Brokerage

RealTrends 500 brokerage RE/MAX Gold Nation merges with RE/MAX Equity Group

New RE/MAX Gold Nation brings together two of the most influential RE/MAX franchises to expand training, referral opportunities along the West Coast

Three titans of the RE/MAX network – James O’Bryon, CEO of RE/MAX Gold Nation; Chuck Ochsner, broker/owner of RE/MAX Equity Group; and Chad Ochsner, employing broker of RE/MAX Equity Group – are merging together to expand resources and referral opportunities to their extraordinary agent network. RE/MAX Gold Nation is ranked No. 12 by closed sales volume and No. 17 by closed transaction sides in the 2021 RealTrends 500, with 107 offices across California, Nevada and Arizona. With the addition of RE/MAX Equity Group offices – ranked No. 18 by closed sales volume and No. 33 by closed transaction sides in the RT500 – and based in the Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington areas, RE/MAX Gold Nation now encompasses five states, representing 2,712 agents and 118 offices.

According to James O’Bryon, the new partnership is about building upon two strong foundations to create something greater. “Welcoming RE/MAX Equity Group to Gold Nation is an incredible and historic marriage of all of the best of the RE/MAX world. It is the joining of two [great] RE/MAX organizations into a single juggernaut designed to serve the agents of Gold Nation and their clients,” says O’Bryon.

The partnership will foster a culture of community between the two brokerages, where agents can network and exchange best practices. As part of the new alliance, agents at RE/MAX Equity Group will now have access to professional development programming that has become a hallmark of RE/MAX Gold Nation. Increasing access to these resources and helping agents grow their business is core to RE/MAX Gold Nation’s mission.

“The merger of RE/MAX Equity Group with James O’Bryon and RE/MAX Gold Nation will only enhance the services, tools and support that is proudly provided to our Realtors. To be aligned with this Western regional RE/MAX powerhouse means our agents are now a part of a five-state referral network, benefiting from economies of scale in technology, marketing, education and collaboration,” says Chad Ochsner.

In addition to the merger announcement, RE/MAX Equity Group has announced that current President, Laurie Thiel, has been named a Broker/Owner partner in the brokerage.

“Having Laurie Thiel as a now vested local partner in the company demonstrates first-hand the commitment we all have to the RE/MAX Equity Group team of brokers and staff. Laurie’s vision, creativity, and local leadership have served the Equity Group team now for three years, where she has served as President, and treated the company like her own. We are now making it official and are ecstatic to now have her as a broker/owner partner,” announced Ochsner. “RE/MAX Equity Group along with the Equity Group Foundation, have been staples in the Portland/ Vancouver community now for 21 plus years. Coordinating efforts with RE/MAX Gold and having local ownership in Laurie Thiel, solidifies the future of this community real estate establishment for years to come.”

“I am very excited that, with this merger, RE/MAX Equity Group will continue to provide the personal and local support that agents and their clients deserve,” say Thiel. “Our companies are in true alignment with our cultures and our relentless commitment to extraordinary agent and client outcomes. I look forward to working directly with RE/MAX Gold to provide the top-notch support agents desire to grow their business and local credibility.”

As the two brokerages look ahead to their new chapter, they say the role the RE/MAX brand has played in getting them to this point cannot be understated.

“The power of over 2,700 RE/MAX professionals across over $15 billion in annual sales volume is a testimonial to Chad and Chuck Ochsner, Laurie Thiel, our President of RE/MAX Equity Group and partner, and of RE/MAX Gold Nation,” states O’Bryon. “The industry’s best agents across a five-state footprint may now share a common vision of a community of mutual referral and support.”