Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate: Building on the past, ready for the future
After making a name for itself since 1981 as an independent real estate firm, Plaza Real Estate, Inc. is now Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate.
The June 26 decision to align with a well-known national brand like Coldwell Banker was a smart move, said John McKenzie, Plaza's founder, president and chief executive officer. While Plaza Real Estate has built a reputation for excellence by specializing in residential and commercial real estate, as well as farms, land and industrial properties, there was no denying that technology was rapidly changing the industry.
"What's on the forefront of most minds is the question, 'Why, after operating Plaza Real Estate as an independent firm, would we come to the conclusion to align with a national brand?'" said McKenzie. "For us, it was clear. The way we do business is changing. People want more information, and they want it yesterday. As an independent company, we struggled to come up with the technological programs, products and services we needed to deliver information to our consumers."
By becoming a part of Coldwell Banker, however, Plaza Real Estate - which is still locally owned - has unfettered access to a variety of value-added resources, including e-marketing techniques. From virtual postcards to automated real-time responses, the agents and brokers at Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate are ahead of the curve when it comes to technology and staying in contact with clients.
"We believe that not only is personal contact important, but delivering information on a timely basis is crucial, and that's what we're focusing on. Plaza Real Estate is leading the future of real estate and it relies heavily on e-marketing," said McKenzie. "Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate is one of the only franchises to utilize new methods, like YouTube.com, to reach clients. We're finding that people like that. They want a sense of community, and social networking is becoming a big piece of the way we deliver real estate."
The changes also mean the agents at Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate are better equipped to assist clients. Everything - from the company's new Web site to its integration of social media, hardware and software - is tooled to more effectively deliver information to clients. Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate agents can now, for example, receive instant alerts and respond immediately when someone asks for information about one of the company's extensive online listings.
Enhanced online components also allow customers to view informative, state-of-the-art videos showcasing homes and properties, which is an increasingly popular feature. "We're finding that consumers want to buy real estate in a different way than most agents have been selling it. More people are shopping via the Internet, and the same is true for people looking for homes," said McKenzie. "The days of open houses and leisurely drives through neighborhoods to scout homes are waning. Most people shop online because of time constraints, and the Internet gives them a fast and easy route to find what they need."
By retaining local ownership of the firm and partnering with Coldwell Banker, it's "the best of both worlds," added McKenzie. "We believe that tomorrow, and in the future, we're poised to be much more competitive."
And, with Coldwell Banker's presence in 47 countries, it's a strategic alliance that will offer a number of distinct advantages to clients of Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate. "We're going to make sure we deliver what our customer wants. They're the future of our business," he said.
A full-service real estate company, Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate handles regional, national and international buying and selling services for residential and commercial clients. Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate also provides corporate relocation services through Cartus, the worldwide leader in global workforce mobility. The affiliation with Cartus means Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate has increased opportunities to sell clients' homes faster because of access to more potential incoming buyers, as well as a host of related services to make relocation easier. Cartus selectively chooses service providers who, like Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate, demonstrate the ability to deliver excellent service in regional markets. Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate also specializes in farm, ranch and lands transactions, and multi-family properties and property management.
During the last decade, the National Relocation and Real Estate Magazine's Power Broker Report and Real Trends Top 500 Real Estate Companies Publication have ranked Plaza in the nation's top 500 companies for both number of transactions and sales volume. And, Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate was one of the first Wichita real estate agencies to feature in-house title and mortgage services for its clients. Its one-stop real estate service makes transactions simple and convenient. This, and other in-house relationships with lenders and key vendors, streamlines the selling and buying process.
Now, with the resources of Coldwell Banker on its side, Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate is ready to build on its 28-year legacy. In fact, Coldwell Banker recently ranked "Highest Overall Satisfaction for Home Sellers among National Full Service Real Estate Firms" by J.D. Power and Associates.
The J.D. Power and Associates award came after an independently administered study that measured customer satisfaction of homebuyers and sellers among the largest national real estate firms. J.D. Power and Associates examined four factors in the home-selling experience including the agent, marketing, office and packaging of additional services. Among home sellers, Coldwell Banker Real Estate ranked highest with a score of 815 compared to the industry average of 786.
"I think that's quite an honor," said McKenzie. "The future holds a lot of exciting things."
Coldwell Banker received the highest numerical score among full service real estate firms for home sellers in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Home Buyer/Seller StudySM. Study based on 3,138 total evaluations measuring 5 firms and measures opinions of individuals who sold a home between March 2008 and April 2009. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed April-June 2009. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com