Chairman of Keller Williams Realty donates $5 Million to Baylor University

Baylor University Opens Research Center to Study Real Estate Buyer-Seller RelationshipsMarch 6, 2007

- Gary Keller, Chairman of Keller Williams Realty, Donates $5 Million to Establish Center -
The Marketing Department at Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business will be home to a new real estate research center, funded by a generous $5 million donation by Gary Keller, Chairman of Keller Williams Realty.

Keller approached Baylor with the idea for The Keller Center, which will focus on the factors that influence individual home buyers in their decisions, as well as marketing and management issues that are important to real estate agencies and small businesses.

Two newly-hired research professors at the Keller Center will begin in August to explore the industry through the eyes of the agent and the consumer, rather than the aggregate real estate issues, such as interest rates and pricing, that are traditionally studied.

"The goal of the Keller Center will be to study the issues that are pressing for real estate companies and agents in today's marketplace," Keller said. "For all the awesome research that is already out there, there is an equal amount that is still not being done."
After conducting literature reviews of academic work in real estate marketing, Baylor faculty determined that little of it addressed buyer-seller relationships.

"Why do people really buy? How do they consider the role of the agent? What influence does the Internet have on information search processes and subsequent purchase decisions? These are the kinds of questions we will be answering in great depth," said Kirk Wakefield, chair of the Marketing Department at Baylor.

"My hope is that the Keller Center will put Baylor University on the map as the definitive resource for comprehensive, in-depth studies that can bring insight and value to residential real estate professionals," Keller said.

About Gary Keller and Keller Williams Realty Inc.
Keller graduated from Baylor University in 1979 with a bachelor of business administration degree in marketing, with a specialization in real estate and insurance. In 2006, the university honored Keller with its Distinguished Alumni Award. That same year, REALTOR' Magazine named Keller one of the Top 25 Most Influential Thought Leaders. In 2005, Inman News recognized Keller as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Real Estate.

Founded in 1983, Keller Williams Realty Inc. is the fourth-largest real estate franchise operation in North America, with more than 600 offices and 77,000 associates in the United States and Canada. The company's agent-centric culture emphasizes access to leading-edge education and promotes an economic model that rewards associates as stakeholders and partners. Keller Williams Realty, which began franchising in 1990, is growing by more than a thousand agents a month. Keller Williams Realty associates place high value on professional education and a full-time commitment to real estate sales. For more information, visit Keller Williams Realty online at (www.kw.com).

Mark Felton offers buyers looking for houses in Waco a full suite of professional services. As a licensed realtor and co-owner of Keller Williams Waco, he can assist you with any of your real estate needs. Mark also is a Custom Home Builder and Developer. His home building company is Front Porch Homes which builds in and around the Waco area. And his development company is Frontera Development, which is a full service real estate development firm based in Waco, Texas. The primary focus is residential, master planned communities that emphasize the values of New Urbanism and Traditional Neighborhood Development.

For more information, please call Mark at 254-495-1241 or email at fronteradevelopment@gmail.com

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