UCCB wins major international marketing award
United Country Colorado Brokers wins Major International Marketing Award
June 18, 2023
–Hotchkiss, Colorado—
At the recent 2023 international convention for United Country Real Estate in Gulf Shores, Alabama, many awards were handed out for top sales agents, top listing offices, and other metrics for outstanding sales performance. In fact, sales numbers for the United Country franchisees defied national trends of decline, as UC sales were up 20% nationwide in 2022.
Founded in 1925 by Roscoe Chamberlain, United Country has been listing and selling farms, ranches, country homes, vacation properties, hunting land, recreation properties, mountain land, and luxury estates for almost 100 years. The franchise has approximately 550 offices across the United States, and also has offices in Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, and Australia.
Of those 550 offices, however, only one office is honored each year for outstanding marketing efforts. Named the Genesis Award, it is given to the one single office that best exemplifies innovative and outstanding marketing techniques in the United Country franchise system. This year’s winner was Gary Hubbell, ALC, of United Country Colorado Brokers & Auctioneers, with offices in Hotchkiss and Carbondale, Colorado.
Mike Duffy, President of United Country, said “We are excited to recognize Gary and his exceptional team, who have consistently driven innovation in real estate marketing for ranch, mountain, and other niche lifestyle and country properties. Their visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to providing cutting-edge advertising and marketing services for their clients have translated into outstanding sales performance.” United Country hosts regional training meetings every spring and Hotchkiss was chosen as the location for several western states in 2022. Mr. Duffy spent several days in the North Fork Valley and enjoyed a day of fly fishing on the Gunnison River down to Pleasure Park.
He continues, “Among their many accomplishments are advancements in website SEO, helping client listings to rank very high in Google searches, crafting visually captivating advertising and brochures in both print and digital formats, and authoring expert blogs and articles that have been published in leading national real estate-centric magazines and websites. These unique and innovative advertising strategies have consistently secured their position as a top-performing office nationwide, year after year. Their extraordinary marketing achievements and skills have been recognized and valued by peers within our national network and across the lifestyle real estate industry. This year, we are proud to honor them with the prestigious Genesis Award, a testament to their remarkable leadership and the indelible impact they’ve made in marketing and advertising within United Country.”
Commenting on the award, “I was actually a little shocked that we won such a prestigious award,” says Gary, who has been brokering rural properties since 2007. “Yes, we have won over a dozen national auction marketing awards in the past, but I thought any recognition would go to my son, Jake, for the ‘Rising Star’ award, since he has done so well the past couple of years and he just turned 27. To join this amazing fraternity of United Country’s Genesis Award winners is a true honor.”
Asked for the keys to their marketing success, Gary reflects for a moment before answering. “Well, I started cashing checks as a professional photographer way back in the 1980’s, so I’ve always understood the power of great imagery. I’ve been privileged to work on campaigns for international brand names such as Coors, Marlboro, Sig Sauer, and Remington, so I know what high-quality work looks like. However, we’ve always embraced new technology. Jake was one of the very first FAA-certified drone pilots in Western Colorado. We use an awesome mapping software; we have an excellent online platform for buyers to walk through luxury homes; and our websites consistently rank on the first page of Google for relevant search results. And the results speak for themselves. We just put a ranch under contract with a buyer who still has to come walk the property. He said he didn’t need to see it right away—our marketing explained the property so well that he felt comfortable putting it under contract before even seeing it in person.”
United Country Colorado Brokers & Auctioneers has expanded to cover a wide swath of Western Colorado. “We have 11 agents strategically located across the western half of the state,” Gary Hubbell explains. “From Loma to Grand Junction, Rifle, Glenwood Springs, Basalt, and Aspen, and then over to Hotchkiss, Crawford, and Montrose, we help buyers and sellers achieve their real estate goals.”
# # #
Gary Hubbell, ALC 970-872-3322, grandviewranch@gmail.com
