Download - July 2015 Newsletter
A Message fromPeter F. Huntcontinued on page 2
Fundraiser forJoe Wouterszpage 5
NEW HUNTDigital Listing Centerpage 9
The official newsletter of HUNT Real Estate Corporation July 2015 | Issue 74
continued on page 2
A message from Peter F. Hunt Chairman & CEO
Your Own Team
Two months ago, my article for this newsletter was all about
the concept of “team” at HUNT Real Estate Corporation.
I referred to three actual levels of team effort that goes on
every day at our Company—at the Company level (“One
Company—Your Team), the Branch Level as we work to-
ward developing Model Branches throughout the Company,
and Agent Teams. Since then, a working group from our
Leadership Team, consulting with a select group of our
Agents - including my Senior Advisors - have been working
with me to refine a highly-detailed and functional recom-
mended Agent Team Policy, which consists of an organiza-
tional structure, compensation plans, and even contracts
between and among team members and the Company. I
am pleased to report that these efforts are bearing fruit.
Over the course of the next few months, I will be scheduling
“Town Hall” style meetings to present our Agent Team rec-
ommendations and clearly spell out how our Agents can ei-
ther become part of a team or even start their own.
As you will learn, this move is a real breakthrough in our in-
dustry, as we can find no other company in this country that
has a clear, well-articulated path for those interested in
founding and growing a team.
Indulge me while I share my own revisionist history of how
the agent team was created and how it has evolved. No one
knows exactly when, but a long time ago, some highly pro-
ductive agent somewhere in the world decided that he/she
could no longer handle the flow of leads, working those
leads, securing listings, holding open houses, showing houses,
managing marketing and advertising, managing pending
transactions, building and maintaining customer relation-
ships, etc. So this agent may have first gone to his/her bro-
ker, or maybe just jumped to the obvious and hired an
administrative support person to then be free to do
what he/she does best—sell. Now a new challenge
was presented—managing another person’s activities.
The next challenge was dealing from a sales and serv-
ice perspective with a growing pipeline of leads and
referrals. The “buyer agent” was added to the team.
Then, there was the problem of managing the
pipeline of transactions emanating from the growing
team. So a “transaction coordinator” came on board
- and the management issue kept compounding.
Some early entrants into the team world did very
well, even to the point of developing or purchasing
from a third-party systems to manage and nurture the
inbound leads until they “matured” into viable
prospects, manage paperwork and monitor transac-
tions through the maze of lenders and other vendors
that are necessary players in the deal.
Some companies simply decided that they would sup-
ply little or no support service, allowing agents to go
find their own resources through third-parties for lead
generation and management systems, such as Top
Producer and even Zillow. In exchange for a low-ser-
vice environment, these companies offered higher
commission splits to agents. Examples would be Re-
alty Executives, ReMax, Keller Williams and a group
of companies known as “freedom shops” (come and
go as you wish and pay a monthly association fee and
a per-transaction fee, leaving the balance of the com-
mission—and the investment in sales support person-
nel and systems—for the agent). In these low-service
companies, resourceful agents have little choice but
to create teams as there is no support coming from
the company, beyond a company website and other
web-based services that are paid for a la carte by the
agents. This has created a random customer experi-
ence, highly dependent on any given agent with
whom the customer might interact.
Other more progressive companies, like yours, saw
this evolving and recognized that most Agents were
not in a position to take the risk of hiring and man-
aging others to build their own team and grow their
business. These companies, either on their own
and/or through third-parties, developed systems,
largely technology-based (here at our Company: The
HUNT Hotline, AgentAchieve, ePropertyWatch,
HUNTrealestate.com, Instanet, Google Docs and
more), or even in very rare cases like ours, through
an investment in human resources (as we have com-
mitted to through the Customer Service Center,
ProShow, AA’s and leadership at the Branches, and
our Marketing, Relocation, Accounting, Information
Technology and Career Development Departments).
This investment is designed to raise the level of serv-
ice ALL customers had a right to expect from all
Agents associated with our Company.
Through our new comprehensive Agent Team
Concept, the freedom to build your team in
an organized, systematic, manageable way is
intersecting with the sophisticated infra-
structure available only to HUNT Agents.
With the understanding that this is not for
everybody, I look forward to exploring what
this exciting opportunity could mean for you.
Please look for the announcement of the
Town Hall Meeting in your Region.
A message from Peter F. Hunt cont.Chairman & CEO
2
Decisions, Decisions...
It is not at all easy to move to a new town and know right away where to plant roots. Many transferees
cannot commit to an area or home in a just a few visits. They need time to engage with the culture, ac-
climate to the weather and build professional and personal relationships. Many times they have to sell a
home in a previous town before they can buy and are trying to do this all long distance. Sometimes they
are separated from their family for a prolonged period of time. Agents that specialize in relocation can
be an integral cog in this complicated and emotionally charged process.
In the world of relocation, if a corporate client has a potential candidate deciding whether or not to take
a position, a Realtor can be a key factor in the decision process. The candidate wants to know he/she
and their family will feel comfortable with the new community. These are just a few questions on a can-
didate’s mind: What’s the best school system? Will there be enough to do? How much snow will there be
in New York or how hot are the summers in Arizona? Should I buy or should I rent until I can get to
know the area better? What is the cost of living?
Sometimes it can be frustrating for agents to learn a candidate has not yet accepted a position or decides
to rent instead of making a purchase. Agents who know how to work this business know an opportunity
equates to the glass being half full! Everyone you meet has potential to send business to you. Perhaps the
person that does not accept the job tells the human resources manager the Realtor did a terrific job show-
casing the area. That human resources manager may request that same agent for the next person that
comes in and does accept the job. Perhaps the person decides to rent, again they may buy in the future
or may tell others what a great agent they had and send other business their way.
Customer service and staying in touch are the keys to the future. Remember, rental clients can be added
to Agent Achieve so you are the first one they think of when it comes to buying. You can even put candi-
dates that do not accept a position in AgentAchieve. Perhaps by staying in touch, someday you will be
able to earn some additional income by helping them find the best broker in their local region by offering
our services through our Cartus broker network. It is your decision how you create your future.
3
Relocationby Mary Croglio, Director of Relocation
4
Agents of the Month
Buffalo June Akron Cheyanne SeelauAmherst Kathy AndersonBuffalo Metropolitan Wendy GioiaEast Aurora Todd AichingerHamburg Millie Blasz AchtylKenTon Karen LoffredoLancaster Barbara HoyLewiston Barb KiviLockport Dianne ShawOrchard Park Carol CzerwiecWest Seneca Pete ScarcelloWheatfield Cheryl PolasikWilliamsville-Clarence Michael BurkeWilliamsville Village Bonnie Clement
RochesterBrighton-Pittsford Larry MagguilliCanandaigua Sandi Van CampGreece Rich OrczykPerinton John DennistonWebster Vince LoCastro
Central & Northern NY/Carthage WatertownCamillus The Crocker TeamCazenovia Thomas TaitChittenango Robert FreunschtClinton Barb OwensDeWitt Chip HodgkinsLiverpool Brian MacGormanManlius Gaulin TeamOneida Shari KimballWatertown Doris OlinCicero Shane Tibbitts
Capital DistrictSaratoga Springs Ray HendersonLoudonville Shawn ClarkGlens Falls Jen BallSlingerlands Jamie Evans
ArizonaTempe Ken MayerScottsdale Craig Hansen
5
Fundraiser for Joe Wouterszby Andrew Genovese, Licensed Real Estate Salesperson at HUNT Glens Falls
I have a story to share about a man that is very near and dear to my heart. I have known Joe Woutersz, Broker
Consultant at HUNT Glens Falls, for about as long as I have been in real estate. He spent years trying to recruit
me, and I spent years ignoring him. I have always respected him, but after being in real estate for some time,
you refuse to hear the various sales pitches brokers tell you in their efforts to successfully recruit candidates. After
taking a break from real estate for a year, I decided to get back into it and knew that I needed to speak with Joe.
This was the first time in my search for a new real estate company that I decided to choose the broker over the
company.
I have now worked with Joe for the last year and a half. Every promise he made was honored he was never
untrue to his word, and his only interest was helping me and every other agent that works for him. I have never
grown so close to someone so quickly on a personal level. Joe is like a father to me and I would take a bullet for
him. He and his wife, Elaine, were the first people my wife, and I would let watch our one-year-old daughter,
Brooklyn - she calls him "Pop."
One month ago, Joe was told he had a cancerous tumor in his esophagus. The tumor is so large he can barely
eat solid foods and has lost a good amount of weight. Sadly, the cancer did not stop in the esophagus, it also
spread to his lymph nodes and is possibly in his lungs. Soon Joe will be starting chemo and radiation, after which
surgery will be necessary.
Joe Woutersz is a pillar in the Glens Falls community. He participates in so much - BNI, Toastmasters and the
Adirondack Chamber of Commerce, to name a few. He has freely given large amounts of his time to the Warren
County Associate of Realtors and, of course, to his agents that have been loyal to him all these years. His ded-
ication to all is unsurpassed and it's time we help Joe and Elaine.
Joe has worked hard all his life and all he cares about in these difficult times are his the well-being of his wife,
family, agents and clients. He is a proud man, and it is not easy for him to ask for help - so we are asking on his
behalf. If you can find it in your heart to donate, please do.
Contributions can be made at JoeWouterszCancerFund.com or at any Key Bank location (make checks
payable to the Joe Woutersz Cancer Fund).
We want Joe to focus on his recovery, rather than worry about the huge medical debt accruing. I am donating
$2,000 and Jen Ball is matching my donation. Any amount helps. It could not go to a better person and will be
deeply appreciated.
6
The employee of the Month
for June is Joe Woutersz. Joe
had largely been on an is-
land in Glens Falls, well out-
side the greater Capital
Region and far outside the
epicenter of HUNT. This
didn’t seem to matter as Joe
was, and continues to be
willing to help anyone with
anything, at any time. This
attitude is what has attracted quality agents to our Glens
Falls branch which has resulted in unprecedented
growth within the branch. YTD the Glens Falls Branch
is 41% ahead of plan in volume and 46% ahead of plan
in Company Dollar -- an exceptional performance by
Joe and the fine agents he leads.
Congratulations to Diane
Gold! Diane is the July em-
ployee of the month. Diane
consistently masters the
USAA business by working
together with Cartus, the
USAA members and our
agents. The number of
closings increase year after
year with Diane’s expertise
even as the requirements,
demands and expectations become more and more chal-
lenging. Diane’s dedication and commitment to this busi-
ness segment is unwavering.
Employee of the Monthby Charlie Hunt, General Manager of Rochester Region & Director of Corporate Relations
June July
7
News Around the Regions
The results are in... Buffalo Buiness First ranks HUNT
Commercial Real Estate Corp. as the #1 Commercial
Real Estate firm in Western New York.
Jamie Mendel-Kolb, Broker
Consultant for the
Niagara Region, set up a com-
munity service event for her three
offices: Lewiston, Wheatfield and
Lockport. They helped out at
the Literacy Zone grand
opening in Lockport. The
other agents who were there were
Will Yaple and Barbara Garey.
The Lockport Office is a
proud sponsor of the 90th
birthday of the Historic
Lockport Palace Theatre.
The Palace Theatre celebrated
with a Bootlegger’s Ball on
Wednesday July 15th. Fun was
had by all! The event attractions
included casino style gambling,
poker, roulette, and craps, along with performances by the cast of “Guys and Dolls”.
The Historic Palace Theatre is a community based non-profit organization dedicated
to maintaining the historic and architectural integrity of the Western New York land-
mark while providing a venue for the performing arts and a center for art education.
Buffalo/Niagara
On Tuesday, July 21st, the
Liverpool office hosted a
summer barbecue to cele-
brate their success and to
thank all who participated
in raising over $3,000 for
the Rescue Mission's Ride
& Run for the Rescue. Dave
Evans and David Pendergast
were the grill masters who served up some delicious and perfectly cooked burgers & hot
dogs, which were complimented by some extraordinary dishes that everyone who at-
tended brought to share. A wonderful time was had by all!
CNY
8
Rochester has big news on the horizon. A new manufacturing institute for integrated
photonics will give Rochester's optics businesses the space and capability they need to generate
the next great breakthrough.The Integrated Photonics Institute for ManufacturingInnovation will help secure U.S. leadership in the manufacture of next-generation Internet,
healthcare and defense capabilities. Funded with a $110 million startup grant from the De-
fense Department plus State and private funding equalling $610 million is big news for our
local economy!
This also means opportunities for HUNT Real Estate agents as well! The hous-ing market will flourish. New buyers and sellers not to mention Relocation clientswill be in need of our elite agent’s expertise. While agents from other brokers are on
vacation this month, our HUNT agents are not slowing down. The region is ready and willing
to service their newest business opportunities.
Exciting news from our Rochester region as HUNT was named by Uniland Res-idential to be the exclusive leasing firm for The Glen at Perinton Hills, a new
luxury apartment community in Fairport. Buffalo Business First took note of our new part-
nership with Uniland: http://bit.ly/Uniland
Rochester
News Around the Regions cont.
Kristen Szramkowski
is now Kristen Laczi!
On July 23rd, HUNT Marketing's Kristen
Szramkowski married her fiance, Evan, in a
small ceremony in the Adirondacks. They are plan-
ning a larger reception for family and friends later
this month and are looking forward to their Hawai-
ian honeymoon early next year. Congratulations
Kristen & Evan!
On July 8th, we released our newest marketing innovation within AgentAchieve - the HUNT Digital Listing
Center (DLC). The DLC maximizes your productivity by automatically creating your property marketing
pieces for each new listing. The pre-built HUNT templates in the DLC also ensure every item is properly for-
matted in our modern, professional look and appears properly across all devices - mobile and desktop.
Within 24-hours of putting your listing on the MLS, everything needed to jumpstart the marketing of your
property – a complete digital and print marketing package – is created automatically:
• Virtual Tour (Branded and IDX versions)
• Property Website
• Property Slideshow on YouTube
• Virtual Postcard
• Single Sided Flyer (PDF)
• Double Sided Flyer (PDF)
Should you wish to edit or modify any of your materials, such as changing ad copy or uploading high-resolution
photos, you can do so by logging into your DLC account within AgentAcheive.
Additionally, whenever key listing information is updated in the MLS – such as a price change or the addition
of a Open House – all of the marketing materials are updated, automatically, so you and consumers viewing
your materials online have the most current information.
This is just another example of how HUNT sets you apart from the competition. We are committed to contin-
ually enhancing our marketing and investing in the latest technologies available so that you can give your client
first class customer service for their property.
For more information about the HUNT Digital Listing Center, please see your Broker Consultant or attend
one of the upcoming training webinars being held by Jennifer Maxian.
9
NEW HUNT DIGITALListing Centerby Dan Mirsky, Director of Marketing
HUNT in the News
The press is also taking notice of our utilization of emerging technologies. Our partnership
with Imprev, the company that built the DLC, resulted in news articles being published by
Marketwatch (WSJ) and various industry and technology blogs. Check out the article that
appeared on Yahoo Finance: http://bit.ly/HuntDLC
Welcome to HUNT!
We would like to welcome the following newly licensed agents from across the company:
Brandy Eidenschink - Tempe
Kevin Craolici - Scottsdale
Amber Martinez - Amherst
Jeremy Lefort - Orchard Park
Colleen Morth - Buffalo Metropolitan
Todd Cross - Buffalo Metropolitan
Stephen Carr - Buffalo Metropolitan
Amber Buday - Buffalo Metropolitan
Paul Caron - Wheatfield
Megan Hoag - Buffalo Metropolitan
Daniel Evans - Slingerlands
Erin Buneo - Saratoga Springs
Nancy O’Connor - Glens Falls
Forrest Heaney - Manlius
Susan Caiello - Liverpool
Carolyn Durkee - Cicero
We would also like to welcome the following experienced agents fromacross the company:
Wendy Tinker - Scottsdale
Diane Tanyi - West Seneca
Michael Foley - Orchard Park
Margaret Tam - Scottsdale
Training is Important
Think of this situation, you are about to fly to Florida for some well der-
served rest and relaxation. You can choose to fly with a pilot who has not
been trained or one who has been thoroughly trained to fly the plane.
Which do you choose?
The answer is obvious! Even if the cost to fly with the untrained pilot
was less, my guess is you would still choose the trained pilot. We expect
that the professionals we use every day to be the best they can be. We ex-
pect them to be trained in their skills and to update those skills regularly.
Now think of the real estate consumer. It makes sense that they would
pick the trained “pilot” to help navigate their real estate transaction. The
truth is that research shows this to be the case. Consumers seek out those
“trained” professionals to assist them.
Now ask yourself, are you that trained “pilot?” Are your skills on par, if
not better than those of your competitors? If not, why not? If you are,
ask yourself, do the consumers know that I am a trained “pilot” or do
they just assume it as you would boarding a plane.
I believe it is time real estate as an industry begins to educate the
consumers about trained and untrained real estate “pilots.”
This begins with you, the HUNT ERA professional. HUNT ERA
has long been known as the “Training Company” due to its passionate
dedication to training and skills enhancement. A full-time staff of
dedicated trainers administers the best training in the business in all our
regions.
Since, however, a trained “pilot” is something expected, we think it is
time to let the public know this may not be the case and they do have a
choice. This requires two things from you. First and foremost is that you
take advantage of the training opportunities provided to you, like HUNT
University courses and the provided David Knox Videos. Secondly, you
need to let the consumer know you are well-trained and use you training
credentials as a point of difference.
If you need help or direction on the unique training opportunities
available at HUNT ERA, simply talk to your Branch Leader, they would
be happy to guide you to these opportunities.
Career Developmentby Bob Scholz, Director of Training