RE/MAX Premier acquires Villager Realty, adds 20 agents in Lake Forest
What's the deal? RE/MAX Premier has acquired Villager Realty, adding 20 agents to its Lake Forest office in the Chicago suburbs. Villager Realty served clients across Chicago's North Shore and northwestern suburbs for more than four decades, specialising in residential, commercial, luxury, senior care, and relocation real estate. The team speaks more than 20 languages.
Why now? The deal continues RE/MAX Premier's aggressive expansion in the Chicago suburbs. In September 2025, it acquired and rebranded five North Shore Compass offices. Founder and chief executive officer Janice Corley said Villager Realty's agents "wanted the freedom to run their business as they see fit and maximise their earning potential, which is exactly what the RE/MAX model was built to deliver."
Dan Crouch, former owner of Villager Realty, said RE/MAX was "the clear choice" after evaluating several options. He noted the agents wanted to keep serving their communities while gaining access to RE/MAX's global network, which spans more than 120 countries.
The signal: The acquisition fits a broader pattern of consolidation in US residential real estate. Larger brokerages are snapping up independent firms to build scale, while independent agents increasingly seek the resources and reach of bigger networks. RE/MAX Premier's back-to-back acquisitions suggest it sees the fragmented Chicago suburban market as ripe for roll-up.
Read more: chicagoagentmagazine.com
