June 17, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Staff.

I have always believed in rewarding good behavior. At lunch today, we said a big thank you to all our staff. Morton's, the steak house in Bethesda, was the site of our festivities. Our staff is interesting, in that many members have worked together for a long time, yet as new members join us, the staff efficiency just gets better. Regina and Carol E. started working with me in January, 1989, when I worked for Merrill Lynch Realty. Regina came first and Carol one week later and of course we all came together to Long and Foster in October, 1990. Betty joined us fifteen years ago when we were still the Bethesda Hampden Square office. Then in 1999, Carole Maclure and I joined forces and merged our offices, and the Prosperity loan officers soon followed. Sharon C. our property manager joined us in 2002. Ned is the latest addition to our management team, and has been with us for two years, while Jeff B. is our newest face as an addition to Prosperity Mortgage loan officers. Only one of our receptionists could join us today, and Debbie who loves her receptionist job has worked with us for three years. Rob, our graphic design artist, joined us ten years ago. Today at lunch we had seventeen members celebrating lunch, and a festive air filled the air.

Once a fellow manager from another company outlined to me his philosophy of hiring and firing. His routine was to keep costs low. To do it, he always fired his administrative staff every two years, so he could always keep their pay level low. He was trying to convince me the adopt this smart strategy. I was horrified. It seemed to be perverse to fire a person who gave excellent service, only to hire another worker at a lower salary. My style is exactly opposite. I want the staff to stay with me for ever, and have the staff increase their efficiency. Our volume is ten times higher now that it was in 1987 when I started as a manager, yet we have added only one additional administrative person to the office. The agents appreciate the continuity with the staff and certainly, Carole, Ned and I are thrilled with the energy and enthusiasm shown by all the staff. Today at lunch we showed them, just a bit, how important they are to the success of the office.