ReeceNichols expands its Branson footprint with acquisition

Shaun Duggins: ReeceNichols’ southern region is in offense mode, with more acquisitions expected.

Rick Billington becomes co-manager of Branson market in acquisition.

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ReeceNichols is adding a third office in the Branson market to its portfolio with the acquisition of Re/Max Lifestyle Realty on Jan. 2.

Nine agents are joining ReeceNichols after 10 years as a Re/Max franchise, said owner/broker Rick Billington, who’s becoming co-manager with David Dubin of the ReeceNichols Branson market. Terms of the deal were undisclosed.

“I started to look about five or six months ago for a different way to do things,” Billington said. “When I started to look at the tools and the infrastructure that ReeceNichols had, it just looked like the way to go and have the tools and be competitive in the marketplace.”

Billington approached the leadership team at ReeceNichols about joining their firm, including Shaun Duggins, president of ReeceNichols Real Estate Southern Region.

“As amazing as these guys are, this will take them to the next level,” Duggins said of the acquisition.

Billington agreed, adding he had buy-in from all his agents on the deal.

Billington said his office had just over $30 million in sales volume in 2017. His office will remain in the same location at 50 Stone Bridge Parkway Drive in Branson West, in the welcome center of StoneBridge Village, but will be rebranded with the ReeceNichols name.

Duggins said more acquisition talks are in the works, as ReeceNichols remains in offense mode. He told Springfield Business Journal earlier this month he plans to grow ReeceNichols’ southern region from nearly 300 to 500 agents next year, and complete three or four acquisitions.

Springfield-based Carol Jones Realtors merged with sister company ReeceNichols Real Estate June 27 after 35 years in business. No money changed hands in the deal, through which CJR’s territory became ReeceNichols’ southern region, according to SBJ archives.

CJR produced $451 million in residential sales volume in 2017 and had 269 agents, landing in third place on SBJ’s “Area’s Largest Residential Real Estate Firms.”