Mason-McDuffie and Better Homes and Gardens partnership

Reprint/Sunday, July, 2011
BROKER SPOTLIGHT
Mason-McDuffie and Better Homes and Gardens
partnership spawns great results
BY JENNIFER SHAW
CORRESPONDENT
Since its late19th century beginnings,
Mason McDuffie Real Estate has struck a
key balance between an adherence to family values and tradition and a commitment
toward innovation and being at the pinnacle
of training.
Throughout its legacy, the real estate
company has kept its eye on all things
agent-centric, equipping them with all the
tools necessary to maximize their time with
buyers and sellers.
“We believe in serving the agent holistically. It’s about helping them get the quality of life that they want,” said Keith
Robinson, executive vice president of
Mason McDuffie, citing the menu of support
including life and business coaching, 401K
tax planning and myriad training options.
“One of the defining characteristics of
our culture is we’re a family. We understand
the agent is at the center of the transaction.
It’s our job to facilitate the Realtors to be
able to do their job better, faster and easier
so they can serve the client with whom they
have a deep relationship,” he said.
The Pleasanton-based, locally owned
company has grown organically, and with its
nearly 2,000 agents and 40 offices encompassing a area, is listed as the 17th largest
real estate company in the U.S., according
to its chief executive officer, Frank Richards.
And since October 2010, the company
has aligned itself with a national force —
and all things cutting edge that comes with
the affiliation.
Locally owned Mason
McDuffie is now the largest
franchisee of Better Homes
and Garden Realty, and thus
taps into its significant coffer
that’s dedicated to investing
in the latest marketing tools
and “best in breed” technology.
Richards cites its proprietary WebTop “robust” application that is “social media
ready,” allows for a complete property
search and maximizes the exposure of a
seller’s listing.
“Real estate transactions are complex.What’s paramount is having an experienced agent to advocate on behalf of the
consumer. We invest millions of dollars in
leading technology, but at the end of the
day, it’s the excellence of the agent that
wins the confidence of the consumer and
leads them through the process of successfully buying and selling a home,” said
Richards.
Gina Piper, a 16-year agent whose
mother, Janet Christiano, is part-owner, is
an integral part of the mix of highly qualified
agents that can now shine even brighter
with the identification with the Better Homes’
name. “We’ve always been affiliated with a
great brand. Better Homes offers even far
more tools. It has a feel to me of being much
more forward-thinking in this technology environment we are in today,so we can stay
ahead of the game,” she said. “Marketing,
that’s where we can shine,” she added, noting the extensive exposure, virtual tours and
high-end professional photography.
“Brand is a critical piece in real estate.
It’s not difficult to convince a customer to
work with you. It’s a household name.”
Longtime Realtor Jim Colhoun concurred.
“I find it a fresh, green look at this market.The marketing tools are cutting edge,”
said Colhoun, citing the online presence
with website articles on all aspects of home
ownership, from financial advice “all the way
down to pest control” — and a platform for
providing consumers with local resources,
from retirement solutions to infant swim lessons.
“It’s local experience with high-tech
tools,” he added. And while aligning with the
strength of its latest national platform is a
key ingredient to success, the leadership is
ever reaching out to build relationships with
local experts. “Real estate is hyper-local.
Our partners are local experts. They have
the deep legacy and institutional knowledge
within that (particular) market,” said Robinson.
“We have a deep belief system in partnering with great leaders in the real estate
industry to form joint ventures to expand
and grow our market share and enhance
the services we provide to our agents and to
our consumers,” added Richards. For more
information, call 925-924-4714, or visit
www.bhghome.com.