How July’s Real Estate Trends Affected Buyers

By Gino Blefari

In July, the real estate market faced a housing-inventory challenge with several reports showing an increase in home prices and decrease in home sales. For example, CoreLogic Case-Shiller reported home prices rose 5.6%, setting an all-time high for the sixth consecutive month. And the National Association of REALTORS® said existing home sales were down 1.8%.

These numbers may give some pause at first glance, but considering the basics of supply and demand, it’s clear the number of sales have decreased due to a small pool of available homes paired with a high number of potential buyers on the market. This shows us that home prices that steadily increase box many home seekers out of the market.

Posted by HomeServices of America

Thoughts on Leadership: Innovation in Austin

By Gino Blefari

This week’s travels found me in Austin, Texas … and what a place to be! Austin is a booming city overflowing with rich culture, a lively entertainment scene and incredible food. It’s no wonder it boasts one of the highest growth in the country in terms of population and jobs. In fact, according to the latest estimates, Austin adds 159 people per day to its metro-area population.

After spending several days in Austin, I can see why so many people are eager to move there. Fun fact: Whole Foods’ flagship location can be found in downtown Austin and it’s an 8,000-square-foot market unlike any other. The Whole Foods Market Inc. worldwide headquarters is also located in Austin, which practically ensures city dwellers there remain focused on healthy eating. As I always say, a large part of effective leadership is maintaining your energy, which comes from regular exercise and a mindful, nutritious diet. Relatedly, Austin was named by CNBC as a top city for launching a tech startup and has a thriving entrepreneurial community of small businesses and innovative leaders.

Posted by HomeServices of America

Thoughts on Leadership: The Power of Connecting

This week my travels found me first in Rolling Hills Estates, CA, meeting with Bruce Short, broker/owner at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties; Mistydawn Jones, branch manager at California Properties; Denise Scarpetti, California Properties director of operations; Rick Elorriaga, vice president at California Properties; and members of the California Properties team. I was also working with our HSF Affiliates team in Irvine, CA. It’s been a busy few days but the time has been spent connecting with colleagues and friends—through a new employee orientation, at a California Properties awards event, during our HSF Affiliates Town Hall.

In business, networking and connecting is absolutely vital—the right connections can not only help you achieve your goals but also provide a richness to your life you can’t get from operating in insolation. Genuine connections are hard to find but essential to maintain. How do you connect with others in a way that’s both authentic and powerful? Watch the video for more …

GINO BLEFARI is CEO of HSF Affiliates LLC. You can follow Gino on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Posted by HomeServices of America

Thoughts on Leadership: The Importance of Diversity

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me spending time with close family and friends in Calgary, Alberta, Canada then Lake Louise in Alberta, Banff National Park and, lastly Vancouver. (I write this now while traveling on the Rocky Mountaineer, a train that runs from Banff to Vancouver.) It’s been an incredible few days spent among the rugged, mountainous terrain of the Canadian Rockies, and strangely, being outside of the country has made me think about the beauty and uniqueness of our own. What makes America so very special? My blog posts for the rest of the entire year could focus on this one question and not adequately provide an answer. Still, there is something that undoubtedly and singularly characterizes the United States, and it’s a quality not often seen with such pervasiveness in any other land: Diversity.

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Thoughts on Leadership: Facebook and a Reminder for the Future

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me back at my Los Altos, CA home office following a restful family vacation in Hawaii. On Wednesday, I made a short drive to Menlo Park for a visit to Facebook and its sprawling, world headquarters.

I admire Facebook, its philosophy and corporate culture. From CEO Mark Zuckerberg to Sinmi Tinubu, an intern who helped greet my small group, everyone is encouraged to “be bold” and “focus on impact” – constantly collaborating and innovating to solve the most important challenges.

Posted by HomeServices of America

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Colorado Properties Lists 4,700-Acre Battle Mountain Ranch

Scenic property, located between Vail and Beaver Creek resorts, presents breathtaking views and opportunity

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Colorado Properties today listed one of the most picturesque and vast residential land parcels ever to come to market in the Vail Valley. The property, 4,676 acres collectively named Battle Mountain Ranch, sits equidistant from world-class travel destinations Vail Village and Beaver Creek on U.S. Scenic Byway 24. It is the only residential property offering direct views of Mt. of the Holy Cross and Vail’s Back Bowls plus Gore Range, Castle Peak, Chicago Ridge and Gold Dust Mountain.

Posted by HomeServices of America

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties Partners with a Powerhouse Local Brokerage

By Melissa Kandel

In late April, Drysdale Properties acquired Alameda, CA-based Harbor Bay Realty—a longtime market leader in the area. Drysdale Properties President and CEO Gretchen Pearson continues to lead the brokerage while Dennis Pagones, former president and CEO of Harbor Bay Realty, now serves as sales manager of the company’s Alameda office.

The partnership not only deepens Drysdale Properties’ footprint in the East Bay marketplace but also brings together two longtime real estate leaders in a powerful alliance that will expand the reach and resonance of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand in Northern California.

I caught up with Gretchen and Dennis to learn a little more about how this partnership came about, what can be expected from it and how exactly these two innovators see the brokerage growing in the future.

Posted by HomeServices of America

Thursday Thoughts on Leadership: Recharge

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels find me in Hawaii, meeting with the team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hawai‘i Realty and spending time with good friends and family. My trip to the Aloha State reminds me of a recent video I shot all about the power of stepping away from the computer, the cell phone, the office and recharging to regain the strength necessary to effectively lead. Many leaders overlook the worthiness in time off—it’s just work, work, work—but the act of regularly recharging is not only instrumental to better leadership … it’s absolutely necessary! Watch this video to learn more …

Posted by HomeServices of America

Thoughts on Leadership: Powerful Presentations

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me in Santa Barbara, CA for the 2017 Berkshire Elite Circle Conference, honoring the Top 50 brokerages in the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network. It was an experience to be remembered, a celebration of some of our network’s finest leaders and a chance to gather actionable insights from the wisdom of not only these wise real estate innovators but also our keynote speakers, and my good friends, Tom McCarthy and Carmine Gallo. Both Tom and Carmine presented on the topic of … presenting, and delivered straightforward, sharp advice related to the subject.

I believe presenting is such a large part of any business—not just in real estate with listing presentations but for anyone involved in any business. You must always present your story, your product and your brand to others and do so in a way that captures their attention. Given the significance of presentations, I want to share some of my favorite takeaways from everything Carmine and Tom said.

Posted by HomeServices of America

Thursday Thoughts on Leadership: Travel to Learn

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels find me in the city of St. Louis to meet with the team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties, an amazing group of real estate professionals who prove with crystal-clear assurance what you can achieve when you have a strong, vibrant culture at your brokerage business.

I have to tell you, being in St. Louis was really an eye-opening trip for me. I’ve long been a fan of the idea that new eyes see old things in new ways and sometimes, these “eyes” aren’t literal eyes but instead places, things and experiences that widen your perspective in ways you never thought possible. Travel, in this sense, is more than just going from one place to another but instead a complete mindset shift and a chance to learn what you otherwise would never have known. For instance, who knew that there’s an area of St. Louis called “The Hill,” home to baseball greats Yogi Berra and Joe Gargiola Sr., who spent their childhood living across the street from one another on Elizabeth Avenue?

“Not only was I not the best catcher in the Major Leagues,” Gargiola once famously said, “I wasn’t even the best catcher on my street!”

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