RE/MAX Welcomes Former Franchisee of Two Competing Brands

For decades, Taffy Bishara owned two separate brokerages with two different real estate brands. But when it came time for him to get serious about expanding his business, he determined there was another network that would help him and his agents do it best: RE/MAX.

Bishara says looking for a new network was like looking for a new house. After interviewing and researching every big name in real estate, he made a decision that would shift his firms’ business approach and set them up for continued success.

“We found out RE/MAX has the better brand, better technology and better services for agents,” says Bishara, who simultaneously owned a Century 21 franchise for 30 years and a Coldwell Banker franchise for 20 years. “RE/MAX was my competition for many years, but now I know why they always win.”

As the Broker/Owner of the new RE/MAX Olympic in West Covina and La Morada, California, Bishara brought more than 50 agents with him in the conversion. Now he’s looking to add more agents to his offices – and he thinks being with RE/MAX will help him do it.

Better Brand

When Bishara’s two franchise agreements were up for renewal, he spent many months studying all the top real estate brands before deciding to make a move. He visited corporate offices, met with leadership, and sought the best fit for his agents – and his ambition.

“I wanted to see what everyone offered,” he says. “Based on what I saw at my previous brands [and those I researched], I didn’t see how we could get better. There wasn’t the service to help us get to the next level. RE/MAX has Momentum and training. Others have classes, but not like RE/MAX.”

Before deciding on RE/MAX, Bishara says he even considered going independent.

“When we looked at success rates of independent companies, there was a limited amount of success you could have,” he says. “So when we looked at the brand, it was important. There’s a certain level of trust from the consumer to work with you, to work with your brand.”

Noting that he perceives some rival brands to be “dinosaurs,” Bishara says he’s already hearing good things about his move to RE/MAX.

“A couple of agents’ clients have said, ‘Oh yeah, we know RE/MAX, it has a better and stronger presence in our area,'” he says.

Better Technology

Brand is important, Bishara notes, because it also helps determine the caliber of agent attracted to the office. When it comes to real estate, he believes in the 80-20 rule: A business’s success depends 80% on the agents and their services and 20% on the office, training, brand, trust, confidence, marketing and technology.

“The technology is a big thing for me, especially booj and the technology behind the [RE/MAX] website,” Bishara says. “RE/MAX has a better structure for attracting top producers and offering them all this technology that surpasses the competition.”

Having attended the RE/MAX R4 convention in February, Bishara says he left the event knowing that the RE/MAX culture benefits agents.

“There’s a lot of information – technology, updates and so on – that is going to help a lot of our agents get to the next level.”

Better Service

Bishara also appreciates that the RE/MAX network offers his brokerage opportunities no other company could.

“I have customers all over the world, including the Middle East, because I speak many languages,” says Bishara, who immigrated to the U.S. from Israel in the 1980s with $500 in his pocket. “The international aspect of RE/MAX was a big thing for me, and I think it’s going to help us a lot.”

Noting that his goal is to inspire people – “to help them, to guide them, to goal set with them” – Bishara stresses the importance of always learning and striving for more. With RE/MAX, he’s sure he’s found the right match.

“The whole experience we’ve seen from RE/MAX – I’m the outsider coming in – I didn’t get that in 30 years with [my former brands],” he says. “Every day, we have confirmation that we made the right decision.”