Brokerage Beat: News from Christie's, The Agency, Redfin, 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.

Top-producing Jury Group joins Christie's Bluegrass

Pam Jury, who ran her own brokerage in Lexington, Kentucky, has brought her sales team to Christie's International Real Estate Bluegrass.

After seven years at the helm of her own company, Jury is now principal broker at 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 logged more than $40 million in sales over the past year, also are joining the office.

Husband-and-wife agents Rusty and Rachel Underwood founded the Lexington-based firm in 2023, and it has quickly grown to be one of Central Kentucky's top brokerages.

"Pam and her team bring extensive local market knowledge, strong community relationships and a commitment to top-tier client service, which aligns perfectly with our firm," Rusty Underwood said in a news release.

"Joining Rusty and Rachel and being part of Christie's International Real Estate, a brand known around the world for luxury and first-class client service, was an easy choice," Jury said. "Our team is excited to tap into the incredible resources including international visibility for top-tier listings, impactful marketing, and the industry's best tech for agents."

The Agency arrives in northern Arkansas, moves into mortgage business

The Agency has announced two recent moves: a new office in Arkansas' northwest corner, and the launch of a national mortgage company.

The Agency has opened a new office in Arkansas' northwest corner. The Agency Bentonville is led by Managing Partners Kaala House and Calah Andelman, alongside Managing Director Alex Andelman.

House is an Arkansas native and top producer who averages $15 million a year in sales volume, according to The Agency. Calah Andelman, who has more than a decade of real estate experience, moved to the region from California, and has a background in customer service and hospitality. 

Several major companies are headquartered in the city, and the area is expected to see massive population growth over the next few decades, said James Ramsay, EVP of The Agency's franchise division. Under the new office's leadership, Ramsay said he is "confident that our Bentonville office will deliver unparalleled service and meet the evolving needs of our clients."

In addition to expanding its brokerage business, The Agency has also launched the national mortgage company Aclara Lending in a joint venture with Barrett Financial Group.

Aclara, which specializes in residential mortgages, will initially serve Southern California but plans to move into other markets soon.

"This represents a new era in real estate and mortgage services," said Trevor Barrett, founder and president of Barrett Financial Group, in a news release. "Together, we're setting a new standard for luxury home buying by providing clients with not only tailored lending solutions but also a seamless, integrated experience that supports their entire journey — from the initial search to closing the deal." 

Burke Smith, EVP of affiliated businesses at The Agency, said the new venture "marks a pivotal moment in our journey, bringing together a comprehensive suite of mortgage solutions with a strong focus on agent empowerment."

Louisiana's Rhodes Realty signs on with BHGRE

Family-owned Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Rhodes Realty is the latest brokerage to join BHGRE. The company, which is based in Natchitoches, Louisiana, has more than 50 sales associates across seven offices serving the entire state.

Brothers James and Justin Rhodes founded the agency in 2018 after transitioning from careers in the civil engineering and construction industry. While working in construction, they met longtime real estate pro Rodrick McIntosh, who is the firm's broker.

The Rhodes brothers, along with their agents, have utilized their background to offer expertise in construction as well as residential, commercial, land development and rental properties. 

They noted that the affiliation with BHGRE offers their firm a wide range of technology and tools to help expand their business. McIntosh said he plans to leverage the BHGRE brand to help the agency expand its presence in Louisiana's largest markets. Eventually, the company would like to grow into Mississippi and Eastern Texas.

"We know that James and Justin will propel the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand forward within Louisiana and, in turn, leverage the brand to help them do the same in their current and future markets," said Ginger Wilcox, president of BHGRE, in a news release.

SFAR president to lead Bay Area Redfin teams

A 16-year real estate veteran has joined Redfin and will lead the brokerage's San Francisco, Marin and Sonoma teams.

Vanessa Gamp is the new sales manager for the Bay Area teams, moving to Redfin from the independent brokerage Willomar Real Estate. She has extensive experience as both an agent and manager, and is currently the president of the San Francisco Association of Realtors (SFAR). She is also a director at the California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.) and a founding member of SFAR's DEI committee. 

Gamp had previously worked with Redfin as a partner agent, which she called "a great supplement to my business while I was building my career." She cited the brokerage's introduction of its Redfin Next agent pay plan as an important factor in joining the company as a full-time agent: "I thought this is a fabulous option for a lot of seasoned agents who don't want to start their own brokerage, but still want a bunch of extra support," Gamp said.

She also pointed to Redfin's employee benefits, leading home search portal and commitment to diversity as important considerations.

Corcoran welcomes back NYC trio

The Holl Geller Russell Team has returned to Corcoran Group in New York City, joining the firm's East Side office after four years at Douglas Elliman.

The team consists of Caroline Holl, Stephen Geller and Michael Russell, whose recent notable sales include three homes on the Upper East Side for over $20 million and a commercial building in Midtown for $31 million. All three agents are longtime New Yorkers with extensive knowledge of Manhattan and Brooklyn real estate.

Speaking about their decision to rejoin Corcoran, team leaders said the brokerage "is where the three of us started our respective careers in real estate and built the foundation of the business we have today. We have now come full circle, returning to the place where it all began."

The move was prompted by the quality of the leadership team and "the best-in-class brand recognition that Corcoran offers," which they described as "real difference-makers that will allow us to continue to provide the highest level of service to all our clients and take our business to the next level."

Realty ONE opens in Mexico

The franchisor Realty ONE has announced its move into Mexico with a new office owned by Marco Fernandez.

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 the Mexican states of Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo. 

"We've been excited to open in Mexico and Marco is the right person at the right time," said Kuba Jewgieniew, CEO and founder of Realty ONE Group International. "He will absolutely build on our global momentum because he has the same heart and love for real estate professionals that is the foundation of our brand."

Fernandez called Realty ONE "the perfect brand and business model," one which will allow him to "offer tailored solutions to agents in Mexico and comprehensive real estate services to their clients."