Keeping Score: A Super Bowl Approach to Your Real Estate Business

This weekend, all of America will be keeping score during the big game.

Talking heads will examine every hit, every tackle and every play; sputtering off key players’ stats and trying to predict which team will take the winning title for Super Bowl XLVIII.

But what if we didn’t keep score? What if we watched the game minus Peyton Manning’s passing yards or Richard Sherman’s interceptions? What if a touchdown didn’t translate to six points on the board or a field goal to three? Not only would there be confusion, there would be a lot of anticlimactic endings.

The point we’re getting at is: can you know if you’re winning in a game if you don’t know the score? Of course not. You don’t know where you stand until you know how to keep score.

Now imagine your business is the Super Bowl and your financials are the result of your plays and your team’s talent. The numbers – the score – of your real estate business are the only way you’ll know if you’re winning.

To keep score in the big game of real estate, you need to track several key metrics, including:

• Gross commission
• Income, or gross commission income
• Volume of leads, listings, buyers, new business and other growth essentials
• Units or deals closed
• Net income
• Money in the bank

Like a football coach, real estate agents need a system to evaluate their teams’ performance on the field. It’s called a profit-and-loss statement. Your profit-and-loss statement looks like your budget, with the addition of detail to each account. It lists income, expenses and net income – what goes in, what goes out and what’s left over. As a coach, you should produce and review these figures on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis to make sure you’re on track. 

Of course, these numbers need to be considered in the context of your goals. Is your net income at the level you want it to be? Are your farming activities and new business leads at levels that will lead to appropriate levels of new business? If not, it’s time to adjust business activities to get them where they need to be.

Numbers tell a story and they often don’t lie. Put the profit-and-loss statement in your real estate playbook and watch the wins roll in. 

Download the Profit-and-Loss Spreadsheet here.

Now Touring! Keller Williams University’s Agent Financials

“If I’d only had this class a few years ago, it would have made a huge difference.”

Here’s what Keller Williams University International Master Faculty and Agent Financial Course Instructor Matt Fetick had to say about his latest stop in California. Contact kwu@kw.com or call 512.306.6236.

2013: A Record Year for Keller Williams Realty

Some pretty big things happened at Keller Williams Realty in 2013. We launched more than 93,000 agent-branded KW Mobile Search Apps, released the best-selling book The ONE Thing and gave you another boost of productivity with the KW Google Apps for Business migration.  And lets not forget the announcement that Keller Williams Realty had become No. 1 in North America by agent count! We could hardly count all the extraordinary reasons to celebrate – so we decided to put them in a video that’s easy to share. 

Journey through an incredible year of achievements! 

 

The #1 Team in Maryland Switches from RE/MAX to Keller Williams

Prior to January 2014, Bob Lucido had three goals for his 30 team members and 10 employees: (1) To be the most respected real estate team in his market and the industry, synonymous with service-oriented brands such as Nordstrom, Lexus and the Ritz Carlton; (2) To have a great work environment where everyone on the team has fun; and (3) For everyone to make money.

The #1 team in Maryland now has a fourth goal. “We want to integrate the Keller Williams systems and processes into our entire team in a significant way,” said Lucido in an interview last week. “We want to live and breathe the system and the culture!”

When all of this happens, the real estate powerhouse believes they will be able to achieve their ultimate vision, which is to become #1 in the country and #1 in the world.

“You’re either alive and growing or dead and dying,” he said. “We need to be in proactive growth mode and we need to continue to be who are for our clients and our people.”

Less Fees, More Growth

That kind of progress is partly why Lucido and his wife and business partner Tracy Lucido chose Keller Williams Realty after years with RE/MAX. “We wanted to be with a company that truly supported the team growth model.” Lucido is referring to the fees associated with his former brokerage – one of which amounted to $400 for his team members to hang their license with RE/MAX.

“We’re a big team. We attract people who find themselves in stagnant jobs – the bars, the beach, the streets – and build up their raw talent with education, training and accountability. It just didn’t feel right for people to have to pay to go to work and all of the fees turned out to be a financial hardship.”

Dollars Out, Dollars In

The Lucido Team has worked hard to create a brand that gains the trust and mind share of their Maryland clientele. They don’t shy away from admitting that they spend a significant amount of money on marketing.

But under RE/MAX, Lucido felt he was shelling out money for additional branding that benefited the parent franchise – not his team’s brands. “I got the balloon and the brand and it just felt like after that, there was substance missing.”

Now those fees go back into the marketing and branding for his team to generate more business – not back to the brokerage. “Keller Williams’ agent-first mentality and culture of rewarding the agent and putting them first has been a fantastic fit for our team and our model. People are loyal to us – not the balloon – because we’ve created our own brand and are visible in the papers and on television.”

Lucido’s team has gotten pretty creative in their marketing strategy over the years. “We have a commercial that plays at the largest movie theater in town,” he says. They also have moving trucks wrapped in their branding. The difference between Lucido and other agents with moving trucks is his strategic approach which includes placing them in major thoroughfares around the city. “We’ll park them at popular restaurants during peak traffic periods,” he explained. Even their “just listed” and “just sold” cards aren’t your run-of-the-mill marketing; they choose jumbo and high gloss every time. The also send out a glossy newsletter to targeted areas. “We want people to keep the newsletter around and use it on a regular basis.”

And if you thought newspaper advertisements were dead – think again. “We have a 3 x 5 inch jewel box in the bottom left-hand corner of the front page. Whether it’s my face, a new listing or a just sold, the Lucido brand is always there.”

Change is Good

Lucido’s transition to Keller Williams is in full swing and he is thankful the support he’s received on a local and national level. “Everyone is jumping in. It’s like a SWAT team helping, which has made the move absolutely seamless,” he says. He’s particularly grateful for Seth Campbell, regional director of Maryland and D.C., the regional and Ellicott City market center staffs as well as mega agents Joe Rothchild (Signature market center), Mark Spain (Atlanta – North Fulton market center), Keller Williams CEO Mark Willis and Co-Founder and Chairman Gary Keller, who sent Lucido a personal note when he joined.

“Joe has a big team and truly understands what it takes to make a transition at this level. He spent two days on the phone with me and even offered to fly up and help,” Lucido says.

That kind of culture is just one more reason Lucido is thrilled

For the 55-year old business owner, coming to Keller Williams represents a winning alignment, one that he is certain will only help The Lucido team propel to even more success. 

12 Family Reunion Breakout Sessions to Feed Your Lead Generation Need

Let’s face it … lead generation isn’t the most exciting part of becoming a real estate agent. After all, you got into the business to help people with their real estate needs!

The simple fact is, however, that without lead generation there are no people to help!

Whether you cold call, door knock, leverage the Internet or use some combination of the three, finding the motivated comes down to being consistent and systematic in your efforts. As Gary Keller says in SHIFT: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times, “From a distance, I thought lead generation was really difficult … I discovered that ‘time on the task over time” was the simple secret that helped me become very good.”

By mastering a few key lead generation activities – and getting over his own mythunderstandings – Keller was able to lead generate his business all the way to the 7^th Level!

Ready to master the single most important money-making activity for real estate agents? Stay on the cutting edge of today’s most lucrative lead generation tactics with these Family Reunion breakout sessions.

SUNDAY

Internet Lead Generation| N124AB | 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.

Mastering Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and YouTube to Maximize Lead Generation| N128AB | 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.

Get Leads, Listings and Leverage with Video| W106ABC | 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.

Best Practices for Lead Generation| N121ABC | 3:15 – 4:30 p.m.

Expert Strategies to Maximize Leads| N228AB | 3:15 – 4:30 p.m.

Lead Generation on eAgentC: Blogging – Minimal Effort for Maximum Results
| N128AB | 3:15 – 4:30 p.m.

Generating Seller Leads: Top Agents Share How they Find Sellers| N221ABC | 5:00 – 6:15 p.m.

Leveraged Lead Generation| N222ABC | 5:00 – 6:15 p.m.

MONDAY

Focus Your Lead Generation on Listings!| W106ABC | 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.

Internet Lead Generation (Repeat)
| N125AB | 3:15 – 4:30 p.m.

TUESDAY

Making Lead Generation your ONE Thing| W301D | 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.

Get Connected: Build a Global Lead Generation Network that Brings International Buyers to You
| W101ABC | 5:00 – 6:15 p.m.

The full Family Reunion Agenda is now available at familyreunion.kw.com. Check it out!

Hit production goals in 2014 by ditching least profitable activities

Hitting your production goals in 2014 requires more than persistence and self-discipline. If

you’re ready to do what it takes to hit your goals, you need a workable strategy to keep you on track throughout the year.

Did you hit your production goals for 2013? If not, persistence and self-discipline alone are not enough. You also need a written business plan that establishes clear-cut priorities based upon profits, not just revenue. To make your business more profitable in 2014, follow these guidelines.

1. Identify your most profitable activities
The first step is to make profitability your No. 1 priority. Begin by going through your production from 2013. Identify the three lead generation activities that resulted in the greatest amount of revenue from your business, as well as the expenses associated with that income.

For example, assume that you generated the following amount of revenue and expenses for each of the following activities:

• Referrals: $43,000, with a cost of $12,000
• Website leads: $23,000, with a cost of $6,000
• Expired listings: $21,000, with a cost of $4,200
• Postcard mailing program to farm: $8,000, with a cost of $6,000
• Newspaper ads: $6,000, with a cost of $7,500

Which of these activities provided the greatest return on your marketing dollar? There are two ways to calculate this. The first strategy is to look at how much net profit that you made from each category. You can do this by subtracting the cost from the income generated.

• Referrals: $43,000 minus $12,000 costs = $31,000 net profit
• Website leads: $23,000 minus $6,000 = $17,000 net profit
• Expired listings: $21,000 minus $4,000 – $17,000 net profit
• Postcard mailing program to farm: $8,000 minus $6,000 = $2,000 net profit
• Newspaper ads: $6,000 minus $7,500 = $1,500 LOSS

Examining the numbers this way shows that the three most profitable areas for the business above were referrals, website leads, and expired listings. Newspaper ads were costing more money than they were generating.

A different way to calculate this is to examine how much revenue each activity generated per dollar spent. To do this, you would take the total revenue and divide it by the total cost:

• Referrals: $43,000/$12,000 = $3.58 net profit per dollar spent
• Website leads: $23,000/$6,000 = $3.83 net profit per dollar spent
• Expired listings: $21,000/$4,000 = $5.25 net profit per dollar spent
• Postcard mailing program to farm: $8,000/$6,000 = $1.33 net profit per dollar spent
• Newspaper ads: $6,000/$7,500 = 80-cent LOSS for every dollar spent

What makes using the second approach superior is that you can more easily compare which activities are the most profitable. If you were ranking these from the most to the least profitable, they would be: (1) expired listings, (2) website leads, (3) referrals, (4) postcard mailings, and (5) newspaper ads.

Being willing to let go of your least profitable activities allows you to have more funds to grow what is most profitable for you."

Consequently, if this were your production profile, your time and money would be best spent working on generating more leads from expired listings. Every dollar spent there generates $5.25 in return. The two other top areas are website leads and referrals.

The smart move is to take the money from bottom two categories (postcards and newspaper ads) and to allocate it to one of the top three categories. To show how this works:

An additional $6,000 from postcard mailing plus $7,500 from newspaper ads totals $13,500. If you diverted this money into marketing to more expired listings, it would generate an additional $70,875 ($13,500 X $5.25) for your business as opposed to the $14,000 it currently generates.

Being willing to let go of your least profitable activities allows you to have more funds to grow what is most profitable for you.

2. Eat that frog!
Motivational speaker Brian Tracy wrote a wonderful book called, “Eat that Frog.” This refers to handling the toughest item on your to-do list first each day. Procrastination is the primary reason people fail to achieve their goals. Each time we procrastinate about doing something, it becomes that much more difficult to complete.

Thus, always tackle your three highest-priority goals at the beginning of the day. Any amount of delay greatly increases the amount of energy and effort it will take to achieve your goals. This also holds true for your daily activities as well. You may hate calling on owners of expired listings, but if it’s one of your three most profitable activities, do it first and get it out of the way.

3. Use emotional rewards to make achieving your goals easier
Some people find that they are more effective in achieving goals when they have no emotional charge around achieving the goal. Slow, steady and calm works best for them. Others need the adrenaline and the pressure of a deadline. Each person is different — identify the strategy that works for you and use it.

4. Determine the environment that best supports you
Every action you take occurs in the context of your environment. For example, some people thrive in a noisy, boisterous environment, while others require absolute quiet. If you find yourself consistently being distracted when you’re working, change your physical environment. If the office is a distraction, work at home and vice versa. Take note of where you are the most efficient and spend your time in an environment that best supports your success rather than hampering it.

The late architect and futurist Buckminster Fuller summed it up well when he said, “Environment is stronger than will.” Set your priorities in order based upon your profitability, create a supportive environment, and have your best year ever in 2014.

Bernice Ross, CEO of RealEstateCoach.com, is a national speaker, trainer and author of the National Association of Realtors’ No. 1 best-seller, “Real Estate Dough: Your Recipe for Real Estate Success.” Hear Bernice’s five-minute daily real estate show, just named “new and notable” by iTunes, at www.RealEstateCoachRadio.com.

What You Can Learn from Tara Allen’s Transition to Real Estate

Tara Allen began her career as a real estate agent on July 28, 2012, but she’s already become a perfect example for what ambition and goals can help you achieve. In her first nine months as an agent, she sold 48 homes and also achieved her goal of paying off her student loans. By Feb. 28, 2013, she capped out, becoming only the third person to do so in the Sioux Falls (S.D.), market center. In 2012, her closed volume was $1.4 million.  In 2013 she saw an 87% increase, ending the year at $11.4 million in volume.

“Ambition and success go hand in hand,” Allen says. “I am fortunate to have a natural drive within me. There are thinkers, and there are doers, and I am one who just does it and figures out the details as I go. You can talk yourself out of anything, but if you just go do it, you will be surprised at the opportunities that will be presented.”

Allen did exactly that when she made the tough decision to realize her longtime dream of becoming a real estate agent. Her father and grandmother encouraged her, the latter even giving her a Donald Trump book titled, Think Big and Kick A**.

“One day while my husband and I were out fishing on our boat, I was reading this book, and I looked at him and said, ‘I’m going to quit my job on Monday and go into real estate!’” she recalls. “My mind was made up, so that’s just what I did.”

Concerned about moving backward in earning potential, Allen immediately set a goal of making $100,000 her first year. She ultimately doubled that goal, which she credits to Keller Williams Realty.

Get Educated and Trained

“Choosing Keller Williams was my first and best decision as a new agent,” she says. “The models, culture, technology, extensive training and great mentors have provided me with all the resources I needed to get me to where I am today.”

Some of the most useful tools for her included reading The Millionaire Real Estate Agent and attending Ignite, BOLD and Mega Camp.

“I took Ignite while I was waiting for my real estate license,” she says. “That helped me build a database, create my vision board and learn the importance of lead generating. About three months in, I finally had a couple closings and made some money, so I booked the trip to Mega Camp. I was really nervous, but it was one of the best things I could have done. Who better to teach me how to grow my business than a bunch of agents who are already successful? If you have the chance, go! I would not have achieved the level of success I have if it weren’t for the knowledge and motivation these opportunities provided for me.”

Find a Mentor or Someone Similar

Allen also found learning opportunities within the market center in mentors Tony Ratchford, the operating principal, and Patrick Showers, her team leader.

“Tony’s knowledge from more than 30 years in the business and his drive and passion for helping others accomplish their goals has helped me overcome many obstacles and has kept me moving forward to achieve more than I could have dreamed,” she says. “Patrick’s enthusiasm and ability to light a fire under anyone’s butt has driven me to try new things, think outside the box and create my own path to success.”

Create an Accountable Environment

Creating her own path to success included coming up with ways to build in accountability for herself, like completing her 411 and weekly coaching sessions with Showers, while also driving her daily motivation.

“Making a to-do list the night before helps keep me on task for what needs to be done each day,” she says. “A good morning workout with some affirmations also helps get your energy up and get you into the right mindset. Keeping a record of some of your accomplishments can help you to stay focused, too. For instance, each time I made a payment on my student loans, I would cross off the balance and write my new balance. Keeping that in reach helped me remember how good it felt to make that payment. I also have a chain that hangs from my office ceiling with 80 links on it, and for each closing I have, I get to cut a link off and put it in my ’80 houses in 2013′ bowl. You just have to find what works for you.”

Invest in Your Business and Your Brand

Allen’s primary sources of business are open houses, for sale by owners, door-knocking and networking events. She also invests in online marketing.

“I invested in Realtor.com, Trulia, Zillow and a Google Ad Word search. You don’t have to spend tons, but you should be putting a percentage of your earnings back into your business.” That rounds out to $875 each month, or $10,500 annually, for Allen.

What’s next for Allen? She’s enrolled in an MBA program with an emphasis on entrepreneurial leadership, and her husband is working to earn his real estate license as well.

“I am going to build The Tara Allen Team and set our goal for 100 houses in 2014,” she says. “I will keep us on track with weekly team meetings and just keep doing what I’m doing. I am excited to see what the future holds. If you are not setting high goals, then you are only cheating yourself. I knew setting and achieving my goals would offer me the financial freedom, flexibility and foundation that my family and I were looking for.”

How to Close Three Homes Every Week

Jack Coden is no stranger to success. After a career as an international banker in New York City he made a big move – all the way to Miami, Fla. to take on a new challenge. As an agent, Coden was successful right out of the gate, earning $80,000 in gross commission income (GCI) his first year and double that in his second.

His business has grown every year since, which opened up new opportunities for ownership in the Miami Beach market center and solidified him as a multi-year leader in regional and nationwide sales. Today, he averages three closings each week. Today, he averages three closings each week. In 2013, he made $1.5 million in GCI and closed $52.1 in volume.

What’s fueling that success is his team’s focus on farming, which is geographic, demographic or niche-based marketing activities to plant the seeds with future business and nurture existing clients.

Farm Fast, Farm Often

Coden farms several communities, condos, neighborhoods, commercial properties and restaurants in the greater Miami area, which he says requires consistency and frequency. “One of the mistakes agents make when it comes to farming is sending one or two print pieces and then stopping,” he says. Residents of Coden’s targeted farms see something from him every week for eight weeks, then every three weeks after that. His farm postcards stand out. They’re oversized, have a picture of Coden and his team, and showcase a home in their neighborhood that he recently sold or just listed for sale. “I never send the kind of card that says, ‘I’m your neighborhood agent, give me a call.’ I want them to see that nearby properties are selling well and plant the seed to call me when they want to sell theirs too.”

Coden has developed ongoing relationships from farmed clients, building up a reliable database that he uses for most of his outreach. He’s an expert networker and heartfelt relationship builder, which is the crux of his success. Here he shares some of his proven networking techniques that can help you meet new people, nurture relationship, and grow your own million-dollar business.

Create Personal Curb Appeal

“Networking is often about displaying a genuine desire to help others progress. I make sure our clients sense that from the very beginning. I say, ‘I’m here to help you.’ Sometimes it’s to give emotional support, sometimes to give financial advice, and often it’s to connect them to people they can’t find on their own. Most of our listing appointments are a minimum of two hours. Half the time we’re not even talking about real estate, we’re just getting to know each other.”

Talk to Strangers

“My cell phone number is on every yard sign, postcard, magazine and marketing piece. When people call, it comes to me. I always answer their questions, but not right away. Instead I ask themquestions, asking whether they have kids, where they work, what they know about different neighborhoods; we bond over questions. At some point the conversation shifts to the price of the property. If it’s not in their range, they’ll often ask me to help them house hunt anyways. If it’s a personality fit, I’ll work with them or match them up with one of the buyer agents in the Jack Coden Group.”

Enlist the Power of a Business Card

“I have a unique business card. It’s a little larger than the norm, with a silver foil border. It’s kind of flashy; people comment on it and seem to love it. I never offer my card upfront. I engage in conversation and I wait until people ask for it.”

Continue the Conversation

“Once I connect with a client, I tell them they are adopted now; they’re part of the Jack Coden family, to call me anytime. I mean it. And they do.”

The Countdown to Family Reunion 2014 Begins!

We’re officially one month away from Keller Williams’ 31st annual Family Reunion! This year promises to be one of the biggest and best ever with a sold out crowd and a solid lineup of speakers, panelists, breakouts and enough parties to give all of your business cards away. The KW Blog Editorial Team will be bringing you insider tips, tricks and advice (convention rooms are cold!) to help you maximize your Family Reunion experience and come home with tangible tactics to grow your real estate business. 

 Here’s a peak at what’s in store this year:

The Secret to Increasing the Number of Contacts You Make in an Hour

Here’s a challenge for you: Make 20 contacts in two hours. Did you do it? Of course, you did. Now, here’s the second part of the challenge: Give yourself just an hour and a half to make another 20 contacts. Could you do it? We’ll bet you did. This challenge proves the BOLD Law of “All work expands to fill the time allowed.” Shon Kokoszka, president of KW MAPS Coaching, offers another example. “Think back to the last time you took a planned vacation,” he says. “How productive were you the day before you left? If you’re anything like me, you probably got a week’s worth of work done in three hours.” If you feel like there’s never enough time in the day, put this BOLD Law into practice. Give yourself just 10 minutes to check and respond to your email, and it will take only 10 minutes. That time limit alone should free up a significant amount of time for you. In the video below, Kokoszka explains more about the BOLD Law of “All work expands to fill the time allowed” and reminds you that you can increase your success by increasing your failure quotient.

Way To Go! 2013 was a FANTASTIC year for Profit Share!

The Keller Williams Utah Region
shared $2,944 back with it’s agents
in the month of December & $281,607 in 2013! 
Keep up the Great Work!

Cary Sylvester featured on Inman News: “Tech-savvy homebuyers are seeking a painless, personalized experience”

Cary Sylvester is convinced the next generation of home buyers and sellers are the answer to today’s biggest real estate technology challenges. “It’s important to always look ahead, continue to innovate and ensure the greatest experience possible for homebuyers and sellers, because our success as real estate professionals is tied to how happy our clients are at the end of the day,”said the vice president of technology innovation and communication for Keller Williams Realty International in her latest contributed article to Inman News.  

And whether we like it or not, technology is going to be tied to the solution. 

A Keller Williams associate uses his agent-branded app to attract tech-savvy consumers – a trend Cary Sylvester, vice president of technology innovation and communication for Keller Williams Realty International, says will only grow in 2014.

Sylvester also laid out her technology predictions for 2014, citing a need above all else for fluidity and flexibility because as she put it: “No matter how innovative, exciting and fresh an idea or new application may seem, something even more innovative, more exciting and much fresher is right around the corner.”

1. Transparency is good, but so is context and personalization. In today’s Google infused, social media induced world, information is always available – and that’s a good thing for real estate agents says Sylvester. “You know how your clients are using your Website or mobile app and what they’re searching for. For example, they may tell you they want a single-family home, but you know they’re searching for condos. It’s your job to analyze and distill the information that online portals spit out.”

2. Blend the knowledge of industry insiders and outsiders to make an impact. Sometimes industries become an insulated environment, prone to repetitive product solutions. The lack of innovation or creativity can result in stagnation. Henry Ford’s inspiration for the assembly line came from the meat industry, of all places. “Austin Allison, dotloop’s CEO — and a former agent himself — saw services like Google Chat, AIM and Basecamp growing rapidly and knew there was a way real estate transactions could happen in real time and more collaboratively online. Fast-forward from 2009, and his company is solving the age-old problem of the paper-laden real estate transaction by blending innovation with credibility and boots-on-the-ground knowledge to make sure everything clicks. Allison is an industry insider, by definition, but he utilized the brains of industry outsiders to innovate.”

3. Keep your eye on mobile. Agents and consumers will continue to put more pressure on mobile apps than ever before.  ”I would argue that in just a few years, 80 percent of real estate transactions will occur entirely on a mobile device, from search to close,” said Sylvester. “Look for forthcoming apps that will actually send information to clients about a particular subdivision or even a specific house when the client is in the area, by using GPS and location technology.”

4. Educate yourself and your people. With the success of online collaboration classrooms like Coursera or Khan Academy, the dynamics of education and training are changing from a single room to a global community. “Technology is nothing without education and training. Agents need to be equipped with the knowledge and tools to meet the demands of a dynamic client base — and we need to evolve our ways of teaching, too.”

Read Sylvester’s full article: Tech-savvy homebuyers are seeking a painless, personalized experience on Inman.com

The Most Powerful People in Real Estate Are at Keller Williams Realty!

How do you measure influence? Stefan Swanepoel of T3 Summit, T3 Experts and author of The Swanepoel Trends Report along with real estate industry expert, consultant and blogger Rob Hahn may have figured it out. Using personal influence, tenure in the real estate industry, office count, decision-making power, a company’s significance and contribution to the industry among other notable credentials, the duo have created a set of benchmarks and algorithms to determine the most powerful key decision makers, trailblazers, influencers, company chieftains, thought leaders and innovators.

They’ve compiled their finding in the first annual Swanepoel 200 – a  list of the 200 Most Powerful People in Residential Real Estate in 2013. Ten Keller Williams leaders were among those honored on the list.

Congratulations to Gary Keller, Mark Willis, Mo Anderson, Dianna Kokoszka, Paul Morris, David Osborn, Jay Papasan, Shaun Rawls and Mike Brodie for their incredible vision, outstanding leadership and extraordinary wisdom!

After a landmark year filled with No. 1 announcements, a company-wide rebrand, the migration to Google Apps for Business, the launch of 95,000 agent-branded mobile apps and the continuous growth of top regions and offices, Keller Williams Realty and its leaders certainly made a mark in 2013.