Brokerage Beat: Recognitions, affiliations and expansions
Latest news: Four brokerages named 'best place to work,' BHGRE adds affiliate in Oregon, BHHS grows in WA, eXp expands to Dubai, Christie's adds UK affiliate.
Editor's note: The brokerage business is a busy one, with frequent moves, mergers and milestones. Here we highlight some of the latest activity among brokerages across the U.S.
Four residential real estate brokerages make Glassdoor list
Four residential real estate brokerages were named to Glassdoor's Best Places to Work 2023 list of the top 100 companies, based on employee feedback.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices was the highest ranked among the brokerages, coming in at 17th. Following BHHS were eXp Realty (20th), Coldwell Banker (35th) and Keller Williams (48th).
For Keller Williams, it was the seventh consecutive year the company made the list, and for eXp it was the sixth straight year.
Other real estate companies on the list were property management firm Cardinal Group of Companies (54th) and real estate software company Yardi (76th).
Oregon brokerage joins Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate
A real estate brokerage in Eugene, Oregon, has become affiliated with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.
Equinox Real Estate, owned and operated by Bess and Ron Blacquiere, is now Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Equinox. The Blacquieres opened their first office in 2003 in Eugene, the state's second-most-populous city and home to the University of Oregon, and opened a second office in the smaller college town of Corvallis, the home of Oregon State University, in 2020. Their service area spans approximately 2,500 square miles across Lane, Linn and Benton Counties.
"Ron and Bess are dynamic business and community leaders who strongly focus on supporting their affiliated agents' continued growth. They understand the importance of having best-in-class marketing, technology and professional development resources to set the company and its affiliated agents up for success well into the future," said Sherry Chris, president & CEO, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC, in a news release.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices expands in Washington state
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest has acquired Puget Sound-area brokerage Better Properties DuPont Lacey Yelm, which will now operate under the leadership of Jason Waugh.
"We are so humbled, proud, and excited to announce our acquisition to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate," said Nicole Braam, former owner and designated broker, and Chelsea Bamrick, former owner and managing broker, in a joint statement. "From the moment we met Jason, Melanie, and their amazing team, we have been beyond impressed. We knew we had found the right company with the right people to move our vision forward, and continue to realize the goal of supplying expert, reputable, real estate services to our local communities."
Braam and Bamrick will continue to actively sell real estate for the company under the team name Braam Bamrick & Co. Real Estate Services. The more than 40 Better Properties brokers will continue to work out of their established offices in DuPont and Lacey, Washington.
eXp expands into Dubai
eXp Realty recently announced that it has expanded into Dubai, adding to its presence in the Middle East.
The real estate firm now operates in 24 markets with more than 86,000 agents around the world, according to a company news release.
"This is a proud moment for eXp Realty, as we open our 24th location, with the long anticipated addition of Dubai, one of the Middle East's most exciting cities," said Michael Valdes, chief growth officer in the news release. "Dubai has a rich and vibrant multicultural population with an equally diverse economy, offering a strong foundation for our entry point into the United Arab Emirates. We are thrilled to empower agents in Dubai by enabling their success with our unique agent-centric model and attractive value proposition."
eXp Realty's brokerage operations in Dubai will be led by Dounia Fadi, who joins the company with more than 18 years of real estate broker experience in Dubai.
"Dubai is building for the future and eXp Realty is the future of real estate, bringing powerful and unparalleled innovation to the real estate market," Fadi said. "I knew right away that I wanted to be the one to bring this disruptive model to Dubai and am thrilled to lead this expansion."
Christie's International Real Estate adds exclusive UK affiliate
Carter Jonas is the latest addition to Christie's International Real Estate's global roster of affiliates.
The property consultancy, which was founded in 1855 and has 34 offices across the U.K., will be the luxury brand's exclusive affiliate in the United Kingdom. Carter Jonas serves a range of clients in the residential space, including sales, leasing and new homes, as well as commercial sales, property management and more. Only their residential divisions will be affiliated with Christie's International Real Estate.
"Our professionals know the London and regional property markets inside out and have a wealth of experience in the industry. Furthermore, because we're a partnership, our clients can take comfort in dealing directly with the owners of our business," said Lisa Simon, head of residential, Carter Jonas.
"The U.K. — especially London, where Christie's was founded — is a key market for Christie's International Real Estate, so it was critical to find the right local partner. Carter Jonas embodies the Christie's International Real Estate brand, and we're thrilled to add them to our network of luxury affiliates around the world," said Helena de Forton, managing director for EMEA and APAC at Christie's International Real Estate.