MADISON, N.J. (March 19, 2017) – ERA Real Estate, a leading global real estate franchisor, has named ERA Real Solutions Realty, serving the Cincinnati/Columbus corridor in Ohio, as its national company of the year. The Gene Francis Memorial Award, given annually by ERA Real Estate to its top all-around company, was presented to ERA Real Solutions Realty at the ERA® 2017 International Business Conference, held March 19-21 in Dallas, Texas.

The award, named after ERA Real Estate co-founder Gene Francis, is the highest honor given to an ERA company, and reflects the qualities most respected throughout the global ERA system and the real estate industry. Known for his forward-thinking business acumen as well as his philanthropic spirit, Francis established a defining culture of service to which all ERA companies aspire. Factored into the award selection are: high customer satisfaction ratings, strong brand engagement and use of ERA resources, and sales and company growth.

ERA Real Solutions Realty joined the ERA system in 2010 with two offices and 50 independent sales associates serving the Cincinnati region. Under the leadership of broker/owner Jeremy Raby, the firm has leveraged mergers and acquisitions to create a contiguous service area spanning from Cincinnati to Columbus. The firm’s operations are now comprised of five offices and more than 175 associates, representing a 250 percent increase in agent count since 2010.

“When Jeremy Raby affiliated with ERA Real Estate in 2010, he had one goal: growth. Since then, his firm’s growth has been nothing less than exponential,” said Sue Yannaccone, president and CEO of ERA Real Estate. “Jeremy and his entire team capture and personify ERA’s spirit of ambitious growth goals, while at the same time staying highly attuned to serving today’s sophisticated consumer. With an eye for opportunity and a reputation for execution, Jeremy Raby exemplifies the next-generation of leadership for not only the ERA network but for the entire real estate industry.”

ERA Real Solution Realty’s most recent acquisition of a market leader in Hillsboro, Ohio, strategically located in between the two anchor markets, created opportunities to expand the firm’s client pool of vacation home buyers and relocation clients in a market poised for tremendous economic growth potential.

In addition, ERA Real Solutions Realty regularly gives back to the community, most recently as a proud supporter of ERA’s MDA Summer Camp Challenge, which rallied ERA companies across the country to send 1,000 children with muscle disease to barrier-free summer camp over a three-year period.

ERA Real Solutions Realty earned honorable mention and finalist recognition for the top all around company award in 2016 and 2015 respectively, reflecting the significant growth the company has generated in the last few years.

“Our affiliation with ERA Real Estate has fueled incredible momentum for our firm and allowed us to transform the way we do business by creating a unique competitive advantage for us in our market and we are incredibly honored to earn ERA’s highest and most prestigious company award,” said Raby, owner of ERA Real Solutions Realty. “ERA’s core values of collaboration and teamwork align so well with our company culture and we are excited to part of a network that is leading the way in shaping the future of our industry, for the benefit of both real estate professionals and the clients we serve.”

ERA Real Solutions Realty has a history of maintaining high personal and ethical standards, demonstrating a strong business sense and modeling a commitment to ERA Real Estate and its community – all while driving measurable growth in transactions, sales volume, per person productivity and sales rate.

The other four finalists for the 2016 Gene Francis Memorial Award include:

  • ERA Grizzard Real Estate in Central Florida – After taking over the leadership of the company from his father, ERA Hall of Fame inductee Tom Grizzard, Gus Grizzard has consistently fueled high levels of growth for the firm, a trend he has sustained over the past five-year period. This has been accomplished through a series of strategic mergers and acquisitions that have transformed the company from a strong local market leader to a major regional player in central Florida. A consistent and vocal advocate for the ERA brand, ERA Grizzard Real Estate remains the only ERA company to win the Gene Francis Memorial Award two years in a row.
  • ERA Martin & Associates of Chillicothe, Ohio – Under Mark Cenci’s leadership, ERA Martin & Associates has consistently grown over the last five years as a result of active recruiting and a high per person productivity. The company’s 75 independent sales associates consistently deliver unparalleled service as evidenced by a customer satisfaction rate of 100 percent. A collaborative culture sets the tone for the company and creates an environment in which expectations are high, but achievable as a team.
  • Schuler Bauer Real Estate ERA Powered of New Albany, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky – Led by David “DJ” Hines, Tony Schuler and David Bauer, Schuler Bauer Real Estate ERA Powered joined the brand in 2012 as the fourth ERA Powered company. Headquartered in New Albany, Indiana, the firm quickly completed a strategic acquisition of a competitor in Louisville, Kentucky, significantly increasing its service area and creating viable referral corridors across state lines. Since joining the ERA network, the company has more than doubled its agent base from 115 agents to 268 agents.
  • ERA Skyline Real Estate of Ogden, Utah – Through mergers and acquisitions as well as through strategic recruiting, ERA Skyline Real Estate has expanded its footprint and service area and increased agent count by 300 percent. Today the firm’s 47 agents maintain a 98 percent customer satisfaction rate with an impressive per person productivity. Partners Tommy Webber, Dustin Peterson and Lance Peterson are proud of running a third-generation family business built on the winning combination of old-fashioned integrity and state-of-the-art technology.

About ERA Real Estate

ERA Real Estate is an innovative franchising leader in the residential real estate industry with 45 years of experience in developing consumer-oriented products and services. The ERA network includes approximately 37,000 brokers and sales associates and more than 2,300 offices throughout the United States and 30 countries and territories.  Each office is independently owned and operated.  ERA Real Estate is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global provider of real estate services. ERA Real Estate information is available at:  ERA.com.

Media Contact:
Melissa Drake
973-407-7904
melissa.drake@era.com