ERA Real Estate, a global franchise within the Realogy family of companies, recently announced that ERA Heavener Realty, the reportedly second-oldest known continuous franchisee of any real estate brand, has renewed its commitment to the brand for another 10 years.
The company, located in Jacksonville, Fla., was founded by Mac Heavener in 1970 and affiliated with ERA Real Estate on March 17, 1972, just months after the brand was founded in 1971 by Jim Jackson.
Mac Heavener eventually went on to serve as the president of ERA Real Estate from 1975 to 1996 and was responsible for creating a national home warranty program and the ERA Sellers Security Plan, a predecessor to iBuying in which ERA guarantees to purchase a qualified listing if it does not sell on the open market in the agreed-upon sales period.
“ERA Real Estate is part of our family business and I am obviously thrilled that Jeff made the decision to renew. I am deeply proud of his many professional accomplishments, but the one that really stands out is that he, too, has created a legacy opportunity for his family as well,” said Mac Heavener, founder of ERA Heavener Realty. “Jeff had already created incredible independent success for himself when he joined ERA Heavener Realty, so he had certainly earned my respect as a leader in our community and in the industry. Early on, I always made a place for family in my real estate business, because as I saw it, when you have something good, you want to share it.”
Heavener’s brother-in-law, Jeff Riber, Sr., who passed away in 2015, spent 30 years working in ERA’s Broker Services division, ultimately serving as vice president of Strategic Consulting.
Today, the 16-agent firm is owned and operated by Jeff Riber, Jr., Heavener’s nephew and son of Jeff Riber, Sr. After entering the industry in 2007 and earning his broker’s license in 2010, Riber, Jr. ultimately assumed leadership of ERA Heavener Realty in 2011. He earned recognition as a young business leader when he was named to the Jacksonville Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list and was one of the founding members of ERA Real Estate’s Young Leaders Network, which focused on supporting second and third generation brokers in their leadership transition.
“I grew up in real estate through the lens of ERA Real Estate’s unique culture of innovation and collaboration, which I experienced firsthand through both my uncle and my father. I am especially grateful to feel as passionate about my career as they did and am humbled and privileged to continue their legacy in my own way with the invaluable and highly personalized support of ERA Real Estate,” said Jeff Riber Jr., broker/owner of ERA Heavener Realty. “Over the next 10 years, we will continue to focus on providing unparalleled service to our customers by maintaining a boutique approach that will fuel organic growth for the firm. This will be accomplished by taking full advantage of all the ERA tools, technology and systems; not only using them, but using them to their greatest capacity. We will proudly carry the honor of being one of the nation’s longest-running franchisees.”
“Companies often talk about their DNA: how it defines them, how it makes them tick and how it makes them different. This is a DNA story in its truest sense. Jeff Riber, Jr. carries on the family legacy as well as the legacy of the family business by extending his relationship with ERA Real Estate,” said Sherri Chris, president and CEO of ERA Real Estate. “Jeff is a modern businessperson who rightly explored options before recommitting to the ERA® brand. His decision to renew reflects his confidence that the brand provides great value to his company and is a critical component of the firm’s future success. From the brand’s perspective, we are retaining a part of our history that not only makes us different, but also underscores how the ERA brand continues to help our affiliates build and grow their businesses for generations.”
Source: ERA Real Estate