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Watch & Vote: #C21ReadyToSell With Jolie Kerr

August 25, 2014 By

Today the CENTURY 21® brand is excited to launch a new video series with cleaning expert and The New York Times best selling author, Jolie Kerr.

This six part video series, #C21ReadyToSell, provides homebuyers and real estate professionals with the ultimate guide to cleaning and staging a home to sparkle and sell.

In addition to these helpful tips and tricks, once you’ve watched all six videos you can visit www.century21.com/aboutus/mediacenter/askacleanperson and vote for your favorite video to be entered for the chance to win a $250 gift card.

Watch, vote, enter and then share your favorite pro tips on Facebook and Twitter by tagging @Century21 and using the hashtag #C21ReadyToSell.

You can also send your personal cleaning and staging questions to Jolie via Twitter, @JolieKerr. To purchase her book, “My Boyfriend Barfed In My Handbag . . . And Other Things You Can’t Ask Martha” click here.

Which #C21ReadyToSell video is your favorite?

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Climb For Kids Team Summits Mt. Elbrus

August 1, 2014 By

Today we are thrilled to announce that CENTURY 21 CEO Rick Davidson and the Climb for Kids team have successfully summited Mt. Elbrus, the tallest peak in Europe!

While the rest of us were fast asleep, the team awoke on climb day at 1:00am and began their summit ascent at 3:00am, starting at high camp. Rick reports that, “The weather was perfect.”

Seven hours and twenty minutes later, the Climb for Kids team reached the summit, the tallest peak in all of Europe.

Every single team member made the summit. Rick shared, “A 100% success rate is a rarity in mountaineering, but the team was strong and pushed through the mental and physical barriers that are ever present on a mountain of this magnitude.”

In this photo below you will see a large pyramid shadow casting into the distance. This was the shadow of Mt. Elbrus as the sun rose around 5:30 am. Rick explained, “This is a spectacular sight and a rarity. In all my years of climbing I have only seen this phenomenon one other time from the summit of Mt. Hood.”

Scott Becker of CENTURY 21 New Millennium, also on the climb, cheered, “All week we had been looking up at the peaks just over the Russian border in Georiga. Today we got to look down at them from the summit of Mt. Elbrus! We returned to base at 3:30pm to celebrate with shish kabobs and a Russian beer (or two).”

This year’s climb team included a very special member, retired U.S. Army Sergeant Benjamin Breckheimer. By completing the Climb for Kids, Benjamin became only the second Wound Warrior to summit Mt. Elbrus. What an incredible inspiration.

Benjamin shared on his Facebook page, “I would like you all to share my story to as many people as you possibly can to show that with the right mindset you can accomplish anything, no matter how many hurdles you have to jump.”

Reflecting on this year’s Climb for Kids, Rick said, “Our goal this year is to raise $100,000 for Easter Seals. We have reached the summit, but we are not there yet and need your help so we can help children, adults and veterans achieve their own personal summits. Please donate – ever dollar goes directly to Easter Seals to serve the community. Thank you in advance for your generosity!”

To help the team celebrate their achievement, donate to the Climb for Kids right now.

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Climb For Kids Team Completes Acclimatization Hikes

July 30, 2014 By

On Monday we shared with you the first update from CENTURY 21 CEO Rick Davidson and the Climb for Kids team as they arrived in Russia. The team is preparing to climb Mt. Elbrus, the tallest peak in Europe.

Today we are happy to report the team is feeling healthy after completing two acclimatization hikes.

Earlier this week the team arrived at base camp in Terskol, Glade Azou, Russia, which is at the foothills of Mt. Elbrus.

To get acclimated to the terrain and elevations, the team climbed Mt. Cheget which is on the border of Russia and Georgia.

This climb is up to 11,000 feet and one of three the team will complete before attempting Mt. Elbrus.  They were able to reach 10,000 feet before being restricted to go higher.

From his satellite phone, Rick has shared with us, “It’s beautiful here. The people are friendly and many from all around the world. We played Frisbee with two Russian children yesterday and spent time talking to two climbs from Pakistan and Bangladesh. We also saw the team from South Korea who we met at the airport. We hope to see them on the mountain.”

While preparing for the big climb up Elbrus, the team met up with a group of climbers from Singapore who are also planning to summit Elbrus.

The woman pictured above to the right or Rick (in blue) has summited Mt. Everest. She has friends who summited K2 this week. There was a U.S. team who submitted K2 this week as well becoming the 13,14 and 15th Americans in history to do so. That team was lead by Garrett Madison, the guide from the Climb for Kids trip to Mt. Hood.

On their final acclimatization hike this week, the team was able to reach 11,000 feet before ascending to high camp.

They caught their first view of Mt. Elbrus.

Rick reports that, “The team was really strong and the weather report says our summit day weather is looking good!”

Want to support the Climb for Kids? The team’s goal is to raise $100,000 for Easter Seals and there is still time to donate. Click here to show your support.

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Climb For Kids Team Heads To Mt. Elbrus

July 28, 2014 By

This week, CENTURY 21 CEO Rick Davidson and the Climb for Kids team boarded planes in their home states and headed for Russia. The team will be climbing the tallest peak in Europe, Mt. Elbrus.

The Climb for Kids team includes two CENTURY 21 System members, Scott Becker of CENTURY 21 New Millennium and Natalia Aulenbacher of CENTURY 21 Freedom Realty.

Also joining the Climb team is retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Benjamin Breckheimer.  Benjamin was in rehab for two years following a roadside bombing in Afghanistan. Though severely wounded, he has taken on mountaineering. When asked about his addition to the team, Rick shared, “What an inspiration and what an American hero! It’s no accident that we got connected.”

As the team begins their adventure, Rick is sharing photos with us, live from Russia. Here is a shot of the team at the airport, waiting to board their final connection:

At the airport our team discovered another climb team from Seoul, Korea, who is also planning to summit Mt. Elbrus.

Once in Russia, Rick and the team did a bit of sightseeing and even took a few selfies!

When sharing the below photo, Rick joked, “The market is upside down in this neighborhood!”

Amidst their exploring, the team found the perfect spot to take a group photo.

Next up, Rick and the team will prepare to set up at base camp.

Want to support the Climb for Kids? The team’s goal is to raise $100,000 in support of Easter Seals and there is still time to donate. Click here to contribute.

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Veteran Climber Natalia Aulenbacher Joins Climb With Rick Davidson

July 15, 2014 By

Natalia Aulenbacher of CENTURY 21 Freedom Realty is an outdoor adventure junkie. After moving to Alaska in 2000, she has served as a mountain guide and a rafting guide. Upon learning of Century 21 CEO Rick Davidson’s passion for climbing, she introduced herself at this year’s Global Conference and within minutes, had accepted the offer to join the Climb for Kids team.

We sat down with Natalia to hear more about her passion for the outdoors and how she’s preparing for this year’s trip.

C21: How did you get involved in this year’s Climb for Kids?

NA: I’ve lived in Alaska since 2000. I move here to climb mountains. That’s why I wanted to live in the state. I went to Alaska Pacific University where I received a degree in Outdoor Studies, which was gearing me towards owning my own guiding outfit.

As for this year’s Climb, I knew Rick loved to climb and I had just joined CENTURY 21 a year ago (in March 2013) and so when I found out her was a big climber, I wanted to reach out and talk to him about if the Climb would ever return to Alaska.

When Rick and I met in person at this year’s Global Conference in Las Vegas, we began talking about climbing and then offered for me to join this year’s trip.

C21: Each year the Climb supports Easter Seals. Is this your first time fundraising for the organization?

NA: This is my first time fundraising for Easter Seals. They don’t have as large a presence in Alaska as they do in other states.

C21: We know you love the outdoors, but how did you first get involved in real estate?

NA: When I graduated college I decided to work near Denali as a mountaineering guide. It made me realize that type of climbing wasn’t what I wanted to be doing. I decided to head back where I had worked as a raft guide in the summers. At that point I got very into fly fishing, which is probably the second most popular income generator for Alaska. I wanted to be a fishing guide.

A while later I would up working in Cooper Landing for Alaska River Adventures. I was there for four years when I decided I wanted to ask the owner if I could buy the business and take it over. I started to pursue that, I had three investors and then I had a moment where I thought, “I am buying a job. Why would I do that?” so I put on the brakes. I wound up working there for three more years and that is where I met my husband. He’s the one who introduced me to real estate.

C21: How did your real estate interest develop?

NA: My husband and I started investing in some properties. That lead me to meeting a realtor who recommended I get my real estate license. I spoke to that agent’s broker and I hung my license with them. In the fall of 2012, I officially started working in real estate.

C21: How have the first two years been?

NA: I definitely struggled that first year. The following summer I had a very good year and I’ve been cruising along ever since.  I really do enjoy real estate – helping people purchase and sell. I have built a niche here now. I help people analyze their investment opportunities and make a profit.

C21: We’re happy to have you in the CENTURY 21 System, Natalia. We look forward to hearing the tales of your climbing adventure with Rick and the team.

Natalia, Rick and team are aiming to raise $100,000 in support of Easter Seals. To help the team reach their goal, donate here.

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Century 21 North Homes Volunteers With Veterans

July 1, 2014 By

Two weeks ago, the team from Century 21 North Homes in Puget Sound, WA spent the day volunteering with the Veterans Memorial Clean Up Project. Started by Rich Sundance, a veteran and former Century 21 System member, the project focuses on giving much needed care to veterans’ memorials in the Puget Sound area.

Rich works for Veterans Affairs as a counselor and his office is inside the Century 21 North Homes office. When he began the project, the Century 21 team was eager to help.

Scott Heiner of Century 21 North Homes shared, “Rich is very passionate about this cause. Everyone in the office knows Rich and his commitment to the project. We all wanted to help him and these veterans. Our people jumped at the opportunity.”

On Saturday, June 21st, a dozen members of the Century 21 North Homes team headed to Annacortes, WA to help spruce up Causland Memorial Park, along with local disabled veterans. Causland Memorial Park is the largest veterans memorial in the county. It was created in 1920 and needed some extra TLC after nearly 100 years of weather exposure.

Rich has organized a few veterans memorial clean ups, this being the fourth.  For each project he researches the type of medal the memorial is made of so the volunteers can use the right cleaning solution to spruce, without causing any damage.

Rich explained, “There are monuments all over the country that have never seen any care. I’ll never stop doing this. I have three more on my radar right now. “

Over the weekend, 50 volunteers participated in the clean up at Kaufland Memorial Park.  The Century 21 North Homes team volunteers together several times per year, including activities in support of Easter Seals. The office is ranked #12 in the Century 21 System for donations to Easter Seals.

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Honoring A Legend . . . The Marsh Fisher Executive Boardroom

June 23, 2014 By

Say goodbye to the Summit Boardroom. Located on the second floor of  CENTURY 21® headquarters in Madison, New Jersey, the room is now officially the Marsh Fisher Executive Boardroom, named in honor of the brand’s late co-founder.

Fisher, an industry legend who is credited with transforming the real estate industry, the practice of franchising existing real estate companies under a singular brand and for his philanthropic alliance with Easter Seals, passed away in 2013.  Much of the structure the industry enjoys today is a result of Fischer’s work in the early days of franchising. He is also credited for the alliance between Easter Seals and the CENTURY 21 System, which is now in its 35th year and through 2013 has raised over $108 million.

During the 2014 C21® Global Conference in March, Rick Davidson, president and chief executive officer of Century 21 Real Estate LLC, pledged to rename the Summit Executive Boardroom to the Marsh Fischer Executive Boardroom as a tribute to the iconic entrepreneur. Attending the global conference from the Fisher family were his wife Barbara; his two daughters, Heidi and Cindy; and Cindy’s husband Douglas Davidson.

During the Easter Seals Reception during Global Conference, Rick Davidson, an avid mountain climber, announced the dedication of   his 2014 “Climb for Kids” for Easter Seals in honor of Marsh. “It seems only fitting for me to honor Marsh and his family in the first ‘Climb’ following his passing,” said Rick Davidson.  To contribute to the “Climb for Kids” please click here. One hundred per cent of the funds raised by the “Climb For Kids” go directly to Easter Seals.

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CENTURY 21® Social Creative Content Sweeps Advertising Awards

June 23, 2014 By

This summer the CENTURY 21® brand celebrated a fourth consecutive win during this year’s advertising awards season collecting a Gold Andy Award, Gold and Silver One Show Pencils and the People’s Choice Award at the Webby Awards for innovative social creative content.

For the past year, the CENTURY 21 social media team has been focused on maintaining the brand’s position as the number one most-trafficked real estate franchise website and providing unique social content that drives conversations and engagement opportunities for CENTURY 21 affiliated brokers and agents.

“These site visits and conversation starters continue to drive brand preference and generate millions of leads for CENTURY 21 professionals,” said Bev Thorne, CMO, Century 21 Real Estate LLC.  “This innovative form of social marketing is topical, timely, and centered on the home.  It has elevated our brand beyond the real estate category and reintroduced CENTURY 21 affiliated agents to an entirely new generation of home buyers and sellers.”

How is the team doing it? By creating shareable social media moments to be seen far and wide, via a mix of content – photos, memes and videos – across the brand’s most popular social channels like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest.

Throughout the past year, the brand has generated real-time social campaigns celebrating the following:

  • U.S. Soccer Victory Dance – a video victory dance celebrating each time the U.S. Soccer team scores a goal in the World Cup
  • Lawn Invasion – A group of lawn ornaments “Fears the Sign” as their neighborhood friends disappear as the CENTURY 21® SOLD sign goes up in the yards around their homes
  • Easter – something for the littlest ones in the family, a video with footage of the “real” Easter Bunny outside a CENTURY 21 listing
  • Valentine’s Day – a little Barry White spirit with love poem videos to set the mood
  • New Years Day – the launch of the first ever National Stay at Home Day with the help of brand partners Dish and Snuggie
  • Holiday Season – a video series featuring Gingerbread real estate agents selling Gingerbread homes
  • Thanksgiving – a custom rock song for Turkey Day, aptly titled, the Tryptophan Slow Jam. Not only is it a 60’s style throwback, but the tune will remain stuck in your head for days
  • Halloween – a series of haunted house videos with the tagline, “Slightly haunted? Yeah, we could sell that.”
  • The Series Finale of Breaking Bad – a phony listing of Walter White’s house on Craigslist, chockfull of insider show references, as well as a phone number with a voicemail that asked callers to share their thoughts on the finale
  • The Royal Baby – a Facebook post welcoming baby George, and their need to upgrade to a bigger place

“I am very proud of the recognition this work has received,” added Thorne. “However, we are not sitting back as we enter the peak months of the 2014 home buying and selling season. The brand is as committed as ever to putting CENTURY 21 affiliated real estate professionals front and center with consumers in more unexpected, clever and highly sharable ways!”

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Download The Sound Of Soccer

June 17, 2014 By

As the Official Real Estate Company of U.S. Soccer, the CENTURY 21® brand could not be more excited for this month’s games in Brazil.

What better way to show your support for the team than to have the sound of victory ringing through your cell phone with each and every incoming call from your family, friends, clients and partners?

In honor of the games, select one of two ringtones for your phone:

-       Ringtone #1

-       Ringtone #2

Download a ringtone today and start hearing the sounds of the U.S. Soccer team kicking their way to the top!

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Krista Clark of CENTURY 21 Signature Real Estate Named To REALTOR Magazine’s “30 Under 30”

May 30, 2014 By

Krista Clark was the first person in her family to graduate from college. Adding another accomplishment to her growing list, she has earned a spot on REALTOR® Magazine’s “30 Under 30” list.

Krista, 29, was planning to open her own brokerage when a single conversation with a CENTURY 21® broker changed her course. After less than one year with CENTURY 21 Signature Real Estate in Ankeny, IA, Krista did $13.1 million dollars in sales volume in 2013.

We sat down with Krista to learn the secrets to her success.

C21: When did you join the CENTURY 21 System?

KC: I just joined this past summer in July. Joining CENTURY 21 was my way of breaking past the plateau I was on. I was always with a small independent brokerage and I had always worked from home. I didn’t realize all the things I was missing out on.

C21: How did you decide to make the move?

KC: It was a close friend through the Young Professionals Network, Megan Hill. I was about to open my own brokerage. I had my application in, my logo designed – everything. Megan asked me if I would meet with her CENTURY 21 broker. I am not one to turn down meetings. You can always learn from meeting new people and networking. I figured, she asked me, I will take it. I kind of did it as a courtesy to her. I walked out of the meeting with the broker and thought, “Crap! Now what do I do.”

C21: Do you have a specialty area in real estate?

KC: I sell commercial real estate- multi family homes, apartment complexes – investment properties, really. CENTURY 21 is pushing the commercial side of things and wanted to focus on that locally, so they wanted me to come in and help them do that.

At this point, I’m the commercial specialist. We have five offices and I am the only full time commercial person right now. Our team is great about sending me referrals almost every day. Eventually we want to build up our commercial team and have people in every niche area – leasing, land sales, etc.

C21: You did $13 million dollars in sales volume in 2013. How did you achieve that?

KC: First of all, joining CENTURY 21 has given me a lot more motivation to push harder. I see people in my office doing $20 million dollars in residential sales and that just pushes me to rise to the occasion.

I’ve also benefited a lot from the marketing tools available through CENTURY 21. When I used to do my marketing presentations, I was spending hours and hours creating each packet. Now I use 21Online, click on “ad campaign,” input the information and it just generates those materials for me.

I’ve also been able to set up automatic property notifications for my clients. I have a group of about nine core investors that make up about 80% of my business. For them, I can set up these automatic updates, a task that would have taken at least an hour every happen otherwise.

C21: How did you decide to apply for the “30 Under 30” list?

I’ve been involved with the local, state and national Association, so I was very familiar with the honor. Every year I had people calling me, encouraging me to apply. I thought, “Ok, I will try this one time.” It’s a long application process and I am the kind of person who only does things 100 percent, so I knew I would have to really take the time to commit to this.

Finally, this year I did it. Once I completed it, I thought, “Well now that I’ve done it, I really want this!” It’s been amazing. I am so glad I did it.

C21: This month you are featured on the cover of REALTOR Magazine. How does that feel?

KC: I ordered 100 extra copies of the magazine. I handed them out to every person I’ve ever walked by! That’s so not me, but it was just too exciting.

They did such an amazing job selecting people with character, not just people with high production numbers.

C21: You are on the cover with another CENTURY 21 agent, Kel Svoboda of CENTURY 21 Affiliated. Did you two connect?

KC: Kel and I met in person and discovered we had a lot in common. We both got into real estate straight out of high school.

I just completed my Bachelor’s degree. I have eight nieces and nephews and when I got the college diploma I could show them what it means to achieve something great and that was so meaningful. I told each of them that if they get into college, I will pay their tuition. I would be honored to be able to pay for eight people to go to college.

The harder you work and the more dedication you have, the more you can accomplish in life. I want my nieces and nephews to know that.

C21: For people graduating high school or college and thinking about a career in real estate, what advice would you offer them?

This biggest piece of advice I would have for young people is not to apologize for your age. In my experience, people value the forward-thinking and the visionary minds of our generation.

While it seems intimidating to be young in this industry, it helps you stand out. Own it. Let it be your driving force. It will open doors for you.

There is a lack of excitement in our business and when someone comes in with passion, that’s contagious.

I would also tell them not to be afraid to try or reach for something. Like with Associations for example, don’t wait for people to open the door for you. Knock!

Don’t ever feel like you don’t have the opportunity to do new things. You have plenty to offer, no matter your age. Decide to pave your own way. You’ll be glad you did.

C21: Thank you, Krista. You are a true inspiration. Congratulations again on the “30 Under 30” recognition.

To connect with Krista, visit her website.

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