Category: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Indiana Realty, one of the state’s market share leaders for real estate transactions and sales volume, set a company production record by generating $1.05 billion in sales volume in 2018 on nearly 5,200 transactions.

The brokerage crossed the billion-dollar threshold for the first time and its CEO anticipates another strong year across the board for real estate in Indiana.

“2018 was a banner year for our team,” said Craig West, Indiana Realty CEO. “The market grew in response to favorable market conditions and our team stepped up to serve a significant amount of the business in Central and Southern Indiana. We’re proud of the work and prouder to have nearly 5,200 satisfied homebuyers and sellers.”

Indiana Realty’s sale volume rose 7% over 2017 totals. The brokerage’s average sales price at $202,748 rose 9.4% over the previous year and was 8.3% ahead of the state’s average sales price in 2018. “Our sales professionals work hard for their clients and achieve top dollar for their listings,” West said.

Indiana will likely see another strong year for real estate sales, West explained. The state’s economy will grow at about a 3% clip this year, according to the Kelley School of Business at University of Indiana, and job growth will be strong. “Jobs in the Indy Metro area grew 21% in 2018 and based on the percolating economy, I don’t see that slowing down. These are the fundamentals of another solid year for real estate.”

West said Indiana home sales were hampered in 2018 by a general lack of re-sale inventory in the state. “Demand outstripping supply,” he said. Yet with new-home sales driving the local market, particularly around the Indy Metro region, West believes more re-sale homes will come to market in 2019, easing the inventory challenges.

“Most people buying new homes have a home to sell,” West said. “With more homes coming to market this year there will be less upward pressure on home prices across the state, so I predict a leveling off of home prices in 2019. Greater balance in the market is good for everyone.”

Mortgage rates, which backed off recent highs established in the second half of 2018, should remain below 5% for a 30-year conforming mortgage, West added. “This should help many homebuyers.”

© 2019 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.

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices has expanded its franchise network into Northern Italy with the signing of Maggi Group Real Estate, a respected residential and commercial real estate operator serving greater Milan and the Emilia Romagna, Liguria, Lombardy and Veneto regions.

The company will operate as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Maggi Properties starting late February.

Maggi Properties, with a distinguished track record dating back to 1981, will be Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ third global franchisee following the 2018 appointments of Rubina Real Estate of Berlin and London-based Kay & Co.

The agency plans to build its market share across Northern Italy and expand into Rome within two years.

“We are excited to enter the greater Milan market with a fine company such as Maggi Properties,” said Gino Blefari, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. “Milan has been among our top priorities as Italy’s financial hub and Europe’s third-largest economy. Maggi Properties is a regional leader that is highly regarded for its residential and commercial operations as well as its real estate advisory services for financial institutions and public authorities. As important, the agency’s core values are similar to our own focusing on trust, integrity and stability.”

Maggi Properties will remain independently owned and operated by founder and CEO Cesare Maggi, who said he’s eager to grow his brokerage as a franchisee of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. “We are proud to represent the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand in Milan and throughout Northern Italy,” said Maggi. “We believe the brand will be embraced by local and international clients seeking real estate guidance. Also, the brand will be sought out by American clients looking for property in Milan, Lake Como and the Tuscany region.”

Marcus Benussi, agency advisor and head of foreign operations, said the franchise relationship will help Maggi Properties grow and recruit more skilled agents. “Timing is good for our brand transition, as the real estate market in greater Milan continues to strengthen and attract more buyers from abroad. The trusted Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand brings fresh air to our markets and new opportunities for top real estate professionals. We expect to grow our business in all areas, particularly in high-end and luxury real estate. Agents who want to grow their business should consider Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Maggi Properties.”

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices continues as one of America’s fastest-growing real estate brokerage networks with nearly 50,000 agents and 1,400+ offices named to the brand since its launch in September 2013. With its network membership Maggi Properties will gain access to the brand’s Global Network Platform, a powerful tool suite driving lead generation, marketing support, social media, video production/distribution and more. The brand also provides global listing syndication, relocation referrals, professional education and the exclusive Luxury Collection marketing program for high-end listings.

“Our new alliance gives us access to a network of leading American, German and English real estate agencies and an active referral system,” said Benussi. “This means our clients’ listings will be displayed before a significantly larger international audience, and our fellow Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices franchisees will have a most capable brokerage to which they may refer clients seeking properties in Northern Italy. It’s a new era for our company and we couldn’t be more excited for the future.”

© 2019 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.

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Lovejoy Realty has changed its name to better reflect its growing regional presence in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.

The brokerage will now operate as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices North Properties with aspirations to serve all of Minnesota and fortify its presence in Wisconsin.

“Our brokerage has come a long way since its start in 1991,” said Peggy Lovejoy, company founder and president. “With our sights set on growth and the ability to serve more clients throughout our region, it became time to change our local-styled name for one with greater regional flexibility and appeal.”

North Properties, a full-service real estate company, operates 12 offices with more than 130 agents.

Lovejoy said one of her brokerage’s strengths is its continuity. Several of her sales professionals have been with the brokerage since it opened.

“Our agents are smart, loyal, hard-working and genuinely concerned about their clients’ best interests,” she explained. “I love our agents and I’m proud they represent North Properties.”

With nearly 40 years in real estate, Lovejoy hasn’t slowed and is eager to drive growth at the brokerage. “What I enjoy most about the business is helping our agents achieve more than they would in my absence,” she said. “We’ve created a culture of learning and professional development at the company. The upshot is our agents are always growing and investing in their careers. It’s why clients may expect premier service from our brokerage.”

Lovejoy said her team is actively recruiting to help the brokerage expand its reach in the marketplace.

“We’re looking for more of our region’s top sales professionals,” she said. “Agents who want to take their careers to new heights should look no further than Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices North Properties.”

Gino Blefari, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, applauded the name change. “Peggy Lovejoy and her team are well-respected in their markets,” Blefari said. “We look forward to supporting North Properties as it grows and prospers in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.”

© 2018 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.

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices has announced that independent brokerage Freewheeler Realty has joined its network operating as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Freewheeler Realty.

Freewheeler Realty is a full-service real estate brokerage serving the Upper Florida Keys. The brokerage stands among market leaders in the region.

The full-service brokerage, Islamorada’s oldest operating under the same management, remains independently owned by real estate veteran Alexa Wheeler. It unites with one of America’s fastest-growing real estate brokerage networks, which counts more than 48,000 agents and 1,400 offices in only five years as a brand.

“We reached a jumping off point as an independent company wanting to grow,” said Wheeler. “As a member of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices we gain access to a strong and respected brand whose namesake is one of the world’s most trusted and respected corporations. We also receive the latest tools and resources to help our agents serve their clients. Joining the brand was an obvious choice for us.”

Gino Blefari, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, welcomed Freewheeler Realty. “Freewheeler Realty stands among market leaders in the Upper Florida Keys,” he said. “Alexa and her team of seasoned agents are well regarded for their conscientious service and ethical business standards. We’re proud to bring them aboard.”

Wheeler said the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand appeals to the broadest range of consumers, particularly those seeking high-end and resort homes in the region. She believes her brokerage will earn more of the market’s high-end listings because of its brand membership. “The Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand stands for excellence in real estate, as does Freewheeler Realty,” she explained. “We’re confident that consumers in our marketplace will embrace Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Freewheeler Realty like no other brokerage.”

With their network membership, Freewheeler Realty agents gain access to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ Global Network Platform, a powerful tool suite driving lead generation, marketing support, social media, video production/distribution and more. The network also provides global listing syndication, relocation referrals, professional education and the exclusive Luxury Collection marketing program for high-end listings.

“Tools in the Global Network Platform will help our team gain efficiencies and serve more clients,” Wheeler said. “Of course, the digital marketing support and international listing syndication provided by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices will bring much more attention to our listings. Without question, we’re excited for the future.”

© 2018 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.

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty will beta test ShelterZoom, the first blockchain-based real estate purchase and rental deal platform.

“The real estate industry is rapidly changing and the underlying technology platforms that once served our industry are too inefficient for the future,” said David Mussari, Managing Partner at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty. “The innovation that ShelterZoom has built using blockchain is going to vastly improve the way we all do business. We are excited to take part in their beta testing and do our small part in helping to move our industry forward.”

Set to go live in Q1 2019, the marketplace will incorporate a proprietary blockchain platform built for real estate transactions and services (title, mortgage, legal, home inspection, moving, etc.) as the first step in a planned rollout across other industries like financial services, import/export and supply chain.

ShelterZoom is creating the world’s first end-to-end, blockchain-powered ecosystem for all deals, participants and services in the global real estate industry. By addressing the end-to-end process and not just the offer and acceptance phase, it is expected to deliver a richer, more comprehensive user experience to all participants with the utmost convenience, trust, security, transparency, auditability and profitability.

“With this next-generation, blockchain-powered marketplace, we are taking the real estate industry into technology’s future,” said Chao Cheng-Shorland, ShelterZoom’s CEO and co-founder. “Our current platform is already helping agents, buyers, sellers and renters make the big leap to technology’s present, and we’re excited to initiate another industry sea change in early 2019.”

ShelterZoom’s new ecosystem will be a pioneering deal and service marketplace to allow instant dealmaking, interactive contract management, speedy closing and convenient service acquisition. The benefit to all participants in the marketplace – real estate professionals, consumers and service providers – will be the ability for any party to showcase, initiate, negotiate, consummate, search and refer deals, and acquire services at their fingertips.

© 2018 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.

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Laffey International Realty has merged with Pugatch Realty Corp. of Woodmere, New York.

The union gives Laffey International Realty – a North Shore luxury real estate leader – access to the expansive South Shore marketplace and The Five Towns.

Pugatch Realty Brokers Barry Pugatch and Susan Pugatch have joined Long Island, New York-based Laffey International Realty executive team – including Emmett Laffey, Gregory Berkowitz and John Schoonmaker – as managing partners. They bring with them more than 30 seasoned agents and a loyal following of clients.

“We are elated to join forces with Barry, Susan and their fine team,” said Emmett Laffey, president and CEO of Laffey International Realty. “The brokerage is highly respected in the South Shore marketplace and is known for great service and extensive market expertise. Strategically, our union extends Laffey International Realty’s reach on Long Island. We’re excited to serve the South Shore and The Five Towns.”

Barry Pugatch, a real estate veteran whose local influence dates to 1969, said the merger will benefit real estate consumers. “This is great news for home buyers and sellers in The Five Towns,” he said. “Pugatch Realty remains the same great team that has served the market since 1991 and is backed by Laffey International Realty and the powerful Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand. Our agents now have access to the industry’s best tools and resources, which will help them provide even better service with greater efficiency.”

Berkowitz said the union is an ideal match of real estate strategy and philosophy. “I met Barry Pugatch more than 15 years ago and knew at that time we had to one day join forces,” he explained. “That day is now a reality and we’re ready to move forward and serve all of Long Island.”

Laffey International Realty is a perennial leader in the North Shore’s bustling luxury market. It tops the market in key sales categories such as per-agent productivity and per-office productivity as its new-homes division and ultra-luxury and waterfront property sales operations continue growing.

Gino Blefari, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, applauded the merger.

“Long Island’s finest real estate operators have come together to form a super brokerage,” Blefari said. “Laffey International Realty has it all, starting with service, expertise and integrity. We’re proud to support the brokerage and its outstanding agents as they grow and thrive.”

© 2018 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.

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices has announced that independent brokerage Leavenworth Properties has joined its network operating as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Leavenworth Properties in the city of Leavenworth, Washington, and as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Cascade Properties outside of the Leavenworth area.

The full-service brokerage, a home-sales leader in greater Leavenworth, remains independently owned and operated. It unites with one of America’s fastest-growing real estate brokerage networks, which counts more than 48,000 agents and 1,400 offices in only five years as a brand.

“Leavenworth Properties/Cascade Properties is known for sound leadership and experienced agents who chose to live, raise families and sell real estate in this unique mountain community,” said Gino Blefari, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. “Their transactional skill and market expertise enable them to anticipate the opportunities and challenges of the real estate process resulting in the highest levels of client service, satisfaction and repeat business.”

“We are excited to bring the iconic Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand to our markets,” said Broker/Owner Camiekae Lynch. “The brand is fresh and distinctive and represents success with integrity in real estate. We believe our clients will understand the marketing potential of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and embrace the brand.”

Broker/Owner Lynn Stoddard said the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand appeals to the broadest range of real estate consumers, particularly buyers and sellers of luxury and resort properties.

“Our markets attract sophisticated and affluent consumers, many of whom own primary residences in greater Seattle,” Stoddard explained. “We’re confident the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices name and the network’s progressive real estate technology, marketing and resources will help our team win an even greater portion of our region’s luxury and high-end business.”

With their network membership, Leavenworth Properties/Cascade Properties agents gain access to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ Global Network Platform, a powerful tool suite driving lead generation, marketing support, social media, video production/distribution and more. The network also provides international listing syndication, relocation referrals, professional education and the exclusive Luxury Collection marketing program for high-end listings.

Stoddard said her brokerage is poised for growth in markets from Stevens Pass to Leavenworth, Cashmere, Wenatchee and beyond. In fact, Leavenworth Properties/Cascade Properties is recruiting top agents as part of the growth plan.

“We’ve progressed about as far as we could as an independent brokerage,” Stoddard said. “With Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, we have the resources and support to reach new levels of production, service and efficiency. We’re thrilled for the future as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Leavenworth Properties and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Cascade Properties.”

© 2018 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.

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Western Colorado Properties has opened an office in Telluride to boost its resort sales and leverage the strength of its brand among a broader range of clients frequenting the region.

Broker/Owner Jeff Keehfuss will lead the office, his third along the Western Slope including Montrose and Durango.

Additionally, Keehfuss said he will open an office in Grand Junction in 2019 followed by several additional locations by 2022.

“We are thrilled to open for business in Telluride,” said Keehfuss, who changed the name of his brokerage from Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Montrose Real Estate to better reflect its growing regional presence. “Telluride is a wonderful resort destination attracting people from across the United States and all over the world. We believe these people will appreciate our Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand as a symbol of skill, expertise and business success.”

Western Colorado Properties’ office is well positioned at 120 Mountain Village Blvd. 120 D, along the walking path between the Peaks Resort & Spa and the Mountain Village Gondola. “There is a ton of foot traffic on this path, which provides breathtaking views of the town and the mountains,” said Keehfuss. “Just about the time people gather in these views they’ll be near our office and, hopefully, ready to own their piece of Telluride.”

Western Colorado Properties is a sales volume leader in the tri-county region of Delta, Montrose and Ouray, with extensive experience in residential, commercial, farm and ranch, investment and foreclosure property. The brokerage is known for progressive, agent-centric leadership focused on helping agents grow their businesses and better service consumers.

Lark Keehfuss, brokerage co-owner, said she is recruiting top sales professionals for Telluride and the other offices.

“Those professionals who want to move their careers to the next level should consider Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Western Colorado Properties,” she said. “Our brokerage’s culture is positive, supportive and always focused on our agents’ success.”

© 2018 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.