This week’s brokerage announcements span new offices, team recruiting and leadership appointments, alongside new agent technology launches. Highlights include Compass’ Minnesota expansion, eXp’s 1st Choice Collective move, and Real’s Iowa addition.
Compass expands Minnesota footprint with new office, six-agent team Compass has opened an office in downtown Excelsior, Minnesota, and added Landing Collective, a six-agent team that reported more than $65 million in sales volume over the past 12 months. The team includes Tara Engebretson, Sue Hewitson, Natalie Williams, Laura Rasmussen, Thomas Randall and Haley Hewitson. The brokerage also appointed Chris Muellenbach as sales manager in Minnesota and Jen Gamez as sales manager in Wisconsin. The moves expand Compass’ presence in the Midwest and add local leadership to support recruiting and agent development. Century 21 adds Queens brokerage as New York expansion continues Century 21 Real Estate has expanded its presence in the New York City metropolitan area with the affiliation of North Star Realty Associates in Fresh Meadows, Queens. The firm, established in 2012, will operate as CENTURY 21 North Star. Broker and owner Jayne Boehler, who became licensed in Florida in 2004 and New York in 2008, leads the company. The affiliation gives the brokerage access to Century 21’s brand and resources as it looks to expand across New York City’s five boroughs and Long Island. Baird & Warner unifies agent technology with BWCONNECT launch Chicago-based RealTrends Verified brokerage Baird & Warner has launched BWCONNECT, an integrated technology platform that brings listings, CRM tools, marketing resources, business intelligence and support services into one system. The platform gives agents access to sales pipelines, production history, goal tracking and market reports while connecting to existing technologies, including the company’s AI assistant, REMI. The goal is to reduce the time agents spend switching between systems and provide a clearer view of their businesses. Hilton real estate duo moves to The Beverly Hills Estates Barron N. Hilton and Tessa Hilton, former co-CEOs of Hilton Hilton, have joined RealTrends Verified brokerage The Beverly Hills Estates after working at Compass. The move reunites them with brokerage leaders Rayni Williams and Branden Williams, with whom they previously worked at Hilton & Hyland in 2020. The Hiltons are bringing approximately $200 million in property inventory to the brokerage, including listings across Los Angeles, Malibu and Santa Barbara. The addition expands The Beverly Hills Estates’ presence in Southern California’s luxury market. Tampa Bay brokerage joins eXp Realty with $470 million in sales history Florida’s 1st Choice Realty, founded by Rene and Dana Carpena, has joined RealTrends Verified eXp Realty and will operate as 1st Choice Collective. The Greater Tampa Bay organization brings more than 70 agents and support staff to eXp. The firm reported more than 325 transactions and $60 million in sales volume in 2025. Since 2021, it has completed more than 2,000 transactions totaling $470 million in documented sales volume. The move supports the founders’ plans for expansion into additional states. William Pitt – Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s names Carolyn Fugere CEO Carolyn Fugere has been named president and CEO of RealTrends Verified William Pitt – Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty, becoming the first woman to lead the company in its 77-year history. She succeeds Paul Breunich, who serves as executive chairman. Fugere previously served as co-president and chief sales officer, overseeing 31 offices and 1,100 sales advisers. During her five years in that position, the company recorded its highest five-year closed sales volume in its history. The brokerage serves markets in Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts. Dubuque brokerage brings 30 agents and $1.2 billion in sales history to Real The Real Brokerage has added a 30-agent Iowa brokerage led by Cody Burger and Dennis Buchheit. Previously operating as Unlimited, the company will join Real under the name The Team. The Dubuque-based organization has completed approximately 5,000 transactions totaling $1.2 billion since 2020 and is on track to close 500 transactions in 2026. The move extends Real’s presence across Iowa, Illinois and southern Wisconsin. LoKation introduces voice-powered AI assistant for agents LoKation Real Estate, a RealTrends Verified brokerage, has partnered with Lundy to launch Jefe, a voice-first AI assistant designed to work across the brokerage’s existing technology tools. Agents can use voice or text commands to manage tasks within BoldTrail CRM, MAXA Design, Sphere and other applications. The assistant is intended to automate administrative work and help agents manage daily operations. LoKation, which operates across six states, also plans to use the technology to evaluate whether its investments in agent tools are translating into actual use. Coffee & Contracts adds AI strategist to social media platform Coffee & Contracts has relaunched its marketing platform with a new AI assistant, Beans, designed to help real estate agents plan social media content, capture leads and manage follow-up activities. The platform, used by more than 6,400 agents, combines content creation, landing pages and lead management in one system. Founder and CEO Haley Ingram said the assistant uses the company’s established marketing methodology to help agents turn social media engagement into business opportunities. SERHANT. appoints Pennsylvania brokerage leader SERHANT. has named Mishel Taylor managing director and principal broker of its Pennsylvania operations. Taylor joins from eXp Realty and brings more than two decades of experience in real estate finance, brokerage management and agent development. Taylor will oversee operations, compliance, recruiting and agent performance across Philadelphia and its Main Line suburbs. Her appointment supports SERHANT.’s efforts to build its regional presence and establish systems for agent growth.
Compass expands Minnesota footprint with new office, six-agent team
Compass has opened an office in downtown Excelsior, Minnesota, and added Landing Collective, a six-agent team that reported more than $65 million in sales volume over the past 12 months. The team includes Tara Engebretson, Sue Hewitson, Natalie Williams, Laura Rasmussen, Thomas Randall and Haley Hewitson. The brokerage also appointed Chris Muellenbach as sales manager in Minnesota and Jen Gamez as sales manager in Wisconsin. The moves expand Compass’ presence in the Midwest and add local leadership to support recruiting and agent development.
Century 21 adds Queens brokerage as New York expansion continues
Century 21 Real Estate has expanded its presence in the New York City metropolitan area with the affiliation of North Star Realty Associates in Fresh Meadows, Queens. The firm, established in 2012, will operate as CENTURY 21 North Star. Broker and owner Jayne Boehler, who became licensed in Florida in 2004 and New York in 2008, leads the company. The affiliation gives the brokerage access to Century 21’s brand and resources as it looks to expand across New York City’s five boroughs and Long Island.
Baird & Warner unifies agent technology with BWCONNECT launch
Chicago-based RealTrends Verified brokerage Baird & Warner has launched BWCONNECT, an integrated technology platform that brings listings, CRM tools, marketing resources, business intelligence and support services into one system. The platform gives agents access to sales pipelines, production history, goal tracking and market reports while connecting to existing technologies, including the company’s AI assistant, REMI. The goal is to reduce the time agents spend switching between systems and provide a clearer view of their businesses.
Hilton real estate duo moves to The Beverly Hills Estates
Barron N. Hilton and Tessa Hilton, former co-CEOs of Hilton Hilton, have joined RealTrends Verified brokerage The Beverly Hills Estates after working at Compass. The move reunites them with brokerage leaders Rayni Williams and Branden Williams, with whom they previously worked at Hilton & Hyland in 2020. The Hiltons are bringing approximately $200 million in property inventory to the brokerage, including listings across Los Angeles, Malibu and Santa Barbara. The addition expands The Beverly Hills Estates’ presence in Southern California’s luxury market.
Tampa Bay brokerage joins eXp Realty with $470 million in sales history
Florida’s 1st Choice Realty, founded by Rene and Dana Carpena, has joined RealTrends Verified eXp Realty and will operate as 1st Choice Collective. The Greater Tampa Bay organization brings more than 70 agents and support staff to eXp. The firm reported more than 325 transactions and $60 million in sales volume in 2025. Since 2021, it has completed more than 2,000 transactions totaling $470 million in documented sales volume. The move supports the founders’ plans for expansion into additional states.
William Pitt – Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s names Carolyn Fugere CEO
Carolyn Fugere has been named president and CEO of RealTrends Verified William Pitt – Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty, becoming the first woman to lead the company in its 77-year history. She succeeds Paul Breunich, who serves as executive chairman. Fugere previously served as co-president and chief sales officer, overseeing 31 offices and 1,100 sales advisers. During her five years in that position, the company recorded its highest five-year closed sales volume in its history. The brokerage serves markets in Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts.
Dubuque brokerage brings 30 agents and $1.2 billion in sales history to Real
The Real Brokerage has added a 30-agent Iowa brokerage led by Cody Burger and Dennis Buchheit. Previously operating as Unlimited, the company will join Real under the name The Team. The Dubuque-based organization has completed approximately 5,000 transactions totaling $1.2 billion since 2020 and is on track to close 500 transactions in 2026. The move extends Real’s presence across Iowa, Illinois and southern Wisconsin.
LoKation introduces voice-powered AI assistant for agents
LoKation Real Estate, a RealTrends Verified brokerage, has partnered with Lundy to launch Jefe, a voice-first AI assistant designed to work across the brokerage’s existing technology tools. Agents can use voice or text commands to manage tasks within BoldTrail CRM, MAXA Design, Sphere and other applications. The assistant is intended to automate administrative work and help agents manage daily operations. LoKation, which operates across six states, also plans to use the technology to evaluate whether its investments in agent tools are translating into actual use.
Coffee & Contracts adds AI strategist to social media platform
Coffee & Contracts has relaunched its marketing platform with a new AI assistant, Beans, designed to help real estate agents plan social media content, capture leads and manage follow-up activities. The platform, used by more than 6,400 agents, combines content creation, landing pages and lead management in one system. Founder and CEO Haley Ingram said the assistant uses the company’s established marketing methodology to help agents turn social media engagement into business opportunities.
SERHANT. appoints Pennsylvania brokerage leader
SERHANT. has named Mishel Taylor managing director and principal broker of its Pennsylvania operations. Taylor joins from eXp Realty and brings more than two decades of experience in real estate finance, brokerage management and agent development. Taylor will oversee operations, compliance, recruiting and agent performance across Philadelphia and its Main Line suburbs. Her appointment supports SERHANT.’s efforts to build its regional presence and establish systems for agent growth.
