Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate’s 2022 is off to a blazing start with the brokerage strengthening its footprint in Arizona and California and introducing its first affiliate in South Dakota.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Beyond currently serves buyers and sellers in the Greater Sioux Falls area and plans to expand to nearby markets in Minnesota and Iowa.

“I grew up in Iowa, near the headquarters of Better Homes & Gardens, and feel a tremendous affinity for the brand and what it represents,” BHGRE Beyond broker-owner Brandon Martens said in a statement. “When it came time to take the next step in building my business, I knew I needed a partner focused on building for the future, not just the bottom line.

“Our philosophy has always been about making people better — both agents and clients — by adopting a service mentality that prioritizes the relationship over the transaction, a defining characteristic of the BHGRE brand,” he said.

Martens said Sioux Falls is a burgeoning force in the Midwest with no state income tax, a solid economy and a robust jobs market with career opportunities in finance and manufacturing pushing the population over the 200,000 mark this month. Since the city accounts for more than 30 percent of South Dakota’s population, it’s also the state’s entertainment hotspot.

Martens and BHGRE Beyond Managing Broker Breck Miller said those factors have helped their team of seven agents grow the business exponentially, and they’re excited to take advantage of BHGRE’s technology and network to reach the next level.

“Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate’s comprehensive technology offerings will play a pivotal role in helping us expand our support to our agents so they can focus on their core business of serving clients and our community,” Miller said in a statement. “We are excited to leverage our affiliation to help make an impact for homeowners in our neighborhoods and beyond, as well as deepen our relationships in the market.

“We firmly believe that real estate is far more than simply selling a house,” he said. “It is a service that changes people’s lives through homeownership.”

Sherry Chris

BHGRE leader Sherry Chris said she’s excited about the brokerage’s South Dakota debut and what it will be able to offer the state’s homeowners, homesellers and homebuyers.

“Brandon and Breck’s combined real estate experience and service to both the industry and their clients have created a tremendous foundation upon which to build their business as the first BHGRE affiliate in South Dakota,” Chris said. “They both have a wealth of experience and knowledge to impart to their growing team of agents and a passion for helping their clients achieve the dream of homeownership.”

BHGRE boasts 12,500 independent sales associates and approximately 390 offices across the United States, Canada, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Australia and New Zealand. The lifestyle-focused brand enacted a more aggressive expansion strategy in 2021, as it added a record-breaking 14 new affiliates.

Chris said consumers’ renewed focus on their quality of life during the pandemic provided an opportunity for BHGRE to attract new affiliates that wanted to wield the brand’s lifestyle knowledge and expertise.

“What we found was broker-owners were looking for partnerships with brands that had a strong technology strategy, strong servicing and operations strategy,” she told Inman in August. “Another thing that really came out loud and clear is the fact that lifestyle, community, family and home were really at the top of everyone’s priority list.

“This national awareness [of BHGRE] paired with business and industry accolades helps attract the interest of innovative and savvy real estate entrepreneurs,” she said. “Not only are we surpassing growth records for our brand, but we continue to be dedicated partners with our existing affiliated companies, helping them advance their businesses and find success in this competitive environment.”

Email Marian McPherson