Fall Marketing Forum

Seattle, WA | Sept. 13-16

For more information, click here.

Summit Conference

The Omni Rancho Las Palmas | Palm Springs, CA | Sept. 18-20

2015 winners of Chairman's Circle, President's Circle or Leading Edge Society awards are invited to this prestigious conference. Regular Plan Registration is now open.

NAGLREP Conference

Fort Lauderdale, FL | Oct. 10-12

NAGLREP is offering an early bird registration rate of $349 for the conference. Click here to receive a discounted rate on annual membership to NAGLREP.

CFO Financial Conference

Parker Palm Springs | Palm Springs, CA | Oct. 16-18

This event is by invitation only. 

National Association of REALTORS^® Annual Conference

Orange County Convention Center West | Orlando, FL | Nov. 4-7

Registration is underway. Go here to learn more. 

Sales Convention 2017

Phoenix, AZ | March 12-14

Our Early Bird Registration is now open, but only until Sept. 12! 

Summer Issue of Prestige Out Now!

The Summer issue of Prestige magazine is now out! This glossy, coffee-table publication showcases luxury, resort and international property listings from our affiliates nationwide, including featured articles. Read the full issue here. 

Homeowner Sentiment Survey

The latest survey findings indicated that current and prospective homeowners are increasingly optimistic about U.S. real estate. Check out the toolkit on REsource Center to promote your thought leadership locally. 

We’re on Snapchat!

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is now on Snapchat! Find us (username: BHHSRealEstate) and follow along for exclusive, behind-the-scenes updates.

REthink Local Chapters

Interested in starting a local REthink Council in your market? Email rethink@hsfranchise.com and get started innovating today!

Email Crescent Seward for a chance to be featured in the next issue!

TOP STORIES

Announcing Grand Prize Winner of Love Your Home Sweepstakes!

Sweepstakes winner Todd Villari, holding left side of check with wife Keely and daughters Ava and Mia, are joined by Berkshire Hatahway HomeServices Alabama agents and representatives of HSF Affiliates.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices yesterday announced the winner of its Love Your Home Sweepstakes held during the spring in conjunction with HGTV and its hit show Love It or List It. Todd Villari, a Trussville, AL, father of four and HGTV enthusiast, was drawn for a $50,000 cash prize from among more than 3.3 million sweepstakes entries.

The entrant total more than doubled the total of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ first sweepstakes a year ago. “My initial reaction was ‘no way!’” said Villari. “I immediately called my wife, Keely, and her first reaction was the same, ‘no way!’”

Find out how Villari plans to renovate his garage and kitchen with the winnings here. 

We're on the Cover of Real Estate Magazine!

This month's Real Estate magazine cover story focusses on Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices' two-phase global expansion and what it means for our network, clients and the real estate industry. Leadership insights throughout the article are provided by Gino Blefari, CEO of HSF Affiliates; Stephen Phillips, COO of HSF Affiliates; and Peter Turtzo, SVP of International Operations for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. 

Read the entire story here. 

NETWORK UPDATES

Celebrity Homes Spotlight: Music, Sports and A Whole Lot of Magic

Musician Richard Marx lists his palatial estate on Lake Michigan with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group. The 29,745-square-foot eight bedroom, seven bathroom, six half bath home comes complete with a recording studio where Marx wrote or produced such hits as “Dance With My Father” for Luther Vandross, “This I Promise You” for NSYNC, and “Better Life” for Keith Urban. Learn more about this proprety, priced at $14 million, by visiting KoenigRubloff.com. You can also tour the home on Architectural Digest here.

Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen lists his Highland Park mansion with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group. The five-bedroom, 10,500-square-foot home features a large wood-floor gym (complete with a large rendering of Pippen’s Bulls uniform) as well as a pool with a waterslide and whirlpool. Learn more by visiting KoenigRubloff.com.

David Copperfield recently bought a Las Vegas home for a record $17.55 million. Congratulations to Ivan Sher, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties, who represented both Copperfield and the seller, health care executive Kevin Hooks! The sale, which closed in late June, represented the highest price ever paid for a Las Vegas home, according to the Greater Las Vegas Association of REALTORS^®.  The eight-bedroom estate, located in the gated community of Summerlin, features four stories, a roof deck, a subterranean garage with a detailing room, a nightclub with a bar and dance floor, a gym, a wine cellar and a movie theater as well as a golf simulator and an infinity swimming pool. Read The Wall Street Journal’s coverage of the transaction here. 

July Like My Video Winners

Congratulations to our prize winners for the July Like My Video contest, featuring your expertise on preparing a home for a sale! Linda Wellman of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty officially had the most-liked video last month and takes home the top prize! You can see her video here. Runners up:

• Second place: Angela Romano, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS^®
• Thrid Place: Leigh Sturm, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Towne Realty

Be sure to stay tuned for our LIke My Video Grand Finale as the winning videos from the past three months battle it out to see whose submission will become the most-liked video of them all. 

Brand Bits: Answering Office Phones

When your front desk answers the phone, they should be referencing your entire company name. This is your first impression! Start with trust and clarity with your clients. Consistency in referencing the entire company name helps build your company’s local, national and global reputation!

Here's the perfect way to answer the phone: Thank you for calling Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Allison and Doyle, REALTORS! How may I help you?

Incorrect examples include:

1. Berkshire Hathaway Allison and Doyle. How may I assist you?
2. Berkshire Hathaway!
3. Berkshire Hathaway Florida. How can I transfer your call?
4. BHHS Allison and Doyle, REALTORS…

Partial references of the company name can be confusing to potential clients. Clients may assume they have contacted a different company when incorrect company references are mentioned. Make your first impression a lasting impression…by saying your company name correctly! Head over to the Brand Image page on REsource Center to learn more. 

Ron Thom, Top Billings, MT Real Estate Broker, Dies at 59

Ron Thom, a top-selling real estate broker in Yellowstone County, MT, recently died at his Billings home. He was 59.

Thom spent the past 36 years in the real estate industry, and 18 with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Floberg Realty. Linda Parker, managing parter of Floberg Realty, said he was a mentor to younger agents. "He had wonderful advice, caring about them and their success. He was the ultimate professional," she said. Click here to read more about Thom, his family and career. 

Network Members are Shaking Up Their Markets

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices affiliates are making things happen locally. Here are some highlights:

• Barbara Wolcott, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Towne Realty in Virginia Beach, VA was recently featured in the cover story of Inside Leadership magazine. Hailed as “The Change Agent.” The article looks back at her 40+ years in real estate, which have paved the way to her current success and the growth of Towne Realty. “We’re mighty little giants,” Wolcott said. “It’s because we have really good people.” Check out the full article here. 
• St. Louis-based Berkshire Hatahway HomeServices Select Properties hit the trifecta with the Post-Dispatch's 2016 Top Workplace award. For the thrid consecutive year, Select Properties has been recognized in the top three of the large-sized companies in St. Louis. Read more about the accolade here. 
• The 2016 Helena Devereux Women in Leadership Award was recently presented to Joan Docktor, President of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS^®. Devon, PA-based Docktor said she takes great pride in the work she does in the community. "It is such an honor to be recognized among such a prestigious group of past winners," she said. Go here to learn more about Docktor and the leadership award. 

• Good To Know … Globally: Jackie Bass, agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Utah Properties, officially became our 100^th network CIPS designee! “I am thrilled to be the 100^th Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices recipient of the CIPS designation,” Bass said. “I look forward to using the tools and resources provided to better service our growing international clientele.” Have you registered yet for your CIPS training? Visit REsource Center > LearnCenter REsource > Global to get started today!

If you’d like to be featured in this section or have news to share, please email us!

EVENTS AND EDUCATION

Turtzo Attends CIPS Training at NAR Headquarters in Chicago

Peter Turtzo, SVP of International Operations for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, recently attended a CIPS training course at the National Association of REALTORS^® (NAR) headquarters in Chicago. Have you received your CIPS training yet? Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ CIPS training includes up to five full days of study covering international business in domestic markets and transactions in Europe, Asia/Pacific and the Americas. Instruction will involve transaction tools, currency and exchange rate issues, cross-cultural relationships, regional market conditions, investment performance, tax issues and more. To learn all about obtaining your CIPS designation, visit Resource Center > LearnCenter > and click on “Global” tab!

Register Now: Are You Attending Summit and Sales Convention?

Don’t miss out on the best available pricing for both Summit Conference and Sales Convention 2017:

• Summit Conference | Sept. 18-20 | Palm Springs, CA | Regular Plan Registration is now open. Attendees each year rave about the exceptional education programs as well as the phenomenal networking opportunities to generate new business with top agents from our network. Summit-eligible agents can register at this best price until Aug. 29.
• Sales Convention 2017 | March 12-14 | Phoenix, AZ | Get ready for Spring training at Sales Convention! Our Early Bird Registration is now open, but only until Sept. 12! Early Birds believe in ROI and know there's simply no better investment than the one they make in themselves. Register today!

To learn more about either event, visit the Events page on REsource Center and like the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Events Facebook page. 

Aug. 22 Webinar: Exposures in the Technological Age

Preferred Supplier Real Pro E & O will be hosting a webinar Aug. 22 at 11 a.m. Pacific: "Exposures in the Technological Age - Real Estate Agents and Brokers Risk Management." This session will feature a discussion on claims real estate agents and brokers are facing in the current environment, and risk management to reduce the exposure. Topics will also include new and emerging exposures such as drone usage, social media postings, ADA compliance and Fair Housing testing. Risk management is essential and your first defense against claims. Register now. 

Check Out Featured LearnCenter Classes in August to Continue Your Education

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Virtual Classroom Sept. 16 | Get Social Smart: Honing Your Social Media Strategy

Stop dabbling in social media and start making money using social media. "Get Social Smart: Honing Your Social Media Strategy" with expert social strategist Katie Lance will show you what you need to do to start maximizing your social media presence for business. You'll learn how to create a content grid, generate leads on Facebook, optimize your LinkedIn profile and generate millennia buyers in Instagram. This class is on Friday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m. Pacific. Register today!

PREFERRED SUPPLIERS

Important Note About Brand Compliance and Preferred Suppliers 

While you are free to use any suppliers you like for business cards and marketing materials, remember that you can always count on the fact that cards and items sold to you by our preferred supplier network will be in compliance with our brand standards. To be 100% sure that a supplier purporting to be a Preferred Supplier is legitimate, please refer to our Supplier Directory on REsource Center, which contains a comprehensive list of all suppliers officially given the Preferred Supplier designation. 

*Please note it has recently come to our attention that certain suppliers have labeled themselves to be Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Preferred Suppliers when this is not in fact the case, resulting in non-compliant products. 

The Personal Marketing Company

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dotloop

Want to know why 1.2 million professionals are already using dotloop? 

The platform enables agents, brokers and third-party service providers to complete entire transactions online, bringing people, documents and tasks into one workspace called a “loop.” dotloop allows brokers to run a better business by increasing visibility, retaining top talent and reducing operating costs. 

When’s the last time you closed a deal from the beach? Invite your clients to the loop and work from anywhere!

House of Magnets

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SmartZip

Use predictive analytics to find summer and fall listings. You bring the art, we bring the science. SmartTargeting uses predictive analytics to show you who’s most likely to sell their home this year. Find your next listing now!

New Supplier: Deductr

Keeping track of business expenses and mileage probably isn't at the top of your list of things to do today. As a busy real estate professional you don't have time for tasks that aren't directly related to selling real estate. That's just a fact.

It's also a problem, because there is a direct correlation between consistent expense and mileage tracking and how much you pay in taxes each year. Inconsistent tracking? Pay more in taxes.

Deductr was developed with that problem in mind. We know how busy you are building your real estate business. We also know how critical expense tracking is to avoid overpaying your taxes each year. We don't want you paying more than you have to, so we're going to give you a Deductr account FREE to use for 30 days. No credit card required.

You'll see how easy it is to consistently track every potential tax deduction and keep more of what you make each month. Give it a try. There's absolutely no obligation.