1. What was announced?
Keller Williams Realty, LLC, (Keller Williams) has announced a strategic partnership with Stone Point Capital (Stone Point), a leading investment management firm with deep expertise in the real estate industry. This partnership was created to focus on agent’s personal development and their sales growth, market center success, and new financial and business opportunities for agents and franchisees.
Additionally, Keller Williams announced the appointment of Christopher Czarnecki as CEO and President. Chris is a proven real estate industry leader with more than 20 years of experience and a strong track record of helping businesses drive growth and is a great addition to the company as it embarks on this next part of its journey
2. Why is Stone Point Capital investing in Keller Williams?
Stone Point is a leading investment management firm with deep experience in the real estate industry and a proven track record of partnering with top business leadership teams to help accelerate their strategy and fuel their growth. Stone Point’s investment in Keller Williams is in recognition of the company’s leadership, vision and efforts to drive innovation in the industry, reinforcing its position as the leading franchise brokerage firm.
3. What does Keller Williams gain from the transaction?
A great strategic partner. With a strong track record of fostering successful partnerships and driving growth, Stone Point brings strategic capital that can be meaningfully deployed to power agent sales growth and market center development through investments in education, data, and technology.
Stone Point’s investment in CoreLogic, a real estate data company, Lone Wolf Technologies, a leader in real estate technology solutions, and Hyphen Solutions, a leading residential construction software provider, further reinforces the power of this partnership, providing Keller Williams with access to better data and the most advanced technology to fuel the Company’s long-term success and new financial and business opportunities for agents and franchisees.
4. How involved will Stone Point be in Keller Williams’ day-to-day operations?
As Keller Williams’ strategic financial partner, Stone Point will work closely with Gary, John, Chris and the entire leadership team to support their vision as they continue to build on the company’s momentum and take the company to the next level. Keller Williams will continue to be led and run by its current leadership team in addition to Chris in his new role as CEO and President.
5. Why take on an outside investor now?
The industry is changing and in today’s world capital, the need for risk mitigation and strategic relationships, are driving the real estate business more than ever. Stone Point brings strategic capital and access for agents and franchisees to data, technology, and operational leadership at the highest levels.
6. Does this investment change Gary’s, John’s, Mo’s, and Joe’s roles at the company? How involved will they be?
• Gary Keller continues as Executive Chairman of the Keller Williams Board and a significant shareholder. He now enters the most prolific writing, teaching, and coaching phase of his 48-year career in real estate. He loves this industry and isn’t going anywhere.
• John Keller continues as Executive Vice Chairman where he will provide substantial support in all arenas of the business.
• Mo Anderson continues as a shareholder, teacher, and cultural leader as she has been for the last 30+ years.
• Joe Williams continues as a shareholder, teacher, commercial real estate agent and developer as he has since 1983.
• Christopher Czarnecki joins Keller Williams as CEO and President. Chris is a proven real estate industry leader with more than 20 years of experience and a strong track record of helping businesses drive growth.
• Most recently, Chris served as CEO, President and Board Member of Broadstone Net Lease, a diversified net lease REIT that acquires, owns, and manages commercial real estate across several core property types.
7. Who will own Keller Williams going forward?
The company will be owned by Gary Keller, Stone Point Capital, and other members of the company’s leadership team. Gary Keller will remain the company’s Executive Chairman.
8. What is Chris’ background?
Chris is a proven industry leader with over 20 years of experience in real estate and a strong track record of helping businesses drive growth. Most recently, he served as CEO, President and Board Member of Broadstone Net Lease – a diversified net lease REIT that acquires, owns and manages commercial real estate across several core property types.
9. Outside of Chris’ appointment, will there be any future leadership changes?
Keller Williams has the right team in place to continue driving growth and take it to the next level. The focus now is on accelerating innovation, seizing the opportunities ahead of the company and strengthening support for agents, franchisees and our employees –they are the backbone of the business.