BHGRE Metro Brokers acquires two new companies

January 22, 2010

The Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers family continued to grow in December by adding nearly 220 new sales associates from two different real estate companies. Both ERA United Realty in Atlanta and Lakes and Mountains Realty in Rabun County entered into strategic alliances with BHGRE Metro Brokers and participated in the roll-out extravaganza on Dec. 7, 2009.

ERA United was the number one producing ERA franchise in Georgia for the past three years, earning nearly $160 million in volume in 2009. The former United agents averaged more than $1 million in production per person. With offices in Roswell, Marietta, Conyers and Newnan totaling nearly 200 sales associates, this was BHGRE Metro Brokers’ largest acquisition to date.

Former broker/owners Will Colley and Ken Blankenship said that agent satisfaction was the main factor in the decision. “First and always is culture,” Colley said. “BHGRE Metro Brokers embraces technology, education, and agent services. Our agents have come to expect this from us and this merger was able to enhance our platform.”

Another key point was market share. “Each of our offices enjoyed top 5 market share status,” Blankenship said. “BHGRE Metro Brokers was also prominent in each market, and the merger only makes us stronger.”

Since the merger, both Colley and Blankenship have taken leadership roles at BHGRE Metro Brokers. Colley was named Business Development Director with both BHGRE MB and Coldwell Banker Commercial Metro Brokers and will focus on troubled asset management for corporate clients. Blankenship has been named Strategic Growth Manager and will focus on mergers and acquisitions for Coldwell Banker Commercial Metro Brokers.

BHGRE Metro Brokers also acquired Lakes and Mountains Realty in Rabun County. The company was founded in 2005 and was second in market share county-wide. With $40 million in sales volume over the last two years, the office offers full-service residential real estate with a specialization on second homes.

“We focus on the Lake Rabun and Lake Burton areas where home prices run from $2 million to over $7 million,” said Sam Rumsey, former broker/owner and licensed agent since 1982. The 16-agent office is located at 534-A Highway 441 in Clayton, Georgia, which makes it the 27th BHGRE Metro Brokers office state-wide and the 6th in the North Georgia area.

“We are extremely excited to be joining Georgia’s real estate leaders," Rumsey continued. “The second home market here is mainly made up of Atlanta area buyers that already know and trust the BHGRE Metro Brokers name. That makes it a good fit for us.”

Rumsey will stay on in the Rabun County office as an Associate Broker and will play a leading role in growing our presence and market share further in the North Georgia area. He is looking forward to taking advantage of the tools provided by BHGRE Metro Brokers.

“In today’s marketplace, it’s important to offer customers a name they can rely on, backed by the superior service they expect,” he said. “I know we have made the right choice with BHGRE Metro Brokers.”

Founded in 1979 with just one office and a handful of sales associates, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers is the largest Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate® franchise in the world with more than 2,000 licensees, making the company the largest license holder in the state of Georgia. BHGRE Metro Brokers is also the number one selling broker in metro Atlanta and north Georgia.

To contact BHGRE Metro Brokers, call 404.843.2500 or click contact us.