Above: Jason Waugh
Vitals:
Coldwell Banker Affiliates Years in business: 118
Size: 100,000 brokers
Regions Served: More than 40 countries
2024 Sales Volume: $243 billion
2024 Transactions: 464,950
https://www.coldwellbanker.com
As president of Coldwell Banker Affiliates, Jason Waugh is responsible for the growth and support of the franchise network both domestically and internationally.
With nearly four decades of multifaceted industry experience under his belt, Waugh is charged with leading the brand, which includes strategy and positioning, affiliate operations and franchise sales for its growing network of 100,000 affiliated sales professionals in more than 40 countries and territories.
While Waugh’s role provides him with a macro perspective, the consumer also benefits from the support the company provides its broker/owners and their respective real estate professionals.
What inspired you to pursue a career in real estate, and what key milestones have shaped your professional journey?
Jason Waugh: I’m the son of a broker, so there was a family influence. The summer after my freshman year in college, me and two of my buddies were working in a glass factory setting glass, coming home every day with cut fingers, wrists and hands, and I knew there had to be a better way to make a dollar. My dad suggested I get my real estate license, so I studied and did just that—selling real estate with his company in subsequent summers. I went to law school, but kept my real estate license all those years, and transitioned back to real estate in the summer of 2005.
As a leader of the franchise network, what have you found to be the biggest challenges associated with your role?
JW: The challenge within the industry today is probably bigger than the job itself. At the end of the day, I have been in and around the industry for almost four decades, so the business of real estate and brokerage and serving consumers has certainly evolved over that time. The bigger challenge for all of us today is the combination of complex market conditions coming off a decade of growth, fueled by two years coming off of COVID, and the market recalibration on top of that with the industry navigating the mechanical changes of how we practice.
How are you helping your team navigate that change?
JW: Our focus is equipping our network with the resources and professional development to navigate the change in the actual practice.
How do you stay on top of current trends and use those to guide the company’s strategy?
JW: Data is our most valuable currency. We have to be in a position where we stay on top of the data and be able to extrapolate what that raw data is. We can then package it up in a narrative where we can inform our real estate professionals all the way down to the consumer so they can make well-informed buying and selling decisions. I read as much as I can to stay on top of market conditions.
What are the biggest opportunities you see out there to improve the real estate industry?
JW: A good friend of mine ran the leadership academy at the Ritz Carlton, and he spoke often about how we live in an experience economy, and I think when markets and industries are recalibrating themselves, as we have been since mid-2022—when markets are contracting or flat versus appreciating or growing—that’s the opportunity to really separate yourself as a service provider. For us, we are focused on how to elevate the customer experience, or elevate the experience of a franchisee or its teams. Most of the headlines are negative, so we have an opportunity to tell a more true and accurate narrative.
How do you keep tabs on the latest tech advancements and decide what you should be utilizing and implementing?
JW: We are focused on how we can create efficiencies. Tech will never replace the personal service aspect of this business, so we look at how we can leverage technology to create efficiencies as a practitioner. We’re leaning into AI and have a resource we introduced to phenomenal results last year—the Move Meter—and we’ll be doubling down on that in 2025. Folks can take two cities and compare different variables, which has been well-received by consumers. Anything that is data-driven and puts consumers and real estate professionals in the position to make an informed decision is where we make investments.
What is your leadership philosophy?
JW: It’s pretty simple; I lead by data. Data helps inform our decision-making and helps us set strategy. What it doesn’t do is ensure success. It allows us to course correct or pivot when we need to. A mentor of mine once told me to “control your controllables.” There’s so much in life that is out of your control, and I talk a lot about the importance of mindset, attitude and perspective because those are the three things you can control. I encourage people to focus on their attitude, the action they take and making relationships a daily activity.
