The chief executive of HomeServices of America, a division of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK), is denying a report that his company was in discussions to become acquired by Compass (NYSE: COMP).
HomeServices President and CEO Gino Blefari sent a message to franchisees refuting the acquisition story first reported yesterday by the Wall Street Journal.
“I want to confirm to you that there are no discussions, negotiations or agreements to sell HomeServices or any of its affiliated companies and that includes the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices franchise business,” Blefari said in a statement obtained by Real Estate News. “Moreover, no such sale is being contemplated.”
Blefari, who is also chairman of HomeServices, added the source of the story was uncertain, but “it’s important to note that it was based on rumors from unnamed sources.” He also claimed his company was “not given notice of the article nor the opportunity to respond,” telling franchisees that he was “aware that this misinformation may have been alarming, confusing and disruptive to you and your network agents.”
As of this writing, neither the Berkshire Hathaway parent company nor Compass have publicly commented on the story.
Photo courtesy of Gino Blefari’s Instagram page
If such is the case ….Berkshire Hathaway should make a statement denying any discussions of a sale to or with Compass rather than Home Services. Has the WSJ redacted their news alert of the proposed sale they announced yesterday
Why has Compass not made a statement denying the unfolding story? Strange!
How low are these news outlets going to go? Quit with the fear mongering and fake news. It would seem the WSJ, as well as WRE, are intentionally trying to ruin their reputations and become irrelevant. Or maybe there is an unnamed, unreliable source who is trying to deflect from the legitimate and factual buy out recently announced in the real estate world???