Gino Blefari, CEO of HomeServices of America and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, says that the company is leveraging its size to put top-notch marketing, technology and innovation services in place. The company is changing strategy to no longer be the quiet giant.
Today’s RealTrending features an interview with Gino Blefari, CEO of HomeServices of America. Gino joined the HomeServices of America family from Silicon Valley-based, Intero Real Estate Services, which he founded in 2002, and through mid 2014, served as its president and CEO. under Gino’s direction, Intero became one of the fastest, organically growing companies in the history of real estate. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices consistently ranks number one by close transaction sides and the RealTrends 500, and they also ranked number one in total core services transactions.
Here is a small preview of today’s interview with Gino Belfari. The transcript below has been lightly edited for length and clarity:
Tracey Velt: I’ve noticed that your company quietly dominates many facets of the real estate industry. And I say quietly, because I don’t see your company in the news touting technology services or click bait headlines. So tell me, is that a strategy for you? And if it is, why?
Gino Blefari: Yes, that has been our strategy. It’s starting to change though. HomeServices throughout its history has been an acquisition company. Our value proposition basically was almost the opposite of when NRT was doing it, where they’d buy someone, and you’d become Coldwell Banker the next day. We continue them to operate [the offices we buy] as they used to be. That strategy was successful.
We’d go in to a market and make an acquisition, typically of the number one or number two company in that market, and kept a low profile on purpose, deferring all the publicity and the marketing to the building of that particular brand.
To your point though, times have changed. Now we’re a diversified organization. The real message is the companies are looking for us to leverage our size for their benefit through pricing, marketing, technology, and innovation. We’ve never, never, never leveraged that at all, Tracey.
REAL Trending features the brightest minds in real estate. Twice a month, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Victoria Wickham.
