Passion Meets Empowerment

Long Leadership Promotes Dynamic Company Culture

By Loni Nannini 

As the CEO of Long Companies, Kevin Kaplan believes that longevity is built through shared passion and empowerment of those around him. 

He embraces a team-first leadership style that supports those ideals.

“I think sharing the same passion to be great is key and I am very fortunate that we have a lot of people here like that. Our people really care about the brand and what we do. . .and my philosophy is very much about empowerment and listening: I am probably the opposite of a micromanager,” said Kaplan. He views it is as his role to develop strategies—and then offer tools—that empower people to excel at their jobs. 

“I find that everyone wants to be great at what they do. How can we help them be successful? That may be helping people learn new skill sets and giving them the right environment and the technology to succeed or develop new ideas, but also understanding what we are trying to accomplish and working together to get there,” said Kaplan, who joined Long Realty as director of marketing in 2008 and put this philosophy into practice as he rose through the ranks at Long Companies. 

Drawing on a background in real estate, technology and brand strategy, Kaplan—along with the company’s executive team and agents—have built a scalable platform. They have elevated Long’s brand throughout its evolution from a brokerage to a suite of real-estate related services that make home buying easier for the consumer. 

It Takes A Team 

 Kaplan has utilized a team approach in his strategic vision for continued growth and expansion of Long Companies, which is comprised of Long Realty, Agave Title Agency, Prosperity Home Mortgage and HomeServices Insurance.

“Teamwork is very important. We need to have a shared vision and make sure everyone is on the same page to accomplish that,” Kaplan said. 

He credits Long’s skilled executive team, many of whom have worked together for decades, for building relationships based on honesty and openness and the ability to challenge one another by asking tough questions when necessary.  With the team’s intentions aligned, Kaplan said they are able to work as a unit to move forward.

“I think that is important in any company. We are fortunate to have that kind of tight-knit relationship and trust at the executive level so we are able to spend 100% of our energy on keeping the company great.”

He noted that the building of team relationships is facilitated by a favorable agent-to-manager ratio, a business model that sets Long apart from many other real estate companies. 

“Humans are central to helping consumers buy or sell houses and we believe that we need quality professionals in management to help our agents be the most successful at what they do,”  Kaplan said. 

A Culture of Curiosity

 This solutions-oriented ethos also puts an emphasis on communication as well as “genuine curiosity” to constantly improve Long’s image for quality, trustworthiness and caring service. 

“People have developed a perception about what Long stands for and to deliver on that and give people what they need, we have to work at it constantly.”

To meet consumer needs, evaluation and adaptation are an ongoing process in the ever-changing real-estate market; and proactive communication is a key component of strategy development, according to Kaplan. 

“We talk to our agents constantly about how we can be better.  The best idea could be right around the corner. You miss out on so much when you think you have it all figured out and you bias yourself. You have to be curious about exploring other people’s ideas and allowing conversations to roam. That dynamic works very well for us here.” 

Kaplan honed his inclusive leadership style as a 2015 graduate of the Greater Tucson Leadership Council; he also served as a board member and board president. 

The experience reinforced his conviction—and Long’s founding principle—that giving back is vital. Whether through support of nonprofits, economic development, development of people or filling needs in the community. 

Kaplan describes the Long team as being “ambassadors of Tucson and Southern Arizona.” 

“This is our community, where we live and where we work. It is hard to be on the periphery and in real estate without caring about the community. That is part of our brand—the ‘we are in it with you’ trust piece. We are very much about how we can keep making this a great place to live.” 

Pictured above – Kevin Kaplan, CEO, Long Companies. Photo by Brent G. Mathis

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