Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Success

The last week has been an eventful experience for all of us within the BHGRE Success office, but not nearly as dramatic or extreme as the rumors I've heard ;)

To put the rumors to rest: with Realogy and BHGRE's blessing, I am in the process of buying BHGRE Success.

I am often super busy with my sales business, new construction projects and home staging so ownership wasn't necessarily something I yearned for. Many people have asked me when I would open my own company and the reply was: "Never. Why would I when it would cost me more to own and operate a company than what I pay in as an agent and I already love the BHGRE brand and Success office?"

The first time I considered owning was when I was speaking to a KW regional manager that asked me to come on as an owner in the KW market center in my area before it opened. She asked me "what's next? You're closing hundreds of homes a year, so what's next?" I hadn't asked myself that question, so I honestly didn't know how to answer at that time.

If you speak to me one on one, it's evident that I am passionate about this business and I lead with my heart. My intention in buying the business is not profit driven - it is to provide an innovative, empathy driven culture in which agents that choose us and we choose them can find personal and professional empowerment. I have been touched by many of the agents that remain in this office sharing with me their happiness here, their respect for me and what I've achieved in real estate sales and I assure each agent that my commitment to their success is just the same.

One thing I've always cherished within the Success office is the empathy driven culture. I came to Success at a career low during the recession and as I rose up, there was never a target on my back. To the contrary all I have ever found here has been support and encouragement. This is unique in a real estate office where you are naturally in competition with one another. This quality makes our office quite special and it will remain.

For as dynamic an industry as real estate is, much remains the same in the way offices look, but I challenge that and we will in our office.

As a millennial and the only person I know of to own an office under the age of 40 or even 50 in this region, my vision for the company is unconventional by traditional standards. A meeting room with couches, bean bags, papasan chairs and perhaps even a Nerf basketball goal along with other games. I think a photo booth with hats and different items to take funny photos would be great!

We all have those days where nothing seems to be going our way: inspection issues, appraisal problems, clients that work against their own best interests. Instead of going postal or spending time on negative energy, let's make our meeting room an escape where we can get our creative juices flowing to find solutions and answers to help our clients find their way to closing. We should be about business, but we should be creative in this pursuit as well as light and fun in the process. 

If you've seen the model homes I design and stage, I won't be happy until the office strongly resembles one of them ;) Some agents and staff have already commented on the Fall and Halloween decor I've begun putting up. I am a HUGE holiday decorator so there will always be fun and often unique items for seasonal decoration throughout the office to brighten it up and make it feel comfy and cozy :)

Given that I'm a baker, you just may find some trays of cookies, dessert bars and cakes in the office kitchen every week or so ;)

Soon enough you will find BHGRE *PAIGE* values (Passion, Authenticity, Inclusion, Growth, Excellence) on the walls, inspirational quotes from our corporate leadership and other industry icons as well as refreshed energy and spirit within the group. 

When I came to the Success office nearly a decade ago it would be fair to say I was somewhat broken, struggling with finding my way through the recession and seeking a place in which to define my purpose and find personal empowerment. Within these walls, I did just that. My intention is to help all within the Success group do the same. 

As I mentioned above, my goals with this office are not like most companies in our area and beyond. I'm not profit driven looking solely at numbers coming in and going out. No one is viewed as a money generating name and number on a list. Each agent and staff member is first and foremost a person with a heart, mind and spirit. This is what I care about most. 

As I've grown my own team group over the years, people have come and gone. Some have left and not liked me much on their way out the door, but most often they ask to come back a year or two later because they realize they weren't a number to me - I pushed them to be their best, my intentions were always with their best interests at heart and they realized that is unique and there is inherent value in that. 

I have reached out to the agents to let them know none are or will be my employees. Rather, each is my partner. I am investing in each agent, to live their best life and define success in the way they choose. Their empowerment in an empathy driven culture is and will always be my priority.

Since the company will be focused on quality over quantity as I'm not focused on a specific profit or dividends like other company owners, I'm not interested in cattle calling agents into the office. It's not a numbers game to me like the other companies out there. It's a people focused, empathy driven culture where we can all work to our greatest potential personally and professionally.

For those in the BHGRE office, I thank you for placing your trust and faith in me. I do not take your placement of this in me lightly. I have been told I possess an insane work ethic. Most of that I would say is due to having to work my way from nothing as a freshly licensed 21 year old to where I stand today 13 years later - as a young minority that many people never thought would amount to much, but proved the doubters wrong.

Success is defined individually. My intention is to help each person find what success is for you and enjoy the empowerment you discover along the way.  Awards, money, status - they're all nice. They can make life more fun, comfortable and secure. But they shouldn't define us. Empowerment is the key and that's my investment in each person at BHGRE Success. 

We will continue to offer Cartus and I will be focused on providing agent resources from BHGRE corporate to help you work on your online presence, service to customers and social media. Realogy and BHGRE corporate have both provided tremendous support thus far and I know that will continue. Classes will be provided, I will even open up about my own strategies and business development models to help each of you adapt those to your own businesses. There's no one right way for everyone, but if we share, we can learn and grow together - to make each of us better individually and as a group.

This is an exciting time at BHGRE Success.  If you have known me over the course of my career you're aware that every business venture I have pursued I have made it successful from real estate sales to building new homes to designing floor plans and staging homes - this venture at Success is about helping each person within our walls find empowerment and success and I can assure you that we will do just that together. 

I will say to those at BHGRE Success - I thank each of you for your confidence in me, the words you've shared that have touched my heart, brought a few tears to my eyes and I promise I will not let you down. YOU are my priority.

Please feel free to approach me with your ideas and questions. I do tend to stay busy, but I am energized by this opportunity to create a unique and innovative culture within our office and I'm completely committed to making the Success office the best place for you both personally and professionally.

Out of our greatest risks in life come our greatest rewards. Out of our greatest challenges comes our greatest growth. I wasn't sure when asked a few years ago by that franchise regional manager: "what's next?" Now I know - we are doing this together and I'm in it to win it with you! It may cost me more money to own and operate than to be an agent, but I have a vision for what we can achieve together and I have full faith and confidence we will do just that.

On the path to Success, B :)