Time to Get Real!

Real Estate in Westminster, Broomfield, and all over North Metro Denver has been changing and changing fast. If you're not meeting your customers on the internet, receiving qualified leads from your company, or just paying too much to practice real estate, it might be time to visit a Real Living office near you. Check out this video:

Warren Buffett investing in Real Living Real Estate

Perhaps the most bullish indicator for U.S. housing is Warren Buffett.

The legendary investor has been buying up real-estate brokerages around the country as he bets on a housing turnaround. Now, he is partnering with Brookfield Asset Management, a Canadian real-estate investor, to more than double the size of his brokerage business. Bloomberg Businessweek's Noah Buhayar has the details: Berkshire’s HomeServices of America Inc. unit will be the majority owner of the venture to manage a U.S. residential real-estate affiliate network, according to a statement on the new company’s website. The firms plan to offer a new franchise brand, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, starting next year. Brookfield’s network has operated under the Prudential Real Estate and Real Living Real Estate brands. Berkshire’s managers have been positioning the firm to benefit as the U.S. home market recovers from its worst slump in seven decades. The Omaha, Nebraska-based company has bought a brickmaker, won the loan portfolio of bankrupt mortgage lender Residential Capital LLC at auction and built its HomeServices unit by agreeing to acquire real-estate brokerages in states including Oregon and Connecticut. The press release says the brokerages that will make up the new company did a combined $72 billion in sales in 2011. That's more than twice the $32 billion in sales that Berkshire did in 2011 without the new brokerages. More from the release: The combined networks of more than 53,000 Prudential Real Estate and Real Living Real Estate agents generated in excess of $72 billion in residential real estate sales volume in 2011, and operate across more than 1,700 U.S. locations. “Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is a new franchise brand built upon the financial strength and leadership of Brookfield and HomeServices,” said Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. “I am confident that these partners will deliver value to the residential real estate industry, and I am pleased to have Berkshire Hathaway be a part of the new brand.” ... “The strength of the Berkshire Hathaway name, coupled with the operational excellence of HomeServices and the franchising experience of Brookfield, positions Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices® as a leading real estate franchise in the U.S., building on our traditions of exceptional client service and innovation. Brookfield is excited to be a partner in creating a home for the best real estate brokers and agents in the country,” said Bruce Flatt, Brookfield Asset Management CEO. Buffett has been public about his bullish housing call for a while as he's built his residential real-estate brokerage business, but this is a big addition.

REAL LIVING CO REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCES GRAND OPENING

Real Living CO Real Estate announced today that they will be celebrating their Grand Opening with a wine and cheese party this Thursday, June 21st at their new offices, located at 12061 N. Tejon Street, Suite 300, Westminster, CO 80234. The event, from 4-7pm, will be open to the public, as well as real estate brokers and industry professionals. Jackie Nordstrom, the broker owner of Colorado Real Estate Associates in Westminster, recently joined the Real Living network in February of 2012. “It’s been incredibly exciting to launch a whole new chapter in our company’s growth with the help of Real Living and Brookfield.” In 2009, Brookfield Asset Management, a Toronto-based international real estate company purchased Real Living and created the fastest growing real estate brand in the U.S., according to the NAR (National Association of Realtors). In Denver, Brookfield is known for its holdings in the Republic Plaza, the Century Link building, Park Meadows Mall, and Solterra. Brookfield is also the second largest relocation company in the world, handling employee moves for companies like Chevron, Conoco-Phillips, Noble Energy and many others in Colorado. “I guess what we’re really excited about”, said Nordstrom, “is just how consumer friendly Real Living is. The web sites, the search tools, even the customer satisfaction ratings are higher than any other national brand.” Searching for real estate on the internet has become a very competitive world, with companies like Zillow and Realtor.com capturing most of the web traffic. But Real Living’s web technology, designed to reach a broader base of home buyers and sellers, is shared by the Denver MLS public web site, known to the real estate industry as Metrolist. There are currently three Real Living offices along the front range—one in Westminster, operated Jackie Nordstrom, one in Cherry Creek, operated by Al Galperin, and one in Colorado Springs, operated by Charlie Brown. Real Living CO Real Estate web site: http://www.realliving.com/CO-Real-Estate Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RealLivingCORealEstate For map directions to the Grand Opening party, click here: http://goo.gl/maps/eZaW About Real Living Real Living is a full-service real estate company with 465 offices and more than 10,000 sales professionals coast to coast. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), Real Living is the fastest growing franchise in the U.S. And in 2010, Real Living maintained an industry-leading customer satisfaction rating of 96 percent, based upon research by an independent research firm, QSC. For more information, visit http://www.realliving.com. About Real Living CO Real Estate Real Living CO Real Estate is a full-service real estate company with on-site mortgage, title, and contract services, as well as 33 professional brokers, who are accredited with the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), servicing Westminster, Thornton, Broomfield, Arvada and all North Metro Denver areas. Real Living CO Real Estate is located at 12001 N. Tejon Street, Suite 300, Westminster, CO 80234, 720-880-2288. For more information on homes for sale or local real estate information, visit www.reallivingCOrealestate.com.

Real Living in Westminster, CO

Colorado Real Estate Associates, one of North Metro Denver’s up and coming real estate firms, today announced that it is joining Real Living, one of the nation’s most innovative national real estate franchises.

“Real Living is a powerful, innovative real estate company, and we are thrilled to join its fast-growing national network of offices,” said Jackie Nordstrom, owner of the new franchise. “Our team will be able to tap into the extensive resources, including cutting-edge technology and marketing tools, and Premier Service®, one of the nation’s leading customer service programs in the real estate industry.”

“One of the things that attracted us to Real Living is the strong emphasis on consumer services,” said Nordstrom, a 15 year veteran of Denver real estate. “And this can be seen within a variety of products and services they provide.”


Real Living Colorado Real Estate brokers
Real Living’s commitment to consumer service is their 96% customer satisfaction rating by an independent rating agency. “We’re the only national brand to allow a third party company to rate the quality of the service we provide,” said Chip Bruss, Network Development Director for Real Living. “In other words, we ask our customers to tell us how we’re doing, and so far, they’re giving us the highest rating in the industry.”

Further, Real Living launched a new national website last year with consumer-friendly search functions. “We wanted to build a consumer website that emulated Realtor.com, which is the #1 publicly visited real estate site in the U.S.,” said Bruss.

“Home buyers and sellers are really smart now”, said Nordstrom, “they know what they want and if you don’t give them all the information in one easy to find place, they’ll just get it somewhere else.” The local site, www.reallivingCOrealestate.com, will have all the search capabilities of the national website and will launch February 1, 2012.

“We’re excited to be on the ground floor of such a big movement as the real estate business is changing fast and Real Living is on the leading edge of these new changes,” said Nordstrom about the continuously growing real estate franchise company. “Many real estate companies are moving to lower fees with lower services, but we believe consumers want to work with brokers they can trust, who have their best interests in mind, and know how to provide better service.”

“Real Living CO Real Estate is highly regarded by home buyers and sellers in North Metro Denver, and we are excited and proud to welcome the company and its outstanding team of professionals to the Real Living family,” said Harley E. Rouda Jr., president of Real Living.

CLICK A MOUSE, BUY A HOUSE?

According to Real Living CO Real Estate, a record number of Americans, including Denver residents, are using the Internet as a key tool for finding and buying homes.

Denver, CO - February 28, 2012 - More than ever, home buyers in Denver are turning to the web as a first step in their search for new homes. And they’re in very good company: According to the National Association of Realtors®, more than nine out of 10 home buyers use the Internet as a key resource to help them find their dream home.

"When it comes to finding and buying homes, the overwhelming majority of people, including Denver residents, are using the ever-expanding array of online tools, tips and information to help them find their dream home," said Jackie Nordstrom, Broker Owner of Real Living CO Real Estate. "This is especially the case with home buyers who are 44 years old and younger. More than 90 percent of them report using the Internet as part of their search process. Overall, 87 percent of all home buyers say they use the Internet as one of several information sources at some time during the home-finding process."

Nordstrom said websites such as www.reallivingCOrealestate.com are becoming important resources for consumers, who use them to access a wide range of constantly updated information, such as detailed listing information on homes for sale, photographs, virtual tours, mortgage calculations, neighborhood and community overviews, and more.

"We’re making more information available to home buyers than ever before - from virtual tours, to satellite photos, to local school information,” Nordstrom said. “It benefits everybody: Denver residents can find detailed information from the convenience of their home, and by the time they contact us, they often have a very good idea of their likes and dislikes, which enables us to quickly hone in on neighborhoods and floor plans that suit their needs.”

According to Nordstrom, other key trends of online home searches include the following:
• While older buyers are somewhat less likely to use the Internet, the use of real estate agents in buying a home was consistent across age groups, ranging from 81 percent for those 65 years and older to 88 percent among those 18 to 24 years old.
• While both first-time and repeat buyers most often start by looking for properties online, first-time buyers more often seek out information about the home buying process or talk with a friend or relative about the buying process. Repeat buyers more often begin by looking for properties online or by contacting a real estate agent, suggesting that these buyers not only are more comfortable with the process, but also have a clearer understanding of what they are looking for when purchasing a home.

About Real Living
Real Living is a full-service real estate franchise company with 400 offices and more than 10,000 sales professionals coast to coast. In 2010, Real Living maintained an industry-leading customer satisfaction rating of 96 percent based upon research by an independent research firm. For more information, visit www.realliving.com.

About Real Living CO Real Estate
Real Living CO Real Estate is a full-service real estate company with on-site mortgage, title, and contract services, as well as 33 professional brokers, who are accredited with the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), servicing Westminster, Thornton, Broomfield, Arvada and all North Metro Denver areas. Real Living CO Real Estate is located at 12001 N. Tejon Street, Suite 110, Westminster, CO 80234, 720-880-2288. For more information on homes for sale or local real estate information, visit www.reallivingCOrealestate.com.

Brookfield's Real Living Opens Another Colorado Office

Brookfield Asset Management’s residential real estate brokerage division, Real Living, opened another office in metro Denver, bringing the total number of state offices to three.

Real Living took over the Colorado Real Estate Associates office, 12001 N. Tejon St., Westminster (www.reallivingCOrealestate.com). That adds to the office at 480 Holly St., Denver, and one in Colorado Springs.

Jackie Nordstrom owns the new franchise. “We have some opportunities with the Real Living brand we didn’t have before,” Nordstrom said. “Brookfield’s parent company is the second-largest relocation company in the nation. There are just so many positives to the brand and what it has to offer.”

Brookfield Office Properties Inc., part of Brookfield Asset Management, recently bought the former Qwest building and owns Republic Plaza.

Brookfield Asset Management, which is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, bought three U.S. real estate companies recently: GMAC Real Estate, Prudential Residential Real Estate and Real Living Real Estate.

Real Living works closely with Brookfield’s relocation service.

Network Development Director Chip Bruss said Brookfield has helped relocate about 150 energy executives to Denver in the past year.

Nordstrom said in an interview that Real Living has an exclusive relationship with Bank of America (BOA), which can help streamline short sales. It also allows Real Living’s brokers to list properties on the BOA website.

“That gives our sellers an advantage because it’s additional exposure for their properties,” Nordstrom said.

There are about 40-50 brokers in each office, she said.

Though the Real Living name doesn’t have as much recognition as other real estate brokerages, Nordstrom in a news release that its “tools and systems are unmatched,” especially the website. It allows homebuyers to do side-by-side comparisons of not only homes for sale, but the areas where they’re located.

“It’s very robust and consumer-oriented,” she said.

Real Living has about 400 offices and more than 10,000 brokers nationwide.

This article is reprinted from the Denver Post. Dennis Huspeni covers real estate and retail for the Denver Business Journal and writes for the "Real Deals" blog. Email: dhuspeni@bizjournals.com. Phone: 303-803-9232.

New Real Living Office in Westminster, CO

COLORADO REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES JOINS WITH REAL LIVING’S FAST-GROWING NETWORK OF REAL ESTATE OFFICES

Westminster, CO, February 2, 2012 - Colorado Real Estate Associates, one of North Metro Denver’s up and coming real estate firms, today announced that it is joining Real Living, one of the nation’s most innovative national real estate franchises.

“Real Living is a powerful, innovative real estate company, and we are thrilled to join its fast-growing national network of offices,” said Jackie Nordstrom, owner of the new franchise. “Our team will be able to tap into the extensive resources, including cutting-edge technology and marketing tools, and Premier Service®, one of the nation’s leading customer service programs in the real estate industry.”

“One of the things that attracted us to Real Living is the strong emphasis on consumer services,” said Nordstrom, a 15 year veteran of Denver real estate. “And this can be seen within a variety of products and services they provide.”
Real Living’s commitment to consumer service is their 96% customer satisfaction rating by an independent rating agency. “We’re the only national brand to allow a third party company to rate the quality of the service we provide,” said Chip Bruss, Network Development Director for Real Living. “In other words, we ask our customers to tell us how we’re doing, and so far, they’re giving us the highest rating in the industry.”

Further, Real Living launched a new national website last year with consumer-friendly search functions. “We wanted to build a consumer website that emulated Realtor.com, which is the #1 publicly visited real estate site in the U.S.,” said Bruss.

“Home buyers and sellers are really smart now”, said Nordstrom, “they know what they want and if you don’t give them all the information in one easy to find place, they’ll just get it somewhere else.” The local site, www.reallivingCOrealestate.com, will have all the search capabilities of the national website and will launch February 1, 2012.

“We’re excited to be on the ground floor of such a big movement as the real estate business is changing fast and Real Living is on the leading edge of these new changes,” said Nordstrom about the continuously growing real estate franchise company. “Many real estate companies are moving to lower fees with lower services, but we believe consumers want to work with brokers they can trust, who have their best interests in mind, and know how to provide better service.”

“Real Living CO Real Estate is highly regarded by home buyers and sellers in North Metro Denver, and we are excited and proud to welcome the company and its outstanding team of professionals to the Real Living family,” said Harley E. Rouda Jr., president of Real Living.

About Real Living
Real Living is a full-service real estate franchise company with 400 offices and more than 10,000 sales professionals coast to coast. In 2010, Real Living maintained an industry-leading customer satisfaction rating of 96 percent based upon research by an independent research firm. For more information, visit http://www.realliving.com.

About Real Living CO Real Estate
Real Living CO Real Estate is a full-service real estate company with on-site mortgage, title, and contract services, as well as 33 professional brokers, who are accredited with the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), servicing Westminster, Thornton, Broomfield, Arvada and all North Metro Denver areas. Real Living CO Real Estate is located at 12001 N. Tejon Street, Suite 110, Westminster, CO 80234, 720-880-2288. For more information on homes for sale or local real estate information, visit www.reallivingCOrealestate.com.