Right now’s brokers are going through one of the complicated working environments in trendy actual property, marked by tight stock, compressed margins, shifting fee buildings, speedy expertise change, and rising calls for for profitability and effectivity. As manufacturers rethink how franchise help instantly impacts efficiency, Coldwell Banker is reshaping its mannequin round specialization, data-driven decision-making and high-touch service. Kate Conquest, Vice President of Affiliate Servicing at Coldwell Banker, shares how her end-to-end profession throughout actual property has formed a sensible, holistic method to serving to almost 700 franchise firms drive sustainable progress.
HousingWire: You’ve touched each a part of the real estate enterprise, from agent to broker-owner to advisor and now VP of Affiliate Servicing. How has that journey formed the way in which you help the almost 700 franchise firms at this time?
Kate Conquest: I’ve been with the Coldwell Banker model for 12 years, a path I by no means anticipated however one I’m actually grateful for. I began answering telephones at 18 whereas in school at an area actual property firm that later grew to become a Coldwell Banker franchise. I earned my license, moved into operations and management, grew to become a accomplice within the enterprise, and later transitioned into consulting, the place I spent a number of years onboarding new franchisees. For the previous three years, I’ve led a group on delivering holistic service throughout the Coldwell Banker affiliated community.
My journey shapes how I lead. I don’t view challenges by means of a single lens. Each resolution impacts homeowners, managers, brokers, and administrative groups. After we roll out programs or processes, I’m at all times asking whether or not they may actually work for everybody concerned. It retains me targeted on sensible, well-rounded outcomes.
HW: Out of your vantage level, what are the most important choices brokerage leaders are being compelled to make proper now, and the place does Coldwell Banker see its duty in serving to them keep targeted on progress?
KC: Brokers are in an ideal storm with low inventory, increased curiosity rates, affordability challenges, and extra decisions for brokers than ever earlier than. Add margin compression and speedy tech innovation, and profitability turns into the central subject. An alarming statistic from Actual Tendencies reported initially of the 12 months reveals that roughly 40,000 of the 100,000 brokers within the U.S. are at the moment unprofitable.
Our duty is to make sure our franchisees are higher off with us than with out us. That perception was a key catalyst for our mannequin change. We now have realized that worthwhile progress comes from aligning progress with operational effectivity. It’s not about progress for progress’s sake. It’s about constructing monetary stability that enables brokers to maintain their companies and actually impression the folks they serve.
HW: This 12 months, Coldwell Banker shifted from a generalist help mannequin to a specialised group construction. What prompted that change, and what does a ‘specialist-led’ service expertise appear to be for a franchisee in sensible, day-to-day phrases?
KC: One phrase I exploit is depth. A generalist can reply questions, however specialists actually resolve issues, and with the extent of complexity in our enterprise at this time, expertise is what maximizes outcomes. You’ll be able to at all times name and get recommendation, but it surely’s the knowledge, experience, and real-world expertise that create the best worth for our associates.
Traditionally, each franchisee had an account supervisor who supplied strong basic help and steerage. Over time, we noticed the necessity for deeper specialization. Right now, one group focuses on knowledge, contracts, and product deployment, implementation, and engagement. In parallel, our progress consultants concentrate on operational effectivity, P&L evaluation, benchmarking, recruiting, retention, and enterprise planning. These are very completely different ability units, and collectively they permit us to maneuver from broad help to true specialty help.
HW: HousingWire did an Insider Profile on you, noting the way you pair digital entry with high-touch help. How is your group delivering that “white glove” expertise, and the way does it assist brokers keep worthwhile, retain brokers, and purchase again time to steer their firms?
KC: White-glove expertise is just not about doing every little thing for our community. It’s about ensuring the proper issues get completed within the least period of time and with the least friction. When somebody reaches out, they’re linked with a specialist who understands their scenario and may resolve the issue with out transferring them a number of occasions.
The second half is assembly associates the place they’re with service on demand. Most help wants might be scheduled instantly by means of our system. Since launching this about 5 to six months in the past, we’ve seen 60% adoption and a 66% repeat-user price. That tells us the mannequin is working. It saves time, reduces friction, and delivers actual worth by means of specialised help.
HW: Belief and accountability appear central to your mannequin. What are you listening to from the community, and the way is knowledge driving your conversations with brokerages?
KC: Our community is asking for readability and competence in an unsure panorama. They depend on us for knowledge that’s not skewed by third events and that helps determine actual alternatives throughout productiveness, expense management, and market share progress. Simply as vital is what we do with that knowledge. Evaluation and interpretation information smarter choices.
That expectation extends to AI as effectively. Our associates need to know the way we’re making use of it in actual operations at this time, throughout staffing and accounting, in addition to facility and property administration. As we proceed to build up knowledge from many sources, the main target stays on turning perception into higher enterprise choices that enhance profitability.
HW: Coldwell Banker’s tradition (particularly round occasions like Gen Blue) has a popularity for being collaborative and innovation-fueled. How are you seeing franchisees help each other and scale what works?
KC: Tradition is difficult to clarify as a result of it’s one thing you are feeling, which is why I at all times invite anybody contemplating our model to come back to Gen Blue. It’s not only a convention. It’s an immersive expertise targeted on studying, networking, and enterprise progress. When folks expertise it firsthand, they persistently see how their enterprise might be stronger with us.
What actually units our community aside is the openness constructed into our tradition. Brokers overtly share concepts, methods, and finest practices. They collaborate deeply, be taught instantly from each other, and even benchmark their companies collectively. That degree of belief and transparency creates a connection you merely can’t discover elsewhere, and it’s a core a part of who we’re at Coldwell Banker.
