‘RE/MAX is the Place to Accelerate Growth,’ Former Independent Brokers Say

When the 45-year-old independent brokerage they worked for ceased seeing steady growth, Steve Fleming and Joseph Kleha knew they needed to take bold steps to reinvigorate the business. That’s when they started considering RE/MAX.

“We’re looking to really accelerate growth and RE/MAX is the place for that,” Kleha says.

In October 2021, they rebranded from the D’Angelo Realty Group Inc. to RE/MAX Pathway – with Fleming and Kleha as co-broker/owners – to continue serving their community of New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, and expand as a passionate and growth-minded company.

“We have Harrisburg, which is urban, right across the river and then there’s strong rural markets that sit around the city’s perimeter. We predominantly serve a suburban market,” says Fleming, a local agent of 18 years who served as their previous brokerage’s president. “Right now, our area is benefiting from the redistribution of residents across the country. We have people moving here from New York, New Jersey and Maryland, fleeing their high-priced real estate markets.”

With an uptick in movement to the area, business expansion has been – and remains – their top priority. Here’s what the collaborating entrepreneurs had to say about why it was time to align with a brand recognized around the globe.

Q: So, why did you choose to build your business with RE/MAX?

“Moving to RE/MAX gives us the backing of a globally recognized brand, which is much more conducive to attracting new agents,” Kleha says.

“Steve and I looked at the numbers and they just didn’t line up for an independent brokerage to try and get our own CRM tool, to pay for social media management, to pay for recruiting technology and to pay for a recruiter – the list went on and on and on. When you compare that with what is available right out of the gate with RE/MAX, it was an opportunity we simply could not pass by,” he says.

Both business leaders cite the RE/MAX brand’s comprehensive suite of technology tools, network of full-time enthusiastic professionals and commitment to unwavering core values as influential factors.

“We’re looking forward to growing our business within a larger business that has a like-minded culture we align with. [The agents and brokers] we’ve met from around the network are collaborative and professional,” Fleming adds.

Q: What was the pivotal moment you knew it was time to make a drastic move for growth?

“We have big plans to grow the business. But growing organically when independent is a challenge. You don’t have the support, and you don’t have the technology in place,” Kleha shares.

He points to attending the annual RE/MAX BOC (Broker Owner Conference) as the spark that deepened their connection to the balloon-backed brand.

“In August, we were invited to the BOC in Austin, Texas. After interacting with the other brokers, owners and the leadership team, we really felt like there was even more than met the eye as far as the support that was going to be available with RE/MAX,” he says. “That’s what really sealed the deal. We thought to ourselves, ‘This really doesn’t make sense to not do it.'”

Q: What is employee sentiment like in the wake of the rebranding?

“As we’ve been rolling out the benefits of the new technology and compensation [plans] to our agents, they understand why we made the decision to convert to RE/MAX and what the benefits for them are in the short term and in the long run,” Fleming says. “So overall, I would say that we’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response.”

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