Local Real Estate Nationwide

Lincoln, Neb.—HOME  Real Estate and Woods Bros Realty, both headquartered in Lincoln, Neb., announce the upcoming release of all-new company and agent websites.

The companies partnered with Reliance Network to develop responsive websites that can be accessed from any device—from smart phone or tablet to desktop computer or smart TV, all without having to download an app.

“We’re excited to bring our clients a consistent experience, no matter where they are,” said HOME and Woods Bros IT Director Ben Dinger. “We will have one place for buyers or sellers to come to get the most accurate, local and up-to-date information for their real estate needs.”

Reliance Network specializes in technology for the real estate industry and recently released a new real estate search that caters to the ever-growing percentage of mobile users. WoodsBros.com and HomeRealEstate.com will be the first websites to launch this new search.

Another first is that the new websites will have a home value tool unlike any other in the local market. People can enter an address and get three different computer-modeled valuations of their homes, including the Zillow® Zestimate® value. They also have the ability to enter adjustments for renovations and upgrades or contact a local real estate agent for a more accurate estimate.

The companies also partnered with LiveBy, a Lincoln-based startup, to introduce a beta tool to help match people with their ideal neighborhoods. Visitors to the new sites will be able to use the exclusive tool to discover neighborhoods that meet their identified lifestyles and desires.

LiveBy was co-founded by Cory Scott and Matan Gill, as a result to the JumpStart Challenge issued by HOME and Woods Bros in 2015. LiveBy is also took part in the NMotion Accelerator program in 2015, and—through Woods Bros and HOME connections—will be expanding the beta test into several markets across the country.

“At our company, we build community,” said HOME and Woods Bros General Manager Shannon Harner. “What’s a better way to build community than to support our local entrepreneurs and innovators, while also serving our clients and neighborhoods? It’s a win-win.”

Finally, the websites will continue to offer a “Property Watch” account for viewing all listings in the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS), and a new “Market Watch” feature for area trend and pricing reports. There are new tools for home selling clients to receive weekly updates on their home’s activity online as well. HOME and Woods Bros agents will each get new responsive websites that include the new features.

The sites are expected to launch end of March or first of April. You can view them at www.HomeRealEstate.com or www.WoodsBros.com.

Minneapolis, Minn. (March 16, 2016) – HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, today announced that Alon Chaver has joined HomeServices as chief information officer. In this newly created role, Chaver will be responsible for strategic planning and business development and will champion the process of gathering, analyzing and integrating data across all platforms to further maximize the consumer experience, meet business goals and gain competitive advantage.

Chaver is well-known within the real estate industry and brings nearly 20 years of product innovation and leadership experience. Most recently, Chaver served as Trulia’s vice president, industry services where he was responsible for data acquisition, data quality and the development of products and services to support Trulia’s partnerships with the real estate industry. Chaver currently serves as a director on the Broker Public Portal’s board of managers. Chaver earned a law degree from University of California-Berkeley School of Law and served as Lieutenant, Communications and Electronics in the Israeli Defense Forces from 1982-1986.

“I am honored to join HomeServices of America,” said Chaver. “HomeServices and its companies and their agents share a common purpose of providing an exceptional consumer experience and providing the highest quality real estate information is a critical component of how we will be able to deliver on that promise now and into the future.”

“Alon is an accomplished and dynamic leader and has been at the forefront of driving innovative products and services throughout the real estate industry,” said Ron Peltier, chairman and CEO of HomeServices of America. “HomeServices understands the critical role that data and technology play on our ability to support our agents and enhance their ability to serve their buyers and sellers.”

“HomeServices is committed to the strategic growth and expansion of our technology capabilities and expanding our executive leadership team with an individual of Alon’s caliber and talent is an important first step,” continued Peltier. “We are looking forward to having Alon join the HomeServices family.”

Minneapolis, Minn. (March 14, 2016) – HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, today announced the acquisition of Minnesota-based PCG Agencies, Inc, one of the largest independent personal insurance agencies in the Midwest. Terms were not disclosed.

Headquartered in St. Paul, PCG offers its clients a broad spectrum of personal property and casualty insurance products as well as risk management services. Originally founded in 1982, PCG generated nearly $30 million of annual premiums in 2015. Bruce Humphrey, founder and chief executive officer is an industry veteran known for his expertise and his commitment to providing his clients with the highest level of customer services. Humphrey will continue to play an integral role in the ongoing success of PCG as a member of the insurance senior management team.

HomeServices is the second-largest, full-service residential real estate brokerage firm and through its operating companies, is one of the largest brokerage-owned settlement services providers in the U.S. HomeServices’ insurance operations include multi-line insurance agencies representing top-rated national and regional carriers who serve their clients with advanced technology, streamlined processes and competitive pricing. Together these companies serve customers from coast-to-coast and generated more than $115 million of premium volume in 2015.

“This transaction reinforces our commitment to strategically expanding our insurance business with the ultimate goal of becoming a leading national insurance agency.” said Ron Peltier, chairman and CEO of HomeServices of America. “The acquisition of PCG aligns with our growth strategy of identifying market leading companies that share our vision of delivering an unparalleled customer experience throughout the home transaction process.”

“We are proud to be part of HomeServices of America,” said Humphrey. “Joining the HomeServices network of companies provides us with a unique opportunity for growth and further positions us to deliver unparalleled products and services to our new and existing clients.”

“This is an important transaction to HomeServices and we are looking forward to having Bruce and his team join the HomeServices family,” concluded Peltier.

Minneapolis, Minn. (November 11, 2015) – HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, today announced the acquisition of Allie Beth Allman & Associates, a recognized leader within the Dallas luxury real estate market. Terms were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Dallas, Allie Beth Allman & Associates serves the Dallas–Ft. Worth metropolitan area and surrounding communities with 335 sales associates. Since 2007, Allie Beth Allman & Associates has consistently ranked in the top-five market share in Dallas County by sales volume and in 2014 closed nearly 2,100 units and $1.5 billion of volume.

Founded in 2003, Allie Beth Allman & Associates is recognized as the highest-grossing, single office residential real estate firm in Dallas, and the name is synonymous with exclusive estates, high-profile clientele, and superior customer service. Allie Beth Allman, founder and chief executive officer, is among the most influential leaders in North Dallas and is known for her industry expertise and leadership, as well as her extensive civic and philanthropic contributions. Allman, together with her executive and sales management team, will continue to lead the firm’s growth initiatives and manage day-to-day operations.

The acquisition represents HomeServices’ entry into Texas and the Dallas–Ft. Worth region. With this transaction, HomeServices has nearly 26,500 real estate professionals operating in 480 offices across 27 states. In 2015, the company’s associates will facilitate over $77 billion in residential real estate sales and more than 220,000 transactions.

“Allie Beth Allman & Associates is a strong company with an exceptional reputation in a growth market,” said Ron Peltier, HomeServices’ chairman and CEO. “This transaction aligns with our vision of acquiring distinguished companies in leading markets that share our core values.”

“We are proud to be part of HomeServices of America,” said Allman. “We are joining an organization known for its strength and stability; one that is consistent with our high standards of service, integrity and community involvement, making this a win/win for our clients and our agents.”

“We are excited to be in Dallas and are looking forward to having Allie Beth and her team join the HomeServices family,” Peltier said.

WASHINGTON (November 5, 2015) — The National Association of Realtors^® and its wholly owned subsidiary, Realtors Property Resource^®, have signed a technology agreement with UPSTREAM™, a revolutionary industry-owned and controlled data management company, to develop UPSTREAM™’s cross-industry, state-of-the-art platform for real estate data entry, collection and distribution for real estate brokers.

UPSTREAM™ will create a single entry point for brokers of all sizes to manage property data—including its distribution to multiple listing services, publishers and vendors—saving time, effort and expense and ensuring more accurate, consistent data. The goal of UPSTREAM™ is to create a resource for brokerage firms of all sizes and models to provide a better consumer experience for today’s home buyers and sellers and enable brokers to more easily manage where and how their listing information is displayed as well as the terms for the licensing and use of that property data. These benefits – efficiency, control, risk management and customer experience – all represent a major step forward in the real estate data space.

“As leaders in organized real estate, NAR and RPR have looked forward to the opportunity to work with the brokerage industry for many years on an initiative that truly can be thought of as ‘game changing,’” said NAR President Chris Polychron, executive broker with 1^st Choice Realty in Hot Springs, Arkansas. “This initiative will be done in full collaboration with the real estate brokerage and franchise community to deliver a high-value benefit to companies of all sizes nationwide, ultimately benefitting NAR’s one million-plus members.”

“UPSTREAM™ is not a multiple listing service, or a service that interfaces with the public in any way,” said Robert Moline, chairman of the UpstreamRE, LLC Board of Managers. “The platform is designed as a true neutral technology, giving no advantage to those companies involved with the initial vision, but rather, extending its value proposition to agents in all brokerage firms, franchises and networks. Partnering with NAR for the financial backing and RPR for its impressive technology and data capabilities is a win-win for UPSTREAM™ and the industry.”

            Formed by a broad-based coalition of brokerages, brokerage networks, and national franchisors representing real estate companies of all sizes and business models, the UPSTREAM™ platform will be designed to follow industry standards, ensuring the quality of and accessibility of data across the industry.  It will also manage the distribution of information through a rules-based engine to support the specific requirements of all participating brokers. The RPR platform will be the framework for the development and implementation of the UPSTREAM™ platform.

The agreement between UPSTREAM™ and RPR officially launches the initiative that has been a hot topic of conversation since the May 2015, decision by NAR’s Board of Directors to allocate significant resources to fund UPSTREAM™’s technology build and initial deployment through NAR’s RPR division.

“NAR’s investment in the RPR technology platform has created the largest and most comprehensive database in the industry. This, along with RPR’s integrated member servicing operations over the past five years put NAR and RPR in the perfect position to develop and support the UPSTREAM™ platform,” said RPR CEO Dale Ross. “This initiative was driven by the industry to create a new and innovative way to enter, collect and distribute data at the brokerage level. RPR looks forward to working with NAR and UPSTREAM™ to successfully execute the project.”

Since no vendor or regional cooperative of industry institutions would be able to develop a solution that would deliver the scope and depth of equal benefits to all agents and brokers that UPSTREAM™ has created with this cross-industry coalition, NAR’s investment ensures the success of the UPSTREAM™ mission and an effective solution for everyone who deals with real estate data.

UPSTREAM™ is in the process of hiring an owner’s representative to work directly with RPR while simultaneously conducting a search for a CEO to head the company. Beta testing is slated to begin in the second quarter of 2016, and following this extensive process in multiple markets, UPSTREAM™ will be made available to all brokerages nationwide that choose to participate.

UPSTREAM’s board met October 28, 2015, and voted to approve the current agreement, which was negotiated jointly by UPSTREAM^TM, RPR and NAR leadership over the preceding months. UPSTREAM™’s board will continue to provide strategic oversight for the project while RPR will be responsible for development, implementation, operations, training and support RPR, NAR and UPSTREAM™ will all provide marketing and communications for the project, since each works with various constituencies.

According to UPSTREAM™ and NAR/RPR leadership, this is a historic moment uniting common interests in a large and fragmented industry. UPSTREAM™ has responsibility for governance of the new enterprise, NAR is providing initial funding, RPR is developing the technology and a broad coalition of brokers are working together to dramatically enhance the data experience of industry practitioners and the consumers they serve.

###

 UPSTREAM™ is a new data management company created by and for the industry and consumers to provide a central point of entry and repository for real estate property data, with the goal of improving efficiency, providing broker/agent control over data which they have generated and for which they are responsible, and enhancing the consumer’s experience by delivering more accurate, timely and consistent property information throughout the country. The UPSTREAM™ board of managers includes representatives of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Century 21, Coldwell-Banker, ERA, Keller Williams, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^®, The Realty Alliance, RE/MAX, and non-affiliated brokerages.  For more information about UPSTREAM™ or to contribute to the enterprise, contact craig.cheatham@therealtyalliance.com.

The National Association of Realtors^®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing over 1.1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. For more information, visit https://www.realtor.org.

Realtors Property Resource^® (RPR), a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Association of REALTORS^®, is an exclusive online real estate database providing Realtors^® with the analytical power to help their clients make better informed decisions while increasing efficiency in the marketplace. For more information about RPR^®, visit https://blog.narRPR.com.

Edina, Minn.— November 2, 2015 – Edina Realty, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, announced that Eagle Vision Realty (formerly Coldwell Banker Vision) of Elk River is joining the company, adding 32 agents and the Elk River location to its ranks. Edina Realty is the largest full service residential real estate brokerage in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Located at 231 Main Street, Eagle Vision Realty has been serving residents in the north metro area for 21 years. It joins Edina Realty, which is celebrating 60 years in the business with 15 consecutive years leading the market in sales.

“We’re really excited about this addition,” said Greg Mason, president and CEO of Edina Realty Home Services. “Eagle Vision agents have a reputation for offering great service to their clients, and we feel they’ll be a good fit with Edina Realty and our traditions of honesty, integrity and commitment. The loyal clients of Eagle Vision Realty will find the same talented agents at the same location – but with a different name and added products and tools,” said Mason.

Eagle Vision Realty has been owned and operated by Mark and Deb Urista of Elk River for 21 years.

“We’re happy to be able to offer our clients and our agents all of the technology and tools that are available at Edina Realty,” said Mark Urista, broker/owner of Eagle Vision Realty. “And we look forward to providing even more products and services for buyers and sellers,” he added. Urista will continue in a management role at the Edina Realty Elk River location.

The Eagle Vision Realty office will become Edina Realty beginning Nov. 2. Customers can still reach their agents at 763-241-0155. They can also find them by visiting www.edinarealty.com/elkriver.

For more information on the Edina Realty Elk River office and the current state of the real estate market, visit edinarealty.com or call Edina Realty Customer Care at 952-928-5563.

Edina Realty is a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate and a wholly-owned subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc. It is one of the nation’s largest real estate companies with approximately 60 real estate offices and 2,300 REALTORS® throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Edina Realty’s family of companies includes Edina Realty, Edina Realty Title, and Edina Realty Mortgage. Edina Realty closed nearly 29,000 real estate transactions and more than $6.9 billion in sales volume in 2014. For more information, visit www.edinarealty.com, m.edinarealty.com, or find us on Facebook: facebook.com/EdinaRealty; and Twitter: Twitter.com/Edina_Realty.