Keller Williams Realty Expands into Costa Rica

Published
02/24/2015 by

Keller Williams, the world’s largest real estate franchise by agent count, announced that it has awarded its first region in Central America to a group of business leaders led by Allen Lungo.

“Over the past six years, I’ve talked with hundreds of Keller Williams agents and all of them have said it is the best company with which they have ever worked and they could never imagine leaving it,” Lungo said. “I am convinced it is the right choice for me, our real estate company and Costa Rica.”

Trained as an architect, Lungo holds an MBA from UCLA and has compiled an impressive track record of business success in management, design, construction and finance in cities including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. In 2004, he founded the Summerland Group and serves as broker for Costa Rica Real Estate Store. Lungo has helped grow Summerland into the largest, fully integrated investor consulting and vacation support business on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast. The company operations involve more than 350 residential and commercial properties including nine resort locations and offers services including real estate sales, property management and insurance and mortgage consulting.

“We are constantly looking for the right business leaders to share the Keller Williams mission, vision and culture around the world,” said Keller Williams CEO Chris Heller. “We are excited by the opportunity to work with Allen and his talented team to help real estate professionals in Costa Rica grow their business and serve clients at the very highest level.”

Lungo is committed to enhancing education and professionalism for real estate professionals in Costa Rica and promoting sustainable growth. He is president of the Costa Rica Global Association of Realtors, is a frequent presenter at international real estate conferences and has chaired an initiative to introduce a national multiple listing service in Costa Rica.

“Costa Rica has an unlicensed professional environment where voluntary associations provide the only training available,” Lungo said. “We want to apply the models, training, and market momentum of Keller Williams to set a new professional standard for Costa Rica. The launch of KW Costa Rica will help agents, investors and consumers.”

Keller Williams, which is home to more than 112,000 associates around the world, announced the plans during its Family Reunion convention in Florida. The U.S.-based company started expanding beyond North America in 2012, and has awarded regions covering dozens of countries, including Dubai, Indonesia, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, the UK and Vietnam. The company is growing rapidly. In 2013, the number of associates outside of North America more than doubled and the number of market centers or offices more than tripled. After a series of record-setting years for agent growth, productivity and profitability, the company is on its way to becoming the worldwide leader in closed transactions and sales volume.

“Keller Williams is committed to helping agents succeed in their local markets,” Keller Williams President John Davis said. “It’s what agents do in their local markets that builds their businesses and makes them the real estate expert of choice. And that means more opportunities for agents and, more importantly, more opportunities for their families. We’re excited to welcome KW Costa Rica to our growing international family.”

To explore opportunities to join the KW Costa Rica team, visit kwworldwide.com/kw-costa-rica.

About Keller Williams Realty, Inc.:

Keller Williams Realty, Inc. is the largest real estate franchise by agent count in the world, with 700 offices and 112,000 associates in more than a dozen countries around the world. In 2014, Keller Williams was named the No. 1 training organization in real estate and No. 2 training organization across all industries in the world by Training Magazine’s annual “Training 125” list. The company has grown exponentially since the opening of the first Keller Williams Realty office in 1983, and continues to cultivate an agent-centric, education-based, technology-driven culture that rewards associates as stakeholders. The company also provides specialized agents in luxury homes and commercial real estate properties. For more information or to search for homes for sale visit Keller Williams Realty online at (http://www.kw.com).