In the southwest corner of Utah, a stone’s throw from the Arizona and Nevada borders, the sun shines bright and the creeks run dry. But for ERA Brokers Consolidated, a leading company in the ERA® network, this is real estate heaven.
Led by second-generation leaders Neil, Jon and Matt Walter, along with founding partners Mark Walter and Thayne Houston, ERA Brokers Consolidated has come a long way since opening their first office in 1982. Neil, in particular, nearly ended up in a different industry altogether.
“I worked on a commodities trading floor and moved home in late 2005 to help out with the family business,” says Neil Walter. “I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a short trip or not!”
Nearly 13 years later, the company is still headquartered at its original location in St. George, Utah. In 2016, the brothers acquired a controlling interest in the company.
They’ve seen dramatic growth in recent years, with more than 200 new real estate agents affiliating during 2016-2017. The organization now operates six offices across Utah and Nevada. With more than 300 agents and staff, the operations closed over 3,000 transactions worth nearly $732 million in value in 2017.
Their incredible work hasn’t gone unnoticed. At ERA Real Estate’s recent International Business Conference in Las Vegas, ERA Brokers Consolidated was honored with the brand’s prestigious Gene Francis Award. Named after ERA Real Estate co-founder Gene Francis, the honor is given to the company who best excels at company growth, customer satisfaction ratings and brand engagement while maintaining a deep commitment to caring for their community.
Walter attributes this success to the culture the company has fostered in recent years. “Culture, in my mind, is a happy byproduct of what you do. Ultimately, our focus is customer service.”
This culture drove their unprecedented recruiting efforts last year. “We think we have the strongest agent support platform out there,” says Walter.
The brothers are also focused on making sure their agents and clients have the best technology. “We’re not waiting to get passed or eclipsed by somebody else’s technology,” adds Walter.
“Our philosophy is, No. 1, transparency. We want the agent and the client to always be on the same page and have access to the same information. Second, we work hard to provide better structure in the transaction. We want the organization of each deal from beginning to close to be an asset, not a liability.”
The company was ecstatic to win the Gene Francis Award this year.
“Brokers Consolidated represents the past and future of what makes ERA great by exemplifying our collaborative culture, spirit of innovation, and global perspective. I love their aggressive pursuit of growth. Want proof? When’s the last time you saw a six-foot-four tall guy do a cartwheel up onto stage through a cloud of red tinsel to claim an award?” asks Simon Chen, ERA president and CEO.
“It was a phenomenal experience for our organization,” says Walter. “We were beyond excited. For us, it was really an acknowledgement of the large number of people within our organization who are working together to try and provide a great experience for our clients.”
For more information, please visit www.era.com.
Zoe Eisenberg is RISMedia’s senior content editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at zoe@rismedia.com. For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.
