Vitals: J. Rockcliff REALTORS®
Years in Business: 12
Size: 7 offices, 400 agents
Regions Served: San Francisco East Bay, Alameda and Contra Costa counties, Calif.
2017 Sales Volume: $2.65 billion
2017 Transactions: 2,655
No. 79 in sales volume in RISMedia’s 2018 Power Broker Report
www.rockcliff.com
With more than 30 years of experience in real estate management and ownership, Jeff Sposito has risen through the ranks of the industry, founding J. Rockcliff REALTORS® and serving as its president since 2002. Throughout his career, Sposito has won numerous awards, in addition to being recognized by the California Association of REALTORS® as having the best real estate exchange in the state of California.
How are San Francisco and its surrounding markets faring in 2018? What factors are contributing to this?
Jeff Sposito: The area is doing as well as can be expected with the lack of inventory. Prices continue to rise, which is a concern. While our affordability rate is hovering around 18 percent, our average sales price is more than $1 million.
Are you planning to grow your firm in the next 12 months?
JS: While we just recently opened our seventh office, we expect to add two more by the end of the year. We’re not expanding into new markets, but rather, expanding within our current market areas with a slightly different model.
What sets your firm apart in the marketplace?
JS: The people, brand recognition and marketshare.
What are the biggest challenges you’re currently facing?
JS: The emergence of new companies that don’t seem to have the need to make a profit as an immediate goal.
What are the biggest opportunities for increasing business right now?
JS: There have been several mergers and acquisitions taking place in our market. Agents, being independent contractors, don’t particularly like being told where they’re going to work, so they begin looking for a company that’s a better fit. This ultimately creates recruiting opportunities.
How are you attracting new agents to your firm and retaining top producers? What do you look for in someone new coming into the company?
JS: We’re positioning ourselves as a company of real estate people with great technology. Some of the so-called “detractors” entering our industry have zero real estate experience, which, at the end of the day, is critical to possess. Our company looks for the best and brightest, but also those that are a good fit with our culture.
How are you updating your technology and training to provide the resources agents need to succeed?
JS: We’ve upgraded and added to our technology by providing a CRM with lead routing capability, as well as contact management, websites, etc. Boston Logic, our software provider, is dynamic, ensuring that we benefit from new technology as it emerges. We provide our agents with myTheo, Updater, OneLogin, DocuSign, SkySlope, RingCentral and Disclosure.IO, to name a few. We’ve also contracted with writers to make sure we have current, easy-to-use blog and social media materials. Our IT department offers both ongoing live and web-based training most every day of the week.
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