Those who have been involved in the central New Jersey real estate market for a while know the name Ann Davis, as she’s spent the past three decades as a leading REALTOR® and advocate for the profession.
That’s why it’s no surprise that her daughter, Stephanie Bellanova, is exhibiting just as much love for the profession and finding just as much success as owner/partner of ERA Central Realty Group. Bellanova is a charter member of the ERA Young Leaders Network, and a member of the board of directors of the Mercer County Board of REALTORS®.
Under Bellanova’s leadership, the firm was ranked as the No. 1 ERA Real Estate company in New Jersey, and among the top 25 ERA brokerages in the country. Coming off almost $246 million in sales, she believes that 2017 will be another strong year for the firm.
“Our market has been steady,” says Bellanova. “There’s been an entrance of more REOs to the market, but it’s been at an acceptable pace. Our increased business is due to consumer confidence and our agents’ continued proactiveness.”
With five offices and 150 agents, the firm is focused on expanding within its existing branches. And the rise of REOs has spawned the firm’s first REO department.
“We’ll be looking to increase agent count if the agent is the right fit, but more importantly, we’ll be helping our existing agents grow their business,” says Bellanova. “For us, it’s all about creating an environment where our agents are comfortable and look forward to being a part of it all.”
Training and agent support are important to Bellanova and the firm, which is why ERA Central Realty Group offers an in-house training program, conducted live throughout the firm’s five offices, with the trainer fully accessible to all agents, anytime.
“It’s all about continual education on everything, from us to the agents, so agents are armed for conversations in the field,” says Bellanova. “We provide ATM training, or Agent Training Modules, which consist of live, in-house sessions for both new and experienced agents, plus web-based training via ERA and on the job/in the field, as well.”
The biggest challenge for the firm is the same as it’s been for a while—finding agents who are the right fit for its culture of collaboration and caring.
“Finding people who are interested in a career in real estate who are not currently licensed isn’t always easy,” says Bellanova. “There are so many people wanting to run their own business that are stuck in corporate jobs. If we can reach them and show them how they can succeed in real estate, that’s a great opportunity for them and us.”
It’s through training, support and showing agents that they’re partners in the business that keeps people interested and coming to the firm, and those are areas in which Bellanova will provide nothing but the best.
Vitals: ERA Central Realty Group
Years in Business: 31
Size: 5 branch offices, 150 agents
Regions Served: Central New Jersey, including Mercer, Burlington, Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex Counties
2016 Sales Volume: $245,846,000
2016 Transactions: 1,004 units
www.eracentral.com
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