High-net-worth consumers rated Fidelity Brokerage Services the most trusted retail broker in the 2008 Luxury Brand Trust Index (LBTI) survey from the Luxury Institute. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. and Wachovia Securities rank second and third, respectively.
Respondents who said they trust Fidelity Brokerage say it has provided “excellent service and ideas for making money,” “holds the investor’s concerns as a priority,” and has “your best interests at heart.”
The following are the 12 retail brokers rated by wealthy consumers (in alphabetical order):
- Ameriprise Financial
- Bank of America
- Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
- E*Trade
- Edward Jones
- Fidelity Brokerage Services
- Merrill Lynch
- Smith Barney
- TD Ameritrade
- UBS Financial Services
- Wachovia Securities
- Wells Fargo Securities
Real Estate Companies
High-net-worth consumers rated Sotheby’s International Realty the most prestigious real estate company in the 2008 Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey from the Luxury Institute.
Christie’s Great Estates was rated a very close second and Corcoran Group was rated third.
Respondents who would recommend Sotheby’s International Realty say they have “high-end properties,” “exclusive listings,” “great customer service,” and an “excellent reputation.”
The following are the 10 real-estate companies rated by wealthy consumers (alphabetical order)
- Century 21 Fine Homes and Estates
- Christie’s Great Estates
- Coldwell Banker Previews International
- Corcoran Group
- ERA International Collection
- GMAC Elegant Homes
- Prudential Real Estate
- RE/MAX
- Sotheby’s International Realty
- Weichert Capital Properties and Estates
Real Estate Websites
High net-worth consumers rated Luxuryrealestate.com the most prestigious real estate website in the 2008 LBSI survey. Weichertcapital.com and Realtor.com rank second and third, respectively.
Respondents who would recommend Luxuryrealestate.com say it has “high-end, lovely homes,” “easy access to information,” and “meaningful detail on properties listed.”
“Luxury real estate websites that are independent networks, or that belong to a brokerage firm, are often where wealthy consumers go first to decide if they want to create a relationship with the brand,” said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute.
The following are the nine real estate websites rated by wealthy consumers (in alphabetical order):
- Century21.com
- Coldwellbankerpreviews.co
- ERA.com
- Luxuryrealestate.com
- Prudentialproperties.com
- Realtor.com
- Remax.com
- Sothebysrealty.com
- Weichertcapital.com
About the ratings: A national sample of 1,666 wealthy American consumers was surveyed online. The average income was $348K and the average net-worth was $3.7 million. Survey results are weighted to match demographic and net-worth profiles of the same audience according to the latest Survey of Consumer Finances from The Federal Reserve.