NEWSROOM
ERA Tom Grizzard as Winner of the Company's Prestigious Gene Francis Memorial Award for the Second Year in a Row
PARSIPPANY, N.J. (March 19, 2012) – ERA Real Estate, a leading global real estate franchisor, has named ERA Tom Grizzard, Inc. of Leesburg, Fla., its national company of the year for 2011. The Gene Francis Memorial Award, given annually by ERA Real Estate to its "Top All-Around Company," was presented to third-generation broker/owner Gus Grizzard at the ERA® 2012 International Business Conference, held March 14-17 in New Orleans, La.
"With this announcement, history has been made as ERA Tom Grizzard, Inc. has become the first ERAcompany to win the Gene Francis Memorial Award two years in a row," said Charlie Young, president and CEO of ERA Real Estate. "Indeed, Gus effected compelling growth for his firm, increasing transactions by 37 percent and sales volume by nearly 20 percent in a relatively flat market. As we celebrate ERA Real Estate's 40th anniversary, it is clear that this award reflects our long-standing commitment to service excellence and serves to recognize true brand ambassadors."
The award, named after ERA Real Estate co-founder Gene Francis, is the highest honor given to an ERAcompany, and reflects the qualities most respected throughout the global ERA system and the real estate industry. Known for his forward-thinking business acumen as well as his philanthropic spirit, Francis established a defining culture of service to which all ERA companies aspire.
Grizzard and his company earned this prestigious honor by maintaining high personal and ethical standards, demonstrating a strong business sense and modeling a commitment to ERA Real Estate and its community- all while driving measurable growth in transactions, sales volume, per person productivity and sales rate.
"All of us at ERA Tom Grizzard are thrilled beyond measure to earn this coveted award two years in row," said Grizzard. "As a company, we have maintained a steadfast focus on the basics of the business that has earned great dividends, but more importantly, our deep roots in the community coupled with our commitment to serving both the business and charitable needs of the people we serve brings an added and invaluable dimension to our company and our lives."
Despite fragile market conditions in Florida, Grizzard maximized his company's market position and leveraged impressive growth by increasing agent productivity and recruiting new agents as well as increasing sales volume year over year at the five-office, 100-agent firm. In addition, the company's embrace of ERAproducts and services that support a full-service experience for consumers such as mortgage and home warranty helped fuel growth for the company.
The Gene Francis Memorial Award finalists for this year included:
Janice and Marc Miller, owners of ERA First Advantage in Newburgh, Ind., who consistently develop the careers of top sales associates through effective integration of consumer facing ERA products and ahead-of-the-curve technology training.
Rick Reardon, broker/owner of ERA Reardon Realty in Jackson, Miss. who recently leveraged two key acquisitions to create the service area's largest real estate company.
James Geyer, Gary Noakes and Greta Noakes, co-owners of ERA Geyer-Noakes Realty Group in Findley, Ohio, who successfully and seamlessly integrated two competing companies under one brand and established a market-leading company.
Doug and John Van Nortwick, owners of ERA Sellers Buyers & Associates in El Paso, Texas, the market leader in El Paso, and Pargin Realty ERA in Albuquerque, N.M., who were recognized for impressive recruiting efforts and effective inventory management as well as leveraging new builder relationships to increase transactions.
About ERA Real Estate
ERA Real Estate is an innovative franchising leader in the residential real estate industry with 40 years experience in developing consumer-oriented products and services. The ERA® network includes approximately 30,000 brokers and sales associates and approximately 2,500 offices throughout the United States and 34 countries and territories. Each office is independently owned and operated. ERA Real Estate is a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation, a global provider of real estate and relocation services. ERA Real Estate information is available at: ERA.com.