On any given day at a Denver-area office where eight languages are spoken, team leader Lisa Nguyen cultivates an environment that’s productive, collaborative and caring. Nguyen’s thriving 14-member team, The International Group, with RE/MAX Professionals in Lakewood, Colorado, represents the power of association that has fueled RE/MAX for five decades: When productive agents come together, great things happen.
The global network of over 140,000 agents in nearly 9,000 offices is a fit for full-time professionals with a drive to close sales. And with a presence in more than 110 countries and territories, the network is a diverse collection of personalities and traits. Every affiliate has a reason—or many reasons—they joined.
Nguyen’s reason goes back to the very start.
“The two founders of RE/MAX believed in women at a time when women weren’t given many opportunities to prove themselves in business. I feel empowered knowing the values of this company align with the Fair Housing initiatives I work toward every day,” Nguyen says. “That’s why I chose to align with RE/MAX—and one of the many reasons why I stay.”
Others join because of the local broker/owner, the professionalism at RE/MAX offices, the opportunity for agent-to-agent referrals, the menu of impactful support services or the freedom they have to run their business as they see fit. But one factor stands out as a key differentiator: the power of the RE/MAX brand.
Recognized around the world and trusted across generations, RE/MAX was co-founded by Dave and Gail Liniger in 1973 to put power in the hands of the agent. Fifty years later, the brand’s concrete foundation—which is reinforced with unique competitive advantages in marketing, technology, education and more—is strengthened by the billions of dollars that have been invested into the brand. In an industry built on connecting with consumers, the brand helps RE/MAX agents stand out and get noticed. Brand power opens the door to ample opportunity because it tells buyers and sellers what to expect.
“People know that if they’re working with a RE/MAX agent, they’re going to receive the highest quality service,” Nguyen says. “They’re going to work with a professional who really knows the business and the local market.”
Once that connection is made, RE/MAX agents have the skills, systems and experience to follow through on the brand promise. Today, nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX, as measured by residential transaction sides. In 2021, the global network closed over 2 million total sides in one year, becoming the first real estate brand ever to do so.
Agent quality, says RE/MAX President and CEO Nick Bailey, is especially important when the National Association of REALTORS®’ membership is at an all-time high. RE/MAX is built for full-time pros who want to close more sales, not for part-timers looking to dabble and do a deal or two each year.
“RE/MAX is home to the real estate professional—someone who’s in the business to provide great service, close more sales and help people reach their real estate goals,” Bailey says. “Our growing global footprint demonstrates the brand’s influence across borders, languages, cultures and more. Simply put: RE/MAX agents are unstoppable.”
‘The power is in the brand’
For Joe Castillo, a real estate leader in and around Chicago, Illinois, what was an unaffiliated office six years ago has grown into three RE/MAX franchises: RE/MAX Mi Casa, RE/MAX In the Village and RE/MAX Town & Country.
“We jumped at the opportunity to join RE/MAX because of how strong the brand is in our area, not only with the end consumer, but with agents as well,” Castillo says, noting that his brokerage enjoys great freedom in how it structures financial arrangements with agents and teams. “RE/MAX broker/owners have the ability to create their own business plan and strategy. That makes a huge difference to me.”
Castillo and his agents see how the RE/MAX name resonates with consumers—at a level most competitors can’t match.
“The power is in the brand. It truly adds value—not only professionally, as far as being a top agent and learning how to get even better, but also to the bottom dollar in your pocket. RE/MAX agents have the opportunity to get new business just by being part of a brand consumers know and trust,” he says.
With more than 70 agents affiliated with his brokerages, Castillo has nearly doubled his total agent count since joining the brand. An asset unlike any other, according to Castillo, is having access to a close-knit network of like-minded professionals. Many RE/MAX affiliates constantly connect with one another to exchange referrals and ideas. Being able to foster friendships and referrals through network events—like the annual RE/MAX R4® global convention—is another edge enjoyed by every RE/MAX agent around the world. Those kinds of connections are crucial in a relationship business like real estate.
“Agents see so many top-performing professionals with RE/MAX, and they gravitate to that top-producer culture,” Castillo says, noting that his agents’ productivity is far beyond what he anticipated when converting to RE/MAX. “We want agents who think long term and make decisions that are focused on lasting relationships. That’s how they build a framework for referrals and repeat customers.”
‘This technology is a gamechanger’
While RE/MAX agents focus on helping consumers buy and sell properties—both residential and commercial—RE/MAX, LLC focuses on supporting those agents with tools that make business easier and help them stand out in their markets.
Take MAX/TechSM powered by kvCORE, for example. RE/MAX has implemented the innovative technology platform in collaboration with Inside Real Estate, the maker of
kvCORE. Currently rolling out across the U.S. following a successful
Canadian launch in Q4 2022, the platform will simplify many aspects of an agent’s business, from contact management and digital marketing to data analysis, lead-generation and more. The platform is exclusive to RE/MAX affiliates and available at no additional cost. It even has specific functionality for real estate teams, a business structure that has room to thrive at RE/MAX.
“With the ingenuity of MAX/Tech powered by kvCORE, agents can focus on their expertise: helping consumers achieve their real estate goals,” Bailey says. “While kvCORE is an acclaimed product used throughout the industry, RE/MAX affiliates will have access to an enhanced, upgraded version that includes several key integrations of RE/MAX technology.”
RE/MAX affiliates throughout the U.S. and Canada are eagerly diving in.
“It’s all about enabling agents to focus on important income-producing activities,” says Heather Holliday, a technology and marketing coach for multiple RE/MAX brokerages. “The kvCORE platform has all of the bells and whistles for real estate professionals to leverage. That helps those with any level of technology skills work smarter, not harder.”
Holliday notes that the platform’s use of artificial intelligence gives it the competitive edge to serve clients in the present while positioning users for a successful future, too.
“Technology is constantly evolving, and RE/MAX made the right choice to align its affiliates with the best real estate tech platform,” she says. “MAX/Tech powered by kvCORE offers agents more tools than they can even imagine. It’s a gamechanger.”
Attuned to the needs of the modern agent, RE/MAX places a heavy focus on creating resources for affiliates to make their personal marketing easier. Through platforms like Megaphone, an in-house tool to customize and strategically place ads; Photofy, a platform for creating custom marketing materials; and
RE/MAX Hustle, a system for generating branded videos and commercials, affiliates can increase their visibility online and in real life. RE/MAX Hustle, for example, enables agents to personalize content from the 2023 RE/MAX Advertising Campaign, which is based on the theme “The Right Agent Can Lead the Way.”
Access to in-house learning also gives RE/MAX agents a leg up. Through RE/MAX University—the brand’s online learning hub—affiliates can take relevant courses, earn new designations, brush up on education and complete other industry programs all in one place. The benefit to each agent: more knowledge, sharper skills and the ability to provide an even better customer experience.
‘I love the global nature’
In 2023, even small independent brokerages have some sort of offerings for technology, marketing and education. What they don’t have, and what other large brands don’t have either, is a global presence and scale like that of RE/MAX.
“I have referral partners all over the world,” says Nguyen, who specializes in helping people moving from overseas to the U.S. “It’s why I love the global nature of the RE/MAX brand.”
Refreshed this year is the RE/MAX Global Referrals Platform powered by GryphTech, a digital tool accessible by mobile app and desktop that connects RE/MAX agents around the world to facilitate business referrals from start to finish. The platform automatically translates the interaction into more than 50 languages.
“My team helps many people who are relocating from other countries. We also identify the gaps that exist within the communities we serve and try to find solutions,” says Nguyen, an active industry leader in multiple professional associations including the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA). “That’s what I work on every day of my life; increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in real estate.”
Like Nguyen, many RE/MAX affiliates make a difference in their communities through involvement and leadership in real estate organizations. Castillo, for instance, is also an active leader, serving at both the local and national level through the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP).
“My RE/MAX Mi Casa office is in a predominantly Latino market with plenty of first-time homebuyers. Aligning with NAHREP spoke to me directly because it would help me serve the vast majority of our clients,” says Castillo, who is currently a director on the NAHREP National Board. “Getting involved with NAHREP continues to be an amazing way to lead others and network with people all around the nation.”
Both Nguyen’s and Castillo’s efforts speak to the broader vision of RE/MAX helping make homeownership accessible to all. RE/MAX sponsors multiple organizations that aim to increase diversity in the real estate profession and in homeownership, including AREAA and NAHREP, as well as the Women’s Council of REALTORS® (WCR) and the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance.
“On local, national and global levels, RE/MAX honors diversity, equity and inclusion. I’m proud to be part of a brand that cares so much about the well-being of others. That’s very important to me as a business owner and an individual,” Nguyen says.
“When it comes to helping people, what I’ve accomplished so far is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m just getting started.”
And so, at 50, is RE/MAX.
Each office independently owned and operated.
For more information, visit https://www.remax.com.
