3 M&As at C21; The Agency snags $2B agent; Real adds 2 firms 

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.

Real adds Big Apple firm, enters 6th Canadian province

This week, The Real Brokerage announced the addition of two new firms: one in New York and another in Canada. The moves bring over 50 more agents into the cloud-based brokerage's network.

In New York: The addition of NŌVEM Real Estate, a 10-agent team based in New York City, expands Real's footprint across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and Westchester County.

Led by Ethan Leifer, NŌVEM is launching after operating for over two years as 74 West. The firm serves a wide variety of clients ranging from first-time homebuyers to luxury consumers.

Leifer brings more than 13 years of industry experience and has closed more than $1 billion in transaction volume over the course of his career, according to a news release. Before starting his own boutique brokerage, he led a team at Compass.

"I set out to create a more supportive, agent-focused environment where everyone has access to the tools and guidance needed to grow," Leifer said. "As we look to scale, having the right economic model allows us to reinvest in our agents and our business in a meaningful way."

Jason Cassity, Real's recently appointed chief growth officer, said the team's focus on agent support and business growth aligns with the Real's model.

In Canada: Real has also launched operations in New Brunswick through the addition of Creativ Realty, a 42-agent independent brokerage serving the province's southeastern region, bolstering Real's growing presence across Canada.

Led by Martin Gallant, Creativ Realty generated more than $300 million in sales volume in 2025 and is a member of the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World network. Gallant joins Real as managing broker for New Brunswick, where he will help lead the company's growth in the area.

Gallant has served as managing partner of Creativ Realty since 2023 and has been involved in the brokerage's leadership and agent development efforts for several years, according to a news release.

"As we evaluated the future of our business and how best to support our agents long term, we felt we found our people with Real," Gallant said. "The culture aligned naturally with what we've built at Creativ and the technology platform, education and fee structure made the decision even more compelling."

With the expansion, Real now operates in six Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick. 

A trio of M&As at Century 21 

Century 21 affiliates in New York, New Jersey and Montana have broadened their reach by joining forces with other franchises in complementary areas, the company announced this week.

Queens and beyond: Century 21 Shared Purpose has notched its largest expansion since joining the franchise network in 2022 with the acquisition of Century 21 Bay Benjamin in the Bayside neighborhood of Queens, New York.

The deal also folds Astoria-based Century 21 Unique Realty into the Shared Purpose enterprise and brings the combined firm's affiliated agent count to 30 across Queens, Long Island and Westchester County.

The company said the firms share expertise in co-op, condo and single-family home sales, and serve overlapping markets in Northeast Queens. The combined brokerage will focus on operational scale, agent support and coordinated market coverage across its expanded area.

"We are going to take the time to do this right — working individually with every agent to align their business plan with our support structure, stabilize our foundation and then scale strategically," Bobby Gellert, founder and broker of record of Century 21 Shared Purpose, said in a news release.

The future of the firm "is not just about more offices or more agents," Gellert added. "It is about more impact, more fulfillment, and more lives changed. We are just getting started."

A 9-office merger in New Jersey: Another three Century 21 affiliates — Semiao & Associates, Christel Realty and Gemini — have merged to form Century 21 Venture Real Estate, creating a brokerage with more than 350 agents serving six counties in Northern New Jersey.

The combined brokerage, which now supports residential, commercial, corporate relocation and government relocation services under a single brand, operates from nine offices across Bergen, Hudson, Passaic, Essex, Morris and Sussex counties. 

Fernando Semiao, broker/owner of Semiao & Associates, and Peter Skolsky, broker/owner of Christel, will serve as principal owners of the new organization, while Gemini Broker/Owner Louis Batelli will oversee the Wayne office. All three firms have been part of the Century 21 network for decades, with affiliations dating back to 1974.

"The depth of our combined experience in Northern New Jersey real estate and our collective tenure with the most recognized name in real estate creates an incredible springboard for future growth, expansion and success," Semiao said in a news release. 

The merger, Batelli added, "gives us a strong competitive edge as we benefit from the increased collaboration across a significantly larger network of agents."

Bridging the gateway to the Rockies: Century 21 Americana has entered Montana with the addition of Century 21 Hometown Brokers — the market-share leader in Billings, according to a news release — expanding the firm's footprint beyond Arizona and Nevada.

Century 21 Hometown Brokers Owner Mark Dawson will remain principal broker of what is now the Billings branch of Century 21 Americana, and he will also serve as president of operations for Montana. Todd Harp, who has been with the Billings firm for 25 years, will continue as a supervising broker. 

"Mark is one of the primary reasons we made the decision to expand into Montana," Century 21 Americana President Juan Martinez said in the announcement. "Mark and Todd are incredible leaders with a proven track record, and nobody understands the Billings market better," he added. 

Century 21 Americana — the brand's largest affiliate in the Southwest — "plans to take an assertive approach in Montana, with a focus on acquiring and partnering with additional brokerages throughout the state," the company noted.

Brownstone Boys launch real estate brand with Compass

The Brownstone Boys has launched The Brownstone Boys Real Estate, bringing the existing Compass team under the broader Brownstone Boys brand.

Co-founders Barry Bordelon and Jordan Slocum said the move formalizes work already happening across brokerage, renovation guidance, design and historic home preservation.

Bordelon, a licensed real estate professional for six years, leads a Compass team that averages about 45 transactions a year and more than $48 million in annual production volume, according to a news release. Allesandra DeLaCruz, Colin Turek and Marc Solomon are joining as part of the integration.

"Prospective buyers and sellers were reaching out to us to understand what a home could become, not just to transact," Bordelon said. "With this integration, clients can now work with us through the home-buying and renovation process with greater clarity, whether they are evaluating renovation feasibility before making an offer, preparing a home for sale through design-driven positioning, or planning for the long-term stewardship of a historic property."

Doug Heddings, Compass' managing director, praised the brand for building "a distinct and trusted voice" by combining real estate expertise with historic home design and renovation knowledge. Compass said it will continue to provide technology, market reach and brokerage infrastructure for the team's residential services.

Luxury team joins The Agency in SoCal

Craig Lotzof and his nine-member real estate team have left Compass to join The Agency in Southern California — a move the boutique brokerage painted as a notable recruiting win in San Diego's luxury market.

Lotzof has more than $2 billion in career sales and specializes in San Diego's coastal luxury communities, including La Jolla, Del Mar and Coronado. His team closed approximately $118 million in sales volume in 2025, according to a company announcement.

The move brings roughly $150 million in annual sales volume and nine team members to The Agency, expanding the brokerage's presence in several of the region's high-end coastal markets.

According to the company, the team is expected to finish among the county's top-ranked luxury groups, with internal figures placing it near the No. 4 spot after accounting for transactions not included in initial rankings.

"This partnership brings together the personalized service, local expertise, and trusted relationships our clients have come to expect, with the reach, marketing power, and global network of one of the world's most recognized luxury real estate brands," Lotzof said in an announcement on LinkedIn.

"The name behind us may be different," he added. "The commitment to our clients is not."

More brokerage news

REMAX Gold has announced the addition of the Tuolumne Homes Team, which will now be based out of the firm's office in Sonora, California. The team is led by Robin Rowland, who brings over 20 years of experience in real estate. Team members Ursula Bahamondes, Nicole Robinson, Margaret McCreary, Naphtali Rose Johnson, Janina Campbell, Evan Rusch and Anaiah Kirk are joining Rowland in the move. "I felt like REMAX Gold really has a pathway for teams," Rowland said in a news release, adding that meeting the firm's leadership convinced her that the move "just felt right."

Compass has welcomed Alexis Meadows into the fold in New York. Meadows, who has closed over $200 million in sales over the past five years and joins the brokerage from Douglas Elliman, will focus on clients in the Hamptons, North Fork and New York City markets, according to a news release. Compass' tech and support offerings will "allow me to operate at the highest level for my clients," Meadows said, adding, "Compass gives me the ability to further elevate the service, strategy, and results my clients expect."

Christie's International Real Estate Southern California has nabbed luxury specialist Kris Zacuto, an agent with more than a decade of experience in luxury real estate and estate management. Zacuto has achieved an estimated $300 million in career sales volume and over $34 million in closed sales over the past 12 months, according to a news release. At Christie's, Zacuto will serve as director of luxury estates, a role he described as presenting "an exciting opportunity with significant long-term upside."

Editor's note: AI was used in the initial drafting of this content, which was then thoroughly reviewed, fact-checked and revised by a Real Estate News editor.