Realty Executives and the Art of Supporting Professionals By Maria Patterson Forty-four years ago, the idea of forming a real estate company based on a 100% commission model was a radical concept-certainly nothing the industry had ever seen before. Today, decades after company Founder Dale Rector revolutionized the industry and put Realty Executives on the map, company President & CEO Rich Rector is keeping that spirit alive by reinventing

What will matter in 2009...and beyond By Maria Patterson, Stephanie Andre, and Paige Tepping The close of the year often begs a retrospective approach to the events that took place-good, bad or otherwise. The sharp edges are often dulled in hindsight, motivated by the desire to put it all behind us and move on to the fresh promise of a new year.

By Steve Morris There are those who make things happen, those who watch what is about to happen and the rest who wonder what happened. Some people instinctively know precisely what to do next in order to progress and succeed, and yet the high majority has to be shown the way. The former are the leaders and the latter are the followers. Which one are you?

HSA Home Warranty finds its formula for success  By Stephanie Andre Differentiation is a big issue in today's real estate reality. The past 12-18 months have proven to be quite challenging for many, so there's good reason to find something-a marketing plan, a consumer incentive, a trusted service provider-that will help

An insider's perspective on the creation of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate By Maria Patterson RISMEDIA, August 25, 2008-In real estate, constant flux is a fact of everyday life. The needs of buyers and sellers are always evolving, while the practices used by sales associates rely on a mix of tradition and fluidity. In that vein, we've decided to let executives from the new Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate brand tell

ERA Real Estate Broadens Its Worldwide Presence By Stephanie Andre RISMEDIA, July 2, 2008-Long before it was in vogue to expand a real estate company's business beyond U.S. borders, ERA Franchise Systems LLC was international. A trendsetter in global growth for more than 25 years, ERA has been increasing its reach from continent to continent, now amassing offices in 50 countries and territories. And, according to the company's leader, international growth is still a major priority.

By Maria Patterson In today's market, data rules-and CyberhomesTM believes it has cornered the market in terms of both quality and quantity of information. Hitting the market just last year, the website, backed by Fidelity National Real Estate Systems (FNRES), has gained fast fervor, as an increasing number of real estate firms and MLSs, and franchisors distribute their listings through Cyberhomes. And for consumers, while many other websites provide some of the things you might be looking for in a home, Cyberhomes believes it addresses everything you're looking for in a neighborhood, too.

Advanced Access, eNeighborhoods, Homes.com and Number1Expert offer tools for tough markets By Charles Warnock In real estate, there is no such thing as business as usual. With sales flat and housing prices slipping in many areas, concern for the overall economy continues. At the same time the market slows, innovation in real estate tools and technology sprints ahead. Today, agents have more options than ever, as a host of Web- and technology-driven marketing solutions continues to emerge.

Tough market or not, the CENTURY 21® System is raising the bar By Maria Patterson In a market when many real estate firms are playing it safe, Century 21 Real Estate LLC has actually chosen to raise its standards and perform, system-wide, at an even higher level. Between their symbolic relaunch of the "gold jacket" and their proactive investments in

Lowe's puts agents at the forefront with its success-ready program for REALTORS® By Stephanie Andre While the real estate market is certainly weathering its first cooldown in over four years, industry experts say this is exactly the right time to turn up the heat on marketing and branding efforts to stay ahead of the competition. Enter the Lowe's Program for REALTORS®, a marketing platform borne out of the home improvement giant's strong relationship with the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.