Thursday Thoughts on Leadership: Moving Families Initiative

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me in Pittsburgh to meet with the team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty and owner/CEO Ron Croushore. Attendance at the meeting topped more than 450 agents, managers and staff, and I spent five hours—one with managers and four with the agents—talking time management, principles for success, operating a brokerage and more. What an incredible experience and what an energized group! As I stood on stage addressing the crowd, a thought came to mind: This, like all our Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices members, is more than a brokerage. It’s a family, a community of like-minded individuals who understand the importance of learning and growing together for the benefit of all.

Posted by HomeServices of America

Thursday Thoughts on Leadership: Business Planning for 2017

This week my travels found me first in San Diego, where I was invited by Sam Guillen and John Stenberg of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties to speak to the team. From there, I went to Irvine, CA and end my week in San Jose, CA, where Robert Cruz will be installed as president of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals® (NAHREP) Silicon Valley. This week I also took the opportunity to finish my business plan for 2017 and will have my entire year mapped out by Saturday, Oct. 1.

Some might ask, a business plan in October? Yes, you read that right. Because over the decades I’ve worked in real estate, I’ve learned most real estate agents—and most companies—have a cash flow problem during January and February. The perennial issue makes sense when you understand that real estate works on a 90 day cycle; what you do today will pay off three months from now and concurrently, what you don’t do today will cause suffering and headache three months down the road.

Posted by HomeServices of America

Thoughts on Leadership: Storytelling and Connecting at Summit Conference

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels find me in Rancho Mirage, CA for our 2016 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Summit Conference. The theme for this year’s event is “storytelling and connecting,” and the two ideas couldn’t have been more central to every activity, networking opportunity, presentation and gathering that together encompassed our Summit meeting.

Posted by HomeServices of America

Thoughts on Leadership: RISMedia’s CEO Exchange

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me in New York for RISMedia’s 2016 CEO Exchange conference and I have to say, it was probably the best RISMedia CEO Exchange I’ve attended in recent years with engaging panel discussions, brilliant moderators and exciting keynote speeches.

The event kicked off with Alex Perriello, president and CEO of Realogy Franchise Group, who delivered a keynote on “The State of the Real Estate Union” and had many fantastic insights to share.

Posted by HomeServices of America

Thursday Thoughts on Leadership: Lose Graciously

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me Irvine, CA at our HSF Affiliates headquarters then in Phoenix to meet with Mark Stark, CEO/owner of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Arizona Properties, Nevada Properties and California Properties. While in Phoenix, I had the opportunity to play a round of golf with Mark as well as Dennis Alaburda—agent with Arizona Properties—at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, a world-class course that has hosted elite events like the United States Mid-Amateur Championship, Arizona Open, Ping Pro Scratch and the Merrill Lynch Shoot Out.

Being out on the greens, cacti surrounding me, the rocky Sonoran Desert hillside just beyond, I thought about one of my all-time favorite golfers, Jack Nicklaus, an athlete I admire as much for his off-the-course philosophy about life and leadership as I do for his superb skills displayed while playing the sport.

Posted by HomeServices of America

Thursday Thoughts on Leadership: What’s Your Story?

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me in Charleston, West Virginia to meet with the team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Great Expectations Realty and I had the opportunity to sit next to U.S. Senator Joe Manchin at dinner Thursday night then had a brief meeting at the office of Senator Shelley Moore Capito the following day. After West Virginia it was off to Minneapolis for meetings with the HomeServices of America, Inc. board and then Northern California where I had lunch with Carmine Gallo, best-selling author of one of my favorite books, The Storyteller’s Secret. Carmine is also a keynote speaker at this month’s upcoming Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Summit Conference in Palm Springs, Sept. 18-20 and I can’t wait for him to share his wisdom with the crowd!

Our theme for 2016 Summit is “connecting” and this fits squarely with Carmine’s philosophy: The best way to connect, he says, is through the stories we tell. Think about it. What is it we really remember from meetings, trips or big events? Is it the gate number for our flight? Is it the very date a particular conference call took place? No. Those are details and they’re easily forgotten. What we remember are the stories we take away from these experiences and the stories others have shared with us. Here are three traits of inspiring storytellers, as defined by Carmine in his book:

Posted by HomeServices of America

Thoughts on Leadership: Collaboration and Success

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me in Lewes, DE to meet with the fantastic team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Gallo Realty and spend time talking to Gallo Realty’s leadership team, including Broker/Owner Andrew Ratner. We sailed along the historic Lewes Canal, we dined outdoors at an incredible, 3-acre property owned by Chris Holt, COO of Gallo Realty’s The Lee Ann Wilkinson Group. We also discussed principles for success, time management and how to create an unstoppable mindset to win in business … and in life. All in all, it was time well spent and I couldn’t be prouder of the great work the Gallo Realty team is accomplishing in their marketplace.

Posted by HomeServices of America

Latest Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Survey Reveals Millennials Exercise Patience in Quest for Homes

The concept of a starter home may be a non-starter for millennials, at least according to findings from Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ latest Homeowner Sentiment Survey. The study found that besides saving for a down payment, 37% of millennial renters indicated they are interested in buying a house only when they’re ready to afford their dream home, relegating the concept of a “starter home” to virtual non-existence.

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Thoughts on Leadership: Success in Las Vegas

[Pictured above: Tom Tognoli, CEO and president of Intero Real Estate Services, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, John Thompson, COO of Intero Real Estate Services and Dan Forsman, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties, who was recently named as 2016 Most Admired CEO by the Atlanta Business Journal … for the third year in a row!]

By Gino Blefari

This week my travels found me in Las Vegas to attend Tom Ferry’s Success Summit. During the event, Tom covered topics ranging from marketing and team-building to time management and productivity. (In between Tom’s talks Stefan Swanepoel, best-selling author and CEO of Swanepoel T3 Group, took the stage to discuss digital innovation in today’s tech-centric world.) Also front and center during Tom’s presentations: The concept of being fearless. Over and over, Tom spoke about how the absence of fear will allow you to up your real estate game and take your business to the next level … and beyond.

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Thoughts on Leadership: Eddie DeBartolo Jr. Built an Empire in San Francisco by Placing People First

Pictured above: Eddie DeBartolo Jr. (center) shares a laugh with Joe Montana (left) and Carmen Policy.

By Gino Blefari

My travels last weekend brought me to San Diego for Buffini & Company’s MasterMind Summit, a powerful event focusing on personal growth and inspiration. I have to admit I was already inspired for this event after watching Eddie DeBartolo Jr.’s induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.

While most Hall of Fame members are players and coaches, DeBartolo was inducted as a franchise owner, which says a lot. His leadership and management beliefs helped shape the way I operate in business and serve as an ideal game plan for motivation, human decency and organizational success.

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