River Point Realty was founded in December 2016 by Ryan Brown as the principal owner. It initially started with just a handful of agents but has grown to over a dozen agents within the first 18 months. The brokerage originated and is still headquartered in its inaugural office space in the heart of Ben Avon, with a second office recently opening in Bridgeville. All of the original staff and agents are still with the company as RPR fosters a small family style culture where agents help each other and grow more successful together. Since this is a small business, they aren’t necessarily departments. Andrea, who was my mentor throughout this experience, has the title of Director of Marketing. She is one of the only personnel not involved in real estate. The other person who is not an agent is Michelle, who is the operations manager. At River Point Realty, we have many agents but we also have two real estate teams, The Bob Stienstraw Team and The Morgan Mackey Team. Both of these teams have a team lead, which are the people the teams are named after. Each team has one or two agents and they help each other get listings, find clients, etc. While I was the only marketing intern, there were two other interns that focused on the real estate and sales side of things. We didn’t get the chance to collaborate on any projects, but it was nice that I wasn’t the only young kid in the office. All agents and personnel report to Ryan Brown, the brokerage owner, but are pretty independent since it is the real estate industry.
River Point Realty shares its office with Red Key Management Solutions. They are an independent property management company serving local communities such as Bellevue, Avalon, Ben Avon, Emsworth, Ross Twp, West View, North Hills locations and North Side Pittsburgh locations. They also act as a property advisor to their clients. RKMS advises clients on real estate investment, acquisitions, financing, strategic decision making, capital repairs, and market updates. Red Key works independently and in collaboration with River Point.
As an intern, I was able to build relationships with almost everyone in and out of the office. I had the opportunity to sit in on marketing meetings, real estate “round table” meetings, which included some agents talking about their struggles or what they need to improve on, and have independent meetings with agents to discuss marketing efforts. The owner, Ryan Brown was professional and positive and always had a smile on his face. When I was in the office, he always took the time to have a conversation with me and provided me a lot of great advice. The employees at Red Key were often busy but I did have the opportunity to sit down with both property managers Zach and Ryan. They explained to me what they do and how I can help from a marketing standpoint. I created business cards for both Zach and Ryan and Andrea and I helped organize their call menu. This included recording our voices, so when you call Red Key Management, you are directed to the correct place.
Real Estate plays a pivotal role in the communications industry by serving as a significant subject of communication and marketing efforts. As an ever-evolving sector, real estate constantly demands innovative communication strategies to showcase properties, engage potential buyers, and maintain positive public relations. The communications industry contributes to the real estate sector through advertising campaigns, content creation, public relations initiatives, and digital marketing efforts. With the rise of digital platforms and social media, communications professionals play a crucial role in shaping the perception of real estate brands, circulating market trends, and facilitating seamless interactions between buyers, sellers, and agents. As the real estate industry continues to embrace technology and communication advancements, the collaboration between these two sectors is instrumental in driving growth, fostering transparency, and elevating the overall customer experience.
Overall, River Point Realty is a small boutique brokerage that fosters a small family-style culture. Because of this, I was able to build relationships and work with almost everyone. River Point continues to expand and I am grateful I had the opportunity to be apart of its growth.