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Two different top-producing teams have merged with Livian, a company that operates within Keller Williams and which was previously known as the Hergenrother Realty Group.
The teams include BTG, based in Phoenix, Arizona, and the Neilsen Team, based in western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut. A statement from Livian describes the news as a “merger” in which the teams are joining Livian, as well as a “partnership.” A Livian spokesperson further explained to Inman in an email that the relationships will now involve Livian providing “our platform of tools, systems, and models for real estate team acceleration,” while Livian and the teams share profits.
Further financial details of the arrangement were not publicly disclosed.
The teams will continue to use their existing branding, while also adding the Livian logo to their marketing and identity materials. Moreover, BTG will also create a new brand, Livian Arizona.
Livian’s statement describes BTG as a “consistent top-performing real estate team.” Founder Brandon Tracy and CEO Kyle Bates lead the team, and after the merger, Tracy will assume a regional leadership role at Livian, according to the statement. In 2021, BTG sold 414 homes for a total of over $167 million in sales volume. The team includes 42 agents.
Brandon Tracy
In the statement, Tracy praised Livian for offering “an opportunity to take an aggressive step forward.”
“Our commitment remains to raising the standard of professionalism through building great agents and serving our clients with constantly improving
systems and efficiencies,” he added. “I’ve never been as excited as I am right now about the impact we can have through the Livian platform.”
Jeff Neilsen leads the Neilsen team, which closed 214 deals in 2021, according to the statement. The “partnership with Livian is giving us all the tools needed to succeed at the highest of levels,” Neilsen said in the statement.
Jeff Neilsen
“Most importantly, we are surrounding ourselves with like minded individuals who are all focused on helping each other grow and helping the company grow,” he added. “Livian is providing us with the growth acceleration to be able to go out and serve our clients and communities at even higher levels than before.”
The Neilsen team includes 32 agents.
The double merger comes as real estate companies compete intensely for top teams. In some cases, teams have simply jumped from one brokerage to another. However, recent years have also seen a proliferation of different models. Companies, such as Side and Place, for instance, offer technology solutions that allow teams to effectively operate as their own brokerages.
In other cases teams join an existing entity or team that is also a part of a larger brokerage, creating a kind of Russian nesting doll situation with organizations inside of organizations. That’s essentially what is happening here, with the teams joining Livian, which is itself part of Keller Williams, while still maintaining its identity going forward.
Adam Hergenrother
In Livian’s case, the company started out as a team run by Adam Hergenrother. It rebranded last year as Livian, at which time it also received an investment from Keller Williams. Hergenrother still serves as Livian’s founder and CEO.
In Tuesday’s statement, Hergenrother said “we are honored to have the opportunity to partner and join forces with these two incredible teams.”
“These leaders,” Hergenrother concluded, “exude the passion for growth, knowledge, and service in everything they do and exemplify the characteristics we look for in each of our Livian partnerships.”
