A Message fromPeter F. Huntcontinued on page 2

What YourAgent Photo...page 6

Be Cautiouspage 8

The official newsletter of HUNT Real Estate Corporation May 2015 | Issue 72

The Concept of Team

The word “team” is used very frequently, perhaps overused, in our industry today. In a business filled with

fiercely independent individuals, many are realizing the power of working together in various configu-

rations to accomplish a greater good. All through the business world we are hearing about “collabora-

tions”—people working in groups to not only accomplish more, but enjoy the comradery and even have a

little fun while working.

At HUNT, we actually have three concepts of “team” or ongoing collaborations. Allow me to

briefly elaborate.

1) Agent Teams. Years ago, sensing this trend and, frankly, in response to groups of agents, we established

a Team Policy that has served to encourage agents to hire assistants, align with other agents in specialized

areas of the business (buyer agents, for example), and otherwise fill in where the Lead Agent needs support.

We have many fine, well-functioning examples throughout the company. These are groups where each team

member knows his/her specialty and expertly performs their role on the team.

2) Branches functioning effectively as Teams. As you know, your company has pioneered the concept

continued on next page

A message from Peter F. HuntChairman & CEO

of the Model Branch. That concept depends

on the branch functioning as a team to attain

market share goals for the branch’s primary

market area (PMA). Your company is

the only company we are aware of in the

industry that has developed such a con-

cept and put it into action. Your Broker

Consultant is hopefully inspiring all of the

branch agents to work together to build value-

added relationships with all homeowners in the

PMA through our Agent Mailings system

and ePropertyWatch. No systems are

more powerful than these—and they are

uniquely at your disposal.

3) “One Company—Your Team”. These

words are not just a thematic slogan. They are

a very real representation of the support team

available to all HUNT agents, and only HUNT

agents. Years ago, one of our very fine long-

tenured agents, Jenny Gerhart showed me a

brochure she had developed to compete against

teams. She asked me over lunch, as we were dis-

cussing the emergence of teams across the in-

dustry, “why would I build my own team

when you have already done that for

me?” Her brochure simply and directly illus-

trated how she could deliver expertise in each

key element of marketing a home and seeing it

through to closing through the use of systems

unique to HUNT. We “borrowed” Jenny’s con-

cept, which is now available to all HUNT

agents, showing clearly the people and systems

that uniquely act together as a team.

Perhaps you have seen the Verizon commercial

that shows a single person in a red shirt. Behind

her is a large grouping of red-shirted co-workers

in “V” formation—a very powerful message. It

is my hope that you always represent yourself as

a leader of a team of individuals in just the way

depicted in that commercial. You can accu-

rately represent that each of you has

these people or groups on your own

team:

1) Your Mortgage Consultant

2) Your Title Agent

3) Your Insurance Agent

4) Your Relocation Team

5) Your Realty Club

6) Your Real Estate Company, and our

commitment to our Vision, Mission and

Core Values, the only integrated real es-

tate and homeownership services firm

of our kind serving each of our regions

7) Your Customer Service Team, includ-

ing your Marketing Department and

your Information Technology Team

8) Your ProShow Team

9) Your Home Warranty Team

10) Your assurance, through the ERA

support team, that “We will sell your

home or ERA will buy it!”

A message from Peter F. Hunt cont.Chairman & CEO

2

Take one of the “One Company…Your

Team” brochures with you on your next

listing appointment. That, along with the

Seller Select Brochure and a Collateral Analyt-

ics report on the subject property, will instanta-

neously put you in a class with no peers. I

assure you of this: no competitor begins

to offer what you can to each and every

client.

The team concept is not going away. We will

continue to do all we can to enhance it—in each

of the three forms. Embrace your team indi-

vidually, if you so choose, but certainly at your

branch and company-wide. Take your right-

ful position on the team and go into this

very active market with confidence and

enthusiasm!

3

Growing Together

We are a team at HUNT ERA with an array of talents: agents, administrators, Broker Consultants

and employees. All of us are committed to reaching a couple of common goals. We are here to

provide excellent service to our existing customers and to infuse new business into HUNT Real Es-

tate. As we are out enjoying summer events with friends and family, we often learn of nuances that

are happening within our city and neighborhoods. Perhaps someone mentions their company is

expanding or downsizing, either scenario may be a cue that they need our services. Often times the

volume may be small, but it is still important for us to offer to assist and let people know who we

are and all we can do. Speak with your Broker Consultant, core business leader, or the Relocation

team. Together, we can investigate and determine if it can be cultivated. We need to have the

pulse of our local business environments and be a partner with them. Every HUNT team member

can benefit when we collaborate, communicate and ultimately work as a team. The ripple effect

could be tremendous for all divisions including real estate, mortgage, title and insurance.

Relocationby Mary Croglio, Director of Relocation

4

Agent of the Month

Buffalo April Akron Marge TuerkAmherst Paul MarshBuffalo Metropolitan Ellen DalyEast Aurora Rosa McCabeHamburg Millie Blasz AchytlKenTon Kim NemethLancaster Maureen PrinzbachLewiston Anne SmithLockport Lou FaeryOrchard Park Colleen BrunelleWest Seneca Pete ScarcelloWheatfield Jennifer SchreckengostWilliamsville-Clarence Barbara BakerWilliamsville Village Bonnie Clement

RochesterBrighton-Pittsford Pete PalermoCanandaigua Sandi Van CampGreece Gary ThompsonPerinton John DennistonWebster Vince LoCastro

Central & Northern NY/Carthage WatertownCamillus Crocker TeamCazenovia Thomas TaitChittenango Cheryl CaryClinton Barb OwensDeWitt Chip HodgkinsLiverpool Starr-Nicholas TeamManlius Judy WinslowOneida Jeanette DenneyCarthage-Watertown Deborah Manning & Shirley LitzCicero Shane Tibbitts

Capital DistrictSaratoga Springs Tracy EganLoudonville Shawn ClarkGlens Falls Jen BallSlingerlands Sandy Evans

ArizonaTempe Mary MontagueScottsdale Cathy Ragusano-Nielson

HUNT ERA – A Learning Culture

As the Director of Training, it is my responsibility to continuously grow the company through a

learning culture. HUNT ERA, long known as the “Training Company,” is more than simply a real

estate company with training - it is a company with a Learning Culture.

A Learning Culture is a set of organizational values, conventions, processes and practices that en-

courage individuals and the organization as a whole to increase knowledge, competence and per-

formance.

Individuals that work in an atmosphere of learning will do better. There is, however, one challenge

in our industry. That challenge can be summarized in a lack of desire of many to master our real

estate careers.

In the last newsletter, I spoke to the issue in real estate of doing things “good enough.” In a company

with a Learning Culture, “good enough” should not be acceptable.

In order to master your career and to best serve the consumers, clients and your peers in the business,

it requires a desire to grow through learning.

There is no other company that has such a strong dedication to learning than your company, HUNT

ERA.

If you wish to master your craft, you must have a core value of learning. A portion of your career

must be dedicated to learning.

Learning is not simply an important thing. It may just be the only thing that can truly set you apart

from your competitors. The consumers of today are seeking out the experts in the field. They are

looking beyond the production numbers and to the competences, values and practices that will help

consumers and clients alike attain their goals.

So what’s next? We suggest you take stock of your role in our learning culture and take advantage

of what is provided for you. Learn your craft, use your tools, attend training and meetings. Be a part

of our unique Learning Culture and become a true Master of your Profession!

Career Developmentby Bob Scholz, Director of Training

5

Have you ever met with a client for the first time and they did a did a double-take...or, worse yet, didn’t

even recognize you? That’s probably a sign that it’s time to update your agent photo.

In last month’s newsletter, I wrote about taking better property photos because they’re not only a repre-

sentation of the home you’re listing, but also of you as a business professional. Well, the same goes for

your profile photo.

Think of all the places your agent photo appears - newspaper ads, the HUNT website, your agent website,

your email signature, your flyers and postcards, a multitude of other online listing sites...and now with

the rollout of ePropertyWatch, your photo is showing up in your clients’ email every month.

Hopefully, your photo does not look like one of these...

What Your Agent Photo Says About Youby Dan Mirsky, Director of Marketing

6

(For the sake of not embarrassing anyone, these are not HUNT agents. I found these on Tumblr sites

dedicated to bad real estate agent photos.)

7

Here at HUNT, we consider all of our real estate professionals to be just that, professionals. So along

with the title, we expect that professionalism portrayed in the photo that you use in all of your mar-

keting. We’ve recently updated our Agent Photography Guidelines and included them in our

Brand Standards Guide, which you’ll find in the Marketing section of AgentAchieve.

The Agent Photography Guidelines state that you must use a professionally-taken photo on all

of your HUNT promotional items. This not only includes your own marketing materials, but also

the HUNT website and any affiliate you and/or HUNT partner with.

To help give you some guidance as to how your professional photo should look, we’ve put together

a few helpful tips that you can share with your photographer when you go to get your picture taken:

• Photos should be formatted portrait (taller than wide) as opposed to landscape (wider than tall)

• Background should be a neutral color, such as brown or grey. If taking your photo outdoors,

be sure the background is neither too dark nor too light

• Do not use props (in your portrait)

• Professional attire is required

• For printing purposes, be sure to get a high resolution JPEG of your photo

• Minimum agent photo size is: 720 pixels wide x 900 pixels high, which is equivalent to

2.4" wide x 3" high at 300 resolution.

• Teams: Take portrait photo together and separate, individual photos

To ensure your photo meets the HUNT guidelines outlined above, we have pre-approved photog-

raphers that you may contact. These photographers have been vetted for quality and are familiar

with our brand standards. For a list of these approved photographers, please email

marketing@huntrealestate.com.

Be Cautious!

Unfortunately, there have been several home buyers throughout the United States that have been

victims of a scam involving their real estate closing. The scam generally involves the potential buyer

receiving an email near the date of their closing instructing them to wire their closing funds to what

appears to be a trusted account - such as that of their attorney or title company. The email also ap-

pears to come from a trusted source, such as their Realtor or mortgage lender. In fact, these emails

are from scam artists who receive the wired funds and vanish into thin air, taking the victim's funds

with them.

At HUNT Mortgage, we take protecting our clients very seriously and we utilize many different

layers and levels of security. We encourage our agents to advise their clients that we would never

send such an email and we are always more than happy to confirm via a phone call the validity of

any email.

The best defense against such a scam is utilizing our secure web site to apply or a face-to-face meeting

with your HUNT Mortgage Consultant. If using the web site, we encourage our clients to follow

up with a call to us that they generate - exercising every ounce of caution. Agents can add to the

level of security by changing their email password often and making it something other than simple.

Most lenders, out of concern for such scams, would never communicate such information over email.

Realtors would very rarely, if ever, even need to generate such an email or advise on funds to close.

In New York State, these instructions would typically come from an attorney and the same line of

caution would follow - know them and speak to them about something as important as wiring funds.

In Arizona, it is a title closing state and these are the states that have been harder hit with this scam –

so extra diligence in a "live time" conversation regarding funds to close is encouraged. At HUNT

Mortgage, we have very solid procedures in place in all regions to ensure our clients do not fall victim

to not just identify theft, but any theft.

HUNT Mortgageby Linda Mallia, President of HUNT Mortgage

8

9

The CNY Region is taking part in the 10th Annual Ride

& Run for the Rescue to benefit the Rescue Mission on

June 27th at Long Branch Park in Liverpool! Ride and

Run for the Rescue is a fun event for everyone! You can run,

ride or walk…or do it all, choose from a 2 mile family fun

ride, 10 mile, 20 mile, 40 mile and 62 mile bike ride, or a 5K

run. All proceeds from Ride and Run for the Rescue go to

ending hunger in our community! You can join our team

or make a monetary donation online at Ridean-

dRun.org. Please make sure you join our HUNT

Team with the team password HUNTCNY - all caps.

The Rescue Mission, located in the Mission District of Syracuse, is just outside of the

downtown area. Their campus has an emergency shelter, day center and serves three meals

a day at the food services center. Each day, they serve over 725 meals to men, women and

children who are hungry. In 2014, they gave away over 70,000 pieces of clothing to those

in need. Contact Mary Rouse at mary.rouse@huntrealestate.com if you would

like more information about joining our mission.

On Thursday, May 7th, 2015 the Liverpool Office held an

Open House Luncheon to share their newly remolded

work space and celebrate all the great things going on at their

branch. Approximately 40 people attended, including our

agents and staff. All enjoyed a delicious catered barbecue

lunch & dessert.

News Around the Regions

On May 6, The Hamburg

Office celebrated the end of

their 2 month listing con-

test which was called -

Team LP (Lori Pyanowski )

vs. Team MBA (Millie

Blasz Achtyl). From March

1 - April 30, points were

awarded for listings taken,

relists & bonus points if the

new ML was a FSBO or XP. Incredibly both teams took a total of 145 NEW List-

ings during the contest, 27 of which were FSBO or XP's. In the end, team MBA

prevailed but the office grew its overall listing inventory from 97 to 150,

so its going to be a GREAT Spring/Summer in Hamburg!

Buffalo/Niagara

Central &Northern NY

10

Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital

Region has been working to better the lives of children and

families around our region since 1982. The charity organi-

zation promotes the health and well being of children and

their families by providing a home away from home for fam-

ilies with seriously ill children while receiving treatment.

More than 10 million families worldwide have benefited from

the comforts provided by RMHC. Since the now 16 bed-

room house opened its doors in the Capital Region,

there have been 14,000 visits with families from 37 New York counties, 38

states and 29 countries. It truly is amazing what they do for these families by pro-

viding a place to escape the stress and tension of the hospital setting. Here at HUNT

Capital Region, we are continuously trying to give back to the communities that support

our business everyday. May 1st, we began a drive to collect much needed items on the

RMHC wish list. I am pleased to say the collection boxes in our branches are over flow-

ing thanks to the support of our fantastic groups of agents. We hope to continue

our efforts in supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities going for-

ward.

On May 14th, our very own Joe Woutersz lended a hand at The Double H

Ranch; Commonly referred to as Hole in the Woods, it is a 320 acre Adirondack Prop-

erty, founded in the early 1990's by Paul Newman and local legend Charles R. Wood -

originator of Story Town which later became The Great Escape. It’s purpose is to pro-

vide a camp experience for kids with serious illnesses that would otherwise be unable to

experience camp. Since 1993, Hole In The Woods has served over 20,000 kids

with terminal and life threatening illnesses. Best of all, their programs

are entirely FREE. For the past 7 years, Realtors of our region have volunteered

their time and effort to assist the camp in cleaning, housekeeping and anything else we

can do. Something you can do: The next time you are in the supermarket, buy a box of

Paul Newman's popcorn or maybe his own personal salad dressing, as the profits go to

support Double H Ranch and other similar charities.

Capital

News Around the Regions cont.

A laugh heard around the world! The Perinton

Branch celebrated RED NOSE DAY on May 21st!

Red Nose Day is a campaign dedicated to raising money

and awareness for children living in poverty all

around the globe. The Perinton agents gathered together

to support the fundraising efforts for this wonderful cause

and it looks like a lot they had a ton of fun in the process!

Thank you for your continued community outreach.

The Rochester Region has been determined to grow the HUNT brand with fine

agent candidates. We have been receiving RAP Forms left and right. We would

welcome the following agents to our roster:

Daniel Behan Brighton-Pittsford Office

Margarita Cultrara- Brighton-Pittsford Office

Sharon Calvin-Brighton-Pittsford Office

Another successful HUNT Happy Hour was enjoyed by the agents at Perlos Restau-

rant. The food was amazing, but the company and conversation were even better! A

great time was had by all. We would like to thank the Agent Advisors for continuing

to spearhead these events and thank Lori Kane (Network Title) and Alicia

Townsend (Accounting) for being our special guests!

11

Rochester

Each month HUNT Real Estate Corp recognizes an administrative

(430/432 Dick Rd) or branch (AA or BC) employee for their out-

standing work. This employee is someone who demonstrates a

commitment to their role in the company by going above and be-

yond their regular responsibilities. Any member of the HUNT or-

ganization can nominate an employee of the month. If you feel

that someone deserves this award, please send an email identifying

that person and a brief explanation of how they went above and

beyond. Nominations can be sent to Charlie Hunt at

charlie.hunt@huntrealestate.com.

Leah Curione Wrate-Hunt Commercial, is the May em-

ployee of the month! Leah has been a devoted member of the

HUNT Commercial family for over nine years. She was recently

promoted to the Marketing and Operations Manager for

HUNT Commercial. Leah will be responsible for all marketing

and office operations for HUNT Commercial in her new, expanded

role.

Leah earned her designation as Employee of the Month for

her diligence in working to redesign

and fill the Commercial AA position

for the recently retired Cathy Perone.

Please join us in congratulating Leah

for her hard work and promotion.

Congratulations Cathy Perone!

Please join us in congratulating Cathy Perone on her retire-

ment. May 15th, 2015 marked her 30 years anniversary

with HUNT and she has chosen to retire to spend more time with

her children and grandchildren. Cathy has been a devoted and

loyal member of our organization, having worked directly with Stu-

art Hunt for most of those years. She has most recently been the

Administrative Assistant for the HUNT Commercial office, assist-

ing all commercial salespeople with their transactions. Cathy will

be missed!

Welcome to HUNT!

We would like to welcome the following newly licensed agents from across the company:

Katherine Shannon - Scottsdale

Lori Caprio - Williamsville/Clarence

Kaycee Wallen - Williamsville/Clarence

David Rosa - Lancaster

Wende Paas - Hamburg

Jillian Reed - KenTon

Brittany Diffendarfer - Amherst

Lindsey Wood - Buffalo Metropolitan

Derrick Warburton - Amherst

Kaitlyn Schindler - Lancaster

Kelsey Leon - Lancaster

Matthew Lord - Lewiston

Kyle Leon - Buffalo Metropolitan

Alexandra Bommer - KenTon

Melanie Robinson - KenTon

LeAnne Gerth - Lancaster

James Agostino - Saratoga Springs

Kristine Fitch - Glens Falls

Adam Ferguson - Watertown

Daniel Behan - Brighton/Pittsford

Tyler Mitchell - Cazenovia

Brittany Evans - Watertown

Cynthia Nunley - Oneida

We would also like to welcome the following experienced agents fromacross the company:

Carol Czerwiec - Orchard Park

Richard Petruzella - KenTon

Jeremy Petrie - Clinton

Joanne Purcell - Liverpool

Employee of the Monthby Charlie Hunt, General Manager of Rochester Region & Director of Corporate Relations