Inman

KW nails a whale: No. 1 Berkshire Hathaway agent jumps ship

Mike McCann/KW

Philadelphia’s top agent is jumping from Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach to Keller Williams.

Following a personal phone call from Keller Williams CEO Gary Keller, Mike McCann – known locally as “The real estate man” – is set to join Keller Williams Philly, a local Keller Williams franchise owned by Noah Ostroff.

McCann and The McCann team closed 793 transactions for $361 million in sales volume in 2017, making it the number one team in sales volume in the state of Pennsylvania and 22nd in the nation, according to Real Trends. In 2018, the team closed 780 transactions for $365 million.

Most of McCann’s 25-person team followed, the exception being Pam Rosser Thistle, who is staying with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach.

“This individual has not only achieved, but has successfully retained, both the number one spot in the number of homes sold and total sales volume in Philadelphia – for not just one year, or even several years, but for decades,” Keller said in a video announcing the move.

McCann, a 33-year industry veteran, has spent the past 27 years with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, a multi-state real estate brokerage acquired by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in 2013 from Prudential. In his time with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, McCann served under three different ownership groups.

“The changes I see in the real estate industry now are unlike any other time in my 33 years,” McCann said. “And I decided I want to align myself with the best, the number one.”

McCann pointed to Keller Williams’ investment into its technology platform, as well as the company’s culture and education, as a reason for joining Keller Williams.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach has also launched its own agent technology platform, but its parent company has not been as publicly vocal about its investment in agent technology.

A spokesperson for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices did not immediately return a request for comment.

Update: Story updated to clarify that Pam Rosser Thistle stayed with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach.

Email Patrick Kearns