Rick Laws, Sonoma County Industry Leader, Joins Team
SAN FRANCISCO, California. (December 14, 2011) – Building on the momentum of growth in Northern California, plus a recent hire, Pacific Union International (PUI) announced today that Rick Laws, previously Managing Broker of Coldwell Banker’s Santa Rosa office, has joined the company.
Laws, who directed the strategic and day-to-day operations of Sonoma County’s #1 ranking real estate operation with a team of more than 100 real estate professionals, has more than 25 years of sales experience.
“We’re excited Rick has joined the PUI team as the ultimate leader to precisely drive our strategic growth in Santa Rosa, Healdsburg and Petaluma. Rick will lead the opening of our new company-owned operation in Santa Rosa in the first quarter of 2012, following on the heels of terminating our previous franchise operation a few months ago, ” said Mark A. McLaughlin, CEO of PUI. “The combination of Rick Laws driving our strategic growth in Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Healdsburg, together with Jill Silvas’ leadership in our already established Sonoma operation, represents the beginning of Sonoma County’s dream real estate team.
Jill Silvas commented, “Rick has an unparalleled knowledge of real estate in Sonoma County and media outlets rely on his monthly reports with market statistics and analysis of the local market. His eagerness to tap his extensive network in Sonoma County to hire the real estate industry’s finest talent matches our growth strategy. Plus, his dedication to client service aligns with PUI: a luxury brand defined by the service, expertise and quality of the people. ”
As of November 30, 2011, Sonoma County has a 2.7 month supply of single family homes currently available, a statistic that reinforces a sellers’ market environment (4 to 6 months is considered a balanced market). PUI saw an increase of 45% in number of $1 million and higher single family home sales, average days on the market has dropped 44%. PUI is poised for aggressive Sonoma County regional expansion.
Commenting on the new position, Laws said, “Joining Pacific Union International gives me the opportunity to create a very special team of real estate professionals focused on establishing PUI as the most respected group of professionals in the region. PUI’s luxury brand, in terms of its services for clients and its professional staff, is well known in the market. The company’s entrepreneurial management team and state-of-the art marketing platform strength offer extraordinary resources for experienced real estate professionals and, of course, their clients,” noted Laws.
Market Momentum Continues
In the past six months, PUI has added proven bench strength to a proven, top-ranked team, including:
• Sonoma County’s #8 ranked real estate sales professional, Doug Swanson
• Three top-ranking teams from McGuire and Sotheby’s joined PUI’s San Francisco office.
• Two top East Bay teams joined PUI’s Orinda and Danville offices, including the #1 real estate professional in Contra Costa County, as well as a number of top performing professionals in Marin, Sonoma and Napa Counties.
• Opened two new East Bay offices (Danville and Orinda)—with a third in the works (Lafayette).
Directed by McLaughlin and long-time real estate industry professional Jill Silvas, Branch Executive of the Sonoma office, PUI is actively pursuing a Sonoma / Santa Rosa expansion via key agent additions (including Laws and Swanson) and new office locations. PUI’s long-standing stronghold in Marin County is powered by a team that includes 70% of the top 40 agents and is well positioned to fuel PUI’s expanded reach in Santa Rosa, Sonoma and beyond.
PUI is the second largest brokerage company serving the six counties of the Bay area. Its agents have the highest productivity among the region’s professionals. The company regularly records the highest average sale price in the region each quarter since it was created by the merger of Pacific Union Real Estate Group and Morgan Lane Marin, Inc. in 2009.
For more information, contact:
Jenny Randall
Revv Group, LLC
Jenny@RevvGoup.com
415-279-9893
About Pacific Union International
Pacific Union International (PUI) is the San Francisco Bay Area’s premier international luxury real estate brand operating in six counties including Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco and Sonoma for 35 years. Locally owned, PUI leadership operates with an entrepreneurial mindset and unwavering commitment to invest in the right people, processes and tools to ensure deep, long-standing client and agent relationships. In 2009, its team of over 425+ real estate professionals achieved #1 ranking in average sales price and #1 ranking for professional productivity in all six counties. Through its exclusive relationship with Christie’s International Real Estate in the San Francisco Bay Area, Pacific Union delivers international reach in its property marketing programs and provides clients with access to international investors. Pacific Union is a luxury brand defined by the service, expertise and quality of the people.