Larry “Boomer” Foster has been promoted to sole president of Long & Foster Real Estate, the nation’s No. 1 real estate company as part of HomeServices of America. Foster previously led half of the brokerage’s regional divisions, and they will now come together under his guidance.
“I’m honored to lead our teams at Long & Foster Real Estate and continue helping our agents to win new business and even better support area buyers, sellers and renters,” said Foster. “I look forward to building on Long & Foster’s strong business foundations, as well as the many impressive programs and resources we already have in place for our teams, while also furthering our culture of trust, family and excellence.”
Foster has been part of Long & Foster for almost 15 years, beginning as an agent before moving into regional and then corporate leadership. He learned the business from the ground up, earning a position as a branch manager before being promoted to regional manager in Long & Foster’s Northern Virginia and West Virginia regions. After achieving significant success in that region, Foster was named president of Long & Foster Real Estate in 2014. Since then, he has led Long & Foster’s teams in D.C., Montgomery County and Southern Maryland, Northern Virginia, West Virginia, Charlottesville and North Carolina, as well as the firm’s Commercial Division.
Prior to joining Long & Foster, Foster worked as a trial attorney for nearly eight years in South Carolina—an experience that taught him invaluable negotiation, communication and analytic skills that have greatly benefitted Long & Foster in his tenure at the firm. Foster is licensed to practice in the Circuit Court, Court of Appeals and Supreme Court of South Carolina as well as the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
As a leader in the real estate industry and Long & Foster, Foster focuses on supporting agents in their careers and advocating for what is best for them and their clients. He is heavily involved in industry associations, keeping his finger on the pulse of the broader market and ensuring Long & Foster’s associates always stay ahead of the curve. He also played an instrumental role in launching Realty Alliance’s Broker Resource Network, a one-of-a-kind organization that enables brokerage leaders to share invaluable information with other industry executives.
Foster also has guided Long & Foster in new technology partnerships, as well as the expansion of its agent marketing, training and professional development programs. With these efforts, as in all his endeavors, Foster’s focus remains on ensuring Long & Foster’s associates and branch offices can best meet the desires of today’s buyers, sellers and renters.
“Putting our people first has long been the strategic focus at Long & Foster, and Boomer lives that motto personally and professionally,” said Jeff Detwiler, president and CEO of The Long & Foster Companies, parent company of Long & Foster Real Estate. “He brings a unique combination of advocating and caring for our sales associates, team members and clients, along with a tenacity to compete, that are essential to success in real estate. I’m excited to work even closer with Boomer going forward, and I’m confident with him at the helm of our real estate company, we’ll continue to innovate and thrive.”
Foster remains part of Long & Foster’s executive team, reporting to Detwiler, and he will have the backing of Long & Foster’s already strong corporate, regional and local leadership teams when he takes on his new role. Among those critical leaders are Jackie Thiel, who is the executive vice president of operations for Long & Foster Real Estate, and the brokerage’s Senior Vice Presidents and Regional Managers Cindy Ariosa, Dawn Bradley, Ron Clarke, Rod Eller, Kenneth Fagan, Bobbie Holman, Karen Kidwell and Lonnie Plaster, as well as the firm’s many talented local leaders.
To learn more, visit longandfoster.com.