More than 15,000 RE/MAX agents earned the Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation—far more than any other real estate competitor. One of the first to seek the education was Marilyn Kohn. She took the CDPE course a full year before an influx of distressed properties hit her Peoria, Ill., market.
When they arrived, Kohn was ready.
“The access RE/MAX gives us to education, not to mention the opportunity to network with so many seasoned agents from around the world, is like turning on a fire hose of knowledge,” says Kohn, a top-producing real estate veteran with RE/MAX Unlimited in Peoria who joined the network in 1985.
“There’s no better place to be than at RE/MAX. We have a track record and credibility that simply cannot be replicated. The connections I’ve made with other RE/MAX agents over the past three decades are invaluable.”
RE/MAX associates like Kohn have tailored their business plans for today’s low-inventory market in which sellers have the upper hand. They’re adding new skill sets to their résumés and staying ahead of market trends in order to deliver superior service.
In the luxury realm, for instance, RE/MAX associates who specialize in high-end listings in The RE/MAX Collection are earning the Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS) designation to better meet the needs of affluent buyers and sellers. RE/MAX agents lead national real estate franchises in the number of agents who hold that designation, as well as the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) and the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) designations—all accessible via the award-winning RE/MAX University.
One beauty of the RE/MAX system is the access associates have to tools and resources that help them thrive in their markets, or in niches such as commercial properties, luxury homes or international transactions. In a post-recession world, that kind of edge is indispensible to agents looking to close more sales.
Consider Dane Rickard, a millennial agent who joined RE/MAX Professionals in Littleton, Colo., in 2012, his ninth year in real estate. Rickard’s reason for the move? It was time to expand his business, and he realized RE/MAX provided the productive environment he needed.
“I’ve been with other national competitors, and I know the difference between what’s good and what’s great—and RE/MAX is great,” Rickard says. “The brand culture fosters the idea that real estate isn’t about a single transaction; it’s about long-term relationships.”
Rickard, who’s part of a RE/MAX social media mastermind group, says he’s embraced technology to develop his relationships. And he’s done so with great success. His presence on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, among other platforms, gives him a direct connection to past clients and a way to plant seeds to attract new ones.
“I take cues from what people are posting and invest time in creating community pages where I can be seen as a resource and market expert without being pushy,” Rickard says. “It’s about providing value to my clients and relating to them on a more personal level.”
Redefining Purpose
RE/MAX associates aren’t the only ones reinventing how they do business. RE/MAX corporate leaders have done the same by examining and updating the purpose and mission of the brand, RE/MAX CEO Margaret Kelly says.
“Our executive leadership team met earlier this year to better define our goals,” Kelly says. “That soul searching, of sorts, led us to drill down deep into what today’s buyers and sellers really need from a RE/MAX agent—trusted expertise and guidance.
“As a network that provides the support and services for RE/MAX agents to live up to consumers’ high expectations, we’ve changed the way we present the RE/MAX value to the world.”
Two key outcomes have since emerged: a strengthened RE/MAX mission statement and “Momentum,” a comprehensive education program for franchise owners. The mission statement is direct and to the point: “To be the worldwide real estate leader, achieving our goals by helping others achieve theirs. Everybody wins.” It’s accompanied by the network’s vision of being the right place for real estate entrepreneurs who want a combination of independence, support and unmatched competitive advantages.
“Identifying an updated, clear-cut mission for our company has helped us become more proactive in delivering what RE/MAX associates need to continue doing what they do best: listing and selling properties,” Kelly says. “A successful company—whether it’s a sizable network like RE/MAX or the agent who has a solo operation in a small town—has to have a well-defined purpose. Otherwise, it’s easy to lose focus and forget the core principles that drive everything we do.”
Momentum training, introduced at the recent RE/MAX Broker Owner Conference, empowers offices to increase profitability by adding value for agents and recruits.
