Gen Blue Day 1 Kicks-Off!
Highlights from the first day of the 2019 Generation Blue Experience®
When nearly 4,300 Coldwell Banker® affiliated agents and brokers from across the globe gather together for the biggest event of the year, you can be sure there will be plenty of learning opportunities, fabulous social events and big announcements. The first day of the 2019 Generation Blue Experience® in Las Vegas has just wrapped up and with so many exciting news and events, we compiled a list of the biggest takeaways and highlights from day one.
Full House: Gen Blue was a hit before it even began starting with a sold out Coldwell Banker Global Luxury® Certification Course, which took place on Sunday, March 17 along with a luxury networking reception later that evening. Thousands of attendees arrived early to take advantage of the pre-con sessions, many of which were standing room only.
The G.O.A.T: In typical Gen Blue fashion, the opening video for the General Session had the crowd cheering and laughing. “The Takedown” featured several Coldwell Banker leaders in animated form. Charlie Young, President and CEO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate, then took the stage to explain why Coldwell Banker is home to the very best in real estate and why we are the greatest of all time. Yet, in today’s rapidly changing real estate environment, we need a fresh and modern way to express to the world what the Coldwell Banker brand stands for. He returned to our roots by recapping the brand’s history and a list of our accomplishments. Charlie wrapped up his talk with a reveal of an updated expression of our company core values and a mission statement.
New mission statement: We empower our people to leave their mark on the world of real estate.
Core Values: Home, Ingenuity, Excellence, and Awesomeness
Leave Your Mark: Liz Gehringer, chief operating officer of Coldwell Banker Real Estate, accentuated the many ways in which Coldwell Banker network members are leaving their mark on the world of real estate through community outreach, exceptional service and outstanding performance.
Ricardo Rodriquez of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Boston, who came to the U.S. with mere dollars in his pocket, was recognized as The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals’ number one agent in the U.S. in 2018. Janice Lee of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in San Francisco not only skyrocketed her business to the top 1% in the San Francisco Bay Area, but also proudly represents us in the Asian Real Estate Association of America and is president of the Chinese Real Estate Association of America. Coldwell Banker Howard Perry & Walston of North Carolina gathered supplies from people across our network to load into trucks and send to our people who needed them. Mike Prodehl, President and CEO of Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group was named to the 2019 Real Trends List of Game Changers and is also among the twelve in attendance at Gen Blue who made the Swanepoel Power 200 this year. These are just a few examples of how our agents are leaving their mark in the industry. And the Coldwell Banker brand is giving each network member just want they need to do so. How? Through our products, tech innovations, learning programs, global luxury network, and our brother brand, Coldwell Banker Commercial.
The Brand Story: David Marine, chief marketing officer for Coldwell Banker, delivered a powerful presentation on storytelling, reminding the network of what makes the brand unique, from its technology to its people. For over a century, Coldwell Banker and its world-class agents have served as a guide – finding individuals and families the homes of their dreams while consistently being the real estate force that has been looked up to for excellence, ingenuity and, of course, awesomeness. The buildup led to the unveiling of a brand new logo to accompany the brand story and new mission, core values, and updated differentiators.
Starting this month, you will begin testing the mark in real world scenarios in select test markets to make adjustments, improvements and harness the feedback of our network and your customers to enhance how our new identity works. This field research will continue throughout the summer and we’ll chronicle our journey across our blog, social channels and communications. In the fall, our desire is to share the results of these tests and use that input to shape the new identity that will be officially released in January of 2020. For more information on timing for the new logo adaptation, click here.
The new logo encompasses a star icon, the North Star, that symbolizes the brand’s position in real estate as a consistent, reliable entity that guides us all home. The CB North Star Mark is a visual representation of the brand’s commitment to excellence with a fresh and stylish look that pays homage to the storied 113-year history.
Awards Recognition
Hero of the Year: Colin Jost presented this year’s Hero of the Year award to Michelle McLean from Coldwell Banker Bain. Hero of the Year is a nomination award that honors one individual, office and/or company who takes great pride in strengthening their community while going the extra mile to ensure that those in need have a trusted advocate to safeguard a brighter future.
Preserving the Trust: Liz Gehringer introduced the Preserving the Trust Award with an inspiring video of the award recipient Bruce Zipf, former president and CEO of NRT, LLC. This award is presented annually to the sales associate/representative, manager, broker, owner or employee who has demonstrated a commitment to the advancement and equality of home ownership for all by addressing social issues among prospective customers, their peers and their community.
Ashley Dembowski, National VP of Field Services, presented the following top agents and team awards:
Number One Individual Sales Associate for Adjusted Gross Commission Income: Chris Cortazzo, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Malibu West, with $10,820,00 in adjusted gross commission income. Chris has achieved this tremendous honor more times than anyone else in the history of the Coldwell Banker brand with a total of 10 times in the past 12 years!
Number One Individual Sales Associate for Units: Robbie Ingle, Coldwell Banker Ingle Safari Realty in Southwest Louisiana with 312 units.
Number One Team in Team Size Category 1-3 (Adjusted Gross Commission Income): The Gail Roberts, Ed Fay-zjo & Team, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Cambridge-Mass Ave with $3,992,655 in Adjusted Gross commission Income.
Number One Team in Team Size Category 1-3 (Units): The Grullon Team, Coldwell Banker Advantage, Fayetteville NC with 239 units
Number One Team in Team Size Category (4+): The Jim Allen Group, Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston in Raleigh North Carolina with an astounding $11,127,476 in adjusted gross commission income and 1,158 units. The Jim Allen Group holds the number one spot for both, Adjusted Gross Commission Income and Units. Jim and his team have achieved this #1 status for the last seven years in Units and an impressive three consecutive years of achieving #1 status in both Adjusted Gross Commission Income and Units in our Team Size Category 4+.
Chandler Barton Spirit Award: Jerry McMahan of Coldwell Banker McMahan Co. Jerry passed away on April 19, 2018 following a short battle with cancer. His wife, Carol McMahan, accepted the award on Jerry’s behalf. This award is presented annually to an agent, broker, manager or staff member who exemplifies Chandler Barton’s “Can-Do” attitude and overcomes challenges through innovation, creativity and the drive to persevere, despite obstacles or setbacks. Chandler Barton, president of Coldwell Banker from 1989 to 1996, provided strong leadership, vision and a highly effective managerial style, delivered by an engaging personality with a “Can-Do” attitude.
Keynote Speakers, Guests Speakers, And Fun
Saturday Night Live writer and actor Colin Jost kept the crowd laughing and served as the MC for the General Session. Nick Vujicic inspired us all with his personal story and how he overcame exceptional challenges to reach a limitless life despite having been born without limbs.
Don Bartels Jr., Don Bartels III, and Adriane Bartels with Coldwell Banker Bartels Real Estate Inc, got up on stage for their main stage moment after winning Charlie’s Challenge.
The Opening Night Pool Party was a sea of blue as Gen Blue attendees took over the MGM pool wearing their favorite blue attire. The biggest item of the night were the eight feet tall sculptures of the new brand logo showcasing the power of the Coldwell Banker brand.
Stay tuned for more highlights from the 2019 Generation Blue Experience.
Elizabeth Rosario
Born in the Dominican Republic, Elizabeth cherishes the perspective gained through living in a different country which ignited her passion for travel. Having visited multiple countries, her interest in languages was kindled leading to formally studying French and Japanese while remaining fluent in her native tongue, Spanish. You will usually find Elizabeth reading avidly, creating arts and crafts, and working on her personal blog.
