American Home Shield Goes Above and Beyond to Meet and Exceed Client Expectations
Rick Cunningham became a real estate agent in 1997, and by 2003, he began opening real estate offices and investing in real estate companies. Today, he serves as owner and operating principal for Keller Williams Santa Monica and has ownership in 19 Keller Williams offices across California and Hawaii.
The past year has been difficult on the real estate side of things, with Cunningham describing the market as completely bottoming out. While the commercial side of the business continues to be slow, he notes that things have started to turn around on the residential side.
Committed to ensuring that each and every customer feels like a VIP, Cunningham utilizes American Home Shield® (AHS®) home warranties to add to the high level of service he provides buyers and sellers alike.
“I have integrated home warranties into my very tight eco-system. Now, when a consumer comes in to close a transaction, they can even sit in our coffee shop to sign loan documents,” says Cunningham, “while inside is my insurance company and mortgage company. Our goal is to create this one-stop, high-level concierge service for our clients.
“We want to make a great experience for the consumer and, therefore, create a greater retention for the client. That helps me attract bigger and better agents,” explains Cunningham.
Keller Williams Santa Monica utilizes home warranties for both buyers and sellers, and recommends that everyone get seller coverage first and then transfer it to buyer coverage at closing.
“I would bet we are one of the bigger firms out there promoting a home warranty for the seller first and then converting (to the buyer),” says Cunningham.
“It seems like Murphy’s Law that a refrigerator breaks down shortly after a house is transferred to a buyer,” adds Cunningham. “What I love about this coverage is the fact that it’s seamless from seller policy to buyer policy. This avoids any sort of issue as we’re transferring the property.”
The responsiveness of the AHS team and their willingness to get claims resolved is one of the things Cunningham likes best about the warranty service.
Plus, he calls it one of the least expensive risk management tools an agent can use, and now more than ever, consumers appreciate when they are being looked out for.
“I believe that as a broker, it can help reduce risk,” concludes Cunningham. “It also saves me and my agents on deductible reduction. Those are big things.”
For more information, please visit www.ahs.com/realestate.
Keith Loria is a contributing editor to RISMedia.
