Category: HomeServices of America

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Berkshire Hathaway’s Intero Real Estate Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., has announced the recognition several of their associates received at the 2017 National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP)

Top Latino Agents Awards. NAHREP is a purpose-driven organization that is dedicated to a combination of entrepreneurial spirit, cultural heritage, and the advocacy of its members.

There were over six hundred nominations this year, and we are proud that our agents finished strongly in a number of categories.

Erika Carrasco and Joe Velasco finished in the Top 250 in the units sold category.

Finishing in the Top 100 in sales volume were Erika Carrasco and Carlos Padilla.

The Top 100 California Latino Real Estate Agents list included Erika Carrasco from the Silver Creek office, Joe Velasco from the Saratoga office, Carlos Padilla from the Los Altos office, Juan Barragan from the Livermore office, Juan Jara from the Corona office, and Sirilio Ortiz from the Rancho Cucamonga office.

Tom Tognoli, founder and CEO at Intero said of the award winners, “We are so proud and happy to see our agents recognized for their hard work and dedication to their clients, the industry, and Intero. We could not ask for a better group of people to receive these honors and we thank them tremendously for their commitment to excellence.”

© 2017 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Intero Real Estate Services, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate and wholly owned subsidiary of HomeServices of America Inc., today announces its partnership with Kukun, an online platform that helps homeowners navigate the home remodeling process.

Available now, Kukun provides all area listings with estimated home renovations costs and the return on investment (ROI) for potential buyers through their website widget on interorealestate.com.

Early results shared through data gathered from the Kukun widget show that the average monthly percentage of homebuyers that check the costs of a home upgrade is 250 percent of the overall listings on Intero’s site, with the most popular renovation estimates being for kitchen and baths, followed by windows and garages. About 12 percent of these users took the next step in searching for contractors for the renovations on Kukun.

“Kukun’s integration gives people more informed buying decisions by providing a transparent view of upgrade expenses and the ROI. With a click of a button, our integration gives the total cost of ownership with estimated renovation costs,” said Raf Howery, CEO and co-founder of Kukun. “Home buyers often want to purchase a turn-key home but can’t afford one in their desired area. Many older homes have the potential to become their dream home with a little TLC, but often fear of renovating causes potential buyers to look elsewhere or remain renters. This is especially true of millennial, first-time buyers who desire to live in big cities and high demand town centers. They often have to purchase an older home that needs work and being able to determine the ROI in real time, allows them to make more educated decisions. By integrating Kukun, homeowners can see exactly what renovation needs to be done, how much it will cost, and what their property will be worth once complete. By informing people, it allows them to make more educated choices.”

Available immediately, all of the real estate listings on Intero Real Estate Services’ website include Kukun’s solution. Future homeowners will also be able to access contractors’ permits in the neighborhood, so they can find vetted contractors who are referenced by neighbors. This eases the pain point for many homeowners of being concerned if the contractor they select is credible.

“As a forward thinking real estate company, we’re excited to continue to advance our services through technology to make the home buying and selling experience better and more transparent,” said Tom Tognoli, Intero President & CEO. “By integrating the Kukun solution into every listing on our website, we can bring extreme value to both consumers and our own agents.”

Kukun is building the bridge between the construction, real estate, loan and retail industries by creating an orchestration platform that accompanies the customer on their home renovation journey from knowing their estimated costs to completing their renovation.

© 2017 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Berkshire Hathaway’s Real Living Real Estate has announced that its agents received a 97% customer satisfaction rating for 2016, according to independent ratings service, Quality Service Certification, Inc.
(QSC).

This is the second consecutive year the brokerage network scored 97%.

Through Real Living’s innovative Real Living 360 Service® program, the network asks customers to candidly rate the performance of their sales agent. QSC administers and validates these customer service satisfaction results following closed transactions for participating agents.

“The high ratings are a real win for our brand, especially when coupled with Real Living Real Estate recently being named Real Estate Agency Brand of the Year and Most Trusted Real Estate Brand in the 2017 Harris Poll EquiTrend® Study,” said Robert McAdams Jr., president of Real Living. “We are most trusted because of the industry-leading
service we consistently provide to buyers and sellers.”

The latest results from QSC place Real Living at the top of the real estate industry for customer satisfaction, based on responses from thousands of home buyers and sellers. A full 92% of buyers reported being very satisfied with the buying process and service provided by Real Living network professionals, while 89% of sellers said they were very satisfied with the selling process. In the latest report from the National Association of REALTORS®, only 60% of buyers said they were very satisfied with the buying process and service provided by their real estate professional while 61% of sellers said they were very satisfied with the selling process.

“Sharing performance guidelines and expectations speaks volumes about how genuinely we care about giving everything we can to our buyers and sellers,” said Lou Ann Pittman, director of relocation services at Real Living Pittman Properties. “Real Living 360 Service is not just a trade tool; it is a lifestyle our agents have developed and continue to improve upon each and every day in order to be the very best in the industry.”

Gino Blefari, CEO of HSF Affiliates, congratulated Real Living on the network’s industry-leading scores. “As the latest numbers show, Real Living network agents continue to deliver quality service year after year,” said Blefari. “This 97% overall satisfaction rating further proves the network’s dedication to only the very best in customer
care.”

Real Living Real Estate is a network brand of HSF Affiliates LLC, which is majority owned by Berkshire Hathaway’s HomeServices of America, Inc.

© 2017 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is
no guarantee of future results.

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Intero Real Estate Services, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate and wholly owned subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc, received recognition at the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World annual Awards Gala on March 2, 2017 in Miami.

Leading RE is a global community of more than 550 high quality independent real estate firms with offices around the world.

Intero serves Northern California with 16 offices throughout the greater Silicon Valley. The Intero Franchise network is comprised of nearly 50 affiliates located in Alabama, Arizona, California, Nevada, Tennessee and Texas. The company is headquartered in California’s Silicon Valley.

In addition to the awards received, Intero collected a record number of nominations this year. The dedication Intero applies to excellence in real estate is reflected not only by devoted and skilled associates, but also Intero as a whole for its outstanding accomplishments in 2016.

Intero was one of the recipients of the Top Five Outgoing Closers Award, given to companies with the highest volume of property sales. Having received this award, Intero has accepted its position by improving outgoing referral equivalent closings by 217% in 2016, as well as continuing its commitment to offering unparalleled service and advocacy for their clients. In addition, Intero also received the Momentum Club Award from LeadingRE for its continued efforts in expanding its scope of influence in their field.

Tom Tognoli, President and Chief Executive Officer at Intero says of the awards received, “The dedication our agents put forth in order to not only service our clients, but also giving their time and expertise to the greater community of real estate professionals is something we take great pride in. And, this year, we are very happy to see one of our own acknowledged for her outstanding contributions.”

Diana McGrogan, Director of Relocation at Intero, was acknowledged individually by receiving the President’s Service Award. Her efforts on behalf of Intero and her clients is well-recognized not only by her co-workers and customers, but also by receiving this esteemed accolade from LeadingRE. Diana works hard for her clients, ensuring they are represented by only the most dedicated agents and brokers.

Diana says of her award, “It’s been a great opportunity to work at Intero, and having received this award. Being a member of Leading RE’s Relocation Advisory Council, I recognize the importance of working with our associates out in the field.” Diana continues, “Our team at Intero has received these recognitions not only through our individual contributions, but by working together to achieve our company goals.”

© 2017 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Berkshire Hathaway’s HomeServices of America  has announced the acquisition of Allie Beth Allman & Associates, a recognized leader within the Dallas luxury real estate market.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The acquisition represents HomeServices’ entry into Texas and the Dallas–Ft. Worth region.

Headquartered in Dallas, Allie Beth Allman & Associates serves the Dallas–Ft. Worth metropolitan area and surrounding communities with 335 sales associates.

Since 2007, Allie Beth Allman & Associates has consistently ranked in the top-five market share in Dallas County by sales volume and in 2014 closed nearly 2,100 units and $1.5 billion of volume.

Founded in 2003, Allie Beth Allman & Associates is recognized as the highest-grossing, single office residential real estate firm in Dallas, and the name is synonymous with exclusive estates, high-profile clientele, and superior customer service. Allie Beth Allman, founder and chief executive officer, is among the most influential leaders in North Dallas and is known for her industry expertise and leadership, as well as her extensive civic and philanthropic contributions. Allman, together with her executive and sales management team, will continue to lead the firm’s growth initiatives and manage day-to-day operations.

About HomeServices of America

HomeServices has nearly 26,500 real estate professionals operating in 480 offices across 27 states. In 2015, the company’s associates will facilitate over $77 billion in residential real estate sales and more than 220,000 transactions.

© 2015 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.