Brokerage Beat: News from Real, C21, Pacific Sotheby's, more 

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.

$100M Dallas team joins The Real Brokerage

The Real Brokerage has expanded its presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area with the addition of the top-producing Hershenberg Group.

The 14-agent team, led by Michael Hershenberg, ranked No. 3 in the Dallas metro region in 2022 with a sales volume exceeding $100 million. The team, which serves North Texas and Frisco, has doubled its sales volume in each of the past three years.

"Michael's focus on client service and leveraging technology to provide customized marketing plans that are tailored to each property his team represents has allowed the Hershenberg Group to rise to the top of the Dallas luxury market," said Sharran Srivatsaa, president of Real.

"Joining Real has been one of the most impactful moves of my career," said Herschenberg, who started his real estate career in 2015 and was previously affiliated with RE/MAX and Keller Williams. "With Real's incentives to grow our community of Realtors, we now have a way to share our expertise with others as we broaden our presence throughout Dallas-Ft. Worth. We look forward to changing the way real estate is done in North Texas."

Century 21 adds affiliates in Missouri, Colorado

Century 21 has expanded its reach with two recent affiliations.

The brand returns to the St. Louis region with the affiliation of CopperKey Realty based in Saint Peters, Missouri. The firm, now doing business as Century 21 CopperKey Realty, was founded in 2018 by Cassie Kramer and Chris Kramer and covers Saint Louis and Saint Charles counties.

Cassie Kramer is a 15-year real estate veteran with a background in custom home construction and design. Chris Kramer has been in real estate since 2015 and previously had a career as an executive chef and restaurateur.

The Kramers said affiliating with the Century 21 brand will help fuel their growth. Their goals for the firm include doubling the size of their existing team through selective recruitment, and eventually increasing their service area through strategic mergers and acquisitions. 

"We've built our company up to this point based on hard work and commitment to service," said Cassie Kramer. "Now, as part of the Century 21 network, we can add the industry's top-notch tools and technology to round out the offerings we provide both our clients and our affiliated agents. We are so excited to bring the brand back to the region.'

In the West, Century 21 has also gained ground in the greater Denver market with the affiliation of Westminster, Colorado-based Signature Realty.

Now doing business as Century 21 Signature Realty, the firm was established in 2003 by Shellee Scherr and Kyle Scherr.

Shellee Scheer has been in real estate for three decades, and Kyle joined her to launch the business in 2003 following a successful career in sales and marketing. The company now has more than 40 sales associates with specializations in luxury homes, investment properties, divorce relocations, first-time homebuyers and clients looking to downsize. 

"Not long ago, I attended a Century 21 conference and found myself thinking, 'my team needs this — they deserve this,'" said Shellee Scheer.

"We're also very focused on coaching, so having access to all of the Century 21  brand's streamlined resources will free up more time to devote to professional development," Kyle Scheer said.

Pacific Sotheby's Realty recruits pair of San Diego agents

San Diego luxury agents Rande Turner and Melissa James, formerly of Rande Turner Properties, have joined Pacific Sotheby's International Realty.

The two agents had a combined sales of $92M in 2022 and were consistently ranked among top agents in San Diego, with an average sale price of $7 million. They also closed a $20 million transaction in Del Mar, CA last year, the highest sale in the area.

 Turner has worked as an agent for nearly 14 years and was previously the president of a real estate investment firm. James began her real estate career in 2017 and will be joining more than 550 Pacific Sotheby's International Realty agents across California. The pair will serve the La Jolla, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, Encinitas, and Carlsbad markets from a new office in Del Mar.

BHHS Chicago office gains top producer

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago has snagged former @properties broker Marty Dunne.

Dunne, who closed $34 million in real estate sales last year and is on track to exceed that figure in 2023, will join BHHS's Hinsdale office in the greater Chicago area.

In his relatively short time as an agent, Dunne has quickly become a top producer. Prior to starting his real estate career in 2019, he spent three decades in sales and marketing roles, eventually leading a 550 person sales and marketing team as executive vice president.

"Our company places a high priority on relationships and exceeding customer expectations — something that seems to really resonate with Marty's personal business style. He is poised for greatness and his clients will reap the benefits of his skills and knowledge," said Terri Doney, designated managing broker at BHHS Chicago.

"I ultimately chose to affiliate with BHHS Chicago because I could sense that they share my ideals and value relationships," said Dunne. "To me, everything boils down to relationships — long after the work at hand has concluded. The relationship is everything."

Manhattan luxury firm brings on 5 new agents

Coldwell Banker Warburg, the first company fully branded under Coldwell Global Luxury, has added five new agents to its roster.

Formerly known as Warburg Realty, the Manhattan company has been led by President Frederick Warburg Peters for more than 30 years, and according to its website, closed more than $270 million in sales each day in 2021.

The five new agents are:

• Joel Wernick, a former corporate recruiter who is transitioning into a new role in real estate sales.

• Maria Kourepenos, a former HBO marketing executive and longtime Manhattanite.

• Michael C. Weiner, an experienced real estate professional and native New Yorker whose grandfather also founded a real estate firm.

• Corrina Drost, who holds real estate licenses in New York and New Jersey and comes from a real estate family that worked in both residential and commercial real estate.

• Rashi Malhotra, who joins Coldwell Banker Warburg after a decade of working in operations and advertising, and who is also a certified sommelier.

The Agency clients, agents get 'first dibs' at design marketplace

The Agency has announced an exclusive partnership with 1stDibs, a leading online design marketplace.

The partnership will give both agents and clients access to a private design consultation with a 1stDibs "design concierge" who can help them create customized, unique living spaces as part of the homebuying process. Products offered by 1stDibs include furniture, decor, art, fine jewelry, watches and fashion.

"Our brands share a remarkable synergy, and through this partnership, we can leverage our combined capabilities to offer our agents enhanced access to services that truly differentiate The Agency," said Mauricio Umansky, CEO and founder of the boutique brokerage firm.