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Berkshire’s HomeServices of America Acquires Houlihan Lawrence

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

In a major acquisition, HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company, has added over a thousand sales associates in the New York Area. HomeServices has acquired Houlihan Lawrence, one of the leading real estate firms serving New York City’s northern suburbs.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in the northern suburbs of New York City, Houlihan Lawrence serves the Westchester, Fairfield, Putnam, Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties of New York and Connecticut with 1,300 sales associates operating in 30 sales offices. In 2016, Houlihan Lawrence closed $6.7 billion of sales volume.

Established in 1888, Houlihan Lawrence has been known to generations of buyers and sellers for its leadership in luxury representation and local expertise delivered by a team of knowledgeable agents coupled with the firm’s renowned advanced technologies and data driven insights. Nancy Seaman will step aside as chairman while her brothers Stephen Meyers, president and CEO, and Chris Meyers, managing principal, will continue to lead the firm’s strategic growth initiatives and manage day-to-day operations together with their sales management teams. Houlihan Lawrence, like other locally-branded brokerage companies under the HomeServices umbrella, will retain its name.

“We are joining an organization known for its strength and stability,” said Stephen Meyers. “Our partnership secures the future of the firm without changing the exceptional culture that is core to our storied brand. We are thrilled with this announcement and the many benefits it brings to our clients and agents.”

“When you combine the incredible strength of our people and the remarkable history of our success with the unsurpassed financial stability of HomeServices, there is no limit to what we can accomplish,” added Chris Meyers.

“Nancy, Stephen and Chris, together with their team of sales managers and agents, have built an extraordinary organization and exemplify a level of expertise and leadership that is second-to-none in the real estate business today,” said Ron Peltier, chairman and CEO, HomeServices. “Their culture of integrity and innovation closely aligns with our corporate vision and our emphasis on customer value and results.”

With this transaction, HomeServices has nearly 29,500 real estate professionals operating in nearly 570 offices across 28 states. In 2016, the company’s associates facilitated more than $93 billion in residential real estate sales.

© 2017 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.