Two top Ontario real estate teams—Alex Irish & Associates and The Regan Team—announced a strategic merger on Wednesday that will see their sizeable market reach combined beneath one umbrella.  

Under the new banner ‘Regan Irish & Associates,’ The Regan Team, led by Matthew Regan, has left Royal LePage Real Estate Services in Mississauga, Ont. and joined forces with Irish and her team at ReMax Escarpment Realty, headquartered in Oakville, Ont. 

A new alliance: Regan Irish & Associates

“I can only imagine how high the bar will be set with these two client-centric teams coming together,” says ReMax Escarpment broker of record Conrad Zurini. “We’re ecstatic to have them.”     

And no wonder. The two teams’ combined sold dollar volume so far this year is in excess of $350-million, Zurini calculates. “If we compare them to other teams on the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board, they would be within the top five teams, and would rank in the single digits within the ReMax top 100 teams in Canada.”   

Both teams are major leaguers, in other words. “I have no doubt that their combined efforts will make for a dominant force in our industry,” continues Zurini, who maintains that consolidation of powerful teams is the next frontier. “I think we’re going to see more of it,” he says, adding that when top teams combine to become more impactful it can create “something very special.” 

Needless to say, with the Regan Team having been among the Royal LePage network’s heaviest hitters, it’s a significant loss for that franchise.

It might never have happened, were it not for Regan’s relentlessness.

The persistence behind the partnership

Irish explains, “Over the years, Matthew and I had met on a few occasions but never really knew each other. In May of this year, he reached out with an offer to meet and chat.”

Initially, she rebuffed him. 

“But his persistence intrigued me,” admits Irish. 

She eventually agreed to get together for coffee, and other meetings followed. They discovered they had different approaches but similar philosophies. Things evolved quickly and before long Regan suggested that their teams might be better combined.  Both of them have had partners before, so this time around they felt they knew exactly what they were looking for—trust and transparency being key. 

“It was apparent to me that Matthew was a visionary,” says Irish. “He had developed an enviable business model with systems and processes that leverage new technologies and business strategies to ensure that clients and agents receive unparalleled support.”

That particular skill set doesn’t come as readily for Irish. The hallmark of her referral-based business has been the “dedicated, authentic and personalized attention,” she gives her clients and agents. She loves to sell and to mentor. “That’s what I do best. I’m not as enamoured (with) the business side.” 

Complementary strengths

After building her brand in the industry for over four decades (“To say things were different back then is an understatement,” she affirms), Irish was feeling drained, struggling to manage her time and a successful team. “Matthew’s systems took care of that,” she explains. “Our businesses aligned…We knew that a partnership would bring together the strengths of both firms…I haven’t been this excited for a long time.”

Regan meanwhile, along with being drawn to Irish’s reputation for excellence (“She embodies the qualities of a person I’d trust with my own home sale”), was attracted by ReMax Escarpment’s commitment to taking the real estate industry to the next level. Broker/owner Conrad Zurini “is very forward thinking and tech-enabled,” Regan notes. “He understands the future of the organization.”

Vision for growth and expansion

With 15 offices across southern Ontario and sights set on future expansion into new regions such as Muskoka and Collingwood, ReMax Escarpment is in sync with the 30-plus member Regan Irish & Associates team’s growth plans. 

Regan looks back with appreciation on his “21 years of incredible success” with Royal LePage. “There is no ill will. I hold them in high regard.”

Real Estate Magazine reached out to Royal LePage for a statement but did not receive a response by the publication deadline.

Among the innovative systems Regan brings to the table are offshore virtual assistants (a “relatively unexplored concept in organized real estate,” he asserts) and a proprietary tech platform.    

“What makes us unique is that we have everything in-house—coaching, training, sales development, marketing, admin, photography, staging, even an in-house concierge,” says Regan, whose focuses include agent recruitment and development. “We care a lot about our agents succeeding…We’re looking for the best of the best. Our company culture is very supportive, inclusive, and also fun.”

Regan believes this merger will create shockwaves, leaving people wondering how he and Irish pulled it off. 

“We didn’t get together willy-nilly. We’re going to do this,” he declares. “Buckle up.”