Mike Wagner has been named president of Sibcy Cline Relocation Services. As the former owner of RAL Inspection Services, (a provider of relocation and trust inspections throughout North America) for over 20 years, he has long-standing relationships in the industry and broad experience in every aspect of the corporate relocation process.
With over two decades of relocation experience, Mike holds the Certified Relocation Professional (CRP) designation. He has been honored with a “Meritorious Service” award from Worldwide ERC, an organization focused upon global corporate relocation needs.
In 2020, Mike was tapped to serve as the national president of the American Society of Home Inspectors, an association with over 5,000 members. He was also a trustee for the ASHI Foundation and received the President’s Award for outstanding service to his profession.
Throughout his career, Mike has appreciated opportunities to learn from and work with outstanding leaders while serving on various relocation advisory boards and committees. He has authored several articles and is a frequent speaker for the relocation and inspection professions.
Favorite local hang-outs: Madtree Taproom and Mt. Carmel Brewery
At the heart of real estate are the ideas of home, family, and community, so when Jason Kitzmller says “real estate runs in my blood,” it’s no surprise that people are the motivating force behind everything he does. As a relocation coordinator, Jason assists clients with “one of the most important moves of their lives,” and he’s serious about making it the best possible experience for them. His goal is to “set the bar high and exceed expectations.”
Holding to a standard and taking pride in his work is something that Jason learned from his father and grandfather, who both worked in real estate development. “My dad used to say ‘approach your work with an ownership mentality,’” he says. Having worked closely with his father for several years, Jason made the transition to the residential side of real estate after his dad scaled back his business a few years ago. “I admired watching my dad’s projects come to life, knowing he was part of improving the community, especially our hometown of Anderson.”
When it came time for his dad to step back from his business and for Jason to move on to something else, it was the Sibcy Cline brand that initially interested him in the job listing for a relocation coordinator. “I had absolutely no idea what a relocation coordinator was, or much at all about the relocation business, but I was familiar with the brand. Sibcy Cline has a large presence in Anderson, so I decided to take a chance and apply for the job.”
It wasn’t just the prominence of the brand that attracted Jason, but the fact that it was family-owned. Because he worked for his dad’s business for many years, it was “something I held near and dear to my heart,” he says. “Seeing Rob Sibcy in the office every day, and his wife Pam very involved, and watching him pass the torch to Robin [Sheakley]….that meant a lot to me because a family business was what I knew and loved.”
Valuing family is something that Jason continues to bring to his work every day. He works with clients who are moving out of the area because of a job transfer, so that transition period often involves the client’s family, who is also affected by the move. He appreciates the opportunity to learn about each client and their family throughout the process of relocation. “I try to connect with each customer to understand their own set of circumstances. It’s interesting to hear each customer’s story and background. I learn something new with each transaction.”
As a people-person, one of the things Jason finds most rewarding is “realizing their excitement when they close on their home and begin a new chapter in their career.” Along the way, Jason feels that a lot of trust is placed in both him and the agent to get things done and make that transition happen for their client and their family. Providing the best possible experience and outcome is what motivates him daily.
In addition to his work, Jason has a new daily motivator in his life—his newborn son, Jett. Jason and his wife Lydia welcomed Jett to the world on August 11, 2021. Jason is already planning to share the things he enjoys with his son—hiking, camping, playing basketball, and golf. But he’s most excited to share his favorite hobby: spending time boating at his family home on Lake Lorelei. “I’m a third-generation captain in our family and I’m looking forward to teaching my son how to captain the boat and continue the Kitzmiller tradition!”
After a decade of service overseas, Donnie Lawrence became a homeowner through U.S. Military on the Move®.
Donnie Lawrence was still in high school when he enlisted in the army in 2007. “My parents had to sign the paperwork because I was 17,” he said.
For the next decade, Lawrence’s entire life was spent in service to his country. He went through basic training and then various deployments to Iraq, Qatar, and Guantanamo Bay. But he also had a daughter that he had to leave behind and rarely saw. “For the first half of my daughter’s life, I was overseas,” he said.
That’s why it was a particularly emotional time for Lawrence when his time of service concluded, and it came time to settle down and buy a home. “It was like closing a chapter of my life, of being overseas. Now I’m becoming a homeowner,” he said.
Lawrence had never bought a home before and he was uncertain about the process. He was looking at different options when his cousin, Tammy Young, relocation director at Sibcy Cline, informed him of the U.S. Military on the Move® program that the brokerage offers to veterans and active duty service members. The program gives participants who qualify a rebate or credit at closing based on the sale value of the home.
“Other programs I looked into claimed to serve veterans, but the rate I got with Sibcy Cline was actually lower, and the military rebate was more,” he said. “And not just that, but it was more personal. I had an all-star team,” Lawrence said, who was matched up through Sibcy Cline with agents Karen Bevins and Pete Marx. In addition to Bevins and Marx, Lawrence noted that Jason Shoe of Sibcy Cline Mortgage was instrumental in helping to close the deal and get him into his first home.
“Other programs I looked into claimed to serve veterans, but the rate I got with Sibcy Cline was actually lower, and the military rebate was more. And not just that, but it was more personal.”
Donnie Lawrence
Calling out Bevins as a strong support in the process, Lawrence noted that when things got emotional for him and he just wanted to buy a house, any house, she was there as a voice of reason to remind him of the things that he had defined as “must-haves” in his new home. “She really kept working to find me the right home,” Lawrence said. “And she did. I still can’t believe it’s mine.”
Donnie Lawrence worked with Sibcy Cline agents Karen Bevins and Pete Marx to purchase his first home through the U.S. Military on the Move® program.
Lawrence, who serves as master fitness trainer at the 1-174 Air Defense for the Ohio Air National Guard in Woodlawn, OH and also works full-time for Mobilcomm on the tower crew, chose to buy a home in the region where he grew up, Clermont County. “Clermont County really honors veterans. They’ve done so much for me.”
Clermont County Commissioner Bob Proud is a longtime friend and supporter of Lawrence. “Bob always sent me turkey jerky when I was overseas,” he said, laughing, “and he still sends me turkey jerky!” Lawrence also mentioned the support of fellow Clermont County resident Keith Maupin, who runs the Yellow Ribbon Support Center in Clermont County. Maupin’s son Matt was taken prisoner in Iraq in 2004 and his remains were later discovered near Baghdad.
One of the first things Lawrence did when he moved into his new home was to put a POW flag in front of the front door, partly to honor Matt Maupin, but also as a reminder of the service of all veterans, particularly those who served in Vietnam. “They didn’t get the parades and ceremonies and all the assistance that we get now,” he said, “but they served with honor. And because they wore the uniform, I can wear the uniform.”
Donnie Lawrence stands in front of his new home in Clermont County, where he has placed a POW flag to honor fellow soldiers who served the U.S.
For more information on how you can get a military rebate, view our video here.
Tammy Young, Relocation Director for Sibcy Cline Relocation Services, has recently been elected to the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Advisory Council. This leadership group is comprised of business development and relocation professionals who provide guidance on key initiatives for the global real estate community of 565 market-leading firms that span six continents.
The Advisory Council works closely with the organization’s management team on integral relocation, business development and lead generation programs. Council members also mentor other affiliates and serve as ambassadors for the organization’s diverse program offerings. Members are elected by fellow council members to serve a three-year term and are chosen based on the merits of their professional experience and reputation.
“We are so fortunate to have such an esteemed group of industry leaders serving on our Advisory Council. Their commitment to our network helps us ensure we deliver highly-effective, market-responsive relocation and business development programs for our members worldwide,” said LeadingRE Executive Vice President, Member Services Kate Reisinger.
Affiliated with Sibcy Cline for over 15 years, Tammy has experience both as a relocation expert and real estate agent. She holds several professional designations: CRP, GDS, GRP LCL, LRS, PBD and SRS.
Sibcy Cline Realtors is the local representative of LeadingRE for Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio; Northern Kentucky; and Southeastern Indiana. With a global membership that spans six continents, LeadingRE connects top independent firms with 130,000 sales associates who produce over 1.1 million real estate transactions each year. As a member of LeadingRE, Sibcy Cline provides a quality real estate experience, global marketing reach and access to top real estate professionals in virtually any market worldwide.
A 2018 relocation marketing campaign earned first place for “Referral Promotions” at the 2019 Leading Real Estate Companies of the World annual conference.
The large-scale campaign was created by Amanda Moore (Social Media & PR Specialist) and Jane Bobel (Marketing Representative and Graphic Designer). The concept was inspired by vintage travel maps and postcards. The campaign included printable signs, postcards, e-postcards, and a branch relocation passport. (The campaign even included a custom #leadingREtravels “stamp” on all pieces.)
Sibcy Cline agents and employees were encouraged to use special signs to show all the places you could move to with Sibcy Cline’s partnership with LeadingRE. These pictures were then compiled and made into a Facebook cover photo:
Travel “souvenir” postcards (and e-postcards) from Florida, North Carolina, Texas and Las Vegas were sent to all Sibcy Cline agents to inform them of upcoming LeadingRE events and services available at Sibcy Cline Relocation Services. The states selected are Sibcy Cline’s most popular outgoing referral states.
It was a very clever and well-executed campaign that was very deserving of a first-place honor. Robin Sheakley, president of Sibcy Cline, was even asked to be a panelist at the conference to chat and share details about it.
Says Tammy Young, Sibcy Cline’s Relocation Director, “We were thrilled with the interactive campaign from social media to mailed postcards to passport signs in the branch offices and even e-postcards. It was a fun way to remind everyone to send those referrals!”
Adds Jenny Sand, president of Sibcy Cline Relocation Services, “Having just joined Sibcy Cline in January I must say how impressed I am with the creativity of this campaign to bring more exposure to our referrals.” Adds Blair Schroeder, Sibcy Cline Core Services Director, “This first place award brought a lot of recognition to our Relocation Services division from LeadingRE. We are sure to be top of mind for referrals for those moving to our region.”
Congratulations to Amanda Moore and Jane Bobel for their creativity!
Sibcy Cline Relocation Services has earned the prestigious RELOQuality Certification (RQC) for the fifth time by Leading Real Estate Companies of the World. This certification was the first program in the relocation industry to quantify and qualify what relocation service excellence.
Under the guidance of Blair Schroeder, President of Sibcy Cline Relocation Services, this division of Sibcy Cline has maintained certification by meeting RQC’s stringent standards. Virtually every aspect of the company’s relocation operation is reviewed thoroughly, using specific criteria to evaluate performance and production, staffing, training and continuing education, quality and scope of relocation service, program marketing, customer satisfaction, technology resources and office facilities.
After earning the certification, a company must complete a re-certification process every five years to ensure it continues to meet the program’s rigorous standards and remains current in terms of technology, relocation trends and other relevant areas.
“We are very proud of maintaining high standards at Sibcy Cline Relocation Services. Our clients expect a personalized and superior level of service and we deliver that to them,” says Schroeder.
Sibcy Cline Relocation Services the area’s largest relocation division with comprehensive corporate, government and referral services throughout the United States and across the globe. The referral team has facilitated over 13,000 transactions during the last five years.
Leading Real Estate Companies of the WorldExecutive Vice President, Member Services Elizabeth D. Nunan praises Sibcy Cline for its ongoing focus on excellence in relocation. “To maintain the RQC, a company must continue to demonstrate true expertise and proficiency in meeting the relocation needs of corporations and their transferring employees. We are delighted to extend the certification to Sibcy Cline for achieving all of the program’s demanding standards and commend them for maintaining their position as a leader in the industry.”
Sibcy Cline Realtors is the Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio; Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana representative of LeadingRE. With a global membership that spans six continents, LeadingRE connects more than 565 firms and 130,000 sales associates who produce over 1.1 million real estate transactions each year. As a member of LeadingRE, Sibcy Cline Realtors provides a quality real estate experience, global marketing reach and access to top real estate professionals in virtually any market worldwide. Sibcy Cline Relocation Services conducted over $242,000,000 in referral sales volume in 2017.
Blair Schroeder, President of Sibcy Cline Relocation Services, was honored as Lead Magazine’s Great Leaders Under 40 list in July 2017. This list celebrates the strongest leaders under 40 who have made an impactful contribution to the community.
About Blair Schroeder
Blair has headed up Sibcy Cline Relocation Services for the past three years overseeing its referral, corporate third-party and government lines of business. Prior to serving in this capacity for Sibcy Cline, Blair helped manage Corporate Communications for Duke Energy in Ohio and Kentucky as well as media spokesperson on legislative and regulatory issues. Additionally, he has also served as the VP of Public Affairs for the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, worked in Government Relations for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and handled media relations for Boone County.
A native of Texas, Blair and his family have lived in the Greater Cincinnati area for the past 15 years.
Per Fortune, the 500 companies on this year’s list represent two-thirds of the US GDP. This is the 62nd year that the magazine has created its rankings.
Forbes published its list of America’s Most Affordable Cities and Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio made this list. Cincinnati ranked #5 and Dayton ranked #8. Criteria for the ranking included comparing median home sales prices to family income as well as costs of groceries, utilities. transportation and health-care costs.
Cincinnati
Median Family Income: $68,500
2014 Median Home Sales Price: $133,000
Cost Below National Average: Groceries -4.6%; Utilities – 5.9%; Transportation: 0.2%; Health Care: 0.3%
Dayton
Median Family Income: $60,200
2014 Median Home Sales Price: $104,000
Cost Below National Average: Groceries -6.4%; Utilities – 7.6%; Transportation: 1.7%; Health Care: 11.8%
What city ranked as the most affordable? Birmingham, Alabama.
Thinking of moving? Consider Cincinnati, Ohio – it’s been ranked as one of the top cities for relocation!
The study included the availability of amenities such as culture, food, nightlife, weather and rent costs. The study found Cincinnati’s a great place to live with its beer, corn hole, Cincinnati Reds baseball team, and chili! It received a thumb’s up as a perfect place for the “food, sports and beer lover”. Look at the study here.
We think Cincinnati, Ohio’s a great place to live, too! Take a look at homes for sale here.
Tammy Young, Relocation Director for 
Sibcy Cline Relocation Services has earned the prestigious RELO Quality Certification (RQC) for the fifth time by Leading Real Estate Companies of the World. This certification was the first program in the relocation industry to quantify and qualify what relocation service excellence.
Nine Cincinnati-based companies made the Fortune 500 list for 2016, showcasing our region’s world-wide corporate clout:
Sibcy Cline Blog 