RE/MAX Adds Brazil To International Roster, Expands Its Presence In Australia

Growth Of Network A Plus For Chicago Real Estate Market

RE/MAX has announced plans to begin operations in Brazil, the largest nation in South America, and to expand its existing operations in Australia, as the world’s most recognized real estate organization continues to enlarge its international presence. The dual expansion should result in stronger economic bonds between those two nations and the United States, including the Chicago real estate market.

Brazil is the eighth country to join the RE/MAX network in the last six months, preceded by Albania, Bahamas, Ecuador, India, Macedonia, Singapore and Uruguay.

In Australia, RE/MAX announced the establishment of a separate regional organization, RE/MAX Western Australia, and a merger of its existing operations in Western Australia with the locally owned Geoff Baldwin Realty Group. Geoff Baldwin is a well known trainer and real estate leader who has over 22 years of experience in the local marketplace. He will be the chief executive and regional owner of RE/MAX Western Australia. The merger more than doubles the size of RE/MAX operations in Western Australia.

Occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent, Western Australia is by far the largest state in that country in terms of land area. Its capital city, Perth, is home to more than 75 percent of the state’s two million inhabitants.

“RE/MAX is a clear leader in real estate, recognized around the world,” said Baldwin. “The credibility of the brand, its international influence, and extensive resources will all be tremendous assets to our staff, as we work toward the goal of being a powerful force in Western Australia.”

RE/MAX Brazil is to be owned and operated by Luis Juliao, Jose Luiz Monteis, Renato Teixeira and Paolo Toledo, who average more than 20 years of real estate experience each and have been operating an independent firm in Brazil with more than 800 agents.

"The marriage of our combined experience and the RE/MAX brand makes RE/MAX Brazil a major force in the real estate market," said Toledo. "We’re excited to join the RE/MAX network and to use our experience and RE/MAX resources to open new offices and recruit seasoned agents."

The official launch of RE/MAX Brazil, with headquarters in Sao Paulo, will take place in early October, and the new owners look to open more than two dozen offices in three concentrated regions of Brazil – East Central, North East and South – within the first years of operation.
Brazil is the world’s fourth most populous democracy with a population of nearly 200 million. It also has the largest national economy in Latin America, with strong ties to the Chicago area.
“As a major international business center, Chicago is connected to markets around the world, and especially to such major economies as those of Australia and Brazil,” said Jim Merrion, regional director of the RE/MAX network in northern Illinois.

“The growth and expansion of the RE/MAX network in Australia and Brazil will also impact our Sales Associates in the Illinois real estate market, allowing them to expand their relocation business, international connections and clientele,” he said.

Two National Surveys Confirm That RE/MAX Agents Average More Home Sales Than Their Competitors

Same Holds True in Metro Chicago Real Estate Market

Two respected surveys of the nation’s top real estate brokerages reveal that RE/MAX sales associates outperform their competitors by a significant margin. Based on transactions closed in 2008, the REAL Trends 500 Survey found that RE/MAX sales associates averaged 13.2 transactions per agent, which was 36 percent more than their closest competitor. In the RIS Media Power Broker Report, RE/MAX sales associates were also ranked the highest of all national real estate franchises, averaging about 12 transactions each, nearly 33 percent more than the agents at the next ranked competitor.

“There are many ways to measure success in our profession, but it all comes down to how many sales you close,” said Margaret Kelly, Chief Executive Officer of RE/MAX International. “The economy has hit the real estate industry especially hard, but the most professional sales associates will always find a way to be successful in any kind of market.”

In both surveys, other companies were represented by higher numbers of sales associates than RE/MAX, but even with their superior numbers, they didn’t come close to the individual performance of the RE/MAX agents.

“The relative productivity of RE/MAX sales associates in the metropolitan Chicago real estate market actually exceeded the national trend,” said Jim Merrion, regional director of the RE/MAX real estate network in northern Illinois.

Based on sales data from Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED), RE/MAX agents averaged nearly twice as many sales in 2008 as the agents of any other major real estate organization, according to Merrion.

Nationwide and in the Chicago area, sales associates affiliated with RE/MAX also averaged higher dollar volume in their sales.

The REAL Trends 500 Survey revealed that, on a national basis, each RE/MAX associate averaged $3.2 million in sales last year, which was 31 percent above the second place organization. In the RIS Media Power Broker Report, RE/MAX associates also averaged over $3 million in sales, more than 36 percent better than the company ranked second.

“In today’s housing market, the consumer prefers experienced professionals who can get results, and we’ve always felt that RE/MAX associates are the best in the business, but these surveys provide the facts. We’re very proud of this recognition,” says Kelly. “Our associates perform better because they have more experience and hold more professional designations.”

RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon Visits John D. Schoop Academy of Math, Science and Technology in Chicago

Standing in the basket of the RE/MAX hot air balloon, pilot Bill Baker demonstrates how the propane burners work to an audience of students at John D. Schoop Academy of Math, Science and Technology, 11140 S. Bishop St. in the Morgan Park neighborhood of Chicago, IL. The burners are used to heat the air inside the balloon, causing it to rise. The demonstration took place June 5 when the RE/MAX balloon and its crew visited the school to present an educational program. RE/MAX is the Chicago real estate leader.