Lerner says architects can reap several benefits as a Realtor. For one, the real estate specifics found in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) support the work architects do. "Say a client asks if the home addition you are about to do will pay for itself at resale. If you look at MLS statistics, you can answer that question". Architects also can find deals for themselves and their clients and may generate additional income from real estate commissions and referral fees. And then there's the one intangible: influence. "Out of 100 houses, maybe 20 are designed by an architect. That means 80 homeowners are never in contact with an architect," Lerner said. "But 79 percent of all houses are purchased with the aid of a real estate agent or broker, and 85 percent are sold by an agent. This means the first person most consumers [engage] with is an agent. This is unacceptable. We can't leave this type of exposure to amateurs." John Brown, RAIC, principal of housebrand in Calgary, Alberta, spoke of how a real estate license directly contributed to the success of his firm. "I took a different path," said Brown, residential architect's 2009 Rising Star Leadership Award winner. "The main interest in starting our practice was, How do we bring architectural services into the middle of the market? How do we make available an architectural experience for those people who thought they could never hire an architect but really wanted a nice place to live?"