Above, Maryann Vitale Alles
Maryann Vitale Alles
CEO
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties
St. Louis, Missouri
https://bhhsselectstl.com
Region served: St. Louis metro area
Years in real estate: 42
Number of offices: 9
Number of agents: 530
Favorite part of your job: Working with agents. Their success is my success.
What is one of the challenges your market is currently facing, and what are you doing to overcome it?
Agents are really struggling right now as they compete for new business and try to figure out what they should do next. They have AI and social media screaming at them, but then they’ve got the old-fashioned way of doing business. Then, in turn, they’re responsible for educating their clients, so they have to be able to keep up with everything that’s being thrown at them there as well. They have to be able to sift through the news and data in order to make good decisions for their business. We’re constantly educating our agents and picking the right tools for them in order to eliminate some of the noise. It’s also important that agents decide what their strength is and focus on it. I always tell them to lead with confidence and competence, because you have to feel good about what you’re doing and be confident about it.
How does your company make its agents’ jobs easier?
We’re a traditional company, so we’re a full support system. We give our agents their technology platform, their marketing services and training—and we invest in tools on their behalf. We also have mastermind groups where they can get in front of like-minded peers. We’re always brainstorming new types of training and meetings that extend beyond just the typical lessons about how to sell real estate.
When it comes to coaching and motivating agents, what is your most important piece of advice?
The most important piece of advice is the fact that real estate is a relationship business rather than just a transaction business. You build your success on trust. Consistency is huge for me, so rather than overthinking, I ensure my agents understand the importance of being consistent and staying top of mind with their clients and the communities they serve. While “consistent” is probably one of my biggest keywords, I also like the word “resilience.” Today’s market has so many ups and downs that you’ve got to be willing to adapt and stay on course.
Is now the time to pursue expansion—in terms of offices and/or number of agents? Why or why not?
While I don’t believe our company needs more brick and mortar, we’re always looking to expand our agent count. Right now our focus is primarily on experienced agents because we believe that we have the best training and support. I know a lot of companies say that, and a lot of companies will say they have the best culture, but I truly believe that we define culture at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties. We’re also reaching out to some smaller brokerages to try and get them to move over through mergers and acquisitions.
What attracted you to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices?
We all know that the brand speaks volumes for strength and trust. When people hear Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, they think of Warren Buffett, and they think of trust and integrity. I can’t say enough about the culture of the brand either. It aligns with us because we’re locally owned and operated, but have a brand behind us to back us up. It’s a win-win because we can say we’re locally owned yet backed by the power of this global brand and network.
For more information, visit https://www.BerkshireHathawayhs.com.
