First Hawaii PLACE Partners, Charlene and Rustan Tongg, gain agent retention tools
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Oahu, Hawaii, February 2023 — PLACE, the industry’s only all-in-one business services and technology platform for top teams at any brokerage, announced today that Charlene and Rustan Tongg and tongg+partners are now powered by PLACE. PLACE improves profitability and production to make running a real estate business easier.
The Tonggs, team leaders of tongg+partners, are elite real estate agents serving the Island of Oahu. Since launching in 2015, their team has closed more than $664 million in sales volume, assisting 1,068 clients buy and sell real estate. In 2022, the team closed $102 million in volume through 148 transactions.
Rustan entered the real estate industry more than 21 years ago. At just 27 years old, he opened a brokerage with his brother and scaled the business from five to 150 agents in only 18 months. In 2006, former Escrow Officer Charlene married Rustan. She became a part-time Realtor® while running a virtual transaction coordination company and later transitioned into a full-time agent to pour all her energy into business development with Rustan.
“PLACE is an ecosystem that any top team can plug into and then see their business thrive.”
The need for streamlined growth led them to PLACE. “The tipping point for us was realizing we can grow our world larger and quicker with all-encompassing resources for our tongg tribe,” said Rustan. “Our business not only grows to the extent that we do, but our talent stays with us because their world can also grow. With PLACE, we will have access to a bigger world faster. PLACE is an ecosystem that any top team can plug into and then see their business thrive.”
The Tonggs look forward to retaining agents while recruiting efficiently. “This partnership provides our agents with opportunities beyond production,” Charlene said. “Now, they can build a lifestyle and legacy within our team.”
“Learning more about PLACE is like unwrapping a mysterious present and realizing it’s an absolutely amazing gift.”
“Rustan and Charlene embody the ultimate growth mindset for their lives and business,” said Ben Kinney, co-founder of PLACE. “PLACE will help them expand as far as they desire and retain their favorite, most successful agents.”
“Rustan and Charlene are humble leaders who set high growth goals for their business and team members,” said PLACE Co-Founder Chris Suarez. “Their desire to cultivate leaders and create a growth mindset is going to be enhanced through the tools of PLACE. I look forward to watching them meet and exceed their own expectations.”