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Among the best training grounds for agents, according to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CEO Ken Baris, may just be athletic fields, courts or courses. “As a former competitive tennis player, I understand the athlete’s mindset — and I’ve seen firsthand how well it translates to real estate,” Baris said. “Athletes tend to make exceptional Realtors: They’re coachable, collaborative, open to feedback and fiercely driven to win.”
Over the years he’s worked with a highly ranked competitive tennis player, Colin Dibley, who won the Davis Cup for Australia before spending more than 25 years as a Realtor, as well as Olympians in figure skating and track and field events.
“I love that our firm attracts elite competitors,” Baris said. “It speaks to our culture — one that values focus, resilience and the relentless pursuit of excellence.”
To keep his team competitive, Baris focuses on career development, with lunch-and-learn and power hour events and coaching for both emerging and top producers. “This constant focus on growth keeps us sharp, agile and always ahead of the curve,” he said.
“When the market shifts, we don’t flinch — we lean in. We actually welcome challenges, because we know that’s where the greatest opportunities for growth are born.”
Learn how this highly regarded industry figure, speaker, advisor to major real estate companies and lifelong student of real estate developed his deep, nuanced understanding of both the broker and vendor perspectives.
Name: Ken Baris
Title: CEO
Experience: Started with our firm the morning after graduating Rutgers in 1985
Location: Northern New Jersey
Brokerage name: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Jordan Baris Realty
Team size: 183
Sales volume: Billions in closed sales
Awards:
- In 2021, Real Living established a Jordan Baris Award for Diversity and Inclusion and named our firm the first recipient.
- Three Time RIS Media Newsmaker of the Year: 2024 Industry Luminary, 2022 Industry Luminary, 2020 Influencer
- Leading Real Estate Companies of the World President’s Award for Service
- Leading RE Award for Transaction of the Year for Outstanding Client Experience (2009)
How did you get your start in real estate?
I never dreamed of being a fireman. For as long as I can remember, I only wanted one thing — to work with my dad. He founded our firm in 1952, long before I was born or even a thought in his mind.
In kindergarten, when my teacher asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I didn’t hesitate: “A Realtor!” She asked, “What’s that?” I proudly replied, “I don’t know — but my dad is one, and I will be, too.”
That moment sparked a lifelong passion, and I’ve been proud to carry on his legacy ever since — building a business rooted in family, service and the belief that real estate is about relationships first.
What’s something you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
When I first started, my focus was simple: be the best Realtor I could possibly be. As my career evolved, I discovered something exciting — I could blend my passion for technology with real estate brokerage, creating a path that was both innovative and deeply fulfilling.
But the most meaningful part of the journey took a little longer to reveal itself. Yes, there are many ways to be successful and earn a great living — but real estate offers something more: The chance to build a career while making a real difference in people’s lives.
If I could go back and tell my younger self one thing, it would be this: The impact you’ll have on others will be the most rewarding part of it all. That knowledge is what still fuels me every single day.
What are 5 things you’d like readers to know about you and your brokerage?
- I was not allowed to be given a lead until I qualified for the then-Million Dollar Club, which is now the Circle of Excellence. My father wanted to be certain I knew how to fish.
- I was a prolific lister of real estate when I was selling and thought that we could take my presentation and put it on a laptop computer so our team could replicate what I was doing. We created it and it was pretty good. Ultimately, we licensed it to Top Producer and it was named Top Presenter. It won the NAR Technology Product of the Year when it was launched. Over 88,000 copies were sold, and it was the first multimedia listing presentation. Many other presentations have been built since and many have a lot of what we created in them.
- We proudly have a very diverse and inclusive company, and it has been that way since the 1950’s long before DEI was a thing and long before people realized how important it is. This has always made us a better firm.
- In an industry where there is a lot of movement, we have numerous members of our company family who have been with us for 20 years or more.
- Culture is key and we have a warm and embracing culture. Our tech suite is among the best in the industry. This, combined with our support helps us to envision our team with what they can do to be successful, empower with a world-class technology suite and continually energize to make it exciting.
What’s your top tip for freshly licensed brokers?
From Day 1, make listings your top priority. Set aside time every working day to generate appointments with potential sellers — no exceptions. Be creative, have fun, and find ways to stand out. With consistency, something powerful happens: People start reaching out to you.
And when that momentum builds — don’t ease up. Too many agents forget what fueled their early success, take their foot off the gas and stall. The pros? They double down. The ones who stay committed to daily listing generation don’t just grow — they explode.
And here’s a key mindset: Use technology to increase personal contact, not replace it. We rely on the Bold Trail Suite for our CRM and more — it keeps us organized, visible and proactive. It doesn’t replace the human touch — it prompts it.
The real magic still happens in the personal calls, the thoughtful texts, the genuine connections. That’s where relationships are built and where long-term success lives.
What makes a good leader?
A strong leader creates the infrastructure for success and growth — but it’s the team that brings it to life. I believe in empowering people to think, decide and rise to the occasion.
That’s why one of my favorite responses to a question is, “What would you do?” Most of the time, the answer is spot on — and when it is, I fully support it. This builds confidence, encourages ownership and makes the work more fulfilling.
My leadership mantra is simple: Don’t come to me with everything upfront. That creates bottlenecks. Instead, make the call and move forward.
In return, there’s a clear understanding: Out of every 10 decisions, I’ll be delighted — or at least completely fine — with seven or eight. I might offer suggestions for a better approach on one or two, and occasionally, I’ll need to reverse one. That’s the trade-off. When that happens, no one gets rattled — we focus on the fact that the vast majority of decisions were trusted and embraced.
Email Christy Murdock
