Ferrara dives into the joys,
challenges, and responsibilities of companygrowth and
development
GSIR: We recently joined forces with oldCape
Sothebys International Realty, our Cape Cod-based affiliate, and
you were part of the forethought leading up to the official
announcement. What in particular do you think Gibson SIR has done
well in uniting with our friends over the Bourne Bridge?
MF: Companies try many strategies for creating
value through acquisitionsbut only a handful actually do so. When a
merger or acquisition is announced, people instinctively wonder who
the other company is and why the merger creates value. To minimize
the our company versus their company dynamic, Larry and Paul began
the acquisition process with the most important question when
considering an acquisition: Do our cultures match? They
understood that the smartest predictor of success is joining
like-minded professionals who share the same values, beliefs and
best practices. From there, they articulated the added value they
would create for oldCape SIRs agents and staff and in turn conveyed
their eagerness to learn from them. Filling margins and portfolio
gaps was not and is not part of Larry and Pauls logic. Whats more,
maintaining the same leadership at oldCape SIR was critical to
ensure long-term success. Larry and Paul are only interested in
reflecting the best elements of both cultures and operating
approacheswhich is what attracted them to the company in the first
place.
The photograph of Larry and Howard side-by-side says it all,” says
Ferrara. “The emotion and camaraderie in this moment shows their
mutual respect for one another and their commitment to the success
of the transition, in both words and actions.
Matthew Ferrara is a professional philosopher, keynote
speaker, executive coach, and leadership trainer who has served as
a speaker and advisor to salespeople, managers and executives
across the globe. This year, Matthew joined the Gibson SIR family
as the in-house thinker for strategy, connecting the dots between
disciplines and applying creative and critical thinking to the
personal and professional lives of our agents and staff. Today,
Matthew delivers keynotes, workshops, and retreats in multiple
languages for professionals in real estate, sales, marketing,
technology, and product organizations. Atwo-time cancer survivor,
he has discovered that the most important thing in life is doing
noble workgiving his audiences a chance to express their deep inner
beliefs through their careers.
Stay tuned for Part II of our exclusive interview with
Ferraraas he exploresthe essential habits for a fulfilling
real estate career. . .