ERA® Real Estate recently announced that ERA Evergreen Real Estate Company (Hilton Head, South Carolina), ERA Martin Associates (Salisbury, Maryland) and ERA OakCrest Realty, Inc. (Winchester, Virginia), have signed new long-term agreements to remain with the ERA brand into the next decade. The three companies combine for 72 years of brand tenure.
ERA Evergreen Real Estate Company, led by owners Michael and Kristy Gonzalez, has renewed with the ERA brand for a second time. Founded in 1999, ERA Evergreen Real Estate Company joined the ERA brand in 2003. It became a Gene Francis Memorial Award finalist in 2010, indicative of its stature as a Top All-Around company in the ERA system.
“Before we joined ERA, we didn’t have the resources to run our company the way we wanted and were having to reinvent the wheel for everything. The ERA network is extremely dynamic and provides us access to a suite of tools, sophisticated marketing programs and a dynamic network that isn’t duplicated at any other real estate brand,” said Michael Gonzalez, broker/owner, ERA Evergreen Real Estate. “We couldn’t have gotten here without ERA, and we hope to continue to grow throughout the region by leveraging M&As and by attracting full-time real estate professionals who embrace our family-like culture.”
The company has grown from a one-office boutique brokerage to now operating four locations serving Hilton Head, S.C., and the surrounding areas, including Bluffton and Beaufort, S.C., and has expanded its footprint into Savannah, Georgia. According to ERA internal data, the company is up 50% in sales volume over the last 12 months, with its 56 agents generating 473 transaction sides in 2020. The firm has more than doubled its production in sides since joining the ERA brand in 2003.
ERA Martin Associates, led by President Joni Williamson, first joined the ERA brand in 1997. The firm now ranks as one of the top five most productive one-office ERA affiliated companies and specializes in residential, waterfront, lots and land, farms and commercial real estate sales. In 2016 and 2017, the firm was named a Gene Francis Memorial Award semi-finalist for the ERA brand’s Top All-Around company.
“Our affiliation with ERA allows us to compete at a higher level than if we were independent. We now have access to the brand’s robust technology, education resources and top-notch support to empower our business and help us better serve our clients, agents and community,” said Joni Williamson, president, ERA Martin Associates. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with ERA to fuel additional growth for our company and support the success of our agents.”
In 2020, ERA Martin Associates continued to be a regional leader in the Delmarva (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) Peninsula, with its 64 agents generating 814 transaction sides. The company also was named among the Top 35 firms in the U.S. to receive the 2021 QE national award from Quality Service Certification, Inc., for extraordinary customer service. In the last 25 years, the firm has nearly doubled its agent count and increased unit production more than three times, according to ERA internal data. Further growth significantly accelerated in 2016, pushing the company into the highest performing group in the network.
ERA OakCrest Realty, Inc., led by President Suzette Neff, renewed its affiliation with the ERA brand for a second time after first joining 30 years ago in 1991. The company and its 63 agents cover Winchester and Frederick Counties in Virginia with a 35% market share and generated 758 transaction sides in 2020. By leveraging the ERA brand’s best-in-class training and learning programs, the firm’s affiliated agents benefit from strong support systems and growth opportunities.
“We take great pride in being part of the ERA network and brand. The collaboration across the ERA network is unparalleled and we wouldn’t be where we are today without it. At any time, we have access to real estate leaders throughout the nation to help drive new ideas and growth opportunities,” said said Suzette Neff, president, ERA OakCrest Realty. “Our goal is to provide outstanding customer service, which our agents deliver to their clients time and time again. I think one of the reasons we can achieve that is because of our affiliation with ERA. Through award-winning marketing, powerful technology and state-of-the-art resources, we can stay ahead of the competition and help drive the success of our agents.”
ERA OakCrest Realty, Inc. has been honored with multiple production and top company awards and is one of the top five most productive one-office companies in the ERA system. In addition, ERA Oakcrest Realty, Inc. has earned multiple brand honors, most notably as a Gene Francis Memorial Award finalist in 1999 for top all-around company in the ERA system.
“To have three long-tenured, highly productive affiliates renew with ERA® Real Estate is indicative of the value of the ERA brand,” said Sherry Chris, president and CEO, ERA Real Estate. “As a pioneer in real estate franchising, ERA is fully invested in our affiliates’ success by helping them reach new levels of success. We are proud to offer our affiliates with custom tools, state-of-the art resources and best-in-class learning to support and empower their business. Being part of ERA Real Estate allows affiliated brokers and agents to tap into something bigger and take advantage of new growth opportunities.
For more information, please visit www.era.com.
