Century 21 employee becomes franchisee

Century 21 franchisees have sold their business to one of their employees in Haliburton, Ontario, in Canada.

Brandon Nimigon has worked at Century 21 Granite Realty Group in Haliburton since 2015, and will now lead the business, alongside his wife, Megan. They’re taking over from Andrew and Anne Hodgson, who have managed the estate agent and property franchise branch for over a decade, but Andrew will stay on as an employee.

The existing franchisees were keen to transfer ownership to someone they could trust. They also wanted to support the younger population. Andrew said,

“For us, it’s just the right time \[to sell\]. This is a good succession plan – I get to stay on and will keep selling, and we provide an opportunity for someone young and hungry to take over.

“I’m involved in a lot of different committees in Haliburton, and the one thing I hear at every table is how we want to retain our youth. Well, this is a young family here that has decided they want to raise their family, live and work here."

When the pair first welcomed Brandon as an employee, a discussion about long-term goals involved a mention of business ownership. Brandon has worked in real estate for most of his life and has five years of on-the-job experience. What’s more, his mother has been an estate agent in Haliburton for over 20 years.

He explained,

“I’ve always kind of been entrenched in the business a little bit. When I first started out my career, I was doing broadcast and digital sales.

“My wife and I moved around a little bit but decided a few years ago that we wanted to move back home, back to Haliburton. When we did that, I took stock of my career and decided that the real estate business was where I wanted to be.”