History in Houston
Founded in 1963, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene is one of the most established businesses in the downtown Houston area.
It is always ranked among the market leaders with almost 5,000 transactions and an estimated value of $2.3 billion by 2024, according to. RealTrends is verified.
Gary Greene first joined the Better Homes and Gardens brand in the late 1970s – he remained involved until 1999. The brokerage then went under Prudential from March 2000 to 2012, before returning to Better Homes and Garden Properties.
Woodroof also currently serves as chairman of the Texas Real Estate Commission after being appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott and has held leadership roles at the local, state and national levels.
He pointed to Compass founder Robert Reffkin’s emphasis on growth and efficiency as a sign of what might be next for the brand and its affiliates.
“(Reffkin) talks a lot about growth, and his actions support that over the last few years,” Woodroof said. “And, you know, I think that’s going to be good for all of us.”
Scale, speed and strategic cooperation
With Compass scale now added to the equation, Woodroof says the acquisition increases the sense of momentum within the organization.
“I think [Compass] it improves mobility, and I think it creates a lot of power at the Anywhere level to see that, it’s fun,” he said.
While many of the tangible impacts are still being seen, Woodroof said the large area — Compass’s nearly 340,000 agents — creates opportunities for access to tools, services and partnerships that benefit local brokerages.
“You want to be inside the tent, not outside,” he said.
Local autonomy remains central
Despite the expanded corporate umbrella, Woodroof stressed that local ownership and independence remain.
“We are a well-known and respected brand, and we have sold hundreds of thousands of Houstonians and residents living in the surrounding areas,” he said. “We’re selling to the grandchildren of some of these people right now, and we’re excited about that. We’re very community-focused. We give back to our agents. We live in the markets. We work in the markets. It means a lot to us.”
Chief Operating Officer Matt Woodroof, son of Mark Woodroof, said the acquisition of Compass makes sense because of a shared emphasis on flexibility.
“I think what’s exciting for me is that being in the area, we’ve been able to stay fast and go fast,” said Matt. “I see a similarity with Compass in that they have been able to stay agile, move with the industry and work quickly – even at their size.”
Mark echoed that sentiment, noting that Compass brings an entrepreneurial culture that is shaped by a higher appetite for risk than anywhere else has ever been able to sustain itself.
“I think this new organization has a lot of speed and a desire to seek danger,” he said. “They also came out and said, ‘Hey, not everything is going to be okay.’ We appreciate that, because even here, we have things that are going really well for us and things that we have to say, ‘Let’s support and do that.'”
Recruiting in a competitive environment
While the Compass name carries significant weight in agent circles, Matt said the acquisition didn’t immediately change the recruiting landscape.
“I don’t know how many changes there are in the employment outlook, at least right now,” he said. “I mean, it was business as usual. I think there is an opportunity in the future, but there is no immediate effort for those we are following. I think there is potential. So, I don’t see it as a negative thing. [for recruitment]but there is no immediate disappointment or anything like that.”
Mark adds that strong national relationships allow the brokerage to focus more on its agents.
“The reason we exist is to make a difference in their lives and businesses,” he said. “We are 100% focused on our work – improving the lives of businesses and people, and trying to impact that at local levels.”
Brand recognition, Houston vision
Brand recognition remains a cornerstone of the renewal decision. Mark said BHGRE holds a level of consumer trust that few brands can match.
“It’s all about trust,” he said. “I [BHGRE] The brand says to the consumer, ‘Hey, it’s been around for 100 years, so it’s probably not going anywhere.’ It is marketed to different people but the brand stands for what it stands for.
“We’ve always said to our people, ‘You never have a cold appointment or a cold list, because people will feel warm about the product and give you confidence and room to sell yourself.’
Looking ahead, leadership remains optimistic about the strength of the Houston market. Matt noted that the region has returned to near 2019 employment levels with moderate innovation and steady job growth.
“We are expecting low single digit growth this year,” he said. “Actually it’s lower, but it’s a little higher than that, so we prepared it. We continue to gain market share, and we think our partnership model with agents is important to them. We provide them with support wherever they are and whatever they need – whether it’s tools, resources, one-on-one support, everything.”
The brokerage plans to continue hiring, expanding market share and deepening agent relationships as the market inches higher.
“We look for win-win situations,” Mark said. “That’s how we look at the world.”
