Succession planning in residential brokerage is a quiet crisis. Many firms are led by iconic founders without a clear plan for who will take the reins next. Those transitions arrive late, arrive rushed, or arrive after the organization has lost momentum.

HUNT Real Estate is the counterexample.

A fourth-generation CEO is stepping in, fully seasoned, respected by agents, and ready to lead. It did not happen by accident. It took decades of thoughtful mentorship by Peter Hunt and years of Charlie Hunt proving his leadership in the field, in operations, and in growth markets.

A legacy that keeps modernizing

Founded in 1911, HUNT has reinvented itself with every market shift. Charles S. Hunt built a commercial firm. Stuart Hunt guided the company through the first wave of suburban expansion. Peter Hunt positioned the company as a homeownership services powerhouse with mortgage, title, and insurance.

This track record matters. Power in real estate flows to companies that can evolve.

Charlie Hunt has already been leading the evolution

Charlie’s career path is not ceremonial. He worked the business end to end, from the branch level to multi-state expansion. He held progressive leadership roles and successfully returned the company to market growth in Buffalo while pushing strategically back into Boston through acquisition.

Most importantly, he has earned the trust of agents, managers, and regional leadership over time. Respect is the real currency of brokerage. You cannot inherit it. You earn it by showing you understand how the business works, what agents need, and what the future requires. Charlie is a culture carrier for HUNT Companies.

Fourth-generation leadership is rare

Most family-owned brokerages struggle with the transition from founder to heir. Few make it to the second generation. A fraction ever make it to the third. Reaching the fourth is nearly unheard of.

HUNT achieved something more valuable. They built continuity without calcifying the company’s direction. Peter Hunt now steps into the role of Executive Chairman with his legacy secured and the business positioned for its next phase of growth.

Why this transition matters for the industry

Brokerages everywhere are rethinking corporate structure, capital strategies, technology investment, and leadership pipelines. Too often, those conversations begin when succession is already urgent.

HUNT proves the better path. Bring the next leader into the business early. Give them real authority. Let the market test them. Create a leadership runway long before you need one.

The result is confidence. For staff, for agents, for customers, and for partners like us.

Congratulations to Peter on a transformational leadership career. Congratulations to Charlie on a responsibility he has earned the hard way. HUNT Real Estate continues to be a model for others to follow.

Press release follows.

HUNT Real Estate Names Fourth-Generation Leader Charlie Hunt as CEO

Buffalo, NY – October 27, 2025 – HUNT Real Estate Corporation was founded as the Hunt Business Agency by Charles S. Hunt in 1911, a firm he led until his son, C. Stuart Hunt, completed service in the U.S. Army and his education at Colgate University in 1947. As the suburban housing market expanded in the post-war years, HUNT grew alongside it, becoming a dominant force in residential brokerage. In 1968, as the company’s founder entered retirement, Stuart Hunt took over the company’s commercial brokerage and led its rise to prominence in that sector.

In 1975, Peter F. Hunt joined the firm following his college graduation. By that time, the real estate industry had become increasingly competitive. Peter led a new era of growth that restored HUNT’s leadership in residential real estate and, in 1984, founded what would become one of New York State’s largest independent mortgage bankers – HUNT Mortgage. Under his leadership, the company also expanded into related businesses including title, insurance, and commercial property management, becoming one of the most fully integrated real estate and homeownership service organizations in the Northeast.

As the company evolved, so did its next generation of leadership. Charles F. Hunt, Peter’s son and great-grandson of the company’s founder, first joined HUNT during his high school years, working across various departments. After graduating from Canisius High School, he earned a Management degree from Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 2006. While in college, Charlie began selling real estate in the Greater Boston market. Following graduation, he remained in Massachusetts before relocating to Florida in 2008 to lead HUNT’s expansion into the Sarasota market. The onset of the Great Recession soon reshaped the industry nationwide, prompting the company to refocus operations in New York State.

In 2011, Charlie returned to Buffalo, taking on increasing leadership responsibilities while earning his MBA. He became Executive Vice President in 2015, was named Chief Operating Officer in 2019, and assumed the role of President of Residential Brokerage in 2022, leading HUNT’s strategic expansion into the Greater Boston market through acquisition.

Today, with residential branch offices stretching from Western New York to Boston, HUNT Real Estate ranks 29th in the nation in residential sales. Peter Hunt announced that the company will enter a new phase of growth under fourth-generation leadership, with Charles Hunt appointed Chief Executive Officer. Peter Hunt will transition to the role of Executive Chairman.

“The industry has changed significantly and requires a new generation of leadership,” said Peter Hunt. “My son Charlie is uniquely positioned to continue building our organization’s prominence in all the regions we serve and beyond.”

Very few companies survive into the second generation of family ownership and leadership. Fewer still reach a third. Only a rare few endure, owned and led by a fourth. “I am humbled to have the opportunity to lead our company into its 115th year of continuous service to buyers and sellers of all forms of real estate and to expand our reach across all related elements of the industry,” said Charles Hunt. “We have a powerful leadership team and the finest sales professionals in the business. Together we will continue to deliver exceptional real estate and homeownership experiences to our clients.”

About HUNT Real Estate Corporation

HUNT Real Estate Corporation stands as the umbrella entity overseeing HUNT Real Estate ERA, a network comprising 50+ residential branch offices spanning New York State and Massachusetts. Pioneering its services since 1911, HUNT proudly maintains its status as the oldest and most successful family-owned and operated real estate and homeownership services organization in New York. Nationally recognized, HUNT holds the 28th position in closed transactions according to RISMedia. The company’s extensive portfolio extends to include a commercial brokerage, mortgage banking firm, insurance agency, and title agency. Guided by the vision “Always There for You” and the mission “Successful Professionals. Growing Profitably. Providing Superior Service.,” HUNT Real Estate remains committed to excellence across its entire spectrum of operations. For further details about HUNT Real Estate, please visit www.huntrealestate.com.