Prudential Gary Greene's Richard Ortiz earns Graduate Realtor Institute designation

HOUSTON, TX. - Richard Ortiz, a Realtor with Prudential Gary Greene's Katy office, recently earned the Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI) designation, a distinction held by less than 20 percent of Realtors nationwide. GRI candidates must complete a minimum of 90 hours of intense classroom instruction and examinations covering such topics as contract law, professional standards, sales and marketing, finance and technology. The program is administered by the Texas Association of Realtors for the national organization's Realtor Institute.

Ortiz came to the residential real estate industry after an 18-year career as an information technology director with a Fortune 100 company in New York City, where he managed a staff of 30.

"I became interested in real estate after selling my own properties in New York, Puerto Rico and London," said Ortiz. "I always used a Realtor to buy and sell my properties and became intrigued with the idea of helping others in that area." He is fluent in Spanish and has worked with many international customers, including buyers and sellers from the U.K. and Mexico.

Ortiz said he interviewed a number of offices before choosing Prudential. "After speaking with agents in the area, I quickly learned of Prudential Gary Greene's excellent reputation and training program."

Tracy Bogiel, manager of Prudential Gary Greene's Katy office, said that Ortiz's technology background is a tremendous asset to his real estate business. "Also, he is always happy to share his expertise with his colleagues. He is the 'go-to' person in the office when it comes to dealing with customers electronically."

In addition to international clients, Ortiz works with buyers and sellers in Katy, Spring, Sugar Land and The Woodlands.

Ortiz's desire to earn the GRI designation came from his philosophy of excellence. "In my previous career, my focus for myself and my staff was always one of providing outstanding service and excellence in everything we did," said Ortiz. "Achieving this designation was, again, my way of attempting to achieve excellence."

ABOUT PRUDENTIAL GARY GREENE, REALTORS:
Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors has grown to include 25 offices in the Greater Houston Area - 16 company-owned offices and nine affiliated offices - representing over 1100 agents. Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors is ranked #14 in the Prudential Real Estate Network. With annual written sales in excess of $2.4 billion, it is the area sales leader and serves every major residential neighborhood in Houston and surrounding areas. As partners in the company, Marilyn Eiland and Mark Woodroof are actively engaged in the daily operations. Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors has a national referral base of over 1,600 real estate offices, and it is the Houston area's exclusive member of The Vision Group, whose member brokerages represent major markets throughout the United States and produce in excess of $30 billion in residential sales annually. www.GaryGreene.com.

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