Simon Chen

Stepping into the role of president and CEO of ERA Franchise Systems LLC in March 2018, Simon Chen challenged his staff and the entire ERA network to get back to the entrepreneurial roots that made them great as Electronic Realty Associates (ERA’s original name).

Having studied molecular biology, industrial design and business in college, Chen went to work for a consulting firm after graduation, investing in real estate on the side. As an investor, he saw a tremendous need and opportunity for innovation in real estate.

Today, with Chen at the helm of ERA, the brand has made fantastic progress over the past year in order to emerge as a leader in today’s real estate market by focusing on three important goals: helping brokers re-margin their businesses; increasing per-person productivity; and recruiting the right agents.

Leveraging the combined resources of the entire ERA network, as well as those of its parent company Realogy, ERA is achieving these goals in a way that no other company can.

“At ERA Real Estate, we don’t adapt to change; we create it,” says Chen. “We believe that our core business values of collaboration, innovation, diversity and growth are needed now more than ever.”

While many in the industry still hold onto old, preconceived notions of what ERA is—and what it stands for—Chen and his team are laser-focused on leveraging all that the brand has stood for and reintroducing the marketplace to the new ERA.