If you haven't seen the article from CNN Money about Henderson, Nevada being one of the top 100 places to live and launch a business - the link for the full article is below. I think this was published in March 2008, but I recently ran across it and thought I would share it with others.
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fsb/0803/gallery.best_places_to_launch.fsb/98.html
FROM MAGAZINE:
Experts say that at least 90 percent of homebuyers rely on real estate agents for advice and guidance. But with more than 17,000 agents in the Las Vegas area holding real estate licenses, how do you find someone who knows the market, represents your interests
and operates with an emphasis on integrity and service?
Las Vegas Life can help. The magazine recently formed a partnership with Crescendo Business Services, an independent research firm, to find out which real estate agents have most consistently wowed their clients.
The Selection Process
This past October, Crescendo mailed nearly 26,000 nomination ballots to Las Vegas area residents who recently purchased homes. An additional 250 ballots were sent to mortgage and title companies, who are often best able to judge a real estate agent's technical skills
and knowledge.
On the ballots, recipients were asked to nominate only real estate agents whom they knew through personal experience. They were asked to evaluate them based upon nine criteria: customer service, communication, finding the right home, integrity, negotiation, marketing the home, market knowledge, closing preparation and overall satisfaction.
Only original ballots-no copies-returned in their specially designed envelopes were accepted as valid. By November, stacks of ballots had arrived, and Crescendo began carefully scoring and
screening each nominee with the Nevada State Real Estate Commission's database to make certain that licenses were up to date and that no disciplinary actions were pending.
Then, before finalizing the list, nominated real estate agents were reviewed by a blue-ribbon panel of local industry experts. The panel consisted of realty company executives, professional and trade association officers and others directly involved in housing-related businesses.
Although panelists' comments were incorporated into the final score, safeguards were built into the review process to reduce the ability of panel members to influence the composition of the final list on the basis of company affiliation.
Best in Client Satisfaction
The resulting list of FIVE STAR Real Estate Agents is an elite group, representing less than four percent of licensed agents in the Las Vegas area. To make the list more user-friendly, agents have been grouped based on their city of focus.
Throughout the nomination process, respondents told stories of lasting friendships that have emerged from what is most often a stressful business transaction. Several even wrote essays on why their particular agent excelled.
Although this list will certainly be a useful tool for anyone buying or selling a home, it should not be considered exhaustive. Undoubtedly, there are many other excellent real estate agents who, for one reason or another, are not on this year's list. But don't be surprised to see them next year.
Click here to view orginal article: In Business Las Vegas
Joe DiRaffaele
Real Estate Agent
DiRaffaele Group,
Coldwell Banker Premier Realty
Age: 38
Judging the success of a professional Realtor is easy-just look at the numbers. And the numbers generated by Coldwell Banker Premier Realty's Joe DiRaffaele are big - very big.
One of biggest earners among Nevada Realtors, DiRaffaele is expected to earn more than $1 million in gross commission income this year. At the age of 33, he was the top Coldwell Banker Premier Realty associate in the state, consistently selling more than 100 homes annually.
But equally impressive is that in a fiercely competitive industry known for Saturday home showings and Sunday open houses, DiRaffaele reserves weekends for his family.
"I will only get the opportunity to spend quality time with my children now. As it has been said, tomorrow is a promise to one. With that in mind, my family and two children - Tyler and Emily - come first. I have learned from too many of my mentors that they regret not spending more time with their families while they were actively building their business," he said.
DiRaffaele also takes time for charitable works, "adopting" a Kluti-Kaah Indian tribe preschool and a community center in Alaska near where his mother owns a business. "We assist them with what ever their needs may be ... by having team members and friends knit hats, sending up gloves, jackets, toys and of course raising and donating money for various youth programs," he explained.
"That means doing what's right when nobody will know the difference," he said.
Established in 1994, the DiRaffaele Group's expertise in sales and customer satisfaction has been numerously recognized throughout Las Vegas, the state of Nevada and on a national level.
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