Brokerage Beat: News from Century 21, eXp, Real, Christie’s 

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.

Century 21 expands in Southeast suburbs

Suburban Atlanta

Boutique brokerage Nuway Realty in Newnan, Georgia, has joined the Century 21 brand.

Century 21 Nuway Realty, which was founded in 2009, serves  greater Coweta, Fayette, Douglas, Henry, Meriwether and Troup counties. 

CEO and broker/owner Brian Kroll took over the company in 2020 after a successful career in retail management.

"As someone whose career has made me move around multiple times, not only do I understand the complexities of searching for a home, but I also understand the importance of reputation," said Kroll. The affiliation with Century 21 gives the brokerage significant name recognition, he said. "In a hot relocation market such as our own, we'll never have to start at square one in client relations; they'll always know us as a part of a global industry leader."

Mike Miedler, president and CEO of Century 21 Real Estate LLC, said the brokerage is a good fit for the brand. "Century 21 Nuway Realty is fully committed to its local roots, but still keeps an eye on the importance of national brand identity," he said. "As new clients come and go in Newnan, we're happy to give Brian a foot in the door in client relations through the Century 21 global referral network and the overall reputation of the brand."

Suburban Orlando

McBride Realty Group in the northern suburbs of Orlando, Florida, has joined the Century 21 brand.

With a background in technology and communication, Rick McBride founded the firm 14 years ago. Sarah Yockey, his assistant originally, is now co-owner. The company is based in DeBary, Florida, about 30 minutes north of Orlando.

"Our company is 100% committed to enhancing client experience, and that starts with making sure everyone's on the same page," said Yockey. "We're a tight-knit group of friends, family and professionals who embrace our unique collaborative configuration."

McBride and Yockey plan to launch a strong recruiting campaign, possibly opening offices near Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach.

"We've always been proud of our ability to efficiently and effectively market listings," said McBride. "Now, I believe it's time that we also market ourselves." He said the Century 21 brand will be a big help in the expansion efforts.

Merger creates largest real estate team in Arizona

Two of eXp Realty's highest-producing teams in Arizona, KP Elite and the Zaback Group, have merged into the largest real estate team in the state.

KP Elite | Zaback Group has more than 140 agents with more than $500 million in production. The newly merged team will operate from locations in Scottsdale, Chandler, and Peoria.

"This merger is a game-changer. It's a landscape-altering moment for the real estate industry," said Keith Anderson, co-owner of KP Elite. "Mergers of this size almost never happen among real estate teams. With our synergy, we are primed to scale our operations nationally, setting new benchmarks in residential real estate."

Austin Zaback, founder of the Zaback Group, agreed. "We're breaking new ground. In the future, big teams are going to have the leverage that small teams and individuals don't have.

KP Elite co-owner Pete Kamboukos said the teams fit together "seamlessly," adding that the merger comes from a place of strength. "We are paying close attention to what is happening in real estate," he said. "We're not making this move to keep up. We're doing it to stay ahead and set the standard in the industry for what a real estate team should be."

Carolina Sky Real Estate now part of The Real Brokerage

Carolina Sky Real Estate, with 40 agents in four offices in North and South Carolina, has joined The Real Brokerage.

Based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, the firm led by Sheila Fleming and Toni McIntyre also has offices in Columbia and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Raleigh, North Carolina.

"We are excited to bring Carolina Sky to The Real Brokerage," said Real Chairman and CEO Tamir Poleg. "In addition to being top producers, Sheila and Toni share Real's commitment to providing their team with the best platform from which to serve clients, and I'm looking forward to working with them to not only build their business, but continue to grow Real's presence in the Carolinas."

Formed in 2021, Carolina Sky has quickly tripled its agent count. 

"As we've built Carolina Sky over the past two years, we've closely watched what Real has been doing," Fleming said. 

"Our vision for Carolina Sky is almost lockstep with Real and all that we wanted to have and offer our agents," McIntyre added. "We wanted to be able to offer our agents multiple streams of revenue and a retirement plan. Real's tech savviness and insurance program was icing on the cake and made our decision easy."

Brokerage rebrands as Christie's International Real Estate Turks & Caicos 

Regency International Estates in Turks and Caicos Islands is now known as Christie's International Real Estate Turks & Caicos.

The independently owned boutique company has been affiliated with Christie's International Real Estate for more than a decade, and aims to highlight the partnership with the new name. The rebranding comes along with a renewal of that affiliation.

The 12-person brokerage is led by Robert Greenwood and Walter Gardiner. Based on the island of Providenciales, the firm serves all of the Turks and Caicos, one of the top luxury destinations in the Caribbean. 

"The Christie's name is recognized around the world for luxury and carries a high level of trust, which our clients value tremendously," said Greenwood. "We are excited to further establish our relationship with Christie's International Real Estate through our new name, continuing to provide the islands' best luxury service with enhanced brand recognition."

Danielle Austin, president of Christie's International Real Estate Caribbean Affiliates, an alliance of regional brokerage firms, praised the company's track record with luxury real estate: "We look forward to their continued success under the Christie's International Real Estate banner."