Working Together for Customers

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Working Together for Customers

by Lesley Geary

Molly Bottiger and Brian Foley had a wild ride on the way to buying their first home in January of this year. Two days after the initial ?high? of finding their perfect home in the Minneapolis suburb of Golden Valley, Minnesota, and having their offer accepted, Bottiger says they were brought ?way down? when they were told the house was scheduled to have a foreclosure sale the following week.

?We were just crushed when our loan officer, Peter Johnson, called and said there was a cloud on the title,? Foley recalls. ?But it was amazing. After that call, Johnson just pulled everything together. No one could believe it, but we closed in a week, which was one day before the house was to be sold in foreclosure!?

All moved into their new home, Bottiger adds, ?We are just thrilled with the service we got. Imagine?it only took one week.?

The service Bottiger is talking about came from Edina, Minnesota-based Coldwell Banker Burnet, one of the top realty firms in the Twin Cities that also holds title, mortgage and relocation services under the same roof. And according to Coldwell Banker Burnet President Robin Peterson, ?While they had to jump through many hoops to do that, that?s the luxury of having a full service company like ours. That?s what we do.?

Founded by Ralph Burnet in 1973 as Burnet Realty, it was sold to NRT in 1998. Operating under the banner Coldwell Banker Burnet, the NRT firm today has over 3,000 sales associates with 38 offices across Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.

One of the things that Peterson believes sets Coldwell Banker Burnet apart from the competition is that it offers an array of services. She says of the company, which includes realty, title, mortgage and relocation services, ?It may look to the outside observer as though it is all seamless, which it is, but that doesn?t mean it is effortless.

And while the women who lead each of these groups have their own management styles, they all meet at least twice a month to share ideas and support one another and grow.

?Twice a month we meet formally, usually with a business lunch and then a separate meeting. But a week doesn?t go by that we don?t talk to each other,? says Mary Baymler, president of Burnet Home Loans, on how the four women work together. She adds that while each group has become large, ?We still operate as though we are a small company, which means face to face and one on one.?

Judy Haydon, senior vice president for Burnet Relocation, says that meeting with the other three women helps her run her division more effectively. ?In order to do the best job possible in relocation, I am so dependent on mortgage and title and it makes it easy having everything under one roof,? she says. ?If an issue comes up, I can walk down the hall and find Robin, talk to her, and make everything come together.?

Haydon also praises the company?s upbeat outlook. ?Robin Peterson has such a ?can-do? outlook and she demonstrates a great attitude. Everyone on down understands it and it makes you feel good.?

This positive attitude is something that is shared by all four women. Ronnie Semlak, president of Burnet Title, says that it is just part of the culture of working for the company. ?There is a terrific culture at Coldwell Banker Burnet. The feeling is that people at our company should be able to succeed, and while you have to work hard, that success is there if you want to take it.?

Semlak says the four women also share the same business philosophy. ?One of the things that we all believe in is delivering quality service, and we are always looking for new ways to accomplish this goal.?

According to Semlak, there?s not another company that has four women at the top who are able to communicate so well and run their individual groups as one. And their formula has proven very successful. ?What is unique about our group is that we have been given an amazing opportunity, and there isn?t a day that goes by when we don?t support and act as cheerleaders for each other.?

Burnet Home Loans? Baymler agrees with Semlak?s assessment and adds, ?We can?t do it alone. The customer has to have a smooth transaction. I need the title company there to support me and we have to be the best we can be to make Judy?s and Robin?s people look good. When a customer gets to the closing table everything has to be in place or someone hasn?t done their job right.?

Peterson adds that all four companies working together helps each one provide superior service. And she says, ?If customers can go to one place and get all of their real estate needs met without dealing with a lot of people, it makes everyone?s life easier.?

For more information, visit www.cbburnet.com.