Zinnia launches to help teams bloom into brokerages

Are you receiving our weekly Teams Beat newsletter? For the latest news, insight and trends on teams, subscribe here.

A new consulting and startup services company focused on transforming real estate teams into independent brokerages has launched, called Zinnia.

The managed business services company stated its model is uniquely “anti-franchise” and a “first of its kind” offering to the real estate industry, according to the press release.

The intent of Boston-based Zinnia is to offer full-service business and marketing support to teams seeking to break from their current brokerage to operate as a newly branded company.

Fast-growing and team-oriented, Side has a similar approach, though it remains an actual brokerage. It reached a valuation of a billion dollars in 2021.

Zinnia is also similar to tech-centered Place, a real estate business services firm founded by Ben Kinney and Chris Suarez. It, too, is worth more than a billion dollars.

Zinnia CEO, Linda O’Koniewski

Company CEO Linda O’Koniewski said she’s bringing more than 20 years of industry expertise — and some hard lessons — to Zinna.

“We invested the last two decades developing a distinctive formula for success,” O’Koniewski said. “For clients who are eager to accelerate, Zinnia spares them those hassles so they can reach higher profitability quicker.”

O’Koniewski said that one client’s adoption of their systems led to a 60 percent increase in transactions in two years.

Zinnia offers a wide range of operational structures for aspiring real estate brokerages, from brand development and technology implementation to sales coaching, proprietary education and motivational events.

Zinnia head of customer experience, Christine George

Once up and running, Zinnia provides ongoing marketing services, helps build and manage websites, and delivers recruiting and retention consulting.

The company’s founding team is made up of career real estate professionals and marketing executives and includes O’Koniewski; Jason Amiss, head of strategic growth and business development; Christine George, head of customer experience; and Carrie Edwards, who will handle brand development and creative services.

On top of leadership autonomy, the company stated in the release that its services can make experienced agents more productive and empower new agents to get up to speed quickly.

“Zinnia takes the opposite of a cookie-cutter approach,” George said in the release. “In a world of templates, our design pros customize listing and buying collateral, marketing campaigns, social media, and websites to help tomorrow’s real estate leaders fuel their growth by promoting their own unique identity.”

Zinnia is now taking on new clients, according to its website.

Email Craig Rowe