Issue 35

The official newsletter of HUNT Real Estate Corporation

July 2011

Even in Tough Times, Some Agents Just Seem to do BetterWhy?

A message from Peter F. Hunt, Chairman & CEO
This article is the first in a series that explores this important question. Over the last several months, as the market has persisted in its slow recoverywhat many describe as tough times, Ive had the good fortune of exploring with agents from our company and other companies this very question. A look at the market data leaves little doubt that in spite of the fact that many of markets (in Upstate New York) have not experienced significant gyrations up or down, the psychology of our buyers has been affected by the constant barrage of mostly negative information about housing and the real estate market. There is also little doubt that the real estate market must recover if the entire economy is to recover, yet some agents still seem to do very well and continue to grow their career. There are glimpses of real hope for that recovery: the market in Phoenix, touted as one of the most battered in the country, is booming again in terms of numbers of houses sold. Inventories are way down from their high, unit sales are at record highs and now even prices are starting to inch back up, as reported to me in a note from Ken Mayer, our longest-tenured associate in our Tempe brancha bell weather for good things to come! You can get another glimpse of real hope when you talk to some of our agents who are recognizing the unique opportunity that exists today at our Company. During a recent drop-by to
Continued on inside cover

2011 in Review: Taking Stock

Fiscal 2011 has been a busy year so far as we take a look at our accomplishments and look forward to the future. Heres just a short list of the milestones that got us closer to our vision. Talk to your Broker Consultant or trainer today about taking advantage of these unique systems to enchance your productivity. Buy DesignSM Exclusive HUNT ERA buyer program developed from extensive research on todays buyers Offers the agent the opportunity to share their value proposition with buyers in order to obtain buyer loyalty Allows the agent to easily explain the services, agency and leads to a mutual decision between buyer and agent to work together Dynamic, easy to use marketing materials customized to agent's style HUNTUniversity.com One-of-a-kind online training center exclusive to HUNT ERA agents Agents can easily access training calendars, register for live and online classes and access hundreds of videos from nationally known trainer, David Knox The site also has a rich inventory of downloadable materials, forms, manuals and training resources for agent's use Designed to enhance productivity Multicom II Most aggressive agent compensation program in the industry Offers multiple commission opportunities for a contemporary sales associate Agents can have control of their business so they can take their career to a chosen levelfaster Real opportunity to earn up to 95% commission Same unique support infrastructure inbranch and at the Customer Support Center regardless of the commission level HUNT Mobile Platform Exclusive to HUNT ERA agents HUNTREALESTATE.COM optimized for any mobile device for easy consumer access (Check it out today!) Large photos and click-to-call buttons quickly connect consumer to agent Property information branded to agent and HUNT ERA Easy access to 10 closest properties and open houses based on user GPS location Immediate opportunity to capture leads via text and/or call Xpressdocs Customized to HUNT ERA, Xpressdocs is a direct marketing solution, online catalog Easy access to a simple platform that covers both print and e-mail marketing needs

Success with Top Gun Training 2011

Over 70 agents participated with amazing resultsover 300% increases in production!

The HUNT for Heroes continues!

An update on how our agents and branches are giving back during our 100 Year Anniversary Celebration.

Even in Tough Times, Some Agents Just Seem to do BetterWhy? ...continued from cover
one of our offices in Central New York, two of our newer agents (Chip Hodgkins and Gaetano Belmontenew to HUNT, but very experienced) and I had a most interesting chat. The point was that they wanted to know more as fast as they could about all the tools uniquely available here. One of them even questioned why any agent would remain anywhere else. The answer is simple: We havent done a good enough job reinforcing the value and the tools, training and systems that exist only here for the benefit of our agents and our customers. This goes to the first reason why some agents just seem to do better than others: They are learners and are constantly seeking to improve their knowledge and skills. Agents that make the commitment to continuous professional development produce more and grow their business. Your Company has for many years had as one of its signatures that we are The Training Companyfor very good reasons. Our investment in education and training reduces agent failure and attrition. It has also attracted more career-minded individuals. Having a significant educational infrastructure available at all times (through HUNT University and HUNTUniversity.com supported by live, highly skilled trainers) improves the overall environment in the offices by creating mutual confidence among our agents. Having a significant educational infrastructure available to our agents at all times also reduces our risk profile. Better trained and educated agents simply have fewer problem deals. As a follow up to my discussion with Chip and Gaetano in Syracuse, we have renewed our commitment to make sure we bring our training and educational systems to you. Those that take advantage will do better even in these challenging times. Just ask one of our recent graduates of Top Gun, or one of our growing numbers of agents that take a daily refresher through HUNTUniversity.com and our exclusive David Knox videos. Use these times to get better faster than the competition. Your personal gains today will be leveraged up as the majority of agents simply wait for the market to improve.

Taking Stock, cont

Hundreds of customized direct mail and e-mail templates with next day delivery to your branch Just Listed and Just Sold are just some of the postcards available on-demand, 24/7 Social Media HUNT ERA actively engages in several social media channels Facebook, YouTube, Linkedin, and syndication of the r-house Radio Show as an iTunes podcast Follow us today and join the conversation Become a fan of our growing network and leverage the content we post daily on our Facebook page My Team Brochure Going on a listing appointment and need to demonstrate unique value to your potential client? Take advantage of our value proposition encapsulated in the My Team Brochure Impress your clients with the power of truly integrated homeownership services Enlist the mortgage consultants, insurance agents, title service providers, and Realty Club coordinators to ensure your clients' smooth real estate transition To debut later this year: Agent-branded eNewsletters, videos, and other rich content through HUNT Innovation Center The All New HUNTREALESTATE.COM The All New Seller SelectSM v.2011 marketing program An entirely updated and condensed HREC Policy and Procedure Manual

Youre Invited to the 2011 United Way Golf Outing & Wine Tour
cluded. The wine tour is limited to 31 people and we expect to fill up quickly so reserve your spot as soon as possible.

Check your branch for registration forms or download one now! For more information, contact Charlie Hunt at 716.633.9400 or e-mail charlie@huntrealestate.com. Hope to see you there! Dont forget to RSVP to our event on Facebook!

On behalf of Peter Hunt, we invite you to join us on Monday, August 22nd as HUNT Real Estate Corporation, HUNT Mortgage, and Network Title Agency of New York sponsor our annual United Way Golf Outing. This years event is again taking place at Arrowhead Golf Club with registration beginning at 11:00AM. Want to try something new this year? Join us for a 5-hour limo bus guided tour of the Niagara Wine Trail as we visit 4 award-winning local wineries. All tasting fees are in-

Spreading the Good News About HUNT Real Estate

HUNT Real Estate Corporation would like to continue to share with you the kind words that our agents are saying about our companyyour team. I would like to take a moment to let you know that Adam, a member of your team went above and beyond this morning to help myself and the other BDM's prepare for our career seminar, as Bob was not here. The last thing I wanted was for the teleconference to not work as Peter arrived, and thanks to Adam's help (and multiple trips up and down the stairs), everything went smoothly. Please give him kudos, he really deserves it. The best part was his friendly smile. Thanks a bunch! - Sarah Klaiber, Business Development Manager enterprise. What I found at HUNT ERA was an authentic team approach that offered a collaborative means to building my real estate business. There is a top notch training department, HUNT University, that offers everything and more to hone my (real estate) skills. There are online resources that allow me to customize my own marketing tools along with the company provided My Team brochures, which are admired by other colleagues and clients. The Customer Service team and Realty Club are also a unique offering to agents and clients who are especially impressed with the concierge-like service they receive when dealing with our Customer Service team. I find the weekly (Jean Grant) economic updates a fantastic way to stay sharp and on top of key economic indicators that may affect real estate trends. It is a pleasure to join a company who proactively asserts new tools, training and resources to help their agents succeed. I have found tools that just arrive on my desktop to help promote my listings without even asking! You know youre not alone on an island, youre part of an organization that offers everything an agent needs to build a successful career in real estate while delivering valueadded services to their clients. As one of my old bosses used to say "Upward and onward!" - Geralyn Bonilla, Orchard Park agent

On a scheduling a recent showing with ProShow, Donna Cretella from our Williamsville Village branch expressed her delight with the prompt service she received, Wow that was quick! Thank you so much... did I mention how much I love this service? Thank you, to our entire team for your hard work and dedicationkeep it up!

While exploring my future in real estate, I realized I needed to join a company that functioned as a true

The HUNT for Heroes continues!

Earlier this year HUNT Heroes was launched as part of the HUNT Real Estate Corporation 100 Year Anniversary Celebration. With four months remaininghow is your HUNT coming along? We know many of you have been involved with a variety of organizations in your communities as individuals and as HUNT offices. Right here at 430 Dick Road, several Broker Consultants and employees are busy planning the annual golf and wine event with the proceeds to benefit United Way of Buffalo and Erie County. On May 21st, the Webster Office hosted the first annual Charity Flea Market of Webster/Penfield to benefit Webster Comfort Care Home. The event included thirteen outside vendors providing everything from food to crafts. Webster Branch Leader, Laurie Dietrich, presented a check for $1,000 to the communitybased facility from proceeds raised at the sale. Joanne Shubert (Williamsville/Clarence Office) shared with us that she is active with the Albright Knox because it, is one of Buffalo's most refined treasures. My participation as a volunteer evolved from the desire to learn more about this marvelous Gallery and share this knowledge with our wonderful community. So how are you serving your community? HUNT Heroes lifts up the commitment to community service that exists at HUNT Real Estate Corporation. HUNT will honor those employees and agents who complete 100 hours of volunteer work with the organizations of their choice by October 31, 2011 in their local print publications in November, 2011 with their photo and name of primary organization where they volunteered. Branches, departments and core businesses who complete 100 hours of community service in group endeavors will also be acknowledged. If every person did 100 hours of volunteer service, that would be over 100,000 of community service with a value that is priceless! Each agent and employee should have begun completing the form for logging their hours of service. Please contact your Broker Consultant or supervisor if you have not received one. The form contains additional details for participating in this activity.

100 Year Anniversary Celebration Your Company in Real Estate History: The Sunday Showcase of Homes
By Peter Hunt, Chairman & CEO
first approached a local Rochester company, who became the first such show in the nation sometime in the fall of 1985. After the first show aired, Mr. Satterwhite made a cold call to me. His suggestion that we could have our own TV show seemed absurd if only because of the cost. He volunteered to send me a VHS tape (remember those?) of the first (and at that time ONLY) show to air. Curious, when I received the tape in the mail, I immediately drove home and plugged it into the VCR. In 30 seconds I knew this was something we were going to do. Just a few weeks later we had completed our pilot and were scheduled to air in January, 1986. At that time we became only the second real estate infomercial to air in the country. The show began with a video tour of the exterior of our offices. We taped this segment in December 1985. Nature was taking a somewhat unusual course even for our region of the country. It snowed EVERY day that month and the temperature never rose above 32 degrees. As a result, the views of our branches were through five-foot high walls of snow. The show received enormous attention in the media and the public. Because of its success and value as a listing tool, I felt compelled to share this new vehicle with my associates in a national real estate idea-sharing group, the first of its kind founded in 1972, humbly known as The Masterminds. At a special meeting held in Chicago, I presented our new concept and then showed the opening segment to the group on a big TV (48!) on a metal rackstate of the art at the time. When the show began with the mountains of snow in the images, the group went into hysterics. I begged them to look beyond the weather and see the concept. In short order, sixteen of the twenty companies were clients of Bristol Valley Communications. The show was a powerful listing tooland recruiting tool, even though almost immediately there were copycats. Two competitors announced but only one actually produced a short-lived imitation. Following the introduction of our show began our most rapid period of growth in our then 75year history. Our inventory grew as the company grew and soon getting a home on the show was a real problem. Our agents started to down-play the show on listing presentations because it was difficult to commit to when a new listing would be aired due to the growing back-log. By 1990, it was apparent that the show in its then form had out lived its effectiveness. We substituted regular TV commercials and began a cable version of the show in a continuous loop which allowed for many more homes to air. But this form of media had become eclipsed for our industry by something called The World-Wide Web. This began our exploration of the new media as our media vehicle of choice for continuous distribution of our product and service information to a new and growing audience.

Those of you that have only known the internet, smart phones, texting, tweeting, facebook, and even that stone-age system known as email, not to mention a host of other means of digital communication may be surprised to know that until the mid1980s just about ALL real estate advertising was done in print. While there were various means (newspapers, direct mail, etc.), there was little beyond this traditional mechanism to get our message and product information out to the public-at-large. That all changed with the deregulation of television. Sometime in 1984 or 1985 the Federal Trade Commission, in this deregulation process, inadvertently created the program length commercial what we now call the infomercial. A young man in Victor, New York (near Rochester), Steve Satterwhite, was then directing the local Bowling for Dollars show and recognized that real estate might be the perfect subject matter for this new media vehicle. In 1985, under his new company, Bristol Valley Communications, Mr. Satterwhite created The Sunday Showcase of Homes. He

Recognizing our The Age of Mobility and the Cloud Top Sales Agents of the Month
By Carlos Pegado, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer

Which brings us to the million dollar question - WHAT IS THE CLOUD? The cloud is as old as the Internet itself; it is simply a way to access storage remotely from a computer via the Internet. It is a modern twist on an old concept of time sharing on giant mainframes back in the early 1960s. Consumers have already been using the cloud for a very long time, they just did not know it, as they uploaded photos to share through online photo galleries. When we use Google's Gmail and Google Docs - that is a type of cloud service. It is very different from using dedicated e-mail client software such as Microsoft Outlook which is installed on your PC or Microsoft Word which then saves the files to your computer's hard drive. The difference here as you can see, is that with Google you use their software and store your documents in the search giant's secure cloud! Another cloud company we are all familiar with is Facebook. All those photos and comments that are uploaded via smartphone or computers are nestled in their private cloud. To a user it's just a visit to a popular Web site; behind the scenes, the Internet activities are shuttled to massive data centers, allowing you, the user, to access that information at anytime from anywhere. Nothing is stored or lives on a person's PC or smartphone. The cloud trend will continue to drive the price of hardware down as fewer components will be needed on our devices. Cheaper devices will mean that it will be easier for everyone to own a laptop, tablet or smartphone. Next month we will explore who the main players are in this brand new world, and how our agents will be able to capitalize on the coming Age of Mobility. So, stay tuned!

May 2011
Buffalo/Niagara
Amherst / Kim Jerzewski Hamburg / Lou Ann Spaulding KenTon / Marsha McCarthy Lancaster / Sandra Hockwater Lewiston / Cyndi Vandusen Roemer Lockport / Kathryn Kozakowski Metropolitan / Kate Takats Orchard Park / Renee Paul-Hess West Seneca / Jan Doktor Wheatfield / Kelly Ryan Williamsville-Clarence / Amy Mayfield Williamsville Village / Bonnie Clement

Every other decade, there's a new wave of technology that reaches critical mass - then this technology becomes commercially viable and defines what the IT industry does for the next couple of decades. In the first reign of modern computing, the dominant technology was the mainframe, which became widespread in the 1950s. Next came minicomputers, which gained popularity following Digital Equipment's launch of the PDP-8 in 1965 and the popular WANG 2200 series. These two distinct eras were followed by the advent of the personal computer, which started getting commercial traction by 1980. And then, in the early 1990s, Internet computing exploded. We are now ready for the next erathe age of the cloud, the age of mobilitywhere all things mobile will define us. What does this mean for our industry in specific? For starters, the next-generation of agents, as well as some agents in the current workforce, want access to data and applications from anywhere; they want to collaborate with colleagues and customers easily, and want to use smartphones, tablets and laptops to do it. This is where the cloud comes in. The stakes are very high for technology companies to define this so-called consumer cloud, because the winner gets the keys to the digital media kingdom. According to Forrester Research Corporation, the US market for personal cloud services will hit $12 billion and 196 million consumers within the next four years.

Rochester
Brighton-Pittsford / Pete Palermo Canandaigua / Sandi VanCamp Greece / Kay Carpenter Perinton / John Denniston Webster / Jeff Pastorella

Syracuse / Carthage-Watertown
Cazenovia / Chary Griffin Chittenango / Sandy Leibl Cicero / Mari Rae Dopke DeWitt / Kathy Leonard Fayetteville / Manning/Litz Team Liverpool / Starr Nicholas Team Manlius / Nancy Watt Oneida / Sue Rosendale West Regional / The Crocker Team Carthage-Watertown / Suzanne Krouse

Capital District
Saratoga Springs / Bonnie Weiler South Glens Falls / Marie Marion

Arizona
Tempe / Joseph Ayatta

Success with Top Gun Training 2011

After 30 years in the business and over 500 closed sales, I still found new things that will help me improve my business. - Raymond Grzenda Ive done more business in the last 8 weeks than I have in the first half of this year! - Beth Stablewski As an experienced agent, Top Gun has improved my presentation skills and focused me on money making activities. - Enas Latif Top Gun truly changed the way I do my business. I recommend that all HUNT agents, both new and experienced, take advantage of this unique opportunity offered through HUNT Real Estate ERA. - David Manzano, Jr. These are just a few of the comments received at the conclusion of the 2011 TOP GUN program conducted in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo in June and July. Over 70 agents participated with some amazing results. The program, conducted by Dan Elzer, uses an eight week experiential learning approach to focus agents on four targets: listings taken, listings sold, sales and contracted buyers. The average number of targets per person is calculated at the beginning of the class and at the end. All three regions concluded with increases of over 300% in the number of average targets per person per week with Buffalo edging out Syracuse for top honors with an average target per person of 2.17, a significant improvement from the beginning average targets per person of .64. The overall winning squad was the Hamburg Hunters, Timothy Domanski, Melissa Weidner, Mark Bostaph, Michael Manzella, Christina Whipple, and Stephanie Djaballah (not pictured) with average targets of 2.06. Our top listing agent was David Manzano, Jr. (Syracuse) with 12 listings taken. There was a tie for Top overall agent with 28 transactions each: Beth Losty (Syracuse) and Cherie McCauley (Syracuse). The impact of their experience was captured by Beth Losty, Participating in my first ever Top Gun class allowed me to personally grow as a Realtor. Learning and recognizing the personalities of buyer and seller behavior in our local marketplace has allowed me to obtain a competitive edge when going on new appointments.

Qualified Residential Mortgage (QRM) Update from HUNT Mortgage

The federal government is proposing a new group of regulations that would only offer prime interest rates to borrowers who meet the criteria of a Qualified Residential Mortgage (QRM). Under these potential regulations, a majority of borrowers would not be eligible to receive the best interest rate available because they do not fit the requirements. The difference in interest rates could range from 0.75% to 3% higher than the rate available to those who fit the terms of a QRM. If passed, these regulations could have a tremendous impact on the housing industry, and deserve to be watched closely. The standards for a QRM are quite strict, and would eliminate a majority of borrowers from being eligible to receive the best interest rate on the market. Only borrowers who are able to provide a 20% downpayment and have a total debt to income ratio of lower than 36% would qualify. These stringent guidelines would also require applicants to have no 60-day late payments on any line of credit in the past two years. These suggested new regulations are a result of pressure on several housing related agencies to set forth guidelines for home mortgages that are considered to be a minimal risk for investors. The stipulations of a QRM would be firm, and would not allow the consideration of other factors in order to provide the best rate to a consumer. These regulations are not expected to be finalized until the middle of next year, but to quote the CEO of the National Association of Home Builders, Jerry Howard, I think were in for a hell of a fight.

Bob Nowak summed up his experience, Having worked elsewhere, I was overwhelmed with the opportunity to take such a powerful program at HUNT ERA. Since I entered the program, I have doubled my business in just 8 weeks. Special thanks also goes to Bob Scholz, Laurie Omans and the branch leadership who assisted with the program. According to Mr. Manzano, My Broker Consultant, Susan Smith, [saw] the value even before I did! More Dan Elzer training is being planned; we encourage all agents to invest in their future by taking advantage of all training offered through HUNT University and be sure to check out the Top Gun Testimonial video on YouTube!

Pictured from left to right: Jennifer Auther, Melissa Weidner, Michael Manzella, Christina Whipple, Mark Bostaph, and Timothy Domanski.

From the desk of...

Recently, we have noticed a significant upturn in most of our markets and many of you have reported a significant increase in showings and multiple offers. A large portion of our sales year occurs in the spring and summer and this recent surge of activity is certainly welcome. The recent graduating classes of Top Gun showed outstanding results. In Buffalo/Niagara, congratulations to Michelle Weidner and Barb Hoy as the top individual performers in the class. In Rochester, congratulations to Virginia Bozza, and in Syracuse, congratulations to David Manzano, Jr, Beth Losty and Cherie McCauley. Beth and Cherie both reported 28 transactions to tie for the overall lead in the 3 classes. Outstanding! I have been talking with the Training Academy and Dan Elzer as we are finalizing our plans for an Agent Mastery certification at HUNT ERA. This is a training certification for real estate professionals that we have been excited to bring to you for a long time and we

A message from Louis A. Izzo, Jr., President - Residential Brokerage

are very close to finalizing what I believe will be the most significant training curriculum in the country. Certification at the Mastery level within HUNT ERA will be one of the most sought after REALTOR designations in the industry. Very shortly, we will begin planning for 2012. The summer is generally the beginning of our financial planning season as we prepare the organization for next year. Our Broker Consultants and Business Development Managers have continued with their strong recent successes in recruiting and we continue to welcome more and more great real estate professionals to the HUNT Real Estate ERA team. This months Above & Beyond Award goes to Suzanne Sheehan. Suzanne is a long time veteran of HUNT Real Estate ERA and the Administrative Assistant at our Metropolitan office. We are delighted she is back from her recent time off and our team at the Met along with all of us at HUNT wish her the best upon her return. Until next month,

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For more information on these vendors and to search all of the services available through The Realty Club, visit us at huntrealestate.com.

Buy the Before - Live the After UPDATE

A message from Linda Mallia, President of HUNT Mortgage We have been out to most offices by now to present our Buy the Before - Live the After Program. We have received a lot of positive feedback. After almost every presentation, at least one agent will discover a way to utilize the program to increase sales. This program is designed to get all of us to "think outside the box." We have found a way to package the cost of repairs/renovations/remodeling/redecorating a home into one low-rate loan. Most of the time the focus is on the remodeling portion. We've found that the repair portion is actually the piece that can be most often utilized. If you find you are "stuck" on who is going to pay for a new roof, septic or painting, make sure you talk to your Mortgage Consultant about this program. Rates are very low and the cost per thousand to borrow is less than $5.00! I can't say it any better than John Lennon and Paul McCartney... We can work it out!

Meet the new Realty Club Coordinator

Native to the Southern Tier, Kyle Beil is a recent graduate of The State University at Buffalo. Having focused his studies Kyle Beil on Finance and Marketing, Kyle is eager to deliver results and expand The Realty Club footprint. Having been with the company since August 2010, Kyle is familiar with the workings of The Realty Club and looks forward to bringing new energy to the position. Approaching every situation with the adage, If not me, who? And if not now, when? his positive outlook should compliment a thrilling career within the industry. If only to say hello, suggest a potential vendor, or request a home ownership service, Kyle looks forward to speaking with you!

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