{"id":314941,"date":"2026-10-12T12:38:24","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T16:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bhgrelife.com\/bhgrelife\/?p=314941"},"modified":"2026-10-16T13:59:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T17:59:59","slug":"bhgre-park-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bhgre.com\/bhgrelife\/bhgre-park-company\/","title":{"rendered":"A FARGO MARKET LEADER JOINS FORCES WITH BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE ADVANTAGE ONE TO CONTINUE 70-YEAR LEGACY AND ELEVATE SERVICE"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fargo\u2019s Largest Independent Brokerage and Former Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Affiliate Returns to the Brand and Unites with Fellow Legacy Brokerage<\/em><\/p>\n

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MADISON, N.J. (Oct. 12, 2026)<\/strong> \u2013 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage One has joined forces with fellow Fargo-based brokerage, Park Company Realtors. Together, the combined company will operate as Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Park Company, encompassing roughly 75 sales professionals across two offices.<\/p>\n

Celebrating 70 years of service in 2026, Park Company Realtors has developed a longstanding reputation in Fargo and the surrounding areas for its commitment to passion, performance, and professionalism<\/a>. As ownership of the company changes hands from current owners Jill and Bob Carlson to the new ownership group of Drew Likness, Jim Bullis, and Jeff Laliberte, these tenets will continue to guide the firm\u2019s agents as the company enters its next chapter.<\/p>\n

Preserving the Park Company Realtors legacy is critical to both firms, with key members of the company\u2019s leadership team continuing in their existing roles. Shawn Schmidt will remain President of the firm, overseeing day-to-day operations, and Michelle Velaski will continue to guide recruiting, retention, and agent productivity efforts as Director of Business Development. With the support of Schmidt and Velaski, Likness, the firm\u2019s Managing Partner, will have additional bandwidth to focus on strategy and growth, while also engaging in high-value conversations with prospective agents, referral partners, and community stakeholders.<\/p>\n

The new ownership group from Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage One, which joined the national brand in 2024 after serving Fargo residents for over 40 years, has extensive experience in residential real estate, land development, and rental and investment properties.<\/p>\n

\u201cPark Company has built something very special over the past 70 years, and we recognize the responsibility that comes with carrying that legacy forward,\u201d said Likness. \u201cWe aren\u2019t here to change what defines the business. Our goal is to protect that culture, preserve what works, and build on it for more years to come. We believe that by bringing together our two companies, which have called Fargo home for over a combined 120 years, we\u2019ll have more opportunities to grow and do even more good for our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

This affiliation marks Park Company’s return to the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand, with which it was previously affiliated during Better Homes & Gardens\u2019 first foray into real estate in the 1980s and 90s. The firm\u2019s renewed affiliation will provide its agents with access to the brand\u2019s technology, educational resources, and training and business-building tools, packaged with a culture that feels familiar.<\/p>\n

\u201cReturning to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate gives our agents an opportunity to build on what they already do best: connecting with people and providing service they can be proud of,\u201d said Schmidt. \u201cWorking in the same market as Drew has allowed us to witness just how similar his company culture is to ours. We\u2019re confident the marriage of our two companies will be seamless and will create plenty of new opportunities for our agents and clients alike.\u201d<\/p>\n

The newly formed Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Park Company will have a significant market share in Fargo\u2019s residential real estate industry, with additional referral opportunities across its broader network in adjacent sectors. The firm\u2019s leadership team will leverage its enhanced market position and combined reputation to create new opportunities for its affiliated sales professionals and will strengthen the company\u2019s status as a desirable destination for prospective agents.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs someone whose favorite part of the business is working hands-on with our agents and helping them enhance their capabilities, this affiliation is incredibly exciting,\u201d said Velaski. \u201cBetter Homes and Gardens Real Estate and the Compass International Holdings network boast some of the most attractive educational tools in the industry, which we\u2019ll waste no time adopting to help our agents scale. Together, our company will be more capable and more confident in the services we provide to our community.\u201d
\nBetter Homes and Gardens Real Estate Park Company will continue serving Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo, Horace, and the surrounding Minnesota Lakes region, including Detroit Lakes and nearby communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cPark Company Realtors has built an impressive legacy in the Fargo market over the past 70 years,\u201d said Ginger Wilcox, President of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. \u201cThat type of sustained success and longevity in our industry is incredibly rare and makes us that much more excited to welcome the company back to the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate network. Park Company\u2019s experience, relationships, and commitment to service, combined with the foundation of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage One, will position the company as a significant force in the region and make this an incredibly valuable enhancement to our network. We understand just how important maintaining such a storied culture is, and we look forward to helping Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Park Company continue to stand apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

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About Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Better Homes and Gardens\u00ae Real Estate<\/a> network is a dynamic real estate brand that offers a full range of services to brokers, sales associates and home buyers and sellers. Using innovative technology, sophisticated business systems and the broad appeal of a lifestyle brand, the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate network embodies the future of the real estate industry while remaining grounded in the tradition of home. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC is a subsidiary of Compass, Inc., d\/b\/a Compass International Holdings (NYSE: COMP), a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation, and settlement services.<\/p>\n

The growing Better Homes and Gardens\u00ae Real Estate network includes approximately 11,000 independent sales associates in approximately 400 offices serving home buyers and sellers across the United States, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Australia, and T\u00fcrkiye.
\nBetter Homes and Gardens\u00ae, BHGRE\u00ae and the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Logo are registered service marks owned by Meredith Operations Corporation and licensed to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"