(Ryan Buccola and Greg Fischer | Photo by Noah Nelson)
RE/MAX Merges with West + Main Homes Oregon
RE/MAX Key Properties announced in a press release on September 12 that the company would be merging with the veteran-owned, independent boutique brokerage, West + Main Homes Oregon. Now operating jointly under the RE/MAX Key Properties brand, this coming together represents a strengthening of an already trusted resource in the world of real estate.
Ryan Buccola will remain as Broker/Owner at RE/MAX, while Greg Fischer, the former owner of West + Main Homes Oregon, will be coming on as the Head of Technology for RE/MAX.
Fischer said that the motivation for the merger had much to do with finding and creating stability in an ever changing professional landscape.
“Any smart business is always looking ahead,” said Fischer. “In real estate, we’re in a climate where the legal landscape and how real estate is practiced is constantly changing. There’s consolidation at many levels of the industry, from brokerage businesses and MLS’s that support data, to the realtor associations themselves. Looking ahead, it is so critical that these types of businesses have a very reliable structure of support.”
He continued, stating that he was seeking to combine his resources with other professionals who could help “see around the corner” and help his company stay agile.
“These companies can succeed independently, but there are resources that you get on a national scale that matter, and I believe they matter more at this time,” Fischer said. “In this moment, combined resources are the right call.”
Fischer said that certain RE/MAX resources, like a highly-trained support staff and a state-of-the-art, modern facility to operate out of, all contribute to helping his brokers find stability and succeed.
Adding to the conversation about industry consolidation, Buccola said that, “There will be two main camps in the new world of real estate: those who can navigate the new landscape and those who can’t. So I think, not just in Bend but on a national level, you’re going to see more merging, acquiring and consolidating as the cream rises to the top.”
With the shared goal of rising to the top, Fischer is eager to jump into his new role and support RE/MAX in a significant way, “There is an opportunity as a previous owner to bring the best things I can to Ryan [Buccola],” he said. “Instead of working through things that won’t move the needle, I can come into this new position and support the business in ways that are substantial.”
Fischer is coming in as Head of Technology, with experience managing software at the level of a large company like this, stating that, “At a brokerage like this, a lot of this comes down to making sure your people are equipped with the best tools possible, making sure everything is running smoothly, and making sure they have been properly onboarded so that they can utilize our latest tech.”
Commenting on tech, Buccola clarified that the real purpose of new tech in the world of real estate is to support and facilitate face-to-face interaction. This is because of an overarching belief that unified Buccola and Fischer, even before this merger.
Both RE/MAX Key Properties and the former West + Main Homes Oregon share the philosophy that the chief operating procedure of any successful brokerage should be to support the brokers.
Buccola said that, “The merger made perfect sense because he [Fischer] has already been operating under a similar philosophy where his top priority was to support and promote the brokers, which in turn allows them to better serve our community and achieve the best results possible.”
“We are a broker’s-brokerage,” Buccola continued. “The only reason we exist is to support our brokers so that they can go out and support their clients. That is the charter of our business.”
To Buccola, this is also the key benefit of the merger: he can guarantee growth in his company in the form of obtaining around thirty highly-trained and knowledgeable brokers from West + Main Homes Oregon.
“What Fischer has done with Western + Main has proven that he has excellent brokers who are well trained and well equipped for the evolving legal landscape of real estate,” Buccola said. “For us, it’s a natural win because we get to guarantee good-growth with trained and trusted professionals.”
On the consumer side, the merger delivers on a promise that when you talk to a RE/MAX Key Properties broker, you can guarantee that that person is trained, professional and knowledgeable of the industry while also boasting a strong network and support system that allows them to do their job well.
Buccola boasted another benefit of merging with RE/MAX, in the form of both local and national resources. “With RE/MAX, you get the best of both worlds. We’re the number one real estate brand in the world and we bring with us that international level of connections and resources. At the same time, we are the last national real estate brand that are owned locally. For us, that represents the ability to have a global presence, but to still be nimble and adapt to local trends.”
Lastly, both Buccola and Fischer see the merger as an honest look into the operating practices of both of their businesses.
“With two companies like this, we get the opportunity to look and analyze, and see what we’ve each been doing well, and where the gaps are,” Buccola said. “It allows us to analyze our systems and make adjustments where needed — our goal is to be the best that we can be.”
Going forward, Buccola and Fischer said that the main goal at the moment will be to onboard all of the new brokers and help them get up to speed so that they can operate at a high standard of excellence at RE/MAX Key Properties.
