Acquires Alliance, 14-office real estate brokerage in the Philadelphia region

Long & Foster Real Estate, the No. 1 independent residential real estate company in the United States, has joined forces with Alliance, a real estate franchise with 14 offices and nearly 800 agents in the Philadelphia area. Alliance, which was ranked as one of the nation’s top real estate brokerages in the 2014 Real Trends 500, will operate under the Long & Foster brand going forward.

Over the past few years, Long & Foster has focused on expanding its presence throughout the Delaware Valley and along the coast in Delaware and New Jersey. The company has attained a leadership position in Delaware, and it has grown significantly in New Jersey, where the firm now operates more than a dozen locations. With the acquisition of Alliance, as well as its strategic growth in Delaware and New Jersey, Long & Foster is well positioned as a leader in the Northeast real estate market—in fact, the combination of Alliance and Long & Foster brings Long & Foster to the No. 2 position in the Philadelphia market.

“Long & Foster is known for its unparalleled customer service and exceptional real estate professionals, and the entire Alliance team is excited to join a firm that’s known for helping home buyers and sellers to accomplish their dreams,” said Ron Clarke, chief executive officer of Alliance. “We’re ready to take advantage of all that Long & Foster has to offer, including its exclusive affiliation with Christie’s International Real Estate in our market, and we’re certain our agents and their clients will benefit tremendously from the training, marketing and technology support we’ll gain through Long & Foster.”

Going forward, Clarke, who has more than 25 years of experience in the real estate industry, will remain with Long & Foster. He will work in partnership with Bob Albanese, Long & Foster’s senior vice president and regional manager, in leading the company’s expanded Philadelphia region.

“At Long & Foster, we strive to bring together the best professionals in the real estate business—all in an effort to help our clients accomplish their homeownership dreams—and I’m confident that with Ron and the Alliance team now a key part of our company, we’ll find even greater success,” said Jeffrey S. Detwiler, president and COO of The Long & Foster Companies. “Additionally, buyers and sellers in the Pennsylvania real estate market will now get even more opportunities to work with a family-owned and operated company that’s not only the country’s leading independent brokerage, but also has a strong local connection and history.”

Founded over 15 years ago, Alliance provides a full range of services for buyers, sellers, builders and investors, including residential and commercial sales and rentals. The team also specializes in short sales and foreclosures, as well as investment properties, and they have provided relocation assistance to many individuals and corporations moving into and out of the southeastern Pennsylvania area. In addition to their expansive suite of real estate services, Clarke and his team bring to Long & Foster an award-winning history, having received many honors for exceptional service and sales achievements during the company’s history.

“Alliance is well known and well respected in our community, and I know that Ron and his team will make a great addition to our Long & Foster family in the greater Philadelphia region,” said Gary Scott, president of Long & Foster Real Estate. “Similarly, Long & Foster’s agent-focused approach will help ensure the Alliance team has all the marketing, technology and training support they need to reach not only their own career goals, but also their clients’ real estate objectives.

“Additionally, with our combined commitment to the local market and the strength of the Long & Foster brand, Long & Foster and the Alliance team will be able to build upon and expand the already high quality of support and services we offer home buyers and sellers throughout southeastern Pennsylvania.”

For more information, visit www.LongandFoster.com.