Bernie Vogt (Photo by Marko Shark)
By Susan Doran
Two weeks before his 60th birthday in 2008, after over 30 years as a leader in the real estate industry, Bernie Vogt stepped down as head of Prudential Real Estate’s operations in Canada. He claimed to be retiring.
A fixture in the real estate business, Vogt’s career was launched in 1974 with Harvey Keith in Kitchener, Ont. He went on to became Ontario general manager of the former A.E. LePage, general manager of Royal LePage, a member of the transition team during the Coldwell Banker/Canada Trust merger, president of Countrywide Realty and then president and CEO of Prudential’s Canadian operations.
Despite making noises about retiring when leaving Prudential, it seemed obvious to just about everyone that the Canadian real estate industry had not seen the last of Vogt. A REM article at the time quoted him as saying, “You never say never but my intention is to travel.” He added that when he came back he’d “look at what specifically” he’d do, but he noted that for the moment he had no plans.
Then came this: “You never know exactly what’s going to come up…” And finally this: “But for right now, I’m retiring.”
The retirement waffle did not last long. To no one’s surprise, by midway through the following year Vogt was back in the saddle. Among other ventures, he had spearheaded and was president of Aventure Realty Network (headquartered in Ottawa), a network of leading independent real estate brokerages, the likes of which Vogt believes cannot be found anywhere else in Canada.
Aventure has its first national conference in Vancouver this June. Vogt is pleased and passionate about the company’s quick growth.
“Our members operate from over 70 locations – we’re presently in all major markets – with almost 2,200 Realtors,” he says. Aventure’s goal is to service all the markets in Canada with independent brokers, he adds.
“I always thought there was an opportunity to connect the independent real estate brokerages in Canada, giving them a much wider reach,” he says. “A lot of great independents were working in isolation and not enjoying the benefits of membership in a network on a national scale…The vision of Aventure is to bring them together and strengthen their competitive positions…Our aspiration is to create referral opportunities and new business opportunities and to deliver to each of our members an outstanding like-minded peer group.”
A further advantage is the host of approved service suppliers who can be accessed through the Aventure network – everything from web designers and software providers to accountants and training organizations.
“We want to make sure that members have access to supplies and services on commercial/network terms rather than independent terms,” Vogt says.
Through sister company Dada Destination Services, a national relocation firm, members can also be connected with an international customer base and corporate relocation referrals.
While Vogt is a strong believer that “independence in a franchise-dominated market is an asset,” he’s also convinced that association with Aventure and its national brand/vision will “add to the independent company’s strength and credibility.”
Although Aventure has no rules about its brokerages’ operating plans (membership is open to all types of independents) not all independent companies qualify for membership.
“We operate under contract. We have an application and screening process, performance and commercial requirements for membership,” Vogt says. He says it’s not size that’s the key, but rather that participating brokerages have “established themselves as an outstanding brand,” with great strength in the community.
Thus, member companies run the gamut from Harvey Kalles Real Estate in Toronto, with 150 salespeople, to Tracy Arnett Realty of Ottawa, with less than 10, Vogt says. The latter was one of the first companies to join Aventure, and represents exactly what Vogt is looking for in member firms.
“Tracy Arnett Realty is an outstanding independent company with a very strong market share, strong market presence, a great connection to the marketplace, and she does an outstanding amount of business in the community,” he says.
Harvey Kalles Real Estate joined the network more recently. President Michael Kalles says it gives him confidence to know that when he has clients moving from one province to another, he can now pass along referrals Canada-wide that Vogt has approved.
Aventure members pay fees, but Vogt says they are “not comparable to fees paid under a franchise agreement and with ongoing royalty fees.”
The network’s attitude towards branding is also different than that of the franchises.
“The ability to be flexible and to create themselves is the strength of independents. They’re not identified by a franchise brand. Aventure wants to support the independent broker’s own identity, with any type of business plan that suits them. We don’t want to build our brand at the expense of theirs,” says Vogt.
He believes that for an independent broker, “your most saleable commodity is the strong equity in your brand.” In his opinion, you should be able “to do with it what you think is right,” without being confined by a rigid contractual agreement that extends for years into the future.
“There’s more to selling a house in today’s world than putting up a sign and mining your contacts,” says Vogt. “You need a more sophisticated approach. Consumers make decisions based on added value, incremental value…
“I believe that in the future the real estate business will increasingly focus on independents… Every franchise agreement has identity standards… If you can add more value than the competition, and if your reach is greater, then you want to brand yourself. You can do that more easily, and with fewer restrictions, as an independent broker.”
Aventure, Vogt says, is keen to provide the independents with an “alternative network to strengthen their brand.”
