One on One with RE/MAX President Geoff Lewis
Geoff Lewis, former RE/MAX chief legal officer, became the network’s seventh president in May. A member of RE/MAX senior leadership since 2004, Lewis brings a wealth of strategic business experience and global insight to his new position.
There’s a lot of buzz around Project Upstream, and you’ve been heavily involved since day one. Why do you believe in the initiative so strongly?
I think Project Upstream is a great example of what can be achieved when the industry comes together. Creating and distributing a database of clean, accurate information will benefit both the industry and the consumers it serves. It will give brokers a single point of data entry and control over their information. It will also empower consumers by providing reliable data wherever they’re searching for real estate, whether it’s a third-party website, a broker site or a franchise site.
Do you view it as a new portal?
It’s not a portal or an MLS. It’s a data collection, entry and distribution platform that gives brokers control over where and how their information is seen. We won’t be competing with Zillow Group, Move or anyone else, but we’ll be able to ensure consistent display guidelines that add clarity and equity to the process.
Are you concerned about the declining homeownership rate?
The stats don’t really tell the whole story. The biggest drag on the homeownership rate is economic, not cultural. I think millennials embrace homeownership as much as other generations have—they’ve just been delayed by a number of factors. When they have children and want more space, they’ll recognize the benefits of owning.
What are you seeing in the competitive landscape?
Competition is brutal right now. In fact, I think we’re back to the level of competition we had right before the recession. In our low-inventory environment, the battle for listings is fierce.
What does this mean for agents?
It means they need to be the absolute best they can be. Professional development is as important as ever. I believe it starts with a culture of learning and with brokers helping their agents improve on a constant basis. Great customer service always wins the day.
With a presence in nearly 100 countries, RE/MAX is the most global real estate franchisor. What’s next?
RE/MAX has been a trailblazer globally. We were the first global real estate brand to expand into many of these countries. RE/MAX regional teams, brokers and agents have had a huge positive impact—developing new systems and raising standards in areas like ethics, education and professionalism. Our success in North America set the stage, and our regional pioneers took it from there. Now the goal is to deepen our presence.
To your North American membership, what’s the relevance of being global?
Our worldwide referral network connects exceptional agents on both sides of the transaction. That’s important, because global investment in North American property presents huge opportunities—even in places you might not expect. At a 2014 conference in San Francisco, a RE/MAX broker was telling me about how much success his office was having working with Chinese investors in his city. I asked what part of California he was from, and he says, ‘I’m from Indianapolis.’ The takeaway: Global business isn’t limited to resort markets or the coasts.
What’s it like working alongside RE/MAX CEO and Chairman Dave Liniger?
Dave has shown a lot of confidence in me over the years, and that makes me very comfortable suggesting new ideas to him. He has amazing instincts, he can see the pluses and minuses of an issue very quickly, and he’s never afraid to make a decision. We have a very strong leadership team, and it starts with him.
Are you still the organization’s top legal voice?
I’m not involved with the legal department anymore. I’m 100 percent devoted to my new role, which is supporting our brokers, gaining marketshare and building the brand. In fact, I’ve told people that if I start to sound like a lawyer, I want them to call me out on it.
Tech Next: Building a New Foundation
One great example of RE/MAX innovation is Tech Next, a comprehensive enhancement of the main technology systems provided through RE/MAX World Headquarters. The most visible component will be a completely reinvented remax.com website, due to debut in early 2016.
“We’re taking a bold, aggressive approach with our entire technology suite, especially remax.com,” says Tim Drouillard, RE/MAX senior vice president, Information Technology. “The current site has been an industry leader in attracting visitors and generating referral-fee-free leads for our agents, and we’ll be building from that success.”
The new remax.com, Drouillard says, will have a fresh look, a radically improved mobile interface, a much better user experience and a clear focus on maximizing lead generation. Everything will be geared toward serving the needs of consumers and connecting them to RE/MAX agents who can guide them.
The mobile aspect is critical, Drouillard adds. “Every decision has been made with the mobile user in mind.” In fact, a new Apple Watch app was unveiled in August.
While the vision for remax.com is new, the firm behind the site is not. Homes Media Solutions, which has powered remax.com for a decade, is working with RE/MAX leaders on the redesign. Since HMS came on board, remax.com has generated more than 15 million fee-free leads, delivered directly to RE/MAX agents.
“The history we have with Homes is a huge advantage in the redesign,” Drouillard says. “They understand where we’ve been and they know where we want to go. It’s a great fit.”
While the new remax.com will provide a solid, common solution for all RE/MAX affiliates, key ancillary components—lead delivery and management, agent or office websites, CRM systems—will vary within the membership.
“RE/MAX is a network of very entrepreneurial-minded people,” Drouillard notes. “We want to provide strong options and give regions, brokers and agents the freedom to choose what works best for them.”
In addition to remax.com, the Tech Next initiative includes major upgrades to a number of systems—the membership database, tracking, financial reporting and others—that will make affiliate interactions with corporate headquarters more seamless and efficient.
“We’re committed to making things as convenient as possible for our brokers, agents and office managers. We understand how valuable their time is,” Drouillard says. “The Tech Next projects will provide the framework for continual innovation moving forward. In some respects, that’s the most exciting thing of all.”
For more information, visit www.remax.com.
