ERA Real Estate recently announced its 2001 Jim Jackson Memorial Award winners, recognized for achieving excellence in customer service. Eva Keagle of ERA Colonial Real Estate in Harker Heights, Texas won the agent award and ERA Elite Group REALTORS in Fairfax, VA took home the company award during the ERA® 2002 International Business Conference in San Antonio.

"The Jim Jackson Memorial Award is named after the late ERA founder and president, and honors the sales associate and company that best demonstrates customer service and satisfaction," said Chris Schlaff, director of the ERA customer service team. "ERA Real Estate captures the opinions of the membership's customers through surveys targeted at closed residential transactions. The award is based on how consumers rate their buying or selling experience."

Jim Phillips and Trish Szego, broker/owners of ERA Elite Group REALTORS, attribute the award to their team of 25 sales associates who work together to provide high-quality service based on honesty, integrity and professionalism. "Customers who believe they will receive high quality professional service consistently will develop a faith that leads them to come back and share their experience with others," said Phillips. "If the quality of service we deliver is inconsistent, the customer will have their trust violated. Most certainly, they won't recommend us to others and, worse yet, they'll probably tell others and hurt our future prospects."

Real estate professional Eva Keagle made history during the conference when she became the first sales associate to win the Jim Jackson Memorial Award two years in a row.

"When I review the surveys, I'm amazed that more than 85 percent of the time, clients say they were referred to me by a friend or family member. It really proves to me how important relationship-building is in the real estate industry," she said. "I also think accuracy is key. Nothing ever goes out of my office without being checked and re-checked. After all, this is the biggest investment some people make in a lifetime. It's my job to make it as pleasant and easy as possible."

ERA Real Estate has been sending customer satisfaction surveys to buyers and sellers of its franchisees since 1992. The survey program is a complimentary service provided to all ERA® members. After the responses are tabulated, the broker receives a copy of the survey to review.

"ERA Real Estate is committed to providing innovative products and services, which enable us to make the process of buying and selling homes a positive experience for our customers," Schlaff said. "Undoubtedly, customer satisfaction is the single most important factor for success in the real estate industry."

Published: March 28, 2002

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