South Jersey realty offices shut: Update
Coldwell Banker Elite has closed down
South Jersey realty offices shut: Update
Joseph N. DiStefano
UPDATED: The Coldwell Banker Elite residential real estate agency "has discontinued operations" and shut its network of South Jersey offices, idling close to 100 agents, plus their support staff, confirms David Siroty, spokesman for Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, Parsippany, N.J.
EARLIER: Offices of the Mullica Hill-based Coldwell Banker Elite real estate agency closed today, including branches in Washington Township, Turnersville, Mount Laurel and Haddon Heights. Owner Michael D'Ottavi didn't immediately return calls to his office and home seeking comment.
Philadelphia-based Coldwell Banker Preferred agency chief Regina Coia is working from her agency's Haddonfield office today, where her staff has been meeting with Elite brokers and recruiting some of them. "We have reached out to them to assist," spokeswoman Roni Boyles told me. "It's an ongoing process."
"None of the offices are open," Sharon Fisher, a broker at Elite's Mount Laurel office until the shutdown told me. She said she and other "top producers" have been invited to join Preferred, and she has made the move. NEW: "We are working with Coldwell Banker Elite to transfer all responsibility for Coldwell Banker Elite transactions to Coldwell Banker Preferred," Siroty told me. "The goal is to try and help them the best that we can." He declined comment on reasons for the shutdown.
Coldwell Banker Preferred, which has about 600 sales and support staff at nine offices in the Philadelphia area, and some other Coldwell Banker franchises are owned by NRT LLC, an affiliate of Realogy, a Parsippany, NJ firm that is owned by 76ers co-owner Josh Harris and his partners. Realogy also owns Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, which licenses the Coldwell Banker name.
