Palatine's Starck takes Berkshire Hathaway name
Palatine-based Prudential Starck Realtors, with its Prudential First Realty and Prudential Harding & Starck brokerages in McHenry and Crystal Lake, will become Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Starck Real Estate beginning Tuesday, said President Andy Starck.
The company's Prudential Crosby Starck Real Estate brokerage in Belvidere and Rockford will transition as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Crosby Starck Real Estate also on Tuesday.
“This is a game changer,” Starck said. “Nothing like this has ever happened to us before.”
On Wednesday, the real estate company will unveil its new signs and brand names at 8:15 a.m. at the Starck Real Estate and Crosby Starck Real Estate corporate offices at 835 N. Sterling Ave., Palatine.
Starck has been in business for 54 years. Then it changed to Prudential Starck about six years ago. This time, the companies are aligning with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services based in Irvine, Calif., in a deal that was announced last year. Warren E. Buffett is chairman and CEO of parent company, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. based in Omaha, Neb.
Starck said the companies will remain owned locally by his family, but they will pay a fee, or royalty, to Berkshire Hathaway for the use of its brand. Starck declined to discuss terms of the agreement.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Starck Real Estate and Crosby Starck Real Estate, a full-service brokerage family, services all of northern Illinois has 13 offices and nearly 400 sales professionals.
“This definitely elevates our name and brand,” he said.