Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate earned a high-ranking spot on Entrepreneur’s Top Company Cultures list, a comprehensive list of U.S.-based businesses exhibiting high-performance cultures, created in partnership with culture management software and service provider Culture IQ®. Placing 12th in the large company category, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate www.bhhsamb.com was recognized for creating an exceptional culture that drives employee engagement, exceeds expectations and directly impacts company success. The Omaha, Neb. brokerage was also the only real estate firm in the large company category to crack the top 30 on the list.
“High performance culture, to me, means that we have an environment that is filled with energy, excitement, and enthusiasm where people are walking around with passion and a positive attitude,” says Vince Leisey, president at Ambassador Real Estate. “Simply put, our productivity is driven by a positive environment where our people feel energized and encouraged.”
ACultivating such a positive, teamwork-driven company culture is especially significant for a company comprised of real estate agents who operate as independent contractors and, due to the nature of the industry, sometimes end up in competition with one another.
“Our company is founded on two priority concepts – culture and coaching – in order to create a supportive environment that helps develop agents’ skills so that we can all grow together,” explains Leisey.
That process includes “mastermind groups” of 12-20 agents who encourage and help one another in a transparent environment. There is also an on-boarding system with new agents where four different staffers reach out to help them through the learning curve as well as a monthly “Meet the Team” meeting to alert them about the tools and resources at their disposal.
Leisey credits Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CEO Gino Blefari for actively supporting this practice through his on-site visits to the brokerage.
“I’ve seen first-hand the positive culture on display at Ambassador Real Estate and I couldn’t be prouder that Vince and his team are being honored,” says Blefari. “This is a terrific company that does terrific work for clients and the community.”
Ambassador Real Estate also knows how to have fun. Its headquarters includes a ping pong table, an adjacent workout facility and even a pinball machine. However, few elements speak as prominently as the location of Leisey’s office – not tucked away in a corner but “right by the front desk as I want to be in the trenches, with my team,” he said.
Strong corporate culture usually includes community involvement and Ambassador Real Estate is well connected in greater Omaha. The brokerage is a perennial fundraising leader among Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices franchisees for the Sunshine Kids, an organization supporting kids with cancer. Agents also contribute time and resources to Open Door Mission in Omaha.
“Great company cultures don’t happen on their own,” concludes Jason Feifer, editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur. They’re the result of great leadership and a conscious effort to make everyone on a team feel engaged and important.”
The full company culture list, representing a total of 153 companies categorized as small, medium-sized or large companies – 25-49 employees, 50-99 employees and more than 100 employees respectively – is available on https://www.entrepreneur.com.
For more information, please visit www.berkshirehathawayhs.com.
