RISMedia’s Real Estate Newsmakers recognition celebrates industry professionals who are making strides in the real estate space through their positive contributions. In addition, each year, RISMedia honors a select group of Newsmakers by inducting them into the Newsmakers Hall of Fame, celebrating distinguished icons in the industry for their long-standing service.
Join us in recognizing this week’s featured 2020 Hall of Fame inductee:
Harold Crye
Principal & CEO,
Crye-Leike REALTORS®
In 1977, Harold Crye co-founded Crye-Leike Real Estate Services with Dick Leike in Memphis, Tenn. The company became the third largest real estate firm in Memphis within just three years of its opening.
Crye has since expanded the company into a nine-state region throughout the mid-south, with more than 130 offices, 3,200 sales associates and 700 employees. He also created a unique, one-stop shopping real estate experience for consumers consisting of mortgage, title and escrow, home warranty, and homeowners insurance.
According to Crye, although the firm provides the many tools agents need to be successful, Crye-Leike’s family-focused culture is a critical factor in agent success. “We have strong brand recognition, and we provide thousands of leads to our associates through our membership in Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) and through our award-winning website,” he explains. “National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) surveys indicate that most buyers prefer a company that has all the services needed in the transaction, and Crye-Leike is a one-stop shop for all these services. We own a very successful mortgage company, title company and insurance agency. We also have commercial sales and property management.”
In addition to his real estate acumen, Crye is active in the real estate industry, currently serving on the board of directors for LeadingRE and previously serving as chairman for The Realty Alliance. As a charitable member of his community, Crye has been actively involved with the Youth Villages and United Way organizations, and he currently serves on the board of directors for the Boy Scouts of America in Middle Tennessee.
Looking ahead, Crye says balancing technology will be key to future success. “Not only is the industry in transition, but technology is quickly changing the way we operate,” he explains. “Therefore, our challenge is to transition to the new world while making sure we don’t move so fast that we lose great sales associates who are still operating a traditional model.”
For more from the 2020 Real Estate Newsmakers, go to RISMedia.com/2020-Newsmakers or RISMedia’s Real Estate magazine. For consideration for the 2021 Real Estate Newsmakers, please email nominations to maria@rismedia.com.
