BHGRE Journey eyes Oklahoma expansion
by March 22, 2022 11:28 am 1,420 views
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Journey co-owners John Mayer, Ben Fox, Marion Aust and Joey Jones.
Northwest Arkansas’ franchise of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate (BHGRE) is building on the momentum of an award-winning year in 2021.
Independently owned BHGRE Journey, led by co-owners Marion Aust, Ben Fox, Joey Jones and John Mayer, has two regional offices (Bentonville and Fayetteville). The parent company recently recognized the Journey affiliate with a national award for the largest annual percentage growth last year among BHGRE’s 23 largest offices in the U.S.
The company will soon be a multistate office when it completes the acquisition of a BHGRE franchise in Edmond, Okla., with 34 agents. That will increase BHGRE Journey’s agent count by about 36%.
Fox, Jones and Mayer were also part of a recent investment that solidified the company’s place in the market. They established the BHGRE Journey Bentonville office in January 2020 at 523 S.E. Sixth St. In February, they bought the real estate for $1.7 million. Bentonville Academy of Music LLC, led by Todd and Dana Renfrow, was the seller. The 5,548-square-foot, three-story property is a converted residence and sits across the street from the Momentary contemporary art space.
Mayer said the company plans to open an art gallery, Gallery on Sixth, this spring in the building’s lower level. The theme is mountain biking and notable locations throughout Northwest Arkansas.
BHGRE is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp., one of the largest full-service residential real estate services companies in the U.S. Based in New Jersey, Realogy is the parent company of several real estate franchises, including Coldwell Banker, Century 21 and Sotheby’s International Realty.
Aust started the BHGRE franchise in Fayetteville in December 2017 when she affiliated her brokerage firm Metro Marketing Realty with BHGRE. She owns the Fayetteville office and has an ownership stake in the Bentonville office.
According to the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s annual list (Page 14), BHGRE Journey grew sales volume in 2021 by nearly 54%, compared with 2020.