In the following interview, John D. Werkmeister of Sellstate ACE Realty talks franchising, marketing and more.

John D. Werkmeister
Broker
Sellstate ACE Realty
Westminster, Colo.

Region served: All of Colorado, plus a brokerage serving San Diego, Calif.
Number of offices: 5
Number of agents: 200
Best tip for getting the right listing price: Honesty always prevails. Pricing is critical; however, each seller has a different goal. Our job is to listen and serve.
Key to working with difficult clients: Make every effort to find out what their motivation is, then work to solve their problem.
Most creative marketing piece you’ve run: We received rave reviews and a steady flow of leads into the office piggybacking off Budweiser with the ad slogan: This HUD’s for YOU! Our agents loved it.

You’re on track to open several more offices by the end of 2016. What are the most important things you look for when selecting a new office site?
Geographically, we look for where the population is increasing in an area where homes are in high demand. Once those projections are validated, we assist our agents in opening successful franchises in those areas.

As the original Sellstate broker in Colorado, what made you decide to invest in becoming the regional Sellstate owner for the entire state?
When I saw how Sellstate took the best of all the real estate systems and combined all those features into one company, the decision was easy. For example, Sellstate has the most comprehensive retirement and profit sharing system in the industry. I’ve never felt more confident in contributing to our agents’ immediate success, and their future success, as well.

In 2007, you and your team were responsible for one sale per day, being ranked among the Top 50 sales teams in the U.S. What contributed to that success?
Systems and marketing were the two main things that contributed to my team’s success, but my focus is no longer on my sales team. I’m looking beyond where we are today and anticipating where I can assist my agents and franchises to be more successful. My ultimate goal is to help our franchises and agents reach their goals both professionally and personally.

Can you describe your Cradle to Success program, and why this initiative has been so successful?
I’m the only company in Colorado that can offer an individual pre-licensing education through our online school, helping prospective agents jumpstart their career with our Masters Series training program. This program provides one-on-one coaching for the individual and those interested in building a team. By giving them all the tools they need, I can confidently assist them with the opening of a Sellstate franchise of their own when they’re ready. This is what sets us apart from other franchises. We work toward our agents being successful as business owners, not just agents.

For more information, visit http://www.sellstateacerealty.com.