REALTY EXECUTIVES INTERNATIONAL RANKS ON ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE’S 2009 FRANCHISE 500® LIST

By Marissa Leon

PHOENIX, Ariz. – January 14 – Realty Executives International announced today that it has once again been named to Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500® list for 2009. The company ranked at number 179 worldwide for 2009, making it only the fourth real estate franchisor to appear on this year’s list.

The list is compiled annually by Entrepreneur Magazine and lists franchises in a variety of industries based on specific criteria including company objectives, financial stability, growth rate, size, number of years in the business and length of time franchising. The 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores are then ranked in order on the general listing.

“We are thrilled to be included in this prestigious report for 2009 and look forward to continuing to drastically improve our rankings in the coming years,” said Rich Rector, president and CEO of Realty Executives International. “A renewed focus and growth strategy for the next several years will, no doubt, continue to keep Realty Executives in the forefront of both the real estate and franchising industries.”

Since the firm started its franchising operation in 1988, Realty Executives International has been named as a top franchise on 19 Entrepreneur Magazine lists, as well as in many other notable national rankings. In fact, in the last several years, the company has repeatedly improved its ranking on the Franchise 500® list.

Realty Executives International, Inc. is one of the fastest-growing real estate franchises in the United States, with nearly 15,000 sales associates and more than 750 franchises. The Phoenix-based, privately held company has offices in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Mexico, Costa Rica, France, Greece, Panama, Nicaragua, Belize, Israel, Australia, Poland and Spain. Publications like Entrepreneur, Success and Inc. magazines have recently ranked Realty Executives International as a leader in the real estate industry based on franchise growth, management stability and financial soundness. For additional company information visit www.RealtyExecutives.com.

Realty Executives Makes Cover of Real Estate Magazine!

REFINING A BRAND

Realty Executives and the Art of Supporting Professionals

By Maria Patterson

Forty-four years ago, the idea of forming a real estate company based on a 100% commission model was a radical concept-certainly nothing the industry had ever seen before. Today, decades after company Founder Dale Rector revolutionized the industry and put Realty Executives on the map, company President & CEO Rich Rector is keeping that spirit alive by reinventing the company with a fresh approach and a compelling value proposition.

When you’re fundamentally different right out of the gate, it’s hard to settle for anything else. As many companies adopted the 100% commission concept over the years, Rich Rector knew that the founding principles on which Realty Executives was created were something much deeper and more profound than a commission plan. “Our mission is to provide the best possible leadership, environment, support and tools for the Realtor who strives to be a productive professional in their career,” says Rector.

“It should not be news to anyone,” he explains, “that there has been an ongoing revolution in our industry in the areas of information technology, communication and delivery of services. However, one core theme endures, which is that easy access to helpful and relevant information, and guidance from knowledgeable professionals has compelling value to the consumer of real estate services. In 2005, we set about a process of reinventing our core support and communication services to do just that.”

Luckily, being a longtime part of the established company prepared Rector for the task with the gift of perspective. “We revolutionized the industry once before and we needed to make sure we continued to differentiate ourselves in a relevant and compelling way to do it again,” says Rector. “While we experienced significant growth during the last 15 years, I was keenly aware of the dangers of losing our differentiation in the industry as a result of the easy growth we all experienced.” In 2004, Rector challenged his leadership team to refocus and renew the brand.

According to Realty Executives Chief Operating Officer Glenn Melton, who joined the firm in 2005, “When Dale started the company, he built a company that catered to entrepreneurs who were capable of building a business and didn’t need a large bureaucratic burden. At the same time, those people sought low fees and an environment that offered real freedom to operate as they saw fit-and to do so in the company of other professionals.”

As various real estate business models emerged over the years, along with a growing skepticism regarding the role of the Realtor in general, home buyers and sellers, real estate professionals, and the industry as a whole were clearly looking for better solutions.

“We held a meeting with key thought leaders in the franchise community, our regional developers and our broker/owners to ask their perspective on the industry and determine if they were getting what they needed from our franchise,” says Melton. “This is a brand that always made sense from day one and instead of completely rebirthing the brand, we wanted to understand how we could use our founding principles and concepts in a more effective way for today’s business environment.”

For the complete article, CLICK HERE.

Realty Executives Int'l Ranks in Franchise 500

Entrepreneur Magazine recently published their Franchise 500 which ranks the top 500 franchises overall as well as other categories such as Low-Cost Franchises & America's Top Global Franchises. Below are our rankings.

Franchise 500® rank:#179 (2009); #63 (2006); #73 (2005);Fastest-Growing Franchises:#37 (2006); #44 (2005);Low-Cost Franchises:#36 (2009); #16 (2006); #17 (2005);America's Top Global Franchises:#140 (2009); #58 (2006); #64 (2005);

For the complete online posting, please CLICK HERE.

Realty Executives Grows Into the New Year

RISMEDIA, January 6, 2009-Realty Executives Gulf Coast has announced that four more experienced real estate agents have decided to join its team. Betty Bronnenberg, Paula LeBlanc, Ba Porterfield and Larry Orr will be practicing as real estate sales professionals out of the company’s office located at 3479-B Gulf Shores Parkway in Gulf Shores.

“I am excited about the growth and experience level here at Realty Executives,” said Broker/Owner, Randy McKinney. “While other companies are closing and contracting, we are determined to attack a challenging market head on with a well-equipped team of professionals ready to serve the buyers and sellers in our community.”

Larry Orr is a native of Memphis, Tennessee and relocated to Orange Beach five years ago. He has been active in real estate for over three years. “I am looking forward to a new year with a great company with dynamic leadership. Tough times require new ways of doing business, and Realty Executives provides the platform from which to reach for greater successes,” said Orr.

Ba Porterfield has lived on the Gulf Coast for over five and a half years. She has been a licensed real estate professional for 15 years now. Prior to real estate she spent many years in Mortgage Banking Loan Administration servicing real estate loans in all 50 states. This profession led to her living all over the United States. “I am excited and optimistic about my future with Realty Executives Gulf Coast. I look forward to serving my clients with the outstanding resources and guidance offered by our office & the franchise,” said Porterfield.

Paula LeBlanc moved to the Gulf Coast area in 2004 from New Iberia, LA and began her career in real estate about a year ago. Prior to working in the real estate industry she practiced nursing at Baldwin Regional Medical Center in Foley and was in sales a number of years prior to that. “It has been a learning and rewarding experience. I’ve not only had customers, but have created new friendships. My decision to join Realty Executives was based on the exciting marketing tools and plans that Realty Executives offers and the way I was made to feel at home immediately. I look at this as a great opportunity to work with our community to fulfill their housing needs,” said LeBlanc.

Betty Bronnenberg is originally from Meridian, Mississippi and has lived on the Gulf Coast for more than six years. She has been actively involved in the real estate industry for over five years. “I look forward to starting the New Year with Realty Executives, a company that provides positive, solid leadership and offers the latest in technological tools and support that is crucial in today’s market,” said Bronnenberg.

Each of these real estate executives may be reached at (251) 968-4300. For more information, visit www.RealtyExecutivesGulfCoast.com.