Rick O’Neil is no longer president of fee-for-service provider Help-U-Sell Real Estate; Thomas E. Hurford has been appointed acting chief executive officer; and a new member has joined its board of directors, the company said today.
The residential sales company is embarking on a major restructuring program, Help-U-Sell said in a statement. O’Neil will have “an ongoing role” with Help-U-Sell, the company said, without describing what his duties would be.
In addition to Hurford’s appointment, Eric Kufel, chairman of the board and immediate past president of Poore Brothers, has been elected to the board of directors, Help-U-Sell said.
The company said Kufel joins board chairman Bradley J. Crandall and board member Larry Polhill of American Pacific Financial Corporation in spearheading the company’s refocused strategy on brand development, growth and an enhanced level of service.
Ash Asensio, who holds a CPA and MBA, will assume the positions of chief financial officer and chairman of the newly formed audit committee, the company said. Also, Dale Strack has been newly elected to the position of executive vice president, the company said.
O’Neil, who joined the company in 1999, rose through the ranks of industry giant Century 21 before joining Help-U-Sell. He worked for Century 21 for 20 years and served as vice president and regional director for the company’s Northeast region.
At Help-U-Sell, he worked to secure an agreement with Bank of America that allows home buyers to pre-qualify and apply for mortgages online, and he has supported other Internet-based initiatives. He was chosen as one of Inman’s 100 Most Influential Real Estate People earlier this year.
“The public’s overwhelming acceptance of the Help-U-Sell set-fee real estate model has accelerated well beyond our original projections,” Crandall said in a statement. “Our success is confirmed by our strong financial position and the sale of our 825th franchise, which represents growth of 900 percent since 1999.”
“We are very proud of what the company has achieved thus far and excited about the new team that is uniquely qualified to sustain the rapid growth and support the expanding infrastructure required by that growth,” Hurford said. “The company’s continued success rests in our fee for service format for home buyers and sellers and further supporting our burgeoning network of regional directors and franchisees.”
As part of this initiative, the company has also expanded the administrative staff and office space at its new corporate headquarters in Castle Rock, Colo.
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