HomeServices of America takes additional stake in Title Resources

HomeServices of America, Berkshire Hathaway's real estate brokerage business, has increased its ownership stake in Title Resources Group, an underwriter currently partially owned by Anywhere Real Estate.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Anywhere, a competing real estate franchisor formerly known as Realogy, sold 70% of TRG to Centerbridge Partners in October 2021 for $210 million in cash.

Then in May 2022, HomeServices purchased its first stake in TRG, but the size and price were not disclosed. However, Anywhere reported it made a sale that quarter of a 4% share of its portion of the title company to an unnamed purchaser for a $4 million gain in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

More recently, iBuyer Opendoor Technologies took an ownership interest during March in the title insurance underwriter, but again, details were not provided. But in the SEC filing, Anywhere reported a further 1% reduction of its stake for a $1 million gain during the first quarter.

Title Resources Guaranty, TRG's business unit, finished 2022 as the eighth largest underwriter by market share, with 2.5% of the premiums generated according to American Land Title Association data.

Industry-wide, title insurance premiums generated totaled $21 billion last year. Among the independent underwriters — those not affiliated with Fidelity National, First American, Old Republic and Stewart — TRG only trailed Westcor, which had a 4.4% share.

During 2021, TRG had a 2.4% share of the $26.2 billion of total title insurance premiums written.

"The team and I are thrilled about HomeServices of America's decision to increase its ownership stake in our company," Scott McCall, TRG's president and CEO, said in a press release." Our expanded relationship with HomeServices of America speaks volumes to the value we create for our customers and our best-in-class solutions."

Muncie - Circa November 2021: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices sign. HomeServices is subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy.
Muncie - Circa November 2021: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices sign. HomeServices is subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy.
Jonathan Weiss/jetcityimage - stock.adobe.com

Messages were left with TRG and HomeServices to get further specifics about the transaction but not returned by press time.

"Our partnership has already created value for our operations," Gino Blefari, CEO, HomeServices of America, in the same press release. "We look forward to continuing our collaboration and the positive impact we will have on the industry over the years to come."

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