Keller donates $5 million to establish research center

TOP STORY: Keller donates $5 million to establish research center

Studies to explore issues that are important to agents

Nothing is more important to Keller Williams Realty Inc. Chairman Gary Keller than helping real estate agents thrive in their careers. His agent-centric business philosophy has attracted more than 77,000 associates and catapulted Keller Williams Realty to the fourth-largest residential real estate franchise company in North America.

In February, Keller reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the careers of real estate agents by donating $5 million to his alma mater, Baylor University in Waco, Texas to establish the Keller Center of Research.

“The goal of the Keller Center will be to study the issues that are pressing for real estate companies and agents in today’s marketplace,” Keller says. “For all the awesome research that is already out there, there is an equal amount that is still not being done.”

Keller explains that when he was pursuing a marketing degree with a real estate specialization at Baylor University, his professors focused mainly on commercial development. Residential real estate wasn’t really discussed.

“I don’t think that the rest of the world sees real estate agents the same as we at Keller Williams Realty do — as business owners,” he says. “I hope the Keller Center for Research, with the support of Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, will change that.”

Terry Maness, dean of Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, says: “We have conducted literature reviews of academic work in real estate marketing, and very little of it has dealt with buyer-seller relationships. That is, why do people really buy? How do they consider the role of the agent? What influence does the Internet have on information search processes and subsequent purchase decisions? These are the kinds of questions we will be answering.”

“The buyer-seller issues in real estate are important not only for agents at real estate agencies, but also on a broader scale for marketers and salespeople in a variety of settings,” he says.

Keller says he commends the real estate studies being conducted at institutions such as the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, the National Association of REALTORS® and REAL Trends Inc.; however, he says the Keller Center will explore the industry through both the eyes of the agent and the consumer.

“The research that is being done by these groups is phenomenal,” he says. “We only want to add more depth to the research and information that is out there and explore areas where these organizations can’t go.”

 press release from Keller Williams for more info visit www.kw.com