Inman

BHG Real Estate on a roll

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC continues to expand, adding four new brokerages with nearly 800 agents to its stable so far this year.

The Realogy Corp. franchise announced two new additions to its network last week: Las Vegas-based RE/MAX Associates, with two offices and 150 agents, and Real Estate III, a Charlottesville, Va.-based brokerage with 227 agents in nine offices.

In March, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate announced that it had signed Houston-based Suzanne Anderson Properties, with more than 100 agents, and Florida 1st, which employs more than 300 sales associates in Florida’s Broward, Dade and Palm Beach counties.

With the latest additions, Better Homes and Gardens now claims 125 offices in 16 states: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Texas, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

In Las Vegas, RE/MAX Associates will continue to operate under the direction of corporate broker Rick Shelton as Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Desert Properties, the companies said in a press release.

In Virginia, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate III will continue to operate under the direction of CEO Jeff Gaffney and president and principal broker Art Pearson, the companies said.

In Texas, Mike Huff will continue as broker-owner at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Anderson Properties, the companies said.

Florida 1st founder Gene Whiddon will continue to serve as the CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Florida 1st, the companies said.

When Atlanta-based Metro Brokers Inc. announced in December that its 2,300 agents would affiliate with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, that agreement more than doubled the size of the young franchise, which launched in July 2008 after Realogy licensed the Better Homes and Gardens brand name from publisher Meredith Corp.

***

What’s your opinion? Leave your comments below or send a letter to the editor.