Prudential Commercial Services Members Now ISO Registered; Rigorous Quality Standards Registration is First-Ever for a Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Network

Business Wire, Nov 4, 1999

NEWARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 4, 1999--

Prudential Commercial Services (PCS), a division of The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates Inc. -- one of the nation's leading full-service real estate brokerage franchisors -- announced today that, through a Network of Sites process, more than 20 of its affiliate members participated in becoming the world's first commercial real estate network to achieve registration to the International Standard ISO 9002:1994.

The globally recognized quality standards are used by more than 250,000 businesses worldwide. SGS International Certification Services, the world's largest registrar, performed the registration audits.

Companies are struggling to redefine themselves in order to survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive industry. The ones that offer superior service will not only capture market share but will be leaders among the next generation of real estate brokerages. The registration sends a clear message to clients of Prudential Commercial Services members that it intends to be on the cutting edge of customer satisfaction.

"Achieving this registration demonstrates once again that Prudential Commercial Services and the Prudential Real Estate Network are industry leaders," said John Van Der Wall, president, The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates Inc. "Receiving the internationally recognized ISO standard is an aggressive step toward establishing PCS member affiliates as the industry's premier service providers."

The ISO standards -- developed by business and government leaders around the world to provide a foundation of confidence for business transactions -- are the framework for evaluating systems used by businesses that deliver a product or service. The ISO 9002 Registration status received by Prudential Commercial Services member companies assures its customers and strategic partners of their commitment to deliver superior products and services.

The ISO 9002 registration, completed through a Network of Sites process, involved more than 20 other commercial companies within the Prudential Commercial Services Network. The process, completed throughout this past year, is an aggressive step towards best practices and risk management strategies that reflect changing global business and commercial practices around the world.

Businesses implementing the standards go through a rigorous four-stage process, including defining and documenting their systems, training employees and agents, implementing the system, and finally registration by a third party registrar. The registration audit results in the issuance of a unique registration number and certificate indicating the compliance by the business with internationally recognized standards for quality. A company must be audited at least once a year to maintain their registration.

Larry Turk, CEO for ISS Process Dynamics, LLC, a recognized ISO consulting firm, said, "The commitment from Prudential Commercial Service's brokerage owners, managers, staff and sales professionals has been extraordinary. It is easy for businesses to say they are world class. It takes a real commitment to quality service and continuous improvement to achieve registration."

"It has been a priority of Prudential Commercial Services to implement ISO 9002 standards within its network of affiliate members," said Claude Gardner, vice president of Prudential Commercial Services. "Prudential Commercial Services affiliates worked diligently to successfully complete the comprehensive ISO audit process and become the world's first real estate brokerage network to receive registration. Our clients know that we are working with them to deliver risk management solutions and a clearly defined quality assurance platform that outpaces our competitors," said Gardner. Every new commercial affiliate within the Prudential Commercial Services Network begins implementation of the ISO Quality Management system upon affiliation and are required to retain ISO compliance as a PCS member affiliate.

The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates Inc., headquartered in Irvine, Calif., is a leading full-service real estate brokerage franshisor that awarded its first affiliation in 1988. The company has proven itself as a technology leader through its consistent delivery of cutting-edge tools and innovative solutions that meet the needs of today's brokers, sales professionals and customers alike. Prudential Commercial Services has offices across North America, with more than 800 commercial practitioners and a Network of quality brokers in their referral system. The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates Inc. is a subsidiary of The Prudential Insurance Company of America and can be found on Prudential's Web site at www.prudential.com.