Long & Foster

Long & Foster is an American real estate brokerage brand serving residential, commercial, land, rental, property-management, and related real estate needs primarily across the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Northeast. The business was established in 1968 by P. Wesley “Wes” Foster Jr. and Henry “Hank” Long. From the outset, the partners divided their responsibilities: Foster concentrated on residential real estate while Long handled commercial activity. That structure gave the company a presence across more than one segment of the property market and helped establish the operating model that later developed into a broader real estate-services group. Foster became the company’s sole owner in July 1979. Before creating Long & Foster, he had worked in real estate sales management and held a sales leadership role at Nelson Realty. Under his leadership, the company expanded beyond traditional brokerage into a collection of businesses intended to support the full property lifecycle. These activities include the purchase and sale of existing homes, new construction, commercial properties, and land; leasing and property management; mortgage lending; title and settlement services; insurance; home warranties; inspections; moving support; vacation rentals; and corporate real estate services. Long & Foster Real Estate operates as the principal brokerage business within The Long & Foster Companies. The wider company family includes Prosperity Home Mortgage, Long & Foster Insurance, Mid-States Title, HomeServices Property Management, Insight Home Inspections, Long & Foster Vacation Rentals, and Long & Foster Corporate Real Estate Services. This combination allows the group to offer affiliated or connected services around a transaction rather than functioning solely as a commission-based brokerage. The brand’s geographic concentration is regional rather than nationwide. Its offices and associates are located in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. Reference material describes the organization as having more than 7,000 agents and employees and more than 100 sales offices. Long & Foster is also associated with national and international real estate networks: it is a founding affiliate of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and a member of Forbes Global Properties, including access to the Luxury Portfolio International division. A major ownership transition occurred in September 2017, when Berkshire Hathaway’s HomeServices of America acquired Long & Foster. The company continued operating under the Long & Foster identity within The Long & Foster Companies, while becoming part of HomeServices of America’s larger U.S. brokerage and integrated-services platform. In March 2023, founder and longtime chairman and chief executive Wes Foster died. That same month, Patrick Bain was appointed president and chief executive officer of The Long & Foster Companies, and Jackie Thiel became president of Long & Foster Real Estate. The brand remains active, with its principal role centered on brokerage and a regional ecosystem of services for buying, selling, leasing, financing, insuring, inspecting, managing, and relocating property.

Long & Foster was founded in 1968 by P. Wesley “Wes” Foster Jr. and Henry “Hank” Long. The founders brought complementary areas of responsibility to the new enterprise. Foster handled the residential real estate side, while Long focused on commercial real estate. This division gave the company a broader starting point than a brokerage limited to a single property category. Foster entered the real estate field before the company was created. In 1963, he became a sales manager at Minchew Corporation, a home-building company. In 1966, he moved to Nelson Realty as vice president of sales. Two years later, he and Long established Long & Foster. Foster later assumed complete ownership of the business in July 1979, 11 years after its formation, and remained its principal leader for decades as chairman and chief executive officer. The organization developed from a brokerage into a wider group of real estate and financial-services businesses. Its activities came to include residential sales involving existing homes and new construction, commercial property and land transactions, leasing, and property management. Supporting businesses added mortgage, title and settlement, insurance, home-warranty, inspection, vacation-rental, moving, and corporate relocation capabilities. These services were organized under The Long & Foster Companies, whose operating businesses include Long & Foster Real Estate, Prosperity Home Mortgage, Long & Foster Insurance, Mid-States Title, HomeServices Property Management, Insight Home Inspections, Long & Foster Vacation Rentals, and Long & Foster Corporate Real Estate Services. Long & Foster’s principal geographic identity has remained regional. It operates through offices and associates in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The company has been described as having more than 7,000 agents and employees working through more than 100 sales offices. Its network orientation also extends beyond its own offices. Long & Foster is a founding affiliate of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and a member of Forbes Global Properties, with a connection to the Luxury Portfolio International division for luxury-oriented real estate activity. In September 2017, Berkshire Hathaway’s HomeServices of America acquired Long & Foster. The transaction made Long & Foster part of a larger national real estate brokerage and integrated-services organization while preserving the Long & Foster operating identity. The business continued to serve its established regional markets and maintain its multi-service model within The Long & Foster Companies. A leadership transition followed the death of founder Wes Foster in March 2023. Patrick Bain was named president and chief executive officer of The Long & Foster Companies, and Jackie Thiel was appointed president of Long & Foster Real Estate. The post-2023 organization remains focused on regional brokerage supported by affiliated services that address multiple stages of property ownership and occupancy, from search and transaction execution to financing, settlement, insurance, inspection, leasing, management, and relocation.

• 2023

  Leadership transition after Wes Foster’s death

  [1]Long & Fosteren.wikipedia.org

  Wes Foster died in March. Patrick Bain became president and chief executive officer of The Long & Foster Companies, and Jackie Thiel became president of Long & Foster Real Estate.

• 2017

  HomeServices of America acquired Long & Foster

  [1]Long & Fosteren.wikipedia.org

  In September, Berkshire Hathaway’s HomeServices of America purchased Long & Foster and incorporated it into its broader real estate-services platform.

• 1979

  Wes Foster became sole owner

  [1]Long & Fosteren.wikipedia.org

  Foster assumed sole ownership of Long & Foster in July 1979.

• 1968

  Long & Foster was founded

  [1]Long & Fosteren.wikipedia.org

  Wes Foster and Henry Long established the company, with Foster responsible for residential real estate and Long responsible for commercial real estate.

• 1966

  Foster became a vice president of sales at Nelson Realty

  [1]Long & Fosteren.wikipedia.org

  Before founding Long & Foster, Foster moved to Nelson Realty as vice president of sales.

• 1963

  Wes Foster entered real estate sales management

  [1]Long & Fosteren.wikipedia.org

  P. Wesley Foster Jr. began his real estate career as a sales manager at Minchew Corporation, a home-building company.

A large regional, full-service real estate platform combining brokerage with mortgage, title, insurance, inspection, property-management, vacation-rental, and corporate real estate capabilities.

• Residential and commercial real estate brokerage · 1968

  Long & Foster Real Estate

  The principal brokerage business provides services for buying and selling existing homes, new construction, commercial properties, and land. It operates through a regional office and associate network across the Mid-Atlantic and selected Northeast markets, and also supports leasing and other property-related transactions.

• Mortgage lending

  Prosperity Home Mortgage

  A mortgage business within The Long & Foster Companies intended to provide home-financing services alongside the group’s brokerage operations.

• Real estate-related insurance

  Long & Foster Insurance

  An affiliated insurance business serving insurance needs connected with residential property ownership and real estate transactions.

• Title and settlement services

  Mid-States Title

  The group’s title and settlement business, supporting the closing and transfer components of real estate transactions.

• Property management

  HomeServices Property Management

  A property-management business within the Long & Foster group, supporting owners and rental properties beyond the initial brokerage transaction.

• Home inspection

  Insight Home Inspections

  An affiliated inspection service that addresses property-condition assessment as part of the buying, selling, and ownership process.

• Vacation rentals

  Long & Foster Vacation Rentals

  A vacation-rental business within the broader company family, extending the group’s real estate activity into short-term accommodation and rental management.

• Corporate real estate and relocation

  Long & Foster Corporate Real Estate Services

  A corporate real estate service line supporting relocation and business-development requirements for organizations and their employees.

• 2023

  Transition to new executive leadershipStrategy

  Background

  The company faced a leadership succession point after the death of founder and longtime chairman and chief executive Wes Foster.

  Action taken

  Patrick Bain was appointed president and chief executive officer of The Long & Foster Companies, while Jackie Thiel became president of Long & Foster Real Estate.

  Aftermath

  The company retained its regional brokerage and integrated real estate-services model under new operating leadership.

  Source

• 2017

  Join HomeServices of AmericaM&A

  Background

  Long & Foster had developed a broad regional brokerage and affiliated-services platform, making it a significant addition to a larger U.S. real estate group.

  Action taken

  Berkshire Hathaway’s HomeServices of America acquired Long & Foster in September 2017.

  Aftermath

  Long & Foster continued operating under its established brand within The Long & Foster Companies and HomeServices of America.

  Source

• Unconfirmed

  Reported2021.06.24

  Long & Foster appoints Dawn Bradley as regional successor[3]Long & Foster任命Dawn Bradley接任区域主管richmondbizsense.com

  Brian Haug rejoined Prosperity Home Mortgage in a senior vice president role, while Dawn Bradley was promoted to succeed him as Long & Foster's senior regional vice president. Beth Dalton and Bobbie Holman also took on expanded or new management responsibilities.

Read more

1. 1Long & Fosteren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Long & Foster official websitelongandfoster.com
3. 3Long & Foster任命Dawn Bradley接任区域主管richmondbizsense.com