Brokerage Beat: News from E&V, Corcoran, Side, Real, 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. and globally.

Engel & Völkers launches in Mexico City

Engel & Völkers Mexico City marks the brand's entrance into the Mexican capital.

License partners Rodrigo Pérez del Toro and Malusa de Nova will lead a team of 12 to serve the luxury market in the metropolis.

Pérez del Toro has sold high-end real estate in Mexico City for 18 years, with more than $1 billion in sales.

De Nova leaves Sotheby's International Realty to help lead the Engel & Völkers office. She brings more than a decade of experience.

"The market has experienced growth in recent years, driven by urban development, economic stability, and a rising international affluence," said del Toro. He also said the luxury market in the nation's capital is expanding.

"Bringing the Engel & Völkers brand to Mexico City is another significant step in growing our global footprint," said Anthony Hitt, president and CEO, Engel & Völkers. 

"Rodrigo, Malusa, and their team have a demonstrated history of excellence in Mexico City and the surrounding suburbs."

NFL players sign on with Corcoran in Nashville and New Jersey

Nashville

Retired NFL offensive guard Andy Levitre and receiver Marc Mariani have signed on with the Your Nashville Agent team at Corcoran Reverie in Nashville.

It's not the first time they've been on the same team — their time with the Tennessee Titans overlapped briefly.

Levitre was in the NFL for 10 seasons, playing for  the Buffalo Bills, the Tennessee Titans and the Atlanta Falcons. Mariani played for six years as a wide receiver and return specialist for both the Tennessee Titans and the Chicago Bears in the 2010 Pro Bowl.

"Having excelled in the competitive environment of professional athletics, and established themselves as successful real estate agents, both Andy and Marc possess a unique set of skills that perfectly align with our company and the real estate industry," said Hilary Farnum-Fasth, broker/owner of Corcoran Reverie. 

To make the football connection even stronger, Corcoran Reverie is the exclusive real estate partner for the Tennessee Titans and the title sponsor for the annual Titans 5K race and various community tailgates at the team's Nissan Stadium.

Before joining Corcoran, Levitre was with Keller Williams Nashville, and Mariani was an independent agent.

New Jersey

Super Bowl Champion Gregory Senat is now selling real estate for Corcoran Infinity Properties in New Jersey.

Senat is now part of The Klipper Group, led by Roi Klipper, and will specialize in northern New Jersey's luxury real estate market.

Senat spent about six years as an offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs, where he earned a Superbowl ring for the 2019 season.

"My time as a professional athlete has taught me many skills that translate well to my new role as an agent, but teamwork is one of the strongest," said Senat. "Through teamwork, I look forward to acting as a trusted source for clients across all of their real estate needs, from purchasing, to selling, and investing — particularly with my fellow athletic industry peers."

David Arabia, broker/owner of Corcoran Infinity Properties, said Senat's experience as a professional athlete will be an asset to the brokerage.

"His discipline and perseverance are sure to be helpful tools when getting tough transactions across the finish line," Arabia said. "While his time management and team-building mentality aid in forming a trusted agent-client relationship and overall camaraderie."

Georgia brokerage leaders bring teams to Side

Two Georgia real estate teams, Smoke Rise Agents and 3tree, have opened their own brokerages using the Side platform.

Pat Soltys left HomeSmart to start her Smoke Rise team with Side. Located in Tucker, Georgia, her team has 24 agents and 7 support staff. 

Smoke Rise started at a small boutique brokerage that was then acquired by HomeSmart.

Soltys and her high-volume team said they were already operating as "a company within a company" at HomeSmart and wanted to return to their roots as a smaller business and work as a fully independent team.

Meanwhile, 3tree Realty, based in Athens, Georgia, was an independent brokerage that decided to move to the Side platform.

Cici Churchwell leads the brokerage, which currently has seven agents, and achieved about $30 million in sales volume last year. Churchwell got her start in real estate nearly 20 years ago, and opened 3tree in 2010.

Moving to Side, she said, will help her firm leverage its tech stack and backend responsibilities.

National woman-owned brokerage joins Real

Village Premier Collection, the country's largest minority- and woman-owned independent brokerage, has joined Real as part of its Private Label program. 

The program lets independent brokerages benefit from Real's platform while maintaining and continuing to invest in their own brand.

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Village Premier serves six states and Washington, D.C.

Brokerage leader Cheri Benjamin started her real estate career in 2000, and became Village Premier's first agent in 2013. She bought the brokerage in 2019.

Since then, Village Premier has grown from three offices with 67 agents in the Atlanta area to become a national player with nearly 500 agents serving the District of Columbia, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington State.

"I've known and admired Cheri for many years, and I couldn't be more excited that she sees the value of aligning Village Premier with Real," said Real President Sharran Srivatsaa. "Her values and business approach mesh seamlessly with Real so this couldn't be a better fit."

William Raveis acquires Carson Realty in South Carolina

William Raveis Real Estate has acquired Carson Realty, serving the greater Hilton Head, Bluffton, and Lake Keowee areas in South Carolina.

This marks William Raveis' fourth acquisition since last fall. 

"We look forward to our partnership with Carson Realty," said William Raveis, CEO and founder of the 50-year-old brand. "It's always exciting to join forces with another family-owned firm that shares our deep commitment to our agents and our communities."

With the acquisition, William Raveis now has more than 4,500 agents in 140 offices stretching from Maine to Florida.

Matt Rowe, broker-in-charge for Carson Realty, said he is especially excited to be able to offer the William Raveis mortgage and insurance products.

"It's a win-win to have William Raveis' in-house mortgage bankers to help prequalify our buyers and sellers, and insurance experts to help them navigate a complex insurance market with affordable options," Rowe said.

Trio of teams joins eXp Canada

Three Canadian teams have recently joined eXp Realty.

The Jeff Campbell Team of five agents in Regina, Saskatchewan, joined eXp from Coldwell Banker.

"We joined eXp because the business model perfectly aligns with our goal of accelerated growth within an already high-performing team structure," said Campbell. "Keeping the cost low to the team members is a high priority for small teams in expanding urban markets like Regina."

Concierge Realty Group in Newmarket, Ontario, was with Keller Williams Realty Centres before making the move to eXp.

Concierge Realty Group is led by founder Wasim Jarrah

"The level of network at eXp is unmatched," said Jarrah. "I believe the 'network is your net worth' if you are or want to be a high-functioning team."

Jarrah said eXp will help with plans to grow his business across borders.

"I can diversify my income through eXp's stock options and revenue share and optimistically grow my team to 10 agents by the end of 2024."

And in Montreal, Quebec, Dominic Lamarre's 15-agent Groupe Lamarre made the switch, coming over from RE/MAX.

"I joined eXp Realty because I want to offer my brokers an opportunity to grow and build something long-term with them,'' Lamarre said.