KW team adds 150+ agents; REMAX firms unite to serve 6 states 

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.

Philadelphia team to add over 150 agents

Rarity Real Estate, a Philadelphia-based team led by Founder Jim Roche, has announced that it will soon be adding KW Jersey Shore's roster of agents to its growing network as Roche assumes ownership of the Keller Williams group.

The move marks another major growth milestone for Roche, who launched his business as a solo agent in 2019 before becoming the Jim Roche Real Estate Team a year later and, in 2024, transforming into Rarity. According to the group's website, Rarity is one of Keller Williams' top sales teams in the U.S.

This is the second significant acquisition for Rarity, which had 62 of its own team members — including about 50 agents — prior to its growth spurt. It previously acquired KW Steel City in Western Pennsylvania, which brought an additional 255 agents to the firm, and it is now poised to add another 150 agents as it takes over KW Jersey Shore on Nov. 1, according to a news release

Moving forward, the team will have operations in Philadelphia, Western Pennsylvania and New Jersey's Jersey Shore.

REMAX firm becomes 'bigger, better and more powerful' via partnership

REMAX Town & Country has announced that it is partnering with Linhart Realty Group, a firm aligned with the international brand and led by 35-year REMAX veteran Lee Linhart.

Through this partnership, REMAX Town & Country's 18 offices and 300 agents are joining forces with Linhart's 24 offices and 475 agents, according to a news release. Together, the firms will have operations in six states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

The move "represents growth," REMAX Town & Country said, "not a change" in its "identity, leadership or commitment to its agents and communities." Broker/Owner Molly McGrory "will remain actively involved" with the firm as it continues operating under its current name and leadership moving forward.

Day-to-day operations for agents will continue as usual, the firm added, though its real estate professionals are poised to benefit from the deal by gaining more opportunities to grow, the company said.

The partnership "is about taking everything that already makes us strong and giving our agents even more resources, opportunities and support," McGrory said. It is also "about becoming bigger, better and more powerful while keeping the culture and local leadership that made REMAX Town & Country what it is today."

"Lee has spent 35 years with REMAX," McGrory said of Linhart. "He understands the brand, he understands brokerage ownership, and most importantly, he understands that our agents are the heart of our companies."