Editor’s Note: The brokerage business is a busy business with frequent moves, mergers, and milestones. Here’s some of the latest activity among brokerages across the United States.
A group of judges from top productions joins Christie’s Bluegrass
Pam Jury, who ran her own brokerage firm in Lexington, Kentucky, brought her sales team to Christie’s International Real Estate Bluegrass.
After seven years at the helm of her own firm, Julie currently serves as Principal Broker for Christie’s International Real Estate Bluegrass. She will manage the firm’s 23 agents alongside brokerage co-owners Rusty and Rachel Underwood. Her team members, who have generated more than $40 million in sales over the past year, will also join the office.
Agents Rusty and Rachel Underwood founded the Lexington-based firm in 2023 and quickly grew it into one of Central Kentucky’s top brokerage firms.
“Pam and her team bring extensive knowledge of the local market, strong community relationships, and a commitment to first-class customer service, which is a perfect fit for our company,” Rusty Underwood said in the News. stated in a release.
“It was an easy choice to join Rusty and Rachel and become part of Christie’s International Real Estate, a brand known worldwide for luxury goods and first-class customer service,” the jury said. “Our team is excited to leverage our incredible resources, including international recognition for top-notch listings, impactful marketing, and industry-leading technology for agents.”
Government agency arrives in northern Arkansas and gets into the mortgage business
The agency announced two recent moves. They are opening a new office in the northwest corner of Arkansas and launching a national mortgage company.
The agency has opened a new office in the northwest corner of Arkansas. Agency Bentonville is led by managing partners Carla House and Carla Andelman, along with managing director Alex Andelman.
House is a top producer from Arkansas, with average annual sales of $15 million, the agency said. Calah Andelman has over 10 years of real estate experience and moved to the area from California with experience in customer service and hospitality.
Several major companies are headquartered in the city, and the area is expected to see significant population growth in the coming decades, said James Ramsey, the agency’s vice president of franchising. Mr. Ramsey said that under the new office’s leadership, “I am confident that the Bentonville office will provide unparalleled service and meet the evolving needs of our clients.”
In addition to expanding its brokerage business, the agency launched a nationwide mortgage company, Aclara Lending, in a joint venture with Barrett Financial Group.
Aclara, which specializes in mortgage loans, will initially serve Southern California, but plans to expand to other markets soon.
“This represents a new era in real estate and mortgage servicing,” Trevor Barrett, founder and president of Barrett Financial Group, said in a news release. “Together, we are committed to providing our customers with not only customized financing solutions, but also a seamless, integrated experience that supports their entire journey from initial search to closing. Establish a new standard.”
Burke Smith, Vice President of Associated Businesses at The Agency, said the new venture marks “a pivotal moment in our journey to bring together a comprehensive mortgage solution focused on empowering agents. It shows that.”
Louisiana-based Rose Realty signs contract with BHGRE
Family-owned Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Rhodes Realty is the newest brokerage to join BHGRE. Headquartered in Natchitoches, Louisiana, the company has more than 50 salespeople in seven offices serving the entire state.
Brothers James and Justin Rose founded the agency in 2018 after careers in the civil engineering and construction industries. While working in the construction industry, they met Roderick McIntosh, a longtime real estate professional and broker for the company.
The Rose Brothers and their agents have leveraged their backgrounds to provide expertise in construction, residential, commercial, land development, and rental real estate.
They said their partnership with BHGRE provides them with a wide range of technology and tools to help them expand their business. McIntosh said the company plans to leverage the BHGRE brand to expand its presence in Louisiana’s largest market. The company eventually hopes to expand into Mississippi and east Texas.
“James and Justin will continue to advance the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand within Louisiana and leverage that brand to support similar efforts in current and future markets,” said Ginger Wilcox, president of BHGRE. We know we can do it.” In a news release.
SFAR Chairman Leads Bay Area Redfin Team
The 16-year real estate veteran will join Redfin to lead the company’s San Francisco, Marin, and Sonoma teams.
Vanessa Gamp is the Bay Area team’s new sales manager, coming to Redfin from independent brokerage firm Willomar Real Estate. She has extensive experience as an agent and manager, and currently serves as President of the San Francisco Association of Realtors (SFAR). She is also a board member of the California Association of Realtors (CAR) and a founding member of SFAR’s DEI Committee.
Gamp previously worked with Redfin as a partner agent, which she said “has been a great supplement to my business while building my career.” She cited the brokerage’s introduction of the Redfin Next agent pay plan as a key factor in joining her as a full-time agent. “We thought this was a great option for a lot of experienced agents who don’t want to start their own agency, but still need a lot of additional support,” Gump said.
She also pointed to Redfin’s employee benefits, leading housing search portal, and commitment to diversity as important considerations.
Corcoran welcomes back NYC trio
The Hall Geller Russell team has returned to The Corcoran Group in New York City after four years at Douglas Elliman, joining the firm’s East Side office.
The team is comprised of Caroline Hall, Stephen Geller, and Michael Russell, and recent notable sales include three $20 million-plus homes on the Upper East Side and a $31 million commercial building in Midtown . All three agents are longtime New Yorkers with extensive knowledge of Manhattan and Brooklyn real estate.
Commenting on their decision to rejoin Corcoran, team leaders said the brokerage industry is “where the three of us started our careers in real estate and laid the foundation for the business we are today. We are now coming full circle. I’m back where I was,” he said. It all started. ”
The move was driven by the quality of the management team and the “best-in-class brand recognition that Corcoran offers,” which they say will “enable us to continue to provide the highest level of service to everyone.” It’s a real differentiator.” Support our customers and take our business to the next level. ”
Realty ONE opens in Mexico
Franchisor Realty ONE announced it is expanding into Mexico with a new office owned by Marco Fernandez.
Mr. Fernandez has been involved in commercial real estate and investments for more than 20 years and plans to open offices throughout the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico’s Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo states.
“We are excited to open in Mexico and Marco is the right person at the right time,” said Kuba Jewginiew, CEO and founder of Realty ONE Group International. “He has the same heart and love for the real estate profession that is the foundation of our brand, and will undoubtedly add to our global momentum.”
Fernandez called Realty ONE “the perfect brand and business model,” saying it “allows us to offer customized solutions to agents in Mexico and comprehensive real estate services to our customers.”
