NEW YORK – February 8, 2016 – MiLL RE, a modern real estate brokerage with traditional ideals of client service, has launched in New York City, opening its first office in Long Island City as Queens will be a particular focus area, while servicing the greater NYC area.
NYC real estate broker Jermain Miller decided to build his own firm from scratch, when after years of closing sales and rental deals in Queens, while working from an array of “big brokerages” who didn’t focus on the borough nor had offices located within it, influential names in the industry encouraged him to open one with the approach Queens has needed.
The New York City brokerages that did have systems, branding and technology, didn’t look at Queens as an area to spend their time and resources, while the small, established brokerages and single brokers in the area weren’t keeping up with the needed modern tools or the level of client interaction that customers now desire and expect, so Miller set out to build one that “did it all, while keeping it a personal boutique team.”
Taking the time to build a strong and steady foundation, Miller first collected an initial team of agents he knew, respected and could rely upon to uphold the brand he wanted to create, one where … the agents knew and loved the neighborhoods they choose, where ethics and honor are the daily norm not a remarked-upon exception, where the clients’ goals to sell or buy or rent are the agents’ mutual goals, one where superior attention is paid to every nuance of a client interaction and deal detail, and where the agents have fun while growing careers and their own personal wealth while enhancing their clients’ lives and real estate holdings.
Miller, the father of three toddlers, has started viewing much of the world through the eyes of a parent; and MiLL RE and its agents are now an extension of his family.
“The agents aren’t my kids, but in some ways I approach them the same way: I know each of my sons are different, are in different phases of their growing up and learning, just like agents are. My youngest couldn’t walk when he was six months old, as that’s not what you do when you’re six months old; you’re busy learning other important things. Just like some of my agents are already up and running in their careers and selling townhouses and new development condos, while others are just out of real estate school and looking to me to learn about becoming a NYC real estate agent,” said Miller. “I enjoy that. I much prefer meeting an agent and seeing who they are and if they will fit in well with the MiLL RE family, where we work together and help each other rather than compete against each other, and I like personally helping them learn to be the best agent they can be.”
He always tells his agents: “Define your why. My why is helping make sure my team is successful. I believe in conscious focus and making sure to live your life by design, so agents need to create their own schedule to be successful. None of us got into real estate to become the assistants to top producers; we got into it to be business owners.”
To that end, he supports their work and growth, making sure the new brokerage has a quality website, materials to market their exclusives and to present to clients, access to technology and any services necessary to excel, as well as a human infrastructure to learn from and lean on every day.
MiLL RE is both a member of REBNY and MLS, something not many brokerages in the area are – some belong to one, or neither, but Miller felt it essential that the brokerage work with the ethics and standards of the two, and expose their listings to the full range of options available to them and welcome co-broking with others to bring the most buyers and renters to a property.
The MiLL RE team is now at 12 agents and will grow as Miller meets individuals that would continue to enhance the brokerage ideals. It currently focuses on Long Island City, Astoria, Woodside, Forest Hills, Ditmas Park, Sunnyside and Rego Park and parts of Brooklyn, all neighborhoods where MiLL RE agents live now or have grown up through the years. MiLL RE handles residential re-sales and rentals, new construction projects, as well as select commercial transactions.
Just like many major sports teams do their best bonding out of practice and game time, MiLL RE believes in having very regular team dinners, and instead of having a standard holiday party with the usual food/drink for their first holiday season together, Miller rented out a luxury box to watch the Nets play, while also having fun socializing. Next year, he plans a trip to somewhere warm for the whole team to celebrate their achievements, with some getting extra perks if they meet their agreed-upon production goals.
ABOUT MiLL RE
MiLL RE is a Queens-based real estate brokerage focused on residential and commercial sales and leasing. Their team knows, loves and lives in the neighborhoods they serve, including Long Island City, Astoria, Woodside, Forest Hills, Ditmas Park, Sunnyside and Rego Park and parts of Brooklyn. Jermain Miller founded the NYC brokerage in 2015 to fill an unmet need in the area for a brokerage with modern technologies and means to market exclusives, while maintaining a personal touch with every buyer, seller, renter, landlord and developer. For more information: www.millre.com