United Country Auction Services President Joins in Real Estate Debate at National Summit

Kansas City, MO, June 18, 2009 --(PR.com)-- In the fast-paced world of auctions, it pays to stay up to speed on changes in the marketplace. Auctioneer and president of United Country Auction Services, Mike Jones, recently joined auctioneers from across the nation for the National Auctioneers Association’s Real Estate Summit in Atlanta, Ga., to address the changing marketplace.

The real estate industry has witnessed significant challenges in recent years due to economic instability, a surplus of property available for purchase and challenges facing the banking sector. Real Estate auctions continue to hold strong in today’s marketplace, growing to $58.6 billion in 2008. Since 2003, gross sales in residential real estate auctions have increased 47.7 percent.

“Not only have auctions gained greater visibility as a viable sales method in the real estate industry, they have also provided solutions that are aiding in the recovery of the overall real estate market in both the residential and commercial segments. Because of that, auctioneers will continue to play an integral role in the real estate industry. Events such as the Real Estate Summit allow auction professionals to remain ahead of the curve and therefore, better prepared to serve the public,” said Mike Jones.

The Real Estate Summit was hosted by the National Auctioneers Association (NAA), the nation’s leading professional society for auction professionals. The two-day event took place May 18-19, 2009 at the Marriott Perimeter Center in Atlanta. The biennial summit presents speakers representing a range of industries. Seminars at this summit ranged from working with bankers and homeowners in today’s marketplace, to navigating Government Sponsored Enterprises (i.e. Fannie Mae).

Mike Jones attended the summit representing United Country Auction Services (UCAS), a division of United Country Real Estate. Launched in 2007, UCAS has become the largest fully integrated franchise network of real estate and auction professionals in America. In late 2008, the company formed a strategic alliance with Colliers International, one of the largest commercial real estate companies in the world. Within the first six months, the relationship resulted in the sales evaluation of more than $800 million dollars of commercial assets located throughout the U.S. and abroad.

“There’s strength in our system and we are definitely seeing growth because of it,” Jones said. “United Country is poised for continued advancement in both the real estate and auction industries.”

About United Country
United Country Real Estate is the largest fully integrated franchise network of conventional real estate and auction professionals in the United States. Based in Kansas City, Mo., the company has been an innovator in real estate marketing since 1925. United Country supports nearly 675 offices across the U.S. and in Costa Rica with a unique, comprehensive marketing program that includes one of the largest portfolios of property marketing web sites (more than 1,000 separate sites), seven proprietary real estate catalogs with a cumulative distribution of 1.5 million, an extensive, current buyer database and national advertising of properties to more than 90 million potential buyer prospects a week. United Country has been recognized as a Top 25 Franchise by the Wall Street Journal and among Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500®.

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