Swag, signs and YouTube-thinking are all part of a shift happening at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, as the new exec trio has raised the standard yet again for highly personalized broker service and support.
With the surprise announcements of a brand new People & Culture department and the promotion of former CPS teacher Jason Roberts to lead Agent Development, Diane Glass, Mark Pasquesi and Joe Stacy have signaled a major commitment to the idea that “being independent doesn’t mean you are alone.”
The People & Culture project is led by a dynamic team that combines real world know-how, Millennial perspective and a dash of posh. Directors of People & Culture Debbie Tapper and Corinne Caraher have joined forces to bring mindfulness and fun to routine real estate practices.
“People & Culture is about adding fun to real estate, transforming ordinary processes into WOW experiences,” said president of brokerage Mark Pasquesi, describing the vision for these new roles.
THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP
When new agents walk into the Michigan Avenue Home Office, the cheery letterboard heralds a personal welcome. This sets the tone for their first day as a BHHS agent, as Debbie and Corinne provide a guided tour.
“Meeting with each agent one-on-one creates a space to address unique needs. New agents have time to ask questions and explore the areas of business that are most important to them,” said chief operations officer Diane Glass.
Welcome Home is emblazoned on the personalized guidebook on the table as agents sit down for their onboarding consultation. And a swag bag gives agents a start-up kit for living the BHHS brand.
“It sounds so simple,” said Glass. “Making sure that apps are working on your phone, tablet and laptop makes life so much better and easier. When someone joins our company, we know that reaching out to clients is their highest priority and we need to make that as easy as possible.”
BRAND & BEYOND
The People & Culture team will also be introducing a digital boutique that includes branded items from trending companies like Patagonia and Away, later this fall.
And Agent Development seamlessly continues the agent experience with hand-crafted education and training that is a perfect blend of instructor-led classroom learning and always-available multimedia content.
“We are a people business, and agents want to learn from others who have walked in their shoes,” said Glass. “Jason is a trained educator, who simplifies the complex business of real estate with an entertaining style that makes school fun for brokers.”
In an always-on mobile world, learning can happen anywhere. And Roberts is developing bite-sized videos to meet those needs.
“At home, when we need to learn, we turn to YouTube, because it’s easy and available. And it makes sense to bring the best of that through, creating an on-demand world of knowledge,” said Glass.
MORE THAN A FEELING
The benefits of the leadership trio of Glass, Pasquesi and Stacy are evident. In their first 60 days, the brokerage has rolled out new initiatives in three key areas – culture, sales and operational excellence.
The People & Culture project is complemented by new sales coaching. The high-energy style of Joe Stacy, senior vice president and general sales manager, is a “jolt to your business” as Stacy says in his weekly videos.
And the introduction of a marketing partnership with Curbio for pre-sale renovation services, has given agents a way to help sellers when competition for buyers is fierce.
With the creation of these three agent-facing roles, BHHS agents have even more reasons to feel a sense of belonging and togetherness in their home away from home.