Embracing Change and a New Local Focus
We first profiled Alan Washer in the April 2021 issue of REI INK, where we discussed his journey from a very lucrative corporate career to his success as a real estate entrepreneur and franchisee with HomeVestors® of America, Inc. (HVA).
Since the formation of his company, Value Properties, Inc., in 1999, Alan has grown his business exponentially over the last twenty-six years. In this follow-up story, he discusses what he attributes his success to and how changes within the HomeVestors program are propelling new franchisees faster than ever before.
Some Change is Good
“When I first started in 1999, our focus was, ‘How can we help you with your real estate situation?’ We were solution-focused, and the solution was not always us buying the house. That same focus exists today. The HomeVestors franchise system that was in place in 1999 was unheard of at the time. Today, I still follow our system to a T – you don’t fix things that aren’t broken.”
To illustrate this point, Alan reflected on events that have transpired since his real estate journey began in 1999: the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the economic downturn in 2007-2008, and the COVID crisis in 2019-2020. “At the end of the day, I always had a plan, and as long as we continued to advertise, we had people who wanted to sell homes and buy new ones. Back then, just as today, we were always there to provide viable solutions.”
Even though HomeVestors’ focus on helping sellers remains unchanged, advancements in technology and new corporate leadership at HomeVestors have continued to move the system forward.
Technology Changes Making an Impact
Lead generation remains one of the most persistent challenges for real estate investors, and HomeVestors has embraced the AI revolution to provide higher lead quality for their franchisees. In today’s competitive real estate market, leveraging advanced technology is crucial for driving growth and maintaining a competitive edge.
“We have improved our technology and software to better help franchisees obtain and manage their leads,” said Alan. “We are not only growing the market because of these new tools, but we provide comprehensive initial training and support to our new franchisees, to get them off to a better start. As a Development Agent (DA), I have seen these changes firsthand and the results we have achieved because of this technological investment are phenomenal.”
A New Focus from the Top
Even though HomeVestors is a large national brand, Alan explained that they are focused on having a robust local presence and becoming more engrained in local communities. “The leadership at HomeVestors developed a new mission statement: To help others through innovative processes and real estate solutions that positively impact neighborhoods one home at a time.” And all the franchisees have wholeheartedly embraced it.
Every year, HomeVestors runs its The Ugliest House of the Year® contest, which yields a donation of $20,000 from HomeVestors to the winner’s local Habitat for Humanity® chapter. In 2024, the award was won by Tara Farnsworth and Bob Albrecht of Antioch, IL. “I am proud to say that I am their DA,” said Alan. “This is only one way we are giving back to the community.”
“In the Chicago area, HomeVestors franchisees also volunteered at the Friendship Center which is a local food pantry. But at the corporate level during one HVA Summit, we had a ‘volunteer day’ where we worked at the Salvation Army in Houston. At our Midyear Summit, over ninety volunteers worked with ‘Hearts and Hammers’ and we rehabbed two houses in one day.”
This focus parallels the HomeVestors core values of Service, Innovation, and Trust, and their vision statement: Improving lives through exceptional experiences.
HomeVestors
Whether you are curious about real estate investing or you have dabbled in it and want to make it a full-time job, HomeVestors helps entrepreneurs from all walks of life build their own real estate business. Our franchise owners enjoy the independence of owning their own businesses while also benefitting from the famous We Buy Ugly Houses® brand and our best-in-class real estate investing tools, software, and mentorship.
If you are interested in a franchise, call 866-249-6932, email [email protected] or visit https://franchise.homevestors.com/contact/. Each franchise office is independently owned and operated.
