Member News

When asked what the significance of having a bear in their logo is, Bill Bering Jr., co-owner of Bering Real Estate Co., explained the logical reasoning behind it.
   “It’s like John Deere,” he said. “People see the deer, and know it’s John Deere, even though it’s spelled differently. It’s the same thing with the bear.”
   Brothers Robert and Bill Bering were both born and raised in Lebanon County and attended Lebanon High School. Both Robert and Bill are also Penn State graduates, Robert with a bachelor’s in finance and Bill with a bachelor’s in wildlife science. So with such diverse backgrounds, how did they come to be co-owners of a real estate company?
   “Our dad got us started in the business,” Bill explained.
   Bill and Robert’s father, Bill Bering Sr., was also a licensed auctioneer. In 2005, both brothers attended the World Wide College of Auctioneering located in Iowa in order to receive their auctioneer licenses. They both then began working for the Manheim Auto Auction and the ADESA Auto Auction in York, PA. While working for the automobile auctions, Robert and Bill dabbled in real estate, and in August of 2015, they transitioned to working in real estate full-time, opening Bering Real Estate Co.
   Bering Real Estate Co. offers both conventional real estate listings as well as real estate auctions, something which sets them apart from other real estate agencies. Robert and Bill handle a wide range of properties, including residential, commercial, industrial, development sites, government properties, business liquidations, and more. In addition to Lebanon County, Bering Real Estate Co. handles properties located in Lancaster, Dauphin, and Berks Counties as well.
   “We pitch both of our options to people [listing or auction],” Robert explained, “but it’s really dependent on the client.”
   Bill and Robert stated that their business is pretty evenly split between clients who choose to list their property and those who want to put it up for auction. If a property is gaining a lot of interest, Bill said that an auction might be the best option to try and promote competitive bidding rather than waiting for offers. Robert did admit that auctions tend to be “more fun.”
   “The auction is no longer a distressed option,” Bill explained. “It’s no longer a last resort.”
   In fact, auctions seem to be more and more prevalent in the local community. Bill stated that Pennsylvania has the highest number of auctioneers per capita in the entire United States. This amount of competition is most likely the biggest challenge Bering Real Estate has to face as a new, fresh company to hit the market. Their game plan for this hurdle?
   “We’re doing what we can to market ourselves properly,” Bill said, “including both traditional and social media.”
   Bill and Robert are investing a great deal of both time and money in their marketing efforts in order to introduce their new business to the local community. Potential buyers or clients can view Bering Real Estate Co.’s newly developed website at www.beringrealestate.com. The company has its own, free app (Bering Real Estate Co.) which individuals can download and utilize to bid right from their mobile devices, wherever they are. The company is on Facebook and LinkedIn, and Robert and Bill’s picture also greets drivers from a prominent billboard location as individuals commute through Palmyra.
   According to Bill, his ultimate end goal for Bering Real Estate Co. is to have a reality show on Bravo called “PA Power Broker.” Bill is gearing up to pitch his idea to Bravo TV. In fact, the Bering brothers have already trademarked the term “Pennsylvania Power Broker,” and are using it as a tagline on their website and as a hashtag (#PennsylvaniaPowerBroker)!
   When asked what his favorite part of his job is, Robert said, “I like getting out to meet different people. There’s always someone you can connect with.”
   In contrast, Bill’s favorite thing about his job is the challenge that can come with listing a house or booking an auction and how competitive the market can be.
   Anyone interested in meeting with Bill and Robert can contact them for a free, in-home consultation. Robert can be reached by phone at 717-926-5153 or by email at rbering@beringrealestate.com. Bill can be reached by phone at 717-926-7910 or bill@beringrealestate.com. Bering Real Estate Co. also has a contact submission form available on their website.