MORRIS PLAINS, N.J., December 4, 2008 – Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., recently
launched GEN-Y-KERT, a program to
help young real estate professionals succeed within the industry as part of the
Weichert® organization. The program is specifically geared for sales associates
under the age of 35 who are members of Generation-X and Generation-Y.
“There is a
real generation gap in our industry today with the average agent being nearly
20 years older than the largest demographic of buyers – adults age 25 to 34,” said
Martin J. Rueter, president of Weichert Real Estate Affiliates. “Young
professionals are the bridge to this next generation of homeowners and the
lifeblood of our industry so it is important we invest in their development and
growth.”
Not surprisingly
for a program aimed at young professionals, the Internet and new media play a
big role in the GEN-Y-KERT
program. Weichert Real Estates
Affiliates (WREA) has created a dedicated Web site (www.genykert.com) to give members a
destination online where they can post their own blogs, discuss real-estate
related topics in forums, share video clips and more.
Training is
another major component of the program. Weichert offers a wide curriculum to
further young sales associates’ personal and professional growth. These educational opportunities are offered
through a blend of live and online training. Select courses are also available
for download to a personal digital assistant (PDA) or other device. WREA will also host a GEN-Y-KERT social networking event at its annual convention in
Membership
in GEN-Y-KERT is open to all real
estate professionals, not only those affiliated with Weichert, who are
interested in furthering the development of today’s young sales associates and
better understanding the next generation of buyers and sellers.
“Gen-Y
buyers are more tech-savvy, more peer oriented and forward-thinking, and they
prefer to operate at a fast pace. Today’s young professionals want a similarly
stimulating work environment to be successful. Through GEN-Y-KERT, we offer a collection of valuable tools, resources and
information in a way that appeals to the interests of the next generation agent,”
added Rueter.
The program
is headed by
WREA, the
franchise arm of Weichert, Realtors®, launched its first franchised office in
January 2002 and currently serves more than 300 markets in 36 states.
Weichert has nearly 18,000 sales
associates in more than 500 company-owned and franchised sales offices in key
markets throughout the
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