Realty ONE Group looks back on a year of extraordinary success, plans for a bigger and better 2014
When considering Realty ONE Group’s accomplishments throughout 2013, it’s almost shocking to discover that the Irvine, Calif., company is only a modest eight-and-a-half years old. Their achievements this past year were off the charts: They completed their first year of franchising—which led to exponential growth for the company—three major website launches, and an ambitious foray into the world of video. Make no mistake: Realty ONE Group has proved to be a major leader in the real estate space, securing a large slice of marketshare in every location they tackle. Despite their latest successes, Realty ONE Group is already out to conquer the next opportunity as they map out their future for 2014 and beyond.
Realty ONE Group’s agent-centric and non-traditional corporate culture began almost nine years ago in Las Vegas, Nev., where the company achieved No. 1 market share in just three years. This success was quickly duplicated in Arizona and California, and Realty ONE Group is now one of the largest real estate brokerages in Nevada and fastest growing real estate companies in Arizona and California, with 4,500 REALTORS® across multiple states. Fueled by the success of these initial locations, the company always planned to franchise, but waited patiently until the time was right to launch their aggressive franchise platform.
“By solidifying our position in the marketplace, we offered proof that Realty ONE Group offers a successful business model in any area we enter,” says Founder and CEO Kuba Jewgieniew. “By dominating these three initial markets—especially during a tough industry climate—we have shown the success of our corporate culture, which is dedicated to giving our agents the best cutting-edge technology, marketing support and coaching systems.”
The company’s preparation and keen market savvy paid off. They have remained debt free and reinvested into the company for expansion purposes, while enhancing service and support systems to prepare for future growth. At press time, the company is on track to open 30 new locations in 2013—and their announcement of franchise opportunities led to more than 1,100 inquiries from potential partners who were ready and willing to sign on.
“In the first nine months of franchising, we had an overwhelming number of successful brokerages eager to convert and jump on board,” says Jewgieniew. “We selected 30 like-minded professionals who understood the importance of our culture and scheduled their openings as part of our plan to maintain our momentum while growing strategically.”
According to Executive Vice President Rick Hudson, the company’s initial goal was 24 new franchises—an aggressive target that Realty ONE Group surpassed. But signing new offices wasn’t the company’s only focus.
“We really wanted to support our franchisees in their recruiting efforts,” says Hudson, sharing the example of Realty ONE Group Southwest in Temecula, Calif., Broker/Owner Barbara Baker and her husband, who started the office and grew from zero agents to more than 130 in less than a year—with more agents joining every day. This is just one example of the type of growth the company is capable of, and the type of growth they expect to continue in 2014.
To help spread the word about Realty ONE Group’s franchising opportunities, the company created OwnAONE.com to introduce the brand to new and existing independent brokerages across the nation. The site welcomes its visitors with an impressive introductory video, then explains the franchise process so broker/owners will know what to expect down the line.
