Keller Williams, Coldwell Banker get top marks in J.D. Power homebuyer survey

Two residential sales firms with broad operations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area ranked tops in a new comparison.

Keller Williams rated highest in homebuyer survey released Thursday by consumer research firm J.D. Power and Associates.

Coldwell Banker placed second in buyer satisfaction but was highest rated by home sellers quizzed for the annual report.

The study rates national brand residential sales firms based on overall satisfaction with the agent, the office and additional services.

Re/Max and Century 21 also performed above average, according to buyers.

J.D. Power said that both buyers and sellers indicated that while the performance of the agent is the most important factor in their overall satisfaction, the importance of additional marketing services has grown in the last year.

The study also found that the number of first-time buyers in the housing market grew this year to 56 percent from 44 percent in 2008.

“The presence of more first-time buyers is encouraging, as it indicates that the real estate market is returning to more normal activity, with fewer speculators," Jim Howland, senior director of the real estate and construction practice at J.D. Power and Associates, said in the report. "However, real estate companies and agents must carefully manage first-time buyer expectations.”

J.D. Power also found that agents are holding fewer open houses to sell properties, but the number of sellers using the Internet to market their properties is at a record 64 percent.

The Power survey did not rank local and regional residential sales firms, which dominate the business in some markets.

By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News

Keller Williams Realty Receives Nod as the Highest Ranked in Customer Satisfaction

According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Home Buyer/Seller Study, Keller Williams Realty, Inc., the third largest real estate company in North America, received the highest overall satisfaction ratings from home buyers among the largest full-service real estate firms for the second year in a row. The company also ranked second-highest among home sellers in the study.

“We couldn’t be prouder. This is an achievement our associates have truly earned. It is the face-to-face interaction and the relationships they build daily that has impacted this study and elevated Keller Williams Realty to another level in customer service,” said Mark Willis, CEO of Keller Williams Realty. “Knowing that this study was conducted during the toughest times the market has seen shows that spirit and dedication can make an impact.”

The study was produced by J.D. Power and Associates to measure home buyers’ and sellers’ customer satisfaction. The results of the home-buying experience were determined by three factors including the agent, office and the package of additional services.

“I am absolutely beaming with pride that our agents have been honored in such a fantastic way,” said Mary Tennant, president and COO of Keller Williams Realty. “We are lucky to be in business with such incredible business people, who have shown incredible resolve over the past two years. If there was a time to build their business, it is now.”

About Keller Williams Realty Inc.:
Founded in 1983, Keller Williams Realty Inc. is the third-largest real estate franchise operation in the United States, with 679 offices and 73,000 associates in the United States and Canada. The company, which began franchising in 1990, has an agent-centric culture that emphasizes access to leading-edge education and promotes an economic model that rewards associates as stakeholders and partners. The company also provides specialized agents in luxury homes and commercial real estate properties. For more information, or to search for homes for sale visit Keller Williams Realty online at (www.kw.com).