Rick O’Neil will speak at Real Estate Connect July 28-30 in San Francisco.
Rick O’Neil, president of Help-U-Sell Real Estate in Syosset, Long Island, N.Y., is a father, grandfather, amateur photographer, baseball fan, self-described workaholic and 32-year veteran of the real estate business.
He began his career as a traditional real estate broker with Gallery of Homes in a sales and management position and eventually supervised 300 people in six offices. He joined Century 21 in the late 1970s and later became VP/regional director for the Northeast region. He joined Help-U-Sell in his current position in 1999.
Help-U-Sell is known for its fee-for-service concept of real estate brokerage. The organization today has some 500 franchisees. O’Neil intends to expand that network 1,800 franchises nationwide by 2008.
Help-U-Sell’s new consumer-centric Web site is part of the package for home sellers who want to maintain control of the sales process while they work with a Help-U-Sell office in what the company calls a “for-sale-with-owner” capacity. One feature of the Web site allows sellers and buyers to set showing appointments online without the assistance or intervention of a realty salesperson. The Web site also provides instant updates to sellers regarding home-sale transactions.
O’Neil directed the launch of the Web site and also negotiated a liaison with Bank of America that enables buyers to prequalify and apply for mortgages online.
Here is a profile of the man himself:
IN: What are your current or childhood nicknames?
RO: Rick is a nickname for Richard.
IN: Which daily newspaper do you read and which section of the newspaper do you read first?
RO: Most of my news is obtained online. I begin with financial updates of the market, then move to online sports, mainly baseball.
IN: What kind of music do you listen to?
RO: Classical while driving and flying, rock at home
IN: How did you spend your last vacation?
RO: A week aboard my sailboat on the Great South Bay
IN: What professional accomplishments in your life are you most proud of?
RO: My progression from real estate sales agent to have the opportunity of responsibility I have today, and being honored by Realtor Magazine by being selected as one of the 25 most influential people in real estate.
IN: What personal accomplishment in your life are you most proud of?
RO: Being a father and grandfather
IN: How many e-mail addresses do you have?
RO: Three
IN: What worries keep you awake at night?
RO: I sleep at night!
IN: What lesson did you learn in the last year?
RO: When all else fails revert to common sense (once again).
IN: What is your favorite technology device or software application?
RO: As an amateur photographer, I enjoy experimenting with MGI Photo Suite.
IN: What is your opinion of Inman News?
RO: I use Inman News as a daily source for industry information and as a reference for research.
IN: What was your top New Year’s resolution and have you kept it so far?
RO: Never to make New Year’s resolutions, and I keep it every year!
IN: Are you a morning person or a night owl?
RO: I’m an early-morning convert.
IN: What is your worst vice or bad habit?
I’m intense and a workaholic.
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