Top teams join eXp, KW, Real; ERA affiliates merge in Atlanta 

Editor's note: The brokerage business is a busy one, with frequent moves, mergers and milestones. Here we highlight some of the latest activity among brokerages across the U.S.

15-agent North Carolina team chooses eXp

Veteran real estate agent Tammy Register — along with her 15-agent team and five operational staff — has joined eXp Realty, the company announced this week. Based in the high-demand, quickly growing Raleigh-Durham area, The Tammy Register Team closed over $88 million in sales volume last year. 

Register began her real estate career more than 20 years ago, building her business for more than a decade at an independent brokerage before moving to Keller Williams, where she spent another nine years. 

She started to consider other brokerage options when mortgage rates began climbing in 2022, according to a news release, noting that eXp's collaborative culture and scalable model were key drivers behind the move. 

"While we were top performers in our old environment, it often felt like we were building in a vacuum," Register said in the announcement. "What we found at eXp was not just a new model, but a new mindset — one that thrives on open collaboration, where every conversation makes you sharper and every idea is a stepping stone."

2 ERA firms merge in Atlanta

ERA Foster & Bond and ERA Sunrise Realty, both ERA Real Estate firms based in the Atlanta metro area, have merged. The unified brokerage now boasts six offices and over 175 agents. It aims to continue bolstering its presence in the Atlanta, Canton, Duluth, Marietta, Milton, Athens and Savannah areas, with future mergers and acquisitions possible.

ERA Sunrise Realty's David Moody will lead the combined operations with ERA Foster & Bond's Rusty Willis as its broker and co-owner. Moody said in a press release that he and Willis are "aligned in both mindset and mission" and that the merger "allows us to keep that family feel our agents and clients value while offering the scale and tools of a truly modern real estate business."

The combined team offers "broader coverage, deeper expertise and even more tools and opportunities for our agents and clients alike" than the firms could separately, Willis explained.

"This is not just a strategic move — it's a cultural fit," Willis said. "Together, we'll be able to do more, serve more and grow more."

New Jersey team joins KW

The Parlay Group, a firm of 12 agents and two staff members, has joined Keller Williams Village Square Realty in Ridgewood, New Jersey. The team closed $90.6 million in sales last year, according to a press release, and believes KW's company structure will add value for its agents and clients.

Anthony Zito and Hipolito Touron co-founded The Parlay Group, where they developed "a culture of mentorship and customer service," noted David Lotan, co-team leader at KW Village Square. Zito has closed more than $100 million in sales over the last 10 years, while Touron has closed over $65 million since becoming an agent nearly four years ago, according to the team's website.

"We chose to join Keller Williams because the model 'by agents for agents' is authentic," Zito said. "The team structure is unlike any other real estate company and allows us to easily scale while continuing to increase the value add for our agents and clients."

Technology will be a significant focus for the group moving forward. In addition to embracing KW's training programs, Touron said the team will be "using AI and technology to maximize our time to dedicate it back to our clients."

New COO to guide Lifestyle International Realty

Florida-based Lifestyle International Realty has appointed Irving D. Cham as chief operations officer. As COO, Cham will lead the brokerage's operational and expansion strategies, bolster training systems for its 3,000+ agents and collaborate with its branch and regional leaders.

Cham brings more than two decades of leadership experience in real estate and banking. He spent the last decade working for Coldwell Banker Realty, where he started as a New Jersey-based sales associate before becoming a district manager in Metuchen. He previously worked as a loan officer and assistant manager specializing in risk operations at Bank of America.

Cham said in a news release that he is "honored to help lead a company that prioritizes partnership, purpose, and performance," adding: "We're building something that truly puts agents first — and that's rare in this industry."

Cham "brings the vision, experience, and leadership to elevate our operations without compromising the culture that fuels our growth," said George Canciobello, Lifestyle International Realty founder and CEO. "As we scale, we're doubling down on what made us successful — our people."

BHGRE picks up new affiliate in Tennessee

Conner Real Estate, LLC, a brokerage that has been operating in western Tennessee for the past 14 years, has affiliated with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. The firm will now do business as Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Conner.

Brokerage owner Joey Conner, who has more than two decades of real estate experience, will continue leading the team alongside Tara Joyner and Tanesha Walker. Joyner has been with the firm since it launched in 2011 and serves as the primary broker of its Brownsville office. Walker, a more recent addition who said in a press release that the BHGRE brand "aligns perfectly with who we are as a brokerage," is the primary broker of the team's Jackson office.

Through its alignment with BHGRE, the team aims to use the brand's tech and marketing tools to expand and to streamline their workflows. "Real estate is an industry built on being human," Conner said. 

"Hard work and ability are paramount, but we also understand the importance of relationship building and genuinely investing ourselves in the markets we serve."

Real nabs top-producing team in America's Finest City

The San Diego-based Coastline Real Estate Group is bringing its 13-agent team to The Real Brokerage. The group is in the top 1% of teams in San Diego County with more than $200 million in sales since 2021, according RealTrends data cited in a company press release. The team is led by Raymond Fraser and Shaylie Gilliland.

Since founding Coastline, Fraser said he has "constantly thought about how to take our team to the next level" and believes joining Real "gives us a platform with no ceiling and no boundaries," enabling his team "to build without limits."

Gilliland said Real's culture is what drew them to the brand. "We take pride in lifting other agents up, and Real gives us the freedom to do that on a much larger scale," she said.

Real Chairman and CEO Tamir Poleg praised Fraser and Gilliland for being "forward-thinking, deeply connected to their agents, and relentless in their pursuit of excellence."

"Coastline's marketing expertise and culture-first leadership will only serve to strengthen our presence in Southern California," Poleg added.

More brokerage news

Keller Williams is expanding in Asia with a new master franchise in Singapore. The country's first market center, which will be led by Regional Operating Principal Melvin Lim, is slated to open by the end of September, according to a company press release. Lim, who has over 16 years of real estate experience, brings "a proven track record of innovation, leadership, and success" in the local market, KW Worldwide President William Soteroff said. "We're confident they will set another powerful benchmark for KW's expansion across Asia."

Engel & Völkers is opening its first shop in the British Virgin Islands. Mark Vanterpool, a businessman and former legislator who launched his own luxury real estate firm 10 years ago, will guide the shop as it serves clients in Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke, Great Camanoe and the smaller Sister Islands. Engel & Völkers Americas President and CEO Stuart Siegel said in a press release that this new expansion brings "an exciting opportunity" to present the brand's luxury focus "to a new and discerning clientele looking to build their investment portfolios in the Sailing Capital of the Caribbean."

Century 21 AllPoints has welcomed Tony Cologero to lead sales, recruitment and coaching efforts in southwest Florida as the brokerage's new regional sales manager and master coach. In his three-decade career, Cologero has closed over 950 transactions, according to a company press release. Joining C21 "allows me to bring world-class tools, coaching and leadership to agents looking for results," he said. "My goal is to completely transform how real estate agents work and succeed here in Naples."