Intero Real Estate Blog

About Gino Blefari

Gino Blefari is the Founder, President and CEO of Intero Real Estate Services, Inc., a leading U.S. real estate brokerage headquartered in California’s Silicon Valley. With more than a quarter-century of real estate experience in sales, development and management – from his branch offices to regional and U.S. national operations – Mr. Blefari has lead Intero, through constant innovation, to become one of the fastest growing companies in the history of real estate. Today Intero is the #1 real estate company in Silicon Valley and has extended their reach across the U.S. and around the globe. Mr. Blefari possesses a passion for mentoring and continues to share his cornerstones of success with fellow real estate professionals.

Founded in late 2002 by Mr. Blefari, Intero Real Estate Services Inc. has recently expanded its brand globally, as a franchisor, through Intero Franchise Services, Inc. and Intero International Franchise Services, LLC. Intero was ranked #17, based on sales volume, on the prestigious REAL Trends 500 list of America’s leading real estate companies in 2010. At the 2007 NAR Conference & Expo Blefari was given the prestigious RISMedia National Home Ownership Award for “outstanding achievements among residential real estate’s most influential and charismatic leaders.” In July of 2005 Intero Real Estate Services was recognized by REALTOR® Magazine, the official magazine of the National Association of REALTORS®, as the fastest growing real estate company in the nation and ranked #1 out of the approximately 80,000 brokerages nationwide in growth of sales and transaction sides with 167.6% and 128.3% increases respectively.

Currently, Intero Real Estate Services has more than 40 offices serving four states; California, Colorado, Nevada and Texas and over 1,800 agents. Intero also plans to venture into the international market with offices scheduled to open in Malaysia, Shanghai, Beijing, Vietnam, Philippines and London in 2011.

Mr. Blefari began selling real estate in 1984 and for the next 14 years was a top-producing real estate agent selling an excess of 50 homes per year. During this time, he excelled at three different positions: as a real estate agent, a manager and a chief operating officer. As a manager at Contempo Realty in 1988, he quickly set out transforming the Cupertino office from the lowest producing branch into the company’s number one office. In 1992, his branch was the #1 branch in the entire Bay Area. Soon after, Mr. Blefari was promoted to CEO and co-owner of Contempo Realty where he oversaw the daily operations of 18 Contempo offices and their respective branch managers. In 1997, Contempo Realty was purchased by NRT (also known as Realogy), a nationwide real estate brokerage company, and soon after, Mr. Blefari was named president of the new Century 21 Seville Contempo Company, operating in the Northern California region. As president, he was credited with increasing the company’s profits by 280% in his first year on the job. By 2000, he not only had the top five offices in the region, he had seven of the top eleven offices within Century 21’s 6,300 worldwide offices. With this success as chief operating officer Mr. Blefari, already an award-winning REALTOR, now had proven his exceptional abilities. And in 2001, he was subsequently promoted to senior vice president of NRT, where he began working on a national level. In addition to his on-the-job mentoring, Mr. Blefari is a faculty member at De Anza College where he teaches real estate courses and is a former director of the National Association of REALTORS®.

Mr. Blefari has been involved in the communities where he works and lives for years. He was recognized for this involvement when he received the 2007 Achievement Award in the Business and Professional category by the Italian American Heritage Foundation. Also, in recognition of Mr. Blefari’s green business practices and support, EcoBroker International awarded him the 2006 EcoBroker Community Service Award out of more than one million brokers and agents nationally.

Mr. Blefari graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. In his spare time, Mr. Blefari, an avid reader, enjoys skiing, golf and weight lifting. In addition, he is a passionate gardener, raising redwood tree seedlings and donating them in order to benefit the community at large.