By Gino Blefari
This week my travels found me in Costa Rica at the Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo, a sprawling, tropical retreat overlooking the Gulf of Papagayo that borders the sandy beaches and pristine waters of the Culebra Bay. I was visiting Costa Rica for the Berkshire Elite Circle Conference, which brought together broker/owners from the top 50 companies in the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network for a celebration of their achievements.
A word from Gino Blefari, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices …
This post is the first in our new “Talking Inspiration” blog series by Dwight Clark, former All-Pro wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers. I was lucky enough to be a 49ers fan in the 1980s and watched my pal Dwight play for my favorite team. Dwight is a five-time Super Bowl champion—two as a player and three in management—but who knows if his great run would’ve ever happened if it wasn’t for that incredible Sunday in January of 1982 … that’s when “Too Tall” Jones and what seemed like the entire Dallas Cowboys defense was chasing quarterback Joe Montana and Dwight was trying to lose Cowboys’ defensive back Everson Walls running across the back of Candlestick Park’s end zone. What happened next has been since memorialized in sports history books forevermore: Dwight caught the winning touchdown pass thrown by Montana and the 49ers won the NFC Championship Game that year. Today, “The Catch” is known as the #7 most memorable play in the NFL and #1 for the 49ers. Dwight’s “Talking Inspiration” posts will provide ongoing perspectives about tackling challenges—in sports, business and life—and I hope you enjoy these pieces of wisdom from a great man, a true football legend and my friend. – Gino
By Dwight Clark
When I reflect on my career playing with the San Francisco 49ers, one word comes to mind: fortunate. And fortune, as I define it, is the place where preparation meets opportunity. If you think about your life’s most extraordinary feats—whether it’s winning Super Bowls or winning business—yes, there’s always some measure of luck involved but there’s also a whole lot of training, planning and hard work that has to happen long before luck arrives. Then, if you’re fully prepared at the exact moment luck finally does ring, you can pick up the phone and answer its call.
By Gino Blefari
This week my travels found me in Denver, CO for the HSF Affiliates Franchise Sales Team Meeting. As it happens, Denver International Airport (DEN) has been named the most on-time airport in the U.S., and the city is known as the most educated in America, boasting the highest percentage of college graduates. What better location could we choose for a conference bringing together our punctual and skilled sales team members?
By Crescent Seward
It’s no secret Instagram is a wildly popular social media tool for real estate agents, and not only to share gorgeous listing photos but also to generate leads. For years now, agents have gravitated toward visual-friendly Instagram as a powerful mobile platform to market themselves and their businesses. But the world of social media moves faster than you can say “new Snapchat filters” and now, it’s time to mix things up.
By Gino Blefari
This week my travels find me in St. Louis to meet with two fantastic brokerages. First, I visited Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties and members of the company’s leadership team, including Maryann Vitale Alles, president and CEO and Angie Ignatowski, broker/owner/relocation director. Then it was off to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Alliance Real Estate to speak with agents and managers, including CEO/Owner Andrea Lawrence, President/Co-Owner Kevin Goffstein and Executive Vice President/Co-Owner Bob Bax. My meeting with Alliance Real Estate was part of a two-day event, the Faster Higher Stronger Conference, which kicked off Wednesday night at the St. Louis Cardinal’s Busch Stadium, for an evening of baseball to benefit the Sunshine Kids. What an incredible experience and it all began with Steven Conner of the Sunshine Kids, who was joined on the field by his family as he threw out the first pitch of the game! Great times for a great cause!
If you maintain your company’s Instagram account you’re probably familiar with this dilemma: How do you showcase your agents in a way that doesn’t seem promotional but helps them market themselves and their businesses?
By Kyle Rank
Watch this video to discover how focusing on a few key components of the real estate craft will allow you to take your business to new heights!
By Gino Blefari
This week my travels find me in Southern California for staff meetings and our third-annual HSF Affiliates Sunshine Kids FunRun, taking place tomorrow in Irvine. I’m looking forward to attending the event and raising money for an incredible organization that provides positive activities and emotional support for young cancer patients. There is no greater feeling than giving back to those who deserve it most and doing something not for your own benefit but for the sole benefit of others.
And speaking of giving back, this past week we lost one of the all-time greatest givers, a fighter, a hero, a leader, a legend … Muhammad Ali. In 1964 when Ali emerged victorious in his fight against famed American boxer Sonny Liston, Ali raised his arms high into the air, smiled as big as anyone could possibly smile and announced, “I shook up the world!”
By Gino Blefari
This week my travels found me in New York City and the overwhelming theme of my trip was “steps.” Let me explain …
I was in town for the NAHREP Hispanic Wealth Project Symposium, which brings together stakeholders and national leaders to create measurable financial and wealth-building initiatives to benefit the economy. As with all NAHREP events, this one was fantastic, and served to refocus my energies around the strategies put forth in the NAHREP 10.
REthink report 