Welles Bowen merges with national real estate firm

1/31/2018

Welles Bowen Realtors of Toledo said it is merging with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, a Pittsburgh-based firm that is the nation’s third-largest real estate company with 259 offices in eight states and more than 9,000 sales associates.

“The Howard Hanna values and company philosophy closely resemble ours at Welles Bowen. Our combined success through commitment to top notch service, our agents, and our clients will help all of us to thrive in 2018 and beyond,” David Browning, president of Welles Bowen, said in a joint statement by the two companies.

Welles Bowen, which has been in business for over 100 years and has 150 sales associates and nine offices in a six-county section of northwest Ohio, will be merged slowly into the Howard Hanna operation.

“The transition to Howard Hanna will be seamless for our clients. Under the Howard Hanna umbrella, we’ll be offering the same people and same services,” said Kevin Smith, vice president of Welles Bowen. “Howard Hanna’s network of 259 offices will be an excellent resource for strengthening and supporting Welles Bowen.”

In January, 2015, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services opened up a Maumee office, but the grandson of the company’s founder said the company relished the opportunity to expand its Toledo-area presence by adding Welles Bowen to its network.

Prior to 2015, Howard Hanna tried several times to enter the Toledo market by acquiring real estate companies in Toledo, but it was unsuccessful each time.

“Two years ago, we opened up our new Howard Hanna Toledo/Maumee office with a commitment to the region,” said Howard W. “Hoby” Hanna IV. “The joining of these two dynamic companies will give us the opportunity for local expansion, allowing us to better serve agents and customers in 2018 through this partnership with Welles Bowen.”

Howard Hanna is known for innovative programs, including its 100 percent money back guarantee. Under the guarantee, if a homeowner is dissatisfied with the purchase of a "guaranteed" listed home, the company will buy it back for 100 percent of the purchase price within the first year of ownership.

“Howard Hanna is dedicated to our strategic growth, and we aim to be the top choice in the Toledo area marketplace. The addition of the team at Welles Bowen Realtors will help us to achieve this in the coming year,” Mr. Hanna said.