Mentor #188, Russell Shaw (CRS and GRI), of John Hall & Associates, has listed and sold residential real estate since 1978, making him a 28-year veteran of the industry.  He has consistently ranked among the top 1% of all agents since 1991. In 2002 he and his team took 504 listings and ranked 28th among all agents in the United States for total number of transactions closed.  In 2005 his team of twelve talented members closed 350 transactions for a total sales volume of $76 million, and they are currently on target to take over 700 listings and reach $100 million in 2006.

Russell is a high-profile, well-known agent in his area – thanks to the visibility afforded him by his weekly radio and TV ad campaigns. Together, he and his wife Wendy sell more homes than any other agent in Arizona. Russell has been a featured speaker during the past three years at CRS’ Sell-a-Bration, and has also spoken at NAR conventions, as well as routinely speaking at various real estate offices and meetings across the nation.  Check out Russell’s first contribution to iSucceed, a Counseling Call entitled, “Look Across, Not Up”.

Even without a seasoned team of specialists and administrative support backing her up, Linda DeVlieg, Mentor #189, closed 80 transactions in 2005 for a total sales volume of $18 million.  Before throwing her hat in the real estate ring, she worked for a law firm in Albuquerque, and tried real estate on the advice of a friend who mentioned, “You'd be great at this!”  Linda went home, signed up for the next real estate class, and has been selling homes with Coldwell Banker Legacy ever since.

A resident of New Mexico since 1979, Linda earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico in Criminal Justice, drawn by the unique culture and desert beauty of the area.  She enjoys participation in “New Mexico Select®”, RECS, and especially CyberStars™, a best-practices networking group of top-producing agents who focus on how to apply the most cutting-edge technology to the real estate industry in order to improve customer service and generate stronger profit.  With a particular passion for technology, Linda finds great value in her membership and involvement with ePro, and also possesses ABR, and Previews Property Specialist designations.

Late in 2005 Linda began building a team which is now composed of two virtual assistants and a buyer specialist.  With the added expertise, she expects 2006 to be her most profitable year of residential sales on record.  A self-proclaimed running enthusiast, Linda has participated in New York, Phoenix and Duke City marathons.  She loves to run the trails of the Sandia Mountains near her home, and describes her dream vacation day as, “turning off my phone, shopping for wonderful things to cook, and using my Tablet PC for finding recipes!”  Enjoy Linda’s first contribution to iSucceed, a Counseling Call entitled, “Selling Homes: Sight Unseen”.

A native of metropolitan Halifax, Canada, since his youth, Wayne Cochrane, Mentor #190, shares a special passion for his hometown.  Prior to entering the real estate industry, he worked for 13 years in the world of information technology.  At the end of the boom era, with the passing of Y2K and the collapse of the Internet and technology-bloated stocks, Wayne came to realize that it was time for a change.  He leveraged his previous expertise in developing and strengthening client relationships, negotiating contracts, and creating deliverables, and took a leap of faith.

After meeting with much initial success, Wayne soon decided to invest in two EXIT Realty franchises, primarily EXIT Realty Nova Scotia.  As a huge believer in leading-edge marketing tools, excellent compensation, and world-class agent training, Wayne’s practice continues to expand.  In 2005 Wayne was the #1 producer for sales volume, number of transactions, and gross commission in his province, not to mention being the #4 Canadian recruiter with EXIT Realty.  Just four years into his career he also has been a guest-speaker at international conferences, an instructor for his local real estate association, and involved in giving back to Halifax residents via several major charity organizations, including Habitat for Humanity (board chair) and Junior Achievers (board member).  Visit here for Wayne’s first contribution to iSucceed, a Success Module entitled, “A Fail-Safe FSBO Program”.