Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate Appoints Frank Richards as Co-CEO

PLEASANTON, Calif., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate announced today that Frank Richards has joined the company as co-CEO. Richards will lead the organization with Mason-McDuffie Chairman of the Board Ed Krafchow. The appointment follows the announcement of Mason-McDuffie joining Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate in the largest franchise agreement in the history of the company.

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"Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate is an incredibly progressive organization with a strong, dedicated team of agents and brokers," said Richards. "There isn't a brand that is better positioned for growth in the industry and I am pleased to be a part of it."  

"Frank has led some of the most innovative initiatives in the real estate industry. His experience is invaluable to our organization, which is committed to evolving with the needs of agents and consumers," said Ed Krafchow. "We welcome him with enthusiasm as the youngest CEO of a major real estate company in the US."

A native of Pleasanton, Richards has founded two locally based real estate businesses. In 2008, he founded SmartZip Analytics, a platform to help consumers make good home buying and investment decisions based on insight and analysis provided by SmartZip.

In 2001, Richards founded NorthPoint, a leading investment and financial advisory firm helping clients build wealth through real estate investing. The company has directed the investment of over $1 billion in residential real estate nationwide. Earlier in his career, Richards founded Protocall, a technology-driven direct marketing services firm, which Richards led through its acquisition by Intek in 1997 and IPO in 2000.

Richards has a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of California, Davis and continued his post graduate education at The University of Essex, England. He is a professional real estate investor and owns a portfolio of residential investment properties around the country. He resides in Pleasanton.

About Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate

Our heritage began with the founding of Mason-McDuffie Real Estate in 1887. In 2009, the company was named the 19th largest real estate services firm in the nation, and Number One in the San Francisco East Bay. The company provides comprehensive solutions to home buyers and sellers, and handled more than 7,600 transactions in 2009, generating $2.8 billion in sales. Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate is independently owned and operated and includes joint ventures with partners J F Finnegan Realtors, Highland Partners in Piedmont, Sonoma-Gold in Healdsburg and Tri-Valley Realty in Pleasanton-Hopyard and Ruby Hill. The organization comprised more than 1,900 sales professionals in 36 offices. (Effective September 30th, the company will operate the website URL of www.bhghome.com).

SOURCE Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate