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8z Realtors Mark Despain, Megan Wachtman, and Brigitte Furst were recently to the 2017 REAL Trends America’s Best Real Estate Agents. 

• Mark Despain is the team leader of 8z Real Estate Windsor.  He ranked 47th in Colorado for individual by sides, having closed 65 transactions in 2016.
• Megan Wachtman is the team leader of 8z Real Estate Loveland. She ranked 83rd in Colorado for individuals by sides, having closed 56 transactions in 2016.
• Brigitte Furst is on the 8z Real Estate Boulder team. She ranked 73^rd in Colorado for individuals by volume, having sold over $26M in real estate in 2016.

Steve Murray, publisher of REAL Trends America’s Best Real Estate Agents and president of REAL Trends commented about the accomplishment of the Realtors named to the rankings, “This group of highly successful real estate sales agents represents less than 1 percent of all real estate practitioners in the United States.”  To qualify for inclusion, an individual agent must have closed at least 50 transaction sides or $20 million in sales volume in 2016.

8z Real Estate CEO Lane Hornung commented “We are pleased to have Mark, Megan, and Brigitte, three Realtors who are looked up to as leaders and role models within our brokerage, named in the America’s Best Real Estate Agents rankings.”

Real Trends reported that the average residential real estate agent in the United States closed 8.6 transactions in 2016 and had less than $1.3 million in sales. In 2016, 8z Realtors closed an average 19 transactions and $7.1 million in sales. Hornung added that he expects more 8z Realtors will rise to this prestigious ranking in the future.

8z Real Estate was ranked #305 for their 2016 sales volume in the Real Trends Five Hundred, which ranks brokerages by production nationwide.

About REAL Trends America’s Best Real Estate Agents

REAL Trends America’s Best Real Estate Agents ranks over 12,600 residential real estate professionals solely based on their excellence in real estate sales during calendar year 2016. All production numbers are independently verified by a third-party in order to ensure accuracy and report integrity. The ranking report is produced by REAL Trends and sponsored by Zillow Group.  Information on those receiving this recognition can be found online at americasbestre.com.

About 8z Real Estate

8z Real Estate is a residential brokerage that empowers buyers and sellers with unmatched market data and online tools, combined with the knowledge and expertise of professionals on the ground. Each Realtor specializes in a specific community, to develop expertise on everything local. 8z puts clients first with Realtors who listen to their clients’ needs, address their concerns, and deliver solutions so that each client has clarity, control and confidence in their real estate transaction. 8z has been recognized as the Denver Post’s #1 middle-sized Workplace in 2017. For more information call 303-563-4103 or visit 8z.com.

About REAL Trends

REAL Trends is a privately-held, Colorado-based publishing, consulting and communications company specializing in the residential brokerage and housing industries. Recognized as the leading source of trends in the industry, REAL Trends, The Trusted Source, also publishes the REAL Trends The Thousand, as advertised in The Wall Street Journal and the REAL Trends 500, which ranks the top brokerage firms in the United States. Visit REAL Trends at www.realtrends.com.

Zillow is a registered trademark of Zillow, Inc. Trulia is a registered trademark of Trulia, LLC. These marks are used with permission.

8z Real Estate was pleased to have been the presenting sponsor of last month’s Venus de Miles bike ride in Longmont, Colo. The ride took place on Saturday August 27, 2016, starting and ending from  the Prospect New Town. Venus de Miles is a major fundraiser for Greenhouse Scholars, a nonprofit organization that supports low-income high-achieving students with scholarships, mentorships, and support for college success.

Venus de Miles is unique as it is Colorado’s largest women’s road ride.  This year’s Venus de Miles ride had 1193 rider participants, who raised over $45,648 in donations.

8z Real Estate participated in multiple areas as the event’s presenting sponsor.  Thirty 8z Realtors, staff, and friends of 8z rode in the event as Team Cycle 8z, and rose over $1,700 in donations for the event.  Another eight 8zers volunteered serving snacks at a rest station along the course.  Upon finishing the course, the 8z Real Estate logo was on the finish line signage, and the finish line festival.  Riders were invited over to the 8z Shasta, where 8zers served 8z’s signature blue lemonade, popcorn, and ran raffles throughout the afternoon for Venus de Miles participants. 

Beyond the participation at the Venus de Miles ride, 8z Real Estate is an active supporter of Greenhouse Scholars.  The company makes a donation on behalf of each buyer or seller who closes a transaction with an 8z Realtor.  Each year several 8z Realtors and staff members have volunteered for the organization’s selection committee, reading applications and interviewing scholarship applicants, to help select the ambitious scholars to benefit from scholarships and support from Greenhouse Scholars. 

(BOULDER, Colo., April 10, 2017) – 8z Real Estate, a Colorado owned real estate brokerage, was named the top middle sized workplace in Colorado, in the Denver Post’s annual Top Workplaces survey.  The rankings were announced to participating companies at an event on April 4^th at Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and announced to the public in the April 7^th edition of the Denver Post.

CEO and Founder Lane Hornung commented, “What makes 8z a great workplace? It’s pretty simple; we have great people working together on a shared goal, fixing real estate.”

Full time professional Realtors have a different experience when they join 8z.  8z supports their Realtors with a comprehensive system which includes lead generation, marketing, training, and administrative support.   The training and support are designed to not only grow a Realtor’s expertise, but also increase the productivity per agent. 

8zers also find support through the collaborative culture that is shared across the company.  Doug Gieck, the Production Manager, commented: “[our Realtors] put the client's interests in front of our own because 8z Realtors are collaborative. We work as a team to achieve the highest standards of service for our clients. You might find that from one or two agents at a typical real estate office, but to find that companywide is rare.”

The company has been rising in the ranks and getting noticed as a top workplace. Previously competing in the small workplaces division of the Top Workplaces survey, 8z ranked 5^th in 2016, and 9^th in 2015.  8z grew into the medium sized division in 2017, competing against other companies with 150-499 employees.

The Denver Post Top Workplaces survey is organized by WorkplaceDynamics, a leading research firm on organizational health and employee engagement.  WorkplaceDynamics invited 1,048 companies in Colorado to participate.  They surveyed employees from 213 organizations and received 48,109 responses.  The twenty-four question survey digs deeper than just the benefits an employee receives, but qualitative factors including confidence in the company’s leadership, employee loyalty, and alignment with company values and where the company is headed, among other factors.

About 8z Real Estate

8z Real Estate is a residential brokerage that empowers buyers and sellers with unmatched market data and online tools, combined with the knowledge and expertise of professionals on the ground. Each Realtor specializes in a specific community, to develop expertise on everything local. 8z puts clients first with Realtors who listen to their clients’ needs, address their concerns, and deliver solutions so that each client has clarity, control and confidence in their real estate transaction. For more information call 303-563-4103 and visit http://8z.com/.

(BOULDER, Colo., June 9, 2016) – 8z Real Estate is excited to be the Presenting sponsor of the Venus de Miles bike ride, as a continued effort to support Greenhouse Scholars.   Venus de Miles is an annual non-competitive, organized women’s bike ride, held in Boulder County. The 2016 ride will take place on Saturday August 27^th at Prospect Park in Longmont Colorado. The event is a major fundraiser for the Greenhouse Scholars, a nonprofit organization that supports low-income college students with scholarships, mentorship and support to succeed in college. 

8z Realtors and staff will volunteer along the route and signage will be visible throughout the bike event.  The event sponsorship is just part of 8z’s commitment to support Greenhouse Scholars.  The company also makes a donation to Greenhouse Scholars on behalf of the client for every closing with an 8z Realtor.

After the ride, participants are welcome to stop by the 8z Shasta at the finish line festival.  8z Realtors will be serving complimentary refreshments.

8z welcomes staff, family, friends and clients who are interested in riding this year’s Venus de Miles to join  “Cycle 8z.”  The team is fundraising on their team RaceRoster.com profile for additional donations to benefit the Greenhouse Scholars.

About Venus de Miles

The Venus de Miles bike ride is a unique road ride event with a fun, non-competitive, sisterhood of female bikers. There is a crew of “men in drag” to assist with mechanical issues on the course.  This year there will be three route options: 33, 62, and 100 miles.  Registration and information about the event can be found at venusdemiles.com.

About 8z Real Estate

8z Real Estate is a residential brokerage that empowers buyers and sellers with unmatched market data and online tools, combined with the knowledge and expertise of professionals on the ground. Each Realtor specializes in a specific community, to develop expertise on everything local. 8z puts clients first with Realtors who listen to their clients’ needs, address their concerns, and deliver solutions so that each client has clarity, control and confidence in their real estate transaction. For more information call 303-563-4103 and visit http://8z.com/.