The Rand NewsReal

Joe Rand, our Editor-in-Chief and lead contributor is the Chief Creative Officer at Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty.

He is the founder of the “Client-Oriented Real Estate” (“CORE”) school of real estate education, based on the idea that real estate agents should build their business by learning how to be great at the job of helping clients buy and sell homes.

He has been a featured speaker and moderator at Real Estate Connect, the RIS Media CEO Conference, the Women’s Council of REALTORS Annual Conference, and many other industry events.

He is a regular contributor to Inman Media, writing about industry issues mostly relating to agent education and client service.

He is a graduate of Georgetown University, Georgetown Law Center, Stanford Law School, and a former law professor at Brooklyn Law School and Fordham Law School.

He lives in Nyack, New York with his wife and two children.

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services Named Most Innovative Brokerage by LeadingRE for Pioneering the Buy & Borrow Bundle

The Howard Hanna Family of Companies, spanning 13 states in the East and Midwest,  received 20 awards across multiple categories at the 2025 LeadingRE Awards  PITTSBURGH (March 4, 2025) – Howard Hanna Real Estate Services has been recognized as the Most Innovative Brokerage by Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) for its groundbreaking Buy & Borrow […]
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Howard Hanna Rand Realty Leads 2024 Middletown Community’s Choice Awards

Howard Hanna Rand Realty has once again emerged victorious in the 2024 Middletown Community’s Choice Awards, claiming the coveted title of Best Real Estate Company for the 10th consecutive year. This achievement highlights the firm’s unwavering commitment to service excellence and community leadership. The company’s success extended to individual recognition, with June Cosgrove Hays earning […]
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Howard Hanna Rand Realty Announces Key Leadership Appointments in Westchester, Bronx, Putnam, and Connecticut Regions

White Plains, NY, [October 8, 2024] — Howard Hanna Rand Realty is excited to announce two significant leadership appointments to strengthen its team and support its growth strategy. These changes aim to enhance recruitment efforts and ensure continued success across the Westchester, Bronx, Putnam, and Connecticut regions. Joe Maymi has been named Regional Growth Manager […]
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Howard Hanna | Rand Realty Introduces the Buy & Borrow Bundle

NANUET, NY (July 22, 2024) – Howard Hanna | Rand Realty is proud to announce the launch of its Buy & Borrow Bundle, a program designed to offer significant savings and convenience for homebuyers. This innovative program combines mortgage and real estate services, providing a seamless and cost-effective home buying experience aimed at promoting homeownership […]
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Howard Hanna Rand Realty Welcomes the MIGO Team to Monroe-Woodbury Office

Howard Hanna Rand Realty is thrilled to announce that Frank Golio and Nick Miessmer, formerly of the Hudson Valley Realty Center, are joining our Monroe-Woodbury office as the MIGO Team. This strategic move brings together two dynamic forces in the Hudson Valley real estate market, further strengthening our position in the region.   “We are […]
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Celebrating Excellence: Howard Hanna Rand Realty Agents Shine in RealTrends Verified Rankings

At Howard Hanna Rand Realty, we are thrilled to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our agents who have been recognized in the prestigious RealTrends “RealTrends Verified” rankings this year. This recognition is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment to serving our clients with excellence. The RealTrends Verified rankings are an esteemed […]
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Plawker Real Estate Merges With Local Real Estate Leader Howard Hanna Rand Realty

Plawker Real Estate, one of Bergen County’s leading brokers, is excited to announce that it has joined forces with real estate leader Howard Hanna Rand Realty. The Plawker Real Estate office will now operate as Howard Hanna Rand Realty – Plawker Group. Additionally, the Plawker Commercial office will now operate as Rand Commercial – Plawker […]
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Howard Hanna | Rand Realty the newest members of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and Luxury Portfolio International®

Howard Hanna | Rand Realty was recently awarded affiliate status in Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and its luxury marketing division, Luxury Portfolio International®, CEO Matt Rand announced today.  Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) is a global real estate community comprised of 550 real estate companies awarded membership based on […]
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Howard Hanna | Rand Realty forms technology partnership with RealScout to bring new services to clients.

On the heels of their recent announcement that they’ve formed a strategic partnership with Howard Hanna Real Estate, the newly created Howard Hanna | Rand Realty is announcing a new technology partner in RealScout.   RealScout provides a computer vision-enhanced technology that helps home shoppers zero-in on the properties that they would be most interested […]
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Rand Realty Associate Broker Barbara-Ann Cesaro-Benson Named REALTOR® Associate of the Year

Bronx, NY—Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Associate Broker, Barbara-Ann Cesaro-Benson has been named REALTOR® Associate of the Year by the Bronx Board of Realtors. She was unanimously selected by the Banquet Committee to receive the prestigious REALTOR® Associate of the Year Award. This is the second time she is receiving this honor, the first in 2005 Cesaro-Benson, born and raised in the Bronx, is an expert in the lower Westchester County and the Bronx real estate markets. A real […]

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Real Estate & Racing: A Winning Combination

RJ Smith likes to win.  Not only is he an ace broker here at Rand Realty, but he is a competitive race car driver and his car recently won the track championship for the third year in a row, with six wins. Racing with the official Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty hot rod, RJ raced in Formula 2000s across the country, and now goes dirt track racing every weekend, April through October.  “The Rand hot rod has won the […]

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Congratulations to Wyckoff Agent Anne Ryan – Named Among Bergen County’s Best Realtors®

Congratulations to Anne Ryan, one of our star agents in the Wyckoff, NJ office, who has been voted second place as “Best Realtor” for (201) Magazine’s 13th Annual Best of Bergen Poll. As a lifelong resident of Bergen County, Anne has extensive knowledge and understanding of the cities and municipalities in the area and is an expert on what each has to offer. Her familiarity with Bergen, Hudson, Passaic, Morris and Essex counties makes her a top choice for anyone […]

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Property Spotlight: Historic Colonial Hits the Market in White Plains Fully Renovated 1700s Westchester County Home Offered for Sale at $1,435,000

White Plains, NY —- Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty has announced the listing of a historic 1710 colonial set on a beautiful 1.2-acre property for $1,435,000. The 3,471 square foot home offers classical elegance and historic charm throughout its 4 bedrooms and 3½ baths and is filled with 1700s historic touches including original architectural features. Fully renovated, the home also offers the best of contemporary living and design and is located in the heart of White Plains, a short […]

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Rand Realty Welcomes Top  Performing Agent, Annette Cicinelli

White Plains, NY—Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty announced that Annette Cicinelli, who has sold over $20M in homes, has joined the Yorktown and White Plains offices. Annette, who has risen to the top of the industry as a seasoned agent at Coldwell Banker and then Houlihan Lawrence, began her career in real estate in 1999. Known as “The Real Estate Girl,” she has been a successful REALTOR®  for 20 years, serving the entirety of Westchester County, and holds a […]

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Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Property Spotlight: Spectacular Home by Award Winning Architect Hits the Market in Scarsdale for $2,899,000

Scarsdale, NY– Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty has announced the listing of a gorgeous, move-in ready five bedroom, six+ bathroom contemporary colonial, designed by award-winning architect Eran Chen featuring a loft-like flow and situated at the end of a cul-de-sac. With over 6,000 square feet of bright, sun-filled living space, the house features floor-to-ceiling windows set off by black oak floors, along with state-of-the-art LED lighting. The kitchen is the heart of the home, designed by Vicente Wolf and […]

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Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Announces the Promotion of Deborah Clark, Manager of the New Windsor Office

New Windsor, NY—Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty announced the promotion of real estate veteran Deborah Clark to become the new manager of Rand Realty’s New Windsor office. Deborah has served as manager of the Pine Bush office for two-and-a-half years and will continue to act as manager there as well.  She will take over for Wayne Patterson, the previous New Windsor office manager, who will continue his career at Rand Realty, focusing on sales in the Warwick office. “Deborah […]

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Congrats to Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Agents Named to HGAR’s 2019 Leadership Team!

Congratulations to the new Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors (HGAR) Leadership team for 2019 – which now includes nine of BHG Rand Realty agents and managers!  In particular, super kudos to Renee Zurlo, Rand Realty General Manager Greater Hudson Valley Region, who was named HGAR President for the fourth consecutive year. Renee also earned the title of HGAR’s “Realtor of the Year” for 2018. We are so excited and proud of this incredible accomplishment. The HGAR Board of the Directors […]

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Renee Zurlo Takes on New Role as General Manager, Greater Hudson Valley Region for Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty

Nanuet, NY—Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty’s Renee Zurlo has been named General Manager of the Greater Hudson Valley region, covering Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster Counties. Renee will be overseeing 11 offices in her new role. Previously, Renee served as the Orange County Regional Manager at Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty. She has been a REALTOR® for over 24 years and has been with Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty for the past ten years. “I am thrilled […]

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Joe Rand’s Year-Round Resolutions: The Secret to Success Is to Think Big and Set Realistic Goals

The first months of a New Year is always a fast-paced period amid a flurry of activity — jumping back into work that was put on hold during the holidays and kick-starting a host of new projects.  Every successful businessperson knows that this can also be the ideal time to plan for the months and year ahead, as well as to reflect on what worked and what didn’t in the previous year. Joe Rand recently provided more than 265 of […]

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