Industry veteran Dan Forsman—president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties—was recently inaugurated into RISMedia’s 2021 Real Estate Newsmakers Hall of Fame.
RISMedia’s Real Estate Newsmakers is a yearly campaign that awards those who have shown ingenuity and who have accomplished incredible success within the real estate industry. For 2021, RISMedia honored nearly 300 individuals along with its third annual Hall of Fame—a select group of icons in the industry who are recognized for their long-standing and/or exemplary service.
In a video interview, Forsman shares what it means to be a Newsmaker, how he navigated the last year of business and what the future has in store. Watch it here:
“To be named a RISMedia Newsmaker is a very great honor,” Forsman says, “And to be put in the Hall of Fame takes it to another level. There are so many great people in the Hall of Fame. To be considered among them, it really touched me. I am deeply honored that John and his incredible team chose me from among many, many worthy recipients.”
Forsman successfully led his team of more than 1,550 associates across 22 locations in Georgia through one of real estate’s biggest challenges: the coronavirus pandemic. He ensured that real estate was deemed an essential service, leaning on the mantra: “Our associates are essential, not expendable.”
“Our agents were front line. I don’t think the public appreciated their role as much as they should have,” Forsman says.
Three things were key to navigating the challenging environment, he says: “the power of Zoom, the power of Microsoft Teams and continuous communication.”
However, one necessary element doesn’t rely on technology at all and significantly impacts how people shift and adapt: mindset.
“One of the good things that came out of this pandemic was the power of mindset,” he says. “As soon as the market turned, we were ready, and our agents had a great year.”
As a general ideology for the company, Forsman says, “We’ve got to have a business plan, execute on the plan and stick to the fundamentals. That’s been the key to success, honestly, for the last 35 years for me.”
For consideration for the 2022 Real Estate Newsmakers, please email nominations to maria@rismedia.com. Official online nominations will open this spring.
Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s senior online editor. Email her your real estate news ideas to lizd@rismedia.com.
