AUSTIN, TEXAS July 18, 2019 — Keller Williams (KW), the world’s largest real estate technology franchise by agent count, is expanding across Asia. As momentum continues, KW has awarded a new master license in Malaysia. As of June 30, the brand has 52 market centers and 1,586 agents across Asia.
David Ong will serve as the regional operating principal of Malaysia. Ong currently serves as the president and founder of the Petaling Jaya, Malaysia-based Reapfield Group, which will transition into a KW license.
“We’re excited to be welcoming David and his amazing leaders in Malaysia to our KW global family,” said William E. Soteroff, president of Keller Williams Worldwide (KWW), the international division of Keller Williams. “David’s leadership team brings with them decades of experience growing an agent-centric brokerage model that’s in near perfect alignment with KW.”
Founded in 1984, Reapfield currently offers a broad range of real estate marketing, advisory, management and transactional services to clients across Malaysia. The firm has 11 offices in the country.
More than 800 real estate professionals will make the transition to the KW Malaysia master license. Ong and his leadership team have turned Reapfield into a household name in Malaysia. He credits the success of the firm to finding and hiring the right people with character.
“As things are changing fast globally, the need to evolve and adapt is only increasing,” said Ong. “And, for that reason, we’re proud to partner with Keller Williams.”
“We need that leadership they bring and feel the time is perfect to leverage our efforts, join with the industry’s foremost leader, and engage on their growing real estate smart cloud platform,” said Ong.
In Q4 ‘19, the rebrand of Reapfield into KW Malaysia is expected to complete.
Malaysia marks the ninth KW master license in Asia. The brand’s other eight regions include Cambodia; Dubai, UAE; Greater Shanghai, China; Indonesia; Israel; the Philippines; Turkey; and Vietnam.
“The vision of the KW Malaysia team is massive. With more than 800 agents already, they understand the interdependent model deeply, and they see the enormous opportunity of growing it throughout Asia,” said Soteroff.
As of June 30, KWW has 206 market centers (outside of U.S. and Canada) across 38 regions. KWW has 8,075 agents collectively operating outside the U.S. and Canada, up 20.9% since the end of Q2 ‘18.
KWW is currently exploring further expansion opportunities across Africa, Central and South America, Central and Eastern Europe, and throughout Asia.
Core criteria for new licenses starts with having a qualified leadership team grounded in the Keller Williams culture; the company also strives for government, banking and judicial system stability and a higher maturity level for a real estate market.
Outside of the U.S. and Canada, KWW regions include Argentina; Belgium; Belize; Bermuda; Cambodia; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Czech Republic; Dubai, UAE; France; Greater Shanghai, China; Greece; Indonesia; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Jamaica; Luxembourg; Malaysia; Mexico; Monaco; Morocco; Nicaragua; Northern Cyprus; Panama; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Puerto Rico; Romania; Southern Africa; Southern Cyprus; Spain; Trinidad and Tobago; Turkey; United Kingdom; and Vietnam.
Austin, Texas-based Keller Williams, the world’s largest real estate technology franchise by agent count, has more than 1,030 offices and 180,000 associates. The firm is also No. 1 in units and sales volume in the United States.
In 2019, Fast Company named Keller Williams the No. 1 “Most Innovative Company” in real estate. In 2015, KW began its evolution into a technology company, now building the real estate platform that agents’ buyers and sellers prefer.
Since 1983, the company has cultivated an agent-centric, technology-driven and education-based culture that rewards agents as stakeholders. For more information, visit kwworldwide.com.
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