©2016 Saratoga Photographer.com
By R.J. DeLuke
After 27 years with RealtyUSA, well-known real estate agent Scott Varley has parted company with the group with which he was a top seller.
Varley has joined Keller Williams Realty Inc., a company based in Texas that is said to be the largest real estate franchise, by agent count, in the world with more than 800 offices and 149,000 associates across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia.
Varley serves customers in Saratoga, Warren, Washington, Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer counties. He said the move enables him, potentially, to branch out even more.
With RealtyUSA he “reached the point where we had outgrown the model,” he said.
“RealtyUSA is local, not national,” he noted.
Varley said he did research Keller Williams for over a year and decided the time was right for a switch.
"It's a tremendous opportunity for me and my team to expand," he said. He is building up his new team, which is now headquartered at 353 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs.
Under the new arrangement, "It's my business, my name, my team" but with a "much more team-oriented platform."
One of the things that attracted Varley was that Keller Williams has "unbeatable technology" including a branded smartphone app that has listings across the country.
"They have their own MLS system, larger than any MLS system in the world," said Varley. It gives national and international information. That kind of access allows him to expand services to his clients.
For example, "it's great for people relocating to the area for GlobalFoundries" from places like Austin, Texas, where there is another GlobalFoundries plant. Varley can also help people overseas who are interested in coming to work at the GlobalFoundries Fab 8 factory in Malta.
With Keller Williams, Varley said he can "emulate and model my team after teams anywhere in the Keller Williams network."
Keller Williams provides administrative, marketing and supervisory people, he said, noting his team will be "very well supported."
Another important aspect is the training, which he said is "endless … overwhelming. They are teaching us something every day."
Keller William was recognized by Training magazine, a leading business publication for learning and development professionals, as the No. 2 training organization across all industries.
While RealtyUSA is the largest residential real estate brokerage in the Albany-Saratoga region, Varley is looking foreword to his new association. He said Keller Williams is already the third largest agency in the Capital District and has only been in New York state for eight years.
"I can now expand with a team out of state if I want to," he said. He could set up a team in Austin, Texas, to make it easier for people to find information on Saratoga County homes if they have to relocate for work to the Malta plant.
With the nation al, and international nature of Keller Williams, Varley is able to reach a larger pool of clients.
"I'm looking forward to jumping in with both feet and taking advantage of everything Keller Williams has too offer," he said.
His website is www.scottvarley.com. He can be reached by phone at 281-6808.
According to Keller Williams officials, the company surpassed 133,000 associates in 2015, a net gain of more than 20,000. Key benchmarks of productivity also rose sharply as closed units hit 843,547, up 19 percent, and sales volume climbed 24 percent to $228 billion. Officials said 99 percent of Keller Williams' offices were also profitable for the year 2015.