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        <title>JBGoodwin REALTORS® - Austin &amp; San Antonio Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/tags/culture/</link>
        <description>Stay up to date on the latest Austin, San Antonio, and Central Texas real estate trends with JBGoodwin's real estate blog.</description>
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    <guid>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/jbgoodwin-realtors-wins-13th-consecutive-austin-top-workplaces-award.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/jbgoodwin-realtors-wins-13th-consecutive-austin-top-workplaces-award.html</link>
        <author>blogs@jbgoodwin.com (The JBGoodwin Team)</author>
        <title>JBGoodwin REALTORS Wins 13th Consecutive Austin Top Workplaces Award</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
 &quot;Courtesy of The Austin American-Statesman Newspaper&quot; - (Moreno-Paz, Bianca. “JBGoodwin Repeats as Top Workplace.” Austin American-Statesman, 12 Nov. 2023, p. 2.)



JBGoodwin repeats as top workplace





Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American-Statesman


November 12, 2023


JB Goodwin founded his eponymous real estate agency on the day of his graduation from the University of Texas at Austin in June 1972. Over 50 years later, the company has grown to encompass nearly 900 employees in Austin and San Antonio, with eight office locations, and has managed over $40 billion in real estate sales. For a second consecutive year, JBGoodwin Realtors claimed the Top Workplaces mid-sized business award, recognized by their employees for the company’s supportive and nurturing culture. According to Alyson McGee, JBGoodwin’s “company culture is ingrained into everything we do — both for our agents and our clients. The ‘Help People’ mission is not just an empty motto, it’s how we operate both internally and externally every day.” The company puts an emphasis on their mission by offering volunteering opportunities to their employees, in the past helping out at Dell Children’s Hospital, The Ronald McDonald House, Habitat for Humanity, The Leukemia &amp; Lymphoma Society, St. Jude Research Hospital, Central Texas Food Bank, We Are Blood, Coats for Kids and more. “We help each other be successful real estate agents, help our clients with their real estate needs and help our community through charitable volunteering and giving efforts. Focusing on helping people means




“Focusing on helping people means we are constantly focused on how we need to adapt to the needs of our agents, our clients and the Austin community.”Alyson McGee, Sales and Leasing Manager at JBGoodwin Realtors




We are constantly focused on how we need to adapt to the needs of our agents, our clients and the Austin community,” McGee said. A sense of community within the company also helps onboard new agents, who start their careers at JBGoodwin with a 12-week, Square One and Momentum training programs, which guides new agents through initial and ongoing coaching, covering a range of real estate knowledge and skills. The company also provides continual support throughout an agent’s career, with state of the art technology and marketing tools that help agents stay at the top of their game, further supplemented by the ongoing support and mentorship by administrative staff and the management team. “Our leadership team, which consists of JB himself and all the office managers, get together on a regular basis to discuss what everyone is seeing and hearing in their own offices. They make sure to continue what’s working and make proper changes when needed to adjust to outside changes,” Jason Palos, an agent out of JBGoodwin’s Northwest Austin office, said. “JBGoodwin is constantly providing training and classes regarding all aspects of residential real estate. This includes top notch lending professionals, from new home builder representatives to home insurance and title company partners. They join our weekly meetings and provide weekly training, sharing current relevant market updates that get emailed to our agents on a consistent basis. We continue to be a top place to work, attracting excellent agents and staff and it all feels like a fun, helpful, supportive, successful family”





Moreno-Paz, Bianca. “JBGoodwin Repeats as Top Workplace.” Austin American-Statesman - Top Workplaces 2023, 12 Nov. 2023, p. 2. 


Photo by - JAY JANNER/AMERICAN-STATESMAN






To learn about career opportunities as an agent with JBGoodwin REALTORS®, please contact us today at 512.641.5005, or careers@jbgoodwin.com.



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    <pubDate>Mon, 13 Nov 2023 15:11:00 -0600</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/jbgoodwin-realtors-wins-12th-consecutive-san-antonio-top-workplaces-award.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/jbgoodwin-realtors-wins-12th-consecutive-san-antonio-top-workplaces-award.html</link>
        <author>blogs@jbgoodwin.com (The JBGoodwin Team)</author>
        <title>JBGoodwin REALTORS Wins 12th Consecutive San Antonio Top Workplaces Award</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
&quot;Courtesy of The San Antonio Express-News&quot; - (Iszler, Top Midsize Workplace: JBGoodwin Realtors lands top spot 5th time in 7 years ‘by doing a good job’ 2023) 



Top Midsize Workplace: JBGoodwin Realtors lands top spot 5th time in 7 years ‘by doing a good job’





J.B. Goodwin began his real estate career as a junior in college.


He’d been interested in the industry from a young age — “I could never really tell you why, but I was” — and was working part time as a bank teller while attending the University of Texas at Austin.


“I told a guy at the bank that someday I was going to get into real estate. He said, ‘What’s wrong with today?’” Goodwin recalled his colleague saying. “I said, ‘How do you do that?’”


His colleague was a broker and he showed Goodwin the ropes. He closed his first sale — on a 1,400-square-foot home in North Austin not far from the bank — in his early 20s and started JBGoodwin Realtors on June 1, 1972, the day he graduated from the university.


Since then, his eponymous firm has managed more than 100,000 transactions and expanded to encompass four offices in the Austin area and four in the San Antonio area. JBGoodwin has more than 800 agents and staff members, including nearly 400 in the San Antonio area.


This year, JBGoodwin was again honored as the Top Workplace among midsize employers in the San Antonio area, the fifth time in seven years it has earned the designation. The category is for employers with 150 to 499 employees.


It was followed by Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp., which is appearing in the ranking for the second straight year. At No. 3 was Capital Strategies, Beyond Wealth, also in its second straight appearance.


JBGoodwin debuted on the list in 2012, when it was No. 6 in the small employers category. It shifted to the midsize employer list in 2016.























 - J.B. Goodwin, CEO of JB Goodwin Realtors, speaks to his realtors during a company meeting at their Sonterra Boulevard offices. Goodwin, left, speaks with Growth and Performance Director Grant Bowman, bottom right. - Jerry Lara, San Antonio Express-News







‘Do a good job’


Goodwin said his firm’s success stems from building relationships and plain old hard work.


Agents listen to what buyers, sellers, tenants and landlords want, ask them what their preferences are and help educate them about the market, Goodwin said. If someone wants daily calls with updates, their agent calls them every day. If someone wants to boost their budget for a home, their agent helps explain what that means for their payments and confirms that they are comfortable with that increase.


“We do everything in an attempt to make the process as seamless as possible,” Goodwin said. “We try to prepare each party in the transaction for what’s going to happen.”


As proof, Goodwin points to JBGoodwin’s Google reviews. The firm’s San Antonio office has a rating of 4.9 stars based on more than 1,200 reviews, with similarly high ratings at its other offices.


“My colleagues around the country ask me all the time, ‘How in the world do you get that many reviews?’ I always tell them, ‘By doing a good job,’” Goodwin said. “There’s no magic. You do a good job. And if you don’t do a good job, the reviews aren’t so good.”


The firm tries to provide its agents with the best programming and up-to-date information about what’s happening in the market, as well as digital options to help them manage social media and stay in touch with clients, Goodwin said. It hosts weekly sales meetings to discuss ideas and have “agent of the week” celebrations.


In reviews of their employer in a survey conducted by Energage for the San Antonio Express-News’ Top Workplaces ranking, JBGoodwin staffers described the firm’s culture as supportive and collaborative. They said they appreciate working with helpful colleagues, training opportunities and the flexibility that their jobs afford.


“I am well educated with changes in the industry and ways to be successful,” one employee said. “The meetings are always helpful for motivation, and the managers are always there to lend a hand. If I have a question or an issue with a transaction, there are always team members or management that can help me.”


“We are a family and care about each other, professionally and personally,” another person said.


Erin Cestero, president of JBGoodwin’s San Antonio office, echoed that sentiment in an interview.


“Our culture is really unique in coming together to find success,” she said. “In a lot of sales environments, there’s competition that doesn’t always breed camaraderie as much as you might want to see.”



 - J.B. Goodwin, CEO of JBGoodwin Realtors, began his career in real estate when he was in college. - Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News



Firm’s history


After starting his firm in Austin, Goodwin initially pushed into Houston and San Antonio. But he shuttered or sold those operations in the mid-1980s after he and his wife adopted their youngest son. Goodwin was spending much of his time traveling between the three cities and said he told his wife, “I’m going to work in Austin, be home every night and watch my kids grow up.”


Goodwin reopened an office in San Antonio in 2010 and has not returned to Houston.


His biggest mistake, he said, was not expanding to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the ’80s. And it’s not a move he’d make now.


Five years ago an opportunity arose to buy a company there with about 1,800 agents, but Goodwin was not interested. He said he does not want to spend the majority of his week in North Texas and is content traveling between Austin and San Antonio several times a month.


“I said, ‘I’m too old for this,’” he said.


In the past 51 years, Goodwin has seen plenty of ups and downs in the housing market.


Most recently, sales and prices soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, turbocharged by low interest rates, remote work options and families’ eagerness to spread out in more space. As interest rates have increased, higher monthly payments have priced some buyers out of the market, and sales have slowed. Inventory has expanded, and homes are taking longer to sell.


But Goodwin said his counsel to agents is no different than in the past.


“That is making them realize that the real estate market is always changing,” he said. “You’re always going to have something different tomorrow than what it is today.”




Iszler, M. (2023, October 23). Top Midsize Workplace: JBGoodwin Realtors lands top spot 5th time in 7 years ‘by doing a good job’. San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved October 25, 2023, from https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/jbgoodwin-sanantonio-top-workplaces-18291926.php.






To learn about career opportunities as an agent with JBGoodwin REALTORS®, please contact us today at 512.641.5005, or careers@jbgoodwin.com.



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    <pubDate>Wed, 25 Oct 2023 13:21:00 -0500</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/jb-goodwin-interviews-us-senator-cynthia-lummis.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/jb-goodwin-interviews-us-senator-cynthia-lummis.html</link>
        <author>blogs@jbgoodwin.com (The JBGoodwin Team)</author>
        <title>J.B. Goodwin Interviews U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis </title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
&quot;Courtesy of RISMedia&quot; - (Williams, U.S. senator Cynthia Lummis urges real estate “activism” at RISMedia CEO &amp; Leadership Exchange 2023)



U.S. SENATOR CYNTHIA LUMMIS URGES REAL ESTATE ‘ACTIVISM’ AT RISMEDIA CEO &amp; LEADERSHIP EXCHANGE

 Above, J.B. Goodwin, left, CEO of JBGoodwin REALTORS® and Wyoming Junior Senator Cynthia Lummis at RISMedia’s CEO &amp; Leadership Exchange on Wednesday, Sept. 6. (Photo by AJ Canaria)

“You’re not just hearing from a politician, you’re hearing from someone who knows our business, understands it and plays in that game every day.”


That was how J.B. Goodwin, himself a titan of the real estate industry, brought Wyoming’s Junior Senator Cynthia Lummis on stage at RISMedia’s CEO &amp; Leadership Exchange last week. The presence of the ranking Republican on the Senate banking subcommittee on housing, transportation and community development, who comes from a family of ranchers and developers, was a golden opportunity for this storied audience of housing professionals to get an inside look at federal policymaking that will shape the industry—or a chance for a sitting U.S. Senator to better understand the industry she regulates.


“You’re not just hearing from a politician, you’re hearing from someone who knows our business, understands it and plays in that game every day.”


In the end it was both, as Lummis and Goodwin dove into interest rates, government regulation and affordability—in both present and future tenses—starting an open dialogue on these issues that more often take place behind closed doors.


“We have created a situation where interest rates are extremely high and people who have adjusted to interest rates in the three, four and under five percent range are not going to let go of those fabulous interest rates,” Lummis said. “The greatest opportunity is in new housing.”


Policy, particularly federal policy, remains somewhat disconnected from the everyday practice of real estate, which is largely dictated by decisions made at the local and state level. Despite the impressive array of CEOs and major real estate players in the audience, the focus of Lummis’ talk was not gauging or rallying support around one federal initiative or another.


Rather, the senator sought to elucidate a high-level perspective on major housing issues from the perspective of an elected official, reflecting on issues that brokers are currently grappling with in the context of governance—always an important topic, but especially timely given how monetary policy has impacted housing markets over the last couple years.


“There’s so much low-hanging fruit in overspending in the United States economy that we could do that. And so if we really put our shoulders to it and our minds to it, we could pass some (tax) incentives and offset them with targeted spending reductions,” she said.


Regulation—not at the federal level, but from state and local governments—have long been a target of real estate business leaders. Lummis did not dispute this, saying that local is the place to start getting involved in policy, even if the end goal is to affect federal regulations.


“The incubators of innovation are in the states. And so I strongly encourage you to use your states as your main approach to your activism,” she urged.


Regulation is particularly important in the realm of new home builds, which have surged in response to high buyer demand and a dearth of existing inventory. While there have been various estimates by different advocacy groups, Lummis claimed that the average regulatory cost of a new build is around $94,000. 


While Lummis has a personal and political stake in encouraging new builds—Wyoming has seen a 41 surge in new construction since the pandemic, and she said she has family members currently shopping build-ready lots—it is hard to argue that regulation isn’t contributing to affordability challenges. 


While the federal government can do relatively little about that, Lummis further argued that federal spending “transcends all the other things we’re talking about,” arguing that broad cuts combined with tax incentives would benefit housing. 


Leading real estate economists at the event said it was unclear just how much recent spending sprees and federal stimulus have contributed to the current environment in housing—though no one has disputed that markets are currently absorbing the aftereffects of unprecedented COVID fiscal pivots.


Broadly, Lummis said she shared the frustration of many real estate professionals in terms of how the federal government currently functions, speaking fondly of her time in the state legislature back in Wyoming where politicians found success in addressing “some really gnarly issues.”


As the federal government faces another showdown over spending, with Lummis and other fiscal conservatives threatening a shutdown, the senator reemphasized to the audience of several hundred business owners and leaders—who hailed from every corner of the United States—that they have the power to enact change from the ground up.


“Thank you for being activists…your expertise on the ground and your access to market conditions is something your local governments need to have,” she said. “The federal government likes to replicate success stories that occur in the states. And you’re so admirably positioned to provide your states with ideas that they can more nimbly implemented than Congress can.”


By Jesse Williams 





Williams, J. (2023, September 8). U.S. senator Cynthia Lummis urges real estate “activism” at RISMedia CEO &amp; Leadership Exchange. RISMedia. Retrieved September 12, 2023,from https://www.rismedia.com/2023/09/08/senator-cynthia-lummis-urges-real-estate-activism-rismedia-ceo-exchange/. 





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    <pubDate>Tue, 12 Sep 2023 12:16:00 -0500</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/jbgoodwin-realtorsr-receives-second-consecutive-top-workplaces-usa-award.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/jbgoodwin-realtorsr-receives-second-consecutive-top-workplaces-usa-award.html</link>
        <author>blogs@jbgoodwin.com (The JBGoodwin Team)</author>
        <title>JBGoodwin REALTORS® Named The 1 Top Workplace In The Nation</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 



Austin, Texas February 1, 2023 - JBGoodwin REALTORS® is proud to announce that it has been named a Top Workplaces USA award winner for the second consecutive year, and for 2023 was ranked first in the nation in the 500-999 employees category.


This award follows the organization’s recent first-place finishes for regional Top Workplaces awards in both the Austin and San Antonio markets (the company’s 12th and 11th consecutive awards respectively). The organization was also honored in 2022 to receive 12 Top Workplaces Culture Badges and 7 Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Awards. 


Conducted and administered by Energage, the Top Workplaces program has a 16-year history of surveying more than 20 million employees and recognizing the top organizations across 60 markets for regional Top Workplaces awards. Top Workplaces USA celebrates organizations with 150 or more employees that have built great cultures. Over 40,000 organizations were invited to participate in the Top Workplaces USA survey. Winners of the Top Workplaces USA list are chosen based solely on employee feedback gathered through an employee engagement survey, issued by Energage.


&quot;First and foremost, our sincere gratitude goes to our incredible team of agents and staff who both honored the organization by sharing their valuable opinions and who themselves are most responsible for the one-of-a-kind company culture that led to this humbling award,&quot; said founder and CEO, J.B. Goodwin. &quot;Even after more than 50 years, I continue to be amazed that our team members find new ways to improve our organization.&quot; 


Top Workplaces results are calculated by comparing the survey’s research-based statements, including 15 Culture Drivers that are proven to predict high performance against industry benchmarks.





To learn about career opportunities as an agent with JBGoodwin REALTORS®, please contact us today at 512.641.5005, or careers@jbgoodwin.com.



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    <pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2023 12:03:00 -0600</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/jbgoodwin-brings-home-12th-consecutive-austin-top-workplaces-award.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/jbgoodwin-brings-home-12th-consecutive-austin-top-workplaces-award.html</link>
        <author>blogs@jbgoodwin.com (The JBGoodwin Team)</author>
        <title>JBGoodwin Brings Home 12th Consecutive Austin Top Workplaces Award</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
&quot;Courtesy of Austin American-Statesman&quot; - (Carlson, At JBGoodwin Realtors, employees say training and mentorship are unmatched 2022)



At JBGoodwin Realtors, employees say training and mentorship are unmatched


Kara Carlson, Austin American-Statesman





Andrew Medina had never worked in real estate until he became a real estate agent about 18 months ago.


He previously worked in retail, but he said he'd always had a desire to be an entrepreneur, and real estate caught his eye.


But with a fast-paced industry like real estate in a booming city like Austin, that meant he had a lot to learn. Medina said with a lot of real estate brokerages, agents might get minimal training and then be “thrown to the wolves.&quot;


But when he joined JBGoodwin Realtors, Medina said, it became quickly apparent that there were abundant training opportunities — and the learning wouldn't be stopping any time soon.


“There really is a lot that you don't know that you don't get during the classes to get your real estate license. So having that support, that mentorship and that training, really, really gives you more confidence and more peace of mind that you're not alone in this,” Medina said.


Medina said beyond formal classes, other employees are always eager to help.


“Anyone and everyone that I come across in the office or that's a part of JBGoodwin always say the same thing, ‘If you need anything, give me a call, with anything.’ When I jumped in, there was so much learning, The amount of free training that they have is just unreal.”


JBGoodwin ranks No. 1 among mid-sized employers in the American-Statesman's 2022 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project. This year is the 12th in a row the company has made the list.


The real estate company has six locations in the Austin area, with 384 employees, including agents and support staff.


Employees at the firm say mentorship and training are a top priority for JBGoodwin, both for new and seasoned employees.


Indu Govind, a Realtor at JB Goodwin, said from the moment she walked in for her first interview with the firm, she was greeted with an upbeat and hardworking environment.


“It just gave me a very positive feeling about the whole thing that people are friendly, people are feeling, people are capable and smiling and then they are loving what they're doing,” Govind said.


Govind said there is an open-door policy in the office where people are always open to talking things through or scheduling time to meet, and out of the office at gatherings with co-workers such as happy hours and even picnics.


“We have so many happy hours and get-togethers available. When you are starting out and completely clueless, you look up to the other agents who are doing so well already and who have been here in this whole arena for a while,” she said. “You go to them and you talk to them in a very informal scenario and you let them know what exactly you are doing and where exactly you are at right now and then they guide you.”


At JB Goodwin Govind said, creating a supportive environment starts at the top.


&quot;The leaders of my company basically say we are the foundation for you, so fall back on us,&quot; she said.


Govind, who has been with the company for about five years, said because everyone is at a different level in their career at the company, they help each individual understand, focus, and grow.


“It’s such a conducive environment and the way they foster you your capabilities, your positive assets, your assets and personality, personality,” Govind said. “They basically help you focus on that.”


Vilija Levy, a Realtor who has been with JBGoodwin for about three years, said the supportive environment and training keep her sticking around.


Levy started her career in real estate at JBGoodwin and received the foundational training there. he said the firm gives new agents a strong base.


“I think especially for new agents, that foundation is so crucial to learn it the right way,” Levy said. “Like when you learn how to drive a car, if you didn't learn the right way, it's so hard to correct bad habits later on in the future.”


Even three years in, she still takes classes from time to time, and she said the company’s training program is among the strongest in real estate.


“If I open up a calendar I find four or five classes every week,” Levy said. “There are so many options to choose from, if you want to get stronger in any field or just take a refresher.”


Outside of training, Levy said she trusts her co-workers and mentors to be available anytime including evenings and weekends to help her, and she also trusts them to help her through complicated situations that may pop up in her work.


“I think for me the biggest fear is that old corporate environment where you're being left on your own alone, but here it's truly a family. I feel very comfortable reaching out and I know they will be there to help me anytime,&quot; Levy said. “For anyone who wants to succeed, it's a great environment to do it.&quot;


 



 Carlson, K. (2022, November 4). At JBGoodwin Realtors, employees say training and mentorship are unmatched. San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://www.statesman.com/story/business/2022/11/04/jbgoodwin-realtors-top-workplaces-greater-austin-2022/69535890007/.






To learn about career opportunities as an agent with JBGoodwin REALTORS®, please contact us today at 512.641.5005, or careers@jbgoodwin.com.



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    <pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2022 10:11:00 -0600</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/jbgoodwin-named-top-workplace-in-san-antonio-for-2022.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/jbgoodwin-named-top-workplace-in-san-antonio-for-2022.html</link>
        <author>blogs@jbgoodwin.com (The JBGoodwin Team)</author>
        <title>JBGoodwin Named Top Workplace in San Antonio For 2022</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
&quot;Courtesy of The San Antonio Express-News&quot; - (Iszler, Top Midsize Workplace: ‘Help people’ motto drives JBGoodwin Realtors to top spot for fourth time 2022)



Top Midsize Workplace: ‘Help people’ motto drives JBGoodwin Realtors to top spot for fourth time





SAN ANTONIO — Erin Cestero, president of JBGoodwin Realtors’ San Antonio office, describes the firm’s culture as family-oriented, supportive and helpful.


In the real estate industry, where agents are independent contractors competing for business, she said that’s unique.


“Our culture really comes from a place of believing in abundance, so we feel confident that with the right tools, all of our agents can be successful,” Cestero said.


Jen and Grant Bowman, sales managers for the Hill Country and New Braunfels, echoed her sentiment.


“We don’t compete with each other,” Jen Bowman said. “We really do work as one big team helping each other. That’s really rare.”


That big team culture was among the reasons JBGoodwin’s local office was named the Top Workplace for midsize employers in San Antonio for the fourth time in six years. The firm has been on the Top Workplaces list for 11 consecutive years.


Founded in 1972 in Austin, JBGoodwin opened its San Antonio office 38 years later.


In the Top Workplaces list, the firm started at No. 6 in the small employers category in 2012 and moved up to the midsize employer list in 2016.


Today JBGoodwin has about 400 local agents, managers and support staff. Its youngest agent is 19 and its oldest is 94.


Cestero and Vice President F. Alberto Hernandez said “help people,” the mission statement set by founder J.B. Goodwin, continues to drive the firm.


Community involvement is part of that. Through the firm’s JBGiving initiative, agents raise money and volunteer at organizations they are passionate about.


“We’ve created an environment where agents feel comfortable saying, ‘Hey, this is important to me, can I bring this to the office?’” Hernandez said.


The Top Workplace rankings are based on employees’ responses to questions in a survey conducted by Philadelphia-based Energage.


“I have the flexibility to set my own schedule and opportunity for success is at my fingertips,” one survey respondent said about JBGoodwin. “The culture at the office is comfortable, professional, positive, and supportive. I always feel my voice is heard and respected.”


The Bowmans, who joined JBGoodwin almost four years ago, said the firm’s Top Workplace status and high ratings on Google caught their eye.


Grant Bowman said colleagues’ “servant leadership” stands out to him. At leadership conferences, they spend most of their time talking about how to better serve agents, Bowman said.


“We’re dedicating every ounce of energy we have to how we can help people, and that’s not just the client, but the folks who are participating in the brokerage,” he said. “I dig that, personally.”


Malary Deike, a Realtor who has been at JBGoodwin for three and a half years, said she appreciates the firm’s diversity.


The workforce includes a range of ages and backgrounds, with agents who are veterans, retired teachers and young professionals beginning their career.


“I love this company,” Deike said. “I don’t ever plan to leave because they have built a foundation of helping people and there’s so much diversity here.”


Early in the coronavirus pandemic, agents and staff members missed seeing each other.


“When you build a culture off of relationships and getting to know your clients but also your agent partners on a personal level,” an abrupt stop is jolting, Hernandez said.


In the era of the “great resignation,” “quiet quitting” and hybrid workplaces, JBGoodwin has benefited. The firm has added 120 agents over the past two years. People unable to work decided to take real estate classes or had second thoughts about the industry they were in.


“I think we were the beneficiary of a lot of people looking at what they were doing as a career and realizing, ‘that’s not really what I want. I want something that has more flexibility, that has a high-income ceiling to it. What can I do and still feel good about myself in the morning?’” said Hernandez. “Real estate was the answer for a lot of our newer agents.”


After interviews with prospective agents, Cestero said she asks staff whether they would enjoy having lunch with the applicants and whether they are passionate about “putting people first.”


“That we put above production any day, because we know if people put people first, then the production and success in the industry follows,” she said.




Iszler, M. (2022, October 23). Top Midsize Workplace: ‘Help people’ motto drives JBGoodwin Realtors to top spot for fourth time. San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/top-workplace-midsize-JB-Goodwin-17522932.php.






To learn about career opportunities as an agent with JBGoodwin REALTORS®, please contact us today at 512.641.5005, or careers@jbgoodwin.com.



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    <pubDate>Tue, 25 Oct 2022 14:49:00 -0500</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/jb-goodwin-inducted-into-the-rismedia-newsmakers-hall-of-fame.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/jb-goodwin-inducted-into-the-rismedia-newsmakers-hall-of-fame.html</link>
        <author>blogs@jbgoodwin.com (The JBGoodwin Team)</author>
        <title>J.B. Goodwin Awarded Newsmakers in Real Estate Hall of Fame Award</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
&quot;Courtesy of RISMedia&quot; - (Brown, RISMedia's Newsmakers: Honoring Our Exemplary Hall of Fame Inductees. 2022)







Inspiration. Leadership. Success. These are the qualities of RISMedia’s Real Estate Newsmakers Hall of Famers. Selected by our readers and editorial team, these amazing individuals deserve this great industry honor.


For the sixth year in a row, we are searching for Newsmakers from across the U.S. who are making headlines for their commitment and contributions to the residential and/or commercial real estate sectors, as well as going the extra mile to positively impact their peers, colleagues, clients and the communities they serve.



Each year, we induct and celebrate a select group of “industry icons” for their long-standing and/or exemplary service into RISMedia’s Real Estate Newsmakers Hall of Fame.


Let’s take a look back at our 2022 Real Estate Newsmakers Hall of Fame:


 





J.B. GoodwinCEO | JBGoodwin REALTORS®


J.B. Goodwin founded JBGoodwin REALTORS® in 1972, and today the company serves the Austin and San Antonio, Texas markets with a team of more than 850 agent partners in eight Central-South Texas offices. In 2021, the firm ranked as the No. 1 Top Workplace for midsize employers for the third consecutive time in five years. Over the decades, JBGoodwin REALTORS® has handled nearly $35 billion in real estate sales and leases comprising more than 50,000 individual transactions. Now in his 50th year in business, Goodwin continues to be involved in the company’s day-to-day operations.


 





Candace AdamsPresident &amp; CEO | Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England, New York, and Hudson Valley Properties2021 was a compelling year for Candace Adams. In addition to bringing on Diane Ramirez, one of the industry’s most prolific real estate professionals, as chief strategy officer for the firm’s New York operations, Adams extended the organization’s growth into New York with the 13-office, 400-plus agent acquisition of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hudson Valley Properties, one of the most highly respected independent brokerages in the global network. She now oversees the brand’s operations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island.





Jon CoileVice President – MLS &amp; Industry Relations | HomeServies of AmericaIn addition to serving as vice president of MLS &amp; Industry Relations for HomeServices of America, real estate industry veteran Jon Coile was also the 2021 chair of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) MLS Issues and Policy Committee, responsible for working with the NAR Board of Directors to implement significant changes to MLS policy last year, including requiring MLSs to allow brokers and agents to display buyer broker commissions. During RISMedia’s recent virtual event, Real Estate’s Rocking in the New Year, Coile detailed a half-dozen recent policy changes likely to affect brokerages, as well as previewed a new environment for MLS owners and users in 2022.





Jim FitePresident | CENTURY 21 Judge Fite CompanyJim Fite, along with his sister, Jan Fite Miller, and their 40+ member leadership team, have built the Judge Fite family of companies including, CENTURY 21 Judge Fite Company, Fine Homes &amp; Estates CENTURY 21 Judge Fite, from one office and eight people to a diversified real estate services company with over 1,000 associates and staff in 23 locations serving the entire DFW Metroplex, Texas market.





Terrie O’ConnorFounder &amp; Broker/Owner | Terrie O’Connor REALTORS®Terrie O’Connor founded Terrie O’Connor REALTORS® in 1991, following a successful 10-year career in real estate sales, marketing and management, The company has grown to become a leading independent brokerage with eight locations, nearly 420 sales associates and 40 full-time employees. O’Connor is devoted to giving back to the communities her company serves. In recognition for her work with Covenant House, the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey named Terrie O’Connor REALTORS® a “Champion of Good Works: Advocates of the Homeless.”





Joseph HorningPresident | Shorewest REALTORS®Joe Horning is a third generation leader of his 75-year-old family business—Shorewest REALTORS®, Wisconsin’s Largest Home Seller™. This includes the Shorewest Family of Companies–Shorewest REALTORS®, Heritage Title Services, Wisconsin Mortgage Corporation, Shorewest Insurance, Shorewest Real Estate Institute and MyDwelling. In addition to leading his company he also currently serves as the chair-elect Wisconsin REALTORS® Association, is past-chairman of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, president of Metro MLS, on the board of managers for Upstream and was the chairman of The Realty Alliance.





Tina LappHead of Local Brands | Colibri Real EstateTina Lapp is a business leader, team builder and entrepreneur who has spent the last 28 years as an active member of the central Ohio business community, and the national real estate and professional-education community. Lapp is also co-owner of National Background Check, Inc. Colibri Real Estate consists of several brands dedicated to professional adult education, including Hondros College, Superior School of Real Estate, Arizona School of Real Estate and Business, Hogan School of Real Estate, Rockwell Institute, Gold Coast Schools, Real Estate  Express, McKissock, The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, CompuCram and Learn Mortgage.





Pamela LiebmanPresident &amp; CEO | The Corcoran GroupPam Liebman is president and chief executive officer of The Corcoran Group. As a force throughout the industry, Liebman has been with Corcoran since she started her career in 1984, and was named president and CEO in 2000. With her strategic direction, Corcoran has achieved record sales that have reached more than $18 billion annually. She transformed Corcoran into one of the nation’s most successful and prestigious real estate firms by expanding into key East Coast markets with the acquisitions of top tier firms in the south Florida and Hamptons markets, and with the purchase of Citi Habitats, one of New York City’s largest rental brokerage firms.





Michael PappasPresident &amp; CEO | The Keyes Company/Illustrated PropertiesMike Pappas’ impressive career spans 40 years. He is currently the president of The Keyes Company/Illustrated Properties, a Miami-based company with 50 branches and 3,300 associates and affiliates, which includes Capital Partners Mortgage, Home Partners Title, Keyes Insurance and Keyes Property Management. Under his leadership, The Keyes Company generates sales and services in excess of $7.9 billion annually, and is one of the largest independent brokerage firms in the U.S. Pappas is also a tech-forward thinker and in 2015, received the RISMedia Real Estate Tech Titan Award, and he has been twice-honored as a RISMedia Real Estate Newsmaker, as a Luminary (2019) and Influencer (2021).





Ken TrepetaPresident &amp; Executive Director | RESPROKen Trepeta became president and executive director of RESPRO® in July of 2015. Prior to joining RESPRO®, Trepeta served as the director of Real Estate Services for NAR for nearly a decade, where he was liaison to senior executives at large real estate firms and their affiliated businesses, as well as NAR’s in-house RESPA expert. Prior to joining NAR, Trepeta worked in government affairs for five years as a vice president at both JP Morgan Chase and representing the CEOs of the largest financial services firms in the world at the Financial Services Forum.



By Paige Brown




Brown, P. (2022, August 23). RISMedia's Newsmakers: Honoring Our Exemplary Hall of Fame Inductees. RISMedia. Retrieved September 6, 2022, from https://www.rismedia.com/2022/08/23/rismedias-newsmakers-honoring-exemplary-hall-fame-inductees/.

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    <pubDate>Wed, 07 Sep 2022 15:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/winning-with-culture-jbgoodwin-realtors-quantifiable-culture-fuels-50-year-success.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/winning-with-culture-jbgoodwin-realtors-quantifiable-culture-fuels-50-year-success.html</link>
        <author>blogs@jbgoodwin.com (The JBGoodwin Team)</author>
        <title>Winning With Culture JBGoodwin REALTORS®’ Quantifiable Culture Fuels 50-Year Success</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
&quot;Courtesy of RISMedia Real Estate Magazine&quot; - (Patterson, &quot;Winning With Culture JBGoodwin REALTORS®’ Quantifiable Culture Fuels 50-Year Success&quot; 2022)









JBGoodwin REALTORS® may be celebrating its 50th anniversary in business this year, but the company’s culture is more relevant than ever. With a simple but mighty mission statement to &quot;help people,&quot; the Austin and San Antonio, Texas-based firm has fostered an environment that supports and motivates agents. JBGoodwin REALTORS® was honored with its first Top Workplaces USA national award in 2022. JBGoodwin REALTORS® has been named a Top Workplaces award winner in Austin for 11 consecutive years, and in San Antonio for 10 consecutive years. In 2021, both markets took first place in regional awards, and in 2022, the company was honored with its first Top Workplaces USA national award, securing an impressive third place slot in its size category, competing against firms across all industries. 


The recognition from Top Workplaces gets even more granular— and more significant—for JBGoodwin REALTORS®. In 2021, the firm was honored with all 12 Top Workplaces Culture Badges, scoring in the top 5 or top 25 against its real estate brokerage peers nationally. The Culture Badges recognize the many subsets that define a winning culture, such as &quot;Employee Appreciation,&quot; &quot;Meaningful Work&quot; and &quot;Supportive Managers.&quot; JBGoodwin REALTORS® was the only brokerage in the country to earn all 12 badges, a feat it accomplished in 2020 as well. Creating a Top Culture The Top Workplaces honors are especially meaningful to JBGoodwin REALTORS® because the judges come from within. The awards are based entirely on employee and agent feedback via a once-a-year, anonymous survey conducted by Energage, a firm that then partners with local newspapers to further brand and promote the recognition. &quot;Our Top Workplaces successes are based on a variety of factors, but if you were to boil them down to a single concept, I’m sure it would be 'support,'&quot; explains JBGoodwin REALTORS® Vice President of Marketing &amp; Communications, Tony Zavaleta. &quot;We never stop trying to innovate, we consistently introduce new tools, we are always refining our training and generally strive to support our agents at every level of their business.&quot; 


But this is nothing new for the brokerage. It’s a philosophy that has driven the firm since the very beginning. &quot;The company’s ‘Help People’ motto genuinely extends to our agent partners,&quot; says company founder &amp; CEO J.B. Goodwin. &quot;We make it a priority to not only listen keenly to our agents’ opinions and needs, but to take the steps necessary to implement the best of their ideas and to fulfill those needs.&quot; 


This commitment to agents was underscored in pandemic times, Zavaleta explains. &quot;As with many organizations, we adapted a number of our practices during the pandemic, and found that not only did that lead to quite a bit of agent success during that period, it served to establish new ways of doing business that are part of the norm now.&quot; Central to a winning culture is a communication philosophy that goes beyond the norm. &quot;Our channels of team communication include all the common methods, but what I think sets us apart is the level to which we’re both open and strategic with our communication,&quot; explains Zavaleta. &quot;We make sure our team members are very aware of what’s going on in the company, and by doing so, we generate a lot of conversations and a lot of innovations.&quot; A Community-Focused Commitment With a consistent focus on the communities it serves, JBGoodwin REALTORS® has expanded its people-centric culture to well beyond the business realm. Through the company’s charitable arm, JBGiving, agents are able to play a more fulfilling role in the areas they serve while taking part in important business-development efforts. 


&quot;We support and volunteer with a number of local organizations, and though not exclusively, they are often ones associated with housing and homelessness,&quot; says JBGoodwin REALTORS® San Antonio Division President Erin Cestero. &quot;We take part in consistent Habitat for Humanity builds and volunteer with other organizations that advocate for and support the formerly homeless, as well as those simply seeking an affordable place to live.&quot; 


&quot;We believe it’s tremendously important to give back to the communities we live and work in,&quot; says Goodwin. &quot;During a time when real estate has been a particularly robust industry, those of us fortunate to be in this business want to pay some of that success back by serving others. Giving back to the community—the community we work in, the community we’re successful in—is a very big part of the JBGoodwin culture.&quot; 


And in a somewhat post-pandemic world, the company’s live efforts in the community are back in full swing. &quot;As the world has opened back up over the past year, our folks have been happy to get out there and interact with the community in ways they were less able to during the height of the pandemic,&quot; says Zavaleta. 


Culture Drives GrowthAs the saying goes, it starts at the top, and the culture that has driven JBGoodwin REALTORS®’s success over the span of 50 years begins with the company founder himself. 


&quot;J.B. has always placed a premium on everything from work-life balance to creating an atmosphere where work isn’t something one just does to pay the bills but is a meaningful experience that team members can look forward to each day,&quot; says Cestero. &quot;His day-to-day involvement in the organization and openness to communicating with all members of our large team really drives a sense of inclusion with all of our agents and staff. J.B. also understands the importance of team and social events that help create familiarity and camaraderie.&quot; 


The culture that Goodwin spearheads has been central to the firm’s expansion over the years as well. &quot;As we’ve grown in size and hired more and more agents, company culture has become both more important and more challenging,&quot; says Zavaleta. &quot;There’s extra effort that goes into maintaining culture across nearly 900 agents in multiple markets, and we’re proud of the success we’ve had in doing so.&quot; 


Culture has a big impact on the company’s recruiting and retention efforts as well, offering real estate professionals the best of both worlds: a profitable career and a supportive work family. 


&quot;Our company culture plays a huge role in both the retention of our current agent partners, as well as recruiting new team members,” says Goodwin. “The competition for talent never ends in real estate, so our many efforts, distinctions and awards help us attract top people, while also solidifying our brand as a place where people want to work, spend their time and simply belong.&quot; 


By Maria Patterson

Patterson, Maria. “Winning With Culture JBGoodwin REALTORS®’ Quantifiable Culture Fuels 50-Year Success.” RisMedia Real Estate Magazine, June 2022, pp. 64–65, https://lsc-pagepro.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?m=61388&amp;i=748346&amp;p=1&amp;ver=html5. Accessed 9 June 2022.
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    <pubDate>Thu, 09 Jun 2022 12:04:00 -0500</pubDate>
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    <link>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/jbgoodwin-realtorsr-celebrates-its-50th-anniversary-with-a-texas-treasure-business-award.html</link>
        <author>blogs@jbgoodwin.com (The JBGoodwin Team)</author>
        <title>JBGoodwin REALTORS® Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary With A Texas Treasure Business Award</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 



June 1, 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of real estate brokerage, JBGoodwin REALTORS®, and to honor that milestone, the Texas Historical Commission has presented the organization with a Texas Treasure Business Award. 



 

Founder and CEO, J.B. Goodwin





Founded in Austin in 1972 by J.B. Goodwin, JBGoodwin REALTORS® has grown with the region to be one of the state’s largest independent real estate brokerages. Today, the company serves residents of Central-South Texas from seven offices in Round Rock, Austin, Lakeway, New Braunfels, Schertz, Boerne and San Antonio. The company works with more than 850 agent partners who expertly assist clients with a wide variety of buying, selling and leasing needs. &quot;I’m honored and humbled that our organization has been recognized by the state in this way,&quot; says founder and CEO, J.B. Goodwin. &quot;Going into business as a young man, you hope for any amount of success, but to be operating a still-thriving business after five decades is more than I could have ever dreamed of. Having helped countless individuals and families with their real estate needs over the years has been the most gratifying aspect of my career, and I look forward to many more years of serving our communities.&quot; JBGoodwin is a perennial Austin-American Statesman and San Antonio Express-News Top Workplaces award winner and, in 2022, was named a Top Workplaces USA recipient company. In addition to its real estate services, the organization is very active in its charitable work, in particular on behalf of organizations who work in housing and homelessness. “Giving back to the communities we live and work in is as important an aspect of life at JBGoodwin as any, and we’re more than honored to devote our time and effort to that end,” said San Antonio Division President, Erin Cestero. 

 JBGiving charitable event with Habitat For Humanity

JBGoodwin REALTORS® has also gained a national reputation for preparing agents to develop successful careers in real estate. &quot;Real estate training programs are common today, but 50 years ago it was almost unheard of,&quot; says JBGoodwin REALTORS® Austin Division President, Buddy Schilling. &quot;J.B. built the foundation of our company on training, and today the Austin and San Antonio markets can boast a high level of real estate professionalism due in part to consistently high level of training that was begun and continues today at JBGoodwin REALTORS. J.B. deserves a lot of credit for that.&quot; 
 Nationally-recognized training at JBGoodwin REALTORS®
&quot;In my mind, the company belongs as much to the incredible group of individuals who make up our team,&quot; adds Goodwin. &quot;Over the years there have been unbelievable contributions by so many people, and I am eternally grateful to all who helped us get here.&quot; The Texas Treasure Business Award recognizes well-established businesses across the state for their exceptional historical contribution to Texas communities. Since 2005, hundreds of Texas businesses have been honored with this award, including small local establishments and such well-known organizations as H.E.B., Adams Extract, and El Fenix Mexican Restaurants. 
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    <pubDate>Wed, 01 Jun 2022 12:40:00 -0500</pubDate>
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    <link>https://www.jbgoodwin.com/blog/jbgoodwin-realtorsr-named-a-2022-top-workplaces-usa-award-winner.html</link>
        <author>blogs@jbgoodwin.com (The JBGoodwin Team)</author>
        <title>JBGoodwin REALTORS® Named A 2022 Top Workplaces USA Award Winner</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 



Austin, Texas February 1, 2022 - Today JBGoodwin REALTORS® has announced it has earned a 2022 Top Workplaces USA award, issued by Energage, a purpose-driven organization that develops solutions to build and brand Top Workplaces. The Top Workplaces program has a 15-year history of surveying more than 20 million employees and recognizing the top organizations across 60 markets for regional Top Workplaces awards.


This award follows JBGoodwin’s recent first-place finishes for Top Workplaces regional awards in both Austin and San Antonio (Their 11th and 10th consecutive awards respectively). The organization was also honored in 2021 with 12 Top Workplaces Culture Badges, the only brokerage in the nation to have been awarded all 12 


“We are enormously proud of the team we have built and I offer all credit and thanks to them for the tremendous culture that has led to this humbling award,” said Founder and CEO, J.B. Goodwin. “By mission statement, our organization is structured to serve our clients and “Help People.” It’s vitally important to us that those efforts extend to our family of agents and staff.


Top Workplaces USA celebrates organizations with 150 or more employees that have built great cultures. Over 42,000 organizations were invited to participate in the Top Workplaces USA survey. Winners of the Top Workplaces USA list are chosen based solely on employee feedback gathered through an employee engagement survey, issued by Energage.


Results are calculated by comparing the survey’s research-based statements, including 15 Culture Drivers that are proven to predict high performance against industry benchmarks.


&quot;Companies need to authentically represent their brand to job-seekers,&quot; said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. &quot;The employee experience needs to be on the mission-critical list. Leaders who embrace a people-first culture will benefit greatly. By giving employees a voice and showcasing your authentic culture through employer branding, organizations can attract those job seekers who complement their culture. Culture drives performance.&quot;





To learn about career opportunities as an agent with JBGoodwin REALTORS®, please contact us today at 512.641.5005, or careers@jbgoodwin.com.



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    <pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2022 11:21:00 -0600</pubDate>
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