One of North Dakota's top independent brokerages converted to the franchise brand and changed owners in the same deal, combining with a fellow Fargo franchisee.
Park Company Realtors spent 70 years as an independent in Fargo. On Oct. 14 it gave up its independence and its owners in the same move. The firm combined with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage One, a fellow Fargo franchisee, to form Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Park Company, with roughly 75 sales professionals across two offices, the brand said.
Owners Jill and Bob Carlson are handing the firm to Advantage One’s Drew Likness, Jim Bullis and Jeff Laliberte, while President Shawn Schmidt stays on to run daily operations. Advantage One joined the national brand in 2024 after more than 40 years in Fargo.
It is the latest owner-level consolidation in real estate franchising, after two RE/MAX owners combined into a 42-office Southeast group last month.
Revscale Media (illustration)The indoor pickleball franchisor filed Chapter 11 after guaranteeing about 40 franchisee leases. Now a franchisee-led investor group is funding the reorganization.
SquareBlock's Square launched a $1,999 voice-enabled ordering kiosk on Oct. 14, alongside multi-account tools pitched at QSR franchise systems.
Revscale Media (illustration)Fresh Dining Concepts is now Green Shoot Brands, and the new name is a pitch to franchisors: an eight-brand operator backed by evergreen capital instead of a fund clock.
PokeworksThe 86-unit poke chain spent 2025 centralizing its data and 2026 building Pokebot on top of it. Now it plans to grow without adding headquarters staff.
HomeWell FranchisingLeslie Poteet joins the senior care franchisor as it runs 160 locations with more than 30 more slated to open soon.
Revscale Media (illustration)A federal judge held Sept. 29 that Minnesota's ban on liquidated damages does not stop a franchisor from suing for the actual fees it lost when a franchisee left 13 years early.
