Although Anthony Geraci had established a great career as a top-producer, he still wanted more. Namely, the chance to create a real estate business on his own terms—one that put the focus squarely on the agents. Today, as broker/owner of CENTURY 21 HomeStar Real Estate, Geraci provides his team with all the tools they need to succeed, making sure he stays involved in the coaching and training of each and every agent. “My passion is to personally help my agents,” says Geraci. “I want to be an integral and permanent part of their success.” Find out more about Geraci’s unique approach in this exclusive interview.
Maria Patterson: How did you first get started in the real estate business?
Anthony Geraci: In the summer of 1992, I was deciding what path to take after college. My choices at the time were to go to law school or find a job. My parents told me about some friends of theirs who were REALTORS® and loved the real estate business. They suggested I give this path a try. That summer, I took all my classes, got my license and started my career in real estate.
I fell in love with real estate from day one. I loved the control I had over my own business and my own success—the sky is the limit. For the first six years, I was an above-average, full-time producer and moved my license to three different companies.
MP: What made you make the jump to becoming a broker?
AG: I eventually figured out exactly what I wanted out of a real estate company, but this meant I had to build it myself. That year, I got my broker’s license and started my own company, HomeStar Realty. It was just me in one little office.
My goal was to create a real estate office that focused on giving agents more of what they needed and wanted, without the high cost that was the norm for this profession. I wanted to give agents a high commission structure and all of the services a real estate company could provide, while also giving each agent my personal attention. I wanted our agents to be able to rely and count on me for help and mentoring, and most importantly, for support and training.
MP: How did the company grow from there?
AG: From 1998 to 2005, the company grew to 45 agents. During that time, there were a lot of changes in technology and tools for REALTORS®. As an independent office, I felt I was not able to offer my agents a lot of what was available at other companies. So in 2005, I started shopping for a real estate franchise. I met with many different franchise companies and felt CENTURY 21 was the perfect fit. The tools, technology, training and support CENTURY 21 had—and still has—were better than anything I had worked with at any other franchise. From 2005 to 2014, we have grown to more than 290 agents and we are the largest, single-location real estate office in the state of Ohio.
MP: How has CENTURY 21 HomeStar evolved over the years?
AG: The past nine years have seen many changes in the needs and wants of real estate customers, as well as sales professionals. I think it is our company’s ability to understand the evolving marketplace and stay ahead of the curve that has brought us to our successful position. Customers today all have access to plenty of information, but in today’s market, they demand better property marketing, faster response times, and streamlined transactions.
At the same time, sales professionals need enhanced training, cutting-edge technology, effective marketing programs and unlimited broker support. All of which I am dedicated to providing.
