Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Indiana Realty Expands: BHHS Indiana Realty acquires ERA Real Estate Links, affirming its commitment to service excellence.

June 2020

If it seems like you’re seeing more Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Indiana Realty “For Sale” signs in front yards these days, it’s because there are more. There’s a reason for that: BHHS Indiana Realty is an industry leader, and with its recent acquisition of ERA Real Estate Links, it’s now even better.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Indiana Realty, one of the state’s top 5 largest brokerages, already had the No. 1 producing real estate team in the state. ERA Real Estate Links owner Mike Deck and his team are the second highest-producing ERA franchise in America as well as having three brokers in the top 50 in MIBOR. 

Surprisingly, it wasn’t the sales prowess in particular that made ERA Real Estate Links an attractive partner for co-owners Craig West and Andrew Braun of BHHS Indiana Realty. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Indiana Realty CEO and co-owner Craig West explains: “It’s the alignment of the business philosophy, business ethics and desire to create an experience for the consumer that’s lasting,” says West. “I couldn’t find a better partnership than what we found with Mike Deck and his team.” 

Mike Deck concurs. “At Team Deck, we value relationships above all else,” he says. “In evaluating opportunities for a merger, we wanted a brand that stands for excellence, provides exemplary service, values face-to-face interactions and brick and mortar and is consumer-focused. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Indiana Realty is that brand.”

Deck wanted to continue to expand his business but needed more support from a larger brand than ERA was able to offer. “That was really a big part of why this acquisition has come together,” says West. “They saw value in us helping them expand, and we certainly saw value in the way they run their business, more so than just their high-producing brokers.”

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CFO and co-owner Andrew Braun describes the growth campaign the ERA Real Estate Links acquisition brings to the table. “The achievements of Mike’s entire office perfectly align with our ambition and strategy to help create long-term value for our agents, clients and the areas in which we work as the most trusted, distinctive group of professionals in the market,” says Braun. “Having the top two highest-producing teams of agents in Central Indiana operating under one of the most trusted and reputable brands in the world—Berkshire Hathaway—will lead to future synergies that will allow all of our current and future agents to advance their careers, build wealth, and provide a higher level of service to our clients in a capacity that our market hasn’t seen.”

The guiding philosophy for Deck and the company he built at ERA has always been to create win-win relationships by following the Golden Rule. “We support our agents with everything they need to provide our customers with unparalleled service to create relationships that last well beyond each transaction,” says Deck, who will become the Carmel Regional Vice President for the combined companies. “Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Indiana Realty is dedicated to providing progressive, quality real estate services with the highest level of professionalism throughout Indiana. We are proud to join BHHS.”

A Long Tradition of Real Estate Excellence 

The success of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Indiana Realty didn’t happen overnight.  The company was founded in 1980 and has established a foundation of trust and integrity in all of the markets they serve throughout the state of Indiana. Over the course of the company’s first 30 years, Indiana Realty—under the banner of another national franchise—became that franchise’s highest-producing office in the country. It was 2014 when Indiana Realty had the opportunity to transition to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, and the future has never been more promising

“We’ve been able to maximize the reputation and trust of the Berkshire Hathaway brand,” says West, “and it’s really starting to resonate well with our consumers. It brings another level of service to residential real estate. With the Berkshire Hathaway brand, and Warren Buffet being known to help people make great financial decisions, that’s what we’re trying to do with that brand in real estate, especially here in Central Indiana. It’s to help people understand we’re a professional group that’s here to help them make great real estate decisions.”

Benefits of a Large Real Estate Brokerage Team

BHHS Indiana Realty’s acquisition of ERA Real Estate Links and its 50 agents, which covers Carmel, Westfield and parts of Fishers, adds to the existing 14 Berkshire Hathaway Indiana Realty offices that dot the state from Lafayette to Muncie, south to Evansville and all points in between. What’s the benefit to the consumer to have such a large team? “What that means for our size is that we’re able to reach out to a very large pool of customers,” says West. “Not just locally or regionally, but now globally with the wealth of resources the Berkshire Hathaway brand brings to the table.”

West and Braun think of their brokers not as salespeople but rather as marketing professionals who can put together the right marketing strategy for a home seller to reach that large segment of customers. “Our professionals have the expertise that helps them put together a pricing strategy; they understand what the market’s doing,” says Braun. “And for the buyer, it really brings the local expertise to help them make a decision, especially with our current changing market. The great thing about being in Indiana is our economy and our job market is so strong, even through the pandemic, it has had a minimal effect on the real estate market and no negative effect on the home prices here in all our markets.”

You might expect that with the merging of two highly successful real estate offices there would be a great deal of competition between agents. And while West admits that real estate brokers tend to be a competitive lot, he says his Berkshire Hathaway office has nurtured a culture of camaraderie and cooperation. “They share best practices, they share strategy,” says West of the agents in his newly combined agencies. “They understand that the more Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices signs are in yards, the more business opportunities there are for everyone.”

New Zionsville Regional Office at Anson 

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Indiana Realty’s expansion doesn’t stop with adding more agents. After analyzing the pace of growth in Whitestown, West says he and Braun are doubling down on their investment in company growth and commitment to the value of services BHHS Indiana Realty brings to the consumers in the markets it serves. “That is why we have made the investment to have a stronger presence with the addition of Mike’s team in Carmel and Westfield,” says West, “but also why we have made the investment in building a new office.”

That new office will be built in the Anson community development near the Zionville exit at I-65. That location will allow BHHS Indiana Realty to better serve the Zionsville, Whitestown and Brownsburg region. 

Technology

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Indiana Realty recognizes the importance of technology when it comes to providing the best service for their home-selling and home-buying clients. West and Braun are aware that people do a lot of their own research six to 12 months prior to contacting a real estate professional. “Having the power and the capital that Berkshire Hathaway has allows our company to be a leader in how we use technology and how we build relationships with our consumers through technology,” they say. “Berkshire Hathaway entered into a multimillion-dollar contract with Indianapolis-based Sales Force to customize a technology platform that will allow us to better communicate with our clients, both buyers and sellers. It keeps the relationship-building mindset for our professionals and for their clients.”

Vision for Company Growth

With the addition of Deck and his company, BHHS Indiana Realty has an aggressive vision for continued growth. “We are interested in partnering with other real estate professionals, but we’re very selective,” says West. “We are looking for those real estate brokers who are looking at this for a long-term career and what it takes to have a sustainable career in real estate.” These three business leaders bring a combined, diverse experience to execute the strategy of growth. They understand that they have a unique opportunity with a unique brand. They also believe they can continue to help real estate professionals, who are committed to providing a high level of service, build a successful business.

“From an ownership standpoint, it truly is a partnership with our brokers,” says West. “They trust Andrew and me. Our commitment back to them is to provide resources from contract to close so they can continue to go out and do what they’re great at, and that’s building relationships to cultivate new business.”

It’s All About the Consumer

Ultimately, the combination of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Indiana Realty and ERA Real Estate Links is all in support of the customer. “Our commitment to our clients is to provide the highest level of service possible through all phases of their real estate experience,” says West. “For most people, the purchase or sale of a home is one of the biggest financial decisions they will make in their lifetime for their family. We want to make sure that we’re supporting and representing them at a high level. The intent of [BHHS Indiana Realty] is to bring in great companies like Mike’s and continue to build off of what we have now.”

Deck is definitely on the same page. “Our ultimate goal is surpassing our customers’ expectations in service and satisfaction,” says Deck. “We understand this to be the same goal of BHHS, which is why we’re enthusiastic to join the brand.”

Braun sums it up. “I am incredibly proud of the addition of Mike’s group of agents that have well-deserved reputations of living our same values. We look forward to them helping to build the strong Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Indiana Realty culture.”

If you’re planning to sell your home or looking to buy a new one, or if you’re currently a real estate broker with a dedication to excellent customer service, contact Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Indiana Realty at (317) 595-2100. Or visit online at bhhsinrealty.com.

Writer:

John Cinnamon

Photography:

Laura Arick