With last week’s news that Warren Buffet has acquired the Prudential Home Sale Services Group, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at who is doing business in Carlisle and where are they really from?
Buffett purchased the Prudential Home Sale Services Group which is currently headquartered in Lancaster and is the Mid-State’s largest residential Broker business. The name will change in June to Berkshire Hathaway Home Services and, I suppose, they will maintain a branch office on Walnut Bottom Road here in Carlisle. After June, I suspect you would need to call Warren Buffet if you had a problem with their office or their agents.
Similarly, Howard Hannah is headquartered in Pittsburgh and operates in eight states. It boasts being one of the top four Residential Real Estate companies in the country. I imagine contacting Mr. Hannah would be just about as difficult as contacting Mr. Buffett.
NRT is the largest residential real estate company in the country. They own the Coldwell Banker, Century 21, and ERA labels. Thus, Jack Gaughen ERA is not locally owned, but I do believe that the corporate Broker of Record “visits“ the Carlisle branch office from time to time.
Keller Williams and Re/Max, both of whom have gained some amount of market share in the Greater Carlisle Area, do not maintain Carlisle offices at all. Their agents largely operate independently and I would have to do some research to determine how to call the boss.
I am proud to report that Wolfe & Company Realtors, 100% locally owned and operated, boasted a 4th position as to market share in the Greater Carlisle Area again in 2013. We do this with approximately half as many agents as our competitors. Our agents are among the best in the business, but “their boss” is available to all of the firm’s customers and clients – – just a phone call or an e-mail away from personal Broker/Owner attention.
Is bigger better? Well, I have made the pizza analogy before. You can order your pizza from Dominos, Papa John’s or Little Caesars. Me? I like to call the Italian guy around the corner.
Ray “Buz” Wolfe, Jr.
Broker/Owner
Wolfe & Company Realtors
*Ray L. “Buz” Wolfe, Jr. is a licensed Real Estate Broker in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He is not an attorney and is not licensed to practice law. No comments made within the confines of his blog should be construed as legal advice.
**All statistics cited obtained from Central Penn MLS are believed, but not guaranteed, to be accurate.