First Team Real Estate launches a m arketing program dedicated to the sale of luxury properties

Among Orange County s largest, most successful residential brokerage firms, First Team Real Estate has launched a new marketing program dedicated to the high-end market. Named First Estates, this new division will handle residential properties valued in excess of $700,000, according to Steve Mathis, executive director "Our goal is to revolutionize the way luxury properties are marketed and sold, thereby becoming Orange County s premier estate-brokerage firm , Mathis said. According to Mathis, the affluent market is growing as baby boomers enter their peak earning years. The number of people in California who reported earning $1 million or more rose 66 percent between 1994 and 1996. In Orange County, the number of homes that sold for $1 million or more increased by 50 percent in 1997, and 28 percent during the first eight months of 1998. We recognize this trend of a growing high-end market, and we re answering the call, Mathis said. We re combining the most advanced technology with sophisticated marketing tools that are far superior to anything available in the market today. " denotes the uncommon approach the com pany is taking to market uncommon properties. It also pertains to the fact that sales executives, who are members of the First Estates program, have been provided with uncommon, stateof-the-art tools and marketing-support systems unsurpassed in the industry, according to a company representative. First Estates contains two key programs: Offered by no other realty firm , Marketing Mastery is a complete marketing system for sellers that is designed to create demand and maximize the value of the home. Higher Ground is an advanced property-locating and viewing system for buyers. Its state-of-the-art technology and efficient procedures help buyers find the perfect luxury home. W e ve had a proven track record with residential real estate over the last two decades, and believe this strategic move better positions us to serve customers at all levels of the market, Mathis said. We re very excited about the innovative strategies and techve the high-end customer in a way they have never been served before. First Team Real Estate was founded by President Cameron Merage in 1974 with a single office in Huntington Beach, and four sales associates. Today, First Team is the largest residential brokerage firm in Orange County with 16 sales offices and more than 900 sales associates, the representative said. Based in Costa Mesa, First Team has consistently reached $1 billion in sales every year since 1990, and is projected to reach $2.5 billion in 1998, the representative