Global event positioned Panama as an expanding market as a result of the Panama Canal Expansion and related logistics development projects.

 

CHICAGO – June 2, 2016 – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® President/CEO Pam O’Connor and Vice President Global Operations Chris Dietz joined hundreds of real estate industry leaders from 65 countries in Panama City, Panama recently at the 67th FIABCI World Congress. This is the first time this respected industry event has taken place in a Latin American country.

“As we expand our global footprint, which now extends to more than 55 countries, our participation in events such as the FIABCI World Conference is a vital part of our outreach,” Dietz said. “We especially welcomed the opportunity to travel to the Latin American region and connect with existing and potential members there.”

“The FIABCI World Congress in Panama offered our participants a unique perspective focused on ‘Connecting Development for a Better World.’ Panama’s expanding and dynamic real estate market and strong economic potential made this a perfect venue for this year’s event,” explained Danielle Grossenbacher, FIABCI’s immediate past world president.

The conference theme, “Connecting Development for a Better World,” served as the basis for the program, which was filled with world-class speakers, international networking and marketing sessions and exciting recreation and study tours where participants experienced all that Panama has to offer. Special guests included the President of the Republic of Panama Juan Carlos Varela and Panama’s Ministry of Housing Mario Etchelecu. There was also a unique presentation by the famous Venezuelan Kinetic Artist Carlos Cruz-Diez, whose innovative artwork integrates sculpture with architecture.

Eric Van Hoorde, president of ACOBIR, the organizing association of the event explained that “the organization of this global real estate congress represents a country event of great significance and was an excellent opportunity for Panama, due to the fact that in recent years we have grown significantly in the global real estate sector. Thousands of people consider Panama as the ideal place to live and do business because of the important first class infrastructure and its relevant tourist attractions that provide the city a cosmopolitan destination connotation. ”

Ivan Carlucci, president of FIABCI-Panama, added that this event created new business relationships with representatives of the real estate industry around the world who were visiting. “Our goal was to encourage multi-national real estate companies to become established here, especially with vast opportunities generated by the opening of the canal expansion next month. We were committed to being the best hosts for the more than 50 delegations from 65 countries on five continents that visited us,” said Carlucci.

Katherine Shahani, president of the Organizing Committee for ACOBIR and former president of ACOBIR, referred to the FIABCI World Congress program, which included global networking events, social activities that strengthened links between participants and organizations, theme forums, vital presentations from national and international exhibitors, as well as a social program filled with a series of sightseeing and shopping tours. The agenda was designed to combine robust international business with tourism.

One of the many highlights during the Congress was the FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence Awards Gala Dinner. The FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence is a prestigious honor that recognizes real estate development projects that best embody excellence in all real estate disciplines involved in its creation and illustrates the FIABCI ideal of “providing society with the optimal solution to its property needs.”

For more information about FIABCI, visit the website www.fiabci.org. For more information about Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, visit www.LeadingRE.com.

###

 

About Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^®

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (www.LeadingRE.com) is a selective global community of the highest quality independent real estate companies, with over 550 companies and 128,000 sales associates in over 55 countries. Last year, the network generated over one million transactions valued at $351 billion in annual home sales. LeadingRE exists to make its members better by connecting them to opportunities and people around the globe, supporting them with an international referral network, professional development programs, unique events and connections to people and opportunities worldwide.

 

About FIABCI

FIABCI, the International Real Estate Federation, is a business network of real estate professionals worldwide. FIABCI provides access and opportunity for real estate professionals interested in gaining knowledge, sharing information and conducting international business with each other.  With members in 65 countries, including 100 Professional Associations, 65 Academic Institutions and 3000 individual members from all professions of the real estate sector, FIABCI is the most representative organization of the real estate industry in the world and holds special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations.

Read More

CHICAGO – June 1, 2016 – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and Luxury Portfolio International® are proud to announce the beginning of the HGTV Ultimate House Hunt, a month-long online contest held on HGTV.com each year. HGTV has joined forces with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and Luxury Portfolio International® as the exclusive real estate partners of HGTV’s Ultimate House Hunt 2016, the contest runs from June 1 through July 8.

The contest highlights exceptional homes from across the globe in eight exciting categories: Waterfront Homes, Master Retreats, International Homes, Living Large in Small Spaces, Backyard Retreat, Kids’ Spaces, Classic Living, Making an Entrance, and Curb Appeal.  All featured homes are represented by members of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and Luxury Portfolio International®. Consumers vote for their favorite, and a winner is chosen at the end.

“The Ultimate House Hunt is one of our favorite events each year,” said Rich Lacy, vice president of digital for HGTV.com. “We can always rely on Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and Luxury Portfolio International® to deliver the most stunning homes for our engaged audience to choose from.”

The contest is an annual event, and HGTV has partnered with LeadingRE and Luxury Portfolio on the contest since 2014. Last year’s contest attracted over 82 million page views with nearly 900,000 votes cast, proving the enduring appetite for viewing extraordinary real estate. The contest is also a microcosm of the changing tastes of the public. Last year’s overall winning property was a luxuriously rustic lake house in Tiger, Ga., represented by Harry Norman Realtors. Dream Hawaiian homes also fared especially well, with three residences from Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers being voted favorites. In addition to bragging rights, the winning homes will receive additional editorial exposure on HGTV.com.

“Each year we look forward to holding this contest with HGTV and selecting the most appealing properties from our members to share. From beautiful waterfront homes to properties with the most stunning master retreats, to the most appealing international properties, the contest showcases the best properties listed for sale,” said Paul Boomsma, president of Luxury Portfolio International®.

To view the contest and cast your vote visit: www.hgtv.com/househunt

###

About HGTV

America’s leading home and lifestyle brand, HGTV features a top-rated cable network that is distributed to more than 99 million U.S. households and the HGTV website, HGTV.com, the nation’s leading online home-and-garden destination. The brand also includes the HGTV HOME consumer products line which showcases exclusive collections of paint, flooring, soft goods and other home-oriented products, as well as HGTV Magazine, a new home and lifestyle publication published in partnership with Hearst Magazines.

Read More

CHICAGO – (5/13/16) – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® has named CityBlast as a preferred provider through its Solutions Group program, a collection of select business tools presented to its global network of more than 550 residential real estate firms.

CityBlast is a social media management company dedicated to the real estate industry, providing sales associates and brokerages with a team of social experts who write and publish high quality locally-focused articles and information directly on their Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages.

“CityBlast is a great addition to our program, giving our members an easy, systematic way to create a professional online presence and generate leads from their social media sites. Founded by a former agent who mastered the use of Facebook as a way to build new business, CityBlast brings a unique combination of proven industry experience with social media savvy,” said Robin LaSure, LeadingRE vice president of corporate marketing.

CityBlast founder and CEO Shaun Nilsson comments, “Adding to a select list of partners, CityBlast is proud to bring our industry-best social media services to LeadingRE members. LeadingRE has long represented a gold standard for real estate professionals, and that model has a natural synergy with our company philosophy. We’re very excited.”

Learn more about CityBlast at www.CityBlast.com. Learn more about Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® at www.LeadingRE.com.

###

About CityBlast
CityBlast (www.CityBlast.com) is the largest social media management company dedicated to the real estate industry, providing sales associates and brokerages with a host of social media services, including team of social experts who write and publish high quality locally-focused articles and information directly on their Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages, and audience growth and lead generation packages.

Read More

CHICAGO – (5/10/16) – Chicago-based Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® has announced its most recent sales statistics for 2015, reflecting ongoing dominance in the residential real estate market. Network affiliates produced over one million transactions valued at $351 billion in home sales last year, outperforming its closest network competitor by $86 billion, which further widened the margin over the previous year.

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® affiliates had 27% of the total sales among the top 500 firms in the U.S., outselling all other networks in home sales by 48%, according to REAL Trends 500, a ranking of the largest U.S. companies by transaction sides and sales volume. Members also represented 14 of the top 25 firms in the U.S. in sales volume among this prestigious group.

“The strength of these numbers says so much about the collective power of our member firms, illustrating how the focus on quality yields quantity in terms of sales,” said Pam O’Connor, LeadingRE president/CEO. “By pairing each firm’s local leadership with the global connections and resources LeadingRE provides, we have created an undeniable force in real estate.”

Figures for the top 500 firms are verified and published by REAL Trends. Figures for total sales of all networks are estimated by using average sales units per agent for each network’s firms in the REAL Trends 500, multiplied across each network’s entire agent population. 

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is a selective global community of the highest quality independent real estate companies. LeadingRE exists to make its members better by connecting them to opportunities and people around the globe, supporting them with an international referral network, professional development programs, unique events and connections to people and opportunities worldwide. To learn more, visit LeadingRE.com.

Read More

Collaboration assists Realtors in creating a seamless experience for home sellers

 

CINCINNATI, OH, MAY 4, 2016 – EVERYTHING BUT THE HOUSE (EBTH), the world’s premier online estate sale marketplace, today announces the company has been selected by Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) as a preferred estate sale partner for its Solutions Group program. EBTH, which brings the thrill of estate sale shopping online, will work with LeadingRE’s Solutions Group, a collection of carefully-selected business providers to assist real estate professionals with creating a seamless home selling experience for their clients.

The relationship between EBTH and LeadingRE offers real estate agents and firms a unique service to share with their clients who are downsizing or need to sell their personal property. With attention to the often-sensitive nature of the process, EBTH’s expert team works with sellers to evaluate their items, identify hidden gems, and maximize the value of a collection. EBTH does all of the work, from photography and cataloging to managing payments and shipping. Profits from a client’s sale can go toward home renovations to improve the sale value of the property and assist with moving costs.

“We are excited to work with LeadingRE and its network of the best real estate firms in the industry,” said Jon Nielsen, chief revenue officer for EBTH. “LeadingRE consistently raises the bar in a competitive market and we are thrilled to share our commitment to unparalleled customer service with their community.”

“We are thrilled to introduce EBTH to our network of 550 top real estate firms,” said Robin LaSure, vice president of corporate marketing for Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®. “The company’s online marketplace for estate sales is yet another way our members can extend their offerings by presenting clients with a convenient way to sell virtually any household item – whether art, furniture or collectables. And, just as our members take a full-service approach, EVERYTHING BUT THE HOUSE assists home owners from start to finish.”

Founded in 2008, EBTH has grown to 21 cities across the US, over 2 million online visitors per month and an active bidder base from across 100 countries. EBTH currently hosts more than 220 sales a month, which typically generate proceeds 3 to 5 times higher than traditional alternatives such as auctions and yard sales.

EBTH has established partnerships with other LeadingRE members including Long & Foster, John R. Wood Properties, and F.C. Tucker Company.

 

ABOUT EBTH

EVERYTHING BUT THE HOUSE (EBTH) is a revolutionary online marketplace that provides the reach and convenience of an e-commerce platform for estate sales around the world. As a full-service provider, EBTH helps sellers maximize the value of their collections by handling every aspect of the sale from photography and cataloging to payment and delivery. Through its marketplace, EBTH also allows collectors and buyers to discover everything from rare antiques and original art to great deals on everyday needs. With more than 220 estate sales a month and all items starting at just $1, bidders from across the world always have something new to discover at EBTH.com.

Read More

CHICAGO – (3/23/16) – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^® has selected Real Estate Webmasters for its Solutions Group program, a collection of carefully-selected business providers presented to LeadingRE’s global community of more than 500 quality independent real estate companies.

Founded in 2004 by Morgan Carey, Real Estate Webmasters is one of the largest custom technology providers offering end-to-end solutions for real estate firms, teams and agents. The company specializes in custom and semi-custom websites, marketing tools, lead management, customer relationship management (CRM) and consulting services.

“Real Estate Webmasters is ideal for brokerages looking to provide unified, state-of-the-art technology at the company level to improve SEO, brand control and lead generation. We look forward to introducing their solutions to our members across North America and beyond,” comments Robin LaSure, LeadingRE vice president of corporate marketing.

“LeadingRE is an impressive organization with highly professional leadership, and their members are among the best in the industry,” said Michael Audet, vice president enterprise for Real Estate Webmasters. “These are the people we serve and want to serve – who understand the importance of working with great technology – and it is a real honor to work with them.”

To learn more about Real Estate Webmasters, visit RealEstateWebmasters.com and RealEstateWebmasters.com/enterprise. To learn more about Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^®, visit LeadingRE.com.

###

Read More

CHICAGO, IL – (03/11/16) – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^® has named two prominent industry brokers to its board of directors. Carol Bulman, chief executive officer and president of Jack Conway & Company in Norwell, Mass., and Ron Stader, president and co-owner of CIR Realty in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, join the 13-person board. The board of directors provides guidance and leadership for the global community of 500+ market-leading real estate firms, which produce over one million annual home sale transactions.

With more than 25 years of experience in mortgage banking and real estate, Bulman is the daughter of her company’s founder, the late Jack Conway. She leads the company’s real estate operations and oversees its banking relationships and its insurance arm. Jack Conway & Company is the largest privately-owned real estate firm in Massachusetts, with 32 offices and more than 700 sales associates.

As broker and general manager of CIR Realty, Stader heads Alberta’s largest independent real estate brokerage with over 700 realtors and staff in 14 offices. The company is also among the top 10 brokerage firms in Canada. Stader, who is also the second generation to lead his family’s firm, is currently the chairman of LeadingRE’s global advisory board and thus represents the network’s members from outside the U.S. on the LeadingRE board of directors.

“We are incredibly fortunate to welcome Carol and Ron to our board of directors. Both bring unique talents and energy, and they complement our already-impressive board,” said Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® President/CEO Pam O’Connor. “Having such engaged, successful brokers guide our strategic initiatives has created remarkable growth in both the scope of our programs and the global reach of our network.”

Bulman and Stader join an accomplished group of brokers on the board, including Chairman Pat Riley (Allen Tate Company, Charlotte, N.C.); Immediate Past Chairman Robert Sibcy (Sibcy Cline REALTORS^®, Cincinnati, Ohio); Vice Chairman Joe Horning (Shorewest REALTORS^®, Brookfield, Wis.); Secretary Dan Elsea (Real Estate One, Southfield, Mich.); and Treasurer Harold Crye (CRYE-LEIKE, REALTORS^®, Memphis, Tenn.); Jeffrey S. Detwiler (Long & Foster Real Estate, Chantilly, Va.); Howard W. (Hoby) Hanna IV (Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, Cleveland, Ohio); Chris Meyers (Houlihan Lawrence Real Estate, Armonk, N.Y.); Ron Peltier (HomeServices of America, Minneapolis, Minn.); Diane Ramirez, New York, N.Y.) and William Watson, Jr. (Watson Realty Corp., Jacksonville, Fla.).

Bulman and Stader succeed 18-year board veterans and long-time contributors Michael T. Robinson (Weichert, REALTORS^®, Morris Plains, N.J.) and Michael Saunders (Michael Saunders & Company, Sarasota, Fla.).

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^® (www.LeadingRE.com) is the largest network of premier locally-branded firms producing over one million annual home sale transactions. LeadingRE provides its affiliates with an extensive range of brokerage services, which include lead generation, cross-market referrals, branding support, luxury marketing, online exposure, technology systems, professional development and unique events.

To learn more about Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^®, visit www.LeadingRE.com.

Read More

CHICAGO, IL – (03/09/16) – Luxury Portfolio International^® President Paul Boomsma addressed the Private Banking Asia Conference in Singapore on March 3. Boomsma, who also services as COO for Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, shared insights on the luxury real estate market with the 200+ private bankers in attendance from the APAC region, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.

Also in attendance at the event was Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® Vice President of International Operations Chris Dietz, who oversees the organization’s global growth.

“The event gave us the opportunity to meet with private bankers and wealth managers to familiarize them with the global luxury real estate services we offer,” Boomsma said. “With 500 market-leading real estate firms in 55 countries, we are able to assist high-net-worth individuals looking to invest in real estate in virtually any location around the world.”

Luxury Portfolio International® is participating in two other events this spring as part of its outreach in the region. The organization is sponsoring the Kuala Lumpur International Property Awards APAC Region April 7-8 and will participate in the Luxury Property Show in Beijing April 22-24.

Affiliates of Luxury Portfolio International^® market high-end homes to affluent consumers worldwide through the network’s strategic marketing program, including the award-winning website LuxuryPortfolio.com, which markets over 50,000 luxury homes to over three million high-net-worth visitors annually and features a total inventory of available properties exceeding $48 billion US dollars.

To learn more about Luxury Portfolio International^®, visit www.LuxuryPortfolio.com. To learn more about Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^® , visit www.LeadingRE.com.

Read More

CHICAGO – (March 2, 2016) – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^® held its annual Conference Week February 20-26 at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, drawing 2,500 real estate professionals and guests from 25 countries. The event offered separate conferences for brokers, senior managers and relocation professionals; sales associates; luxury specialists; sales managers; and marketing and technology professionals.

Sessions examined a full range of topics relating to the real estate market, including the economy and the role the upcoming U.S. presidential election may have, changing consumer preferences and lifestyle trends, and the ways evolving technologies are driving demand for “smart homes” and impacting the ways real estate professionals engage consumers and market homes.

Keynote speakers included David Gregory, renowned television journalist and former moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press; George Blankenship, the innovator who master-minded Apple retail stores and later headed worldwide retail for Tesla; William Taylor, co-founding editor of Fast Company magazine; behavioral scientist and author James Kane, known for his research on what makes someone truly loyal; David Bromstad, host of HGTV’s new series Beach Flip; and Erik Stolhanske, actor, writer and producer of major motion pictures. Also featured were an extensive group of industry thought leaders, marketing strategists and technology innovators.

Numerous entertainment and networking events were also on the agenda, including the Awards Gala, where the network’s annual Performance Awards were presented. Allen Tate Company (Charlotte, NC) received the Diamond Award for the second consecutive year and the sixth time in the award’s 14-year history. The Diamond Award is LeadingRE’s highest honor, acknowledging outstanding performance in all of LeadingRE’s business programs.

The prominent Leadership Award, recognizing a member broker whose leadership skills and achievements have drawn the attention of others, was presented to Pat Shea, Lyon Real Estate (Sacramento, CA).

Marketing awards were announced in a variety of areas, including the Best Overall Website, given to Windermere Real Estate (Seattle, WA), and the Most Innovative Brokerage Award, presented to two companies: Chas Everitt International Property Group (Johannesburg, South Africa) and Kampmeyer Immobilien GmbH (Cologne, Germany).

Also presented were the Crown of Excellence referral awards, given in seven company size categories to Allen Tate Company (Charlotte, NC); Lyon Real Estate (Sacramento, CA); Beverly-Hanks & Associates (Asheville, NC); John Daugherty Realtors (Houston, TX); Wright Kingdom Real Estate (Boulder, CO); Marx-Bensdorf Realtors (Memphis, TN); and Acton Real Estate Company, LLC (Acton, MA).

The Global Alliance Award for Most Outgoing International Referral Closings was presented to Macdonald Realty Ltd. (Vancouver, Canada). The Million Dollar Award for Highest Valued Outgoing Closings went to Houlihan Lawrence Real Estate (Rye Brook, NY).

Companies earning honors for having the Top 5 Most Outgoing Closings, in order of volume, were: WEICHERT, REALTORS® (Morris Plains, NJ); Long & Foster Real Estate Inc. (Chantilly, VA); Howard Hanna Real Estate Services (Pittsburgh, PA); Houlihan Lawrence Real Estate (Rye Brook, NY); and Allen Tate Company (Charlotte, NC).  

Receiving the Pinnacle Award for having the most outgoing revenue-generating referrals were: Long & Foster Real Estate Inc. (Chantilly, VA); Lyon Real Estate (Sacramento, CA); Kentwood Real Estate (Greenwood Village, CO); Paragon Real Estate Group (San Francisco, CA); Wright Kingdom Real Estate (Boulder, CO); Marx-Bensdorf Realtors (Memphis, TN); and Cam Taylor Co., LTD., Realtors, Inc. (Columbus, OH).

Additional referral performance awards were presented to Allen Tate Company (Charlotte, NC); Beverly-Hanks & Associates (Asheville, NC); Cam Taylor Co., LTD., Realtors, Inc. (Columbus, OH); Cottingham Chalk Hayes, Realtors (Charlotte, NC); Farrell Smyth, Inc. (San Luis Obispo, CA); Florida Executive Realty (Tampa, FL); Hamner Real Estate Inc. (Tuscaloosa, AL); John Daugherty Realtors (Houston, TX); Kentwood Real Estate (Greenwood Village, CO); Lake Norman Realty, Inc. (Cornelius, NC); Lyon Real Estate (Sacramento, CA); Marx-Bensdorf Realtors (Memphis, TN); Michael Saunders & Company (Sarasota, FL); Paragon Real Estate Group (San Francisco, CA); PARKS Realty (Brentwood, TN); Real Estate One, Inc. (Southfield, MI); Realty Austin (Austin, TX); The Janet Jones Company (Little Rock, AR); Tina Bilazarian, Inc. (Shrewsbury, MA); WEICHERT, REALTORS^® – The Griffin Company (Springdale, AR); WEICHERT, REALTORS^® (Morris Plains, NJ); and Wright Kingdom Real Estate (Boulder, CO).

A variety of awards were presented to brokers in recognition of expertise in the luxury market. John R. Wood Properties (Naples, FL) received the Top Luxury Portfolio Brokerage Award, and Chas Everitt International Property Group (Johannesburg, South Africa) earned recognition as the Top Global Luxury Portfolio Brokerage. Alain Pinel Realtors (San Ramon, CA) earned the Spirit Award, while Barfoot & Thompson Ltd. (Auckland, New Zealand) was named Best Newcomer.  

“Throughout the event, we explored themes that are at the core of our network: ‘quality, connected, independence,’” said LeadingRE President/CEO Pam O’Connor. “Only 20% of the companies that inquire about affiliating with our network are accepted into our community, affording them incredible global connections, resources and reach, while allowing them to retain their independence as a brand.”

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^® is a selective global community of the highest quality independent real estate companies. LeadingRE exists to make its members better by connecting them to opportunities and people around the globe, supporting them with a global referral network, professional development programs and unique events. Members will gather again for LeadingRE’s International Symposium, taking place in Amsterdam, October 23-25. The 2017 Conference Week will return to the Fontainebleau Miami, February 27-March 5.

For more information on the network, visit www.LeadingRE.com.

Read More