRST.
“Radio accounted for about 30% of our business. Matt genuinely cares about his agents and wants to see you succeed. He spends more time doing that than anyone I’ve ever been associated with in 14 years of selling real estate.”
#21 lARS HEdEnboRg | CHARloTTE, nC. RE/MAX REAl ESTATE EXpERTS.
“Matt knows which stations to advertise on, when to run, and what to say to make the phone ring. Matt’s system on radio tripled my listing inventory in less than one year!”
What other Top 100 producers are building their business
even more because of Radio and Television?
b a s e d o n r a n k I n g s t H r o u g H o c t o b e r 2 0 1 2
GET ON TRAXIf you’re new to MyRU eLearning, start with the interactive
course “Introduction to eLearning.” It explains the evolution
of RE/MAX University and how the MyRU approach to
education works for you. After your orientation, create your
plan of attack. Here are some of your options:
NAVIGATING THE. ROAD TO WEALTH.
Create a comprehensive
business plan that puts
your business on track to
achieve your short- and
long-term goals. At the end
of this interactive, step-by-
step program, you’ll have
a complete business plan
based on your objectives.
MINING FOR PROSPECTS.
Learn how to earn the
income you want through
the art of prospecting.
This course helps you find
new clients by requesting
feedback and effectively
using the power of the
RE/MAX brand.
SOCIAL MEDIA:. DRIVING REAL BUSINESS.
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
– these social networks go
well beyond pretty photos
and witty status updates.
Learn how they can also
help you build connections
and business opportunities.
RE/MAX DESIGN CENTER.
Are you taking advantage
of your personal market-
ing center? Learn the ins
and outs of the RE/MAX
Design Center and become
an expert in creating great
promotional materials for
your business, from post-
cards to web commercials
– and much more.
LEADSTREET.
RE/MAX offers a huge
advantage when it comes
to leads, as millions
of unique visitors to
remax.com are delivered
directly to RE/MAX agents
through LeadStreet, free
of referral fees. Learn
the ins and outs in this
12-segment curriculum.
Have questions? Get the answers you need about the new MyRU. Email [email protected].
ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
This year’s R4 is going to be great. I can’t wait to see Dave and Gail Liniger; they’ve been inspirational. I’m also excited about Kenny Loggins and Stevie Nicks, as well as catching up with my RE/MAX friends I’ve made over the past 32 years! – KAREN KUSEK, RE/MAX SUBURBAN, SCHAUMBURG, ILL.
RE/MAX TURNS 40 THIS YEAR, AND THE 2013 RE/MAX
R4 Convention is centered on that milestone. It will celebrate
the network’s legendary history, but more importantly it will
look ahead at what Associates will need to stay competitive
and on top. This truly is a celebration only Las Vegas can
handle. More than 7,000 Associates are expected to be
there for the world-class education and networking that are
hallmarks of every RE/MAX Convention.
RE/MAX R4 BLOWOUT BUILDS ON STRONG FOUNDATION FOR A PROSPEROUS FUTURE
A GRANDer EXPERIENCERelax in style at the MGM
Grand, the host hotel for
RE/MAX R4. Enjoy a fabulous
stay at the opulent hotel,
which recently underwent
a $160 million renovation to
its guest rooms, casino and
other entertainment areas.
Visit the Events page on
RE/MAX Mainstreet to book
your room and register for R4.
ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013 27
Search “RE/MAX R4 Mobile App” in your device’s app
store and download it before you go.
Perennial convention attendee Del Rounds has some
great advice for making the most out of R4. The Lifetime
Achievement Award winner and Chairman’s Club member
with RE/MAX Fine Properties in Scottsdale, Ariz., rarely
misses a RE/MAX Convention. Here are his top tips for
navigating the whirlwind that is R4 – and leaving with
takeaways that will revolutionize your business.
Map out a schedule. It’s easy
to get overwhelmed by the volume of
sessions and events. Planning ahead
will help you stay on track. Browse the
convention agenda early and choose
the options that best fit your objectives.
Be engaged. Oftentimes at R4,
you’ll hear about market trends before
you see them in the field. Be open to
what you hear, and it may mean the
difference between staying ahead of
the market and falling behind.
Get out of your comfort zone. If you see an open seat at a
table of seven, sit down and introduce
yourself. It’s tempting to stick
with friends or agents
from your office, but
doing so holds you back.
Put yourself out there a
bit; you might strike up a
conversation that leads
you to new ideas.
Go to sessions early. Not
only will you get a great seat, but you
can also use that extra time to meet
people and look over handouts. Also,
chat with presenters after sessions if
you’re looking for more insight about
something they covered.
Take meticulous notes. You learn so much over the course
of four days that you can’t possibly
retain it all. Write down key ideas and
strategies.
Choose at least four ideas to implement right away. These could be game-
changers for your business.
Commit to implementing
at least one big idea per
quarter.
your guide to an awesome r4 This is my
first R4 so I’m definitely excited to be there. I want to meet some of the top producers, get my name out there and enjoy the experience. – STEVEN HANNOSH,
RE/MAX CLASSIC, FARMINGTON HILLS, MICH.
R4 IN THE PALM OF YOUR HANDWhether you’re an iPhone fanatic or a loyal Android
fan, there’s an R4 app that will help you stay on
track (and on time!) during RE/MAX R4. The free
mobile app delivers real-time alerts, education session
schedules and event highlights.
FEBRUARY 25 – 28, 2013
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
28 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
PLATONVisionary and
world-renowned photographer
DR. CONDOLEEZZA RICE
Former U.S. Secretary of State
GARY VAYNERCHUK
Wine entrepreneur and social media marketing guru
BRIAN BUFFINI
RE/MAX coaching favorite and success
story
ANDY ANDREWS
Motivator and New York Times
best-selling author
a winning lineup
If you need inspiration, a business revival or just a good, old-fashioned reality check
to get you on the right path, the speaker lineup for RE/MAX R4 fits the bill. From a
tenacious diplomat to a high-energy coach and a self-made entrepreneurial success,
the speakers will deliver riveting messages that are sure to resonate.
Attending R4 is a challenge. It means
flying 16 hours, but it’s well worth it. I learn
what’s happening around the world in other markets and
come home filled with new ideas and
knowledge to better serve our clients.
– RAFAEL MASRI, RE/MAX PREMIUM, CAPITAL FEDERAL, ARGENTINA
AN R4 FIRSTNot one, but two music
legends will rock R4.
Kenny Loggins gets
the party started at the
Welcome Reception
on Monday, Feb. 25.
Then Stevie Nicks will
perform her top hits at
the RE/MAX Party With
a Purpose on Thursday,
before she embarks on
a North American tour
with Fleetwood Mac.KENNY LOGGINS STEVIE NICKS
Effective branding is all about storytelling. Are you communicating who you are,
what you’re about and what value you bring to the table? The fundamentals
haven’t changed. But the places we tell our stories, and how we tell them, are
evolving all the time. Here are nine things to keep in mind:
The single most
important thing to
realize is that consumers
need to receive your
message where they are,
not where you want them
to be. And where they are
is on the leading social
media sites.
The trick is to
cut through the
clutter and tell your story
authentically. That part is
easy in principle, but hard
to execute.
People struggle
because they don’t
understand how to natively
talk in the social channels.
What I mean by that is that
the copy and the creative
– the words, pictures and
videos that you post – are
actually very different from
one platform to another,
although people tend to
lump them all together as
“social media.”
On Facebook, videos
are by far the best
way to stand out. But they
have to be short and to the
point. People on the site
just don’t have time for
long videos.
On Tumblr – which
can help you reach
the core of people ages 21
to 30 – if you don’t post an
animated GIF, then nobody’s
really going to react. There’s
a ton of free GIF makers for
your iPhone or Android. I
like GIF Guru and GifGifs.
Instagram is
something every
agent needs to think about.
You get discovered there
through hashtags. Start by
researching which hashtags
people are using to search
for new homes – and
include them in your posts.
Twitter is one place
where you can jump
into the conversation and
bring value even though
you’re not being asked. Use
twitter.com/search to tailor
your posts to what people
are actually searching
for. Then use your 140
characters to share a link
to your website, blog or
Facebook page. Try posting
a leading statement or
turning it into a question
to generate retweets and
greater response.
How often you
post comes down
to quality. If you’re good
enough to create quality
content on a daily, weekly
or monthly basis, then that’s
what you do. The big thing
is to identify your goals and
reverse engineer how you’re
going to get there.
I’m guessing 99
percent of people
reading this aren’t
engaging enough online.
They need to change that.
For the 1 percent who are
doing a lot, just remember
your core message and
always convey the value
that you bring.
ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013 29
the skinny on socialNINE IDEAS FOR TELLING YOUR STORY IN A WAY THAT CONNECTS
WITH YOUR DIGITAL AUDIENCE. BY GARY VAYNERCHUK
2
1
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
MORE AT R4 Hear Gary Vaynerchuk outline more ways to tell your story on
social media at the RE/MAX R4 Featured Session on Tuesday, Feb. 26 in Las Vegas.
Find out more about him at garyvaynerchuk.com
TIPS FROM GARY VEE!
30
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
One Office, One EmployeeTop-producing real estate agent Dave Liniger starts
RE/MAX, built on the maximum commission concept
that lets agents keep more of what they earn. RE/MAX
is a non-traditional approach opposed by the major
brokerages accustomed to keeping half of agents’
commissions. Dave interviews 28 people to find Gail
Main, his first employee, who later becomes his wife.
By the end of the first year, the Denver office has 21
Associates and Dave is $300,000 in debt because other
investors have backed out. Dave refuses to.
1974Going National RE/MAX becomes a
national franchise.
1975Franchising and
Black Ink Dennis Curtin of Kansas
City, Mo., purchases the
first RE/MAX franchise
outside Colorado.
RE/MAX ends the year
with positive cash flow.
YEARS
A LOT CAN
HAPPEN IN
– AND DID!
2013 marks the
40th anniversary
of RE/MAX, and
this year-by-year
timeline highlights
just a fraction of what
made RE/MAX the
powerhouse
it is today.
1973START
ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013 31
1976Women on Board
The fourth year closes with
164 agents, more than 75
percent of whom are women.
Twenty-six Affiliates attend the
first RE/MAX Convention in
Las Vegas.
1978Icon in the Sky
The red-over-white-over-blue
hot-air balloon becomes
the official RE/MAX logo
when it attracts TV cameras
at the Albuquerque
International Balloon Fiesta.
Today, with nearly 120 hot
air balloons, RE/MAX has
the world’s largest
hot-air balloon fleet –
and one of the world’s
most-recognized logos.
1980Canada to the Rescue
While the U.S. struggles through
the worst recession since World
War II, Frank Polzler and Walter
Schneider open the first Canadian
region – RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic
Canada. RE/MAX flourishes and
quickly spreads across Canada.
1981Quick StartThirty Canadian franchises are
sold in six months.
1982Turning Point in California
One of the 10 largest real estate
companies in the U.S. converts its 600
agents to RE/MAX when owners Sid
Syvertson and Steve Haselton buy the
California region. The total number of
RE/MAX agents nears 4,000.
Back then, women were
turned away from real estate offices, and the maximum
commission concept was very new. Our
competitors said we’d never survive. But RE/MAX was
innovative. – MARY GEDACK,
RE/MAX ALLIANCE, WESTMINSTER, COLO.
JOINED IN 1976
1977Expanding Over
Thousands of MilesThe first regional master
franchises are sold in the U.S.,
several of them in the Midwest.
In Calgary, Don Fernie purchases
the first Canadian franchise.
1979Above the Crowd!®
The “Above the Crowd!®” slogan first
appears in advertising, along with
the RE/MAX Balloon.
32 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
1983Tragic Setback
The pilot is killed and Gail
Main is seriously injured in
the crash of a small plane in
Canada, just weeks before
her planned marriage to Dave
Liniger. Though sustaining
permanent injuries, her
miraculous recovery would
inspire RE/MAX Affiliates
for years to come.
1984The Wedding Day at LastRE/MAX President Gail Main changes her
last name to Liniger with her June 7 marriage
to Chief Executive Officer Dave Liniger.
RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada becomes
the first region to grow to 1,000 agents.
19861,000 Offices Draws Attention
RE/MAX is featured in Forbes, Fortune
and other national magazines in the
U.S. The network ends an exceptionally
dynamic year with more than 14,000
Associates in more than 1,000 offices.
1987No. 1 in Canada
Seven years after the founding
of the RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic
Canada and RE/MAX of Western
Canada regions, RE/MAX
becomes No. 1 in the nation.
STRUGGLES AND SUCCESS
1985The Future of
ReferralsAgent-to-agent referrals
grow, as agents close
287,000 transaction sides
for the year. The first printed
RE/MAX Referral Roster
lists all 10,000 agents; the
publication would grow to
resemble a major metro
phone book. “RE/MAX of
America” is renamed
“RE/MAX International.”
At the time I joined RE/MAX, the
brand was a fledgling in Vancouver. We
were No. 7 in sales volume in the city,
but boy was it exciting. I remember the first RE/MAX TV commercial called
“The Cream,” a reference to how the
cream rises to the top, and that’s exactly
what happened to RE/MAX in our
area. We went from No. 7 to No. 4 to No. 1
in about six years. – JAKE MOLDOWAN,
RE/MAX WESTCOAST, RICHMOND, BRITISH COLUMBIA
JOINED IN 1986
ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013 33
1989Up in the Air
A mass ascension of
50 RE/MAX Hot Air Balloons is
filmed near Denver as part of a
charity balloon festival that
attracts more than 200 balloons
from across North America.
1990“Take a Step Above the Crowd!®”The image of a RE/MAX
Balloon in outer space
anchors a full-page ad in
USA Today, part of the
“Take a Step Above the
Crowd!®” ad campaign.
1991Office in Paradise
The RE/MAX of the
Caribbean region opens
its first office – in Grand
Cayman – as RE/MAX nears
30,000 agents in almost
2,000 offices.
1992Helping the KidsRE/MAX becomes the exclusive real estate sponsor of
Children’s Miracle Network, helping to fund the treatment of
sick and injured children in North America.
1988Spreading the NewsPropelled by the “Good News on
the Home Front” multimedia ad
campaign, the network reaches the
20,000-agent milestone and nears
the 1,500-office mark.
34 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
LEADING THE INDUSTRY
1994Working SmarterThe RE/MAX Satellite
Network (RSN®) debuts
Nov. 1. It’s the first
service of its kind in real
estate. RE/MAX Europe
opens its first region
in Spain, and RE/MAX
of Southern Africa
launches.
1996Continent by ContinentRE/MAX Australia
becomes country No. 16,
as RE/MAX expands to its
fourth continent.
1997“Nobody Sells
More Real Estate”A new phrase is coined
after audited figures show
that RE/MAX Associates
completed more than
1 million transaction sides
in 1997. RE/MAX was the first
real estate brand
to hit that milestone.
1995Listings Go OnlineRE/MAX on HomeWEB, the
predecessor of remax.com,
debuts, giving consumers
online access to RE/MAX
listings. RE/MAX Europe
expands in Israel, Italy,
Greece and Germany. And,
for the first time, RE/MAX
sponsors the RE/MAX
North American Long Drive
Championship, which later
becomes the RE/MAX World
Long Drive Championship.
1993Fighting for QualityIn a classic moment of showmanship at the RE/MAX Convention in
Las Vegas, Dave Liniger enlists the help of boxing legend George
Foreman to establish that no competitors are willing to take on
RE/MAX in the real estate ring. It was an unforgettable opening
session that set the stage for future convention theatrics involving
lions, elephants and much more.
ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013 35
2002Fighting
Breast CancerThe RE/MAX network joins
forces with the Susan G. Komen
Breast Cancer Foundation,
becoming a Breast Cancer
Survivor Recognition Program
co-sponsor for Race for the Cure
events across the U.S.
1998Edge-of-Space Balloon MissionDave Liniger and
Australian balloonist
John Wallington
prepares to be the first
to circle the world by
balloon. Unfortunately,
winds at the Australian
launch site in Alice
Springs are unfavorable for weeks during the launch window, forcing cancellation
of the attempt in early 1999. Also, RE/MAX becomes title sponsor of the ARCA
RE/MAX Series, drawing national media coverage. And a fifth continent, South
America, is added when RE/MAX enters Venezuela.
1999Going National on TVThe first U.S. national television
advertising campaign debuts.
2001Agents Lead the WayThe award-winning “Outstanding
Agents. Outstanding Results.®”
TV ad campaign creates billions
of impressions. And one of those
outstanding individuals, Richard Mendenhall of Missouri,
becomes the first RE/MAX Affiliate to serve as President of the
National Association of Realtors.
2000Most
Productive Agents
Agents at participating
RE/MAX brokerages
average more
transaction sides than
agents at other major
brands, according to the
National Relocation and
Real Estate magazine’s
annual “Power Broker
Report.” RE/MAX also
has the highest average
sales volume both per
office and per agent.
Spain was the first country in Europe to join the network. RE/MAX was
totally unknown to the rest of the industry. I really
felt like a pioneer. And now, all
these years later, I have made a
great living and amazing progress
as a person. – BRIGITTE CASTANO,
RE/MAX VISTA, ALICANTE, SPAIN JOINED IN 1999
36 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
2005Relief and CompassionFollowing the massive devastation of Hurricane Katrina in states near
the Gulf of Mexico, the RE/MAX Relief Fund is established, with initial
donations of $500,000 from RE/MAX International and $500,000 from
Dave and Gail Liniger. Dave also donates $1 million to the Fisher House
Foundation for wounded warriors by bidding on the CNN Warrior One
Hummer, which was used by a CNN news crew embedded with U.S.
Marines in 2003 during the Iraq War.
2006First Online
With Competitors’ Listings
RE/MAX builds a national
network of IDX websites
tied into remax.com, and
becomes the first real estate
franchise to present all of
its competitors’ listings in
participating MLSs, along
with its own. The rollout
includes LeadStreet.
2007On Campus with RU
RE/MAX University is
established. RU offers classes
through live classroom teach-
ing, online streaming video
and related support materials.
LEADING THE WAY
2003Taking Flight
The RE/MAX Balloon
Celebration takes place in
Dayton, Ohio, as part
of a national “Centennial
of Flight Celebration.”
2004A Great ReadEverybody Wins:
The Story and Lessons Behind
RE/MAX becomes a bestselling
business book. And Argentina
becomes the 40th country to
wecome RE/MAX.
When I joined RE/MAX, the real estate industry
was challenging. I decided to
stick with it, and using several
lead-generation systems from
RE/MAX, I’ve been able to grow my business.
Coming from a smaller mom-and-pop real
estate business, I could tell how much
more advanced
RE/MAX is. – SHAUN MURPHY,
RE/MAX ALLEGIANCE, ALEXANDRIA, VA.,
JOINED IN 2007
ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013 37
2013A Ruby
CelebrationEntrepreneur magazine
names RE/MAX the No.
1 real estate franchise in
its annual Franchise
500. RE/MAX turns
40 on Jan. 30, and it’s
only fitting to turn the
RE/MAX R4 Convention,
Feb. 25-28 in Las
Vegas, into the biggest
anniversary party the
network has ever seen.
2012Many Bright Spots in a Trying YearDave Liniger falls ill in January,
battling a life-threatening staph
infection. The RE/MAX engine
continues to run with Dave in
everyone’s hearts and minds. The
“What Moves You?” social media
contest for consumers garners
an estimated 105.3 million brand
impressions. RE/MAX Commercial
launches a robust website. A
new, user-centered remax.com
follows soon after. The RE/MAX
network expands again, this
time into China. After months in
the hospital, Dave triumphantly
returns to work in July, picking
up right where he left off,
advocating for real estate agents
and consumers. An open letter
from Dave to then-presidential
candidates Barack Obama and
Mitt Romney in October garners
national media attention and a
positive industry response.
2011Big News Times Two
ABOVE, the network’s new flagship
publication, debuts with a cover
depicting the two trophies earned
by RE/MAX Associates in a 2011 J.D.
Power and Associates study. The
recognition comes for providing
the “highest overall satisfaction for
home sellers and home buyers among
national full service real estate firms.”
Also, global.remax.com launches,
revolutionizing the way consumers
search for properties around the world.
2010Top Real Estate
FranchiseFor the second year in a row,
RE/MAX ranks in front of all
competitors in the Franchise
Times Top 200 survey, based
primarily on worldwide sales
volume. RE/MAX agents
surpass $100 million in
donations to Children’s Miracle
Network Hospitals.
2008Millions of Free Leads
The remax.com site reaches the
5-million mark in leads provided
to agents since the LeadStreet
launch in 2006. RE/MAX LLC
becomes active on Facebook,
Twitter and LinkedIn, as social
media approaches critical mass.
ONWARD
2009Remedy for Distressed PropertiesWith the U.S. housing market in its worst slump
since the Great Depression, RE/MAX officers
meet with government officials, housing agen-
cies, key lenders and other real estate leaders to
promote short sales. More than 10,000 RE/MAX
Associates earn the Certified Distressed
Property Expert (CDPE) designation.
39REMAX.COM/ABOVE • WINTER 2013
FULL SPECTRUMB U S I N E S S D E V E L O P M E N T
JAMES UPTON WANTS
to cultivate a burgeoning
market of high-end
luxury property sales to
overseas buyers across the
planet. He’s starting with China.
About 80 percent of the
million-dollar and higher
properties on Vancouver’s
west side are purchased by
Chinese buyers, Upton says.
He knows the importance
of operating with a global
mindset, and plans to appeal
to high net-worth buyers
from China who are looking
for investments in Canada,
the U.S., Australia, New
Zealand and Europe.
The Sales Associate
with RE/MAX Crest Realty
Westside in Vancouver will
launch an online luxury real
estate marketing platform
– Shang Cheng Luxury
Lifestyle – for prospective
Chinese buyers. And with the
recent entry of RE/MAX into
China, Upton hopes he – and
other RE/MAX Associates
– can capitalize on the
increased brand recognition
and infrastructure of the
platform to further expand
marketing reach.
The online portal will
Think globally, sell locally
JAMES UPTON
RE/MAX Associates are skilled at identifying
market trends that could fuel their business.
They’re constantly finding creative and innovative
ways to tap in. Here are just a few examples.
PHO
TO
BY
CR
AIG
PU
LSIF
ER
A GREAT GOAL
FOR 2013: FOCUS
ON EMERGING
OPPORTUNITIES
TO EXPAND YOUR
BUSINESS. BY SHARA RUTBERG
Next Big Things
OBJECTIVE
Attract international luxury buyers
to your market
STRATEGY
Identify the target audience
Find a language partner, if needed
Create a marketing plan
40 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
FULL SPECTRUM B U S I N E S S D E V E L O P M E N T
provide “a massive interna-
tional search platform where
Chinese buyers can search
properties and learn about
all aspects of the luxury life-
style,” he says.
Perceived cultural and lan-
guage barriers are no barriers
at all from Upton’s perspec-
tive. He’s learning as much as
he can with the help of fellow
RE/MAX Crest Realty agent
Greg Liao, who speaks Can-
tonese, Mandarin, Taiwanese
and English. Upton has also
aligned with a marketing firm
in Beijing that specializes in
marketing North American
brands in China.
“They’re the experts
in reaching the Chinese
market,” Upton says.
“Leaning into their local
expertise is going to be key.”
Upton’s entrepreneurial
spirit can be found
throughout the RE/MAX
network.
“This type of thinking
and action is what makes
RE/MAX great,” says Richard
Yohn, RE/MAX Regional Vice
President, International
Development. “James has
come up with a creative way
to respond to an interna-
tional trend. The network was
built on this kind of determi-
nation, and RE/MAX agents
will continue to sell more
real estate than anyone
because of it.”
Upton is very optimistic
about the potential of the
vast Chinese market.
“I like to think and plan
big,” Upton says. “And now
that RE/MAX is in China, I
like my chances even better.”
A FEW YEARS AGO,
Linda van den Broek
received an email from
Abu Dhabi through her
website. She suspected
it was spam, but her
instincts told her to reply.
She’s glad she did. It was
a cash buyer who spent
$700,000 with her in just
four days.
“All that from a website,”
says van den Broek, who
leads a three-person team
at RE/MAX Executives
Realty in Winnipeg,
Manitoba. Her website,
lindavandenbroek.com,
is the hub of a robust,
award-winning marketing
program.
The perennial
top producer and
RE/MAX Lifetime
Achievement
Award recipient
employs a hybrid
of “old school” and “new
school” marketing efforts
to drive traffic to the
website: 10,000 printed
postcards a month, a
bimonthly newsletter,
newspaper ads, a blog,
Twitter and postings on
kijiji.com.
“New or traditional,
every marketing piece
should attract online
traffic,” she says.
And it works. Her site
had 1.4 million hits last
year. In addition to listings,
van den Broek features
buyer and seller guides,
monthly market updates
and a resource guide.
And though her team
is well-versed in the
digital world, van den
Broek believes strongly
in the power of service
fundamentals, such as
handwritten thank-you
notes.
“My clients really love
them,” says van den
Broek, estimating that 70
percent of her business
comes from past clients
and referrals. “It’s just
one of the many services
I provide that make me
memorable.”
“ New or traditional, every marketing piece should attract online traffic. ” – LINDA VAN DEN BROEK
Drive your digital business
OBJECTIVE
Attract more clients through online
marketing
STRATEGY
Create a website with meaningful
content
Drive traffic there through all channels
Mix old-school and new-school
strategies
PHO
TO
BY
MA
NU
EL
SOU
SA
LINDA van den BROEK
41REMAX.COM/ABOVE • WINTER 2013
Engage consumers onlineBETTY CLARK JOINED
RE/MAX Classic in Novi,
Mich., in April 2012, after
more than two decades in
real estate, in large part
because of the online
opportunities she recognized.
She quickly incorporated
her RE/MAX tools and educa-
tion into her business to create
a powerful online presence.
Combined with her more
traditional “keep in touch”
methods, being online allows
her to reach more clients
than ever before. Clark sees
her web tools as potent ways
to connect with more pros-
pects – and cultivate existing
relationships with clients.
“Clients today want instant
info,” Clark says. “If you give
it to them, they’re yours.”
Clark maintains a website,
Pinterest boards, a Twitter
account, Realtor.com listings
and two Facebook pages;
and she updates her blog “At
Home With Betty” several
times a week with real estate
news and tips. She credits
Broker/Owner Carol Boji for
supporting and encouraging
such efforts.
Boji offers an online boot
camp for agents new to
the brokerage. After Clark
learned how to manage
various digital platforms, she
blasted into cyberspace and
hasn’t looked back.
She finds her Facebook
exposure just
as powerful
as her printed
“Just Sold” and
“Just Listed”
postcards for connecting
across generations of clients.
“People want to work with
Realtors who know what
they’re doing; and when you
post your listings, just-solds
and advice on Facebook,
you gain credibility,” she
says. “I’m finding social
media really is for people of
all ages.”
“ Clients today want instant info, and if you give it to them, they’re yours.” – BETTY CLARK
WHEN THEIR LOCAL
housing market crashed,
Janet Brooks and Scott
Vulgamott saw opportunity.
The Associates with
RE/MAX Results in Kansas
City, Mo., both earned the
Certified Investor Agent
Specialist (CIAS) designation,
and for the past four years
have specialized in marketing
short sales to investors.
“These properties are in
better condition than most
foreclosures, and you don’t
have to wait out the owner-
occupant period that most
foreclosures have,” Brooks
says.
The team’s comprehensive
program helps investors
with everything from picking
contractors to strategically
selecting colors and
appliances for marketability.
“We show them how to
buy, rehab and sell in 90
days,” Brooks says.
Brooks and Vulgamott
market primarily through
word of mouth, but also have
an “Investors” tab on
their website, and
feature their rehab
work on Pinterest
photo boards. They
also market to other
agents who aren’t
trained or prepared
to handle short sales.
“It’s a constantly
evolving market, and education
is critical,” says Vulgamott,
who recommends the CIAS
training, developed by the
Charfen Institute and offered
through RE/MAX University’s
new eLearning platform, MyRU.
Distressed properties will
continue to attract investors
for at least the next several
years, Brooks and Vulgamott
say, in large part because of
historically low interest rates.
“But this market isn’t for
everyone. Investors need to
be willing to take risks and
move quickly.”
Agents have to be able to
move quickly, too. Most of
the team’s clients are under
contract in less than 30 days.
The record? Seven days.
Be an investment expert
“ It’s a constantly evolving market, and education is critical.” – SCOTT VULGAMOTT
OBJECTIVE
Sell distressed properties
to investors
STRATEGY
Earn the CIAS designation
Educate investors
Provide superior service
OBJECTIVE
Use online tools to build relationships
STRATEGY
Be open to learning something new
Start an engaging blog
Participate in social media conversations
42 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
PHO
TO
BY
RY
AN
PA
RE
NT
ABOVE & BEYOND I N D U S T R Y L E A D E R S H I P
WAYNE MOEN, PRESIDENT OF
THE CANADIAN REAL ESTATE
ASSOCIATION, DISCUSSES
WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR THE
CANADIAN MARKET. BY OMAR MOUALLEM
staycourse
THE
43REMAX.COM/ABOVE • WINTER 2013
YOU WOULDN’T GUESS THAT WAYNE MOEN RECENTLY UNDERWENT KIDNEY SURGERY. NOT
with his legs comfortably crossed as he sits in his RE/MAX River City office in Edmonton, Alberta. But
beneath his business suit, there are three healing incisions where doctors removed a cancerous kidney.
“My wife, Judith, says, ‘You’re awfully calm through this whole thing,” Moen says. “That’s another thing I’ve
learned through real estate – stay calm.”
His steadiness and calm has also served him well in his current role as President of the Canadian Real Estate
Association (CREA), leading its more than 100,000 members.
Moen entered real estate in 1974 and joined RE/MAX in 1984; he’s seen every type of market and worked nearly
every type of transaction – from $8.4 million commercial warehouses to $10,000 former firehalls. The perennial
Platinum Club member has always served in leadership positions, including sitting on the boards of the Edmonton
Real Estate Association and the Old Strathcona Foundation, which works to preserve the city’s famous historic
neighborhood.
ABOVE sat down with the RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement Award recipient to discuss the real estate market, his
career and his CREA tenure.
jobs, it’s more volatile and
subject to rapid change.
Q| What should
Realtors and their clients
be looking out for?
A Low interest rates
are a bright spot now,
but they’re going to be a
problem sooner or later.
The advice we’re giving
buyers is to lock into
longer terms. Ultimately,
interest rates have to go
up; that’s a fact of life.
Q| A new RE/MAX
report describes the
Canadian economy as
slow but steady. Would
you agree?
A Yes, and given what’s
happening all around us,
we’re very fortunate. As
the Prime Minister said,
we’re in an “island of
stability.” But we have to
be careful, and I think the
government understands
that, so changing some of
the Canada Mortgage and
Housing Corporation rules
was prudent.
Q| What about
unbridled boosterism;
should people be wary
of that too?
A At every level of
governance or even in
sales, there’s been the
idea that no matter
the market conditions
you have to spin it
positively – it’s always
a great time to buy, it’s
always a great time to
sell. Frankly, it may not
be. We’re going through
scenario exercises quite
extensively now, trying to
envision which directions
the industry could be
heading. We’d like to
outline our plan of action
for whatever direction it
does go.
Q| Can you give us a
scenario?
A Technology is a good
example. We don’t know
yet its full impact on the
transaction process. But
because technology is
more involved and varied,
agents may learn how to
Q| How has Canadian
homebuyers’ mentality
shifted since you
started in real estate?
A Shortly after I got in,
the idea of investing in or
flipping real estate – that a
house always keeps going
up in value – had just start-
ed happening. Real estate
can be a good investment,
but nothing defies gravity,
and I think Toronto and
Vancouver are realizing
that now. Investors today
are far more cautious.
Q| What’s the state
of Canada’s housing
market?
A We have a healthy
market here. The Bank
of Canada made the
right decision in cutting
back the mortgage
amortization. It was
getting too turbulent. So
the overall market has
pretty much stabilized.
Saskatchewan is just
smoking. It’s a smaller
market, so when you get
a pile of good news and
use it to their advantage,
resulting in people relying
even more on Realtors.
Q| What’s been the
high point of your
career?
A Becoming President
of the Canadian Real
Estate Association. I just
love the dynamics; and,
hey, I got to shake Prime
Minster Stephen Harper’s
hand in his office! It’s
satisfying to be part of
positive change.
Q| What are your
plans after your tenure
ends in March, and you
serve as Past President?
A I’ve been told by
Judith that I will not be
volunteering for any
major commitments after
this. [Laughs] She’s been
very supportive through
everything. I have some
healing to do, and my
prognosis is good.
44 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
ABOVE & BEYOND C I T I Z E N S H I P
Buying a home is an exciting and
nerve-wracking experience.
Buying a home when you’re
stationed thousands of miles away
in Afghanistan, though, takes it up
another 10 notches. But U.S. Air Force
airman Steve Sales and his wife,
Jeanne, were lucky to have Regina
Tobin on their side.
Tobin, Co-Owner of RE/MAX Metro
Plus in Columbus, Ohio, made the
process smooth and worry-free while
Sales was serving as a health care
team leader embedded with the
Afghan National Army.
Anticipating Sales’ retirement from
the military in late 2012, the couple set
their sights on Columbus, where Sales
was offered a civilian job in health care
administration. He began a yearlong
email dialogue with Tobin last spring
to find the perfect home in a historic
RE/MAX AGENTS ARE
FINDING SUCCESS AND
FULFILLMENT IN HELPING
MILITARY FAMILIES BUY
AND SELL HOMES. TWO
ASSOCIATES SHARE THEIR
TIPS FOR WORKING WITH
THESE HEROIC CLIENTS.
BY DEBORAH BALL KEARNS
STEVE SALES, SECOND
FROM LEFT, WORKED
WITH A RE/MAX AGENT
TO FIND A HOME FOR
HIS FAMILY STATESIDE
WHILE DEPLOYED IN
AFGHANISTAN.
SERVING THOSE WHO
SERVE
45REMAX.COM/ABOVE • WINTER 2013
Columbus neighborhood that
could also accommodate
Sales’ elderly parents.
“Regina managed all
the details,” Sales says. “I
felt like she knew these
neighborhoods intimately,
and she steered us in the
right direction. When I came
back from Afghanistan in
May, we decided on a home
and closed in June. She had
our best interests at heart
the entire time. In turn, we
put a lot of trust in her.”
Tobin worked in phone calls
with her client at odd hours
to accommodate an 11-hour
time difference. In February,
she took Jeanne, who had
flown in from Texas, around
town to preview listings.
MISSION WITH MEANING Tobin says attention to
detail, time flexibility and
constant communication are
essential when working with
deployed military clients.
Special touches, like taking
extra photos of listings when
MLS images aren’t sufficient,
can also go a long way in
building good will and taking
stress out of the equation.
“These military men and
women are risking their lives
and working hard, and they
want what everyone else
wants: the American dream
of homeownership,” Tobin
says. “I was thrilled to help
deliver that to them.”
Sales Associate Adrienne
Lally couldn’t agree more.
As a U.S. Army veteran, she
understands the challenges
faced by military families
when they’re looking to buy
or sell a home. Sixty percent
of her business involves
military clients.
“When you work with a
military family, it’s not always
in the highest price point,
but these transactions are
tremendously rewarding,”
says Lally, a Team Leader
with RE/MAX Honolulu in
Honolulu, Hawaii. “You have
to be their best advocate; I
sometimes write cover letters
to sellers on behalf of military
buyers explaining that they’ve
served our country and been
deployed overseas numerous
times. Sometimes it matters,
and sometimes it doesn’t; but
I believe in going the extra
mile to get the best results.”
KNOWING YOUR CLIENTS Military families and
veterans lead demanding
lives that require frequent
moves, long deployments
and personal sacrifices. Real
estate agents need to know
the culture, the lingo and the
available financing options
if they want to work with
military clients, Lally says.
It starts with knowing
some of the military’s many
acronyms. Also, do a little
reading on ranks, military
jobs and the different
branches so you can speak
intelligently about a potential
client’s situation. Paying
attention to these nuances,
Lally adds, shows military
clients that you’re attuned to
their lifestyle.
“Military communities are
very tight,” Lally says. “If you
do a good job for one person,
you’ll be referred to others
and become an indispensable
part of their big moves.”
PHO
TO
BY
GR
EG
BA
RT
RA
M (
TO
P LE
FT)
LEFT: AGENT REGINA TOBIN (LEFT) WORKED WITH
JEANNE AND STEVE SALES TO FIND THEIR DREAM
HOME IN COLUMBUS, OHIO. BELOW: ADRIENNE
LALLY (RIGHT) AND HER LISTING PARTNER
ATTILIO LEONARDI HELPED U.S. ARMY CAPT. TONY
DEFRANCO BUY HIS HONOLULU HOME.
When disaster strikes.
The RE/MAX Relief Fund helps agents reclaim the simple comforts in life. It’s always ready to
provide immediate assistance to RE/MAX agents and their families when disaster hits home.
Thank you for your support in keeping the fund growing so that those in need don’t have to
wait for aid. For more information and to make a donation, visit RE/MAX Mainstreet.
©2013 RE/MAX, LLC. Each office is independently owned and operated. 120776
When is a cup of coffee more than a
simple cup of coffee?
47REMAX.COM/ABOVE • WINTER 2013
ABOVE & BEYONDM O R E T H A N A N A G E N T
SHARON WATSON IS
known as a top real
estate agent in her
hometown of Grants Pass,
Ore., but her work with the
Boy Scouts of America has
probably earned her just as
much recognition.
For the past 27 years
and counting, Watson has
volunteered for the Boy
Scouts. She began when
her oldest of four sons,
now 35, joined Cub Scouts.
She also served a stint with
the Girl Scouts when her
daughter was growing up.
Watson, a Sales
Associate with RE/MAX
Ideal Brokers in Grants
Pass, has gotten to know
many community members
and their children through
scouting, and says a fair
amount of her business
comes from those contacts.
She topped $7 million in
sales volume last year and
earned her way into the
100 Percent Club.
But her long-lasting
commitment to the
organization runs much
deeper than business.
“Scouting encourages
young men to develop
leadership skills as they
grow,” says Watson, a
former Girl Scout whose
father was an Eagle Scout.
“A boy who advances
through scouting has
ample opportunity to take
charge in planning projects
and seeing them through.
That’s one of scouting’s
key benefits.”
One of Watson’s
greatest contributions
to scouting involves a
“snow day” – but not
the kind where kids play
video games all day on an
unexpected break from
school.
Each year, Watson
organizes Snowcapades –
a daylong event at a Boy
Scout Camp in Lake O’
the Woods, Ore. The day
includes eight outdoor
activities – including saucer
riding, zip lining, snow
shoeing and fire building –
all coordinated by Watson
and local Scouts.
Now in its 22nd year,
Snowcapades started out
as a single day, but now
families can select time
to participate over four
weekends in January.
Snowcapades attracts
more than 1,800 people
and is open to youths,
adults and even Girl Scouts.
Although the annual
event requires a huge
effort, it’s worth it when
Watson sees families
spending time together.
“You have to have a hole
in your head to be as old as
I am and continue to do it,”
Watson says with a laugh,
“But it’s a pleasure to walk
through camp and see all
those happy faces.”
Kevin Patterson, CEO
and Scout Executive of the
Boy Scouts’ Crater Lake
Council, calls the event
Watson’s greatest legacy.
“Sharon’s tireless
dedication to her
community has impacted
countless young men,” he
says, “And her enthusiasm
and dedication is an
inspiration to all.”
Scout’s HONORTHROUGH HER LONGTIME COMMITMENT TO
SCOUTING, SHARON WATSON HAS HELPED
GENERATIONS OF YOUTHS LEARN TO LEAD.
BY NATHAN SOLHEIM
PHO
TO
S B
Y T
IMO
TH
Y B
ULL
AR
D
TOP: SHARON WATSON’S FOUR SONS, SHOWN IN THE PICTURE BEHIND
HER, ALL ACHIEVED THE EAGLE SCOUT RANK. ABOVE: WATSON HELPS
SCOUTS IN PACK 23 LEARN THE BASICS OF A BLOCK AND TACKLE.
48 ABOVE THE RE/MAX MAGAZINE • WINTER 2013
JUST FOR FUN B R A I N S C R A M B L E
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ACROSS.6 Classicslogan:“It’sthe...”7 Agentsandresults.8 Schoolmeetsspace.9 Thefirstlady.10 Advanceddegree.13 Redoverwhiteoverblue.15 It’sinyourhands.16 TheRE/MAXCollectionniche.19 It’svirtuallycoveredbynow.21 Buyerhelper.24 Takeastepwhere?
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thananyone.40Thelatestineducation.
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