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Recruiting America’s Heroes: Michael Frederickson

May 26, 2014 By

Today, Memorial Day, we celebrate those who have proudly served our country. With that in mind, we’d like to introduce you to Michael Frederickson, a 27-year army veteran who joined CENTURY 21 Family Realty last year.

We sat down with Michael to hear about his army service and what brought him to real estate.

C21: Can you tell us about your military service?

MF: I was in the army for 27 years. I retired last year as Master Sgt. and Cavalry Scout. I worked as a career counselor for my fellow soldiers, with the goal of maintaining the all-volunteer force. I’d meet with each individual, hear what they most wanted to do and try to find them a job they would like and would fit their skills.

C21: How do the skills from your role as counselor transfer to your work in real estate?

MF: As a career counselor, you are charged with taking care of your commander and taking care of each soldier. You have to listen to what they need and help them find it. The same is true in real estate.

C21: When did you join the CENTURY 21 System?

MF: When I was in the army, one of the men who worked for me was Jose “Joe” Pomales. When Joe was getting ready to move on from the army, he was considering real estate. He worked for a few different brokerages as an independent agent, then CENTURY 21 started recruiting him. Joe joined CENTURY 21 just as I was getting ready to retire. He offered me the opportunity come work for him part time.

C21: How did you enjoy your first few months in real estate?

MF: I started January and got licensed last June. In all honesty, when I first started doing this full time, I was used to knowing what to do in my job every day and what needs to happen – I had been doing it for 27 years! When I started at CENTURY 21, I didn’t know how to do everything yet. I didn’t have all the answers and it was hard. When I joined the army, there was a sergeant there who told me what to do. As soon as that difference clicked in my head, I knew everything would be ok. I just had to learn to do my job again.

Now, I enjoy the flexibility of real estate. That flexibility provides me the opportunity to spend more time with my children.

C21: What is the biggest lesson you learned?

MF: As you step away from the army, you are beginning a new career. You have to spend the time and the effort to become as proficient in your new career as you did in the military.

C21: How was your team at CENTURY 21 Family Realty helped with the transition?

MF: In our office, we have a bullpen where new agents sit. When a call comes in and you don’t know the answer right away, there is always someone there to answer your questions. Everyone in our office is so helpful. Joe also has training every Wednesday. Some offices, no one teaches new agents how to succeed, here we have great resources. We really are a family. It’s such a wonderful place to work.

C21: How do you spread the word to other veterans who may be thinking about a career in real estate?

MF: The army does have a program for transitioning to retirement, leaving the army and becoming a civilian. Joe has created flyers about that transition from the army to real estate. We have ten veterans in our office and Joe still serves in the Army Reserve.

C21: It sounds like you and Joe have created a welcoming environment for veterans looking to move into real estate. We thank you both for your service and are proud to have you as members of the CENTURY 21 System.

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CENTURY 21 Headquarters Staff Volunteers At Camp Merry Heart

May 2, 2014 By

For the 12th consecutive year, Century 21 Real Estate LLC corporate staff members put aside their smartphones, conference rooms and normal business duties to spend the day working at an Easter Seals’ camp facility, Camp Merry Heart.

Camp Merry Heart is one of the few camps that accommodate both youths and adults with disabilities. Easter Seals relies on the support of organizations like the CENTURY 21 System to make the Camp accessible to as many people as possible. Donations and volunteer are especially crucial to the camp to stay afloat.

Yesterday, 120+ CENTURY 21® professionals volunteered at the camp in Hackettstown, NJ, making repairs, painting, installing new amenities and helping with landscaping projects. In total, the company logged approximately 700 hours of volunteer time on the workday to Camp Merry Heart in order to get the facility prepared to open for the summer.

Easter Seals has been the philanthropic partner of Century 21 Real Estate LLC for 35 years. In total, the CENTURY 21 System has raised more than $108 million on behalf of Easter Seals. The annual volunteer day at Camp Merry Heart is one of many examples of how CENTURY 21 Real Estate contributes to the organization.

To learn more about how you can support Easter Seals, click here.

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CENTURY 21 Real Estate Affiliate Offices Recognized In Real Trends 500 Ranking

April 30, 2014 By

Today, CENTURY 21 Real Estate LLC is proud to announce that 36 CENTURY 21® affiliate offices have been recognized in the 2014 REAL Trends 500 list. The annual report from REAL Trends identifies the country’s largest and most successful residential firms as ranked by closed transaction sides and separately by closed sales volume.

“CENTURY 21 System members understand that building long-term relationships, and delivering high-tech, high-touch professional services are keys to driving real estate sales success,” said Rick Davidson, president and CEO, Century 21 Real Estate LLC.  “We are extremely proud of the independent C21® offices and sales associates represented in the REAL Trends 500.”

The brokerages recognized by transaction sides in the ranking include:

The brokerages recognized by sales volume in the ranking include:

Congratulations to each office that who made the Real Trends 500 list. You are truly Smarter. Bolder. Faster.

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CENTURY 21 JR Gold Team Realty Hosts Charity Fundraiser

April 25, 2014 By

Earlier this month, Johnny Rojas, broker/owner of CENTURY 21 JR Gold Team Realty, led a team of agents, supporters, family and friends in a Casino Night fundraiser to support children with autism and related learning disabilities.

The event was held at the Rockleigh Country Club in Rockleigh, NJ. “By coming together to raise money and awareness for autism, we really feel as though we are able to give something back to the community in a meaningful way,” Rojas said.

Funds were donated to the Valley Regional Programs PTO. The PTO provides programs and services for children that are not covered by the annual school budget or tuition. The donations from CENTURY 21 JR Gold Team Realty directly impact local families by providing critical program support.

Rojas and his team are very passionate about serving the community. He shared, “We are incredibly proud of what are team has done to support autism awareness through fundraising. Not only are we hard at work helping families find the perfect home, we are also ensuring that families will have access to community support should they need it.”

Connect with the CENTURY 21 JR Gold Team Realty office by visiting their website.

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Attend ICSC ReCon In Las Vegas

April 25, 2014 By

The CENTURY 21 Commercial® team is headed back to Las Vegas once again for 2014 ICSC RECon. Conference attendees can meet the team at the brand’s booth (number N 243U) in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center from May 18-20th 2014. This is a great opportunity to make connections across the country with developers, retailers and investors, to learn and to generate business.

We sat down with Thayer Morgan of CENTURY 21 Commonwealth Commercial in Watertown, MA to learn more about why agents and brokers should clear their schedules to attend.

C21: What is the primary reason Commercial agents and brokers should attend ICSC?

TM: Three words: Build your business.

C21: What will CENTURY 21 Commercial be doing on site?

TM: The brand has a professionally designed booth at the show. We set up appointments with retailers, investors, hotels and more to introduce them to the brand and the properties we currently have available. These appointments can help attendees make their plans for the entire year.

C21: Does this conference help slate deals for longer-term projects?

TM: This conference is an investment in your future. You will meet construction companies, investors, developers and more. If you have a piece of land that could lend itself to development, this is the right place to explore that. Everyone goes to this show to do business. This is not the kind of conference where you go to pick up pens!

C21: Anything else you’d like interested agents and brokers to know?

TM: People may be worried about the cost of travel and registration. What I say to that is, every time I have come to this event, I’ve left with enough business that more than covers the cost of the trip. You meet people from all over the country. The referral potential is endless.

This year you can join ICSC as a CENTURY 21 Affiliate which will allow you to register for RECon at a pretty heavy discount if you do so before April 30th 2014.

C21: Thank you for all the details on the event, Thayer. For those interested in connecting with Thayer now or at the conference, you can reach him at (617) 383-8329.

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CENTURY 21 Triangle Group To Open Downtown Office In Raleigh, NC

April 11, 2014 By

The CENTURY 21 Triangle Group is expanding, now offering clients the opportunity to work with the team in an office in the heart of downtown Raleigh, NC. We chatted with Tim Steele Lehan to get the details on the team’s new location and what this second office will provide for current and new clients.

C21: Exciting news about the new office. Where exactly is it located?

TSL: It is right in downtown Raleigh, in the Bank of America building, on the main drag.

C21: How will this office differ from the first location in North Hills?

TSL: The properties vary so much from North Hills to downtown. Downtown is a specific type of real estate – condos, town homes and historic properties. You need a certain quality of urban lender, local HOAs and top inspectors to handle those historic homes.

C21: Will you hire new agents to service this new clientele?

TSL: Yes, we’ll be hiring new agents for this office with downtown-specific knowledge. There are a lot of small brokerages locally, but now that we’re downtown, and we have the CENTURY 21 brand name behind us, we have more resources available to us than ever before – the strength of the website, the brand marketing tools – it gives us even more awareness.

C21: How will this new team make itself known?

TSL: The priority is to build a team of agents who can be active in the community, volunteer, serve. We want people involved in city planning, city development and city council meetings.

C21: What are the characteristics of a stellar agent?

TSL: With our office, it’s going to be a baseline knowledge of downtown. We want personality and passion. We want someone who loves where they are. Someone we don’t have to push because they are already excited. We want people who want to make this community a better place. The number one thing is someone who is hard working and has an ethical approach to everything that happens in real estate.

C21: Anything else you’d like our readers to know?

TSL: What’s fun about the CENTURY 21 brand is the teamwork. We all push each other to be better as a group. That’s empowering.

C21: Thank you, Tim. Congratulations on the new space.

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CENTURY 21 Affiliated’s Kel Svoboda Named To REALTOR Magazine’s “30 Under 30”

April 9, 2014 By

This year, Kel Svoboda of CENTURY 21 Affiliated has been named to REALTOR Magazine’s “30 Under 30” list. Kel is one of two CENTURY 21 Agents who made the roster.

We sat down with Kel to congratulate him on this honor and learn the secrets to his success at such a young age.

C21: When did you join the CENTURY 21 System?

KS:  I joined last year. Dan Kruse brought me on to takeover as regional manager. Dan was so impressive to me. He comes from a real estate family and he just has strong values. He’s a great person. He and I share a lot of goals as far as growth – the sky is the limit!

C21: How is the “30 Under 30” list determined?

KS: There is an application process. Usually the local Associations send out a call for applicants. Mine did and I filled it out.  The National Association of Realtors (NAR) and Realtor.com then screen the applicants and choose a top 50. After that, they open it to online voting and then finally, the list is announced.

C21: Do you know any of the other honorees?

KS: Actually, there is another CENTURY 21 Agent on the list, Krista Clark from Iowa. We met through this, we’re Facebook friends now and I am actually going to see her in Chicago next week.

C21: To win this type of recognition, you have to differentiate yourself. How do you do that?

KS: My real estate story is different from most people. I started at 18 years old as a loan officer. I got my real estate license at 19 years old. I have built a very well rounded understanding of mortgage, tile and real estate.

When the market crashed, I didn’t walk away. I stayed committed and focused. In fact, I started the statewide Young Professionals Network in Wisconsin. I spent a year working on that.

But the biggest thing is, for me, it’s not about the paycheck in this business, it’s about the value you bring to your clients.

C21: Who has mentored you?

KS: I really didn’t have one specific person. There are so many areas of business that intrigue me. I am the type of person who sees someone successful and I reach out to him or her to introduce myself and learn how he or she is doing it. I also try to do the same and pay that forward to the younger generation.

C21: How do you hope to transform the industry?

KS: I really hate that car salesmen reputation that can come with real estate. We have to build up the professionalism and the ethical standards. It’s all in how you handle yourself.

For example, I have two children and I want to conduct myself in a way that will have people telling my kids I handle myself with honesty and integrity.

C21: If you could tell an 18 year old thinking about joining this business one thing, what would it be?

KS: I wish I would have learned the value proposition earlier in my career. I wish I had understood the actual value of what you are doing for your client. You’re not chasing the commission when you understand the value of the services you provide.

C21: Kel, congratulations again on this distinguished honor.

To connect with Kel, please follow his Facebook page.

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CENTURY 21 Affiliated Named “Best Place To Work”

April 3, 2014 By

CENTURY 21 Affiliated in Madison, WI has been named the “Best Place to Work” by Madison Magazine. We sat down with team’s leaders, Bill Kessler and Dan Kruse, to learn more about this accolade and how the Madison office has developed such a strong, supportive culture.

C21: Congratulations on being named the “Best Place to Work.” How are the winners determined?

DK: It’s interesting the way they do these awards. The magazine puts out a survey to the entire staff of our company. In order to even be considered, over 50% of your staff has to respond to the survey. The results are then judged within categories based on the size of your business – small, medium or large.

C21: Which category were you competing in?

BK: We were in the “large” category, which is 100 employees or greater. Given that employee participation in the survey is the first hurdle of consideration, we are really proud that over half of our team completed the questionnaire.

C21: Is this the first time you have been honored by the magazine?

DK: Yes. This was the first time we participated and we’re thrilled to have surpassed our industry category and won for “Best Overall.”

C21: What do you think makes the Madison office so special?

BK: The word is team. We really like a team and we are bonded together. Our staff participates in the hiring process and there’s always been a practice here that in addition to the skill set, candidates have to be a cultural fit. We try to discover, are they open to being sharing, transparent people? Are they willing to pitch in and help others?

C21: What motivates your team to continue to succeed?

BK: One of the things employees in our Madison office get behind is the opportunity for growth. If they started at the front desk and worked their way up to accounting or events manager, there has always been an opportunity to grow within the company. No matter your level, we want to give you the opportunity to grow personally and professionally. Also, whenever we do major events, we bring as many staff people as possible. They are involved in the joyful, fun part, not just the hard labor.

C21: How will you celebrate this achievement?

BK: The magazine held a party for all winners, which we attended. But the celebration is really continuing every day, as our team is now being recognized around town from their photos in the magazine article!

C21: Will you work this new title into your recruiting efforts?

DK: Our social media director has already blasted the news everywhere possible! The “Best Place to Work” accolade will definitely be part of our local recruiting campaigns. We do a monthly video for our company and next month we will feature this in our update. Being in an industry you love, with the number one employer in the area is the best case scenario for a real estate professional.

C21: Congratulations again, Bill and Dan.

To learn more about CENTURY 21 Affiliated in Madison, WI, visit their website.

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CENTURY 21 Invites Consumers To “Fall In Puppy Love” On YouTube

March 27, 2014 By

Today, Thursday March 27th, the CENTURY 21 brand invites you to fall in puppy love with your dream home.

For the entire day, the CENTURY 21 Puppy Cam will take over the YouTube.com home page. The brand is the first national real estate franchise to ever take over YouTube’s front page.

The brand chose March 27th because on this same day last year, there were more real estate searches on Google than on any other day. Knowing that consumers will already be looking for homes online, the brand plans to capitalize on that traffic.

The CENTURY 21 Puppy Cam ties back to the brand’s 2014 television ad series called “Based on a True Feeling,” in which clients liken the experience of working with a CENTURY 21 agent to being surrounded by puppies.

All day today consumers will have the chance to fall in puppy love with the brand not only on the YouTube home page, but also on the CENTURY 21 brand social media channels and on Reddit’s r/Aww section.

Follow all the cuteness on the hashtag #C21PuppyCam.

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CENTURY 21 Global Conference: Celebrating 35 Years With Easter Seals

March 21, 2014 By

At the CENTURY 21 Global Conference this week, the brand celebrated an important milestone: 35 years of partnership with Easter Seals. In that time, the CENTURY 21 System has raised over $108 million dollars in support of Easter Seals and the families they serve.

During the closing session of the conference, CENTURY 21 President and CEO Rick Davidson welcomed Jim Williams to the stage. Jim, the CEO of Easter Seals, shared a few words about what this ongoing partnership means to him, to his team and to all the individuals who benefit from Easter Seals programs.

Next to take the stage was Easter Seals Adult Representative, Angela Spraul. Angela’s husband was critically injured while serving our country and spent months in the hospital.

During that time, Angela and her husband enrolled their two young daughters in daycare through Easter Seals. She explained, “Finding good daycare in our area, where we actually felt comfortable leaving our girls, was extremely difficult. Once they started to attend daycare with Easter Seals they were so happy. They loved their teachers and they still ask to go back and visit.”

Then, Angela very bravely shared with that audience that after struggling for months with his recovery, her husband took his own life. She began to tear up and took a minute to compose herself. During that moment, the entire audience rose to their feet to applaud her strength.

In closing, Angela shared that the team from Easter Seals was the first group of people to reach out to her after this tragedy and the team has continued to support her and her girls. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Following Angela’s incredible story of courage, CENTURY 21 System member John Kersten arrived on stage to present Easter Seals with a check for the dollars raised by his CENTURY 21 office.

This year John and his team raised $923,000 dollars in support of Easter Seals.

2014 brings a new opportunity for you to donate to Easter Seals. For the third time, Rick Davidson will be leading a group of adventurers on a mountain climb (this time in Europe) and every single dollar raised by the climb team will go directly to Easter Seals.

To join your fellow CENTURY 21 System members in supporting our philanthropic partner, visit Easterseals.com/Century21.

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