GMAC merges with Real Living!

We're going through some big changes... take a look at our press release below:

REAL LIVING, THE NATION’S FIRST CONSUMER LIFESTYLE REAL ESTATE BRAND, IS ABOUT TO GET BIGGER – MUCH BIGGER

GMAC Real Estate to be Re-Branded ‘Real Living’ as Brookfield Continues
Expansion and Ongoing Commitment to the Industry by Acquiring
Real Living Network Services

Oak Brook, Ill. and Columbus, Ohio (November 11, 2009) – Real Living (http://www.realliving.com), the real estate industry’s first consumer lifestyle brand, and GMAC Real Estate (http://www.gmacrealestate.com) today announced they are merging to become one of America’s leading residential real estate franchises with more than $20 billion in annual home sales.

The move was set in motion late last year when Brookfield Residential Property Services (Brookfield RPS), a division of Brookfield Asset Management (Brookfield), acquired GMAC Real Estate. Earlier this month, Brookfield RPS acquired Real Living Network Services, a subsidiary of Real Living Inc., and as a result will now rebrand GMAC Real Estate as Real Living throughout the United States.

Columbus, Ohio-based Real Living is a national award-winning brand known for its innovation, customer service and track record of attracting results-driven brokers and sales professionals, along with a culture of partnership and collaboration within its network.

“In Real Living, we found the ideal partner and brand for what we are hoping to accomplish with our real estate operations, which we are committed to building even further,” said Graham Badun, Managing Partner & CEO of Brookfield Residential Property Services. “We explored a number of options, including creating an entirely new brand from the ground up, but our customer feedback and research kept leading us back to Real Living. Both companies share many of the same core values and combined will be part of a bigger, stronger network of brokers and sales professionals.”

Badun added, “We are thrilled to have Real Living as our flagship U.S. real estate brand, and welcome Real Living’s 2,000 brokers and sales associates into Brookfield RPS’ North American real estate network of almost 30,000 real estate professionals. We look forward to further expanding the size of our network by adding new franchisees that are truly looking for something fresh and different, and we are excited about the opportunity to take the brand to new markets internationally. Adopting and expanding an already established and respected brand will benefit the entire GMAC Real Estate network of brokers and sales professionals from day one,” he said.

Badun also announced the appointment of Real Living’s Harley E. Rouda, Jr., a longtime real estate industry broker, owner, operator and franchisor, as President of the newly combined operations.

Real Living was founded in 2002 and the company has grown to become one of the nation’s premier real estate companies and brands. Its technology platform has been recognized by Inman News as one of the best in the industry, the company has been named “Most Promising New National Brand” by The Swanepoel TRENDS Report, and Entrepreneur Magazine listed Real Living as one of the Top 50 New Franchises.

“We brought a truly fresh approach to the industry earlier this decade when we launched Real Living as the firstever consumer lifestyle real estate brand, and we will continue to do so by bringing new programs, services, support, training and technology, to our brokers and sales professionals,” Rouda, Jr. said.

“There is an incredible need for a broker and agent-centric brand that is consumer-focused, yet managed by an experienced team that understands real estate. Combined, Real Living and GMAC Real Estate have that team as well as a truly differentiated brand,” he said.

Brokers and sales professionals looking for more information on the launch and rollout of the Real Living brand can click www.realliving.com for more about the announcement. Company executives will also be available at this week’s annual NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Conference & Expo in San Diego.

About Real Living
Real Living is a full-service real estate company with a comprehensive and integrated suite of resources and services for franchisees, sales professionals, and consumers. Real Living was named one of the best new franchisors by Entrepreneur magazine. The firm also won the Inman Innovator Award and was named the most promising new national brand by the Swanepoel TRENDS Report. For more information, visit http://www.realliving.com

About GMAC Real Estate
GMAC Real Estate is one of the industry’s leading real estate firms with offices throughout the United States, Canada and Portugal. The company’s unique service delivery model, Premier Service®, has earned it a national Customer Satisfaction Rating of 95% since its inception in 2002 – the best in the industry. For more information, visit http://www.gmacrealestate.com
About Brookfield Residential Property Services Brookfield Residential Property Services is a division of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., a global asset manager focused on property, power and infrastructure assets. Brookfield has approximately USD $90 billion of assets under management and is co-listed on the New York and Toronto Stock Exchanges under the symbol
BAM and on NYSE Euronext under the symbol BAMA. Brookfield Residential Property Services was named in the 2009 Swanepoel TRENDS Report as the number one real estate trendsetter in 2008. For more information, visit http://www.brookfieldrps.com

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For more information please contact:
Hugh Siler
Siler & Company PR
(949) 646-6966
hugh@silerpr.com

Want to Sell Your Home? Make Sure it’s Advertised Online

Want to Sell Your Home? Make Sure it’s Advertised Online
Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate Says Nine Out of 10 Buyers 44 and Younger Use Internet as Part of Home-Finding Process

Tampa, FL (Grassroots Newswire) Sept. 16, 2009 -- The Internet increasingly is becoming the go-to resource for home buyers, with a national survey showing that more than nine out of 10 buyers 44 years old or younger used the Web to help find their dream home.

Additionally, it takes approximately 12 weeks for first-time home buyers to find the home they want, according to Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate officials.

"We’re finding that the typical first-time buyer spends about two weeks looking at homes and reviewing information on the Internet, before they contact a real estate agent," said Mehdi Belhassan of Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate. "In other words, the Internet is playing an important role in helping first-time buyers gain information about the local market and the homes available. By the time they contact us, they have a fairly good idea of what they’re looking for, and are very motivated to begin their search in earnest."

Belhassan said that locally, home buyers are mirroring key trends uncovered by the National Association of Realtors® in its "Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers Survey." Among the survey’s key findings:

• Some 87 percent of all buyers reported using the Internet as one of several information sources at some time in the process.
• The second most frequently cited information source was a real estate agent, used by 85 percent of buyers seeking more information about properties or the home-buying process.
• Among buyers who used a real estate agent when searching for and purchasing a home, the median length of the total search was 10 weeks. Before contacting an agent, these buyers typically searched for two weeks.
• The median length of the home search for first-time buyers (12 weeks) was significantly longer than the typical search time for repeat buyers (nine weeks). First-time buyers also searched for a somewhat longer period before contacting an agent.

For more information on the federal tax credit program and the local housing market, contact Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate: 17407 Bridge Hill Court Ste B, Tampa, (813) 569-6294.

Casa Fina Realty Receives 2009 Best of Tampa Award

U.S. Local Business Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

WASHINGTON D.C., March 20, 2009 -- For the second consecutive year, Casa Fina Realty has been selected for the 2009 Best of Tampa Award in the Real Estate Agents category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA).

The USLBA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Nationwide, only 1 in 70 (1.4%) 2008 Award recipients qualified as 2009 Award Winners. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA)

U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USLBA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USLBA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Local Business Association

CONTACT:
U.S. Local Business Association
Email: PublicRelations@USLocalBusinessAssociation.com
URL: http://www.USLocalBusinessAssociation.com

Online Press Release: http://www.uslocalbusinessassociation.com/PQ9M79T4U

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Tampa Agents Honored with Prestigious Sapphire Medallion Award

Tampa, FL | February 18, 2009 - Eight Tampa area agents from the Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate office were honored by GMAC Real Estate on February 17, 2009 when they were presented with the Sapphire Medallion Award by Mehdi Belhassan, Broker-Owner.

The GMAC Real Estate Medallion Club recognizes top performing Sales Associates and rewards their dedication to providing exceptional service to every customer and their knowledge of the residential real estate industry.

The Sapphire Medallion is a very distinctive honor, given only to associates with either $80K or more in GCI and/or 25 closed units in 2008. Recognized agents include: Marla Adams, Fadia Bazzi, Mehdi Belhassan, The Tampa Home Team (consisting of Doug Katulich, Sharlene Woodis, and Ernie Harpster), Nick Parrinello, and Lisa Prisco.

The agents were one of a select group of GMAC Real Estate sales professionals throughout North America being recognized for superior performance in real estate sales in 2008. Individually, they are a leader in the real estate profession and their dedication to providing exceptional service to every customer and knowledge of the residential real estate industry makes them all worthy candidates for this distinctive honor", said Mehdi Belhassan, Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate.

A high performing office of only 15 sales associates, Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate is pleased that more than half of the company were nationally recognized for their phenomenal performance in 2008.

If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Tampa, consider the fine and dedicated agents at Casa Fina Realty. Contact Sopheap "Soaps" Theam.

Sopheap "Soaps" Theam

Relocation Director, Manager

Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate

soaps@casafinarealty.com

www.casafinarealty.com

Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate Can Now Better Serve Needs of Relocating Customers

Agents earn Corporate Mobility Specialist Designation after attending a course facilitated by Paul Sorrentino, author of “The Corporate Relocation Guide for Real Estate Agents”.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tampa, FL -- Mehdi Belhassan of Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate is pleased to announce that 15 of its Sales-Partners recently attended the Corporate Mobility Specialist Training Course offered through a relocation-focused partnership between GMAC Real Estate and GMAC Global Relocation Services.

“In an effort to better serve the needs of consumers relocating to and from the Tampa Bay area, we made the decision to send our Sales-Partners to a specialized training session that focuses on meeting the needs of relocating customers,” said Belhassan.

“Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate now has the advantage of being able to offer complete assistance to customers and clients who may be moving to or out of the area. Additionally, our affiliation and partnership with GMAC Global Relocation Services provides our customers with the high level of service and satisfaction they have come to expect from the GMAC Real Estate name,” said Sopheap (Soaps) Theam, Relocation Director.

The Corporate Mobility Specialist Training Course is a comprehensive session packed with relocation expertise that teaches Sales-Partners how to better meet the needs of relocating consumers and maximize the relationship between GMAC Real Estate and GMAC Global Relocation Services. The course was facilitated by Paul Sorrentino, author of “The Corporate Relocation Guide for Real Estate Agents”. Attending this training results in the CMS designation, which must be followed-up with a refresher course every two years in order to retain the CMS designation. CMS training is an excellent resource as well as a breakthrough continuing education tool for Brokers, Managers and Sales-Partners as they find themselves becoming more involved in the relocation process.

For more information on relocation services provided by Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate, please contact Sopheap “Soaps” Theam, Relocation Director at 813-569-6294 or visit http://www.casafinarealty.com

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About Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate:
Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Esate is a well established real estate boutique in the Tampa Bay area. With great emphasis on Premier Service, Casa Fina Realty is recognized for providing unparalleled real estate service to discerning clients.

Casa Fina Realty GMAC Real Estate has 1 office and 16 Sales Associates serving the Tampa Bay area. Its office is located at 17407 Bridge Hill Court Ste B Tampa, FL 33647 (813) 569-6294. GMAC Real Estate has more than 1,300 locations and 22,000 Sales-Partners throughout North America.