In an unexpected move last week but made public May 16, Christy Budnick announced that she was stepping down June 3 as CEO of HSF Affiliates, the franchisor of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices (BHHS). The company said that Gino Blefari would return as CEO of HSF Affiliates, adding to his position as CEO of HomeServices of America. Additionally, Steve Ladd was named as new chief operating officer, leading the franchise network’s operations.
Budnick shared a message with network leaders that included the following:
“The last three years have been the best of my professional career to date, and I’m honored to have been chosen to lead this great brand. I am so proud of our network and the professionals that work tirelessly to guide buyers and sellers on their home selling and buying journeys.”
Budnick had been with BHHS in various roles since 2002, first with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty Network, leading to being named president and CEO in 2018. She was elevated to CEO of BHHS in 2021.
The news comes shortly after HomeServices had recently settled the class-action, commission-focused Burnett lawsuit for $250 million.
In an exchange with RISMedia, Chris Kelly, HomeServices executive vice president, said that “We’ve told all our people, you’re going to have to be comfortable being uncomfortable for several months as some of these new policies go into effect, because we as an industry are just going to have to learn to adapt. And we’ll work through them.”
