Why HomeServices of America CEO is shifting strategy

Today’s HousingWire Daily features a crossover episode with RealTrending, a podcast that focuses on interviewing the brightest minds in real estate and the housing market. In this episode, Tracey Velt, managing editor at RealTrends, a HousingWire sister company, interviews Gino Blefari, CEO of HomeServices of America and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.

During the episode, Blefari discusses some of the strategic changes HomeServices is making, and how the company is leveraging its size to put top-notch marketing, technology and innovation services in place.

Here is a small preview of the interview, which has been lightly edited for length and clarity:

Tracey Velt:  I’ve noticed that HomeServices of America quietly dominates many facets of the real estate industry. And I say quietly, because I don’t see your company in the news touting technology services or click bait headlines. So tell me, is that a strategy for you? And if it is, why?

Gino Blefari: Yes, that has been our strategy. It’s starting to change though. HomeServices throughout its history has been an acquisition company. Our value proposition basically was almost the opposite of when NRT was doing it, where they’d buy someone, and you’d become Coldwell Banker the next day. We continue to operate [the offices we buy] as they used to be. That strategy was successful. We’d go into a market and make an acquisition, typically of the number one or number two company in that market, and kept a low profile on purpose, deferring all the publicity and the marketing to the building of that particular brand. To your point though, times have changed. Now we’re a diversified organization. The real message is the companies are looking for us to leverage our size for their benefit through pricing, marketing, technology, and innovation. We’ve never, never, never leveraged that at all, Tracey.

HousingWire Daily examines the most compelling articles reported across HW Media. Each afternoon, we provide our listeners with a deeper look into the stories from across our newsrooms that are helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd and Victoria Jones.