Episode #2
Gino Blefari
CEO HomeServices of America; Chairman, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
Overview
RISMedia Founder & CEO John Featherston steps in to host a brand new season of RISMedia’s RealEdge podcast, designed to help listeners get to know the real people behind some of the most fascinating and successful companies in our industry, and how they gained an edge to vault their success.
In this episode, John sits down with industry icon Gino Blefari, who shares his journey from a then rural Silicon Valley to real estate success. Gino gets candid about his family’s history, neighborhood dynamics and early job experiences, all of which shaped his approach to business and life. John and Gino reminisce about real estate events, memorable client interactions and the invaluable lessons learned from mentors. You’ll also hear Gino talk about the importance of personal development and treating business as a craft, as he offers advice for navigating future challenges.
Episode highlights:
1:12 – John and Gino reminisce on their first meeting in the 1980s.
3:00 – Gino shares what it was like to grow up in Silicon Valley before it became a technology hot bed and seeing it change from a sleepy farming community to a word-class destination.
5:25 – Gino and John talk about their fathers’ experiences as veterans and what it taught them both growing up and throughout life.
10:46– Gino shares his first odd jobs around the neighborhood
15:30 – Gino talks about his experience working full time through college and how working at a country club opened his eyes to the real estate world
25:52 – Gino talks about transitioning from real estate development into becoming a real estate agent.
29:00 – Gino talks about his time at Fox and Carskadon and his first sales.
40:00 – Gino shares stories from his time at Contempo and how he started his own company.
52:10 – Gino speaks about selling Intero and becoming a national player.
59:29 – Gino shares his thoughts on life, and how having a routine can help you achieve your best.
About
Gino Blefari is the CEO of HomeServices of America, and the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.
Blefari has been in real estate for decades and was an award-winning agent, manager and broker/owner. He came to his position at HomeServices of America from Silicon Valley, Calif.-based Intero Real Estate Services, Inc., which he founded in 2002, and through mid-2014 served as its president and CEO. Under Blefari’s direction, Intero became one of the fastest, organically growing companies in the history of real estate.
Blefari’s many recognitions include: 2012 Mentor of the Year by Buffini & Company out of 7,500 mentors; the first and only recipient of the Leadership Award from the Tom Ferry organization; inducted into the Mike Ferry organization’s Leadership Hall of Fame; 2014 RISMedia National Homeownership Award for “outstanding achievements among residential real estate’s most influential and charismatic leaders;” board of directors, HomeServices of America. Blefari leads and facilitates a think tank with 13 independently owned and operated companies, and has been a faculty member at DeAnza College, in Cupertino, California for 26 years, where he has educated over 15,600 students on the Principles of Real Estate/Real Estate Practices.
Links and resources
https://www.homeservices.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginoblefari/
https://rethinkreport.com/
https://www.rismedia.com/2024/11/06/gino-blefari-the-exponential-power-of-small-wins/
https://www.rismedia.com/2019/03/12/rismedia-announces-2019-newsmakers-hall-fame-inductees/
