Last week, HomeServices acquired Americana Holdings, one of the largest independently owned and operated Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices (BHHS) franchisees, bringing Americana and its title and equity interests under the brand’s umbrella.
The company will continue doing business as BHHS Arizona, California and Nevada Properties, led by CEO Mark Stark and president and COO Gordon Miles.
In this exclusive interview with RISMedia, Stark and Gino Blefari, CEO of HomeServices of America and chair of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, discuss the strategy behind the acquisition and the growth plan for two companies that prioritize strong leadership and a powerful brand presence.
What was the reasoning behind the acquisition?
Mark Stark: HomeServices has watched us for years, so this is not a surprise. They are already a behemoth in our industry. The acquisition of our organization only furthers their strength and power, specifically in Nevada and Arizona.
The key for us was leveraging their strength. As a large independently owned franchise, we had a lot of responsibilities and work that didn’t directly support agents and staff, but were necessary.
Now HomeServices of America will handle those important back-end activities. This gives myself, Gordon and our leadership team the opportunity to focus on what we consider our highest and best use—supporting our branches and agents.
On a broader scale, I look forward to working hand-in-hand with Gino Blefari and the rest of the HomeServices leadership team to further our reach and bolster our operations.
How does this play into HomeService’s overall growth plan?
Gino Blefari: HomeServices continues to look for companies with great leadership, strong brand reputation and close ties with their community as we build our national and global footprint, and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Arizona, California and Nevada Properties meets and exceeds all of those requirements.
In addition to adding Nevada to our footprint, we have an opportunity to increase market share as we introduce their agents and clients to our mortgage and insurance professionals, reinforcing the importance and convenience of our all-inclusive business model.
How does this position your company in the coming years?
MS: Our direction is steadfast. Our model is effective. Our growth is consistent. We will continue charging forward because our process and model works. Now we will leverage HomeServices of America to further support our already successful model moving forward.
What can practitioners from Americana expect from the acquisition?
MS: As a business service company, our job is to help our agents grow their brokerages, whether they are a business of one or more. Now we will have more time to focus on our most important activity: helping our branches and agents grow. They can expect more focus, more help and more support, specifically to help them grow their businesses.
Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s senior online editor. Email her your real estate news ideas to lizd@rismedia.com.
