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ERA Franchise Systems LLC 1 Campus Drive Parsippany, NJ 07054 (973) 428-9700 |
Media contact: Stacy Quinn (973) 496-7904 stacy.quinn@ERA.com |
Retreat and follow-up program helps sales associates better understand home financing and attain personal productivity goals
PARSIPPANY, NJ, January 16, 2003 – ERA Franchise Systems LLC recently held its first ERA® Premier Agent Retreat for sales associates to share ideas for managing goal achievement and increasing their knowledge about home financing.
The event was held at the Montgomery Bell State Resort Park in Burns, TN, and included more than two dozen ERA sales associates from ERA First Advantage Realty, Inc. (Newburgh, IN); ERA King Real Estate Company (Anniston, AL); ERA Lentz Associates (Parma, OH) and ERA Pacesetters Partners (Brentwood, TN).
"During a meeting of top ERA affiliates, several brokers expressed an interest in providing more guidance to homebuyers during the oftentimes stressful process of qualifying for and obtaining a home loan," said Patty Williams, national field director, Service Initiatives. "As a result, we created the Premier Agent retreat and follow-up program."
The group of ERA sales associates, chosen by their brokers, attended the one-day meeting to participate in seminars and share best practices for goal management and achievement. After the retreat, attendees continued the program during weekly meetings in a virtual classroom. In this setting, Premier Agents discussed how they effectively utilize the products and services offered by ERA Mortgage. At the same time, they defined their personal productivity goals, identified obstacles to reaching them, and pursued a plan for their realization by sharing ideas and professional experiences.
To create a challenging atmosphere, a football theme was incorporated into the program. The sales associates were divided into two teams and set weekly personal goals. Each week, the teams received a "Play of the Week," which was specifically designed to develop a broader understanding of mortgage programs and help sales associates better meet the needs of their customers.
Leticia Holmes, a sales associate at ERA Lentz Associates in Parma, OH, said she enjoys sharing personal success stories with her colleagues to help them see the value of ERA Mortgage services such as the "Agent Help Desk."
"ERA Mortgage recognizes that homebuyers have unique financial needs and that no two customers are alike," said Holmes. "The Agent Help Desk gives me the ability to help clients by simply dialing a toll-free number. I can call with any type of customer issue and speak with an experienced loan counselor. In most cases, the help desk staff will answer my questions immediately and will update me regularly with any issues that may arise."
Meredith Kendall, a sales professional at ERA Pacesetters Partners in Brentwood, TN, said that ERA Mortgage helps make her job less stressful, a message she likes to convey to her ERA® teammates.
"Throughout the entire process, there is a great channel of communication between me and the loan counselor," said Kendall. "They respond quickly to my inquires so I can better assist my clients. Most importantly, the customer receives the same quality service. Also, my customers like the ability to check their loan information at any time of the day or night by logging onto MortgageLoanStatus.com."
For Sylvia Bentley of ERA King Real Estate Company in Anniston, AL, the Premier Agent Retreat was a forum for focusing on goals.
"With my busy schedule, I don't always have time to manage my personal and professional goals," explained Bentley, a real estate sales professional for 15 years. "The Premier Agent group has helped me concentrate on my goals and master them through strategies recommended by my colleagues."
Broker Jim Lentz of ERA Lentz Associates, said the Premier Agent program has helped his sales team become more knowledgeable about the mortgage process. "ERA took the time to provide valuable information on how to best utilize tools such as ERA Mortgage," said Lentz. "Through this training and education about mortgage products and concentration on goal management, my sales team is better equipped to assist its customers. The program has been well received in my office."
ERA Real Estate plans to expand the program next year to offer more sales associates the opportunity to share best practices and learn about new specialized mortgage programs.
About ERA Franchise Systems LLC
ERA Franchise Systems LLC is a global leader in the residential real estate industry with more than 30 years experience in developing consumer-oriented products and services. It is a subsidiary of Cendant Corporation (NYSE: CD) and part of its Real Estate Franchise Group. The ERA® real estate network includes more than 28,000 brokers and sales associates throughout the United States and 30 other countries and territories. Each office is independently owned and operated except offices owned and operated by NRT Incorporated. ERA® information is available to consumers at ERA.com. ERA® properties can also be viewed at Realtor.com. For additional information about ERA Franchise Systems, Inc. as well as expert commentary on emerging trends in the real estate industry, visit the Cendant Media Resource Center at http://www.cendant.com/media/.
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