In 1957, Howard Hanna Jr. opened his first real estate office in Pittsburgh, Pa. Today, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services encompasses 12,800+ sales associates and employees operating out of more than 370 offices in eight states. At the helm, is real estate luminary Helen Hanna Casey, who—along with her siblings and an expanding group of nieces and nephews—has spearheaded the company’s evolution and growth through smart expansion and strategic acquisitions.
In this week’s episode of RISMedia’s RealEdge podcast, Casey shares how the entrepreneurism that runs deep in the Hanna family’s veins has helped the firm navigate many a rollercoaster market cycle, from the savings and loan crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic. You’ll also find out why her now 100-year-old father still asks to see the numbers (hint: it’s all about profitability), and why Casey believes that while it’s “okay to date a little online,” at the end of the day, success in real estate will always be about in-person relationships.
On this week’s episode, you will learn:
4:10 How the Hannas have navigate a family business through different market cycles since 1957
7:04 The principles that have made Howard Hanna a tried and true company
9:30 Why the Hannas never built wealth by buying real estate
12:10 What to do when an office isn’t profitable
15:18 The company’s brag-worthy pandemic response, and which strategies they’ll use moving forward
21:29 How the merger with Rand Realty came to be, and why partnerships are critical for brokerage growth
25:38 Why the company’s new urban development division is actually a nod to its roots
28:14 The reality behind urban flight…and the benefits
30:00 Where Howard Hanna is expanding next, and the tenets of the company’s expansion model
33:17 The importance of organic growth vs. acquisition growth, and why you need to always be present
41:03 The biggest challenges in the years ahead
44:45 Helen’s best advice for brokers: ‘There are many ways to be successful.’
About Helen Hanna Casey
With more than four decades in real estate, Helen Hanna Casey, along with her siblings, leads the fourth largest real estate company in the U.S., overseeing more than 205 offices and 7,300 sales associates and employees in eight states. Now in its third generation, Howard Hanna continues to be family owned. Casey began working at Howard Hanna in 1975 after graduating from Georgian Court University, and became a Certified Residential Broker (CRB) in 1985. She was the first woman to be elected to and serve as president of West Penn Multi-List, and was also the first woman to chair the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Real Estate Services Advisory Group. She has also chaired The Realty Alliance, the NAR Large Firm Broker Involvement Board, and the NAR Corporate Investors Council. Casey has received many awards and is a member of RISMedia’s inaugural Newsmakers Hall of Fame.
