Howard Hanna enters Georgia with latest acquisition

by Brooklee Han

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is continuing its growth efforts. On Tuesday, the firm announced its acquisition of Coastal Properties, which serves clients in the Lowcountry regions of South Carolina and Georgia.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Howard Hanna said the acquisition accelerates its growth in the Southeast and marks the family-owned firm’s entrance into Georgia. The firm now operates in 14 states nationwide.

“At Howard Hanna, we’re not just expanding for the sake of growth — we’re making deliberate investments in markets where we see opportunity, momentum and the ability to create meaningful market connections for our clients,” Howard W. “Hoby” Hanna IV, the CEO of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, said in a statement. “South Carolina and Georgia are dynamic, fast-moving markets.”

Coastal Properties was founded in 1998 and has five offices spread across the Georgia and South Carolina markets of Hilton Head, Beaufort and Savannah. It reportedly closed 731 transactions in 2024 for a total of $467 million in sales volume. The independent brokerage was led by Karen and Joe Ryan and has more than 160 agents.

“Adding Coastal Properties is another milestone in our Southeast growth story,” Gary Scott, president of Howard Hanna’s Southeast region, said in a statement. “Their reputation, deep community relationships, and proven success make them an ideal partner as we expand our reach and resources in these important markets.”

Howard Hanna first entered the Hilton Head market in October 2024, when it acquired The Alliance Group Realty. Additionally, the Howard Hanna brand made its formal debut in the Carolinas earlier this summer when Allen Tate Realtors announced that it was rebranding as Howard Hanna Allen Tate Real Estate.

In late 2024, Hoby Hanna told HousingWire that his firm is focused on growth. Earlier this summer, he said on an episode of the RealTrending podcast that his goal is to reach 20% market share in 20 markets across the country.