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Company Overview

Summary | History | The Names You Know | Our Mission | Services | Leadership

Summary

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is the largest network of top independent local and regional brand-name brokerage firms in the residential sector of real estate. The over 600 firms affiliated with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) are represented by 5,000 offices and 150,000 associates in 35 countries worldwide. The organization's leadership is demonstrated by the fact that its affiliates comprise six of the top 10 real estate companies in the country. Collectively, LeadingRE affiliates produced 1 million home sales valued at nearly $300 billion in the U.S. in 2008. In addition, LeadingRE affiliates hold the Number One position in terms of sales or volume in more of the top markets than any other organization. Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and RELO Direct® are both headquartered in downtown Chicago's Loop, with field locations for both companies in Atlanta, GA; Concord, OH; Huntington Beach, CA; Plymouth, MA; Tampa, FL; Ward, AR; Columbia, SC; Northville & Romeo, MI; Cary, NC; and Austin, TX. back to top

History

In 2005, the company changed its identity from RELO®, a 40+ year-old trademarked industry name, to Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, to better describe the scope and power of the organization. While the network was originally formed in 1963 to foster relocating client referrals among its members – still a core business for the company – it has evolved to be the leading business affiliation and resource for “independent” (non-national franchised) real estate companies, who continue to be a major force in the industry, as noted above. Privately held by approximately 50 of the country's top real estate firms, LeadingRE was formed in 1997 and 1998 as Reliance Relocation Services, Inc. – the company's corporate name – through the consolidation of several leading relocation networks, including members of the PHH/HFS/Cendant network, the Genesis network and the prior RELO® network, the oldest in the business. back to top

The Names You Know

LeadingRE's member firms are household names in their local and regional markets, and the new network identity is expected to help link those firms from market to market in the consumer's mind, creating synergy as a result. Some of the top companies in the U.S. which are affiliates of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® include the following: Long & Foster, Chantilly, VA; Weichert Realtors, Morris Plains, NJ; Real Living, Columbus, OH; Edina Realty HomeServices, Minneapolis, MN; Howard Hanna Real Estate, Pittsburgh, PA/Cleveland, OH; Crye-Leike, Memphis/Nashville/Chattanooga, TN, Atlanta, GA, Little Rock, AR; John L. Scott Real Estate, Washington, Idaho, Oregon; Reece & Nichols, Kansas City, KS/MO; Ebby Halliday Realtors, Dallas, TX; First Team Real Estate, Los Angeles, CA; Brown Harris Stevens, New York, NY; Watson Realty Corp., Florida; and Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell, Miami, FL, just to name a few. back to top

Our Mission

The company's mission statement is to own and operate a network comprised of select independent real estate companies who set the standard of quality service while generating a high volume of referral, relocation and real estate business opportunities for the mutual profit of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and its members. back to top

Services

Reliance operates in two business lines: real estate and relocation. Its real estate enterprise is Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and its relocation subsidiary is RELO Direct®, Inc. Additional offerings include RELOHomeSearch.com, the company's online resource for consumers, with access to nearly two million homes for sale; and Luxury Portfolio Fine Property Collection®, a robust marketing initiative aimed at the high-end segment of the real estate market. The company operates several websites: www.LeadingRE.com www.RELODirect.com www.RELOHomeSearch.com www.LuxuryPortfolio.com back to top

Leadership

LeadingRE's Chairman of the Board is Harold Crye, chief executive officer and co-owner of Crye-Leike, Realtors, the fourth largest firm in the entire country, with 132 offices, 1,200 management and staff and 4,000 sales associates in eight states throughout the Mid-South. The company's management team is headed by President/CEO Pam O'Connor, with a seasoned management team including LeadingRE Network Services President/CEO Ruth Ann Pepple; Luxury Portfolio President and LeadingRE CMO Paul Boomsma; RELO Direct® President/CEO Robert Portale; CFO Alan Cazzato; Leading Real Estate Solutions™ VP Phil Edwards and Vice President of Strategic Development Eric Bryn. back to top