July 2018

250 251 KELLERWILLIAMS REALTY METROPOLITAN A PHILOSOPHY FOR GROWTH “W e started the Keller Williams Market Center in Bedford in 2005, which was obviously during a peak in the market,” begins Alan Rice, co-owner of New Hampshire’s leading realty company in agent count, gross commissionable income, volume, and units. Rice recounts that he and his partner, Bill Weidacher, “felt the timing was great and going to work to our advantage.” They discovered, however, that the robust market was very competitive and that attracting agents was more difficult than original- ly speculated. So, they focused on it. That focus on attracting and maintaining quality agents turned out to serve them well and helped provide the parachute that aided in their safe landing after the market imploded in 2008. “We went to the Keller Williams franchise AT A GLANCE KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY METROPOLITAN WHAT: An agent-centric real estate company WHERE: Bedford, New Hampshire WEBSITE: www.metro.yourkwoffice.com because we were in sync with two core beliefs,” Rice maintains. “Keller Williams is an agent-centric business.We knew that if we created an environ- ment of resources that would lend to their success, then that would translate to a great consumer experience. Second, we really looked at ourselves as being a training and education company that happened to focus on real estate.”With these core principles as guides, the New Hampshire firm in- vested in technology that aided agent training and, as a result, enhanced the customer experience.