Christie’s, SERHANT expand in New Jersey; 2 Fargo firms unite  

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.

Christie's adds 2 New Jersey firms

Christie's International Real Estate is expanding in New Jersey with the addition of a company-owned firm and the launch of a new independently owned affiliate. Both firms will extend the international brand's presence across the New York metropolitan area.

The new company-owned brokerage will do business as Christie's International Real Estate New Jersey. It will cover several counties, including Monmouth, Hudson and Sussex, and will be led by Jeannette Seijas-Gisonna, who has more than 30 years of luxury sales and management experience. The firm has begun recruiting efforts and plans to announce founding agents and office locations in the coming weeks, according to a news release.

In Bergen County, Christina Gibbons and husband Brian are launching Christie's International Real Estate | Ivy & Oak in Ridgewood. Christina Gibbons, who has been affiliated with the CIRE brand for nearly 10 years, will continue leading her 20-person Christina Gibbons Group, which has closed nearly $300 million in sales so far this year. Brian Gibbons, a former Wall Street executive, will oversee brokerage operations as CEO.

Christina Gibbons said her team has "built our business around relationships, trust and an unwavering commitment to our clients." Establishing the new firm "gives us the opportunity to bring that same approach to a broader community of exceptional agents and clients while continuing to do what we love every day," she added.

Agent with $1.8B in sales brings team to SERHANT

Christine Lane and The Lane Team have joined SERHANT, expanding the brokerage's presence in northern New Jersey with an established team serving the Glen Ridge and Montclair markets.

Lane has more than 20 years of real estate experience with a career sales volume of $1.8 billion — $60 million of which she recorded in the past 12 months alone, according to a news release. Lane is joining SERHANT from Compass and bringing with her team members Gregory Lane, Matthew Lane, Traci Godfrey and Brittany Forsyth.

The addition brings an experienced local group to SERHANT's New Jersey operation. The brokerage said Lane previously worked with Michele Zyska, the luxury firm's New Jersey broker of record, and helped prompt SERHANT's entry into the state.

The move "is a natural one," Lane said. "As the most followed real estate brand in the world, it gives us the ability to generate opportunities for us to better serve our clients, whether they be buying or selling."

Fargo firms combine under BHGRE brand

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage One has united with the legacy brokerage Park Company Realtors, with the two Fargo, North Dakota-based firms now operating as Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Park Company. The combined business encompasses roughly 75 sales professionals working in two offices.

Ownership of Park Company is transferring from Jill and Bob Carlson to Drew Likness, Jim Bullis and Jeff Laliberte. Likness will serve as managing partner, while Park Company President Shawn Schmidt will keep his leadership role at the united firm. Michelle Velaski will also continue as director of business development, a role in which she oversees recruiting, retention and agent productivity.

Founded seven decades ago, Park Company has "built something very special," Likness said, adding that the BHGRE brand recognizes "the responsibility that comes with carrying that legacy forward."

"Our goal is to protect that culture, preserve what works, and build on it for more years to come," Likness said. "We believe that by bringing together our two companies, which have called Fargo home for over a combined 120 years, we'll have more opportunities to grow and do even more good for our community."

C21 firm adds 30-agent affiliate

Century 21 New Millennium has added Century 21 Home Advisors as a new affiliate, bringing about 30 Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based agents into the fold and extending the brokerage's reach in south-central Pennsylvania. The Home Advisors team is now operating as Century 21 New Millennium.

Home Advisors Founder H. Joseph "Joe" Younger, a former Lancaster County Association of Realtors president, launched his business as Younger Realty Group in 2011 and affiliated with Century 21 in 2020. He will continue overseeing the group as team leader, and his firm's agents will serve clients from their same office location, according to a news release.

"As I considered the next chapter for Home Advisors, I wanted a partner who shared those values while creating even greater opportunities for our agents and the clients we serve," Younger said. "Century 21 New Millennium brings the resources, leadership and culture to build on what we've created, and I'm excited about what that means for the future."

Through the affiliation, Lancaster agents will gain access to New Millennium's training, marketing and business support, as well as its in-house mortgage, title and insurance teams, the company said.

More brokerage news

Christie's International Real Estate New York has added veteran agent Nicole Palermo, described as "one of Manhattan's most accomplished townhouse brokers," to its roster. During her 13-year career, the NYC native has closed more than $700 million in sales and specializes in properties priced above $10 million, according to a news release. Palermo said she chose to join CIRE because she has "admired the brand throughout my entire career, as it is the epitome of timeless global luxury. My priority has always been to deliver an extraordinary level of service for exceptional properties, and Christie's International Real Estate is the perfect alignment." It's the second recent recruiting win for CIRE NY, which welcomed two teams from The Agency One Rock earlier this month.

Also this week, the luxury brand announced its expansion in Asia with the opening of an office in Shenzhen, the so-called "Silicon Valley of China." Christie's International Real Estate Shenzhen is led by luxury real estate influencer Xiaosheng Qiu, who said the brand affiliation provides his team with "an extraordinary platform to offer comprehensive service" with its "globally renowned brand influence, a cross-border referral network, and deep access to art and luxury circles." CIRE debuted in China just last month with the launch of an affiliate in Shanghai.

Coldwell Banker Real Estate is also making inroads in Asia, announcing the launch of its first master franchises in Korea: Coldwell Banker Korea and Coldwell Banker Commercial Korea. The country's real estate market is "undergoing a significant transformation," according to a news release, which pointed to concentrated areas of demand in both residential and commercial sales. Mary Lee Blaylock, president of Coldwell Banker Affiliates, added that "Korea is an important and highly dynamic real estate market where technology, global investment and changing client expectations are creating new opportunities."

The Agency is expanding its global presence as well: The luxury firm marked its entry into Aruba this week, further extending its coverage of the Caribbean with offices now on six of the region's major islands. The brokerage also launched in Belize earlier this year, serving clients along the Caribbean coast. The Agency Aruba will be led by local real estate veterans Cindy Ruittemanz and Toine Schoofs, who "chose to partner with The Agency because the brand's global reach and collaborative marketing approach put our Aruba listings in front of the right buyers, while keeping the personal service our clients expect," Ruittemanz said.

Howard Hanna Portside Real Estate Group has welcomed a new agent to its Massachusetts office, adding to the Maine-based firm's growing operations in central New England. Wendy Silver transitioned to real estate after working in human resources and as an attorney, and most recently was an agent with Keller Williams. "Real estate is really about relationships and helping people with one of the biggest decisions they'll ever make," Silver said in a news release, adding that with her legal background, "I love the research, the due diligence, and what the data can tell us. There's always a story behind a home."

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.