Long & Foster Hires New SVP of Technology

Becky Blackman brings 30+ years of experience to her new position

The Long & Foster Companies, parent company of Long & Foster Real Estate—the nation’s No. 1 real estate brokerage*, has named Becky Blackman as its Senior Vice President of Technology. In her new role, Blackman will oversee Long & Foster’s Information Services division and advise its companies on all technology developments, driving transformation across the organization.

“I’m excited to join Long & Foster and help its real estate agents and partners in mortgage, title, insurance, moving and more, to leverage the best and latest technology solutions to achieve their goals, all while supporting area consumers in their home purchases and sales,” said Blackman. “Like real estate, information technology is ever-changing, and there are limitless opportunities for Long & Foster –our individual IT professionals, our companies and our agents – to grow into the future.”

Blackman brings over three decades of experience, most recently as Vice President of Technology and Information Security at an IT services and solution company. In that role, she developed and implemented the firm’s long-term IT strategy, oversaw its business continuity and security programs, and led operational planning to help the organization reach its business goals.

“Becky is an effective IT executive, who brings the hands-on technical abilities and leadership skills needed to achieve results for our company and to motivate high-performance teams like ours,” said Jeff Detwiler, CEO and president of The Long & Foster Companies. “I’m excited to welcome her to Long & Foster and even further expand our impressive suite of technology programs and platforms.”

In her new role, Blackman will oversee Long & Foster’s emerging technology solutions, as well as its existing agent-facing and internal applications. She will work across the organization to translate their business needs into technical solutions that deliver results for the companies and its customers. Blackman also serves as part of the regional IT leadership team across the broader HomeServices of America organization, reporting to HomeServices CIO Brent Grooms. In that role, she will work with Grooms and other regional HomeServices leaders to help drive technology standards, compliance initiatives and best practices.

Blackman is a graduate of George Mason University, where she received her Master of Science in Technology Management and a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration.

To learn more about Long & Foster, visit LongandFoster.com.

*As part of HomeServices of America

Luxury Home Sales Lead the Market in the Greater D.C. Region in Q2 2022

Long & Foster’s Quarterly Capital Region Market Report details trends in luxury real estate

Luxury home sales outpaced the traditional market in the Capital Region in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, according to Long & Foster Real Estate’s mid-year market report.

While sales of properties less than $1 million were down almost 17% in the first half of 2022, high-end homes—those priced above $1 million—increased over 8% from the same period the prior year. At the mid-way point of the year, we’re continuing to see inventory challenges, with a slight decline in the traditional market and a modest 2.5% increase in luxury.

“Looking ahead, we predict a more balanced market than we’ve had recently,” said Larry “Boomer” Foster, president of Long & Foster Real Estate. “With increased mortgage rates, we expect demand will cool, shifting from the strong sellers’ market we’ve had,” Foster added that for homebuyers who’d become frustrated with the lack of inventory, the number of homes on the market is expected to increase. Conversely, because the supply of homes available remains at record lows, it’s still a great time for sellers.

In addition to highlighting major trends in the D.C. region, the Long & Foster | Christie’s Capital Region Market Report spotlights individual neighborhoods. It also summarizes the local luxury market by the types of homes (for example, single family and townhomes) sold in individual neighborhoods, providing an in-depth analysis of the residential market. View the report in its entirety, here.

For more information about Long & Foster, visit LongandFoster.com.

Luxury Home Sales Lead the Market in Baltimore-Annapolis-Eastern Shore Region in Q2 2022

Long & Foster’s Quarterly Baltimore-Annapolis-Eastern Shore Market Report details trends in luxury real estate

Luxury home sales outpaced the traditional market in the Baltimore | Annapolis | Eastern Shore Region in the first half of 2022 compared to the same time period in 2021 according to Long & Foster Real Estate’s mid-year market report.

Long & Foster is the market leader in the Baltimore | Annapolis | Eastern Shore Region, bringing more luxury buyers and sellers together than any other broker in that region.

While sales of properties less than $1 million were down over 14% in the first half of 2022, high-end homes – those priced above $1 million – increased by double-digits (10%) from the same period the prior year. At the mid-way point of the year, we’re continuing to see inventory challenges, with a 6% decline in the traditional market and relatively no changes in luxury inventory.

In addition to highlighting major trends in the Central Maryland region, Long & Foster’s Baltimore/Annapolis/Eastern Shore Region Market Report spotlights individual neighborhoods. It also summarizes the local luxury market by the types of homes (for example, single-family and townhomes) sold in individual neighborhoods, providing an in-depth analysis of the residential market. View the report in its entirety, here.

Long & Foster is the nation’s No. 1 real estate company as part of HomeServices of America. For more information, visit longandfoster.com.

Long & Foster’s Roanoke Office Moves to New Location

The Roanoke, Virginia, office of Long & Foster Real Estate, the No. 1 real estate company in the United States, as part of HomeServices of America, has moved. Now located at 5324 Fallowater Lane, Suite 100, in Roanoke, the office is conveniently situated near downtown Roanoke, the Hotel Roanoke, Tanglewood Mall, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Roanoke Star. It is easily accessible to home buyers and sellers in the region and is home to over 85 Realtors, who are experts in the local market.

Jeff Reynolds serves as the office’s branch manager, supported by Sales Manager Donna Greer and executive administrators Reta Mitchell, Trina Yancey, Sydney Bowdel and Jodie Baker. Reynolds has over 35 years of real estate sales and leadership experience. Under his guidance, Long & Foster’s Roanoke office has become a highly productive team, often ranking as the No. 1 location in the company’s Southwest Virginia region.

“At Long & Foster, we’re dedicated to having the best trained and best equipped agents in the business, and this new office helps us to accomplish those goals—giving us a modern and functional workspace that promotes collaboration and education,” said Reynolds.

The new office features expansive space for agent training and education, as well as plenty of room for meeting with clients. In addition, Long & Foster’s partners in mortgage, title, insurance and moving operate all under one roof at the Roanoke office, making it as easy as possible for clients to connect with all the services they need to buy or sell a home. These representatives include Julie Elam, Marva Turner and Travis Fitch with Sage Title Group; Nicholas West with Prosperity Home Mortgage; Joe Toscano with Long & Foster Insurance; and Dylan Farish, Bryan Jarrell and Emmanuel Poulard with HomeServices Property Management, LLC.

Reynold’s excitement about the new facility was shared by Bobbie Holman, senior vice president and regional manager of Long & Foster’s Southwest Virginia region. “Roanoke has a thriving real estate market, and we’re in a prime position to grow our team and even better support the homebuyers, sellers and owners in our local market,” said Holman.

For more information about the office, visit LongandFoster.com/Roanoke-Va-Realty. You can also learn more about Long & Foster at LongandFoster.com.

Luxury Home Sales Lead the Market in Richmond Region in Q2 2022

Long & Foster’s Mid-Year Market Report details trends in real estate

Luxury home sales outpaced the traditional market in the greater Richmond region in the first half of 2022, compared to the same time period in 2021, according to Long & Foster Real Estate’s 2022 Mid-Year Richmond Region Market Report.

While sales of properties less than $1 million were down almost 11% in the first half of 2022, high-end homes—those priced above $1 million—more than doubled from the same period the prior year. It’s impressive growth for the high-end market, which, like most areas across the country, continues to experience inventory shortages.

In addition to highlighting major trends in the Richmond region, the Long & Foster’s Richmond Region Market Report spotlights individual neighborhoods. It also summarizes the local luxury market by the types of homes (for example, single-family and townhomes) sold in individual neighborhoods, providing an in-depth analysis of the residential market. View the report in its entirety here.

Navigating a changing market like ours isn’t easy, but with the expert guidance of the real estate professionals at Long & Foster, you can achieve success no matter the market conditions. Long & Foster’s team has decades of experience in the Richmond market and is the No. 1 real estate brokerage in the region.

Whether you’re planning to move or purchase an investment property, contact Long & Foster to guide you on your journey.

Southern Virginia Properties Joins Long & Foster

Long & Foster Real Estate has expanded its market-leading presence in the Southwest Virginia region, joining forces with local brokerage Southern Virginia Properties. Led by Realtor Elle Wilk, Southern Virginia Properties is known throughout the Martinsville-Henry and surrounding areas for providing friendly and reliable service to all its buyers and sellers.

Effective Aug. 15, 2022, the firm and its almost a dozen real estate agents became part of Long & Foster, operating as its new Martinsville office. Wilk will lead the office, with added support from Kermit Johnson, who manages Long & Foster’s nearby Smith Mt. Lake location. In addition to Wilk, joining Long & Foster are Angie Ancheta, Lisa Spencer, Birgit Delaidatti, Debbie Lawless, Eve Tilley, Mark Spencer, Dawn Brown, Amanda Justus, Teresa Campbell, Danielle Foster and Lindsey Godlove.

“Long & Foster is committed to growing our presence in Southwest Virginia and partnering with Southern Virginia Properties allows us to increase our footprint and better serve home buyers and sellers throughout the area,” said Bobbie Holman, senior vice president and regional manager of Long & Foster. “Additionally, having a leader like Elle who is active in the community provides us with a unique understanding of the local market and the needs of its residents.”

Wilk joined the real estate industry in 1998, and she has served as broker of Southern Virginia Properties since 2007. Under her leadership, the team consistently increased its market share in the local area—progressing to the No. 1 position in 2020. Wilk herself has also been included in the top 1% of all brokers in the Martinsville-Henry County area.

In addition to her real estate leadership and sales expertise, Wilk is active in both the local business and Realtor community. She is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and volunteers with community support programs like the Uptown Revitalization, Economic Development Corporation and Partnership for Economic Growth. She also previously served as President and MLS Director for the Martinsville, Henry and Patrick County Association of Realtors.

“I’m thrilled to join Long & Foster and look forward to helping our agents, as well as our clients, take advantage of the many marketing programs available to them through Long & Foster,” Wilk said. “Not only does Long & Foster have excellent brand recognition, but also it puts its agents and clients first—just as Southern Virginia Properties has always done.”

The Martinsville office operates through Long & Foster’s Elite Entrepreneur Platform, which allows agents to build their own business while aligning with the nation’s No. 1 real estate company, as part of HomeServices of America.

“Joining forces with Southern Virginia Properties and opening this new office aligns with Long & Foster’s plan to expand our ability to provide unparalleled customer service to our buyers and sellers,” said Larry “Boomer” Foster, president of Long & Foster Real Estate. “We have no doubt the new Martinsville office will become the go-to resource when consumers in this area of Virginia are looking to make confident, well-informed buying and selling decisions.”

For further information about the Martinsville location, contact Wilk at 276-340-5861. You can also visit SouthernVirginiaProperties.com.

Long & Foster Named a Top Workplace in Hampton Roads

Long & Foster Real Estate, the nation’s No. 1 residential real estate company*, has been named one of the Top Workplaces in the Hampton Roads area by Inside Business, The Hampton Roads Business Journal.

“We’re thrilled to be named as a top place to work in the Hampton Roads region,” said Tina Holt, senior vice president and regional manager of Long & Foster’s Hampton Roads region. “This award is a true testament to our agents and employees who work diligently to provide our clients with the best possible experience, while making Long & Foster the successful company that it is and maintaining our culture of trust, family and excellence.”

Long & Foster’s Hampton Roads regional leadership team celebrates at the Inside Business Top Workplaces luncheon.

The list of Top Workplaces is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization, including alignment, execution and connection, among others.

To learn more about Long & Foster, visit LongandFoster.com. You can view the full list of Top Workplaces at Inside Business.

Recognizing Our Team for Exceptional Service

Each year, Long & Foster recognizes two employees for their dedication to our customers and our team, and this year’s Long & Foster Family Awards were awarded to Alvin Williams and Cody Cooper. Alvin and Cody live Long & Foster’s commitment to delivering exceptional service, and they are known throughout our company for their positive attitudes, proactive approaches and responsiveness.

Here are some of the praises we received for Alvin and Cody in their nominations for this year’s awards. As part of the honor, they each received $5,000 in appreciation of their hard work.

About Alvin

Alvin works as a field technician with our Information Services division, supporting our Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County regions—two busy markets with dozens of offices and thousands of agents. Alvin’s commitment to his job and the individuals he supports is clearly shown in the four nominations he received for the Long & Foster Family Award—excerpts of which are shared below.

“Alvin always goes above and beyond. He is always available to answer questions for the staff and agents, fix every IT problem that hits the office. Alvin will plow through all the issues with a smile and song in his heart. Alvin is a rock star and a lifesaver for our office.”

“There are not enough words in the dictionary to describe Alvin and what he brings to the table. The love he obviously has for what he does comes through each time he is in the office. He is a wealth of knowledge and is very willing to share and teach. Everyone could take a page from Alvin’s playbook!”

“When Alvin Williams entered our lives, we were graced with a FRIEND, who not only excels in the IT world, but brings that same excellence when dealing with us as customers. In a job where he is constantly being bombarded with all sorts of pressing issues, Alvin ALWAYS gets back to us in a timely manner, with an ear to listen, a word of advice from his wealth of knowledge, and as if that wasn’t enough, he comes with a positive vibe and beautiful smile that says, ‘Have no fear. Alvin is here.’”

“I am nominating Alvin because he is always willing to solve our IT issues. He makes himself available, in person or by phone whenever he is needed. He has a great deal of patience with agents and employees of all levels. He does it with a smile on his face and takes the time to help us fill in those many gaps of understanding. He is a prime example of family, trust and excellence, and I am proud to call him my friend. We need more Alvins!”

About Cody

Cody is a property manager with HomeServices Property Management (HSPM) in the Raleigh, N.C., market. His helpful nature and team approach to the business benefits HSPM’s property owners and tenants, as well as its real estate partners and internal employees—which you can read about in portions of his nomination below.

“Cody exhibits all the traits in the criteria for recognition. First, he makes himself available for questions regardless of what he has going on at the time. He is a great listener and offers helpful advice. Also, his background as a sales agent provides helpful insight into many situations and he is always willing to share information. He also is very efficient in his work and is willing to share templates that he has created to help the rest of the team. He responds to requests in a timely manner and has a positive and professional approach to each situation. He is a great addition to our NC team and a pleasure to work with.”

In addition to Alvin and Cody, over 80 employees were nominated for Long & Foster Family Awards this year. You can view the full list below.

• Lisa Adams
• Kim Albright
• Brandy Aversa
• Carmin Brittain
• Karen Brown
• Pamela Callalli Fernandez
• Dave Capossela
• Tara Carmichael
• Donna Chilton
• Kathleen Chovnick
• Cody Cooper
• Jessica Davis
• Paula Davis
• Andrea Dexter
• Patrick Dolan
• Wael El Haddad
• Myron Euille
• Travis Fitch
• Helen Formica
• Rachel Foster
• Ivy Frank
• Julie Frank
• Stacia Frazier
• Jeremy Garrison
• Kelly Gough
• Shannon Gray
• Trudy Hall
• Jonathan Haller
• Timothy Hartlove
• Rebecca Herman
• Heidi Hinchey
• Candace Hix
• John Holtz
• Traci Hopkins
• Henny Hubbart
• Rosemary Inatome-Lerum
• Chris Jernigan
• Kathy Johnson
• Viviana Kelly
• Deborah Kennedy
• Ali Khaligh
• Stephen King
• Allison Korb
• Crystal Kosteleski
• Greg Lakatos
• John Leahy
• Mitchell Lee
• Daniela Lyons
• Brenda Martin
• Logan Matthews
• Damaris Mayen
• Tony McCord
• Lori McCullough
• Lee Renee McGinnis
• Sue McGraw-Boyd
• Rachel Moyes
• Nafez Mustafa
• Fatima Nakbeen
• Ali Newkirk
• Becky Newsome
• Erica Panjehshahi
• Kirstie Patterson
• Suzanne Pilcher
• Reiko Regan
• Yolanda Roberson
• Brandon Rutter
• Greg Scott
• Nate Skowronsky
• Cindy Snyder
• Susan Soberanis
• Danielle Somadelis
• Dashti Taha
• Francis Truax
• Lan Truong
• Michelle Turner
• Marnie Wade
• Allenia Washington
• Deena Watson
• Danyelle Wiley
• Alvin Williams
• Aric Zaky

Long & Foster’s Cindy Ariosa Recognized as a 2022 Woman of Influence by HousingWire

Magazine recognizes outstanding efforts in driving the U.S. housing economy forward

Long & Foster Real Estate is proud to announce Cindy Ariosa, senior vice president and regional manager, has been recognized by HousingWire on their 2022 Women of Influence list.

As the first national program of its kind, this list was launched by HousingWire to recognize the significant contributions of women to both real estate and mortgage banking. In particular, it takes a look at those who are making outstanding efforts in driving the U.S. economy forward.

Winners were selected by HousingWire’s editors for their significant contributions to their respective fields over the last 12 months. HousingWire takes a look at their energy, ideas, achievements, commitment to excellence and progress when making their selections. Hundreds of nominations were received from across the country, but only a few were selected out of the diverse range of professionals submitted.

The complete list of the 2022 Women of Influence winners will be announced in the August issue of HousingWire magazine.

Ariosa has been with Long & Foster for over 20 years and serves as senior vice president for the Baltimore/Eastern Shore/Western Maryland regions. She has grown the company in her region from 22 to more than 40 offices. Specializing in business development, coaching, technology, recruitment and retention, Ariosa has led over 2,000 sales associates to reach record numbers in sales in the region.

“Long & Foster is proud that HousingWire has recognized Cindy on their Women of Influence list,” said Larry “Boomer” Foster, president of Long & Foster Real Estate. “Cindy has been described by her peers as a pillar of the Realtor community, who continually educates agents, advocates for the profession and serves extensively in the broader community.

Long & Foster Real Estate is the nation’s No. 1 real estate company as part of HomeServices of America. For more information, visit LongandFoster.com.

Long & Foster Gives Back at 25th Annual Community Service Day Event

The Long & Foster Companies, parent company of Long & Foster Real Estate, hosted its 25th annual Community Service Day for its corporate headquarters staff on July 28.

The annual community service event allows hundreds of employees at the company’s home office in Chantilly, Virginia to serve their community for a day. In past years, these activities included cleaning up, refurbishing, and repairing nearby parks, schools, shelters, and homes, gathering and packing wholesome snacks for schoolchildren, donating and preparing kits of hygiene items for a shelter, and providing other assistance to local organizations that offer crucial services to the community.

This year, the company’s headquarter’s employees rolled up their sleeves to support Cornerstones, a nonprofit organization based in Reston, Virginia, that helps connect families and individuals with the resources to achieve stability and self-sufficiency. Employees donated a variety of healthy snacks and packaged them in more than 500 individual bags to be distributed to children to enjoy at Cornerstone’s many area summer camps and after-school programs.

“Since our founding more than 50 years ago, we’ve been dedicated to giving back to the communities in which we live and work, and our annual Community Service Day event is one example of how we do that,” said Jeffrey S. Detwiler, president and chief executive officer of The Long & Foster Companies. “Community Service Day allows our team to make a positive impact on our local communities, and our employees thoroughly enjoy this opportunity to contribute their time and effort. Whether it’s through our annual Community Service Day or one of our other charitable projects, we’re truly glad to give back.”

In addition to its dedication to serving the community, Long & Foster Real Estate is committed to the success of its sales associates and is an industry leader in providing the latest and best tools, technology and training.

For more information, visit LongandFoster.com.