Brands by Integra Enters North Carolina With Acquisition

Brands by Integra has acquired Century 21 Connected, marking its first entry into North Carolina and extending its network past 70 offices and 2,000 agents across 19 states. The brokerage will rebrand as Century 21 Integra while staying under the Century 21 flag, led by its existing broker, Chris Smith.

Consolidation Keeps Compressing the Middle Market

The deal lands amid a wave of real estate brokerage consolidation that has reshaped the industry in 2026, from Compass absorbing Anywhere Real Estate to Keller Williams' pending purchase of the 1,200-agent Jason Mitchell Group. Regional Century 21 affiliates like Brands by Integra are following the same logic on a smaller scale, buying local market share rather than building it organically.

What Agents Actually Gain

Century 21 Integra's agents keep their brand and client relationships but pick up Brands by Integra's marketing, coaching, recruiting and back-office resources, along with in-house mortgage, title and insurance services. For a franchisor network, that bundled infrastructure is increasingly the pitch used to win over independent brokerages rather than compete against them.

Why the Brand Stays the Same

Brands by Integra chose to preserve the Century 21 name and local leadership rather than rebrand the office entirely, a pattern seen across recent brokerage acquisitions where buyers pay for an established local reputation. For franchisors expanding by acquisition, protecting that goodwill is often what keeps agents and their client books from walking after a deal closes.