Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand announces first 9 affiliates

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, the new HomeServices of America franchise brand, has announced the first nine Prudential Real Estate affiliates that will transition to the brand this fall.

The nine firms joining Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices this fall represent about 20 percent of the roughly 50,000 agents currently affiliated with the Prudential brand.

Under the terms of a 2011 sale of the Prudential Real Estate brand to Brookfield Asset Management, the brand is slated to fade away when the last rights expire to it in the late 2020s.

HSF Affiliates LLC, the joint venture between HomeServices and Brookfield to manage the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Prudential Real Estate and Real Living brands, has said it is hoping to convert many of the roughly 550 brokerages currently affiliated with Prudential.

“We expect to have the bulk of the largest companies transitioned by fall 2014,” said Earl Lee, CEO of HSF Affiliates, in a statement.

Some brokerages previously affiliated with Prudential Real Estate have since rebranded with other franchise networks, or dropped their affiliation altogether. They include Douglas Elliman Real Estate and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Kansas City Homes (formerly Prudential Kansas City).

All but one of the nine Prudential-affiliated brokerages that will rebrand as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in the fall are owned by HomeServices of America:

• Prudential California Realty (San Diego)
• Prudential Carolinas Realty (with Prudential York Simpson Underwood Realty and Prudential Yost & Little Realty)
• Prudential Connecticut Realty (Wallingford, Conn.)
• Prudential First Realty (West Des Moines, Iowa)
• Prudential Georgia Realty (Roswell, Ga.)
• Prudential KC Realty (Leawood, Kansas City, Mo.)
• Prudential Northwest Properties (Portland, Ore.)
• Prudential Northwest Realty Associates (Seattle)

The lone Prudential-affiliated brokerages rebranding in the fall that is not owned by HomeServices of America Prudential Florida Realty (Sunrise, Fla.).

One of HomeServices of America’s Prudential-affiliated brokerages, Prudential Rhode Island Realty, was not listed as one of the brokerages scheduled to make the switch this fall. That company is part of Prudential Connecticut Realty, and all of HomeServices’ Prudential-affiliated brokerages are making the switch, HSF Affiliates said.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices unveiled the branding for the new franchise in March and last month rolled out Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct that Prudential KC Realty is owned by HomeServices of America. Prudential KC Realty was formed this year through the acquisition and merger of Prudential Gaslight Realtors and ERA Manning & Associates.