BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS® REAL ESTATE ENTERS SOUTH DAKOTA

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC announced today the affiliation of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Beyond based in Sioux Falls, S.D. The company becomes the first BHGRE® affiliate in the state.

The firm, started with a market-leading team, is led by owner Brandon Martens and managing broker Breck Miller. The company serves the entire range of real estate clients in the Greater Sioux Falls market, including Minnehaha County, Lincoln County, McCook County, Lake County and Turner County.

With a flourishing economy, no state income tax and a very low unemployment rate, the Sioux Falls metro area accounts for more than 30% of the state’s entire population. It is home to a number of financial institutions, manufacturing companies and food processing plants. An Amazon fulfillment center is also slated to open in 2022. With four hospitals, Sioux Falls serves as a regional health care center. Due to the long distances between major cities in the state, Sioux Falls is also a destination city for shopping and dining.

According to Martens, Sioux Falls has historically been a very stable real estate market, even during the 2008 subprime crisis.

Details:    

• Martens grew up in Iowa, where Dotdash Meredith’s corporate headquarters is located, and feels a strong connection to the Better Homes & Gardens media brand, which he believes will play a significant role in connecting with clients in the market thanks to its broad awareness and appeal.
• PinPoint^SM, the proprietary BHGRE^® brand tool that taps into consumer behavior data from Better Homes & Gardens magazine and its publisher Dotdash Meredith’s customer database of more than 175 million consumers, will play an important role in supporting client acquisition for the company’s affiliated agents. 
• Martens and Miller are looking to fuel growth by recruiting agents to the company and leveraging the learning and professional development programs in Be Better^® University, the Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate brand’s proven professional development and award-winning learning platform, to support increased agent productivity.
• Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Beyond will also be licensed in Minnesota and Iowa to better serve the tri-state area.  This will further fortify the firm’s referral corridors, which will be complemented by the BHGRE®’s Global Referral Network, a comprehensive and dynamic referrals resource.
• Martens is a long-time industry leader. He first served as treasurer of his local REALTOR® association in 2011, followed by a term as president in 2014. He is currently the president of the South Dakota Association of REALTORS®. 
• With deep experience in education, Miller has taught many real estate courses from pre-licensing to continuing education for existing agents. 
• According to local MLS, the median home sales price in Sioux Falls is $261,000, while the median home sales price in the Greater Sioux Falls region is $265,000.

Quotes:

“Brandon and Breck’s combined real estate experience and service to both the industry and their clients have created a tremendous foundation upon which to build their business as the first BHGRE^® affiliate in South Dakota. They both have a wealth of experience and knowledge to impart to their growing team of agents and a passion for helping their clients achieve the dream of homeownership. We are excited to support their expansion in the growing Sioux Falls market.”

- Sherry Chris, President & CEO, Better Homes and Gardens^® Real Estate

“I grew up in Iowa, near the headquarters of Better Homes & Gardens^®, and feel a tremendous affinity for the brand and what it represents. When it came time to take the next step in building my business, I knew I needed a partner focused on building for the future, not just the bottom line. Our philosophy has always been about making people better – both agents and clients – by adopting a service mentality that prioritizes the relationship over the transaction, a defining characteristic of the BHGRE^® brand. As a new affiliate, we gain access to unrivaled tools, technology and support beyond what any independent firm could ever hope to provide to their agents.”

- Brandon Martens, Owner, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Beyond

“Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate’s comprehensive technology offerings will play a pivotal role in helping us expand our support to our agents so they can focus on their core business of serving clients and our community. We are excited to leverage our affiliation to help make an impact for homeowners in our neighborhoods and beyond, as well as deepen our relationships in the market. We firmly believe that real estate is far more than simply selling a house. It is a service that changes people’s lives through homeownership.”

Breck Miller, Managing Broker, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Beyond

About Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC is a dynamic real estate brand that offers a full range of services to brokers, sales associates and home buyers and sellers. Using innovative technology, sophisticated business systems and the broad appeal of a lifestyle brand, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC embodies the future of the real estate industry while remaining grounded in the tradition of home. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services.

The growing Better Homes and Gardens^® Real Estate network includes more than 12,500 independent sales associates and approximately 390 offices serving home buyers and sellers across the United States, Canada, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Australia and New Zealand.

Better Homes & Gardens^® is a registered trademark of Dotdash Meredith licensed to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC and used with permission. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Better Homes and Gardens^® Real Estate Franchise is independently owned and operated.