Emerging Franchisors to Watch: Watters International Realty

Real estate firm Watters International Realty has been gobbling up market share in Texas since 2010. Last year, the company turned to franchising to expand into new markets. Watters International established their FDD by the end of 2017, but they already had a batch of licensees working their model in markets around Texas.

Those initial licensees were a sort of proof-of-concept for the new franchise, demonstrating the strength of its branding and the efficacy of its operational model. This year, Watters International will take on their first official franchisees and begin expanding into new markets across the country.

1851 spoke with Bradley Pounds, Watters International Realty’s president and CEO, about how realty is different from every other franchise segment, why local branding is important for franchisees and how Watters International has been inspired by Intel.

1851: How does Watters International Realty stand apart from other real estate franchises?

Pounds: There's a lot of pressure on most real estate franchisees to promote only the franchisor's mothership branding. That works great if you're selling sandwiches, but real estate is unique. The agent/client relationship is so intensely personal. The team owner is the driver of those relationships, and frankly, we think she should be building her own local brand as well.  It's her business and her relationships. We're the systems, training and coaching behind the scenes. It's these systems and processes that are unique to Watters, and they were created for the purpose of making our franchisees successful. 

1851: What do you wish more people knew about Watters International?

Pounds: I think most people would be surprised by how hands-on we are with our team owners. In our industry, buying a franchise is mostly about buying a manual and a set of logos, and then it's a best of luck to ya! sort of situation. We have practical experience in helping team owners scale very quickly and guiding them around a lot of the pitfalls involved in growing into version-2.0 of their business.

1851: What qualities make for a great Watters International franchisee?

Pounds: The best indicator of success is how coachable the team owner is. Each franchisee must have big goals, passion and a desire to work on the business, not just in it.  

1851: As Watters International has grown, has it taken any cues from other franchises or business?

Pounds: Intel built a name for itself by being the brains inside the best computer brands, and that's exactly what Watters International is doing for our industry. We want to be the brains behind all of the best agencies.

1851: What kind of growth plans does Watters International have for 2018 and beyond?

Pounds: Continuing our takeover of the Texas market is still our number-one key thrust, but the nature of our business allows us to award franchises to energetic team owners across the country.