Five years ago, Century 21 Real Estate launched its SMARTER. BOLDER. FASTER.® brand campaign, focused on updating the industry’s perception of the 45-year-old real estate brand, one of the originators of the franchisor/franchisee model. Today, the global powerhouse has a lot to be proud of as it celebrates the second-year sweep of the annual J.D. Power Home Buyer/Seller Study(SM) for 2014 and 2015 with the “Highest Overall Satisfaction for First-Time and Repeat Home Buyers and Sellers.” Not only does C21® remain the industry leader in consumer preference and awareness, the company is also rapidly becoming the brand of choice for industry professionals as well. The combination of a broker- and agent-centric value proposition and a focus on one of the company’s core values of delivering the highest standards of quality service throughout the consumer’s decision-making journey, has helped keep System members front and center in the hearts and minds of today’s consumer. The numbers speak for themselves. In 2015 alone, the company welcomed 497 new offices globally, with 405 new offices in the international markets and 92 new offices in core and strategic markets here in the U.S., including: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, and Washington. The brand’s 2015 performance growth was significant, and halfway through 2016, the C21® System is well on its way to having another record-setting year of growth. As President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Davidson proudly states: “We have developed our momentum through a keen focus on the value of our platform and quality of local market affiliates. The people affiliated with the CENTURY 21 brand are by far the System’s most valued asset as we grow our iconic global brand.” An integral part of having earned the trust of consumers and confidence of real estate entrepreneurs began when Davidson and his leadership team developed and deployed a fundamental strategy that turned the heads of many people across the industry. The company spent countless hours focused on the market’s perception of local affiliates within its existing franchise base in virtually every primary, secondary and tertiary market in the U.S. Davidson personally visited hundreds of offices and interviewed competitors, ancillary service providers and other industry professionals to assess and understand how the brand was viewed in the local marketplace. Ultimately, CENTURY 21 made the difficult but strategic decision to part ways with hundreds of affiliates in the U.S. alone. Now, six years later, the end result of this strategy to “prepare the landscape” is that the organization is affiliating with companies that are able to meet operating standards in a manner consistent with the C21 franchise system’s core values who can uphold the professionalism, honesty, integrity, and the highest standards of quality service associated with the Century 21 brand. “As a leading global franchisor, eliminating franchisees during the deepest downturn in the real estate industry since the Great Depression was a difficult decision, however, one we knew would pay significant dividends in years to come,” says Davidson. “We believe that quality, not quantity, is far more important in establishing the CENTURY 21 brand as the brand of choice for real estate consumers and industry professionals alike.” Davidson adds, “We knew the risk going in that our competitors would use our strategy against us as we weren’t publicizing our long-term objective. It was a tough several years, but today, we are well-positioned for continued growth and expansion throughout the U.S. and around the world.” As a former commercial real estate sales professional, Davidson knows the value of proper due diligence. He personally interviews every new franchisee considering joining the System and analyzes not only the prospective affiliate’s market position and opportunity for growth, but as importantly, their human capital as a means of remaining steadfast in affiliating only the best companies, ensuring a proper fit between the owner(s) and the brand. There is also a focus on the opportunity to increase sales associate productivity and to growing profitable marketshare. Not only are franchisees of the CENTURY 21 System now operating in once dark and underperforming global markets, many existing members of the broker franchise network are experiencing tremendous office and sales associate growth. So, let’s visit with the people—the “assets”—who are realizing significant growth within the CENTURY 21 System and, like their peers, are SMARTER. BOLDER. FASTER.® in their approach to making a difference for homebuyers and sellers, and in the communities in which they live and work. A Record New Franchise Affiliation On April 20, 2016, Century 21 Real Estate LLC announced that Southern California’s Troop Real Estate joined the CENTURY 21 Franchise System by entering into a partnership with Midvale, Utah-based CENTURY 21 Everest Realty Group. Troop, a 29-year unaffiliated brokerage with 550 agents and 14 offices in and around Ventura and Los Angeles counties, is now operating as CENTURY 21 Troop Real Estate. Led by seasoned management teams, the combined entity of CENTURY 21 Troop Real Estate and CENTURY 21 Everest Realty Group now consists of approximately 1,100 sales associates in 18 offices (4 in Utah and 14 in California). CENTURY 21 Affiliated, Madison, Wis. Broker/Owner(s): Dan Kruse Office Count Growth: 75 percent “The value proposition of the brand is clear: we are in the sales associate business. Our shared goal is to help affiliated sales associates better serve clients, communicate more effectively, and build short- and long-term relationships. In doing so, we leverage the assets provided by the CENTURY 21 System and put our affiliated agents front and center in our marketing and advertising efforts, first-class learning opportunities, and in the suite of tools and technologies they can use to stay in touch with contacts, nurture relationships, capture repeat and referral business and stay ahead of the competition. The outcome is that they are increasingly being noticed, liked, and talked about by industry peers as well as appreciative real estate consumers. Of course, our office managers are supportive of this strategy, as it helps them run more successful businesses and attract the attention […]