Technology Shift

The landscape of the real estate industry is changing. We have shifted from a technical business to a technology business, driven by Big Data and Artificial Intelligence. If you want to survive and stay relevant, not only do you need to embrace this technology shift, you will need to enhance your skills.

Josh Team, KWRI Chief Innovation Officer, told Inman News, “Keller Williams is the largest real estate company by agent count and sales volume in the nation, and all of those agents create data every day from lead to close, including data on offers, contracts, appraisals, inspections, and productivity. That data used to live in thousands of unconnected databases but has now been consolidated into one platform”. By doing this, Keller Williams is protecting its associates and helping them own the customer experience when it comes to real estate.

It is not just about Kelle. Gary Keller recruited some of the top technology developers in the country to build the best platform for our Agents. Kelle is an interface to hlep Keller Williams Realtors do their business more efficiently on the go. The new KW Command platform will replace your CRM, mailchimp, Canva, predictive analysis platforms for listings, postcard campaigns, allow you to build a vendor network for your customers, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. Through KW Labs, this technology was built by our agents who are out in the field, doing the transactions and subscribing to multiple platforms to move their business.

Keller Williams Realty is the largest real estate company in the world and we are about to experience expansive growth! With the tools at our fingertips, we are bracing take our #1 spot to the next level by creating a great divide between us and our closets competitors.  Over the next few months Keller Williams Realty St. Pete will invest in many upgrades to our local office. Our training calendar will include more tech training to help you sell more real estate. We are hiring a full-time Tech Director to help you maximize the tools. All of these improvements will be led by our Tech Ambassador and our new Tech Committee. Our only goal in this technology shift is to ensure our Realtors come out ahead of the game! We are passionate about their success!

For more information about Keller Williams, please contact the local St. Pete office at (727)894-1600

 

 

A BOLD COMEBACK

With the odds stacked against her, Amina Blake-Foreman had the most successful
month of her career!

Serious leg injuries are plenty cause to sideline most people for a few weeks, if not months. But not Amina Blake-Foreman of the Greater Hartford (Conn.) market
center. Blake-Foreman was in a bounce house celebrating her son’s 7th birthday, when she sustained several injuries to her knee. But instead of slowing down, after surgery
she dug in, applying all she learned in BOLD (Business Objective: Life by Design) during her recovery and had the best January of her entire career with 14 closings.
After breaking the news that she’d be laid up for a month to her KW MAPS Coach, her coach responded with a one-two punch of care and candor.
“I am very sorry for your injury, truly I am, but thank God your mouth is still working.”
Blake-Foreman took her coach’s comment to heart. She made a vision board, posted it confidently on the wall in her room, picked up her phone, and started lead generating.
By the end of the month, BlakeForeman had taken seven listings from her bed with the help of her coach and her supportive team.
“Since I would be unable to go to coaching sessions, my coach offered to pause coaching for a few months, but I knew that I needed it more than ever. Rather than scale
back, we still continued to have our weekly calls. She texted and checked on me regularly.”
The coaching sessions encouraged Blake-Foreman to keep going and think outside of the box when it came to running her business. “My showing partner, Matt, previewed my appointments, and we set up webinars with clients to do listing appointments. By using
screen share, I was able to take the listings. Tammy in operations stepped up and was able to do buyer consults for the first time.”
Although she is fully recuperated, Blake-Foreman continues to leverage technology and is seeing dramatic results in her production. “My injury taught me that I don’t
have to be on all listing presentations. Now, for certain price points, I just do my consult over the phone and through a webinar. I’ve sold six homes that I’ve never seen.”
A History Steeped in Determination
The people closest to her aren’t surprised: Blake-Foreman’s history is steeped in determination, grit and perseverance.
“Time and time again, I have seen Amina rise above any challenges that have come her way without giving up,” says Chris Grant, Blake’- Foreman’s team leader.

When her family moved to the United States from Trinidad while she was in her early teens, she helped her father manage all the details and paperwork involved in purchasing their home. The agent handling the transaction was impressed with her and brought her on as a part-time assistant. BlakeForeman worked for that agent until she got her own license some years later. After graduating with a degree in education she began scouting teaching jobs and realized that she earned more working part time in real estate than she would working full time as a teacher, so she opted for the real estate route.

After breaking six figures at Coldwell Banker, she told her leaders that she wanted to get to $200,000 in production, but they thought she should be happy where she was.
Unsatisfied, she picked up a copy of The Millionaire Real Estate Agent and recalls “the moment” she realized there was more for her.
“That was it for me. I read the book and realized there was something bigger and better. I became part of the KW family the first day I returned from vacation.”
Almost immediately BlakeForeman plugged into KW MAPS Coaching. Though she had no strong family role models, her coaches became mentors and helped nurture in her an intention and the skills to become a millionaire real estate agent.

Breaking the Cycle
Real estate is more than a career for Blake-Foreman; it’s a gateway allowing her to break unhealthy generational cycles. She is the first in her family to attend and graduate
from college and wants to blaze many more trails for those who come behind her.
“Legacy is my Big Why,” she ponders. “I look around and I see so many who have raised children and are now caring for their parents.
Not only do I not want to put a financial burden on those who come after me, but I want to leave markers and mileposts along my path that pave the way for their brighter future.”
Grant attests to Blake-Foreman’s drive and ambition. “I have heard it stated that it is not skills, abilities, geography, biography, or resources that make a person successful in life, rather it is hunger and resourcefulness,” says Grant. “Amina absolutely is hungry
and resourceful when it comes to moving forward.”
Blake has taken BOLD at least 10 times and doesn’t plan on stopping. The transformative mindset exercises have impacted every part of her life. When she enrolled in the course for the first time, she was going through a divorce, parenting a child alone, growing
a business, and trying to raise her financial thermostat. Initially, she said it was about scripts and business  techniques, but the mindset element has changed everything for her. “I have learned how to quickly identify my limiting beliefs, the things that are holding me back, and catch myself before falling into a funk.” She now serves as a table leader at BOLD and encourages new attendees with what she has learned. Dianna Kokoszka, CEO of KW MAPS Coaching, reflects, “Amina has continued to go to BOLD since I coached her and does not take a break! Even through knee surgery and bedrest, she generated leads all day.”

Making Her Mark
Though she never taught in a school with her education degree, she teaches and comes from contribution every day in real estate. At the market center, she leads Win with Sellers and became a certified KW MAPS Coach. She is working to become a 7th Level team, and would love to expand and become a BOLD Coach to take others through the program that has made such a difference in her life. Grant says, “Amina maintains the Keller Williams belief system and values as very high standards in her life. She is not only an amazing mother to her son, she is a model of a great businessperson, coach, leader and servant to others in our office. Our local market center is richer because of our partnership with Amina.”

For more information contact Team Leader and Managing Broker, Rachel Sartain at 727-894-1600.

I didn’t know BIG until I came to KW

  Jay White, CEO and president of The White Group, thought he and his dad, Johnny White, were doing well selling $3.5 million annually in Charlotte, N.C., before 2010. But after being a part of the Ballantyne Area market center for six and a half years and  experiencing a 12-month production of $43 million, his views have changed considerably.

With a renewed vision of success, Jay White has his eyes set on limitless growth, and he is proving that with the right philosophies and tools in place, anything is possible
in real estate. He didn’t always think this way. It was a series of experiences that
shifted his mindset.

The Early Years
Jay began his career in real estate in 2006 after forming The Johnny White Team with his dad at Coldwell Banker. Because his dad knew so many people in the Charlotte area, business grew quickly, but Jay admits they didn’t have an accurate view of what success was.
“We were setting our goals based on what other companies were doing. We didn’t know what doingreally well was.”
After consistently ranking among the top agents in their office, the bottom fell out of the market. Companies stopped relocating employees and the team’s business all but dried up by 2010.

Meanwhile, during the chaos, he noticed many agents who left Coldwell Banker went to Keller Williams. Curious, Jay reached out to them to ask what they were doing differently.
In a networking group, a Keller Williams agent gave him a copy of The Millionaire Real Estate Agent. And he devoured the book. “I think I read it over the weekend. It just really spoke to me,” Jay says.

A Big Step in Faith
Jay met with Ann Yountz, the Ballantyne Area market center team leader at the time, over Thanksgiving weekend 2010 and moved to Keller Williams within days.
The transition meant giving back 15 listings. Something that wasn’t easy to do, but Jay and his dad stepped out in faith, knowing they wouldn’t be without resources at Keller Williams. Accustomed to listings being handed to them through the relocation team, the Whites had to learn how to find business on their own – and it wasn’t easy. After four months, Jay’s production stalled, and he knew it was time for help.
After reaching out to other agents, they recommended he talk with Chip Walton. Walton, a productivity coach at the market center, began coaching Jay, giving him the
knowledge he needed to build a strong foundation for his business. “He taught me how to lead generate and be more structured with my time management, and he really
helped me create a vision for what this (business) could look like.”
The Whites focused on lead generation, and within six months they were back on track – hitting $4 million in 2011. “We thought that was amazing. Again, we didn’t know what big really looked like,” Jay says.

New Possibilities
It was the Business Objective: Life by Design (BOLD) training in 2011 where Jay’s eyes were opened to new possibilities. “BOLD let me know that if we focus on lead generation, we could grow it. It just opened up a mindset of abundance. We did $9 million
that year,” he says.
Over the next couple of years, the team expanded to include his sister, Lea Lempesis; a full-time executive assistant; and his brother Marc White, who was selling real estate in
the mountains of North Carolina and became one of the top agents in that market.
With his team in place, Jay began teaching real estate classes region ally and nationally – a move that not only provided a wider referral platform for the team, but led him
to become a KW MAPS Coach and earn an invitation to Gary Keller’s Masterminds.
“(This) exposed me to people who thought a whole lot bigger than I ever knew was possible,” Jay recounts. “Gary said that we underestimate what we can do in 10 years
and overestimate what we can do in one.”

Scaling Business with the CGI
Jay took Keller’s words to heart and began reevaluating his team’s goals. Despite the fact that they were already doubling their production year-over-year for the past three
years, he knew that it was time to think bigger, so the team created a five-year plan and dove into the Career Growth Initiative, starting with the CGI Calculator.
“Before the CGI Calculator, figuring out our production goals was almost like picking at random. Now it’s easy. We just plug in our numbers, conversion rates and it
spits everything out for us. The calculator has made it easy to plan what the next couple of years has to look like.”
The Pipeline Tool has been instrumental in helping Jay and Marc keep the team on track.
“Every week we have a team meeting, and Marc or I meet with agents one-on-one to discuss who they have in their pipeline and if it’s big enough to support their goals. For
example: If someone has a pipeline of three or four prospects, two buyers and one listing, but has a goal that requires six closings, it becomes clear that they aren’t going to reachtheir goal.”
Staying plugged into your pipeline is critical, Jay stresses. “If you don’t know what’s going on in your pipeline, you don’t know what’s going on in your business.”
He really enjoys that the CGI has helped him build a predictable and sustainable business. “Since we know what our monthly expenses are, we can forecast what they will be in 30, 60, 90 days and look at our pipeline to see if we have enough revenue to
support our expenses. If the market is great, we tend to be less budget-conscious
and spend without much thought. When inventory is tight, every cent matters. The tool helps us stay focused.”
Staying focused is especially important as Jay has moved into the role of productivity coach. He is now passionate about also helping others think without limits.
“In the past seven months, Jay has helped over 140 agents get into production faster and is creating more cappers,” says Walton, who is now a team leader at the Ballantyne Area
market center. “I’ve watched Jay come into the company and transform his life, his family’s life and the lives of hundreds of people.”

For more information contact Team Leader and Managing Broker, Rachel Sartain at 727-894-1600.

BOLDLY GO Where Productivity Increase

When it comes to success in real estate, the conventional wisdom is laser-focused on local marketing. But, as Gary Keller teaches, it pays to think bigger. Just ask Amy Kite of The Kite Team in the Naperville, Ill., market center, which services eight counties surrounding Chicago.  Kite joined Keller Williams Realty in 2005. Prior to that, she had been in the business less than a year with another company when she attended a Keller Williams training class offered at the Barrington (Ill.) market center. She says she was never pressured to join the company even though she was taking the class, but she loved the culture and the commitment to training – it was a perfect fit for the self-proclaimed “education junkie.”

Fast forward to 2015, Kite’s 13-person team closed $73 million in 485 transactions – up  from slightly more than half of that in 2014. How did she go from a solo real estate agent to the head of a growing team and a multimillion-dollar business with such a significant year-over-year jump in revenue? It was a process, she says.
Getting the Fundamentals Right
When someone asks Kite what the secrets are to building such a big business, her first response is, “The database.” Building a solid database and establishing regular ways of
communicating with your contacts and clients is essential. Real estate is a business highly dependent on referrals, and it’s critical to keep in touch and remind people that
you’re out there.
Kite also invests in education and networking opportunities to meet other successful KW agents from whom she can learn. She initially attended BOLD in 2009 when it first came to Chicago and has returned a total of 12 times. When asked why she has attended so many times, Kite says it stopped being about the real estate component after about the fifth one and became about the mindset and accountability that the program promotes.
“BOLD is about who you can become. Do you believe you can become somebody  spectacular? Do you believe that having a mindset shift can help you, whether it is in
business or in your personal life or wherever?” she says. “The funny thing is that after you’ve taken it a dozen times, you look at people differently and sometimes you think, ‘Aw, you just need BOLD.’”
Her BOLD training also helped her understand that, in order to grow, she needed to invest in team members to keep the momentum going. When she first added an
assistant in 2007, she more than doubled her business.

Getting Big Fast
Three years ago, Kite started targeting and working with builders in the Chicago area as a member of the Builder Trade-In program, helping their buyers rent or sell their “contingencies” – the houses they needed to sell in order buy the builders’ properties. Because Kite was suddenly working throughout the eight counties surrounding Chicago,
she had to expand her reach – and her team. Up until that point, she operated everything with her assistant/office manager. But, now she needed buyer agents, listing agents, and other team members to handle the volume.
As her employee base began to grow, she would note the areas where team members began to feel overwhelmed or where she saw potential to build her business, and invest there.
“Keller Williams is not about ‘what.’ Many times, it’s about ‘who.’ Who are you missing? What piece are you missing there? We had to find the right people to solve
our process problems,” she says. She says BOLD was essential to her success here too.
After her fifth time at BOLD, she realized she needed to hire a person strictly to handle her database. After that BOLD session, she realized that she could spend $50,000 per year on that person to generate $150,000 in business from her database. She made the hire, and it worked. Today, Kite’s team has 19 people in addition to her, including two listing agents, six buyer agents, two transaction coordinators, a property manager/rental
specialist, a receptionist, a vice president of technology, a director of operations, three inside sales associates (ISAs), a photographer/runner and a driver. She hired seven of those people in the past five months. One of the biggest boosts to her productivity
was hiring a driver roughly two years ago, she says. The long hours on the road were taking their toll. One night, she got home at 9 p.m., took five hours to prepare for the next day, climbed into bed at 2:30 a.m. to get a couple of hours of sleep before she had to rise again at 5 a.m. She started to cry. Her husband was alarmed and asked her what
was wrong. “I said, ‘If I don’t get a driver, I’m going to kill myself and someone
else because I’m going to fall asleep on the road,” she recalls.
While it seems like an extravagant move, Kite now works as she travels between appointments. She says she gets most of her work done as she sits in the backseat, and instead of spending her at-home hours prepping for the next day and catching up on work, she actually spends time with her family.

Finding the Right Solutions
By establishing systems for handling everything in her office, she can free herself from  the day to-day and more efficiently work on what she does best. When a buyer lead comes in, it goes to one of the buyer agents. When a listing comes in, it’s routed appropriately to an ISA. For buyers, the team conducts an in-depth consultation to narrow options and makes the search smooth and effective. They deliver properties that match the buyers’ requirements within 12 hours of them coming on the market. Sellers
receive a thorough market analysis of Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and private sales along with free home staging, home warranty and a customized Realtor.com® listing.
Kite’s staff schedules everything for her, right down to her phone calls. They are only permitted to schedule her for 15 to 20 listing appointments each week to keep
her time free to work on building the business in other ways. “If it’s not on my schedule, it doesn’t exist,” she says, quoting one of the BOLD laws.
She’s also highly focused on testing the marketing tactics that work best. When she began
working with builders in so many counties, she expanded into radio and television advertising for its greater reach, which worked enormously well for them. Since
digital marketing is so important, her vice president of technology constantly works on her team’s websites, keeping them updated and optimized. Constantly examining
what is working and reinvesting in those methods is critical, she says. Despite her rigor in establishing systems and following the playbook for building a successful real estate
business, Kite isn’t afraid to do what works for her, even when it flies in the face of conventional wisdom.
Selling in eight Chicago-area counties is practically unheard of, she says. But she and her team are doing it well. While other agents shy away from selling in the winter months, Kite is enthusiastic and does brisk business from November through February. While some see Chicago’s brutal winters, Kite sees a timeline with far less competition.
Her BOLD training and large network of contacts has helped her take the road less traveled. Kite makes it a point to attend conventions to meet other real estate agents and learn from them. In addition to regular BOLD sessions, she attends Agent Masterminds, where she learns a great deal from the agents who attend.
Recharge is another favorite of Kite’s because it’s an opportunity to network with and learn from operating principals (OPs), regional directors (RDs), team leaders (TLs)
and others who have reached the upper levels of the business model. She also likes to interact with people in other businesses to see if she can find new solutions to apply.
“You can’t just focus on masterminding with people who are like you and in the same
position. There’s a ton of value in masterminding with people who are running businesses differently, whether it’s in real estate or not,” she says.

For more information contact Team Leader and Managing Broker, Rachel Sartain at 727-894-1600.

The ONE in 100,000

When he saw Dianna Kokoszka, CEO of KW MAPS Coaching, heading through the courtyard – on crutches, no less – toward the BOLD classroom, Brian Wilder with KW Preferred Partners in West Palm Beach, Fla., had no idea she was heading his way.

Wilder knew that someone in the room was the 100,000th person to register for BOLD. And he reasoned that the odds were not in his favor. There were at least 100 people in attendance, giving him a one in a hundred chance of being the one. When they narrowed down the mysterious registrant to someone who was a table leader, Wilder still brushed it off since there were 10 other table leaders. When the last clue – “someone who has 11 letters in his or her name” – was given, Wilder let out a whoop. It was fitting that he was the 100,000th person to register, attend and graduate from BOLD. A satisfied customer, this was his third time to take the course. When the program debuted back in 2009, he was one of the original attendees. “It was a great course then and it’s a great course now. I learn something new every time,” Wilder shared.

Real estate is in his blood. He still has a picture of him at 8 years old wearing the signature gold blazer from the company where his dad and aunt were agents. After school in 1998, he decided to go into the family business, earned his real estate license in one week, and followed his aunt to Keller Williams where he was named Rookie of the Year in 1999. He’s been going strong ever since and credits the strategies he learns in BOLD with his incremental growth these last few years.

“Back in 2009 in south Florida, the market was shaky. We were just coming out of a shift and there were a lot of REOs and short sales. So many, in fact, we were teaching the banks how to do them. It was in this environment that I experienced BOLD for the first time. It felt like drinking water from a firehose because the program is so packed with content. I didn’t know what I didn’t know.”

BOLD, which means “Business Objective: Life by Design” was written by Kokoszka to help agents increase their productivity. The program was born from strategies she used to sell more than 4,000 houses. Using lead generation techniques, mindset activities, and accountability teamwork, participants learn real-time tactics that immediately impact their production. Last year, BOLD graduates increased their closed transactions by 50 percent and increased their income by 114 percent.

At the class where he was awarded a VIP trip to Austin for being the 100,000th registrant, Wilder and his tablemates did the BOLD 100 in a single day. He confesses that the month prior had been “a weird time in south Florida” and he needed BOLD more than he even knew. In the years that he has been armed with BOLD, Wilder has thrived through market highs and lows. “My passion for real estate has been magnified in the economic shift that has found most people struggling. It has been an honor and a privilege to assist and direct people who otherwise would not know what to do with properties that are challenged by deflated prices. It is through this shifted market that my value is greatest.”

For more information contact Team Leader and Managing Broker, Rachel Sartain at 727-894-1600.

 

 

 

Keller Williams Realty St. Pete’s Commercial Real Estate Division Changes the Mood of St. Petersburg, Florida

Keller Williams Realty St. Pete’s Commercial Division Closes the Deal on Datz’s Expansion to St. Petersburg, Florida

KW Commercial, a division of Keller Williams Realty International (KWRI) has closed the deal on Datz’s expansion into downtown St. Petersburg at 180 Central Ave.

KW Commercial, a division of Keller Williams Realty International (KWRI) has closed the deal on Datz’s expansion into downtown St. Petersburg.

Datz originally opened its doors in January 2009 in Tampa. Eight years later, the transaction to expand across the bridge has closed, bringing Datz into downtown St. Petersburg. According to the company’s website, Datz is “a craft beer oasis, a bourbon lover’s paradise, a foodie wonderland filled with bacon, cheese and housemade breads.” Datz, like the Tampa Bay Area, is uniquely innovative as the company changes its menu every month and welcomes its employees’ input regarding the menu.

In the past few years the city of St. Petersburg has experienced a non-stop evolution focused on local business owners and the community. This evolution has included urban outdoor murals, craft breweries and a unique emergence of culinary experiences.  The expansion of DATZ provides evidence that the economy and commercial real estate market of St. Petersburg are healthy and the quality of life in St. Petersburg is desirable.

“St. Petersburg has become known as the hidden jewel of West and Central Florida,” said Jon Wittner, commercial Realtor with Keller Williams Realty St. Pete.

KW Commercial Realtors Jake Wollman and Jon Wittner worked together to get their creative client the best deal possible, beating all other offers.

“The offer we presented on behalf of Datz helped them standout as the best option for the location,” said Jon Wittner. “Datz will be open all day, offering breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner options, bringing the highest and best possible usage of the commercial space.”

KW Commercial, the commercial real estate arm of Keller Williams Realty, the world’s largest real estate franchise by agent count, is no stranger to success. The commercial team consists of the most knowledgeable, results-driven brokers backed by the most innovative and scalable technology the commercial real estate industry has to offer.

The KW Commercial agents and brokers are held to the highest standard of business to exceed consumer needs.

Wittner was attracted to KW Commercial as an opportunity to be a part of something bigger within the commercial industry of Tampa Bay. Wittner and Wollman are part of a 28-person KW Commercial division, which is an arm of Keller Williams Chadwick group with offices in Seminole, St. Petersburg, St. Pete Beach, South Tampa, Brandon, Valerico, Plant City, Apollo Beach and Sun City Center.

“I enjoy working with the Keller Williams Chadwick Group and its 1300 residential Realtors. Most business owners are also homeowners. This relationship creates a win-win for the customer and is a great referral connection for the commercial and residential Realtors,” Wittner explained.

KW Commercial has been a strong player in the redevelopment of downtown St. Petersburg, working to secure properties for restaurants, coffee shops, medical and retail offices, hotels and multi-family homes. Outside the downtown corridor, the KW Commercial division is also bringing Dr. BBQ to the Edge district, a redevelopment on 4^th Street and a self-storage facility.

When a customer works with a KW Commercial broker, the customer isn’t solely working with a broker, they’re hiring a vast network of dedicated real estate professionals.

ABOUT KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY ST. PETE

Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is the top producing brokerage by total sales volume in south Pinellas county as stated by the August 2017 Pinellas Realtor Organization report. Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is an independently owned franchise of Keller Williams Realty International. Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is the one of the largest brokerages by Realtor count in the Tampa Bay Area and does business in the commercial, luxury and residential real estate markets

For more information about our KW Commercial division or if you are a Realtor who is interested in growing your business with the number one training company in the world, please contact Rachel Sartain, managing broker at 727-894-1600 or visit the company’s website at http://www.stpetekw.com.

Keller Williams Realty St. Pete Joins Keller Williams Realty International’s Nonprofit Organization, KW Cares

Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is raising funds for those affected by the recent natural disasters, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and the Earthquakes in Mexico

Keller Williams (KW) Realty St. Pete is raising money for Keller Williams Realty International’s (KWRI) nonprofit organization, KW Cares. KW Cares has implemented a campaign, Red Relief and has a goal to raise $20 million for those affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and the earthquakes in Mexico. KW Cares steps in to help KW associates and their families experiencing a hardship as a result of a sudden emergency. KWRI’s Realtors and staff have donated over $7.6 million to help those affected by the three hurricanes and two earthquakes in Mexico.

Keller Williams Realty International’s nonprofit organization, KW Cares, is raising $20 million for those affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and two earthquakes.

Natural disasters – such as the earthquakes in Mexico and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria – disrupt life as we know it. People become displaced and isolated. Schools are being utilized as shelters, displacing students at every level of education. Many are still recovering from Hurricane Harvey while victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico haven’t begun to see a resolution.

The first step KW Cares takes after disaster strikes is to send its convoy of semis with equipment, supplies and volunteers to the areas most impacted. Natural disasters that destroy the housing market are especially damaging to all. The real estate market may cease to exist, causing a dramatic change in the economy until a normal routine is restored. Monetary donations to KW Cares will contribute toward food, clothing, water and building supplies for those in the affected communities.

Many KWRI associates have made an impressive impact through their on-the-ground relief efforts in Florida, Puerto Rico Texas and Mexico. In Texas they helped others replace their homes while those in Mexico have provided food and supplies.

Keller Williams Realty St. Pete has committed to raising $35,000, or $125 per associate, for KW Cares. Furthermore, Keller Williams Realty St. Pete has “adopted” a family from Texas that is a part of the KW Houston office. Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is supporting this family with emotional support, supplies and monetary donations to rebuild their home.

About Keller Williams Realty St. Pete

Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is the top producing brokerage by total sales volume in south Pinellas county as stated by the August 2017 Pinellas Realtor Organization report. Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is an independently owned franchise of KW Realty International. Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is the one of the largest brokerages by Realtor count in the Tampa Bay Area.

If you are a Realtor who is interested in growing your business with the number one training company in the world, please contact Rachel Sartain, managing broker at 727-894-1600 or visit the company’s website at http://www.stpetekw.com.

If you would like to help Keller Williams Realty St. Pete donate funds to the company’s relief efforts, please visit https://www.kwrelief.org/.

Keller Williams Realty’s BOLD Training Increases Business by Adjusting Mindsets

Keller Williams (KW) Realty has been ranked and remains the number one training company in the world. Written by KW Mega Achievement Productivity Systems (MAPS) coaching president, Diana Kokoszka, BOLD – Business Objective a Life by Design, teaches its techniques to propel an agent’s real estate career.

BOLD conditions Realtors with powerful mindset exercises, language techniques and lead generation activities. This transformative program increases sales through the relentless pursuit of leads and business-building activities.

Jeff Joyner has attended BOLD five times and remains in the top 5 percent of the Keller Williams Realty St. Pete office.

“The first time I went to BOLD I learned so much. It made me realize that real estate is a business that impacts many lives, starting with my family,” said Jeff Joyner top producing Realtor with Jeff Joyner and Associates at Keller Williams Realty St. Pete. “My family holds me accountable to being in the top 5 percent of the office. Now we are able to enjoy summer-long vacations in the Keys.”

After attending BOLD the second time, Joyner was able to double his business and lead the office in the number of listings taken. Joyner has since attended BOLD five times, is consistently in the top 5 percent of Keller Williams Realty St. Pete’s office and his business has increased its trajectory, year after year, regardless of the market.

Steve Capen, a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty St. Pete and ranked in the top 20 percent of Realtors in Pinellas County, has attended the program more than 10 times. Capen claims that BOLD has changed his life for the better by changing his mindset and taught him to think big with unlimited possibility. This mindset that has allowed him to grow a big business and enjoy the life he and his family desires.

Steve Capen generated $10 million in business after attending BOLD last year for the tenth time.

“The last time I went to BOLD was in March and I’ve already generated $10 million in business,” said Capen, Realtor with Huffman Capen Associates at Keller Williams Realty St. Pete.

Gary Keller, founder of KW Realty, recommends Realtors attend BOLD at least 10 times and at different stages of their business. Keller understands that what a participant learns at BOLD will be different every time, depending where he/she is in his/her personal and professional life.

Last year, BOLD graduates increase their closed transactions by 50 percent and increased their income by 114 percent. BOLD is coming to St. Petersburg starting October 11. If you are a Realtor who would like to take your business to the next level, make the appointment here. For more information, please contact Rachel Sartain, team leader and managing broker of Keller Williams Realty St. Pete at 727-894-1600.

About Keller Williams Realty St. Pete

Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is an independently owned franchise of KW Realty International. Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is the one of the largest brokerages by Realtor count in the Tampa Bay Area. Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is the top producing brokerage by total sales volume in south Pinellas county as stated by the July 2017 Pinellas Realtor Organization report.

If you are a Realtor who is interested in growing your business with the number one training company in the world, please contact Rachel Sartain, managing broker at 727-894-1600 or visit the company’s website at http://www.stpetekw.com.

The Advantage of Keller Williams Realty St. Pete’s Luxury Division

Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is a competitive real estate agency that dominates the real estate market in selling residential, luxury residential and commercial properties.

To be a luxury real estate agent, Realtors must have closed at least two transactions valued at $500,000 or more and obtain the Certified Luxury Homes Marketing Specialist (CLHMS). The luxury homes division of KW Realty provides its luxury Realtors with a global reach: last year, $70 billion of American real estate was purchased by international buyers.

Keller Williams Realty St. Pete opened its downstairs Luxury Suite in 2013 when the Yes-Homes team joined the brokerage. The Luxury Suite is an upscale office off Beach Drive in downtown St. Petersburg. It’s a prime location for Keller Williams (KW) Realty’s Realtors to meet with clients, prepare for open houses, freely advertise luxury listings and collaborate with the nine luxury Realtors that call the Luxury Suite home.

“I chose to become a luxury real estate agent because it was a way to better serve my buyers and sellers through a more thorough understanding of the market,” said Joe Moledo, luxury Realtor with Keller Williams Realty St. Pete.

To be a luxury real estate agent, Realtors must have closed at least two transactions valued at $500,000 or more and obtain the Certified Luxury Homes Marketing Specialist (CLHMS). The luxury homes division of KW Realty provides its luxury Realtors with a global reach: last year, $70 billion of American real estate was purchased by international buyers.

“The biggest advantage of having the CLHMS certification is the knowledge base it provides,” said Kim vanHerwynen, luxury Realtor with Keller Williams Realty St. Pete. “This certification provides us the knowledge of how and what media to utilize when marketing the home to the appropriate target market.”

Each Realtor, upon joining one of the many KW Realty brokerages, is provided with proven systems and models that benefit the Realtor by educating one how to run a successful business. KW Realty is committed to providing its Realtors with the technology, training and tools they need to fund their life and create opportunities. KW Realty is committed to delivering the platform Realtor’s buyers and sellers prefer.

“Being a part of a team means the Realtor has people behind him/her to support their business, increase their credibility, provide advertising, encourage and assist with positive networking events and opportunities and mentorship to help the individual reach his/her personal goals,” said Marian Yon Maguire with Yes-Homes at Keller Williams Realty St. Pete.

“The best advice I could give anyone looking to become a luxury real estate agent is to dress for success and join the elite social circles, such as country clubs and museum memberships to gain exposure and networking opportunities,” said Rhonda Sanderford with Yes-Homes at Keller Williams Realty St. Pete.

About Keller Williams Realty St. Pete

Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is an independently owned franchise of Keller Williams Realty International. Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is the one of the largest brokerages by Realtor count in the Tampa Bay Area. Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is the top producing brokerage by total sales volume in south Pinellas county as stated by the July 2017 Pinellas Realtor Organization report.

If you are a Realtor who is interested in growing your business with the number one training company in the world, please contact Rachel Sartain, managing broker at 727-894-1600 or visit the company’s website at http://www.stpetekw.com.

Keller Williams Realty St. Pete’s Bailey Makris Wins Rookie of the Year

Keller Williams Realty St. Pete’s Luxury Homes Realtor and mother of two, Bailey Makris, has won Pinellas Realtor Organization’s (PRO) prestigious award, Rookie of the Year.

Keller Williams Realty St. Pete’s Luxury Homes Realtor and mother of two, Bailey Makris, has won Pinellas Realtor Organization’s (PRO) prestigious award, Rookie of the Year.

PRO determines the Rookie of the Year by the newest member to the real estate industry with the highest total sales volume. Makris has closed an impressive sales volume of over $8 million in her first year.

The well-connected St. Petersburg native got her start in software sales and has always maintained a passion for real estate. Makris attributes her great success to being a part of the community and sells the majority of her listings before they hit the market.

“I take a boutique approach to real estate,” said Makris, Certified Luxury Homes Marketing Specialist with Keller Williams Realty St. Pete. “Selling and purchasing a home is a challenging process for many different reasons and when a client is working with me, I believe they should get my full attention.”

Makris decided to launch her luxury real estate career with Keller Williams Realty St. Pete after interviewing with many different brokerages and speaking with a friend that worked in the Keller Williams Realty South Tampa office prior to getting her license. After meeting and touring the Keller Williams Realty St. Pete office with Elijah Ramsey, Realtor with Keller Williams Realty St. Pete, Makris fell in love with the people and the office’s culture. Since launching her career she has implemented successful business models from Gary Keller’s Millionaire Real Estate Agent.

About Keller Williams Realty St. Pete

Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is a subset of Keller Williams Realty, which is an international real estate company. Keller Williams Realty St. Pete is one of the largest real estate agencies in Florida with over 260 agents. In July, the company closed 18 percent more units than the market and surpassed the market by 12 percent of its listings sold.

For more information or if you are a Realtor who is looking to jumpstart your business, please contact Rachel Sartain at 727-894-1600 or visit the company’s website at www.stpetekw.com.