One greater Houston affiliate of The Corcoran Group has acquired another, giving the combined brokerage a broader reach in one of the nation's fastest-growing metropolitan areas.
Corcoran Genesis, an agency that covers Houston’s western suburbs, bought Corcoran Ferester Realty, a firm that primarily handles The Woodlands and other northern suburbs, their New York-based parent company said. While the two firms both are under the same Corcoran Group umbrella, they had been independently owned and operated.
Genesis founders Doug Freer and Nicole Freer will lead the combined brokerage of more than 60 agents, and the firm will retain the Corcoran Genesis name, the parent company said. Corcoran Ferester principal Beth Ferester will establish The Ferester Team at Genesis. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The transaction gives Corcoran Genesis an entry into The Woodlands, the upscale bedroom community about 30 miles north of Houston that has attracted corporate headquarters, boosting the already-strong demand for housing.
Houston is the second-fastest-growing U.S. metropolitan area, having added more than 198,000 residents between 2023 and 2024, according to the U.S. Census. New York-Newark-Jersey City led the U.S. with more than 213,400 new residents during that period, and Dallas placed third with nearly 178,000.
Corcoran Genesis, founded by the Freers in Katy, Texas, has more than 35 agents. It started its Corcoran affiliation last year. The Nicole Freer Group at Genesis ranks as the nation's No. 3 medium-sized agent team with $446.73 million in sales volume last year, according to industry tracker Real Trends.
The Woodlands-based Corcoran Ferester joined the brand in late 2021, when it became Corcoran's first Texas affiliate. It has nearly 30 agents.
Investor and television personality Barbara Corcoran founded the firm in New York in 1973. She sold her stake in 2001 to NRT, now known as Anywhere Advisors, for $66 million and is no longer affiliated with the brokerage. It now has more than 150 offices and 5,000 agents worldwide.