Inman

Real estate brokerage companies grow

Two real estate brokerage companies — HomeServices of America and Weichert Realtors — have expanded on the East Coast and Midwest.

HomeServices of America, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, has entered the Ohio and Northern Kentucky markets with the acquisition of Cincinnati-based Huff Realty, the company said Wednesday.

Founded in 1975 with five sales associates and one office, Huff Realty, under the leadership and vision of Jim Huff, has grown to more than 700 sales associates and 12 offices — three in northern Kentucky and nine in Ohio.

Huff Realty has a mortgage lending company, Traditions Mortgage, and a title company, Traditions Title.

With the addition of Huff Realty, HomeServices now has real estate brokerage operations in 19 states with more than 20,000 sales associates.

Minneapolis, Minn.-based HomeServices of America is the second largest home services provider in the United States, with operating companies offering real estate brokerage services, mortgage lending, title insurance, closing services, property and casualty insurance and home warranties, among other services.

Some of the HomeServices residential real estate brands include Carol Jones Realtors, CBSHOME Real Estate, Champion Realty, Edina Realty, Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell Realtors, First Realty/GMAC, Home Real Estate, Iowa Realty and Jenny Pruitt and Associates Realtors.

Meanwhile, Weichert Real Estate Affiliates Inc., the franchise arm of Weichert, Realtors, continues its expansion up and down the East Coast with the opening of new franchise offices in Auburn, Mass.; Margate City, N.J.; and Mount Pleasant, S.C.

The three new Weichert affiliates are Home & Land Partners in Auburn, Mass.; SeaGate in Margate City, N.J.; and Dean-Kelby in Mount Pleasant, S.C.

Morris Plains, N.J.-based Weichert has more than 17,400 sales associates in nearly 400 company-owned and franchised sales offices in key markets throughout the U.S.