From left to right: Phillip Cantrell, EVP – United Strategy; Eric Pearson, EVP – United Leads Program; Rick Haase, President; Steve Wagner, EVP – Training, Education & Development
Devising and implementing a long-term master plan is all well and good, but having it come to fruition is next-level altogether. And as the numbers are proving nationally for United Real Estate, their strategic decisions are now paying the hoped-for dividends and much more.
The success is certainly rewarding for President Rick Haase, who, alongside CEO Dan Duffy, has been one of the guiding architects of the real estate giant’s strategic initiatives. The sixth-largest brokerage in the nation by transactions, according to RISMedia’s 2023 Power Broker Report, United is experiencing tremendous growth as many other companies are contracting.
“We have brought together a rare assemblage of talent, and that truly makes all the difference. Having a well-articulated plan driven by the right mission and accompanied by people who possess the core values necessary to bring it all together is the magic formula for success,” says Haase. “Our day-to-day pillars include recruiting expertise, paying close attention to everything we do for agent retention, and the efficient and effective operation of our business. This has brought us and will continue to bring us success.
“Mergers and acquisitions are important to the P&L and balance sheet, but equally, if not more important, are the attraction of world-class brokerages and people with the knowledge and skills necessary to grow them. That’s the real benefit of M&A; the people who join the organization over the long run mean so much more than a simple P&L or balance sheet benefit,” adds Haase.
Haase emphasizes that it works well when companies are already within the company’s purview.
“We want to expand with at least some eye toward concentric circles around existing operations—the hub and spoke model. We select companies based on their quality of operations, the quality of leadership, market size and position within the market,” explains Haase. “If we can expand contiguous to current operations, we can leverage systems for agent and broker tools, services and support, and expand awareness of our company and agents’ brands,” he adds. “As a company that’s been growing for quite some time, moving from No. 139 to the sixth-largest national real estate brokerage, it’s imperative we engage and deploy talent that joins us organically or through M&A.”
New executive talent supports initiatives
Three brokerage leaders, each with a unique title and expertise, have been instrumental in United’s growth and profitability surge over the last few years.
Steve Wagner—EVP of Training, Education and Development—launched a successful real estate school and innovative, proprietary agent-training programs, which support over 4,700 agents in the company he co-founded, Virtual Properties Realty – United, now the largest residential brokerage in Greater Atlanta and the state of Georgia. The company joined United’s national network in 2020.
“Whether an agent is on their way in, out, or when I’m mentoring or training, I’ve always asked: What are your goals? What are the things you believe you need to achieve your goals? What do you perceive as obstacles or challenges?” he says. “Data collected has shown me many patterns of what agents seek. My time and experiences have also allowed me to discover additional training and development elements agents need and could benefit from but don’t necessarily ask for. As a result of all this work on the national level, every United office now has numerous recruiting, retention and development tools (hot buttons),” he adds.
Wagner is confident his initiatives will propel United to even greater heights, attracting brokerages and agents.
“Our goal is simple: to be known as the No. 1 place for an agent to come who is seeking training, motivation and skill development,” he asserts. “Our culture, technologies and agent compensation model have made us possibly the fastest-growing real estate organization. Our only challenge will be getting agents to understand our offering is real and not too good to be true.”
Phillip Cantrell—EVP of Strategy—serves United nationwide in an advisory and executionary role for strategic initiatives and partner strategy. He continues his duties as CEO of Benchmark Realty, a marketshare-leading Nashville, Tennessee-based brokerage, which joined United’s national network in 2020.
“My role is to focus on the horizon, triangulating market direction, consumers and competitors, then finding ways to get there faster, better and more cost-effectively,” he explains.
“We have brought together a rare assemblage of talent, and that truly makes all the difference.”
-Rick Haase President, United Real Estate
“I investigate and bring options to the table for consideration, then design implementation for those options.”
Cantrell combines the synergies from both United and Benchmark to accelerate growth on both fronts.
“One key is the assemblage of leadership talent that has come about because the company founders have become part of United,” he notes. “The term ‘iron sharpens iron’ comes to mind, as we are better together than we could ever be individually.
“United has regular meetings where the leaders of each office come together, in person, to share ideas and network. It’s like industry events, where yes, there is a program, but the best brainstorming and sharing often happens in the hallways and during social hour,” adds Cantrell.
Eric Pearson—EVP of United Leads Program—is an advisor and executive sponsor driving lead strategy and program development to benefit United’s affiliated brokers and agents. His expertise includes deploying a comprehensive lead acquisition and conversion program that helped attract over 1,000 agents to his company, Virginia-based Pearson Smith Realty. The firm is a Top 10 marketshare leader, where Pearson remains CEO.
“Lead programs have given our agents a more predictable path to achieving their goals, consistency of income and career-growth acceleration, especially when initially getting started in our industry,” he says. “It also allows agents to build a strong database as these leads eventually become some of their best referral sources for future transactions.”
The same lead strategies developed at Pearson Smith Realty will soon be a boon for United agents nationwide.
“We have the benefit of using our past experiences and pivots to develop lead programs throughout United that will truly revolutionize the positive impact these initiatives have on agent development,” says Pearson. “United and I are dedicated to having this come to fruition, and the roadmap we are developing to achieve this is exciting. Strategy and implementation will be key. We are confident in the model we have created and look forward to sharing and launching it with agents soon.”
Moving forward with confidence
No one knows what the future holds for the residential real estate industry, but Haase has no reservations whatsoever that United will continue to thrive.
“No one can paint a picture 10 years out, but I can tell you we won’t be shooting in the dark,” he says. “We will always have core, fundamental concepts of training, education and development and give our agents all the support they need to succeed. We are also taking care of our agents’ financial well-being to help them authentically build a solid net worth. If we focus on all those things, we’ll be ready for whatever comes.”
For more information, please visit https://www.unitedrealestate.com.
