By
Jeffrey A. Arouh (New York)
A version of this article first appeared in National
Relocation & Real Estate magazine.
The business of providing real estate brokerage services has changed. An industry that was once almost entirely made up of "mom and pop" ventures working out of single office locations is now dominated by large companies. They may be franchisors; they may be owners; they may be investors. However you look at it, the face of the real estate brokerage industry has changed.
While new companies continue to be formed every day, at least from the outside, it looks as though the industry is getting smaller. There appears to be more "brand names" and it appears that the trend toward centralization of ownership and/or control is continuing. Big companies are swallowing small and mid-sized companies; mid-size and smaller companies are merging with one another or acquiring smaller companies in order to remain competitive; vertical and horizontal relationships going
