Leading Magazine Title Provides Powerful Branding to Nation's
Newest Residential Real Estate Franchise System; First Affiliated
Brokerage Offices Open Today
SAN FRANCISCO--(Business Wire)--
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC officially launches today
with the opening of its first franchised brokerage in Northeastern
Pennsylvania and the unveiling of www.bhgrealestate.com - an
innovative online real estate destination that, along with the Better
Homes and Gardens(R) Real Estate brand's exhaustive resource network,
will help provide a more rewarding real estate experience for sales
associates, brokers and consumers alike.
Sherry A. Chris, president and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens
Real Estate LLC, will formally announce the launch of the new brand
today at 8:30 a.m. PDT / 11:30 a.m. EDT at The Palace Hotel, 2 New
Montgomery Street, San Francisco, and with a live webcast at
http://tinyurl.com/65lo82.
"The Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand will enable
brokers and sales associates to deliver a caliber of service to their
customers expected under the Better Homes and Gardens name," explained
Chris. "The franchise launch in Pennsylvania is the first of many new
full-service residential real estate brokerages that will use the
resources of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate to meet the needs of
home buyers and sellers of all generations, particularly as we
continue to grow and expand in the U.S. and beyond."
This morning's press and web conference will also include: Gayle
Butler, senior vice president and editor-in-chief of Better Homes and
Gardens magazine; Alex Perriello, president and CEO of the Realogy
Franchise Group, parent company of Better Homes and Gardens Real
Estate LLC; and Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO of Wilkins & Associates Real
Estate, Inc., the first franchised brokerage firm to operate offices
under the new brand, which will now do business as Better Homes and
Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates.
"Franchising under the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand
will enable our already successful company to become synonymous with
the attributes of the magazine: namely, quality of service, caliber of
lifestyle, and trust," said Wilkins. "With the prestige of the Better
Homes and Gardens name and the added resource network now at our
disposal, our firm is now solidly positioned to build upon our
fundamentals for long-term success."
Prior to its affiliation with the Better Homes and Gardens Real
Estate brand, Wilkins & Associates Real Estate was the largest
independent real estate company in the famous Pocono Mountains of
Pennsylvania, serving Monroe and Pike Counties, and the historic
Milford and Lehigh Valley areas. Incorporated in 1988, the company is
a family-run business offering residential real estate and home buying
services through a team of more than 100 full-time sales associates
across seven offices. The company started with three people 20 years
ago.
Blending a passion for the home and a practical, business-driven
approach, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC will operate under
a direct franchise business model with a focus on enabling its
franchisees to create a more rewarding residential real estate
experience for home buyers and sellers.
"Brokers will recognize that franchising with us is an investment
in their future," said Chris. "Similarly, consumers will have an
immediate connection with a brand they already know and trust. Better
Homes and Gardens magazine has had a relationship with Americans for
more than 80 years."
Brokers and sales associates benefit from innovative technology,
proven business systems, and advanced tools to help support the growth
and operation of their brokerages, including: business planning and
strategic services; sales associate talent attraction and retention;
training and career development programs; the latest web tools and
resources; breakthrough branding; and the global resources of Realogy
Corporation.
"Realogy officially welcomes Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate
into our family of world-class real estate brands," said Alex
Perriello, president and CEO of the Realogy Franchise Group. "There is
tremendous opportunity within residential real estate markets at this
time, and the launch of this new brand represents our confidence in
the long-term strength of our industry for many years to come."
In October 2007, Realogy Corporation announced it had entered into
a long-term agreement to license the Better Homes and Gardens Real
Estate brand from Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP), the nation's
leading media and marketing company serving American women, and
publisher of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. The licensing
agreement between Realogy and Meredith is for a 50-year term, with a
renewal option for another 50 years. Better Homes and Gardens Real
Estate is Realogy's fifth residential real estate franchise brand.
Realogy Corporation is the world's largest real estate franchisor.
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC is the diamond-level
sponsor of Real Estate Connect San Francisco 2008, taking place at The
Palace Hotel, San Francisco. Visit the company at booth #102 or follow
'BHGrealestate' on Twitter.com.
About Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC
Better Homes and Gardens(R) Real Estate is an international real
estate brand that offers a full range of services to brokers, sales
associates and home buyers and sellers. Using innovative technology,
sophisticated business systems and the broad appeal of a national
lifestyle brand, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate embodies the
future of the real estate industry while remaining grounded in the
tradition of home. For more information, please visit
www.bhgrealestate.com.
Better Homes and Gardens(R) is a registered trademark of Meredith
Corporation licensed to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC.
Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Better
Homes and Gardens(R) Real Estate Office is Independently Owned and
Operated.
Press Contact:
Mansfield Marketing & Communications Inc.
Donna M. Murno, 617-470-6603
donna@mcipr.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
