We’re starting off 2013 with a glance back at the great things our franchisees accomplished in 2012. Check out the infographic below.
Not only did the Help-U-Sell family grow in 2012, but our offices expanded their reach by working with more buyers. We’re proud of what our franchisees achieved last year and look forward to their continued success this year. What will you make happen in 2013?
The award is the highest honor Angie’s List bestows, and it is given annually to less than 5 percent of the review site’s companies.
“It’s a select group of companies rated on Angie’s List that can claim the exemplary customer service record of being a Super Service Award winner,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “Our standards for the Super Service Award are quite high. The fact that Help-U-Sell Federal City Realty earned this recognition speaks volumes about its dedication providing great service to its customers.”
Dosik is particularly proud of the award because, he says, “Exceeding customers’ expectations is our biggest priority.”
Angie’s List Super Service Award 2012 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, including earning a minimum number of reports, an excellent rating from their customers and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines.
We always appreciate input and new ideas from our brokers, and, in response to a recent request, we have added another way for franchisees to localize their Help-U-Sell websites. In addition to the five theme options available for all broker websites, we have now added the ability for brokers to upload a custom background image.
Images must be high-quality (at least 1MB in size) and should fade to white at the top and bottom. You can upload your image in OMS by clicking on Setup and then Website in the system. Below “Website Theme,” you will see “Background Image.” Check the box next to those words, and you will be able to choose a file to upload.
When selecting an image for your broker website, focus on your area’s most iconic or attractive feature. Help-U-Sell Federal City Realty’s custom background image features the Washington, D.C. skyline.
We encourage you to send us your background image so that we can examine it and make any necessary adjustments.
Davis opened her Help-U-Sell office in 2006 with her husband, after buying a house from and working at an Assist-2-Sell office. She liked the business model, looked at the other options and ultimately chose to become a Help-U-Sell franchisee. With the downturn in the market over the past few years, her husband switched careers and became a general contractor. Davis brought on a new partner earlier this year in an effort to grow her business.
She met partner Brenda Knox while they both were serving on a non-profit’s board. It was a perfect fit. Knox had recently sold her business, and she has an MBA and a real estate license. Davis can now concentrate on the sales aspect that she loves, while Knox is focusing on administration, including optimizing the office’s website and taking advantage of the other benefits Help-U-Sell offers its franchisees.
Davis says the goal for 2013 is to bring on at least two more agents. The Lake Tahoe area has seen growth this year in terms of more full-time residents purchasing property in what has historically been a vacation-home market.
Second-home buyers remain important, so advertising to the two markets requires creativity and balance. “We still [advertise in] ‘Homes & Land’ because vacationers come to town and pick that up,” she says. Zillow and Trulia also help reach the second-home buyers, but Davis adds that her office also does “quite a bit of local radio” because it’s a small community. Print and direct mail factor into the marketing equation as well. “We’re constantly looking at it and seeing what we can do differently,” she says. The office is located in a highly visible new building, too.
For new Help-U-Sell franchisees, Davis encourages them to be able to step back and take a breath to focus on planning for the year. “Know that the business will come,” she says. She also advocates getting involved in the community as a whole and in the Realtor community in particular. “It’s important for agents in the community to see who you are and it helps them understand the Help-U-Sell business model better.”
Share with us your goals for 2013 or your advice for new franchisees.
Help-U-Sell broker/owners, you should have received an email today with the subject line “Help-U-Sell Real Estate Franchise Survey.” It is legitimate. Franchise Business Review, which gave us a 2012 Franchise Satisfaction Award based on your feedback last year, is conducting the survey for the 2013 awards. You can read about our 2012 award on the Connect post from earlier this year.
Sharing your business experiences will help us better understand the strengths and opportunities of the Help-U-Sell system, be more responsive to your needs, improve our performance and better represent our franchise offering to franchisee candidates in the future. Winning an award again would mean a lot to us also.
Please plan to set aside 10 to 15 minutes to take this survey. We appreciate your time and your input!