eXp unveils AI program for agents; ENRG enters Hawaii 

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.

North Carolina brokerage gains Missouri partner

ERA Live Moore has announced a partnership with Edge Realty in Missouri, a move the North Carolina firm said will support growth and expansion efforts in the St. Louis metro area.

Edge Realty is a family-owned brokerage that also offers mortgage, title and property management affiliated services. It was founded in 2003 by Bill Cole, who runs the brokerage with his wife and son while his daughter works with the business' mortgage arm.

Edge Realty will now operate as Edge Realty ERA Powered, but the firm will retain its current leadership, as will ERA Live Moore, which is run by husband-and-wife duo President Tania Moore and Co-owner Eb Moore. Together, the companies have 13 offices and over 600 agents, with a combined sales volume of $1.4 billion in 2024, according to a news release.

"As a family-run business, it was important to partner with a like-minded company that puts agents at the forefront," Cole said. The partnership will "help elevate our agents with all of the industry-leading ERA tools and technology while providing the company with a launchpad for expansion," he added.

ENRG enters the Aloha State

A few months after naming a managing director of brokerage services to support its expansion efforts, ENRG Realty is launching in Hawaii. Gina Duncan, a real estate professional with over 25 years of industry experience, will oversee operations across Hawaii as ENRG's new state designated broker.

Duncan co-founded the Asian Real Estate Association of America's Hawaii chapter in 2009 and is gearing up to serve as president of the Hawaii Association of Realtors next year. She attributed her decision to join ENRG, a firm with over 100 agents that former eXp and Real leaders Erinn and Peter Nobel launched nearly two years ago, to "their care for the agent."

"The tools that ENRG provides are outstanding, but it's that basic 'we put our agents first,' and that is what really attracted me to ENRG," Duncan said in a company blog post.

As for ENRG's move into the Aloha State, Duncan said she believes the brokerage can provide the kind of technology and passion for real estate she feels is lacking in Hawaii.

eXp offers 8-week AI training program

eXp is launching a new training series for agents that the brokerage says will teach them to effectively incorporate AI into their business. The eXp University AI Accelerator Series will begin on Oct. 28 and will last for eight weeks, according to a news release.

Eleven AI coaches will be involved in the series, which will explore a wide range of topics including using AI as a personal assistant, for social media and marketing, to automate time-consuming tasks and to create lead flow consistency.

eXp Realty CEO Leo Pareja said that while AI won't replace real estate professionals, "agents who master technology will."

"This is more than just training; it's a commitment to ensuring our agents have a massive, sustainable competitive advantage in a fast-evolving market," Pareja said. "We are putting the most advanced tools and the top minds in AI directly into the hands of our agents, so they can stop reacting and start leading."

The program will be free for all eXp agents.

More brokerage news

The Agency has welcomed Lesley Shea to its office in Carmel, California. Shea, who brings a focus in luxury real estate, previously held top marketing roles at Carmel Realty Company and Compass' NorCal and Nevada regions. She said in a news release that The Agency "represents everything I value in real estate — client-first service, a culture of collaboration, and a commitment to excellence." The move "feels like coming home — to a place where relationships and results are equally prioritized," Shea added.

Keller Williams is opening a new master franchise in Qatar, a move that "marks another milestone in our Middle East growth story," Keller Williams Worldwide President William E. Soteroff said in a news release. The Qatar master franchise is the brokerage's fifth in the Middle East and will be led by Regional Operating Principal Muhammad Usman Saeed. With help from the brokerage's training and technology tools, Saeed said his vision is "to make KW Qatar the most trusted, agent-focused, and culture-driven real estate company in the country."

RE/MAX is expanding into Morocco with the addition of a new Casablanca-based master franchise that will be led by Regional Owners Rachida Khalil and Bilal Dabri. Khalil and Dabri see "exceptional growth potential in the Moroccan real estate market," they said in a joint statement. "The sector is expanding rapidly, and we chose to bring the REMAX brand to Morocco to offer clients world-class service and access to a global network of opportunities."

United Real Estate agents participating in the company's SmartDollar program have generated $3.2 million and eliminated another $2 million in debt just 18 months after the program's launch, according to a news release. The goal of SmartDollar and of United's other financial literacy programs is "to permanently impact the generational wealth of our people," United EVP of Strategy and CEO of Benchmark Realty Phillip Cantrell said. "Instead of focusing on how much we can siphon from each agent, our focus is on how much we can ADD to each agent's life, over the long term."