Steve Ozonian, whose previous employers include such heavyweights as Bank of America, RE/MAX International, Prudential Real Estate, Coldwell Banker and Homestore Inc., is now taking the reigns at Help-U-Sell, a flat-fee real estate brokerage network.
On Tuesday, Ozonian was appointed CEO and chairman of the board for Realty Information Systems Inc., a company doing business as Help-U-Sell Real Estate.
He continues to serve as chairman of Global Mobility Solutions, a relocation firm that he joined in September as CEO and chairman. Ozonian has a controlling interest in that company.
Prior to this position, Ozonian served as national home-ownership executive for Bank of America, where he was responsible for all Realtor, builder and corporate relocation business.
In September, Help-U-Sell announced a management reshuffling that included the departure of its president, Rick O’Neill. Thomas E. Hurford was appointed at that time to serve as acting CEO.
Help-U-Sell has about 1,000 offices throughout the United States, and it was named by Entrepreneur Magazine as the fastest-growing real estate franchise in 2005 and ranked in the top 50 among the magazine’s list of 500 top franchises nationwide, according to a company announcement.
The discount real estate company offers services for a flat-fee, as opposed to the traditional real estate business model in which agents and brokers receive a commission that is based on a percentage of the home’s selling price.
Ozonian has acquired an equity position in the company, according to the announcement.
“We are very pleased and excited to have someone with Steve’s unique background in the home ownership industry invest in the future of our business,” said Bradley J. Crandall, preceding chairman and current member of the company’s board of directors.
“Steve’s experience and success in the industry, along with his strategic vision for the future of the business and his dynamic leadership will ensure our success in the future,” said Larry Polhill, CEO of American Pacific Financial Corp., Help-U-Sell’s largest shareholder.
Ozonian has served as a senior executive at RE/MAX International, responsible for the development of national title and mortgage operations relating to relocation and residential operations.
He was president and CEO at Homestore‘s Realtor.com, a home-search Web site. He also served as chairman and CEO of Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Solutions, and he held several positions with Coldwell Banker.
Prior to his work at Coldwell Banker, Ozonian served as regional president of Employee Transfer Corp., a division of Chicago Title and Trust. He also served as managing director at Chicago Title and Trust.
“With the revolutionary changes currently taking place in the home ownership industry, brought on by the consumer’s ever-increasing demand for empowerment and choice, Help-U-Sell is uniquely positioned to provide consumers with the services, products and innovative choices that they now demand,” Ozonian said in a statement.
“The Internet has forever changed the way consumers buy and sell real estate, and Help-U-Sell’s vision and strategy empowers the consumer to be able to customize their options and receive the service level they want on their own terms.”
Ozonian is a member of the Senior Leaders Group of the Graduate Institute for Leadership Development in Cambridge, Massachusetts, chaired by Warren Bennis, the Strategic Oversight Committee for the National Employee Relocation Council, and a member of the Board of Directors of Spinnaker Capital.
He is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University and received his Master of Business Administration in finance from Loyola University of Chicago.
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