Keller Williams Realty Ranked as Top Real Estate Franchise by Industry Leader and Entrepreneur Magazine

AUSTIN, TEXAS (December 21, 2009) — Keller Williams Realty joined the ranks of the top franchises in the world last week, when the company was ranked as the No. 1 real estate franchise on the 31^st Annual Franchise 500 list by Entrepreneur magazine. During the same week, the company was also voted the Most Recognizable Brand of Real Estate Franchises for 2009 in an industry-wide survey for the Swanepoel TRENDS Report.

“The Swanepoel TRENDS Report is a respected source for the real estate industry and beyond, as is Entrepreneur magazine, and we are excited to see our agents honored in this way for all of their hard work,” said Mark Willis, CEO, Keller Williams Realty. “We certainly wouldn’t have been included on either list without the dedication and resolve of our agents.”  

According to the ranking in Entrepreneur magazine, the most important criteria to determine the top franchises included financial strength and stability, as well as growth rate and size of the franchise system. The magazine also looked at the number of years the company has been in business and the length of time it’s been franchising, in addition to start-up costs and financial data. Additionally, Keller Williams Realty made an impressive showing on the overall list, placing higher than any other real estate franchise.

The Swanepoel TRENDS Report is published by Stefan Swanepoel, a real estate industry speaker and insider. The survey was crafted to determine the Most Recognizable Brand for Real Estate Franchises for his report out in February 2010. The survey included votes cast by 11,000 plus real estate agents, who cast 390,000 votes to select the top 10.

Earlier in the year,Keller Williams Realty also received the highest overall satisfaction ratings from home buyers among the largest full-service real estate firms from J.D. Power and Associates for the second year in a row.

“We are extremely proud that our associates and company are being recognized for our strength and stability during this time in our industry,” said Mary Tennant, president and COO, Keller Williams Realty. “We attribute our success to being in business with phenomenal people and to our core business models, which have allowed our franchises to thrive during any market.”

About Keller Williams Realty Inc.:

Founded in 1983, Keller Williams Realty Inc. is the third-largest real estate franchise operation in the United States, with 679 offices and 73,000 associates in the United States and Canada. The company, which began franchising in 1990, has an agent-centric culture that emphasizes access to leading-edge education and promotes an economic model that rewards associates as stakeholders and partners. For more information, visit Keller Williams Realty online at (www.kw.com).

The Gary & Nikki Team consistently closes a high number of real estate transactions every year – over 15 times more homes sold than the average REALTOR® nationwide. A high number of closed transactions brings a great amount of experience – experience in dealing with the ever-changing hurdles of the Tampa Bay real estate market.

No Substitute For Experience

Every completed home sale sharpens the The Gary and Nikki Team’s skills for the next transaction. Whether it’s a standard sale or short sale, a home seller faces many challenges from contract to closing. Inspections, appraisals and recently implemented mortgage restrictions to name a few. The Gary and Nikki Team uses their vast amount of experience to conquer these hurdles and bring a client’s home to the closing table.

Now Certified Distress Property Experts

The team has now added certified short sale training to their extensive resume. Seven Team members have become Certified Distressed Property Experts (CDPE). They specialize in helping homeowners avoid foreclosure. Of the 1.2 million REALTORS nationwide, fewer than 15,000 have this designation. CDPE® Designated agents have a strong and unique appreciation of the factors affecting the market and can help homeowners that are at risk of foreclosure.

If you or somebody you know is at risk of foreclosure in the Tampa Bay area specifically Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Clearwater, Dunedin, and the surrounding cities, please call The Gary and Nikki Team Today. The sooner you call, the sooner we can help make a difference. 727-787-6995

Four members of  The Gary and Nikki Team have earned an important Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, having completed extensive training in foreclosure avoidance and short sales. This is invaluable expertise to offer at a time when the area is ravaged by “distressed” homes in the foreclosure process. Don Ubaldini, Gary Ubaldini, Nikki Ubaldini and Mimi Patrick are now part of the 10,000 out of 1.2 million REALTORS that have this designation.

What Is A Short Sale?

Short sales allow the cash-strapped seller to repay the mortgage at the price that the home sells for, even though it is lower than what is owed on the property. With plummeting property values, this can save many people from foreclosure and even bankruptcy. More and more lenders are willing to consider short sales because they are much less costly than foreclosures.

“This CDPE designation is invaluable as we work with sellers and lenders on complicated short sales,” said Gary Ubaldini. “It is so rewarding to be able to help sellers save their homes from foreclosure.”

Helping To Save Your Credit Rating

Alex Charfen, founder of the Distressed Property Institute in Boca Raton, Fla., said that Realtors® such as The Gary and Nikki Team with the CDPE designation have valuable training in short sales that can offer the homeowner much better alternatives to foreclosure, which virtually destroys the credit rating. These experts also may better understand market conditions and can help sellers through the emotional experience, he said.

The CDPE is the premier designation for Realtors helping homeowners in distress and handling short sales. “Our goal is to educate as many people as possible so we can help as many homeowners as possible,” Charfen said.

If you home is in danger of foreclosure, call The Gary and Nikki Team today: 727-787-6995

Over the last 10 years of serving our clients in the Tampa Bay real estate market, The Gary and Nikki Team have endeavored to provide first-class service to our clients. Statistics from the Pinellas Suncoast Association of REALTORS MLS sales records reflect our hard work and commitment. Since January 1st, 2000 our team has helped 906 homeowners sell their homes at an average of 98% of list price in 35 days on the market. During that same time period our team has helped 757 homebuyers purchase their homes. Those numbers do not come easy. It takes training, dedication, and many years of consistent top level achievement from great team players to allow us to look back on such a wonderful decade of service.

The Gary and Nikki Team continues to move forward with persistent hard work, dedication and a commitment to our clients for many more great years to come. Thank you to all of our clients and to all of the excellent teammates and staff that have helped make our team what is today. We are proud to have successfully helped over 3750 families buy and sell real estate since 1986.

The Gary and Nikki Team are happy to announce our new MLS search. Use our free MLSFinder when you search for Florida homes online. Search by county, price – many different parameters, even MLS number! You can even save your searches. Click Here to go to the MLSFinder.

WorldProperties.com
The Gary and Nikki Team in The Global Real Estate Market

All of our listings are available on a website that is specifically designed for the worldwide marketplace – WorldProperties.com. The rapid growth of the Internet has made the international market accessible to millions of consumers. Current worldwide estimates are close to 1 billion users and growing, with most of the growth in Asia, Latin America and parts of Europe. WorldProperties.com is backed by the International Consortium of Real Estate Associations (ICREA). The Gary and Nikki Team actively markets your home to this large source of international home buyers with WorldProperties.com.
 
What This Means For The Home Seller
On WorldProperties.com buyers can globally search for properties among more than 3 million listings. This is especially important for sellers with distinctive properties that will attract buyers from around the globe in search of a vacation, resort, or luxury property, or simply one that’s unique within its local market. ICREA’s greatest value to consumers, however, is the ICREA network of 2 million brokers/agents worldwide, who are affiliated with leading national organizations and adhere to a code of ethics that commits them to professionalism and service to their customers and clients.
 
The Gary and Nikki Team works non-stop to achieve the highest amount of exposure for our listings through local, national and global marketing. The REALTOR® you choose to negotiate your home’s value does make a difference – call us today to get the difference!