By Staff

Jan. 25, 2017:  Bronxville's oldest real estate firm, Houlihan Lawrence, has been acquired by HomeServices of America, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, according to Chris Meyers, managing principal of Houlihan Lawrence. Warren Buffet is the chairman, CEO, and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway.

William van Dusen Lawrence founded the real estate firm in 1888 while living in New York City. Members of the Lawrence family moved to Bronxville and participated in the incorporation of the Village of Bronxville in 1898. They also donated land and money to found Lawrence Hospital (now NewYork-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital) and Sarah Lawrence College.  

George Lawrence IV, the great-grandson of William van Dusen Lawrence, sold his family's real estate firm in 1990 to Nancy and Peter Seaman and moved to Florida. After Peter Seaman passed away in 1994, Nancy Seaman and her brothers Stephen and Chris Meyers took over the management of the firm. 

Houlihan Lawrence has grown considerably in the last two decades to over 1,300 agents and 30 offices and had $6.7 billion in sales in 2016. The firm operates in Westchester, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, and Ulster counties in New York and in Fairfield County in Connecticut.  

Nancy Seaman will step down from her chairman position, but, according the Houlihan Lawrence website, "Stephen and Chris Meyers will continue to lead the firm’s strategic growth initiatives and manage day-to-day operations together with the existing management team." The Houlihan Lawrence brokerage firm will retain its name.  

In commenting about the new ownership, Chris Meyers said, "It was a very difficult decision [to sell], but Nancy had reached a point in her life where she wanted to do more in the volunteer world." 

Chris went on to say, "We see ourselves as stewards of a brand and a legacy. We wanted to make sure that the company remained an independent brand.  Nancy’s husband had a relationship with Warren Buffet who has a division in his company for independent brands called Home Services of American.  There are over 35 regional firms in this division." He further said that "it was a win-win situation" for us to go with Home Services.     

Mr. Meyers assures the public that, other than the new ownership, "there will be no change at all. The public will not know the difference," he stated. "There will be no name change or closing of the Bronxville office. My brother Stephen and I will continue on with the firm." 

Pictured here:  The little white cottage at Pondfield Road and Prescott Street, which has housed the Bronxville office of Houlihan Lawrence since the firm's inception. 

Photo by A. Warner