I have never been a risk taker, so when my 17-year-old son recently told me he plans to launch a bona fide business of detailing cars with his fellow high school senior classmate this spring, I was skeptical.
After assuring me that he was still going to attend college in the fall and not put his academic scholarship at risk, I felt much better. I felt even more relieved when he told me their business plan, and the fact that they had saved up enough of their own money to buy a decent used work van, insurance and the expensive equipment necessary to start.
Luckily, the Elsea family in Michigan didn’t have my fear of change/failure. They embodied the one-stop-shop real estate experience before that was even a thing. The four generations running Elsea Realty (now Real Estate One) have been pioneers in many ways. They were one of the first brokerages to hire women, and the first to have multiple offices, create homes books, host open houses and launch a computerized multiple listing system.
So RESPA News felt that the Elseas would be the ideal story to kick off our new monthly series on affiliated businesses. We will continue to provide content from the experts on how you can run your affiliates more smoothly. But our goal is to also start featuring companies which have had history and experience with these types of businesses. We want to learn about their successes and share the RESPA compliance lessons they have gained in these affiliations over time.
You can read about the Elseas’ successful model in February’s issue or on RespaNews.com, and other stories each month hereafter. Also, find it here.
Sincerely,
Tracey Read
RESPA News Editor