Above, Duff Rubin
Vitals:
Coldwell Banker Realty, Southeast Region
Years in business: 119
Size: 112 offices, 13,000 agents
Regions served: Southeast and Mid-Atlantic
2024 Sales Volume: $30 billion
2024 Transactions: 50,045
https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com
Growing up in Canada, Duff Rubin wanted to be a professional hockey player, but when he realized that dream wasn’t going to come true, he followed in the footsteps of his grandparents and father, who were all real estate developers.
Rubin went across the border to get his license and worked near his dad in Boca Raton, Florida, becoming an agent in 1998.
Today, Rubin serves as Coldwell Banker’s regional president of the Southeast, overseeing 124 offices and more than 13,000 real estate professionals across Atlanta, the Carolinas, Florida and the Mid-Atlantic. Rubin rose to his current role in 2023, having previously served as president of the Florida region, where Coldwell Banker Realty is the leading residential real estate company.
How would you characterize your markets in 2025? Was there an overall theme?
Duff Rubin: The overall theme has been price, price, price. After COVID, agents didn’t have a lot of challenges selling houses because demand was outweighing supply. People were getting whatever price they could ask. What we’ve seen the last 12-14 months, and especially the last six months, is a lot of price sensitivity, a lot of price reductions and price improvements. There are some dynamics in Florida where the tariffs have been much more impactful. Not only is inventory growing because of the tariffs, but the D.C. market has been impacted by a lot of layoffs with the government. There are also a lot of houses on the market due to fear and uncertainty about jobs.
How would you describe your leadership style, and how do you inspire and motivate your team?
DF: When I played hockey, I always liked playing for players’ coaches. I’m an agent-centric person, and I never want to lose sight of the fact that I was an agent first. I think it’s important to the credibility of my team that I know what they’re dealing with and how to be an agent. I like to go on listing appointments, and I like to help buyer’s agents and sellers. I want to be hands-on, and I want to be in the field. I try to be on the road three to four days a week because the energy of this industry comes from the agents.
What’s one innovation you’ve added to the firm recently that has made a noticeable difference?
DF: I don’t want our company to be known for having the best technology. And while I do think we have great technology, I would rather be recognized for having great support. One of the things we did in 2025 was change some of our offerings so that we’re not at the mercy of our technology. We started a program seven years ago called Listing Concierge, where we help our agents market their homes for them. We do all the brochures and photography, and we have over 50% adoption. This year, we doubled down and offered Transaction Concierge, which is a transaction coordinator service, taking all the paperwork off our agents’ plates. Whether you’re on the buy side or the listing side, as soon as you go under contract, we’re going to take the paperwork and help close the deal. This is free of charge to our agents.
What is your firm’s unique value proposition in your market?
DF: We’ve been around since 1906, and many of our competitors are startups who are trying to come up with new ways to be a brokerage firm. We’ve weathered recessions, deep depressions and all kinds of housing cycles. I think we’ve learned over the years how to do it better and how to do it globally—and we do it bigger, better and more ethically than any other company. I take pride in our ethics.
Balancing work and personal life can be challenging. What strategies have you found effective for maintaining a healthy work-life balance in a demanding field?
DF: I got married last year and (just had a baby). I’ve been married to my job for the past 25 years; I call the agents my family. I told them that they weren’t losing me, that my family is growing by a single baby and my wife. But I love being around the agents and being in the field, so I have had trouble with my work-life balance in the past. I’m learning now how to better balance some of that—but unfortunately, real estate never takes a day off. My family is going to realize that real estate is part of our life.
What’s the most important piece of advice you can offer your agents?
DF: Always do things the right way. There are so many shortcuts, so I want to ensure my agents are doing things ethically and honestly while putting their customers’ needs first, because ultimately, that’s going to pay dividends.
