What Do Agents Really Need?
The Hasson Company Has the Answers

by Megan Wilber

It’s not news that the recent market downturn has had a dramatic impact on real estate professionals in all corners of the industry. A few short years ago, everyone was cashing in on the elevated home prices and quick sales that come with a booming housing market. Realtors and other industry professionals were spending fewer dollars on marketing and personal promotion simply because they didn’t need to.

These types of market conditions cultivated an agreeable atmosphere for people looking for a lucrative career in an exciting industry. People from all walks of life and all types of backgrounds—qualified or not—entered the business to try and take advantage of a good thing.

And then the market slowed. And people defaulted on their loans. And homes went into foreclosure. And banks closed. And the government stepped in.

The droves dwindled to a slight smattering. In fact, the Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS™) reported having 10,843 local Oregon and Southwest Washington members in December 2006. Since then, the organization has seen a 7.6 percent decline in membership. On a national level, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) membership count has also dropped 8.2 percent to 1,257,686 agents in August 2008.

The real estate professionals who are committed to their career are the individuals who succeed during challenging times.

So in an industry climate that is ever-changing, what are agents today looking for from their brokerage? Are they looking for quality? Support? Leadership?

THE HASSON DIFFERENCE

Company Culture
It has been suggested that the success of a real estate company is directly related to its culture. A firm’s vision and business strategy allow agents to feel like they are a part of a greater whole. They take pride in what the company achieves in addition to their own success.

Jeanne Moir, a broker in Bend, Ore., had heard The Hasson Company typified high ethical standards—a fact that she attributes to President and Owner Mike Hasson and the Bend branch’s principal broker, Bill Berger. “There’s a culture here…an energy, where it helps people out,” said Moir. “This is a real benefit. It keeps attitude up too.”

Broker Tari Burback, with the company’s Vancouver branch, worked at another real estate firm for 14 years before making the decision to move. “The Hasson Company has the quality and standards I always thought I was a part of,” said Burback. “I fit in with this culture because [the company does] business the right way. Their integrity is golden. I’m happy to be a part of it.”

Strong Leadership
Trish Banning, a broker with the firm’s Lake Oswego branch, said she has always been impressed with the business Mike Hasson built. “I was attracted to the company because of its reputation and the quality and character of the agents,” she said. “I respect what [Mike’s] doing.”

A successful brokerage starts with good leadership. And, according to his agents, there is none better than Mike Hasson.

“Mike listens,” said Moir. “I found a commonality with how he does business and how I do business. Any time he comes to a meeting, it’s always a pleasure. He always has usable points and almost through osmosis, I have a better grasp of how to be in business.”

Moir said Mike Hasson’s leadership and the example he sets filters from him to the agents, which in turn is shown through relationships developed with clients.

Like-Minded Agents
Real estate professionals not only want to succeed in their company, but also want to work with other full-time Realtors who are as professional and talented as they are.

Ranked No. 1 in the nation for average sales volume per agent when compared to all other companies with 200 or more agents, The Hasson Company has focused on becoming the best, not the biggest, in the business.

According to Mike Hasson, he likes to maintain a “hands-on” approach to his business. He believes in working closely with agents and selectively recruiting experienced sales professionals that embody the company’s culture. The firm hires agents based on personality, business philosophy and professional references—as well as performance.

“It’s about quality over quantity,” said Mike Hasson. “We take tremendous pride in associating only with agents who epitomize the service, communication and professionalism that our company is known for, and in turn, our agents stick around for a very long time.”

Hasson agents attribute their own personal success to working with like-minded agents when it comes to striving to serve their clients to the best of their ability. Agents with the company share the same values, a strong work ethic and continually endeavor to remain on the leading-edge of the industry.

Since its inception, The Hasson Company has been committed to the communities on which it was founded. From promoting musical education and the arts through The Snowman Foundation and Oregon Children’s Theatre to leading computer recycling drives in partnership with Free Geek, the company’s community involvement is unparalleled.

Dedicated to promoting healthy communities, the company created its designated Green Team of agents who are pioneering sustainability throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington. Hasson Green Team agents are certified through accredited programs like Earth Advantage® S.T.A.R. and Energy Trust of Oregon, allowing them to better assist their clients when it comes to the ever-expanding emphasis on sustainability in real estate.

Exceptional Agent Resources
Real estate professionals need the most innovative, highest quality marketing materials, training programs, web solutions and targeted advertising campaigns available.

By investing in the tools and the technology necessary to help its agents sell a home quickly and efficiently, The Hasson Company takes the worry off its agents, giving them more time to go about their daily business.

When Banning came to work for firm a few months ago, she was immediately impressed with the marketing tools available on the firm’s agent intranet site: HassonAgents.com. Featuring a contact management system, a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) creator, direct mail programs and listing activity reports,
HassonAgents.com is a one-stop resource for agents, enhancing their efficiency and client service. The intranet site also allows agents to manage many documents of a transaction electronically, which reduces paper waste and lessens computer storage space. The intranet’s built-in risk management capabilities also keep track of all of the activities and communication during a given transaction, minimizing the exposure to the client, agent and firm.

Burback appreciates the company’s public website, Hasson.com. She says her clients are constantly telling her what an easy-to-use website it is as well as how well it conveys the company’s mission. “Taking a website and connecting it to the culture and philosophy of the company—those two together are dynamite,” said Burback. “Everything is so user friendly, so easy to do.”

Outstanding Support
With all of the paperwork and minutiae that goes into a real estate transaction, it is important for an agent to have a strong support network to help with the details.

When Moir transferred to the company, she was impressed with the professionalism and dedication of the support staff in her office. “In other offices, the receptionists just answer phones,” said Moir. “The staff at Hasson bends over backwards for you. This is something I appreciate greatly.”

According to Burback, the assistance doesn’t stop with the staff. She said there were people at her disposal as soon as she made the move to The Hasson Company. “The department heads were constantly calling me to make sure I was all right,” said Burback. “It’s personal attention when you need it.”

The company’s in-house marketing department also provides every agent with the personal promotion and sales support necessary. Tania Rain and the other members of the marketing department handle the company’s design work, public relations and advertising strategies.

Strength of the Brand
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, The Hasson Company is the only remaining locally owned and operated full-service real estate company in Oregon and Southwest Washington that competes with regional and national firms.

A graduate of the University of Oregon, Mike Hasson began his career in real estate in 1977. Six years later, he launched Handel, Hasson & Jones—a small residential real estate firm in Lake Oswego. Eight years later, Hasson bought out his partners and formed The Hasson Company, comprised of 32 professional real estate agents and him as president/managing broker. Since then, the firm has grown to nearly 300 full-time agents in eight offices located throughout the Portland metropolitan area, Vancouver, Washington, and Central Oregon.

A native Oregonian, Mike Hasson attributes the success and longevity of the company to its commitment to the community in which it was founded. The firm has achieved a position in the local market as the leading company to turn to when it comes to full-service real estate.

“There is a connection in the client’s mind that this is a quality agent associated with a quality company, and that helps cement client relationships for our agents,” said Hasson.

Mentors & Training
One of the most important resources for an agent to have is solid leadership and an excellent principal broker. “[My principal broker] is engaging and really cares about the success of the agents in the office,” said Moir, whose principal broker has been in the real estate business for 20 years.

Additionally, the firm offers its agents the opportunity to learn from other seasoned, top-selling agents through its Continuing Education Opportunities (CEO) program. Whether they are brand new to the industry or have worked for the company for years, agents who participate in the CEO program are able to learn new techniques in a changing market and develop business strategies to help them become more successful in real estate.

Craig Reger, a broker with the company’s Portland West branch and one of the region’s top-producing Realtors, teaches agents listing presentation skills as well as a CEO class about For Sale By Owner (FSBO) properties and expired listings.

“I do it because most of the things I do in my own personal listings were taught to me by other people at Hasson,” says Reger. “They’ve given me the tools to go out and be successful and I want to pass that along to other agents.”

Smart Growth Strategy
When Moir was deciding whether to leave her previous company, she diligently interviewed with three other companies and spent a lot of time analyzing which one was the best fit for her.

One day she went to the Hasson company’s Bend branch to speak with one of the agents for an informal insider’s perspective about the firm. Mike Hasson just happened to be in the office that day and sat down to speak with Moir. Immediately thereafter, she gave her two weeks notice and was up and running at Hasson within 24 hours of the transition.

“We are focused on finding agents who see themselves as a cut above,” said Steve Studley, the firm’s Director of Business Development. “Hasson agents are full-time, fully engaged professionals that know and understand what it takes to succeed. Together, they are able to take advantage of an environment with a collective power and synergy that no other real estate company has achieved.”

Easy Transition
“We take great pride in transitioning agents to our firm,” said Studley. “Each and every department manager is committed to minimizing the challenges that arise from changing companies.”

From the moment an agent joins us, all listing agreements are transferred over from the agent’s previous company and his or her computers, phone lines and personal agent websites are up and running by the end of the first day. The firm also distributes a new agent press release every month to local area media.

Banning attributed her smooth transition to The Hasson Company to the agents and support staff at her office who made her feel welcome.

“Any time you make a move, there are always challenges,” said Banning. “Overall, the transition was fabulous. What was amazing to me was the seasoned agents who are such professionals coming to introduce themselves to me. They made the transition so easy and they helped me get acclimated. I felt welcome from day one.”

In addition, the new agent participates in New Agent Orientation (NAO), spending a day speaking with a representative from each department within the company—from marketing and technology to relocation and lending—to better understand the organization and tools of the company.

The company recently announced the launch of its new careers website: HassonCareers.com. The mission of this website is to tell the Hasson story and share the company’s philosophy, goals and resources with the Oregon and Southwest Washington real estate industry.

Visit HassonCareers.com today to learn more about The Hasson Company and the benefits of associating with the region’s only locally owned and nationally recognized real estate company.