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RE/MAX is having a banner November, thanks to a pair of recruiting victories in Arizona and Indiana.
The first of those victories took place in New Castle, Indiana, and involves franchise ERA Integrity Real Estate joining the RE/MAX network. The company, which has two locations and 19 agents, is rebranding as part of the move and will now go by the name RE/MAX First Integrity.
Susan Falck-Neal
In a statement, broker-owner Susan Falck-Neal said that “by joining RE/MAX, I am confident we are positioned to grow our production, take advantage of a world-class network, and enhance the services we offer.”
“Joining RE/MAX is more than just a rebranding — it’s a step toward long-term growth and sustainability in providing outstanding real estate services to our community,” she added. The statement notes that Falck-Neal has worked in real estate for 30 years, and that the company now known as RE/MAX First Integrity was first established in 1986.
Falck-Neal, however, is not the only leader who was recently drawn to the RE/MAX brand.
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In a separate statement, the franchisor also revealed that Arizona-based Becky Dwaileebe and Melody Contreras have joined RE/MAX and will now operate a franchise called RE/MAX Horizon. The duo formerly led a team known as Eclipse Real Estate Group at Realty Executives.
The statement notes that the team has “consistently ranked in the top 1 percent in Tucson for real estate sales,” adding that it includes 20 agents. Dwaileebe and Contreras were drawn to the brand because they “wanted more independence in their next step,” according to the statement.
Melody Contreras, left, and Becky Dwaileebe
“We wanted something different, and RE/MAX checked all the boxes,” Dwaileebe said in the statement.
Contreras added that the move “gives us the freedom to do things our way, while still benefiting from the brand’s powerful presence.”
The moves come as major real estate companies vie ever more intensely for talent. That competition has long been a feature of the real estate landscape, but has reached a new crescendo in recent years as elevated mortgage rates slowed down home sales. That turn of events pushed major companies to focus more on recruiting agents and teams with proven track records, and has somewhat deprioritized metrics such as raw headcount.
The result is that Inman typically receives several announcements per week, and often several per day, touting major recruiting victories at big-name brands. Recent examples include big gets at The Agency, eXp Realty, Windermere, and Keller Williams.
In the case of RE/MAX, Erik Carlson — CEO of parent RE/MAX Holdings — recently weighed in on growth during his company’s latest earnings call in October. At the time, Carlson cited “the trajectory of future interest rates” and “our bold new initiatives” as evidence that the franchisor is “well-positioned to finish the year with positive momentum.”
