Now Operating as One, Long & Foster and Champion Prepare for Spring Selling Season

March 12, 2019

The two real estate brokerages had been competitors for years in the Annapolis and Eastern Shore markets. Champion Realty, a 30-year-old, seven-office firm with roughly 200 agents, and Long & Foster Real Estate, a 50-year-old, 200-office firm with more than 10,000 agents, were both dominant players in the area real estate business and as of late 2017, both part of HomeServices of America, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate.

But their competitive landscape changed a couple months ago when the two established real estate companies joined forces, with Champion becoming part of Long & Foster. While bringing together two companies is no easy task, the teams at Long & Foster and Champion have approached it like pros and their teams are well-prepared for the spring selling season.

With the backing of Long & Foster and all that comes with being part of its family, the former Champion agents are positioned to exceed their clients’ expectations. They’re still “Champions” in the business, now with the training, marketing and technology support that Long & Foster provides, as well as its exclusive affiliation with Christie’s International Real Estate.

“With Champion and Long & Foster operating as a single team, we’ve built upon our market-leading status throughout Maryland, benefitting our sales associates, as well as their buyers and sellers,” said Cindy Ariosa, senior vice president and regional manager of Long & Foster in the Baltimore, Eastern Shore and Western Maryland regions.

In the time since the merger, the former Champion agents have been busy, with both general business and branding. They’ve been learning how to use the many agent resources offered by the company, including the powerful productivity tool, Moxi Engage, and Moxi’s presentation and communications platform, Present.

They’ve also taken their digital presence to a new level, gaining access to Long & Foster’s responsive and modern agent websites and its award-winning corporate site, LongandFoster.com. In 2018, nearly 5 million people visited LongandFoster.com, with consumers texting, calling and emailing Long & Foster associates over 30,000 times from the site’s property pages alone. Long & Foster’s personalized agent sites also help in business development efforts, with valuable content they can customize to showcase their own real estate expertise and unique value proposition.

“Long & Foster was built on an agents-first foundation, and that dedication to our associates comes through in the support we offer our agents and the many technology and tools we make available to them. It’s the combination of those efforts that makes Long & Foster the premier place for Realtors to build their careers and help their clients to achieve their homeownership dreams,” said Tim Blanchfield, manager of Long & Foster’s Severna Park, Maryland, office.

In Their Words: Two Agents Share Their Thoughts on Long & Foster and Champion’s Merger

But what does the merger mean to Long & Foster’s expanded team of agents and their businesses? Two top-producing real estate professionals Dee Dee Miller and Lori Gough shared their thoughts. Miller has been with Long & Foster’s Severna Park office since 2000. Gough, a Realtor since 1996, was with Champion and is now part of Long & Foster’s Annapolis Bestgate office.

Miller added that she can already see a difference in the market share Long & Foster is securing across Anne Arundel County and the Eastern Shore. “With so many Long & Foster agents and excellent training offered by the company, I see a benefit to my personal business and my clients as we work with agents who are held to Long & Foster’s high standards. I foresee transactions moving along smoothly and with consistency.”

Asked how the merger would affect her business’s growth potential, Gough said partnering with Long & Foster, a company that is already No. 1 in her market, helps when discussing market share with current and prospective clients. “The additional exposure of the Christie’s International Real Estate brand also will be helpful for my business and my high-end clients,” said Gough.

Miller agreed that the merger positions agents from both companies as the leaders in the industry, with Long & Foster’s for-sale signs taking over the landscape. “Both companies come with great reputations, stellar management and top-notch training programs and support,” said Miller. “I look forward to the collaboration and future growth, as our two companies meld into one real estate powerhouse.”

For more information, visit www.LongandFoster.com.