Keller Williams Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Home Buyers for a Third Consecutive Year

According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Home Buyer/Seller StudySM, Keller Williams Realty, Inc., the third largest real estate company in the United States, has received the highest overall satisfaction ratings from home buyers among the largest full-service real estate firms for the third year in a row. The company also ranked second among home sellers in the study for the second year in a row.

“We are incredibly proud of our associates for earning this distinction and want to thank them for their commitment to their clients and communities,” said Mark Willis, CEO of Keller Williams Realty. “We see this honor as demonstration of our company philosophy that it is the agent’s brand that matters most and no amount of money spent on advertising can replace the influence and reputations our agents have in their local communities. Our associates have earned this on their own, by building relationships in their communities.”

The study was produced by J.D. Power and Associates to measure home buyers and sellers customer satisfaction. The results of the home-buying experience were determined by three factors including the buyer’s experience with their agent, the real estate office and a variety of additional services. Keller Williams Realty performed particularly well in the agent and office factors. And, overall satisfaction of buyers for the industry was up over last year.

Additionally, the study noted that the importance of real estate agents has increased substantially in the past year, with buyers and sellers relying on the negotiating skills of their chosen agent and help in navigating the market.

“It is thrilling to see our firm, once again, get public recognition for its incredible focus on customer satisfaction from such a prestigious group. Our associates continually demonstrate that it is possible to deliver the highest level of customer service in one of the toughest real estate markets on record,” said Mary Tennant, president and COO of Keller Williams Realty. “We feel incredibly fortunate to be in business with them, and want to congratulate them on their hard work and dedication.”

In the past year, Keller Williams Realty has continued to grow despite the well-publicized turmoil in the real estate industry. In addition to becoming the 3rd largest real estate company in the U.S., surpassing RE/MAX®, Keller Williams Realty was ranked as the No. 1 real estate franchise on the 31st Annual Franchise 500 list by Entrepreneur magazine and was voted the Most Recognizable Brand of Real Estate Franchises and the Trendsetter of the year for 2009 in an industry-wide survey for the Swanepoel TRENDS Report.

We at Keller Williams are obviously excited about this award because it supports our efforts to be leaders in the real estate industry by providing unparalleled customer service and local market expertise. Please contact us if we can be of assistance with your Roswell real estate needs.

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Historic Canton Street will be “alive” on Thursday, June 17 as the 2010 Alive After Five street party kicks off from 5-9 p.m in Roswell, Georgia. Live music, food, displays and shopping make this event a fun and family friendly break during the busy work week. Alive After Five occurs the third Thursday of every month from April-October. Trolley shuttles from the parking lot of City Hall are available free of charge.

Shops and restaurants offer discounts and specials, and live music plays throughout the district. A free trolley will transport participants to all event locations. A collaboration with the Historic Roswell Merchants’ Association. Here’s the list of musical performances.

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Grocery Shopping in Roswell

I’ve often wondered what defined a “foodie.”  Does it define how well you cook?  Or about your level of interest in consuming food?  Or how much you eat?  Or is it about the amount of delight you get when you bite into something you love?

I met a couple a few weeks ago that are recent Roswell transplants.  In getting to know them, I felt the need to educate my new-found friends on where to get “the best . . . .”  We got into the subject of grocery shopping (which came after restaurants and then favorite foods) and it was at that point that I realized I do have an “educated palate”.   At the same time, I’m probably more conscious that most about what I put into my mouth, my body.  With that said, I still don’t know if I’m a foodie, but I do know that I have very high standards.  So let me weigh in on my weekend grocery shopping experience.

Kroger – Usually less expensive than Publix and where I buy most of my staples.  From time to time, you can find an incredible deal on California wines too.  Don’t forget your Kroger Plus Card or the deals I’m speaking about won’t apply.  In regards to the Kroger Plus program, I think it’s actually great targeted marketing.  Every month I get mailers with coupons for the brands and products I actually purchase. With that said, it does seem that the variety of brands and products that they carry keeps shrinking.  At the same time, the Kroger brand is growing . . . imagine that.

Publix – I think Publix is overpriced for the most part, but if I get into a position where I can’t make it to Harry’s for my vegetables, I go here first.  But only when I am forced into it.

Harry’s Farmers Market on Upper Hembree – LOVE this place for all produce, meat & fish.  It is more expensive to buy here but there is absolutely no comparison when it comes to the freshness and/or organic choices.  I promise that your fruits and vegetables will last two to three times as long as that bought in any grocery store.  They also have a great selection of international products, cheese, oils and wines.  I don’t buy a lot of prepared foods but they have a huge selection – oh yes, and an olive bar to die for.  This is one of the stores that I try to pick up a basket and fit everything in there – because if I don’t, my cart will be overflowing with “wants”, and not “needs”, when I leave.  While this store is now owned by Whole Foods, it still has the assortment and expanse of the old Harry’s.

Trader Joe’s – Let me lead with this is BY FAR the least expensive grocery shopping experience to be had in Roswell.  My #1 choice for good but inexpensive wines – the Trellis Cabernet at $6.49 a bottle cannot be beat for an everyday wine.  The value is obvious upon first taste.  Also my #1 choice for bread (huge assortment of healthy and organic), coffee (at half the cost of any grocery store), frozen entrees (no preservatives), cheeses, nuts, and green cleaning products.  If you are into organic, this is the store for you!  One word of warning though – I’m not so crazy about their fruit & vegetables – they always seem to be on their last legs and go bad quickly.  Oh yes, their flowers are less expensive too!

This was going to be a short article but, as usual, when I start talking about food I can get a little long-winded.  So does excitement about all things “food” make me a foodie?  Whatever!

About the Author

Mia Hannah is a local Roswell resident who loves to share your knowledge of the local market with Roswell residents as well as wannabe Roswell residents. Mia is a rockstar Realtor specializing in the Roswell real estate market. Contact us if she can be of assistance with your Roswell home search.

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Exciting news for Roswell real estate. The 2010 Swanepoel TRENDS Report details the Top 20 largest real estate brands based on agent count as of December 2009.

In addition, RealSure, the publishers of the Swanepoel TRENDS Report and the Swanepoel SOCIAL MEDIA Report launched a nationwide online survey on December 3rd to determine the “Most Recognizable Franchise Brand in Real Estate.”

According to this survey, the Top 10 real estate franchises, most recognized by the real estate industry as quality national brands are:

1. Keller Williams Realty
2. Coldwell Banker Real Estate
3. RE/MAX International
4. Century 21 Real Estate
5. Prudential Real Estate
6. Sotheby’s International Realty
7. EXIT Realty
8. ERA Real Estate
9. Weichert Real Estate Affiliates
10. Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate

The brands that made it to the Top 5 were to be expected and are also the five largest real estate franchises in the country. The Top 5 also comfortably attracted more votes than the second five on the list, strongly pointing to the industry’s own internal belief that these are the top five brands that agents would like to work for.

Keller Williams Realty’s surprising #1 ranking was most likely due to the strong, above average online and social media presence of their agents and the fact that during 2009 KW surpassed RE/MAX in agent count according to a widely published REAL Trends survey. Click here to read the article in it’s entirety.

Contact us today to learn about the benefits of working with Keller Williams Realty for all of your Roswell real estate needs.

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Sweet Apple Village, Roswell’s new premiere shopping destination, is hosting a fall festival that will be full of fun activities for the whole family. Come enjoy hay rides, jump houses, crafts, face painting, a fire truck and balloon creations in addition to give-aways galore and a farmers’ market. Sample food from Tera Humata, the area’s hottest Mexican restaurant and tequila bar, and The Village Slice, serving exceptional pizza and pasta.

Sweet Apple Village is located at the corner of Etris Road and Crabapple Road in Roswell, GA.  View directions to Sweet Apple Village.

Saturday, Nov. 7 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Contact Joe Mediate for more information, 404-446-1225, joe@kookoobearkids.com

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For the second year in a row the Bank of North Georgia remains a member of the Georgia Trend 2008 Honor Roll of the Best Places to work in Georgia.

Georgia Trend magazine selected 15 Georgia companies for its 2008 Honor Roll of the Best Places to Work, which are featured in its November 2008 issue.  The winning companies were selected by Georgia Trend’s editorial staff from a total of more than 400 employee submitted nominations.

Business Banking Relationship Manager, Matt Davis had this to say; “Some companies say they value their employees, but Bank of North Georgia walks the talk in showing that they really do care.  Our leadership team is very approachable and encourages personal development, community involvement, and work/life balance.  We are a company focused on serving others and the fact that this culture is embraced from the top down makes all the difference.”

This is a special award as it is the employees that get to choose the best place to work…they are the experts, and their opinion means a lot!  The Bank of North Georgia also won the award in 2007 and was the only repeat winner.

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The city of Roswell is one of few cities that employs a Grants Manager.  Grants Managers find matches for the city that make good public policy by sifting through thousands of government grant programs.  The city of Roswell hired Danny Blitch in 2000 to become its first Grants Manager.  As a result, the city has procured $26 million in government grant money from various public and private sources.

In many cases the grants require that the cities match funds, however in most cases only 20 percent of the total is required.  Sometimes it is a 50-50 match, but regardless, the grants all go towards projects the city would spend money on any way.  By receiving the grants the city doesn’t need to put up as much money.  The end result is a savings to taxpayers.

The way Blitch describes it, he works with experts in the various city departments to see what their needs are. Then they develop proposals to send to state and federal agencies to suggest partnerships with the city.

“It is something of an art. You have to understand these grant programs are looking for projects that are innovative and creative. So to get the grant, that is what you have to be. Usually grants are for the types of things that are outside the usual modus operendi,” Blitch said.

Perhaps the most notable grants is the $6.5 million grant for Big Creek Park’s storm water demonstration project.

The idea there is to not only use the wetlands in the park to cleanse storm water runoff, but to build boardwalks through the wetlands and provide education and awareness about the environmental consequences of such runoff.

Some of Roswell’s grants include:  $10,000 to renovate Roswell’s Fire Station No. 2, Roswell Recycling Center, new sections of Riverwalk Park trails and mill restoration on Vickery Creek, mobile fire safety truck for student education, police Kevlar vests and thermal imaging cameras.

Grant Mangers are a relatively new concept, but it is a growing profession.  The American Association of Grant Professionals is a 1,700 member professional society and Roswell’s Grant Manager Danny Blitch is President.

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Ever wanted to learn how to scuba dive? Well, now you can, and the best part is, you don’t even have to leave town. Come visit SeaSports—a complete scuba diving development center located in Roswell, GA. With over 17 years in business, the center has been teaching kids and adults to scuba dive, and make the underwater experience as enjoyable as possible.

Not only you can learn to scuba dive for fun, but also you can get certified. Most of their group classes are done over two weekends. But remember, you must be at least 10 years old to get certified. For those of us who are busy during the day and weekends, you can get started immediately by completing their eLearning knowledge development portion. When you are finished, simply bring the form and they will get you started with the water sessions.

If you are feeling ambitious, and want to do Open Water diving, you can take a trip to Florida with a group and SeaSports instructors where you get to practice your scuba diving skills.

Located:
11706 Alpharetta Hwy, #200
Roswell, GA 30076
Phone: 770.619.3500
Website: http://www.seasports.com

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Visit a trendy fashion boutique called Veruca. This Atlanta boutique strives to meet the needs of fashion forward thinkers, style divas, and those searching to update their look. If you are looking for amazing jewelry, bags, candles, or shoes, than this place has it all. With a number of emerging designers and well-known labels, there is something for everyone at this upscale fashion boutique. You will find garments from Asia, South America, and Europe. One-of-a-kind & eco-friendly pieces are their niche. But make sure your pockets are deep though, there’s a price to pay for unique fashion.

“The owner and employees are some of the best I’ve met. I tired on a dress that didn’t look that great on me and they were honest with me! That’s rare. Most sales people are just trying to sell you something, but the employee’s at Veruca want you to actually wear what you’re buying,” a customer stated.

Veruca invites you to come enjoy shopping in this fun Atlanta fashion style house.

Address:
Veruca
597 Atlanta St
Roswell, GA 30075

Phone: (770) 642-1392

Website: http://www.myspace.com/verucaboutique

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The Funny Farm Comedy Club has been in business for six years and has been voted one of the best comedy clubs in Atlanta. Located in Roswell, GA, the club features star comedians and offers great fun before and after the shows at the Star Entertainment inside the facility. StarTime Entertainment is a 100,000 square foot entertainment complex that has The Comedy Club, a Sports Bar, Pool Tables, Darts, Arcade, Movie Theaters and then outside StarTime offers Go Carts, Mini Golf & Batting Cages.

When you go, make sure to look your best. Funny Farm Comedy Club isn’t necessarily “formal” per se, but it’s sexy and sleek; this is the kind of place where if you wore jeans and sneakers, you would feel a bit out of place. Needless to say, some people wear suits!!! But if you dress business casual, you cannot go wrong.

The Funny Farm Comedy Club has an excellent food and drink menu, but remember to bring some extra money, because they require that you order two items minimum PER PERSON (not per table). And for those of us who do not like smoky places, don’t worry, all shows are non-smoking (except at the bar just outside the showroom at the StarTime Sports).

The seating arrangement is quiet good, pretty much anywhere you sit you can see the stage well. So grab a friend (or five) and come out to the Funny Farm Comedy Club for a whacky good time.

For more information visit them online: http://www.funnyfarmcomedyclub.com

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