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Indiana real estate giant partners with national network to expand sales reach – IndyStar

F.C. Tucker Company, Indiana’s largest private real estate firm, and Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, one of the largest real estate companies in the United States, are joining together to sell more homes.

“The best part of this alliance is that it is a true partnership where F.C. Tucker agents and clients benefit from the vast resources of a prominent national real estate brokerage,” said Jim Litten, CEO and previous sole owner of F.C. Tucker.

Litten has relinquished his sole ownership to enter what he characterized as a “seamless” and “four-way partnership” with Howard Hanna and two members of Litten’s executive team, president Patrick Purdue, and president of residential real estate services Donna Kreps.

Howard Hanna now becomes the majority owner of F.C. Tucker, but the local leadership remains the same.

“We are taking a step toward F.C. Tucker’s future by fulfilling our long-term strategic plan to grow the company and solidify our status as the dominant real estate firm in Indiana by forming this unique partnership with Howard Hanna,” Litten said.

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Benefits of Tucker, Hanna partnership

An obvious benefit for both firms is the ability to pool resources when helping clients relocate between the states served by the partnership. By pooling listings, sellers will have their homes come up in more searches and buyers will have an easier time making long-distance moves.

The partnership will also better position Tucker moving into the future, Litten said. 

“Our company’s been in business 100 years. But we needed to have a succession plan that would carry it the next 100 years,” Litten said. “I’ve always had a philosophy in life that one of two things happen: you either grow or you die. The same thing happens to organizations.”

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Howard Hanna’s background

Howard Hanna currently operates in 11 states, with a footprint in mid-Atlantic states like Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The company also has offices in Ohio and Michigan. 

The Pittsburgh-based company has partnerships with other real estate firms as well.

In fact, it was the amiability of the relationship between Allen Tate Realtors, which operates in the Carolinas and partnered with Howard Hanna, that led F.C. Tucker leadership to consider teaming up when leadership began to consider the next phase for the company.

“Both companies have a legacy of family and local ownership and a similar set of values and culture, making this alliance a natural progression for both organizations,” Purdue said.

As large players in the private real estate game, Litton and Howard “Hody” Hanna, III have gotten to know one another over the years and observe each other’s firms grow into what they are today.

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“Through the years we have admired this company and their leadership – and as wonderful as our legacy companies are, I believe that by working together the future is even brighter,” said Howard “Hody” Hanna III, chairman of Hanna Holdings.

The Howard Hanna firm has been a family business for over six decades.

“We understand family companies – because we are a family in every sense of the word,” said Helen Hanna Casey, Chief Executive Officer of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services.

“It doesn’t matter if you are related or if you’ve joined the family as an agent or employee, we value our people and their contributions each day – and we look forward to bringing together the families of Howard Hanna and F.C. Tucker,” Hanna Casey said. 

The financial terms of the agreement between the two companies are private and will not be disclosed.

Follow IndyStar real estate and residential housing reporter K.B. Mensah on Twitter at @kbmreporting.

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