Second-Oldest Known Continuous Real Estate Franchisee with a Nearly 50-Year ERA Brand Relationship is Now on its Third Generation of Real Estate Leadership
MADISON, N.J. (Oct. 13, 2020) – ERA Real Estate, a global franchising leader within the Realogy family of companies, today announced that ERA Heavener Realty, the 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 ERAReal Estate on March 17, 1972 just months after the brand was founded in 1971 by Jim Jackson, making it the second-oldest known continuous real estate franchisee.
Mac Heavener eventually went on to serve as the President of ERA Real Estate from 1975 to 1996 and was responsible for creating two of the most well-known and enduring real estate industry products – 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.
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. He leveraged his CPA and CRI certifications to impart a higher level of financial rigor to brokerage operations and is credited with revolutionizing one-on-one franchisee consultations and business reviews.
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.
Quotes:
“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. 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.”
-Sherry Chris, President and CEO of ERA Real Estate
“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. 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.”
-Mac Heavener, founder ERA Heavener Realty
“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. 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.”
-Jeff Riber Jr., Broker/Owner ERA Heavener Realty
About ERA Real EstateAt ERA Real Estate, we don’t adapt to change, we create it. We believe that our core business values of collaboration, innovation, diversity and growth are needed now more than ever. As a global leader in the residential real estate industry for more than 40 years, ERA was the first real estate franchise to expand internationally, the first to post listings online, and is the only national company that offers the Sellers Security® Plan program.
The ERA Real Estate network includes more than 35,000 affiliated brokers and independent sales associates and approximately 2,200 offices throughout the United States and 31 other countries and territories. ERA Franchise Systems LLC (www.ERA.com) which operates the ERA Real Estate system, is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global provider of real estate services. ERA Real Estate information is available at www.ExploreERA.com.
Media Contact:
Marie VanAssendelft
201-724-6372
marie.vanassendelft@realogy.com
