THE JORDAN BARIS, INC. STORY

After graduating from CCNY on the GI bill where he founded a real estate club, Jordan Baris began his career selling real estate on Long Island. Two years later as a top producing agent, Jordan moved to New Jersey and opened Jordan Baris, Inc. Realtors in 1952, as a one person office with the intent of capturing the top market share in the state’s largest city, Newark. Within three years this goal was realized by actively cultivating the marketplace through aggressive marketing in conjunction with the training and continuing education of the growing staff.

After moving the firm to Irvington in the 1960’s, Jordan Baris Inc, Realtors expanded its market penetration from Newark to throughout Essex County.

Marjorie Baris joined the firm in 1977 after the company’s bookkeeper took ill. The idea was that Marjorie would be a “stop-gap” until the bookkeeper returned. Her contribution made an immediate impact on the company and while the bookkeeper ultimately did return, Marjorie never left. Today, she oversees the Relocation Department and has developed strong ties nationwide throughout the brokerage community.

Since a young child, Ken Baris had wanted to work with his father in the family business. In 1985, He graduated from Rutgers University, joined the firm and has been a significant contributor to the company’s success ever since. A highly regarded consummate professional, Ken is a dynamo on the northern New Jersey real estate scene. He has made a conscious effort to be the son that joins the family business to help propel it to the next level.

In the eighties, a branch office was opened in South Orange, while the corporate headquarters moved to West Orange.

The year 2000 was a benchmark in the history of Jordan Baris Inc., Realtors. At this juncture, the Baris’ made the decision and commitment to aggressively expand the firm.

SCOPE OF BUSINESS

The Baris’ have a keen understanding of the desires and needs of the market and the company now enjoys continual growth and an ever-widening market presence. Jordan Baris, Inc. provides real estate brokerage services to buyers and sellers, tenants and landlords as well as developers in northern New Jersey. In addition to brokerage services, they also provide title insurance and assist with mortgage financing. With a team of close to two hundred associates and support staff, the five divisions of Jordan Baris, Inc. are renowned for both their superior customer service and leading-edge technology.

Jordan Baris, Inc. Realtors specializes in the marketing and sale of one–four family homes.
Jordan Baris, Inc. Commercial focuses on the sale of office buildings, strip malls, and multi-family investment properties.
Jordan Baris, Inc. Rentals represents the landlords of and tenants for condominiums, apartments and homes.
Jordan Baris Referrals, LLC is comprised of individuals with New Jersey real estate licenses who are not actively selling. The company generates leads for Jordan Baris, Inc. Realtors’ associates and income for the referral agents.
Jordan Baris Title Agency, LLC provides title insurance and settlement services.

WHAT MAKES JORDAN BARIS, INC. SO SPECIAL?

The firm has a very unique combination of time-honored traditional values and impeccable customer service coupled with an understanding of and integration of state of the art technology.

Jordan Baris, Inc. is one of a handful of real estate brokers in the country blazing the trail toward technological innovation in the industry. With Ken’s innovative thinking and Jordan’s insightful critiquing, the firm created listing presentation software, Top Presenter, which was awarded the “best new software in the industry” by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in the 1990′s. This program is licensed to Top Producer of Seattle, the worlds largest real estate software company and utilized by brokers throughout the United States as well as internationally.

Jordan Baris, Inc. has always had a deep commitment to training and continuing education. The depth of training and mentoring our agents receive fast track them to success in this highly competitive field. (NB: Jordan was among the first brokers in the nation to achieve the Certified Residential Broker (CRB) designation. Ken, also a CRB, was the youngest agent ever to achieve the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation.)

Jordan Baris, Inc. has a family-oriented management style that embraces all of the associates. At the same time they offer extremely progressive resources usually associated with only the largest of enterprises. This corporate culture has created a deep, strong bond with the agents. In an industry where the churn rate is traditionally very high, associates rarely leave the fold.

As an independent broker who chooses not to affiliate with a franchise, Jordan Baris, Inc. provides a very attractive option for successful agents. More and more industry professionals are recognizing that the firm provides the tools, technology, support, national referrals and training to insure success without the burden of franchise fees.

The company has demonstrated the ability to adapt to and flourish in ever changing market conditions.

In the past two years:

• The expansion effort resulted in the need to double the physical space in both the West Orange and South Orange offices.
• Executives, agents and support staff have increased by 148%.
• In the first year, earnings have grown by 47%. Currently, earnings are on target to increase by another 44% at year end.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Since inception, Jordan Baris, Inc. has been focused on community involvement:

The National Kidney and Urology Foundation honored the Baris family with the “Family of the Year” award in 2003. This organization is especially meaningful to the Baris’ since Ken donated a kidney to Jordan in 1998 in a very successful transplant procedure.

In 2002, Mayor John McKeon proclaimed Jordan Baris Day in West Orange in honor of the company’s 50th anniversary and the Baris’ continuing commitment to serving West Orange.

In 1999, Jordan Baris, Inc. was named the West Orange Business of the Year.

The list of organizations that have benefited from the Baris’ involvement is quite long. Some examples are the St. Barnabas Hospital Foundation, Theatre Under the Stars and the West Orange Recreation Departments Handicapped Program.

Ken Baris is currently on the board of trustees for the Oscar Schindler Performing Arts Center as well as the President of the West Orange Chamber of Commerce. He is also a past president of the South Orange Chamber of Commerce. Ken has also served as a trustee and director of numerous organizations.

Jordan founded the NJ Coalition for Safe Communities and the Irvington Anti-Graffiti Committee. Both of these organizations have made substantial contributions to the community. He has also served on the Irvington Economic Development Commission.

Over the years, Jordan Baris has been the president of Newark, Irvington & Hillside North Boards of Realtors as well as the Boards of Realtors of the Oranges and Maplewood. He also served as president the West Orange and Irvington Chambers of Commerce and as Director of the NJ Association of Realtors.

Jordan Baris is one of the few realtors in America to be awarded the prestigious Realtor Community Service Award twice.