Windermere Real Estate has acquired Coachella Valley’s HK Lane Real Estate and its team of 75 agents.
“Windermere has operated in the Coachella Valley for over 20 years, and during that time we’ve experienced both remarkable growth and challenging setbacks,” said CEO Geoff Wood. “What’s different now about our desert operations is that we have a team in place who not only understand the unique needs and conditions of the Coachella Valley, but they have also embraced Windermere’s culture of connection, collaboration, and community.”
Kevin Rochlitz and Selina Ochoa will head the operations in Coachella Valley, which includes 90 agents who were already working with Windermere prior to the recent acquisition of HK Lane. In total, the company says that it will have 165 Windermere agents operating from five locations throughout the Coachella Valley, including offices in La Quinta, Lake Arrowhead, and El Paseo/Palm Desert.
Additionally, roughly 50 agents who left Windermere after the company’s San Diego franchisee split with the brand earlier this year have returned to the firm. Windermere is working to open a new San Diego office; in the meantime, the team is operating from a temporary location led by Ochoa and Regional Operations Manager Rosalie Huntley.
Rochlitz says that with the acquisition of HK Lane, Windermere Real Estate Southern California’s ability to provide real estate services for the Desert resort cities of the Coachella Valley and Lake Arrowhead/Big Bear will be even further amplified.
“The addition of HK Lane’s agents and offices will further augment the vast network of agents and offices that Windermere has throughout the Western U.S.,” said Rochlitz. “Within Southern California, our growth continues to reflect the uniqueness of resort community real estate. Our buyers tend to be heavily weighted towards second home and retirement destinations. In addition, the influx of people moving up and down the West Coast and the rise of remote/hybrid work styles continues to bring new populations to our communities.”