Brokerage Beat: News from ENRG founders, William Raveis, ERA, BHGRE, 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.

Realty of America co-founders departing, will revive upstart ENRG Realty

Erinn and Peter Nobel, the husband-and-wife duo who launched ENRG Realty late last year, announced this week that they are leaving Realty of America, a firm they founded with two other brokerage leaders just three months ago.

"​​We have a quick update about our involvement with Realty of America (ROA)," Erinn wrote in a LinkedIn post about the split. "Unfortunately, we have decided to part ways with ROA because we ultimately couldn't agree on how to build and scale a brokerage. As entrepreneurs, we're always grateful for learning opportunities and are grateful for the experience."

Instead, the Nobels are "recommitting" to their vision for ENRG and will be "making some more detailed announcements about ENRG in the coming weeks," Erinn added. When the couple launched the firm in January, they said their goal was to "professionalize the industry" and offer agents a new approach to revenue sharing.

Prior to launching ENRG, Erinn was chief culture officer at The Real Brokerage and regional growth leader at eXp, while Peter served as the former chief strategy officer at Real and chief operating officer at eXp.

William Raveis acquires longtime Nantucket indie

William Raveis Real Estate, a privately held real estate company that operates in several East Coast states, has acquired the boutique Nantucket-based brokerage Jordan Real Estate (JRE), the company announced this week. The acquisition includes JRE co-owners Gloria Grimshaw and David Callahan, who have led the brokerage since 2007. 

The newly combined operations in Nantucket will benefit buyers, sellers and renters in the region, said William Raveis Real Estate Co-President Chris Raveis, who noted that JRE will now have access to William Raveis' "dynamic agent referral network throughout the Northeast, Florida, and the Carolina." 

The partnership also reflects William Raveis' commitment to community involvement, the company said. JRE, which was founded 32 years ago, has deep roots in the region and is known for its support of local cultural institutions, while Grimshaw, Callahan and the firm's agents have been active volunteers for various nonprofit organizations.

William Raveis Real Estate was founded 50 years ago by Chairman and CEO Bill Raveis, who continues to run the firm alongside his two sons, who are co-presidents. "We have a unique business model, a combination family-owned, luxury real estate brand that has insurance, mortgage and title," Bill Raveis told Real Estate News in April. The firm is one of the largest independent real estate brokerages in the U.S. with roughly 5,000 agents. 

ERA announces new Washington affiliate, ad campaign

ERA Real Estate announced this week the addition of a Washington-based brokerage, as well as the launch of a new advertising campaign aimed at agent attraction.  

Imagine Realty, a multi-office brokerage serving Central Washington's Columbia Basin, has officially affiliated with ERA Real Estate. Established in 2017, Imagine Realty ERA Powered is owned by Jessie "Weno" Dominguez and his wife Amy Dominguez, who serves as VP of operations. The firm is known in the region for its bilingual expertise in residential, commercial and agricultural real estate.

"Our brokerage has big plans for the future," Weno said, noting that the affiliation will give the firm "access to some of the most robust systems and services in the real estate industry. We're now in a position to support onboarding new agents while providing our existing agents with upgraded tools, which will ultimately let us be in control of the rate we scale our company."

Their growth strategy includes opening a new office in Quincy, with future expansion plans for Eastern Washington and Idaho.

Additionally, ERA is promoting a new marketing initiative called "It's time to move up," which aims to convey the brand's benefits for consumers and competitive advantages for agents. 

ERA launched the campaign on social last month with a personalized hashtag — MoveUpMoments — inviting users to celebrate "special moments" of home and client success stories. 

"This campaign highlights our commitment to innovation and growth and reinforces our dedication to supporting our agents and brokers," said Alex Vidal, president of ERA Real Estate in the announcement. "This marks a new chapter in our journey as a brand, and we're excited about the role it will play as we continue our growth in the months and years ahead."

BHGRE bestows top award to Omaha firm

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate has presented its top award to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate The Good Life Group, a leading Omaha-based brokerage founded in 2015. 

Previously called the PAIGE award to reflect the brand's core values of Passion, Authenticity, Inclusion, Growth and Excellence, the recognition was renamed this year to honor Sherry Chris, the brand's founding president and CEO. Chris, who became an industry icon during her more than two decades with parent company Anywhere Real Estate, led both the BHGRE and ERA brands until May 2023, when she announced her retirement from the leadership role.

Chris has remained with Anywhere as an executive advisor and presented the newly named Sherry Chris Award to The Good Life Group at the brand's annual "Be Better" retreat. The recognition reflects the firm's demonstration of the brand's values, including its "strong business ethics, honesty and integrity" and "dedication to building a supportive and trustworthy environment," BHGRE said in a news release.

"This award belongs to every one of our team members," Tom Simmons and Tim Reeder, brokers/owners of The Good Life Group, said of the award. "It reflects the hard work, heart, and dedication of our agents and staff."

More brokerage news

Big Block Realty has announced its affiliation with LPT Realty, a fast-growing startup with a leadership team that has been bolstered by two eXp execs in the past year — Michael Valdes, former eXp chief growth officer, and Jeff Whiteside, former eXp CFO. The California-based independent firm will now operate as Big Block LPT Realty, LPT CEO Robert Palmer announced in a Facebook post. Big Block, an independent brokerage with more than 1,200 agents, is led by CEO and Co-Founder Sam Khorramian, President and Co-Founder Oliver Graf, and Broker of Record/General Counsel ​​Kimberly McKeag.

Corcoran Horizon Realty has launched a new office in Port Severn, Muskoka, Ontario, led by Broker/Owner Cliff Rego. It's the second expansion announced this month following Horizon's opening of a Toronto office earlier in December. The new location supports the brokerage's growth across Ontario and strengthens its service in the scenic Muskoka-Georgian Bay region, the company said. Horizon Realty joined Corcoran in 2023 as the brand's first Canadian franchise.

@properties Lone Star Christie's International Real Estate welcomes former University of Texas and NFL player MJ McFarland as senior vice president of its Sports and Entertainment Division. He will join Lone Star's Austin office, one of the affiliate's four Texas locations following its expansion into Fort Worth in April. In just five years, McFarland has sold $170 million in real estate, ranking in the top 1% in Texas. He will leverage his extensive network to help athletes and high-profile clients with luxury real estate investments in the Austin area.

The Agency has opened its fifth Florida office, this time in Fort Lauderdale. The brand's other Florida locations include Miami, Naples, Orlando and Palm Beach. The new branch is led by a team of managing partners that includes the brand's founder and CEO, Mauricio Umansky, as well as industry veterans Santiago Arana and Howard Elfman — a trio of "some of the industry's most influential leaders," Umansky said. The new office already represents top listings, including a $47.9M property, the company noted in a news release.