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5 Reasons To Shop From Home This Weekend

November 27, 2013 By

At CENTURY 21®, we love Cyber Monday. You can skip the lines and still find great deals, all from the comfort of your own home. Here are five reasons why we think the smartest shopper is the home shopper:

1. At home, you have the option to shop in either the upright or prone position.

2. Your risk of being elbowed, shoved or stepped on is virtually zero.

3. You’ll avoid unbecoming altercations over sale items.

4. You can wear your favorite, comfy slippers without fear of embarrassment.

5. You know how you always wear a big winter coat, then realize it’s way too warm as soon you get inside, but you don’t want to go back to the car, and you’re stuck either sweating or carrying it around the whole night? Well, that won’t happen either.

The verdict is in. Come home for the holidays, and stay home for the shopping. Find the perfect home for all your holiday shopping needs at www.century21.com.

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Listen To The Thanksgiving Anthem: #Tryptophan Slow Jam

November 26, 2013 By

Christmas has all kinds of songs and carols, but Thanksgiving has never had its own holiday standard. Until now.

A unique brand of harmony and soaring melody join together to form the greatest Thanksgiving rock anthem of all time: “Tryptophan Slow Jam.”

Experience the mega-mellow Thanksgiving classic – a rousing anthem about a family taking a psychedelic tryptophan-inspired journey into Napland after a massive turkey dinner.

Love the song? Download it on iTunes and CENTURY 21 will donate 100% of the proceeds to Easter Seals.

Share the Tryptophan Slow Jam on your social media channels with the hashtag #Tryptophan.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Remembering Marsh Fisher, Co-Founder Of CENTURY 21 Real Estate Franchise System

November 25, 2013 By

Marsh Fisher, co-founder of Century 21 Real Estate, died from natural causes on Friday, November 22 in Pomona, CA. He was 88. An influential and iconic entrepreneur, Fisher is credited with transforming the real estate industry and the practice of franchising existing real estate companies under a singular brand.

“The real estate industry has lost a legend,” said Rick Davidson, president and CEO, Century 21 Real Estate LLC. “Much of the structure of the industry today is a result of Marsh’s work in the early days of franchising. He was a true visionary.”

What started in 1971 as a regional franchise in Orange County, CA, is today the franchisor of the world’s largest residential real estate sales organization, comprised of 7,100 independently owned offices in 75 countries and territories with more than 102,000 sales professionals. CENTURY 21 is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp., a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services.

“Marsh was an innovator, and his dedication and commitment to CENTURY 21 helped the company grow across the United States and all around the world,” added Davidson. “I am incredibly proud to be in a position of carrying on his legacy and continuing to innovate within our company and the industry.”

After selling CENTURY 21 in 1979, Fisher went on to make a significant difference in the technology industry, as well. He was the originator and creator of IdeaFisher software, an application that opened the minds of corporations, consultants and educators to the process of Associative Thinking. He is also the author of “The Ideafisher: How to Land That Big Idea — And Other Secrets of Creativity in Business.”

Marsh Fisher was a B-25 bomber pilot in the United States Air Force from 1943-1945. The Fisher family is commemorating his life with a private family interment. An Air Force honor guard will perform.

Fisher is survived by his first wife of 19 years, Barbara Fisher; children: Jess Fisher, Cynthia Fisher-Davidson, and Heidi Fisher; brother: Jay Fisher; son-in-law: Doug Davidson, and grandchildren: Calyssa and Caden Davidson. The family also wishes to express its deepest gratitude to Paul and Mary Lou Curtis for their unconditional love and support. Fisher’s co-founder at CENTURY 21, Art Bartlett, predeceased Fisher on December 31, 2009.

In lieu of flowers the family is kindly asking that donations be made to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation, 406 W. 34th St. Ste. 920, Kansas City, MO 64111, Telephone (816) 968-1128, www.VFWFoundation.org.

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Real Estate Reads Of The Week

November 22, 2013 By

Happy Friday!

Each Friday we share with you the must-read, real estate news of the week. We’ve got everything you need to know to stay on top of breaking industry news and trends.

Refill your coffee and get reading!

“Reality Check: Florida Housing Market Rebound”

This week, Craig Beggins, owner of CENTURY 21 Beggins in Tampa, FL, spoke with MNI News about the current housing market in Florida. “We’ve been beaten up for the last eight years, but my business is up about 40% this year, and I’m expecting another 40% next year,” Beggins said. Continue reading . . .

“Is Winter The Best Time To Buy?”

Spring and summer are often thought of as the best months to list and sell a home, but could the winter actually be the ideal time? This week MSN Real Estate lists the benefits of selling your home in the off season, as well as the reasons buyers should keep looking through year-end. Continue reading . . .

“6 Quick Tips To Give Your Home More Appeal”

Selling a home can be an extremely stressful process. Between staging your home and having to leave every weekend for several hours for open houses, it’s no surprise that people dread selling their homes -– even when the market is strong and homes are selling relatively quickly. If you’re looking to sell your house and want some quick moves to improve it that won’t ruin your budget, start with these six easy things you can do to freshen up the sight, smell and overall feeling of your home. Continue reading . . .

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CENTURY 21 American Homes Forms Best-In-Class Hybrid Powerhouse

November 18, 2013 By

This month, CENTURY 21 American Homes announced it has merged with independent Cruse Real Estate, effectively combining two unique business models to create a best-in-class hybrid real estate model in the Long Island and New York metro area. Prior to the merge, CENTURY 21 American Homes was already the top CENTURY 21 firm in the state of New York. The addition of Cruse Real Estate Broker/Owner Michael Kenduck and his team will surely help continue their business success.

We sat down with Mike Litzner, Broker/Owner of CENTURY 21 American Homes, to hear how this merge is going to change their business model and help the newly formed team take on the local market.

C21: Can you tell us about the recent merger?

ML: Cruse Real Estate was a three office firm. They are combining their team into one office, which will become the tenth office of CENTURY 21 American Homes.

C21: Tell us about this new real estate hybrid.

ML: This merger is the bringing together of two niche markets. We are combining two unique business models to create one unique, best-in-class, hybrid powerhouse.

C21: What does the Cruse Real Estate team add to the CENTURY 21 American Homes team?

ML: We are happy to have the Cruse Real Estate team as a part of the CENTURY 21 American Homes family. Michael Kenduck, their broker/owner, will automatically become the number one agent in our company when he joins. He is only 29 years old, but he’s been licensed for eight years and he really embraces technology to elevate his business. He will continue to focus on REOs and short sales.

C21: Will you have new areas of service?

ML: We will be serving the same communities, but different ends of the market. We will be leveraging our footprint across all of Long Island. Combined we will have 450 agents, over 1,600 sides of business and over half a billion dollars of closed deals in 2013.

C21: How is the local market rebounding?

ML: The past year our local market is up 11% year over year. Prices are back up by 8%.

C21: What do you think sets your team apart from the competitors?

ML: Our determination to succeed. We try to be forward thinking and get our arms around the business while still maintaining a personal touch with each of our clients.

C21: Headquartered at 2694 Hempstead Turnpike, Levittown, NY, CENTURY 21 American Homes will continue to provide full-service real estate assistance, specializing in both residential and default sales throughout Nassau County, Suffolk County, Queens County and Brooklyn.

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CENTURY 21 Judge Fite Company Named To Top 100 Places To Work

November 14, 2013 By

This week the CENTURY 21 Judge Fite Company was named one of the “Top 100 Places” to work in Dallas/Fort Worth by The Dallas Morning News. Congratulations!

The competition had three categories – small, medium and large businesses – and the CENTURY 21 Judge Fite Company was named the number seven best place to work in the large business category. Lucky number seven!

We sat down with President and CEO Jim Fite to learn about the nomination process, what makes the company such a fantastic place to work and their goals for the future.

C21: CENTURY 21 Judge Fite was just named one of the “Top 100 Places to Work” in Dallas/Fort Worth, how are these winners determined?

JF: Someone nominated us, but we’re not sure who. We were contacted that we had been nominated last spring. They immediately sent out a questionnaire to all of our employees. Out of 510 surveys sent, 273 of our agents and staff responded. They gave over 420 comments!  The paper then compiles all the survey results from the nominated companies and determines the rankings.

C21: How many other local businesses were you competing against?

JF: 1,275 companies were nominated across three categories: small, medium and large businesses. We were in the large business category (500 employees or more) and we ranked #7 on the list.

C21: Congratulations! Your parents started the company and now you and your sister are leading the charge. What are the advantages of a family run business?

JF: There is certainly a vested interest in the quality of service when your name is on the door. It feels like every client is important . Your whole life is invested in it, as opposed to working for another person. We have a very family culture here. When someone joins, I send an email with the subject line, “Welcome to the Judge Fite family.” We build that culture from the day they start with our organization.

C21: What do you think makes for a great office culture?

JF: My perception is it’s important to go overboard in the area of communication. Keeping our people informed, promoting the good, or if it’s not so good, talking about how we can improve. Always looking to exceed expectations. Getting a positive customer experience.

C21: How do you work to ensure that commitment to service?

JF: CENTURY 21 does a quality service survey after every closing. We see those results online in real time. I can look at our whole company’s results any moment of any day. In our company, I have a staff member who prints out every survey, every day, and puts them in my mail box, hard copy.

I have a stack at least a half inch thick every day. I walk in to my office, bring them to my desk and I read every quality service survey that comes back. I circle the overall rating, I read the comments and I write a personal note to the agent. I put them in my sister’s inbox, she reads them, makes her comments and then each manager gets their people’s surveys. They will take them back and read them and then they will read the survey in front of their peers.

Our company’s quality service rating year-to-date is 96 percent.

C21: How do you maintain that standard of excellence across 20 offices?

JF: We survey our employees every year in August. There are 100 questions on the survey. We take that information to our annual strategic planning meeting. We then develop the plan for the upcoming year and beyond based upon what our people say about us.

Each group of managers (22 managers) across four groups, meets before the annual meeting. At the meeting they give a report from their individual group and we then plan for the future. My point is, it’s bottom up – from agents to staff to the management team.

Once management signs off on our plan for the year ahead, we to talk to our agents about what we’re going to be doing in the coming year. They have our commitment based on the survey they filled out.

C21: How important is training when it comes to establishing a great place to work?

JF: It’s absolutely important. We have brought in Brian Buffini to our company. We have 150 -250 agents who have gone through the Buffini program. Every new agent goes through the Peak Producer program. We have a 12 week program for all new agents that meets every Friday. We also have coaching with our managers. Every manager is a certified mentor through Peak Producers. Our managers coach on an individual basis. Then we have the CENTURY 21 brand for online training for additional specialization.

C21: Will you leverage this new “Top Places to Work” achievement to recruit top producers to the CENTURY 21 Judge Fite team?

JF: Absolutely. It’s already being done. We’re trying to go viral in social media. We communicated it internally, the paper released a video on Sunday and published the full list on Monday.

The video will be shown at all of our sales meetings this week. We encourage our agents to share on their social media channels and share with their sphere of influence. We have posters for all of our offices. The news will go up on our website. It’s also now in my email signature.

C21: That’s excellent. Congratulations to the whole CENTURY 21 Judge Fite team. We are proud to have you as members of the System.

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CENTURY 21 Veteran’s Day Survey Finds Home Ownership Most Important Factor For Returning Service Members

November 8, 2013 By

Today the CENTURY 21 brand announced the results of its Veterans Day survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive.  In honor of its long-time partnership with, and dedication to, Easter Seals, CENTURY 21 conducted the survey to identify veterans’ perceptions of home ownership and the roadblocks they face when searching for a home.

According to 75% of military families, owning a home is one of the most important things to service members upon returning from service.  Among the reasons that becoming a homeowner is so significant to veterans are a desire to have their own residence (73 percent), establishing a household (43 percent) and financial security (36 percent).  In addition, the majority of veterans (88 percent) indicated that owning a home makes them feel safer.

“Home ownership is a top priority for many, but is especially significant to those returning from a tour of duty,” said Rick Davidson, president and CEO, Century 21 Real Estate LLC.  “Veterans have done so much to serve our country.  We are proud to work with Easter Seals to help empower veterans to lead more independent lives and fulfill the dream of homeownership.”

When we say “Welcome home,” we meant it.

Check out the infographic below with the full results of the survey:

For active or retired service members who are interested in Easter Seals resources available to them, call the Easter Seals Community One Source Hotline, (866) 423-4981, or email veterans@easterseals.com.  Visit www.century21.com/aboutus/veterans to learn more.

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Support Easter Seals In The Honoring Those Who Serve Challenge

November 6, 2013 By

Easter Seals, our corporate philanthropic partner, is one of a select group of military service nonprofit organizations invited by Newman’s Own® to compete for a $75,000 grand prize in the Foundation’s “Honoring Those Who Serve Challenge.”

As a team, let’s rally and raise funds to support the Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Community Services and help Easter Seals bring home the $75,000 grand prize.

It makes a world of difference to our veterans and military families when we make a positive difference in their lives.  Your investment and encouragement will allow us to achieve our goal of enabling them to thrive where they live.

Time is of the essence. The Newman’s Own® Challenge ends on Veterans Day, Monday, November 11, at 11:59:59 am ET.

Donate now! Here’s how:

 

  • Go to http://www.crowdrise.com/eastersealsinc-nof
  • Click “Donate to this Fundraiser” on the right side of your screen.
  • A “Donate Pop-Up Window” appears (if you do not see a pop-up window, then you have them set to “Off.” Look in the upper right hand corner of your Web browser [Chrome, IE, Firefox, etc.] and allow pop-ups from Newman’s Own®.)
  • In the “Select a Team Member” pull-down menu, select “Easter Seals” – should be the first selection on the list.
  • Enter the dollar amount you’re contributing and whether you want your name or to remain anonymous.
  • Indicate if your contribution is a Gift, or whether you’d like to add a comment, an ‘in memory’ or other form of ‘tribute.’
  • Click the “Donate” button.

Please note: You can add donations made to the Newman’s Own® Challenge to your Easter Seals total dollars raised office count.

Thank you for your continued support of such an important mission.

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CENTURY 21 CEO Rick Davidson Named Chairman Of Easter Seals International Board Of Directors

November 5, 2013 By

CENTURY 21 CEO Rick Davidson was recently installed as the Chairman of the Easter Seals International Board of Directors. Easter Seals is the dedicated philanthropic partner of the CENTURY 21 brand. Through this partnership, CENTURY 21 System members have raised $106 million dollars in support of Easter Seals.

We sat down with Rick to discuss his new role on the board, his commitment to Easter Seals and why he’s encouraging all System members to get involved with their local Easter Seals chapter.

C21: What made you decide to get involved with charitable initiatives like Easter Seals?

RD: Giving back is one of the most important responsibilities we have and the work Easter Seals is doing in the community is extraordinary. From veteran services, to autism, to brain health and working with people living with disabilities, Easter Seals is an organization that delivers on its promise.  Who wouldn’t want to be involved in such an awesome endeavor?

In addition to my responsibilities as Chairman, Easter Seals International Board of Directors, I have been a Big Brother through Big Brothers and Big Sisters to a wonderful young man named Robbie for the past six years.  What an incredible relationship we have!

C21: How does your leadership positively affect the philanthropic efforts of the CENTURY 21 System?

RD: There is no better way to demonstrate leadership than leading by example.  The passion I have for Easter Seals is clear, and as CENTURY 21 System members who get to know me, see first-hand my dedication and commitment to the organization. They know it’s genuine.  This passion to help others can be infectious, and it only adds fuel to our culture of giving. Did you know that as an organization CENTURY 21 has raised over $106 million for Easter Seals?

C21: Tell us about how your involvement with Easter Seals has affected you on a personal level?

RD: It may be somewhat selfish, but volunteerism makes you feel good. The work I do on behalf of Easter Seals is rewarding and beneficial to those who receive our services and their families who count on our support, but it also means a great deal to me personally to be able to give back in some small way to the community.  In the three short years since I was introduced to Easter Seals and its mission, I have to say that I have come to love this organization, its mission, its international headquarters’ team members, the affiliate leadership, and all of the care givers who provide the hands-on, high-quality service these children and adults with disabilities; our veterans; and those with special needs deserve and so desperately need.

C21: What are the benefits for CENTURY 21 System members of getting involved with Easter Seals or other charitable initiatives?

RD: Giving back to the communities where we live and work is one of the most important things we can do.  In addition, it’s good business.  Volunteering for any charitable or philanthropic organization can help you advance both professionally and personally, and it provides an opportunity to build relationships and develop new skills.

Bottom line, getting involved just plain feels good!  Easter Seals has been helping families for nearly 100 years, assisting more than one million individuals and their families annually at more than 550 Easter Seals service sites across the country. The benefits for CENTURY 21 System members and anyone who gets involved may be seen first-hand through all of the services Easter Seals provides at the local level. I encourage everyone to visit an Easter Seals service center and see the difference they are making in the lives of thousands of deserving families across the United States and internationally.  Click here to learn more about the many services provided through Easter Seals.

C21: What are the key objectives you hope to accomplish in your new role as Chairman of the Easter Seals International Board of Directors?

The obligation of the Board of Directors is to help guide and direct the future of this organization; to help ensure that funds are available to deliver the services needed within the community, and to be careful stewards of those funds available as to maximize the impact on the community at large. My role will be to work with our Chief Executive Officer, Jim Williams and help to direct the efforts of the board to meet the strategic objectives of the organization.

Easter Seals serves more than one million children and adults living disabilities and special needs.  The Board’s and therefore my obligation is to help deliver on Easter Seals’ mission:  to provide exceptional services, education, outreach and advocacy so that people living with autism and other disabilities can live, learn, work and play in our communities.

C21: To learn more about Easter Seals and how you can get involved in your local community, click here.

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CENTURY 21 Welcomes Felix Lopez And PrimeTime Realtors

November 1, 2013 By

Today Felix Lopez is celebrating the opening of his brand new office, CENTURY 21 PrimeTime Realtors in Montclair, CA. After 11 years in the real estate business, Felix and his team are excited to be joining the CENTURY 21 System, serving San Bernadino and Riverside counties, right outside Los Angeles. Read on to learn how Felix got started in the business and how he plans to take his local market by storm.

C21: How did you get started in the real estate business?

FL: I was a termite inspector. I worked with a lot of real estate agents because in California you have to have a termite inspection before you can close escrow. A good friend of mine had been with CENTURY 21 for 25 years and was a top producer. He told me I should get my real estate license. I was 20 years old and I was hesitant because in real estate you don’t always have a steady paycheck. I did eventually listen, passed the exam and started working in his office.

C21: Was that when you joined the CENTURY 21 System?

FL: Yes. In 2002 I started working part time in the office in Downey, CA. I later moved to San Bernadino and opened a small office. In 2005 I rejoined CENTURY 21 with CENTURY 21 Town & Country in Ontario, CA.

C21: How did you decide to open your own office?

FL: In 2008 when the market crashed, I studied for a broker license and passed the exam. I wanted to work in an office that was bigger, on a main street, had better signage, etc.

C21: You’ve rejoined the CENTURY 21 System and are celebrating the opening of CENTURY 21 PrimeTime Realtors. How does it feel?

FL: I came back to CENTURY 21 for the brand recognition, the training, the tools and the marketing capabilities. We are now the biggest company in Montclair, CA and we are ready to take over.

C21: What areas do you serve?

FL: We focus on Riverside County, San Bernadino County and others parts of Los Angeles.

C21: Does your team have an area of focus?

FL: We really specialize in REOs, short sales and first time buyers. Most of our business comes from first time buyers.

C21: What do you think is the key to your success?

FL: My personality. I set an example for my team. I work just as hard as they do – I make cold calls, I run open houses, I show homes to buyers, and I do short sales. I’ve built a really great team and I’ve only ever had to let one person go. We all work really well together.

C21: What are your plans for the future?

FL: We are going to be known as the office that closes the most deals in our area. I have a lot of friends who work for competitors, who are top producers for those companies. I fully plan to recruit those top agents to our office now that we are aligned with such a strong brand.

C21: To get in touch with Felix and his team, pick up the phone and dial them at the office (909)399-1172.

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