(BRK.A), (BRK.B)
Luxury home sellers Laffey Fine Homes International will join Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices as of July 11. The company will operate as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Laffey International Realty.
The brokerage, a full-service real estate company, remains independently owned and operated by local real estate leaders Emmett Laffey, Gregory Berkowitz and John Schoonmaker. It is a premier luxury brokerage on Long Island’s North Shore with operations extending from Montauk to Manhattan. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices has grown to nearly 46,000 agents and 1,400 offices since its founding in September 2013. The network was recently named “Real Estate Agency Brand of Year” and “Most Trusted Real Estate Brand” in the 2018 Harris Poll EquiTrend Study.
“We are thrilled to bring the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand to our customers and clients throughout the region,” said Laffey, the firm’s president and CEO. “Our company with its strong heritage and reputation, combined with the venerable Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand, will be unstoppable in the marketplace.”
Laffey said the brand will be embraced by local real estate consumers, many of whom work in the commercial and financial centers of Manhattan. “Our new brand carries the name of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., one of the world’s most trusted and successful corporations,” he explained. “New Yorkers respect Mr. Buffett and the Berkshire Hathaway enterprise. We’re confident they will seek the world-class service for which Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is known.”
Laffey International Realty is a perennial leader in Long Island’s bustling luxury market. In 2017, it topped the market in key sales categories such as per-agent productivity and per-office productivity while expanding its new-homes division and ultra-luxury and waterfront property sales.
Laffey said his brokerage will accelerate growth as a member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network. “We expect to at least triple our agent count over the next 24 months and add offices in strategic locations across Nassau, Suffolk, Queens and Brooklyn. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Laffey International Realty is an obvious choice for top agents who want to take their careers and businesses to new heights.”
With their network membership, Laffey International Realty agents gain access to the network’s Global Network Platform, a powerful tool suite driving lead generation, marketing support, social media, video production/distribution and more. The brand also provides international listing syndication, relocation referrals, professional education and the exclusive Luxury Collection marketing program for high-end listings.
Laffey International Realty will commemorate its brand transition July 11 with a ceremony and celebration at the Crescent Beach Club in Bayville. Its Cabernet and White yard signs will begin appearing throughout greater Long Island that day.
Gino Blefari, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, applauded Laffey International Realty’s transition. “I’ve known and admired Emmett Laffey for over 20 years,” Blefari said. “He and his team are highly respected in the marketplace and will be strong ambassadors of our brand. We are pleased to welcome them to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.”
© 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.