by Christy Murdock | May 29, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
Find out how this broker put her background in education to work to create real estate training that resonates and gets results.
Bigger. Better. Bolder. Inman Connect is heading to San Diego. Join thousands of real estate pros, connect with the Inman Community, and gain insights from hundreds of leading minds shaping the industry. If you’re ready to grow your business and invest in yourself, this is where you need to be. Go BIG in San Diego!
After 25 years as a managing broker where she was known for her training and coaching initiatives, Annette DeCicco pivoted to her role as director of growth and development, creating content and curriculum across multiple brokerages.
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“Our company attracts agents at every level and is dedicated to the growth of all,” she said, “investing in both tech and touch, hard skills and soft skills, to develop the team. That’s one of the reasons I’m a part of this experience, and why others have joined me. If we can’t learn, we can’t grow. Curate culture where camaraderie and learning flourish, where you work for work-life balance and work-life happiness.”
With an organization of approximately 200 agents and employees, “the glue is definitely culture,” DeCicco said. That stems from the company’s deep roots as a family brokerage since 1952, led first by founder Jordan Baris and now by his son, Ken.
Find out how this broker put her background in education to work to create training that resonates and gets results.
Name: Annette DeCicco
Current title: Director of Growth and Development, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Jordan Baris Realty
Location: West Orange, New Jersey
Brokerage name: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Jordan Baris Realty
Team size: 185
Awards:
- Manager of the Year, 2013, Livingston
- Top office companywide, Prudential New Jersey Properties
- Second place in Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, residential GCI, U.S. Northeast 2013 (rebranded to BHHS the following year)
- Realtor of the Year 2018, North Central Jersey Association of Realtors
How did you get your start in real estate?
That is a classic story I have told to countless new licensees during company orientations. “Before real estate,” as the holder of a graduate degree in education, I was an instructor at a community college. I loved the classroom, but not the bureaucracy.
“Year after year, several of us were RIFFed [reduction in force] at the end of the term and rehired for the start of the new school year to prevent us from getting tenure. After years of no advancement, no opportunity, no income steps, I resigned because someone who would become very important to my success in real estate told me that in sales, “You can earn in direct proportion to your skill level.”
I never looked back, never doubting my ability to reshape myself, to learn or to earn.
Tell us about an epic fail you’ve experienced since you’ve been a broker
It was a fail in recognizing that no matter one’s experience, tributes, stature, whatever one has “earned” and even “given back tenfold,” none of us is protected from unpredictable events that can quickly propel us down to earth. There is no fair in fail.
What I had failed to learn early is that no one is irreplaceable, and no one’s job description is sustainable and “needable” through various markets where other new factors surface. Yes, you can grow all over again if you have the will to do it. Skill without will equals retirement!
There is also no ego in fail. Fail is actually a badge you can wear as you reinvent yourself. When a new door presents itself, don’t wait for someone to invite you in. Proceed across the threshold. Someone, somewhere, may be glad you did.
What’s your top tip for freshly licensed brokers?
This is also a tip for freshly licensed agents. As a “new” managing broker whose job it is to foster office growth, don’t hire anyone who tells you in an interview that they are going to “try” real estate. A new agent’s business will be shuttered as fast as the percentage of restaurants that fail because of “trying” for the wrong reason.
Money is not a driver. The prospect of money will never drive the “try” because money is not the driver. Money is the result. Managing brokers need to help agents find their “why.” “Why” is not a goal. “Why” is the driver of the goal.
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by Christy Murdock | May 22, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
Name: Dirk Hmura
Title: Managing Partner of the Agency Vancouver, Washington, and The Agency Portland, Oregon, and leader of The Dirk Hmura Team
Experience: 22 years
Location: Portland, Oregon
Brokerage name: The Agency Vancouver, Washington, and The Agency Portland, Oregon
Rankings: No. 5 in the Portland metro area
Team size: 4
Transaction sides: 90
Sales volume: $90 million per year
Awards: RealTrends Verified, The Agency Chairman Award, Best of Rose City: Luxury Real Estate Team
How did you get your start in real estate?
I had been working in high tech, and the dotcom meltdown gave me some time to think about what was next for me. In one of my many informational interviews, I met with our Realtor, and he said: “Real estate, it’s tough. It’s exhausting, it’s hard on the family, you have to always be on … but, if you’re up for it, I’d love to have you.”
I had always liked real estate, homes, and people, and I loved the challenge. I got my real estate license in three weeks and immediately got to work. I loved wearing all the different hats. I loved working hard. The harder I worked, the better I was, the more money I made. Coming from the corporate world where bonuses were capped, this was fun!
How did you choose your brokerage (first or current)?
The Agency came calling. Over the years, I had received several recruiting calls. A few were a quick “No.” But this one was different. Ricardo Beer from The Agency called in March of 2021. It was a fun call, he was easy to talk to and it didn’t feel like a sales pitch, but I told him no.
We all remember the market in ’21; I didn’t have any additional time or interest in starting something new. I left the door open and told Ricardo to call me in a year. Fast forward one year, and he came calling again.
The market was starting to shift. My kids were getting closer to college and I had just returned home from Inman Connect New York, where several of the brokers on the stage were from The Agency. I was a bit more receptive this time, so one conversation became two, and then I brought my team into the calls. It just felt right.
Then, I asked our now Managing Principal Broker, Andrew Misk, to grab a drink, hoping he would talk me out of this. He said the opposite. Now, here we are. We have loved our relationship with the Agency. We have enjoyed getting to know Mauricio, Billy, Rainy and everyone in the company. It truly is a family.
What are 5 things you’d like readers to know about you and your brokerage?
Culture: This is why we did this. We are surrounding ourselves with fun, hardworking and smart people. We challenge each other to do better, be better, and we have a hell of a time doing it together.
Collaboration: I didn’t know this existed between offices. I was at a local company before, so it’s fun to be part of something larger. The collaboration between each office in different cities and states and even countries — I didn’t know that was possible.
Events: We love throwing events. We recently had our grand opening party, and we rented out the soccer stadium in Portland. It was quite an event; we kind of blew the budget, but it was one heck of a party.
Marketing: The Agency is known as a marketing machine, and this is one thing that attracted us to the company. But what we love most is the flexibility to make it our own. Portland and Vancouver aren’t Beverly Hills — so instead of Ferraris in our ads, we may feature a Subaru.
Energy: I have a ridiculous work ethic. I show up for my clients every day. You can still find me planting yards, vacuuming or moving heavy furniture. Now, other brokers at The Agency are surprised that I still do this. They assume I have my team to do the heavy lifting.
Where does all this energy come from? Being active and engaged in work, the community, The Agency, my family — I bring my full energy to it all.
What’s your top prediction for 2025?
Back to the basics: This is going to be an interesting year. We all had high hopes for lower interest rates and additional inventory, but the current stock market ups and downs and the unpredictability of interest rates have put the busy spring market in jeopardy.
So, it’s back to the basics. Follow up with clients, collaborate with co-brokers and get involved in your community.
What’s your top tip for freshly licensed brokers?
Join a team or find a mentor who is willing to work with you. When I started, I joined a team and was thrown right into the mix. In my first year, we sold over 50 homes, and I was involved in every single detail. That’s a quick education. If I hadn’t joined a team, I feel I would have floundered, wondering where to even start.
Name 3 people you admire
My team (Yes, I know that isn’t one person): I have been so fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful brokers who pour in so much energy and effort every single day. I wouldn’t have taken this leap without their amazing support. Cathi Render, Kendall Westphal, Josh Gainer and Maggie Deuth, thank you!
Lee Davies: Lee is the person who first offered me a job in real estate. I worked on his team for eight years. When I went out on my own as an independent agent and became the top salesperson at his company, he celebrated my success.
We would challenge each other to be better. I learned so much from him and it gave me the confidence to tackle this new challenge after 22 years.
My Mom: I am the youngest of three kids and have wonderful relationships with my sister and brother. My mom was the glue: an amazing woman. I lost her early when she was 56 (I was 26). She was a single mom, and money was always tight. She worked hard, and we even had a paper route together at one point in high school to help pay the bills.
My mom was always present. She volunteered at every school event and was the loudest cheerleader at my soccer games. As a parent of twins and having a wonderful and supportive wife, I have no idea how my mom did it on her own.
When I talk with my brother and sister about that, we are all blown away as we all felt that we were the favorites. Love you, Mom!
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by Christy Murdock | May 15, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
Find out how this highly sought-after real estate expert and media personality continues to break records while guiding the next generation of real estate superstars.
Bigger. Better. Bolder. Inman Connect is heading to San Diego. Join thousands of real estate pros, connect with the Inman Community, and gain insights from hundreds of leading minds shaping the industry. If you’re ready to grow your business and invest in yourself, this is where you need to be. Go BIG in San Diego!
Mentoring has been important to Dana Point, California, broker Phil Immel, and he’s passing his passion for education on to consumers and up-and-coming agents. After trademarking the brand “Real Estate Guru” two decades ago, Immel now answers his followers’ real estate questions through television appearances, online content and a branded app.
Immel maintains a family team culture while serving high-net-worth clients in his coastal enclave. He recently represented the seller on a transaction that featured the highest sale price ever recorded in his market at $33 million.
Find out how this highly sought-after real estate expert and media personality continues to break records while guiding the next generation of real estate superstars.
Name: Phil Immel
Title: Real estate broker
Experience: Licensed 50 years. Majored in real estate in college. Corporate executive at Coldwell Banker for 10 years. No. 8 in the United States with Prudential Real Estate for more than 60,000 agents and continue to be the top agent in Orange County, California.
Location: Dana Point, California – Orange County (Coastal)
Brokerage name: Pacific Sotheby’s International
Rankings: Top 1 percent of all agents nationally
Team size: 4
Transaction sides: 12
Sales volume: $50-130 million
How did you get your start in real estate?
After growing up in Chicago and being the last of five kids, my parents moved to San Diego to semi-retire. I did not know anybody in San Diego when I came back from college break.
When I was 18 years old, I saw an advertisement for getting a real estate license, and I signed up. I had the best teacher on the planet that I’ve ever had in my entire adult life. I sat for the real estate salesperson’s license in California at 19 years old and passed.
Being responsible for financially paying my way through college, I was majoring in real estate at San Diego State University and getting qualified to take my broker’s exam, which I went on to achieve a couple of years later.
When Century 21 started as a company, I joined them as one of their first agents. Not having a clue what I was doing, I was highly motivated to make money and serve clients.
What do you wish more people knew about working in real estate?
I wish people in real estate understood the importance of educating themselves about both the sales and technical sides of doing transactions. Many people come into real estate as a second or third career. As a result, they might be good at a skillset that is excellent in either sales or technical knowledge; however, to be truly successful, agents must master both categories.
A smart agent should learn something new every day related to the industry. Additionally, I wish agents knew how to be well-capitalized to get into the business and stay in the business financially.
What’s something you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
How important it is to be a student of the business and related businesses every day. To not only have a hyperlocal understanding of the market, but to understand worldwide economic policies and how they affect real estate.
Real estate is typically the most expensive asset that Americans buy, and as representatives for them, we should be the smartest people in the room.
Tell us about a high point in your brokerage career
A recent high point in my career was when I listed and sold 63 Monarch Bay Drive, Dana Point, California – shattering the Dana Point record sales price at $33 million. It was an honor to be a part of this sale, representing the seller.
Name 3 people you admire
The three people that I admire the most and have had the most pivotal impact on my career are Joe Hanauer, Steve Jobs, and Harry Cooper.
Joe Hanauer was the Chairman of the Board of Coldwell Banker, and I worked directly for him as Vice President. He was, and still is, an incredible mentor and taught me the most about the business itself. We are still very close friends to this day and regularly stay in touch. He is also a multi-time client.
Steve Jobs has always had a profound impact on me because of the visionary that he was. Steve continued to challenge the status quo and evolve his industry to a new standard. I believe we have a lot of similar traits and the same way of thinking.
Harry Cooper is a wealthy technology entrepreneur and personal/business mentor from La Jolla, California. As an aside, his brother, Wyatt Cooper, was married to Gloria Vanderbilt.
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by Christy Murdock | May 15, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
Find out how this team leader does more than lead; he empowers each person “to reach their full potential and build a sustainable, successful career in real estate.”
Bigger. Better. Bolder. Inman Connect is heading to San Diego. Join thousands of real estate pros, connect with the Inman Community, and gain insights from hundreds of leading minds shaping the industry. If you’re ready to grow your business and invest in yourself, this is where you need to be. Go BIG in San Diego!
Hailing from Port Washington, New York, Christopher M. Wands comes from a long line of real estate professionals. Now, as a team leader and luxury expert in Miami, Wands carries on his family’s legacy.
“I’m proud to lead an exceptional team,” Wands said, “and one of the most rewarding aspects of my role has been helping team members grow into top producers in their own right. I focus on creating a strong support system where they can thrive — offering mentorship, sharing insights and teaching the fundamentals of the business from the ground up.”
Find out how this team leader does more than lead; he empowers each person “to reach their full potential and build a sustainable, successful career in real estate.”
Name: Christopher M. Wands
Title: Executive Director of Luxury Sales and leader of The Wands Team at Douglas Elliman
Experience: 9 years
Location: Miami, Florida
Team name: The Wands Team at Douglas Elliman
Team size: 9
Transaction sides: 48.6
Sales volume: $100,282,407
Awards:
Douglas Elliman awards:
- YPN Miami 20 under 40
- 2016 Rookie of the Year
- 2017: Presidents Award
- 2018-19: Gold Award
- 2020: Platinum Award
- 2021: Diamond Award
- 2022: Pinnacle Award
Ellie team awards (2023):
- No. 15 medium team nationwide (GCI)
- No. 5 team transactions
- No. 6 team GCI
- No. 8 team volume
- Pinnacle Award
Ellie team awards (2024)
- No. 11 team volume
- No. 10 team rental (GCI)
- No. 8 rental transactions
- No. 7 team transactions
- Pinnacle Award
Ellie team awards (2025)
- No. 11 medium team nationwide (GCI)
- No. 4 team rental transactions
- No. 7 team by GCI
- No. 8 team by volume
- No. 8 team by rental (GCI)
- No. 10 team by transactions
- Pinnacle Award
What do you wish more people knew about working in real estate?
This isn’t the kind of career you can treat like a side hustle if you want to be truly successful — you have to live and breathe it. Real estate is a lifestyle, not a 9-to-5 job, and it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. It’s a constant grind, requiring discipline, resilience and an unwavering commitment to your clients.
Social media and TV shows often glamorize the industry, but they rarely show the long hours, the problem-solving and the relentless hustle it takes to truly master your craft.
What’s something you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
I wish I had truly understood the time and dedication this career demands. I went into it thinking it would offer more flexibility and maybe even be “easy”— but I quickly learned it’s the opposite.
Becoming a top producer takes relentless hard work, long hours, and a deep commitment to the craft. I wouldn’t trade this career for anything, but I now know success doesn’t happen overnight. If I could go back, I’d tell myself to be patient, stay focused and trust the process.
Tell us about a high point in your career
A defining moment in my career was closing the sale of Residence 5801 at One Thousand Museum. It was my first major deal handled independently, where I represented the buyer of the lower penthouse.
What made it even more special was that it took place in one of the most architecturally iconic buildings in the city — a true milestone, both personally and professionally. Not only was it a personal milestone, it was a pivotal moment that affirmed my ability to navigate complex, high-stakes transactions and deliver results at the luxury level.
It gave me the confidence to step fully into my own as an agent and helped set the foundation for many of the record-breaking deals I’ve gone on to close since. That experience continues to motivate me and remind me of how far I’ve come.
What’s your top tip for newly formed teams?
Start small and focus on building a strong foundation — establish your team structure and back-office systems first. Expansion without the right operational engine in place will lead to inefficiencies and setbacks.
It’s not just about growing; it’s about growing smart. Scale only when the infrastructure is ready to support it.
What’s one thing you wish every agent knew?
This business isn’t about quick wins — it’s a long game. Prioritize building genuine relationships over chasing commissions. When you commit to mastering your craft and delivering real value, the money naturally follows as a byproduct of your success.
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by Christy Murdock | May 10, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
As Howard Hanna CEO Hoby Hanna offers his unvarnished opinions on NAR, we’re looking at other industry leaders who are calling for change while focused on growth.
Bigger. Better. Bolder. Inman Connect is heading to San Diego. Join thousands of real estate pros, connect with the power of the Inman Community, and gain insights from hundreds of leading minds shaping the industry. If you’re ready to grow your business and invest in yourself, this is where you need to be. Go BIG in San Diego!
Each week on The Download, Inman’s Christy Murdock takes a deeper look at the top-read stories of the week to give you what you’ll need to meet Monday head-on. This week: As Howard Hanna CEO Hoby Hanna offers his unvarnished opinions on NAR, we’re looking at other industry leaders who are calling for change while focused on growth.
Diplomacy is an essential element in the practice of real estate. After all, we’re always looking for win-win solutions, staying chill during intense negotiations and measuring our words when working with clients.
Sometimes, however, it’s time for some truth-telling and plain speaking, especially from those in positions of leadership and authority. That’s why this week, readers couldn’t get enough of Howard “Hoby” Hanna’s straight talk on the National Association of Realtors (NAR) commission lawsuit settlement and the brokerages, including his own, that were left high and dry.
In a wide-ranging two-part interview, Hanna discussed how he believes NAR’s MLS rules punish innovation, especially in the middle of a tough housing market, while making it harder for brokerages to compete against consolidating rivals with big public money to back them.
He also talked about Clear Cooperation, Internet Data Exchanges (IDX) and Virtual Office Websites (VOW), and told Inman why he’s thinking about leaving NAR and its affiliated MLSs.
“Am I leaving tomorrow?” Hanna asked. “No. But I am sitting back and saying NAR has to get its house in order. NAR has to focus on what they do best, which is homeownership advocacy. And I’ll sit back and watch a little bit and see how it plays out.”
Today on The Download, we’re looking at industry leadership, including those who are accomplishing big things while helping others make the most of new opportunities and those who are calling for change.
We’re also asking you to weigh in on this week’s Pulse question: What aspect of real estate has changed most in the past 5 years?
Treat real estate agents right, broker-owner Michelle Valverde writes, and results will follow, including brokerage growth and resilience.
Coach Melanie Klein profiles an industry leader who helps women leverage real estate as a wealth-building tool that provides long-term security, flexibility and the freedom to pursue their passions.
According to managing broker Spencer Krull, with mandatory buyer-broker agreements, it’s time for NAR to get rid of the “participation trophy” of procuring cause.
Many agents lack structure and support, branding expert Alyssa Stalker writes, but what they need is real business mentorship, repeatable systems, ongoing marketing education and more.
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