2 firms unite under ERA banner; Equity Union adds agent healthcare 

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.

Pennsylvania firms partner under ERA banner

Berks County, Pennsylvania-based Pagoda Realty ERA Powered has inked a deal with Lime House Real Estate in York, bringing the two firms together and expanding their reach across the southeastern part of the state.

Lime House will now operate as Lime House Real Estate ERA Powered, retaining its local identity while gaining access to ERA's resources, according to a news release. Pagoda Realty brings approximately 50 affiliated agents to the union, while Lime House has 25.

Craig Stringer, Pagoda Realty's broker-owner and a 27-year industry veteran, will lead the combined operation. Sergio Mannino, who helped establish Lime House in the region, will remain active with the organization by providing leadership and support to the York-based agents.

The partnership follows a period of expansion for Pagoda Realty, which affiliated with the ERA brand, relocated to a new office and added agent resources over the past year. The firms said their shared agent-focused approach was a factor in bringing the organizations together.

Mannino "has built a tremendous reputation, and we're excited that he'll continue to play an important leadership role as we grow together," Stringer said. "We're confident that this partnership will provide tremendous value for agents across both organizations."

Equity Union offers agent healthcare program

Equity Union Real Estate has introduced a healthcare program for eligible affiliated agents and their families through a partnership with Trident BPO, adding insurance options to the brokerage's agent-support offerings.

The program provides access to healthcare plans with a nationwide PPO network, with options for individual, spouse, dependent and family coverage. Depending on the plan, benefits may include virtual care, specialist access without referrals and prescriptions with $0 copays. Agents can also explore optional dental, vision and accident coverage options, according to a news release.

The brokerage said the program is intended to give agents a new avenue for evaluating coverage beyond the individual insurance market, with eligibility, plan features and pricing varying by option.

"Real estate professionals are independent business owners, and healthcare is something many are left to navigate entirely on their own," Equity Union CEO Harma Hartouni said. "We wanted to provide our agents with another option — one that gives them access to meaningful healthcare choices for themselves and their families while reinforcing that Equity Union is invested in much more than their next transaction."

The California-based independent brokerage has been in expansion mode this year, opening a Nevada office — its first location outside the Golden State — in July. 

Real to roll out Real Wallet updates next year

The Real Brokerage has announced plans to expand its Real Wallet offerings from a commission deposit account into a broader financial hub for agents, adding business money management tools and new short-term capital options.

The redesigned experience, which is expected to roll out to U.S. agents in the first half of 2027, will enable agents to create accounts for taxes, expenses, marketing and other business needs within Real's reZEN operating system. Planned features include automated commission routing, debit cards with spending controls, scheduled payments and shared account access. Agents managing multiple businesses will also be able to oversee accounts for separate entities through the platform, according to a news release.

Effective immediately, Real said it is offering two months of 0% interest on Real Wallet Capital advances, subject to a standard origination fee. The product is available in 39 states, Washington, D.C., and in Canada, with approval based on agent production rather than traditional credit-score underwriting.

The planned updates, which were announced shortly after the brokerage unveiled Leo Pro, are "about fundamentally changing what a brokerage can do for an agent beyond the transaction itself," Real Wallet General Manager Dominic Parikh said.

"Our vision is to give every Real agent the financial tools that align how they get paid, help them manage their money and give them the ability to invest in growth when the opportunity arises," Parikh added.

More brokerage news

The Agency is moving into a new state with the launch of its first office in Iowa. The Des Moines location will be led by Managing Partners Mike Slavin and Nathan Lyman, who will focus on residential and land sale clients throughout central Iowa. The move marks "a natural next step" in the boutique brokerage's Midwestern expansion, according to James Ramsay, EVP of the firm's franchise division. The Agency Founder and CEO Mauricio Umansky echoed Ramsay's comments in a news release, adding that the Des Moines area "offers a compelling combination of career opportunities, space and quality of life that continues to attract buyers looking to put down roots."

Also this week, The Agency announced three new additions to its Los Altos office. Roe Pathak, Basil Yaqub and Chris Hotaki, industry veterans with more than six decades of combined real estate experience, have joined the firm. In addition to residential sales, Pathak has a background in real estate finance, construction, investment properties and multifamily buildings. Yaqub, who joins The Agency after nearly 20 years with Pacific Realty Partners, brings technology, commercial and leasing experience to the firm; and Hotaki, who was most recently at Compass, serves as principal of The Hotaki Group and has achieved more than $300 million in lifetime sales, according to his bio.

Christie's International Real Estate has announced another expansion abroad, moving this time into the Maldives. The launch comes on the heels of the global brand's debut in Shenzhen, China, earlier this month. The Maldives location will be headquartered in Malé and led by Marco Bonini, who will oversee brokerage operations as managing director of sales. Though the country has previously been a popular travel destination, it is increasingly becoming a place where visitors want to buy property, Bonini said in a news release. "For these buyers, owning a villa they can enjoy personally, and maintain in a professionally managed rental program to generate a return, is very compelling," Bonini 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.