RE/MAX CEO Honored Among Top Women in Banking and Real Estate

This week, RE/MAX CEO Margaret Kelly accepted an award on behalf of all the outstanding women named Top 10 Women in Mortgage Banking and Real Estate Services at the 'Five Star MPact' event in Dallas. In her acceptance speech, Kelly spoke about the difficulties the real estate industry has faced in recent years and how women leaders have made a difference.

For every distressed property there is a distressed family, she noted. Women leaders had the compassion and understanding to assist these families.

"I’d like to think that because of the many dedicated women working in our industry, we’ve somehow managed to make a real difference in peoples’ lives," Kelly said. "Through compassion and understanding we’ve actually lessened some of the human suffering in our communities.

The Top 10 award recognizes exceptional professional achievements of industry leaders who are shaping the future of the mortgage banking industry. The honorees were chosen for "big picture" thinking, growing and maintaining brand equity and reputation, and a record of accomplishment in their organizations.

"While I thank MPact and Five Star for recognizing these outstanding women and their contributions, I also salute them myself for a job well done in very trying times. I know each one of them has made a huge difference. And I know there are many lives that have been changed for the better as a result of their thoughtful work. We all owe them our gratitude for their unwavering commitment."

The awards were presented during a ceremony featuring former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as the keynote speaker.

RE/MAX International Launches a truly Global Real Estate Listing Website

global.remax.com Offers Customized Search of More Than 60 Countries

(Denver, CO) – RE/MAX, LLC, the recognized real estate leader, has launched a new website, global.remax.com, the first truly global resource for consumers, with hundreds of thousands of home listings in countries around the world. The site features customized search tools that allow buyers to search for properties in 30 languages, translate currencies and find the latest international real estate news. At launch, the site will contain listings from Brazil, France, Italy, India, Portugal, the United States, Canada, Italy and New Zealand - a total of more than 60 countries and territories around the world.

“We make our customers our priority, and they told us they needed a comprehensive resource for international properties,” said William E. Soteroff, RE/MAX Executive Vice President, U.S. and International Regional Development. “We’re seeing an increasing number of foreign buyers looking for property in the U.S. and American buyers looking overseas. global.remax.com is essentially a one-stop source for residential and commercial real estate, no matter where you live.”

Real estate trends differ from country to country, city to city and even neighborhood to neighborhood. Buyers and sellers who visit global.remax.com can stay on top of the latest real estate news and events through an in-depth and detailed news feed. The site will also feature a rotating spotlight on a specific country or region, offering visitors insight into that market and any new developments.

In countries like India, Brazil and China, as the population grows and incomes rise, families are searching for homes of their own and investment properties.

RE/MAX is also growing, adding offices around the globe. Franchise sales were up nearly 15% in the first half of 2011, a mark that looks to outpace last year’s total franchise sales, which recorded an impressive 30% increase over 2009. In Brazil alone, RE/MAX has seen 133% growth over 2010.

“We’re growing because there’s a need for experienced and professional agents,” said Soteroff. “In some countries, RE/MAX has been the first real estate brand to go in and open for business. It’s exciting to be a part of that.”

RE/MAX has a presence in more than 80 countries, a reach far greater than any competitor. With more than 6,300 offices around the world and a sales force of nearly 90,000 agents, buyers and sellers can take advantage of the experience and knowledge of the most productive professionals in the real estate industry.

For more information about RE/MAX global listings, please visit: www.global.remax.com.

Watch a video about global.remax.com.

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About the RE/MAX Network: RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, real estate industry visionaries who still lead the Denver-based global franchisor today. RE/MAX is recognized as a leading real estate franchise company with the most productive sales force in the industry and a global reach of more than 80 countries. With a passion for the communities in which its agents live and work, RE/MAX is proud to have raised more than $100 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and other charities. Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX.

RE/MAX Ranks #1... in more ways than one!

Supported by two major consumer studies that add even more layers to the network’s industry-leading position, RE/MAX will aggressively market itself as the No. 1 brand in real estate, Chairman and Co-Founder Dave Liniger told a crowd of nearly 1,000 at the 2011 RE/MAX Broker Owner Conference in Los Angeles Monday morning.

"Do you like this logo, combining the No. 1 and the RE/MAX Balloon? We’re going to put it on everything," Liniger said at the conference’s Opening General Session, noting that RE/MAX was already the clear leader in transactions, advertising, professional education and many other metrics. "We are No. 1, and we ought to be saying it."

The excitement is fueled in part by the recent J.D. Power and Associates announcement that RE/MAX ranked highest in customer satisfaction among both buyers and sellers. Dave and Gail Liniger received matching trophies during the session.

"We accept this on behalf of all RE/MAX Sales Associates, whose high level of service made this recognition possible," Dave Liniger said. "This honor belongs to them."

A second study, conducted by national research firm Synovate, adds even more weight to the idea that RE/MAX is No. 1 in the eyes of consumers. In this survey, buyers and sellers ranked RE/MAX highest, by a large margin, in top-of-mind awareness, recalled advertising, firm most likely to work with, firm most likely to recommend, and many other categories.

When asked what real estate company first came to mind, 34 percent of the respondents said RE/MAX, easily outdistancing Century 21 (25 percent), Coldwell Banker (11 percent), Prudential (4 percent) and Keller Williams (3 percent). Overall, 95 percent of the participants were aware of RE/MAX.

This type of brand power brings business to RE/MAX Sales Associates, Liniger said. And when they combine their individual skills and talents with the "800-pound gorilla" of RE/MAX brand marketing, they have an unbeatable edge.

"Anyone who says brand isn’t important is either lying or stupid," Liniger said. "Advertising doesn’t cost; it pays. It brings more customers to our agents, makes things easier and generates business for them. And when they follow through with excellent service, they create repeat clients and referrals."

Custom marketing materials, Liniger said, will help Sales Associates use the results of both studies in their listing presentations and other promotions.

"We are developing all sorts of things for agents to use on the front lines," Liniger said. "This is their achievement, and they will directly benefit from it."

Broker/Owners in attendance were pleased at the news.

"Being No. 1 in one thing is great, but being No. 1 in lots of ways is much, much better," said Bob Carlseen, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Praecelsus in Chula Vista, Calif. "Sales Associates are looking for messages that resonate with consumers, and this will give them something very tangible to use."

Paul Turcotte, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Destiny in Cambridge, Mass., agreed.

"Every year, the tools keep getting better," he said. "And we have the proof to back up what we’re saying. Data doesn’t lie. I love the new direction."

Other highlights from the session:

• A new quarterly RE/MAX magazine, called Above, will debut in October in print and in an electronic version.

• RE/MAX CEO Margaret Kelly said the launch of the new remax.com site has been delayed by IDX policy changes at the National Association of Realtors. But while the site’s listing functionality has been impacted by the changing rules, work on the design and content has continued, and Kelly shared a glimpse of the fresh and user-friendly home page. She also emphasized that the current remax.com is completely compliant with existing IDX rules and would not be affected by any decisions at the NAR national convention in November.

Home Buyers and Sellers Prefer RE/MAX

RE/MAX Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction in 2011 J.D. Power and Associates Study

DENVER, CO – Results from the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Home Buyer/Seller StudySM, recognize RE/MAX for providing the highest overall consumer satisfaction for both home buyers and home sellers. In last year’s study, two different companies ranked the highest in each category, but this year home buyers and sellers both rated RE/MAX the highest.

“It all comes down to professionalism and a commitment to a premier level of customer service,” said RE/MAX Chairman and Co-Founder Dave Liniger. “Because RE/MAX agents average more experience and training than other agents, they are better prepared to deal with home buyers and sellers in any kind of market. And, consumer preferences tell the story . . . nobody sells more real estate than RE/MAX.”

This is the fourth annual study of home buyer and seller satisfaction with the largest national real estate companies, conducted by J.D. Power and Associates. For the home buying experience, three factors were considered: agent/salesperson, office and a variety of additional services. Four factors were examined for the home-selling experience: agent/salesperson, marketing, office and a variety of additional services.

Details from the study indicate that on a scale of 1,000, homebuyer respondents ranked RE/MAX with a score of 805 and home sellers put RE/MAX on top at 791. The 2011 study includes more than 4,200 evaluations from 3,680 respondents who bought or sold a home in the U.S. between March 2010 and April 2011.

In two other 2011 industry surveys of the country’s top real estate brokerages, RE/MAX agents averaged more transaction sides than agents at the other national franchises. The RIS Media Power Broker Survey and the REAL Trends 500 both showed that RE/MAX agents averaged over 14 transactions sides, more than double the average of many competitors.

The success of RE/MAX agents is the result of its comprehensive educational platform, RE/MAX University, which offers over 1,100 educational programs on-demand, and available online, on television, on smart phones and in classrooms around the world.

About the RE/MAX Network: RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, real estate industry visionaries who still lead the Denver-based global franchisor today. RE/MAX is recognized as a leading real estate franchise company with the most productive sales force in the industry and a global reach of more than 80 countries. With a passion for the communities in which its agents live and work, RE/MAX is proud to have raised more than $100 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and other charities. Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX. Please visit www.remax.com or www.joinremax.com.

About J.D. Power and Associates: Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The company’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

RE/MAX Grows in the Caribbean & Central America

Top Real Estate Franchisor Adds Offices to Expanding Network

Denver, CO - April 6, 2011 - The RE/MAX network continues to expand its reach around the world, announcing five new offices in four countries in the Caribbean and Central America. RE/MAX is now in more than 80 countries, after increasing franchise sales nearly 30 percent in 2010 and outdistancing all competitors.

“We are changing the way real estate business is conducted in many of these countries,” says Ricardo Cardenas, Regional Vice President, RE/MAX Latin America and Caribbean. “Our blueprint for the industry is based on training and professionalism and that is what is drawing so many new offices to RE/MAX.”

In Honduras, the Broker/Owners of RE/MAX Bay Islands in Roatan have opened a second office in West Bay. Larry Schlesser and Janine Goben have named the new office RE/MAX Western Sunsets, and staffed the location with experienced agents who are long-time residents. Schlesser and Goben hope to double the staff at Western Sunsets this year.

“Tourists are returning to this area and many of them are prospective investors,” says Goben. “We expect to see as many as a million prospective clients come in on cruise ships this year and we have to be ready for them.”

In Puerto Rico, one new office is open and another will launch in June. Enrique Morales is the Broker/Owner of the new RE/MAX Divine office in greater San Juan. Broker/Owner Sandy Ramos will open RE/MAX Real Estate Group, in the heart of the island’s tourist area. The office will serve the townships of Rio Grande, Canovanas, Luquillo, Fajardo and Humacao.

“The buyers we see in the area around Rio Grande are second home buyers that live outside Puerto Rico,” says Ramos. “RE/MAX is a name they know and trust, and we’re thrilled to be able to bring first class customer service to them.”

In Panama, Yenci Milano converted her independent office in Panama City to RE/MAX Golden Dream Realty. Milano believes the change will help her agents better serve their buyers and sellers.

“The market has started to move again and there is great interest from investors from other Latin American countries, especially from Venezuela,” says Milano. “RE/MAX will give us more exposure to better serve the growing international clientele.”

And, in Costa Rica, a new office is scheduled to open in Playa Dominical, in the province of Puntarenas. New Broker/Owners Dave and Debra West are long time real estate professionals. They’re looking forward to helping buyers who are searching for properties along Costa Rica’s pristine southern Pacific shoreline.

“We’re focusing on the coastal region surrounding Playa Dominical and extending to where the mountains meet the ocean,” says Dave West. “This area is truly unique and once you’ve experienced it, it’s hard to leave. We’ll be busy assisting families in finding the home of their dreams.”

Zillow.com Partners With RE/MAX

Today I am pleased to announce a partnership which enables RE/MAX to automatically feed all of their listings to Zillow. This is great news for RE/MAX agents because their listings now automatically appear on the Zillow/Yahoo! Real Estate Network, the largest real estate network on the Web, and across Zillow Mobile apps on the iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows Mobile.

RE/MAX joins the Zillow Listings Feed program, which launched in November 2007 and has grown to more than four million for-sale listings, and hundreds of thousands of rental listings.

Originally written by: Spencer Rascoff / Zillow.com

Homebuyers & Sellers Get Top Agents

RE/MAX vs. the Industry Report Shows RE/MAX Agents Help More Buyers and Sellers in 2009

(Denver, CO – June 2, 2010) - As professional real estate agents across the country compete to get new homebuyers while marketing properties for anxious sellers, agents from one global franchise have been proven to be the most successful at getting the job done. According to independent real estate analysts and other government filings, RE/MAX agents are more productive than other real estate agents in the U.S., a claim now documented in the annual “RE/MAX versus the Industry” report.

The RE/MAX versus the Industry report is distributed through the RE/MAX Network, along with charts, tables and social media messaging, and shows RE/MAX agents average 13.5 transaction sides per agent compared to the next closest competitor at 7.3 transaction sides per agent. “These analysts, surveys and government documents substantiate the claim that RE/MAX agents are the most productive in the business,” said Dave Liniger, RE/MAX Chairman and Co-Founder. “Even in extreme market conditions, RE/MAX agents outperform others and are able to better help homebuyers and sellers across the country and around the world.”

The report is based on figures released from REAL Trends and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Form 10-K, 2009 annual reports. But, two recently-released national surveys also confirmed the company‟s standings nationally. Both the 2010 REAL Trends 500 survey and the 22nd annual Power Broker Report, from RISMedia, show RE/MAX agents have a commanding lead in production by number of transaction sides and sales volume.

Liniger equates much of the success to the education and training RE/MAX agents pursued as market demands changed, including training to manage short sales, distressed properties and foreclosures. RE/MAX Associates hold the greatest number of professional learning designations compared to agents of other national real estate brands.

RE/MAX Paradise Realty Brokers & Agents Receive Awards

On March 1st, thousands of RE/MAX real estate agents from around the world descended upon Orlando, Florida to attend the annual RE/MAX International Convention to learn, network and enjoy the unique energy generated at the annual gatherings.

The Convention offered educational classes, seminars to help improve and promote business, a trade show, and most importantly great networking opportunities between RE/MAX agents. There was also the annual awards banquet honoring top producing agents and offices.

Principal Broker of RE/MAX Paradise Realty, Craig Pinder, who was awarded the 100% Club Award for sales performance in 2009, said he was “very pleased to receive the award” and he would continue to “take RE/MAX Paradise Realty to the next level of customer satisfaction.”

RE/MAX Paradise Realty’s Zack Bonczek, broker and sales manager, and Jennifer Higgs, broker, both received Executive Club awards for their sales performance and achievement in 2009.

“it is extremely important to attend these annual conferences so that brokers and agents can learn new skills and techniques that will ultimately better serve our clients” said Mr. Bonczek. “RE/MAX is unmatched when it comes to educating its members and giving them the tools to be the best.”

Mrs. Higgs agreed and said "We learned a lot and had fun meeting wonderful people from all over the world. It was inspiring to see how many agents have soared to the top through RE/MAX. We’ll definitely be in Las Vegas next year."

Education was front and center throughout the week. Tip-filled sessions on social media, marketing, technology and other relevant topics were held each day. “It was wonderful, a lot of very useful information,” said a former agent, Nassau sales associate of RE/MAX Paradise Realty. “We’re excited to get back to our office to practice what we learned.”

Frank Knowles, RE/MAX Paradise Realty’s agent in Hope Town, Abaco, said that he “thoroughly enjoyed meeting and learning from such a vast network of realtors, especially from RE/MAX Cayman agents who we share a lot of similarities with.”

RE/MAX is a global franchise of more than 6,800 independently owned and operated offices in 70 different countries and nearly 100,000 agents.

RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger. From a single office in Denver, Colorado, RE/MAX has grown to be a global network of nearly 100,000 sales associates in more than 75 countries. RE/MAX was honoured as the leading real estate franchise in the “2009 Franchise Times Top 200.” No one sells more than RE/MAX!

RE/MAX International Announces Success & Innovations

RE/MAX Meets the Demands of 2010 Market with Unique Educational Platform

Orlando, FL - March 2, 2010 - Speaking before an enthusiastic gathering of three thousand RE/MAX Affiliates from 43 countries around the world, Dave Liniger, Chairman and Co-Founder, encouraged the audience to be prepared for another challenging year in 2010. His recommendation to real estate professionals is to pursue educational opportunities and be specifically trained to help families who are facing difficult economic situations.

“It looks like we’re through the worst of this downturn, and 2010 should produce better results than 2009,” said Liniger. “But it’s not over yet, so real estate professionals need to keep doing what they’ve been doing; seek out the best education, use up-to-date technology and don’t forget good old-fashioned customer service.”

Linger stated that 2010 will likely see continued high numbers of distressed properties and to respond to the need for professional training, he announced a striking new initiative. RE/MAX University will become a broadcast quality streaming network with HD capabilities, available around the world both on the Internet, individual TV sets, and mobile devices.

“This educational advancement will revolutionize the way organizations train their employees,” said Liniger. “It’s a one-of-a-kind technology that provides a cost effective, high quality medium that facilitates ‘live’ interactive broadcasts and on-demand training to participants anywhere in the world.”

RE/MAX revolutionized training in the real estate industry 15 years ago with the launch of the RE/MAX Satellite Network. Now, it’s leading the way again with an innovative online media platform, designed by Mediafly and utilizing the broadband television delivery of a Roku digital video player.

The newly designed RE/MAX University provides the capability to create customized channels for different regions and offices, while providing easy on-demand access to the more than 1,200 educational titles in the RE/MAX University library.

RE/MAX University delivers programming for professional designations, certifications and other relevant education. It has won over 150 international film, video and training awards and in 2009 achieved the impressive milestone of registering 10,000 agents for a variety of courses.

Liniger was also pleased to remind the RE/MAX audience of the company’s many successes in 2009. * The highest number of transaction sides of any real estate organization * Agent productivity twice that of agents at other national franchises * RE/MAX was named the top real estate franchise in “The 2009 Franchise Times Top 200” * RE/MAX was also named a Top 10 Military Spouse Friendly Employer, a Top 50 Military Friendly Employer and Military Friendly Franchise * Worldwide sales of new franchises topped 630 * The addition of 7 countries, continuing an international presence greater than any competitor

Other significant announcements at the 2010 RE/MAX International Convention included the launch of a RE/MAX Brand Channel on YouTube, featuring a geo-targeting “Smart Map,” and the achievement of $100 million in donations to the Children’s Miracle Network.

“We have enjoyed an association with Children’s Miracle Network for over 15 years and we are thrilled to see the lives that this great organization has impacted,” said Vinnie Tracey, President of RE/MAX International. “We’re especially proud to see Garrett Terracciano, a Miracle Child from a RE/MAX family who is now studying to be a pediatric cardiologist.””

The RE/MAX audience was entertained with a humorous dialogue presented by political odd-couple James Carville and Mary Matalin, who provided their unique observations on contemporary politics and their secrets for a bi-partisan marriage.

Through the use of social media, tens of thousands of international “virtual attendees” participated in the convention, which included live video feeds from Argentina, Austria, Germany and Italy.

RE/MAX University Exceeds 10,000 Registrants in 2009

Denver, CO - February 22, 2010 - With RE/MAX International, Inc. leading the industry in professional designations, it is no surprise that RE/MAX University surpassed 10,000 registrants for its award-winning training and educational courses in 2009. No other real estate franchise compares to the wide scope of designations and certification programs that RE/MAX offers to its membership.

“This major milestone for RE/MAX University is not only a reflection of the great training we offer, but it’s a sign that RE/MAX agents know how to adapt to changing markets,” said Tom Kramig, Vice President of Multi-Media and Education. “They are earning certifications and designations in everything from Short Sales and foreclosures to green issues and best practices.”

RE/MAX University distributes award winning educational video programming to its Associates through classroom training, online streaming video, download documents and via RE/MAX Satellite Network (RSN), the company’s proprietary satellite TV network.

Thanks to the recent partnerships with the Five Star Institute, Buffini & Company, Distressed Property Institute, the CE Shop, and REALTOR(r) University, the number of annual registrants topped 10,000 for the first time ever, up 40% from 2008.

With the dramatic increase in foreclosures and Short Sales, RE/MAX Associates have accepted the challenge of adapting to the current market and established a benchmark in helping buyers and sellers navigate the issues surrounding distressed properties. As a result, RE/MAX Associates, through the offerings of RE/MAX University, have earned more professional designations than agents from any other national real estate network, including more than 58% of all Certified Distressed Property Experts (CDPE) in the United States.

RE/MAX University and the Five Star Institute will be joining together for a full day of distressed property education in a special “REO/Short Sale Summit” the day before the 2010 RE/MAX International Convention, Sunday, Feb. 28 in Orlando, FL. By attending, real estate agents will be able to earn two of the five credits required for the Five Star Professional (FSP) designation. The remaining FSP courses are being offered through RE/MAX University.

RE/MAX University remains committed to adding new courses to its education platforms in order to keep RE/MAX Associates among the best-informed in the real estate industry.

New RE/MAX franchise in The Bahamas

(Denver, CO – March 24, 2009) RE/MAX International Inc. celebrated the official signing of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas - the 73rd country to join the RE/MAX global network - with a flag-raising ceremony at its Denver headquarters.

One of the top Bahamas real estate companies have aligned themselves with the real estate powerhouse RE/MAX to serve you better. Formally named Paradise Real Estate, now RE/MAX Paradise Realty. New name, same great service!

If you are in the market for Caribbean real estate then why not consider The Bahamas? Real estate in The Bahamas is still doing well even with the economic down turn.

RE/MAX Paradise Realty now offers the worldwide brand name of RE/MAX along with their expertise.

RE/MAX Paradise Realty Ltd. is a full service Bahamas real estate firm that offers listings throughout The Bahamas islands including everything from waterfront to beach front homes, vacant land and acreage, luxurious rentals, and island getaways.