Home Services Franchise Industry News & Announcements

May 9, 2013 - Weichert Relocation Resources Inc., a global leader in workforce mobility management, announced that Don Smith has joined the company as senior vice president, business development for North America. In this role, Smith will manage the company’s sales force in the United States and Canada, while overseeing and building the North American pipeline.
An accomplished veteran of the workforce mobility industry, Smith brings over 35 years of experience to Weichert, including deep expertise in sales, business development and client services. He will report directly to Jim Schneider, executive vice president of business development and consulting solutions for Weichert.
“Don is without question considered a leader in workforce mobility business development, and we are excited to bring his insight and vision to our company,” said Schneider...

Consumers maintain optimism regarding Canadian recreational property market, according to Royal LePage survey.
May 17, 2013 // Franchising.com // TORONTO - According to a new survey released today by Royal LePage, interest rates factor hugely into the decisions of Canadian households when it comes to purchasing a recreational property.
The survey, which polled Canadians across the country who either currently own or intend to purchase a recreational property within the next five years, found that most (82 per cent) Canadians say interest rates will influence their decision to purchase a recreational property – and a majority (58 per cent) feel added urgency to buy a recreational property while interest rates are low.
Survey respondents demonstrated overall optimism regarding the Canadian recreational property market...

May 8, 2013 - During the last weekend in April, the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) held its annual Nationwide Open House Weekend. The purpose of the event was to encourage Realtors throughout the country to host as many open houses as possible. The event was a success. In fact, Weichert, Realtors alone hosted more than 3,100 open houses that attracted more than 21,000 homebuyers in the areas where it operates company-owned offices.
“While a special weekend for open houses is great, I believe wholeheartedly that every weekend is a great weekend to hold an open house,” said Jim Weichert, president and founder of Weichert, Realtors. “That’s why open houses are an integral part of our marketing strategy at Weichert...

May 7, 2013 - Weichert Relocation Resources Inc., a global leader in workforce mobility management, announced that Mike Cahill has joined the company as Vice President, Business Development. In this role, Cahill will grow new business opportunities throughout the eastern United States region.
Cahill has 27 years of experience in all aspects of corporate workforce mobility, and he is known for his client-centric, consultative approach to developing unique workforce mobility solutions.
“Mike is a results-oriented and driven leader with a proven track record of successfully developing, implementing and leading strategic business development initiatives,” said Jim Schneider, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Consulting Solutions for Weichert...

Dwyer Brands Named Military Friendly Franchise
Waco, Texas (PRWEB) May 17, 2013 - The Dwyer Group announced that its brands were ranked in the top 10 percent of all franchises nationwide and named on the 2013 Military Friendly Franchise® list by G.I. Jobs Magazine for the third consecutive year.
The Dwyer Group is a series of service-based companies known for its depth of support services, respected management team, commitment to the company’s Code of Values®, and the success of its franchises. The company’s brands: Aire Serv®, Glass Doctor®, Mr. Appliance®, Mr. Electric®, Mr. Rooter®, Rainbow International®, and The Grounds Guys® honor military veterans all year round by offering service members 25% off the initial franchise fee, allowing veterans to use their training and operational skills in a new civilian career...

Get A Grip Resurfacing is pleased to announce that it has been named by G.I. Jobs magazine as a Military Friendly Franchise for 2013. 
ALBUQUERQUE, NM - May 16, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ - Get A Grip Resurfacing, a family-owned, national franchise company with headquarters in Albuquerque, is pleased to announce that it has been named by G.I. Jobs magazine as a Military Friendly Franchise for 2013. This is the third year on the list. The list, compiled on behalf of the 3 million military members and veterans seeking a franchise, represents the top 10% of the nation's franchises doing the most to recruit military veterans.
"One in four returning service members indicate interest in owning their own business. Get A Grip Resurfacing honors military veterans by offering service members by allowing veterans to use their background and training to launch a new civilian career," said Sean Collins, director for G...

Chicago, IL, May 17, 2013 - (PR.com) - The RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon will pay a May 21 visit to the Jesse Owens Community Academy, 12450 S. State St., Chicago, where the balloon crew will present an interactive educational program developed and sponsored by the RE/MAX real estate network in northern Illinois.
The RE/MAX balloon has become a nationally recognized corporate symbol since it was created 35 years ago and then combined with the now familiar RE/MAX “Above the Crowd!”® slogan. Today, the balloon enjoys great success in achieving both educational and promotional objectives, appearing frequently at festivals, parades and charity events.
The RE/MAX balloon will be involved in more than 100 educational programs presented by its crew at schools across northern Illinois this year...

Rome Enterprises, the parent company of ReBath Northeast, has hired an experienced kitchen designer to head the new kitchen remodeling branch. The new company known as “1 Week Kitchens” will be opening this summer, in Northeastern PA.
Forty Fort, PA (PRWEB) May 17, 2013 - Rome Enterprises, the parent company of ReBath Northeast, is excited to announce that they have hired an experienced kitchen designer to head a new kitchen remodeling company.
Pat Costantino joined Rome Enterprises in April to set the foundation for Rich Rome’s kitchen remodeling business. “1 Week Kitchens” as the company will be known, will use a concept similar to Rome’s full bathroom remodel concept, with regards to choosing colors, styles, sizes and finishes with an estimator in the customer’s home...

May 16, 2013 // Franchising.com // CHICAGO – After months of making steady progress, the housing recovery in the seven-county metropolitan Chicago real estate market kicked into a higher gear in April, according to an analysis by RE/MAX. Compared to the previous April, total sales of attached and detached homes increased 32 percent, while the median price of a home sold during the month climbed 9 percent, and it took an average of 44 fewer days for those homes to find a buyer.
The RE/MAX analysis is based on home sales reported by Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC, the regional multiple listing service. Home sales reported for the month of April totaled 9,046 units, up from 6,869 a year ago. The median sales price rose to $175,000 from $160,000 a year earlier...

Window Genie, the leader in home services, has been serving the greater Dalton, GA area since 2011. The business was recently sold to new owners, Blair and Belinda Lavelle.
Cincinnati, OH (PRWEB) May 16, 2013 - Window Genie is the nationally ranked franchise of home service known to “Clean Windows and a Whole Lot More!” Their services include window cleaning and tinting, gutter cleaning and protection and pressure washing. In late 2012, Blair and Belinda Lavelle purchased an existing Window Genie franchise in the Dalton, GA area.
Lavelle has always envisioned himself as a business owner, and became especially curious about franchisingwhile studying business at Auburn University. He spent the early part of his professional life working for his father’s carpet manufacturing business...

IRVINE, Calif. - May 16, 2013 - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Realty ONE Group continues its march up and down California with its foray into San Diego and is proud to announce Tina King as regional manager. She will be responsible for rapidly expanding the company’s footprint in San Diego and will oversee local operations to ensure that Realty ONE Group’s professional standards are upheld across all new branch locations.
“San Diego was our next logical step as we have dominated Orange County,” says Kuba Jewgieniew, CEO and owner of Realty ONE Group. “The market is on fire, and we are confident we will make a major foothold in the area, since agents have been clamoring to join our team.”
Realty ONE Group, No...

Mr. Rooter Tip of the Day: When a need arises for any plumbing repair, it usually means a crisis for the customer.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (PRWEB) May 16, 2013 - “Plumbing is not a easy trade,” according to Bob Beall, president of Mr. Rooter Plumbing in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Beall’s reputation with his family owned business is impressive. Established in 1970, Mr. Rooter is the largest all-franchised, full-service (no sub-contractors) plumbing and drain cleaning company with approximately 300 franchises worldwide. The Southwestern Pennsylvania area serves 3.5 million customers; it is the largest plumbing company in the world,” according to Beall. Beall operated the largest family plumbing contractors Pittsburgh Pa...

May 16, 2013 // Franchising.com // In the March 2013 Issue of Entrepreneur Magazine, Property Management Inc. (PMI) was selected in the Entrepreneur Top New Franchises List for 2013.
The article explained that franchises that were started in the last five years were ranked “according to Entrepreneur’s objective, quantifiable criteria, including financial strength and stability, growth rate and system size. “ Other factors were also considered.
About Property Management
PMI was founded in 2008 and provides complete commercial and residential property management solutions for franchisees that include revenue generating products and services, proprietary Search Engine Optimization (SEO), lead generation systems, property management and accounting software, and marketing materials as well as training and ongoing support...

RE/MAX National Housing Report on 52 Metro Areas
DENVER - May 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ - Low inventory has characterized the housing recovery for several months, but may be finally showing signs of improvement. The number of homes for sale in April inched 1.6% higher than the number seen in March, the first monthly increase since June 2010. At the same time, Closed Transactions and Median Prices both remained 10% higher than last year's levels. The April RE/MAX National Housing Report, a survey of MLS data from 52 U.S. metropolitan areas, contained signs of a strong housing recovery in regions across the country. Low inventories contribute to a limited growth in sales, preventing some buyers from closing on the home of their choice. But if inventories can rise to a more balanced level, the recovery should strengthen and experience even more home sales...

MADISON, NJ - (Marketwired - May 15, 2013) - Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in residential real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and title and settlement services, announced that Anthony E. Hull, its executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer will participate as a speaker at the Barclays Capital High Yield and Syndicated Loan Conference. The event will take place on May 21, 2013 at the JW Marriott Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.
The Realogy presentation is scheduled to begin at 1:25 p.m. CDT. The Barclays webcast will be available live via the Investor Information section of the Realogy website and via the Barclays event link (click here). An archived copy of the webcast will be available for two months...

Franchisor of Seven Service-based Brands Announces the Addition of 69 New Franchise Locations
Waco, Texas (PRWEB) May 15, 2013 - The Dwyer Group, a franchisor of seven service-based franchise brands, including Aire Serv®, Glass Doctor®, The Grounds Guys®, Mr. Appliance®, Mr. Electric®, Mr. Rooter® and Rainbow International®, closed out the first quarter of 2013 by breaking a record in franchise sales revenue with a gain of six percent over the previous record.
“For The Dwyer Group, 2013 has already been very productive as it relates to franchise growth," said Doug Dixon, vice-president of marketing and operations for The Dwyer Group Franchise Development division. “While this is only the first step toward attaining our growth goals as an organization this year, we are encouraged and proud to have achieved this record output to-date...

May 16, 2013 // Franchising.com // Property Management Inc., an international property management franchise company based in Lehi, Utah, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jim Dangerfield as Vice President of Development.
Dangerfield comes to Property Management Inc. (PMI) with years of experience in real estate franchise services as former Vice President of Franchise Relations for Help-U-Sell Real Estate. He was also the Director of Corporate Communications, an operations consultant and Regional Training Manager for the Mid-Atlantic States for Help-U-Sell. He trained new franchisees in marketing, business operations, and sales management.
He has been in the real estate business for the past 30 years as a licensed real estate agent in both residential and commercial real estate...

North America’s Largest Home Inspection Company Adds New Class of Home Inspectors
May 15, 2013 // Franchising.com // Tampa, Fla. - Pillar To Post, North America’s largest home inspection franchise, added five new franchisees in April. Growth has been strong, with 10 new territories added in the first quarter of the year and another 10 anticipated in the coming weeks. The company is on track to meet its goal of 75 new locations by the end of 2013, as expansion continues to gain momentum.
“We are excited to welcome these five promising franchisees to our company,” said Dan Steward, president and CEO of Pillar To Post. “These graduates have demonstrated tremendous potential, and we are confident that they will help us further develop our brand in their markets...

Just 19 Home Sites Remaining in Hollywood’s Luxury Gated Community
Hollywood, Florida (PRWEB) May 15, 2013 - Mayi de la Vega, Founder and CEO of ONE Sotheby’s International Realty, the exclusive sales representative for Forest View Estates, announced today that the exclusive gated community of 31 luxury homes in Hollywood, Florida, has launched its second phase of construction, with 19 home sites remaining.
Ensuring the continued high quality that buyers have come to expect from Forest View Estates, developer Brick-O, which handled the initial phase of the community when it launched in 2010, also will oversee phase two of construction. With homes starting at 3,100 square feet, the community offers single-family estates complete with numerous available upgrades...

Re-Bath, LLC is proud to announce it has ranked within the top 10 percent of all franchises nationwide and named a 2013 Military Friendly Franchise® by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs.
Tempe, Ariz (PRWEB) May 15, 2013 - Re-Bath, LLC is proud to announce it has ranked within the top 10 percent of all franchises nationwide and named a 2013 Military Friendly Franchise® by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs.
Re-Bath® honors military veterans by offering service members a 50% discount off the population portion of the franchise fee, allowing veterans to use their background and training to launch a new civilian career. “By offering a discount of this magnitude, we hope to clearly define our support of the veteran community,” states Charles W...