Pleasanton, CA— December 31, 2015 — NextHome is proud to announce our newest addition to the franchise, NextHome Metro. This is the franchise’s 2nd brokerage in the state of Michigan.
Owned and operated by business partners, Matt Marsoupian and Mark Shaftner, the Auburn Hills-based brokerage will provide residential real estate sales to the cities of Southfield, Auburn Hills, South Lyon, Novi, Northville, Farmington, Rochester Hills, Troy, Bloomfield, West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham and surrounding areas.
As a 2004 graduate of Western Michigan University, Marsoupian started his real estate career one week after he received his college degree. Hearing good things about the company from classmates who interned for them, he began working for Pulte Homes. Marsoupian was able to channel his love for model homes and real estate into his career.
Marsoupian started as a Sales Consultant with Pulte Homes and was asked by the company to sell at development sites throughout Michigan in areas such as Livingston, Wayne, Oakland and even an active-adult community in Brownstown that featured over 600 homes.
Shaftner followed a similar path to his real estate career. As a graduate of Central Michigan University in 2002, he started working with Pulte Homes after interning with them in 2001. His territory of development sites included the counties of Wayne, Oakland, and Washtenaw. Shafter was also in charge of selling a 750 home development in the city of Ypsilanti.
Even though the two men worked at the same company, they had little interaction with each other due to the distance between their work sites.
As the market shifted in 2010, both were at a crossroads in their career as Pulte Homes began to halt their new construction.
In October 2010, Shaftner left Pulte Homes to join a brokerage start-up called Marketplace Homes. The target market for the company was to help homeowners sell their existing home in order for them to buy new construction homes. The plan was a success.
Shaftner and Marsoupian stayed connected through social media and when the Marketplace Homes looked to expand, Shaftner reached out to his friend. Marsoupian joined the company in April of 2011.
Because of their extensive knowledge of a home’s features from foundation to finish, Shaftner and Marsoupian provided a level of service to clients not normally seen in their market.
Over the next four years, both men advanced within the company to become highly ranked corporate team members.
Marsoupian was elevated to Vice President of Operations, overseeing departments such as Sales and Property Leasing. Shaftner served as Vice President of Property Management for two years before being promoted to Chief Operations Officer.
Under their team’s leadership, the company expanded to over 100 employees and was named to the prestigious Inc. 500 list three years in a row starting in 2013.
In March of 2015, both men talked about building their own company. With their knowledge and experience of growing a successful start up real estate brokerage, they were ready to start their own firm.
When the partners realized they were ready to go out on their own, they found NextHome online through a search of “top real estate franchises.”
“Individually, we spent nights and weekends, pulling information about different franchise opportunities,” said Shaftner. “We were pretty methodical with the process after we saw NextHome featured on Realtor.org.”
“We spoke with several of the NextHome franchise owners and all of them had nothing but good things to say about their decision to join NextHome,” added Marsoupian.
Once they had a chance to investigate the company further, they found the company to be aligned exactly with what they were looking for.
“The personality of the company and the makeup of the team really had us thinking we made the right choice,” recalls Marsoupian. “But after coming to California and spending time at the NextHome Corporate office to see the technology taught first hand, it sealed the deal. This IS the company for us and for the future.”
“Mark and Matt are an exceptional, driven team,” said NextHome Vice President of Sales, Charis Moreno. “Knowing that the two of them helped build a real estate company from the ground up, their affiliation with NextHome couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. Their experience and business savvy, coupled with our tech and tools are going to have them head and shoulders above their local competition.”
When not selling real estate, the business partners spend time with family.
Marsoupian and his wife of nine years, Dana, are high-school sweethearts. They enjoy spending time outdoors on the boat, golfing, or hiking with their daughter, Ryan (4), and their son, Hayes (2).
Shaftner and his wife of eight years, Stacia, are college sweethearts. They are fitness enthusiasts and love Detroit sports – the Tigers, the Red Wings, and the Lions.
Please join us in welcoming Matt and Mark and NextHome Metro to the NextHome family!
Interested in being a part of the NextHome Real Estate Franchise? Contact VP of Sales Charis Moreno at Charis@NextHome.com.
Each office is an independently owned and operated business.