It has been a busy week for all of us at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. Many of us are enjoying sunny Northern California weather and meeting all our new friends at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Mason-McDuffie. It has been a thrill and an honor to be a part of this extraordinary announcement and work side by side with all the amazing people who made this all happen.
The big announcement happened on Wednesday. Check out the video to see all the excitement.
Below is a copy of the official press release.
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Announces Largest New Franchise Affiliation in Brand’s History
Powerhouse Brokerage Firm in California and Nevada Brings $2.8 Billion in Annual Sales, 1,900 Sales Professionals to Fast-Growing Brand; Will Operate as Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Mason-McDuffie
PARSIPPANY, N.J. and PLEASANTON, Calif., (September 29, 2010)– Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC today announced that Pleasanton-based Mason-McDuffie Real Estate, Inc. has joined its national franchise network. Originally founded in 1887, Mason-McDuffie signed a long-term, strategic franchise agreement with Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate and will now operate as Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Mason-McDuffie, serving the Northern California and western Nevada markets. The company remains independently owned and operated.
With sales volume of $2.8 billion in 2009, the firm ranked among the Top 20 real estate brokerages nationally according to REAL Trends, and also handled over 7,600 real estate transaction sides, which ranked among the Top 50 nationally. The company also was ranked No. 1 in sales in the San Francisco East Bay market. For the past 13 years, Mason-McDuffie Real Estate did business as Prudential California Realty and Prudential Nevada Realty.
“Over the past 24 months, we have proudly announced a number of significant franchise affiliates in key markets, and this affiliation marks the largest franchisee ever to join the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand, as well as the largest in Realogy history,” said Sherry Chris, President and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. Realogy Corporation, a global leader in real estate and relocation services, is the parent company of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC.
“We are thrilled to enter the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento and surrounding Northern California markets as well as the Reno-Sparks markets in Nevada with such a well-established and highly regarded company,” added Chris. “The synergies between Mason-McDuffie’s commitment to innovation and our brand’s reputation for cultivating next-generation brokers are clear, and we are pleased to welcome the entire team to our Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate network.”
Mason-McDuffie’s Chairman of the Board Ed Krafchow and Co-CEO Frank Richards bring 1,900 real estate sales professionals and 36 offices to the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate network, which now has expanded to approximately 7,000 sales professionals and 180 offices across 20 states. Known in the industry for its innovative adoption of technology, Mason-McDuffie will be able to capitalize on the next-generation broker tools and digital strategies provided by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.
“We have a strong legacy as Mason-McDuffie that dates back more than 120 years, and we are taking the company to the next level through our alliance with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate because of our opportunity to strategically grow our company in California, Nevada and beyond,” said Krafchow.
“Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate is a fresh, innovative lifestyle brand that is the real estate brand of the future,” said Richards. “It provides us with a significant upgrade in technology and marketing services, and gives us the tools we need to speak to today’s consumer,” he added.
By incorporating proprietary elements such as PinPoint, a direct marketing platform that leverages a database of more than 85 million consumer contacts, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Mason-McDuffie will build upon its reputation for serving clients in the ways preferred by today’s demanding lifestyles – increasingly mobile and online. PinPoint’s consumer database is owned by Meredith Corporation, the licensor of the Better Homes and Gardens brand.
In conjunction with this announcement, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Mason-McDuffie was appointed as a principal member of the Cartus Broker Network, the nation’s leading real estate referral network that serves the clients and customers of Cartus Corporation. A subsidiary of Realogy, Cartus is the premier provider of global employee relocation solutions serving the corporate, government and affinity markets.
In Northern California, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Mason-McDuffie serves the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, Napa, Lake, Sonoma, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sacramento, El Dorado, and Placer. In Nevada, the company serves Washoe, Carson City, Storey, Lyon, Churchill, and Douglas counties.
