Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties launches New York Properties brokerage; Manhattan real estate veteran Ellie Johnson to lead team
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices announced today that Manhattan real estate leader Ellie Johnson has joined the network to direct its first New York City affiliation, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New York Properties.
Johnson and New York Properties are part of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties/Westchester Properties family, which continues its strategic expansion in the Northeast under the leadership of CEO Candace Adams. “We are elated to attract such a talented and respected leader in Ellie Johnson and at the same time enter the New York City real estate market,” said Adams. “This is a monumental step for our brokerage as we look to expand our presence in the Northeast.”
New England Properties, a Wallingford, Conn.-based company owned by HomeServices of America, entered Westchester County, N.Y. in 2015 with the acquisitions of brokerages operating in Scarsdale, Larchmont and Eastchester. The brokerage expanded into Rye in 2016.
“We’ve had a mission to open an office in New York City since the onset of the brand,” said Adams in an interview with RISMedia, “but we wanted to do so very carefully with the right talent at the right time. We have leveraged the relationships we’ve built over the years in the suburbs of Westchester County, N.Y. and Fairfield County, Conn., and all the way up the coastline of Connecticut and Rhode Island, to bring Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices to New York City where there’s been a high demand for the brand.”
Gino Blefari, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, said New York Properties is vital to the network’s global expansion strategy that begins in 2017. “New York City is the gateway to America and the hub for global industry and finance,” he said. “Our presence in Manhattan is a key factor in our expansion into Western Europe and other parts of the world.”
Blefari added that New York Properties will benefit from all-star leadership. “Ellie has earned a legacy of significant success in the marketplace, and Candace ranks among the finest in real estate brokerage operators. We’re excited to help this brokerage grow.”
Johnson comes to her position from Sotheby’s International Realty, where for 11 years she managed the network’s Upper East Side New York office to perennial sales volume leadership.
“I’m honored to represent the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand in Manhattan,” said Johnson, who is president of New York Properties. “The brand carries the name of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., one of the world’s most trusted and respected corporations. We are confident the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand will be warmly embraced in Manhattan, as it has been throughout America.
“I am excited to lead New York Properties and uphold the tradition of excellence established by Candace and the team at New England Properties,” Johnson continued. “We’ll leverage our knowledge, experience and associations in New York City to quickly move our brokerage forward.”
According to Adams, the Manhattan market continues to have strong momentum. “The mid-level is very active and there’s an oversupply of new development right now that we expect to be absorbed comfortably in the next 24 months. There is a massive migration back and forth from the suburbs to the city and the city to the suburbs. Many of our baby boomers and empty nesters are gravitating back into the city.”
The brokerage office is the next in an ongoing list of strategic growth initiatives launched by HomeServices of America, the nation’s second-largest real estate brokerage company. Ron Peltier, HomeServices’ chairman and CEO, applauded New York Properties’ arrival. “We are committed to regional expansion and we’re thrilled to establish such a quality presence in New York City,” he said. “With Ellie leading the way in Manhattan, backed by Candace’s leadership, we are well-positioned for long-term growth.”
New York Properties operates at 590 Madison Ave., 37th Floor, New York, NY 10022; (212) 710-1900.
For more information, please visit www.bhhsnyproperties.com or www.berkshirehathawayhs.com.
