- 7 May, 2006 -

Regional director of Re/Max Malta Kevin Buttigieg recently announced the opening of a new franchise office in the St Paul's Bay area - Re/Max Park Estates. The office will be one of a series of franchised offices set to open shortly. The new office will be located at Villino Chapelle in Mosta Road and the franchise owners are Marlene Conti and Steven Bonnici, from Mellieha and Bahar ic-Caghaq respectively. Re/Max Malta now has a network of four offices in Malta. Real estate franchising is new to Malta. However it is a long-standing business in mainland Europe, Scandinavia, the Americas, Australia and South Africa, and is growing in popularity in the Middle East. Re/Max, also known as Real Estate Maximums, originally started in Denver, Colorado, 33 years ago, where Dave Lineger, founder and chairman of Re/Max, sold his first franchise to an Irish-American. Re/Max Europe was later founded in 1994, when Austrian-Canadians Frank Polzler and Walter Schneider, co-regional owners of the most successful region in North America, Ontario-Atlantic Canada, decided to go back to their own roots and set up the Re/Max Europe headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Today, Re/Max is the largest pan-European real estate franchising organisation in Europe, present in 29 countries with a total of 1,450 offices. Re/Max International (including Re/Max Europe) is now present in 63 countries and comprises 6, 500 offices and 117, 000 sales associates. Re/Max Malta plans to open other franchised offices in Balzan, Fgura and another two locations, which are currently being negotiated. However, selling a franchise is not the hardest part of being the master franchiser, although there has been a high demand from the Maltese and some foreigners to purchase a franchise from Re/Max Malta," Mr Buttigieg said. "Firstly, franchising is a selective process. The qualities of the individual or individuals wanting to buy a franchise from us have to fit the standard profile that Re/Max Europe sets." One highly important role of being a Re/Max master franchisor is to provide leadership and support to its franchise owners. For support, Re/Max Malta provides all franchises with a complete infrastructure, from a technology suite that includes a state-of-the-art property management database system, Website and Intranet to management consultancy, the Re/Max Career Development Model training modules for new and experienced associates, as well as the marketing of the brand on a national level. All franchise owners also need to attend a franchise owner training course specifically designed to assist in building their business. Although Re/Max provides the support it does not get involved in the day-to-day running of the franchises unless called upon. They provide all the tools and guidance to become a successful franchise, however, ultimately it is the owner's responsibility to promote growth and build their own business by recruiting associates and assisting them to excel in their careers. "Being in business for yourself but not by yourself," is how Mr Buttigieg sums up the Re/Max system. "We do everything to assist a franchise to become successful. However, at the end of the day, it is commitment together with a planned approach that will make a franchise a success. You are in business for yourself, but we are always there to assist." This is one of the reasons why Steve Bonnici and Marlene Conti chose to purchase their Re/Max franchise. "Marlene and I were attracted to Re/Max primarily because of its significant presence in Malta and also because of its leadership in the market in other countries around the world, Mr Bonnici said. "However, what really convinced us to take the step was the professional way Re/Max Malta conducts its business, from the regional directors and management to their associates."

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