Howard Hannah and Allen Tate Merge

by | Aug 12, 2025

Howard Hannah Real Estate and Allen Tate Realtors announced they are merging today at a luncheon at the Brier Creek Country Club in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The 2018 Howard Hanna–Allen Tate merger was designed to give both companies clear strategic advantages while preserving their family-owned cultures. Here’s the breakdown:

Benefits for Howard Hanna

  1. Immediate Presence in the Carolinas
    • The merger gave Howard Hanna a strong foothold in North and South Carolina without having to build brand recognition from scratch.
    • Allen Tate was already the market leader in many Carolinas metro areas, especially Charlotte, the Triangle, and Greenville.
  2. Increased National Footprint
    • The combined company became the largest privately owned real estate firm in the United States, adding geographic diversity and reducing reliance on any single market.
  3. Expanded Relocation and Corporate Services
    • Allen Tate had an extensive relocation network with corporate clients in the Southeast, which Howard Hanna could integrate into its national relocation offerings.
  4. Cross-Selling Services
    • Howard Hanna’s strong in-house mortgage, title, and insurance divisions could be introduced to Allen Tate markets, boosting per-transaction revenue.

Benefits for Allen Tate

  1. Access to Capital and Resources
    • As part of a larger organization, Allen Tate gained access to national marketing budgets, technology platforms, and operational support it couldn’t scale as quickly on its own.
  2. Expanded Referral Network
    • Howard Hanna’s market strength in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Northeast created more inbound and outbound referral opportunities for Allen Tate agents.
  3. Enhanced Technology and Marketing Tools
    • The partnership allowed Allen Tate to roll out Howard Hanna’s proprietary tech tools, data analytics, and integrated service platforms.
  4. Stronger Position Against National Chains
    • The merger gave Allen Tate the size and brand power to compete more effectively with giants like Keller Williams, Compass, and RE/MAX.

Shared Benefits

  • No Cultural Overhaul: Both companies maintained their family-owned culture and leadership structures while benefiting from scale.
  • Economies of Scale: Shared services—like marketing production, agent training, and vendor negotiations—reduced costs.
  • National Recognition: A bigger national profile made it easier to attract top agents and win large corporate relocation accounts.
  • Future Growth Opportunities: The merger created a platform for expansion across the Southeast and into new states.

 

The History of Howard Hanna Real Estate

  • Founded in 1957, Howard and Anne Freyvogel Hanna opened the first Howard Hanna office in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood.
  • Over the years, the company grew through innovation and expansion:
    • 1968: Launched its Appraisal Division
    • 1970s–80s: Added a Relocation Department, Abstract Company, Financial Services, Insurance, and debuted a Sunday Showcase of Homes on TV.
    • By 1995: Became the first real estate firm with every listing online.
    • Expanded geographically into Ohio (1996), West Virginia (1996), New York (2003), Michigan, Virginia, and North Carolina through strategic acquisitions and mergers.
    • 2003: Merged with the Smythe-Cramer Company in Cleveland, becoming one of the largest U.S. brokerages.
    • Continued growth included Realty One (Ohio), Surovell Realtors (Michigan), and others across multiple states.
  • Today, Howard Hanna is the largest family-owned and operated real estate broker in the United States. It offers full-service real estate, mortgage, insurance, title, and escrow services, operating in over a dozen states with thousands of agents and support staff.

 

The Merger with Allen Tate Realtors in Charlotte

  • Allen Tate Realtors, also founded in 1957 by H. Allen Tate Jr., is a prominent independent real estate company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, with dozens of offices across the Carolinas.
  • On September 20, 2018, at their Momentum convention in Charlotte, both companies announced they had joined forces, combining Howard Hanna’s regional strength (PA, OH, NY, etc.) with Allen Tate’s dominance in the Carolinas.
    • At that time, the partnership created the nation’s No. 1 privately owned real estate firm, with more than 11,000 agents and employees across over 300 offices in nine states.
  • Since then, Allen Tate Realtors, now part of the Howard Hanna family, has pursued strategic regional growth:
    • August 2021: Acquired Pat Allen Realty Group, expanding into Highlands, Cashiers, and surrounding North Carolina areas.
    • September 2019: Acquired Blowing Rock Investment Properties, entering the High Country region (Blowing Rock, Boone, etc.).
  • On August 12, 2025, Allen Tate Realtors unveiled a major rebranding, now known as Howard Hanna Allen Tate Real Estate, reflecting the integrated identity of both firms while aiming to drive future growth across the Carolinas.

 

In a nutshell: Howard Hanna and Allen Tate, both long-standing family-owned firms, officially joined forces in 2018 to create a powerful real estate organization. Allen Tate has since continued regional growth, and as of August 2025, the combined operation now operates under the name Howard Hanna Allen Tate Real Estate, uniting the strengths of both companies under a common brand.