Author, Speaker & Business Consultant
Author: Swanepoel TRENDS Report 2009
Aothor: Swanepoel SOCIAL MEDIA Report 2010
Anthony, I am not sure that this is an apples to apples comparison. This is not just two brokerage companies in a town merging because they are "going out of business." (Yes, I do think those types of mergers will continue). I think this transaction is different, and therefore more notable because... Firstly it is two national players merging - one operational in 46 states, the other in 20 states. That is sizable and we do not see many of those type transactions. Secondly the one player is a Canadian company that has strategically planned to enter the US market and with the acquisition of GMAC Real Estate last year and now Real Living, have effectively gone from nothing in the US to probably a Top 5 or Top 6 player(depending which numbers you decide to use). That in the course of about a year. That's impressive, if that was their plan, and I believe it was. Stefan Swanepoel Author: Swanepoel TRENDS Report
Good discussion on this topic also taking place on the Inman Community side at http://www.inman.com/community/groups/alternative-business-models/2009/11/11/merger-creates-one-largest-real-estate-franc#comment-22250
Scott, Northern America according to Wikipedia is the northenmost region of the Americas. It is a widely used term when referring to the United States and Canada. Brookfield RPS is based in Canada, owns and operates the largest Canadian based residential real estate franchises and as well as GMAC, one of the Top 10 largest US-based real estate franchises. Northern America seemed to be an appropriate word to describe the markets they serve.
