Piling Up the Points
Most of the major credit card companies offer consumers unique rewards programs—and they’ve been doing so for decades. Those programs add a bit more incentive to simply swipe a card or select “credit” for a multitude of purchases. It also goes without saying that the bigger the purchase, the more enticing the rewards.
So imagine if a rewards program existed for real estate transactions. After all, the purchase of a home represents the largest monetary transaction that the vast majority of consumers will ever make. Consider the perks (and the sheer number of rewards points) that a multimillion-dollar home purchase could provide if such a program existed.
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As it turns out, one does exist.
Introducing RBN, a national real estate concierge service that not only provides homebuyers and home sellers with qualified and experienced luxury real estate agents, but it also allows them to earn significant travel reward points when they buy or sell a home. In fact, the company was conceived around that simple thought—of earning reward points via the most sizeable purchase that many consumers will ever make.
If you’re intrigued—and, we admit, it would be difficult not to be—here’s what you need to know.
The Company
About five years ago, RBN’s Co-founder and CEO Kipp Lassetter was struck with a thought. To be clear, it was more of a rhetorical question. “Wouldn’t it be cool,” he surmised, “if you could earn reward points for buying a home?”
That was the genesis of RBN Rewards, and in 2019, Lassetter worked with American Express. Through that arrangement, RBN clients were afforded the opportunity to exchange their RBN Reward Points for AMEX points. These days, RBN strictly offers its own reward points and has partnered with a luxury travel firm through which those points can be used. Today RBN is garnering headlines for this unique business model in the real estate industry, but Lassetter is quick to point out that the points system is merely the cherry on top of the sundae.
“Although the amount of reward points that can be earned are substantial,” he says, “RBN understands it has to start with an exceptional real estate agent experience.”
As such, RBN is affiliated with many of the leading luxury real estate brokerage firms, and the company has carefully curated a national network of top-performing agents, all of whom come highly referred and possess intimate knowledge of the regions in which they serve.
As for RBN’s rewards program, the company has formed an exclusive partnership with Boutique Travel Advisors (BTA), which allows members to work directly with a dedicated travel advisor—someone who can provide travel perks and, more importantly, can effectively work with a client’s accrued reward points, turning them into a satisfying, memorable vacation. Best of all, the BTA service is free of charge for all RBN clients.
How It Works
The process begins when a prospective client signs up for a consultation with an RBN referral specialist. Based on that discussion, the concierge will put together a curated list of real estate agents who are well qualified to handle the client’s home sale or purchase. Clients can interview the agents before selecting the one who is best for them, after which the purchase and sales process is the same as any other real estate transaction . . . only with benefits.
Even clients who are selling a home can earn reward points, which means parties on both sides of the transaction can earn points—up to one point for every dollar of the real estate transaction. And with no limits to the number of points that can be earned, the post-sale travel opportunities available to RBN clients are vast and elite.
This means that bucket-list journeys are on the table, from African safaris and first-class travel in private suites to private jet charters. “When I first learned of RBN, I thought this was too good to be true,” says one recent RBN client, who explains that they bought two homes through RBN and in both instances worked with the same agent—someone they describe as “the best we’ve ever worked with.” Better still, the client earned more than 1 million points, which quite literally opened up a world of travel opportunities. “I was able to take the family on a trip to Europe using only points. I’m telling all my friends and family about this program.”
RBN makes it easy for clients to book hotel reservations and buy airfare online using their points, which means clients can start making travel arrangements for 2024. In fact, the company will also allows its members to transfer their points to other leading loyalty programs, which means it’s even easier to maximize the enjoyment of all those earned points.
Even with challenging real estate markets in recent years, RBN has experienced exponential growth—proof that the points program really works. Furthermore, because the system is designed to reward buyers, sellers, and their agents, everyone wins.
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