June Group eNews
CEO Message
May’s Top Teammates
Great East/Regency Mortgage
Great East Home Warranty
Great East Insurance
IT Corner
People and Community
Referral Corner
News You Can Use
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A Message From the CEO
Hello Folks,
This month I want to discuss the power of the brand.
When is a brand powerful? When it can seamlessly interact with a broad demographic of consumers through instant name identification.
Our Better Homes and Gardens brand does just that. When looking at the brand which would have been several years ago now, what was intriguing and a little seductive was the potential of aligning ourselves with a brand that lives outside of the real estate space, but yet is known for being centered around the American Household.
In a recent NAR report the BH&G brand was recognized as being a consumer brand that has successfully entered the real estate industry. There is little doubt why, when you look at the total consumer saturation.
No other brand in the real estate in the industry has this type of broad consumer acceptance and appeal. Although print publications are struggling, BH&G’s magazine has for the last 28 years straight had stable or growing subscription rates. Why? Useful content. Much like retailers who use a combination of on-line and store location marketing strategies, BH&G deploys a combination of on-line and magazine subscriptions to reach more consumers with their desirable content, all the while carrying our brand name with it.
My grandmother used to get the magazine; how that has changed. Access to meaningful life style content through technology broadens the audience. The millennial segment is the fastest growing audience for the BH&G brand. A trusted household name for 90 years, adapted to today’s consumer preferences makes for a power combination. For those of you who are not using the post-closing magazine program I would encourage you to do so. For literally a few dollars per order your past customers and/or sphere of influence get 12 personalized touches over the course of year, while getting an item of real value.
Christopher J. Masiello
May’s Top Teammates
Top 25 Realtors® – by volume
Agents
Office
Volume
Transactions
Diane London
Nashua
$1,956,600
8
Susan Roemer
Concord
$1,900,300
6
Gary Dinardo
Portsmouth
$1,800,000
3
Carol Brighi
Atkinson
$1,749,750
7
Martha Giacalone
Nashua
$1,660,280
7
Carol Camp
Durham
$1,606,500
6.50
Madiha Farag
Durham
$1,427,000
4
Kathy Kaklamanos
Nashua
$1,282,800
5
Pamela Kenison
Concord
$1,246,400
4
Tracey Boies
Hampton
$1,205,000
4
Frank Destito
Hollis
$1,170,000
3
Janette Bandouveres
Dover
$1,089,900
6
Les Priest
Augusta
$1,089,400
5
Jackie Flanagan
Portsmouth
$1,068,000
4
Elizabeth Richards
Dover
$1,009,900
2.50
Beth Rohde Campbell
Durham
$1,005,900
3
Kathleen Lambert
Nashua
$1,001,900
3
Melissa Bartlett
Bangor
$985,500
6
Ryan Goodell
Keene
$975,400
4.50
Terry Hunt
Bangor
$968,000
6
Steve Brunette
Sanford
$963,800
4
Gene Corey
York
$957,910
2
Denise Whitney
Peterborough
$947,500
4
Kristy Bower
Durham
$929,000
2
Denise Denver
Bedford
$918,100
2
11
Top Teams – by volume
Team
Office
Volume
Transactions
The Gina Team
Auburn
$2,422,400
18
Team Pratt
Greenfield
$1,434,500
11
Team Pelletier
Bangor
$1,095,900
6
11
Great East Insurance Customer Service Representatives – Top 3 by policies written
Representative
Policies Written
Cindy Begley
31
Sharon Fish
17
Janice Sargent
15
11
Great East Title Relationship Managers– Top 3 managers based on closings
Lori Buzderewicz
46
Lora Piatti
26
Amie Nickel
25
11
Great East Mortgage – Top Producers
Laura Chapman
6
Craig Goss
4
Michelle Carrington
4
11
Outgoing Referrals
Agent
Office
# of Referrals
Gina Letourneau
Auburn
1
Renee Roy
Auburn
1
Ann White
Auburn
1
Nancy Walsh
Bedford
1
Corie Skidgell
Belfast
1
Madiha Farag
Durham
1
Michael Pratt
Greenfield
1
Charlie McCaffery
Nashua
1
Mary Paino
Quechee
1
11
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Great East/Regency
Mortgage Corner
TRID PROPOSED EXTENSION:
The CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) announced a proposed extension of the TRID (TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure) rule to October 1st. This extends the effective date from August 1st.
Here are CFPB Director Richard Cordray’s comments regarding the proposed extension.
“We made this decision to correct an administrative error that we just discovered in meeting the requirements under federal law, which would have delayed the effective date of the rule by two weeks,”
“We further believe that the additional time included in the proposed effective date would better accommodate the interests of the many consumers and providers whose families will be busy with the transition to the new school year at that time,”
As a reminder, TRID is the new rule requiring the use of two new forms, the Loan Estimate and the Closing Disclosure, which replace the upfront Good Faith Estimate and the HUD-1 at closing. If you’d like further information about TRID, please contact your Great East Mortgage Loan Officer.
Mark McCauley
Sr. VP Loan Originations
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Great East Home Warranty Corner
REMINDER! EXCITING NEWS FOR HOME WARRANTY!
As of July 1st your customers can call their own service provider for a claim!
Rules for using your own contractor:
1. The Contractor must always call us for authorization prior to repairs being made.
2. Contractor must be state licensed and insured.
3. Global Home USA will pay your contractor for approved repairs at market rate (determined by WGG).
4. Direct payment will be made to your contractor by credit card or we will reimburse you for the approved amount of a covered
repair, upon receipt of the paid invoice.
5. Global Home USA reserves the right to solicit a second opinion, at our expense.This program will offer your customers the flexibility to schedule their own claims at their convenience!
Thomas P. McDonough
GreatEast Home Warranty
Great East Insurance
KEEP INSURANCE UPDATED WITH MAJOR LIFE
As life circumstances change, it is important to review insurance coverage. There are several issues every policyholder should consider when doing this.
Marital Status
Married drivers typically qualify for auto insurance discounts. If couples have two cars, it is usually best to insure them on the same policy. With home insurance, it is important to update coverage, and be sure to consider any new valuables for coverage increases. Life insurance is also an important topic after marriage. Both working and non-working spouses should have life coverage, and this is especially true with couples who have or plan to have children. The death of a working spouse means a loss of income, and the death of a spouse who stays home to care for children means the loss of a care provider and the need to pay for childcare expenses.
Children
People who have children or add more to their family must consider life insurance. It is important to keep the amount updated for future beneficiaries. Also, it is important to consider disability insurance increases with every child added to a family. In the event of the main earner becoming disabled, there will still be adequate income. This is not true if people plan to rely solely on government disability benefits. When children become teens, it is cheaper for parents to add them to their auto policies than to let the teens buy their own coverage. Parents may also qualify for a discount when the teens are away to college or not around to drive for a certain period of time.
Income Changes
People who have disability and life insurance through a former employer can replace that coverage with individual policies. For people who receive an income increase or take on additional financial commitments, it important to review and adjust coverage as needed. In the event of an income decrease, some people wish to cut their premiums. A good choice for this is term life insurance.
Living Changes
Major home improvements call for additional or adjusted insurance coverage. It is important to avoid being under-insured. Be sure to count new structures on the property. Whether it is adding a shed or improving a garage, be sure to report it to the insurance company and make adjustments accordingly. Large purchases such as furniture may also need additional coverage. People who plan to buy a second home should research insurance costs for that home before making a purchase, and flood insurance is a smart choice for homes near water or in flood-prone areas.
Valuables
After purchasing valuables such as fine art, antiques, jewelry, firearms and expensive electronics, it is important to have them properly insured. Standard home insurance policies only offer limited coverage for these items, so it is wise to obtain a separate policy or endorsement for them. All items must be appraised with receipts before doing this.
Renting
People who rent are not protected by the property owner’s insurance for the building. While the building itself is covered, the belongings of the renters are not. Purchasing renters’ insurance is a smart idea. Renters can choose from insuring their items for actual cash value or replacement costs. Discuss these options with an agent to determine which is best.
Donna Croteau, AAI
President
People and Community
PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY
Congratulations to Bill Arnott for achieving Realtor of the year awarded by the Monadnock Board of Realtors! A big round of applause to Bill for his hard work and dedication! Congratulations Bill!We are very pleased and excited to announce that Peggy Kurzweil will be joining the team as Accounts Payable Specialist for the Accounting group in Keene, reporting to Amanda Adkins. Peggy comes to us from Brookstone, where she served in several accounting roles over the past 10 years, most recently in Accounts Payable and Treasury. In addition, Peggy brings a wealth of accounting experience from her previous positions as Office Manager for both UniFirst Company and Hollis Line Machine Company. Peggy also currently serves as President of the Women’s Auxiliary for the American Legion Post in Merrimack NH. She donates a substantial amount of her free time to helping raise money for veterans through the American Legion and the American Legion Riders. Please join me in welcoming Peggy Kurzweil to the team!We’re pleased to offer a warm welcome to the following Agents, who recently joined the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate The Masiello Group team:
Hannah Clark
Auburn, NH
Sheena Pelkey
Auburn, ME
Deborah Hood
Tilton, NH
Deb Quigley
Brattleboro, VT
Jim Lorenz
Quechee, VT
Tommy
Sibley
Chris Parker
Hampton, NH
Joanne Tassoni
Nashua, NH
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A NEW REFERRAL CONTEST UNDERWAY!
You could win an iPad!! Every so often we run a contest to remind you about placing outgoing referrals . Our relationship with Cartus and the broker network is an important source of business for this company and our offices and agents. To maintain our preferred status in the network, we must place enough referrals so that 140 will close this year! We have a LONG WAY to go!
So…
for every qualified referral you send us that we can place for you (retroactive to June 1) you will win an entry into the drawing for a new iPad Mini!
(An outgoing referral is a referral that is placed for someone outside the BHG Masiello market areas. A referral to another Masiello office/agent is an inter-office referral.)
AND…when your referral closes you will get a service evaluation questionnaire to share your opinion about how your referral was handled by the agent on the other end. It’s all about excellent service for your highly valued referrals. Please complete the questionnaire when you receive it so we can keep referrals going to the best in the business!
Tip: When working with a buyer who has a home to sell outside your market area, offer to refer them to someone for a marketing consultation (listing referral!!).
When on a listing appointment with someone leaving the area, offer to refer them to a great agent at their new destination. Then call us!! We are here to help your friends, family, or anybody with their real estate needs! All you have to say is:
“Although I can’t help you personally in that area, I will be glad to put you in touch with someone who can. May I?”
Place outgoing referrals. Lots. Ones that you would be willing to accept and work yourself.
I can help you with that! Call me or go to www.teammasiello.com under My Business Support to send us your referral!
Jocelyn F. Lavoie, CRP
Director of Client Services and Relocation
News You Can Use
BHGRE LIFE