Friday’s Off-Ramp: Yes, I got a new coat of paint, too.

August 21, 2009

A Sea of Change…

Amidst all of the changes that have been taking place lately with this site, as well as my other site The Emerald Hills Blog, there has been another change that has happened that is no less significant: I changed brokerages.    This wasn't a decision that I took lightly.   Heck, it wasn't something I was even thinking of a few months ago.   Changing brokerages is an expensive proposition!  But one afternoon I sat down and took a close look at my business.  I analyzed my recent transactions, and even my interactions with other brokerages to understand why certain transactions went smoother than others and which agents were the best to deal with.  I even asked my clients what they thought of the different real estate firms that were out there.   The more I dug into this, the more a common thread started to develop…

Welcome to Alain Pinel Realtors…

I had always been impressed with the APR agents that I have dealt with.  There was a refreshing level of competency, integrity, and professionalism that isn't a given in this industry.  However, what tipped this little business analysis into a full-scale investigation was the feedback from my client base — when I took an informal poll about which brokerage they thought had the best overall reputation and brand image, APR was clearly very well regarded, as was my current employer RE/MAX Today.  This was surprising, since APR doesn't even have an office in San Carlos.  But the more I looked into this, the more it made sense.

Common Thinking…

The first thing that struck me about APR was how much our views were aligned.  They understand the value of technology in real estate, and they invest at TON of money in it.  There's also a pervasive “do it right” mentality that is ingrained in the culture.  No shenanigans, no short-cuts.   And there seems to be a healthy percentage of agents who came from other walks of life:  former attorneys, engineers, and others who heralded from a corporate existence.    And it shows — it feels much more like a well run corporation, which is an environment that I'm much more accustomed to.

It was a very tough decision to make.  My colleagues at RE/MAX Today are an outstanding group of agents, and they're #1 in the mid-Peninsula for a darn good reason.   But the move just made more sense for me personally.

Join Me!

While some things do change, other things don't.  I still have the same laser focus on the city of San Carlos and its unique real estate market, and the White Oaks Blog will continue to march onward.   Even my email and phone numbers are the same.  But it's now my goal to be top APR agent in San Carlos, and I hope you'll join me on this journey.

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2 Comments

  1. K on August 21, 2009 at 4:06 pm

    Congratulations on the change. I agree that APR has a great reputation, so best of luck!



  2. Chuck on August 21, 2009 at 4:32 pm

    Thanks Keith!



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