Weichert Real Estate Affiliates Marks Fourth Anniversary

Company also celebrates opening of 200th franchise office
RISMEDIA, Feb. 8 ? Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc, the franchise arm of Weichert, Realtors?, the nation’s largest privately owned provider of home ownership services, is celebrating two milestone events.

The company is marking both the opening of its 200th signed franchise office in Johnson City, Tenn., and its own fourth anniversary. Weichert Real Estate Affiliates now has offices open in 20 states and ranks among the fastest growing franchises in the U.S., according to Entrepreneur magazine.

In marking the anniversary, Martin J. Rueter, president, said, ?Our rate of expansion is accelerating and we’re signing on quality real estate companies that share our customer service values in a growing number of new states and major metropolitan markets.

The 200th signed office, WEICHERT, REALTORS? ? Gray Springs, is in northeastern Tennessee?s Johnson City. William Edward Entrekin has been named broker of record and Joy Thomson general sales manager. Slated to open in February, the new office is the second location for the firm, whose original office in Gray, Tenn., under broker/owner Tara Ursini, affiliated with Weichert in 2004 after 10 years with another franchise.

Looking back on the decision to affiliate with Weichert, Ursini recalled her initial visit to the Morris Plains, N.J., headquarters of Weichert Real Estate Affiliates as ?impressive and persuasive. She said, ?Touring the facilities, meeting the behind-the-scenes support people, and seeing Weichert?s cutting-edge Lead Network and other innovative systems confirmed for me that the Weichert franchise organization offered real performance. Now, two years down the road, my expectations have been exceeded.

Richard Clegg, the broker/owner of Weichert?s first signed franchise office, WEICHERT, REALTORS? ? Sherlock Home Finders, Inc., located in Jupiter, Fla., voiced similar sentiments. His real estate company affiliated with Weichert after 20 years as an independent.

?An affiliation is like a marriage,? Clegg said. Now that four years have passed, my assessment of whether it’s working out or not is a resounding yes. We’ve gone from specializing in vacation rentals and property management to providing full real estate service to the local market as well as to vacationers, second-home buyers and investors coming from the Weichert office footprint.?

For Clegg, an important distinction of the Weichert franchise organization is that it’s ?not shareholder driven,? but owned and run by a real estate broker. ?Weichert understands and practices the fundamentals,? he said.

Weichert Real Estate Affiliates now totals more than 4,000 affiliated sales associates in a growing number of offices from Massachusetts to Florida and throughout the Midwest and Texas. Last spring, more than 450 franchise members participated in the organization’s first national convention held in Orlando, Fla.

For more information, visit www.weichertfranchise.com or call 877-533-9007.