Wow, it sure has been a challenging past few years hasn’t it? Here’s an update as to where we are:
We Are Stable
While our competition has cut major services, closed offices with one day’s notice, increased referral fees and rolled back commission splits, we have weathered this economic downturn with little service impact and no fee increases to Associates.
Our Associate count has stabilized and our transaction counts, through the first quarter, were about even with 2009.
The company is debt free and RE/MAX International is going strong, continuing to sell franchises in dozens of countries throughout the world.
We Are Growing
We’re proud and pleased to be building new office spaces in Virginia Beach and Woodbridge to replace some of our older offices. Both new, state of the art, offices should open later this year.
We’re aggressively pursuing recruiting and acquisition opportunities, realizing that controlled growth based on logic is the way to go.
We Are Progressive
RE/MAX Allegiance is the most progressive real estate company in our markets and is more progressive than most real estate companies worldwide. I attend real estate conferences across the country and am often struck when I hear about the newest service, only to realize that Allegiance has been doing it for years or tried it and improved upon it. Sometimes we try services that do not work out as planned. I have no regrets, as we are always looking to improve on what we do, take risks and set ourselves apart from the competition. I believe that consistently doing nothing is far worse than trying new things, most of which work out as planned.
In 2009, we added services, brought in renowned speakers and organized what was widely recognized as our best company convention ever. We continue to have the most robust education program of any real estate company that I know of.
Because we’re progressive, RE/MAX Allegiance wholeheartedly supports NAR’s Second Century initiatives, including Realtors Property Resourcee (RPR).
We Excel at Premier Community Citizenship
Over half of our Associates participate in Children’s Miracle Network’s Honor Program and helped raise nearly $150,000 for local children’s hospitals in 2009. This amount exceeded donations the previous ten years combined and was more than any RE/MAX company in the Central Atlantic Region raised last year. Additionally, we have a seat on the local RE/MAX Advisory Council for Children’s National Medical Center in Washington.
Many Associates contribute their time to numerous community organizations throughout our markets including, in 2009, participating in ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition.
We Are Leaders
We have many Associates, Brokers and Executives in positions of leadership within local, state and national Realtor Associations, including more members of the Virginia Association of Realtors’ Board of Directors than any other company.
We’re members of RE/MAX International’s Premier Broker Group and one of RealTrends’ CEO groups. Additionally, we will be one of the first real estate companies to join RisMedia’s Real Estate Information Network in the coming months.
We Are Still Number One
I am pleased to report that, in two different and widely read real estate industry surveys, RE/MAX Allegiance remained the Number One Selling RE/MAX Company in 2009. Other RE/MAX franchises have more Associates, but nobody outsells RE/MAX Allegiance.
We Are RE/MAX Allegiance!
All of the owners are excited about the direction of our company and look forward to ever increasing opportunities as they present themselves. As always, I am open to suggestions and ideas that you may have. Together we will continue to be the Number One Selling RE/MAX Company in the World!
