PARTNERS TRUST UNITES WITH PACIFIC UNION TO BECOME LARGEST CA INDEPENDENT BROKERAGE

Partners Trust kicked off the year with their new rebranding campaign under the Pacific Union Southern California umbrella. Jan 1 marked the official rebranding of John Aaroe Group, Partners Trust and Gibson International, all of which fall under the Pacific Union brand now. Also, Partners Trust founder Nick Segal named Pacific Union LA president amid rebranding

Two of California’s most reputed real estate powerhouses, Partners Trust and Pacific Union International, announced today that they will merge, creating the largest independent luxury real estate brokerage in the state of California and establishing the dominant independent force in Los Angeles — all while maintaining the nimbleness of a neighborhood-focused, independent brokerage.

Founded in San Francisco, Pacific Union is the eighth largest real estate brokerage in the U.S., with 2016 sales volume of $10.15 billion. Through its merger with Partners Trust, a leading Los Angeles-based independent luxury brokerage with more than 240 associates, the combined company is now projected to exceed $15 billion in sales in 2017.

This unprecedented merger follows the recent merging of Pacific Union with Beverly Hills-based John Aaroe Group and Pacific Union’s acquisition of The Mark Company, the premier sales and marketing firm for new luxury urban developments in the Western U.S., in 2015. The merger with Partners Trust now unites 47 offices and more than 1,400 real estate professionals in Northern and Southern California. Northern California markets, led by CEO Mark A. McLaughlin, include San Francisco, Marin, Contra Costa, Alameda, Napa, and Sonoma counties, Silicon Valley, and the Lake Tahoe region. The company will continue to serve Partners Trust’s current Los Angeles markets, including Beverly Hills, Downtown, The Westside, Malibu, Calabasas, and the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys.

Below, Partners Trust CEO and Co-Founder Nick Segal answers questions regarding the merger.

Why did Partners Trust make this decision?

This merger represented an ideal opportunity to propel our brokerage, and our entire team of partners and associates, toward greater success and production. It allows us to increase our financial strength, penetrate new markets both locally and globally, gain incredible market share in our home markets and be an innovative force, all while maintaining the nimbleness of an independent brokerage.

With Pacific Union’s exclusive real estate technology tools, fueled by Silicon Valley innovation, we’re able to deepen our marketing and technology resources with proprietary products like its Best Buyer Report and tap into their global digital advertising platform that reaches real estate investors in the leading international markets of China, India, Brazil and the U.K. Pacific Union will also make available to us the firm’s proprietary economic forecasting models as well as urban sales and marketing authority, The Mark Company, which was acquired by Pacific Union in 2015, and leads the West Coast in the sales and marketing of new, luxury high-rise residential condominium projects.

With all of this, we immediately strengthen our position as a market leader and expand our global reach. Furthermore, this family of leading real estate brokerages aligns with Partners Trust’s core vision, allowing us to better create the ideal road map for the ultimate client experience in Los Angeles.

Will decisions be made locally?

Absolutely, yes. As CEO and co-founder of Partners Trust, I will continue to guide the ship at the local level. Management and staff of the unified firms will remain the same across the board, working in tandem to ensure that our real estate professionals and clients receive access to both companies’ respective networks and best practices. Pacific Union will embrace the Partners Trust brand and leverage our company’s resources to promote it in Southern California.

Will the Partners Trust name change?

Partners Trust will continue to operate as a separate brand with its current leadership and respective offices, and will incorporate Pacific Union’s innovative marketing and business intelligence assets into its real estate practice.