SERHANT enters Utah; ROA moves into California 

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.

SERHANT now operating in 21 states with Utah expansion

SERHANT announced this week that it has expanded into Utah, bringing the New York-headquartered luxury brokerage brand into its 21st U.S. state as it establishes a presence in Salt Lake City and Park City.

SERHANT Utah will be led by Managing Director and Principal Broker Bridgette Osguthorpe, an industry veteran who previously spent 16 of her more than 20 years in real estate with Summit Sotheby's International Realty.

At SERHANT, Osguthorpe will lead a team of over 40 agents who have collectively closed about $700 million in sales in the past 12 months, according to a news release. Her focus will be on agent recruitment and mentorship, as well as daily brokerage operations, the company said.

"People come to Utah for the mountains, the lifestyle and the business climate," SERHANT Founder and CEO Ryan Serhant said. "Buyers in markets like Park City can choose anywhere in the world, but they're choosing to be here, and they expect the agents representing them to operate at the highest level."

SERHANT's entry into Utah is the latest in a series of expansions so far this year, which include launches in Massachusetts, California, Texas, Colorado and Illinois.

ROA enters California with addition of San Diego team

Realty of America, a brokerage with more than 3,900 agents, has entered the California market with the addition of Zandra Ulloa and her 12-agent Team Z Realty, establishing a presence in San Diego as the firm continues its national expansion efforts.

Ulloa has spent 13 years building her team's business in Southern California, with the group at one point growing to 72 agents with $589 million in annual sales volume. Ulloa alone has generated more than $4.2 billion in career sales volume, according to a news release.

At Realty of America, Team Z will have access to the brokerage's technology, business resources, revenue-sharing opportunities and agent-ownership model. After over 10 years in real estate, "I've learned how important it is to surround yourself with people who understand where you are going and genuinely want to see you succeed," Ulloa said.

"I wanted to invest in myself, my team, and a platform that gives us the opportunity to build something bigger together," Ulloa added. "Realty of America gives us that alignment and the ability to create long-term value rather than simply remain the same."

Ohio team joins eXp after 2 decades with REMAX

Jon Bowling and his team have joined eXp Realty, bringing an 11-agent operation to the brokerage's platform in the greater Cincinnati, Ohio, market. At eXp, Jon Bowling's Team will have access to tools, compliance support and a network of agents while retaining control over how it operates.

Based in Mason, the team — which spent the past 20 years aligned with REMAX and includes six support staff members — closed approximately $90 million in sales volume in 2025, according to a news release. Team leaders Kimberly Ballinger and Brad Babiak are joining Bowling in the transition to the cloud-based brokerage.

Bowling cited eXp's collaborative culture and business platform as key factors in his decision to move, adding that his relationships with eXp agents and leaders over the past two years helped cement the deal.

REMAX "was a great vehicle to get us here," Bowling said, but now "it's time for something built for where we're going."

"The culture at eXp is open. People share. A rising tide lifts all boats," Bowling added.

B&W welcomes 12-agent firm into the fold

Beyond Properties, an Oak Park, Illinois-based boutique brokerage serving clients in and around Chicago, is joining Baird & Warner as Beyond Properties Group. The firm is bringing its 12 agents to the Chicagoland indie while maintaining its existing office.

Erica Cuneen, who founded Beyond Properties nearly 20 years ago, will lead the group with Cynthia Howe Gajewski, a longtime Oak Park agent who recently held a leadership role with the Oak Park Area Association of Realtors. Together, Cuneen and Gajewski will combine what had been separate teams within Beyond Properties into a single unified group.

The affiliation gives the firm access to Baird & Warner's technology, marketing support and agent resources, including AI-powered tools, Zenlist and Luxury Portfolio International. Cuneen said the move will also allow her to spend more time working with agents and clients while reducing operational responsibilities.

"Beyond Properties succeeded as a boutique independent because it is authentic, collaborative and deeply connected to the communities it serves," Baird & Warner SVP and General Sales Manager David Bailey said in a news release. "That is exactly why it is such a natural fit at Baird & Warner."

BHGRE nabs Missouri affiliate

Paradigm Realty has affiliated with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. Moving forward, the family-owned Fenton, Missouri, firm will operate as Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Paradigm Living.

David Fendler became owner of the brokerage in 2008 after beginning his real estate career with the company five years earlier. His wife and co-owner, Elizabeth "Liz" Fendler, joined the business soon after and currently leads its largest team. The firm serves buyers, sellers, builders and investors across St. Louis County, including clients pursuing lot and land transactions, according to a news release.

With access to the brand's resources and network, David Fendler said he plans to recruit agents and small teams, though the husband-and-wife duo is also interested in partnering with area brokerages that share their boutique, family-oriented culture.

The international brand "felt like the right fit for us because they share" the values held by the Fendlers and their agents, David Fendler said. "This affiliation gives our agents more tools and support to grow their businesses while keeping the personal approach that's always been important to us."

More brokerage news

Engel & Völkers is expanding into Aruba, with License Partners Zobaida Akkari and Richard Franken leading the operation. They will oversee a team of advisors focused on residential properties, including luxury homes, second homes, vacation residences, investment properties and land. Akkari brings experience in real estate, luxury sales and design, while Franken has a background in business operations, hospitality and tourism. The affiliation "opens the door to an international network, sophisticated marketing resources, professional tools and relationships with Engel & Völkers professionals and clients around the world," Franken said in the announcement. The shop is projected to open in April 2027.

RealtyMark, a Pennsylvania-based brokerage, has launched a new companywide platform for its more than 2,000 agents across eight states, built on Smart Agent Guide. The platform gives agents individual branded webpages, access to company contracts and forms, listing pages and lead-routing tools, while its AI assistant, AImee, handles website chats and phone inquiries around the clock in more than 25 languages, directing leads straight to the firm's agents. The launch also unifies the brokerage's patchwork of sites, inboxes and tools within a single branded platform. "There are only two ways to have more money: make more or spend less. RealtyMark was built to give agents both," Founder Ramon "Ray" Gaber explained. "Technology is the next step. That is what 'The Future of Real Estate' has always meant to us."

Spyglass Realty, which returned to independence earlier this year after being affiliated with Real, has entered the insurance business. Spyglass Insurance Agency is a licensed Texas property and casualty agency described by Founder and Broker-owner Ryan Rodenbeck as a sister company to the brokerage business. "For us, insurance just made sense," Rodenbeck said. "We service over 1,000 families a year, and we've seen insurance rates increase dramatically over the past couple of years. What people don't realize is that there are options to lower your insurance rates that most people don't get notified on when their yearly rates increase."

Elite International Realty has joined Netimóveis as the Brazil-based real estate network's first exclusive U.S. partner, creating a connection between Brazilian buyers and South Florida residential and investment opportunities. The Miami-based brokerage, founded by Brazilians more than 30 years ago, reports that international clients account for approximately 60% of its business. Netimóveis has more than 170 affiliated companies, nearly 3,000 real estate professionals and a portfolio of more than 100,000 properties. Elite CEO and Sales Director Daniel Ickowicz said the partnership will help the firm "expand this connection" and bring its U.S. market experience to Netimóveis' network in Brazil.

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.