ERA Real Estate recently expounded upon its services for military clients, honoring its long-standing commitment to supporting military homeownership through innovative technology, financial and partnership strategies.
“I am proud of our ERA affiliates’ passion for adeptly managing the relocation, home-buying and -selling challenges faced by our military personnel,” says ERA Real Estate President and CEO Sue Yannaccone. “I am also very pleased that our network is represented across the country by numerous real estate professionals with a military background or connection. We are grateful for our veteran affiliates who are instrumental in helping our brand perform at its best, passing on their insights and passion to all of our ERA community so we can be an even better brand for veteran real estate professionals and veteran and military clients alike.”
Innovative Technology Strategies
Time and availability to shop for a home is a luxury not always afforded to military clients. ERA professionals ease the purchase and move process via creative technology usage and military relocation expertise gained by military support committee volunteerism and continuing education, including the National Association of REALTORS® Military Relocation Professional certification.
ERA Sarver Real Estate, Inc., in Leesville, La., works with the Fort Polk community and employs FaceTime, Skype, photos and video to help remote military buyers tour homes and participate in home inspections. With safety in mind, the company provides aerial overview photos to give clients a better sense of their surroundings.
In Harker Heights, Texas, ERA Colonial Real Estate, owned by United States Army veteran Dennis DeWine, serves military personnel in San Antonio and near the Fort Hood military base in Killeen. They conduct military selling and purchasing transactions entirely online with a wide range of virtual tour, signing and transaction management software.
Innovative Financial Strategies
Determining affordability, securing financing and applying for a VA loan are all complicated processes that require a specialized real estate sales professional.
“Purchasing a home can be a stressful, financial strain on military families who often have the added pressure of recovering from the emotional adversity of serving our country,” says Ranelle Birmingham, broker/owner of ERA Sarver Real Estate, Inc. “We do everything in our power to alleviate their stress by finding military discounts to minimize closing and out-of-pocket moving costs.”
“Particular mortgage knowledge is critical for our affiliated sales associates,” adds Tom DeWine, president of ERA Colonial Real Estate. “Our company has become adept in navigating the complicated VA loan application and qualification process.”
Innovative Partnership Strategies
As with any move, relocating military may not have a rooted support network in their new community.
“We are mindful of the sacrifices military families make and that this may be their first move or their 10th move, often with short notice,” says Denise Strother, president and chief executive officer of ERA Strother Real Estatein Fayetteville, N.C., which serves the Fort Bragg community. “To simplify this major life change, we calculate commuting times and coordinate school enrollments, church activities, daycare choices, etc. We also link our military clients with local military families and resources through our company’s deep community connection.”
“It is important for military market real estate professionals to work closely with local military base community and public school liaison officers to understand what is available to relocating military families,” says Tom Neubauer, president and CEO of ERA Neubauer Real Estate in Panama City, Fla., which serves several military installments, including Tyndall Air Force Base.
Neubauer serves on a number of community and state boards related to economic development, military and medical resources. “We partner with our Chamber of Commerce and attend newcomer welcome briefings provided by military installations in order to educate military families about the community to ease the moving process,” says Neubauer. “To offer above and beyond service to potential military clients, we have also joined our community on the road, traveling to a military base in New Mexico to tell our town’s story and answer questions from relocating military members.”
“We are fortunate,” says Strother. “Many of our affiliated sales professionals know our clients’ experience first-hand. Our company is largely comprised of veterans, military spouses and even active-duty service members. We are literally taking care of our own when we work with our military.”
For more information, please visit www.era.com.
