RE/MAX Expands to India

Once again, RE/MAX is showing its strength amidst an economic recession by expanding it’s global reach into India.  At a special signing ceremony on January 20, 2009, RE/MAX International welcomed India as the 73rd country in its global real estate network. After the formal signing, Chairman and Co-Founder Dave Liniger introduced over a hundred RE/MAX employees to the new owner of RE/MAX India, Samir Chopra. As his national anthem played, the Indian flag was raised in the lobby of RE/MAX corporate headquarters, where it joined a display of 72 other flags, representing the worldwide real estate organization.

India is one of five countries that have joined RE/MAX in the past two months. The recent additions include; Albania, Ecuador, Macedonia, and Uruguay. In 2008, RE/MAX sold over 700 franchises worldwide and now has nearly 7,000 offices in more than 70 countries and territories, an international presence greater than any of its competitors.

“We are very excited about the opportunity that exists for RE/MAX in India and hope that we can play a positive role in the development of their real estate industry,” Liniger said. “India has a large, well educated middle class and under the direction of Samir, RE/MAX should be very successful there.”

Samir Chopra is a Senior Partner at PK Chopra & Company and has worked on several complex financial projects for leading international accounting firms, traveling extensively in Europe, Asia and North America. He served as President of the Business Process Industry Association of India (BPIAI) for three consecutive years, and holds his HSMI Certification through the National Real Estate Development Council.

“RE/MAX has instant brand recognition around the world, and its business model has been very successful in numerous countries. India will be no different,” said Chopra. “I think the professional training RE/MAX offers will easily attract many Sales Associates, and our business practices will enhance the entire Indian real estate industry.”

RE/MAX India will be headquartered in New Delhi. The new organization plans to recruit and train numerous Sales Associates, and will open offices in a wide range of geographical regions.

India is recognized as the largest democracy in the world and is the second-most populated country with over 1.2 billion residents. Located in the Asian sub-continent, India is made up of 28 states and seven union territories. Ambitious economic reforms in the last two decades have transformed India into one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

For more information, visit www.remax.com.

RE/MAX Continues its National TV Advertising While Others Stop!

Here is an informative and enlightening article written by Deborah Ball, RE/MAX Times Associate Editor who granted me permission to post her article.  I find this fascinating that in turbulent financial times across the country, many real estate companies are cutting back on their marketing, but RE/MAX is taking the opposite approach and increasing their marketing efforts. 

Who will benefit the most from this increase in exposure?  I believe home buyers and sellers will profit enormously.  Read Deborah’s article and let me know your thoughts.

Century 21 Discontinues TV Ads; RE/MAX to Debut 3 New Spots

By Deborah Ball, RE/MAX Times Associate Editor

While some competitors are limiting – or even discontinuing – national television advertising, RE/MAX has a campaign that’s alive and well.

In fact, three new RE/MAX TV ads reflecting the opportunities consumers have in today’s market will debut in February, says David Rea, RE/MAX International Executive Creative Director.

Realogy Corp. subsidiary Century 21 announced this week that it will stop running its national television spots amid current economical woes, according to Inman News.

Century 21 says it is shifting focus from TV to online advertising due to changing consumer patterns, but acknowledges that the company’s shrinking budget as a result of the housing downturn played a role in the decision.

For its part, RE/MAX plans to continue promoting the brand and the Associates behind it.

“The economy has led a lot of our competitors to cut back on services to their franchisees and agents, but RE/MAX believes its Affiliates need all the support they can get in times like these,” Rea says. “That’s why we’ll continue our industry-leading TV and radio advertising, as well as our ever-growing presence on the Internet.

“RE/MAX agents don’t have to choose between media; they’ll continue to get both. The president of C21 says it himself: ‘The main benefit of TV advertising is name recognition.’ As RE/MAX TV advertising has increased, so has our name recognition – and we’ve become the undisputed leader.”

Download this graph to see the most recent RE/MAX Share of Voice data in national TV advertising.

RE/MAX has led in national TV share of voice for the past seven years, Rea adds. He also notes that the television campaign helps drive traffic to remax.com, which drives more leads to RE/MAX agents and offices through LeadStreet.

“We get more hits to the Web site when we’re running TV commercials,” Rea says. “Consumers spend more time watching TV (followed by radio and the Internet) than any other medium. Our media mix reflects consumer consumption. RE/MAX out-delivers other top brands on a regional basis, too, with more locally placed media than any of our competitors.”

Just another reason why RE/MAX separates itself from the pack.  Our focus is on our clients and getting them the exposure they deserve!

Thanks for reading my blog!  Your comments are always appreciated.

Mortgage Rates Fall BELOW 5 Percent!!

Mortgage rates dropped to their 11^th straight weekly decline, reaching new record lows, according to Freddie Mac.

Interest rates on 30-year, fixed rate mortgages averaged 4.96 percent this week, down from the previous week’s 5.01 percent.

The low rates have caused a spike in home refinancing loans and a welcome relief to cash-strapped home owners facing a slowing economy and rising unemployment rates.

“The fact that interest rates have dropped to a record low is an important development since more affordable home financing could help bring buyers back to the market and prevent some of these foreclosures,” says Lawrence White, professor of economics at New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Other rates were mixed for the week:

• 15 year fixed rates: averaged 4.65 percent, up from 4.62 percent.
• 1-year adjustable rate mortgages: fell slightly averaging 4.89 percent from 4.95 percent last week.
• 5/1 ARMs: averaged 5.25 percent compared with 5.49 percent last week.

Mortgage rates have continued to drop ever since the Federal Reserve announced a plan in December to buy up $500 billion of mortgage securities backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae—the government-sponsored enterprises.

We’ll see how things are affected after next Tuesday when Obama takes over but don’t be surprised if we see some more rate reductions.

Thanks for taking my blog up over 21,700 views…as always your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Oh, by the way…whenever you come across people who would appreciate this information, please forward this blog to them.

Martin Luther King Day Celebration in Fort Collins, Colorado

Come out and celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King in downtown Fort Collins on Monday, January 19, 2009.  The event will run from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM in Old Town Square-Downtown and at the CSU campus.

The MLK Day March and Celebration is one of Fort Collins’ largest winter community events that honor the legacy and dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  The Colorado State University, Fort Collins and Loveland communities will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with several events on Jan. 19, 2009.

The theme of this year’s celebration is “A Time for Change.”

 

This year, a significant change has been made to the beginning of the Martin Luther King Day celebration in Fort Collins. The route for the traditional one–mile community march will change this year, beginning at 11 a.m. in Old Town Square, Fort Collins and continue down College Avenue to Laurel Street marching through the center of The Oval on CSU’s campus. The march will then continue west on Isotope Drive and end at the CSU Lory Student Center.

 

For more information on the march, weekend activities and day schedules see:

www.mlkfortcollins.org

This is the day before the historical Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama which Dr. King certainly was instrumental in providing the groundwork for us to see this happen.

RE/MAX Claims 2 Spots in Top 10 Real Estate Search Terms

Internet Search Terms: RE/MAX Claims Two Spots in Top 10

While the word “REMAX” has long ranked as the No. 2 search term for consumers seeking real estate information online, another phrase – “remax.com homes for sale” – gave the network a second spot in the Top 10 for November.

According to the November search-term report by Internet traffic analysts Hitwise, “remax” trails only “realtor.com” in usage by consumers seeking real estate Web sites. The “remax.com homes for sale” phrase ranked No. 9.

In related news, remax.com continues to rank on the Hitwise list of Top 10 Web sites in terms of traffic.

Hitwise, a subsidiary of Experian, has been collecting and analyzing data directly from Internet Service Providers (ISPs) since 1997.

The search terms in the report were ranked by volume of searches that successfully drove traffic to Web sites in the Hitwise Real Estate category for the four weeks ending Nov. 29, based on U.S. Internet usage.

Hitwise Real Estate Search Term Rankings, November 2008
1. realtor.com – 2.32 percent
2. RE/MAX – .60 percent
3. zillow – .56 percent
4. real estate – .42 percent
5. apartments for rent – .40 percent
6. zillow.com – .36 percent
7. realtor – .36 percent
8. century 21 – .35 percent
9. REMAX.com homes for sale – .32 percent
10. coldwell banker – .32 percent

Hitwise Most Visited Real Estate Web Site Rankings, November 2008
1. Realtor.com
2. Yahoo Real Estate
3. Zillow
4. ZipRealty
5. Rent.com
6. REMAX.com
7. Homegain
8. ServiceMagic
9. HUD.gov
10. RealtyTrac

Copyright © 2008 RE/MAX International Inc. 12/28/08

In today’s real estate market where over 80% of consumers search for their next home on the Internet, it is vital to make sure your home is being marketed to the maximum. 

Thanks for reading…over 21,200 views and counting.  For more information about Fort Collins, please visit www.SearchFortCollinsMLS.com.

Foreclosures Suspended Until January 31, 2009

Finally some good news on the real estate front.

Freddie Mac announced it is extending its suspension of all foreclosure sales and evictions involving occupied single family and 2-4 unit properties with Freddie Mac-owned mortgages through January 31, 2009.  The suspension does not apply to vacant single family properties.

The extension will also provide servicers with more time to help troubled borrowers find an alternative to foreclosure and implement the Streamlined Modification Program that went into operation on December 15, 2008.  The Streamlined Modification Program was designed to expedite loan modifications for eligible borrowers who have missed three or more mortgage payments.

Freddie Mac gives lenders servicing its mortgages broad authority to help troubled borrowers before they miss a payment through forbearance as well as provide permanent rate reductions, mortgage term extensions or other modifications to borrowers who are already delinquent.  In 2008 Freddie Mac enabled three out of five of its delinquent borrowers avoid foreclosure.

This temporary suspension could provide homeowners in distress with just enough extra time to find an alternative solution to being foreclosed on…and possibly the lien holder will help the homeowner refinance into terms that will allow them to stay in the home…Now that would be great news.

Stay tuned for any updates or send me an email with your questions: BostonMike@MikeMalvey.com.  My focus area is Fort Collins, Colorado and the surrounding towns.

To my faithful readers, thank you for helping me eclipse the 21,000 views mark!  I couldn’t do it without you.

Crystal Darkness airing in Colorado

On Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 the broadcasters of Colorado are teaming together to air a Telly and Emmy Award winning documentary called Childhelp Crystal Darkness aimed at fighting back against the scourge of crystal methamphetamine. Nearly every broadcaster in the state will be participating and they will be pre-empting all programming to air this in unison. It’s an unprecedented event in the history of the state.

Thanks to the generous donated participation by local broadcasters, the program airs at 6:30 p.m. on nearly every TV station in Colorado! Several radio stations will be airing an audio version at the same time. There is also a Spanish version of the documentary that will air on Spanish TV stations at 5:30 p.m. that same day.

It’s VERY important that you make this the top priority for you and your family to watch this historic program. Invite neighbors and friends to watch it with you. Meth is a drug that is tearing apart families and communities and your children are being targeted. It’s time for Colorado to fight back!

The documentary was filmed in Colorado at the end of October and features interviews with Governor Bill Ritter and the First Lady Jeannie Ritter as well as Attorney General John Suthers, and dozens of community leaders, law enforcement officials, recovery specialists and local recovering meth addicts.

During the airing of the program, a call center will be set up with local recovery experts with about 80 phones lines ready to answer the calls for information and help. People will be able to call in on the 211 phone number to get assistance.

We need your help to make this once-in-a-lifetime event a success. Here’s what you can do:

1. Make sure all of your friends and family watch this program.

2. Consider helping to contribute to the fundraising efforts of the local committee. We are still raising the final funds to pay for the hard costs of this program. Any donation will be greatly appreciated. Contact Childhelp Crystal Darkness Fundraising Chair John Giroux at 970-203-0284 or by e-mail at jg@familymtgco.com.

3. Encourage your church and other congregations to get involved by promoting the program during services.

4. Make sure youth leaders, PTA groups, coaches, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and any others that work with youth know about this to make sure our kids watch this program.

5. Call your local TV stations and thank them for this generous donation. In these difficult economic times, this is a huge gift to the state by the Colorado Broadcasters Association.

The program promises to one of the largest grassroots efforts in Colorado’s history. The local effort is being chaired by Jade Thomas, Program Manager for the Colorado Drug Alliance for Drug Endangered Children and has dozens of state, county, city and local non-profits involved.

The campaign was first initiated in Nevada and subsequent campaigns occurred with great success in Oregon, San Diego, Sacramento, New Mexico, El Paso, Ciudad Juarez (MX), Sonora (MX) and Arizona. There are now several dozen cities and states throughout the nation and beyond in various stages of developing their campaigns. Oklahoma airs its Childhelp Crystal Darkness campaign on January 13th. The program is international in scope with campaigns spreading throughout Mexico. Interest has also been initiated in the Philippines, Germany, Latvia, Nigeria, Kenya & Liberia.

Don’t miss the historic program.  This is Colorado’s chance to unite against the meth epidemic that is attacking our kids and destroying our communities.

Together WE can fight back!!

This is a very important film to watch as a family and it would be a great idea to record it if you have the ability so that you can watch it again.

RE/MAX Ranked #1 Real Estate Franchise

RE/MAX is the United State’s No. 1 real estate franchise – and the nation’s No. 44 franchise overall – according to Entrepreneur magazine’s 30th Annual Franchise 500 survey.

The survey appears on the magazine’s Web site and in its January 2009 issue.

Subway bested McDonald’s to capture the top position overall. Behind No. 2 McDonald’s came Liberty Tax Service at No. 3.

Among real estate franchises, RE/MAX ranks No. 1 for the ninth time in the past 10 years. The closest competitor – Keller Williams – came in at a distant No. 71.

RE/MAX ranks No. 10 overall in the Low-Cost Franchises category. It finished No. 1 last year.

Additionally, RE/MAX tops all real estate competitors at No. 38 on the Global Franchises list.

RE/MAX has a long, successful history in the survey. It ranked No. 10 overall a year ago, No. 11 in 2007, No. 8 in 2006, and No. 10 in 2005.

All companies in the rankings are judged by the same criteria, the most important being financial strength and stability, size and growth rate. Also considered: number of years in business, length of time franchising, start-up costs, litigation, percentage of terminations and financing options.

The factors are plugged into a Franchise 500 formula, with each eligible company receiving a cumulative score.

I am very proud to be part of the RE/MAX family and especially my RE/MAX Alliance office in Fort Collins, Colorado.  If you are curious about Fort Collins real estate then visit my website.

Also, I’d like to thank you, my readers, for taking me to over 21,000 views!  Keep coming back and reading…and feel free to share your favorite blogs with friends and family.