KW enters Montenegro; Elliman, BHS add veteran agents 

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.

KW adds master franchise in Montenegro

Keller Williams Realty announced on Monday that it has awarded a new master franchise in Montenegro. The move extends the franchisor's growing network across Europe, the Middle East and Africa to 31 master franchises, with over 160 market centers and more than 10,200 affiliated agents now working in these regions.

The Montenegro operation is expected to open its first market center in Q4 of 2026. It will be led by Regional Operating Principal Dušan Raičević, who brings 15 years of real estate experience across investment, development, construction and sales, according to a news release. Raičević also previously founded Gradient, a development and construction company based in Montenegro.

Raičević said he was drawn to KW because of the brand's "focus on education, leadership, technology, and collaboration," as well as the company's "proven framework that empowers agents to build their own businesses." 

"Our vision is for KW Montenegro to become a place where ambitious agents can build serious, sustainable businesses around their own reputation and expertise, backed by KW systems, education, technology, and international network," Raičević said.

 BHS adds 2 agents with decades of combined experience

Brown Harris Stevens has announced that Hamptons real estate professionals Bonita DeWolf and Janifer Jaeger have joined the brokerage from Christie's International Real Estate. Both DeWolf and Jaeger will be based out of the firm's Sag Harbor office in Long Island, New York.

DeWolf has nearly three decades of experience in real estate, with the bulk of her work focused on the Hamptons. She spent over 20 years with The Corcoran Group before joining Christie's in 2023 and has represented buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants throughout her career, according to a news release.

Jaeger brings over two decades of experience spanning sales, management, marketing and brokerage. She also spent more than 20 years at Corcoran, where she became a senior managing director and later a licensed associate broker, before joining Christie's.

BHS Hamptons Executive Managing Directors Robert Nelson and Philip O'Connell praised the agents' local roots, "exceptional reputations" and "intimate understanding of what it takes to succeed in this market" in a company announcement.

"Their decision to join BHS is a testament to the strength of our platform and the momentum we are building across the East End," Nelson and O'Connell added.

Elliman welcomes agent with business expansion goals

Douglas Elliman has announced that Paige Michaelis is joining the firm in St. Petersburg, Florida. Michaelis, who has over 10 years of real estate experience, was most recently with Engel & Völkers. She is now looking to grow her business with a focus on condo transactions, according to a news release.

In addition to her background in residential real estate, Michaelis has worked with commercial and investment properties, giving her "a well-rounded perspective" as she remains "deeply committed to going above and beyond to ensure her clients' needs are always met," the company said in its announcement.

Prior to her move to Elliman, Michaelis said she was familiar with the luxury brand in New York and believes that, in addition to having "an incredible reputation for luxury properties and for new construction," the brokerage's growth efforts along Florida's east coast are "absolutely impressive."

"I am excited about the prospect of growth for the brand on the West Coast of Florida as well and I know that this will be a great partnership to help me grow my brand right alongside theirs," Michaelis added.

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.