KELLER WILLIAMS OTTAWA REALTY.

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Author: Wahl, Andrew

LESSONS FROM SOME OF THE BEST

KELLER WILLIAMS OTTAWA REALTY
OTTAWA / REAL ESTATE / 175 EMPLOYEES

No matter how great a workplace is, it won't be a perfect fit for everyone. A successful company must attract and nurture the right mix of people. Case in point: the real-estate franchise Keller Williams, which has more than 380 branches in the U.S. and Canada. Its values statement gives "spirituality, family and then business" top priority. At the Ottawa office--quite a culturally diverse agency-some 20 co-workers gather over lunch every Tuesday to discuss the Bible. That's not a common practice in your typical secular workplace in Canada, but Keller Williams promotes such soulful pursuits, even urging individuals to adopt a "personal mission." For some, it may sound strange. "Oftentimes, we're called an airy-fairy company, or we're called a cult," says CEO Mo Anderson on a recruiting DVD. "And I just say to people who just get so worried about that, 'Oh honey, don't worry about it. They're just ignorant.' They don't know the difference between the words "cult"--that's where you drink the Kool-Aid--and "culture," which is simply a belief system or a value system that you have clearly defined and you attempt to follow."

Keller Williams' pay structure encourages teamwork-quite uncommon in the ultra-competitive real-estate world--because profit-sharing is based on the commissions of recruits agents refer to the company and, in turn, those people's referrals. Each year, agents give up 30% of their first $50,000 in commissions to the agency (about 10 house sales), but keep 100% over and above that. And unlike most real-estate brokerages, if they fall short of target, they don't have to top up the difference. The result? A positive atmosphere that supports new recruits. "There is a learning environment that I've never seen at any other real estate office, and this is my third," says Lori Briard, director of agent services. In less than five years, Keller Williams' Ottawa office has become one of the largest agencies in the city. That's good for more than just the soul.

PHOTO (COLOR): Keller Williams Ottawa Realty donates $3,000 to Harmony House, a women's shelter in the nation's capital

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By Andrew Wahl