DALLAS — Huntsville-based Revolved Realty has merged with Leading Edge Real Estate Group, United Real Estate announced recently.
United acquired Leading Edge Real Estate Group in 2022 to expand its network into North Alabama. With the merger, Leading Edge will have more than 300 agents operating locally.
Revolved Realty co-founder Tim Knox joins the merged team as president and will remain the managing broker of two former Revolved Realty offices in Huntsville.
No role changes are planned for Leading Edge founders Danny and Charlene Sullivan.
“The merger of these two great local brokerages, combined with the backing of our national partner United Real Estate, offers limitless opportunities for buyers and sellers across north Alabama and southern Tennessee,” said Knox. He and Chelsea McKinney are founders of Revolved Realty. “And for the thousands of Realtors who call this area home, our commitment to helping agents build long-term, legacy businesses has never been greater.
“That’s the banner we will carry as we go forth and expand our market share here and eventually statewide.”
The Sullivans, founders of Leading Edge Real Estate Group, said brokerages have a tremendous opportunity to join forces for long-term competitive advantage.
“Tim and his team bring new energy into the company,” said Danny Sullivan. “Together, we have great synergy and focus and can leverage each person’s expertise to accomplish goals that previously seemed insurmountable.
“The services and tools we’ll bring to our service footprint will be huge for our market and for the agents. Together, we are now the third-largest in unit sales in our marketplace, and our combined strengths are a catalyst for continued growth.”
Over the last decade, the real estate industry has shifted from commission-split brokerage models to transaction-fee models. New-generation models that entered the market have shown growth, while legacy models have reported declines in agent count, sales volume and unit sales. COVID-19 magnified those trends.
According to a data-backed study examining brokerage profitability by real estate tech strategist Mike DelPrete, United was one of two national brokerages to be profitable in Q1 2023.
Rick Haase, president of United Real Estate, pointed to brokerages moving further into the new real estate market, a move he said will make change and innovation imperative for survival.
“In hindsight, United will look back and realize 2023 was the turning point for both legacy and new-generation models,” he said. “Danny, Tim, Charlene, Chelsea and their respective employees and agents are creating forward momentum.
“What’s very exciting is that we have a carefully crafted strategic plan to navigate their agents successfully into the future.
“Today’s real estate landscape is vastly different than just five years ago, and these entrepreneurs are leveraging their unique talents and United Real Estate’s national resources to great advantage for their company and agents.”
