Waterloo Region Record

Spotlight On... KELLER WILLIAMS GOLDEN TRIANGLE REALTY

Day the entire company worldwide donates their time to help local causes for one day each year.

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By Jane Pinzhoffer A real estate transactio­n is about more than buying a house. Not only will it probably be the largest financial transactio­n you’ll ever make,it’s an investment in your future.Your home is your sanctuary, where you raise your children, spend time with friends and family, and enjoy your life. It’s where your heart is. Jim Reitzel had a successful Real Estate Brokerage before joining Keller Williams in 2005.“When I learned about what Keller Williams stands for with their values,I felt compelled to be a part of something bigger,”says Jim.He immediatel­y felt a strong affinity for the company’s belief system in building careers worth having, businesses worth owning, lives worth living, experience­s worth giving,and legacies worth leaving. When Jim joined Keller Williams in 2005 there were 16,000 agents. In 2017 that number has grown to 177,000 in 700 offices throughout North America. Startling when you consider that in 2015 the largest real estate company in the world had 118,000 agents. Locally they are now 186 agents strong with a new office that just opened in Waterloo on December 15. Based out of Austin,Texas, Keller Williams believes in giving back to the communitie­s it serves. They raised $10 million in 60 days after Hurricane Irma and when Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005 their agents raised $5.3 million,exceeding even the amount raised by the 1.3 million members of the National Associatio­n of Realtors.Each Christmas Keller Williams Golden Triangle Realty holds the Family 100 Holiday Drive,giving back to the community by sponsoring at least 100 local families.The whole office wraps and delivers presents for the kids and a dinner for the whole family is delivered.On Red Keller Williams is the largest,fastest growing real estate franchise in North America,at the forefront of technology,training and culture.“The training is free and offered to everyone,with workshops for investors,home buyers,and individual­s looking to make a career in real estate,”says Jim.Last year the National Associatio­n of Realtors was up 6 percent while Keller Williams was up 24 percent. “99 percent of agents choose Keller Williams for the culture,the training and the fact that the agent has a say in how the company is run,”says Jeff Reitzel,a Keller Williams Broker and Jim’s son. One thing that really sets Keller Williams apart, not just from other real estate companies, but from business in general is that branding the company is discourage­d.“You won’t find Keller Williams signs around town,”says Jim.“It’s the individual agent that’s advertised predominat­ely on the sign so that their name is out there front and centre.”“Keller Williams is here to fully support the agent run their business in their local market,”says Tony Capara,Team Leader at Keller Williams.

Keller Williams is the largest, fastest growing real estate franchise in North America...

 ??  ?? Gordie Howe at the Grand Opening of the Kitchener Office in 2012.
Gordie Howe at the Grand Opening of the Kitchener Office in 2012.

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