A Pleasant Surprise for Brad - and Validation of Clients' Trust

An interesting set of dynamics likely explains Brad Korb's surprisingly high ranking recently as the number two producer team out of 15,000-plus residential RE/MAX real estate agents in California and Hawaii. That it happened in what is perceived as a "down market" is flattering in itself - yet the down market may be the very reason so many have chosen Korb to be their Realtor lately.

"People still need to buy and sell houses regardless of where the market is in the cycle," said Korb's Office Manager Heather Tyler. "Life goes on. The difference is that in this market, where risk factors are higher, people are a lot more careful about picking an agent. They want a known quantity, someone with a few decades of experience in real estate and whose name they know and trust. I believe that's why Brad's numbers propelled him from fifth to second place in this recent ranking."

RE/MAX International regularly rates its agents on a regional basis. Over the past eight or ten years, Korb's team has always been among the top 15 in his own region; until now, he had a personal-best of fifth. His consistent high placement says a lot for a boutique-style office like Korb's in a region (California and Hawaii) where agents from big offices with huge support systems tend to top the list.

"I've always been in the top 15 - I got 15, then 12, then 10, then eighth, and I always thought to myself, 'Wow, that's nice.' But when I heard I'd rated in the top two teams out of all those agents, I was really kind of blown away," Korb said. "All I can say is that lately I've never had such a high referral rate from clients. I like to think it's because I've helped so many people over the years, they know I'm one to take care of them, and they feel comfortable recommending me to others."