San Francisco, CA – November 8, 2010 – True to their reputation, Zephyr Real Estate agents are once again proving themselves ahead of the curve when it comes to technology. Of the 204 e-PRO® certified agents in San Francisco, nearly one-third are with Zephyr Real Estate. That’s more than any other brokerage in the City.
The e-PRO® certification is a course offered by the National Association of REALTORS® to educate real estate professionals in the rapidly-growing segment of online real estate. In today’s world, consumers expect an almost instant response, and the first REALTOR® to respond in many cases wins the client. The certification course covers both the basics and the advanced nuances of online real estate and is constantly evolving to stay abreast of the Internet and its ever-growing relevance to the real estate industry.
Zephyr Real Estate, pioneering in the age of the Internet, social media and blogs, has recognized the unique needs of online homebuyers.
“For the majority of our agents, business comes from repeat and referral clients,” said Randall Kostick, Chief Operating Officer at Zephyr Real Estate. “However, our new clients, more often than not, start their search online before ever connecting with an agent in person.”
Zephyr has a team of agents uniquely qualified to work with clients in this new home buying environment, the Zephyr eTeam. In order to participate in this elite group, agents must earn the e-PRO® certification, go through Zephyr’s own specialized training program, and meet minimum requirements for sales volume and industry experience.
As part of eTeam, Zephyr’s agents are equipped with the latest in technological tools, including Zephyr’s exclusive Lead Management Platform. The tool integrates seamlessly with Zephyr’s own website, as well as syndication sites such as Trulia, Zillow and Yahoo! Real Estate, so that inquiries get to an active, available agent in record time to facilitate rapid response.
“Response time is critical in the online world,” stated Matthew Borland, Sales Manager/Partner at Zephyr, who was intimately involved in the development of the new Lead Management Platform. “It was imperative to us that if we required specialized training and service from our agents, that we also provide them with the best tools for the job. Facilitating a rapid, quality response is good for the company, good for our agents, and of course, good for our clients.”
About Zephyr Real Estate Founded in 1978, Zephyr Real Estate is San Francisco’s largest independent real estate firm with approximately $1 billion in annual gross sales in 2009 and a current roster of more than 200 full-time agents. Zephyr has six offices strategically located in San Francisco and serves a large customer base throughout the City. For information, visit www.zephyrsf.com.