Howard “Hoddy” Hanna III

Howard “Hoddy” Hanna III, Helen Hanna Casey & Howard “Hoby” Hanna IV

Company Leaders

Hanna Holdings / Howard Hanna Real Estate
2023 Rank: 7

Two second-generation and one third-generation family member, continue to be the core executive team heading up the real estate brokerage operations of Hanna Holdings. There are also over a dozen other Hanna family members that also fill various key roles in the family business, but because the SP 200 focuses on residential brokerage and not ancillary services, these three key leaders of the residential brokerage side of the company are listed: “Hoddy” Hanna and his sister Helen Casey along with Hoddy’s son Hoby Hanna.

Hanna Holdings (Howard Hanna Real Estate) is the nation’s largest family-run and privately held residential real estate brokerage firm. With over $36 billion in 2021 sales, it is also the nation’s seventh largest brokerage and 12th largest overall enterprise, when taking into account both brokerage and franchise operations.

Despite the macro headwinds from the housing market of 2022, Howard Hanna has not slowed down its aggressive expansion via strategic acquisitions. On the heels of acquiring Rand Realty in 2020 and F.C. Tucker in 2021, Howard Hanna brought on the giant firm HER, Realtors, which did over $3.2 billion in 2021 and now makes Howard Hanna the undisputed largest brokerage in Ohio. Subsidiary Allen Tate continued its own acquisition spree with the purchase of Beverly-Hanks, a powerhouse in Western North Carolina with nearly $2 billion in 2021 sales, expanding both market share and footprint.

For their continued aggressive acquisition growth, solid fundamentals, and innovative offerings, the three Howard Hanna leaders are recognized collectively as the sixth most powerful leaders in the residential real estate industry. Brief bios of each follow.

Howard “Hoddy” Hanna III

Hoddy oversees Hanna Holdings as chairman. He obtained his real estate license at age 18 and, following his father’s footsteps, serves as the firm’s idea man. Philanthropic-minded, Hanna currently serves as chair of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees and as a member of the hospital’s foundation board. He also completed a term on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. He is a graduate of John Carroll University.

Helen Hanna Casey

Helen, who began working at Howard Hanna in 1975, serves as CEO of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, where she plays a large role in developing the firm’s marketing efforts. She was the first woman elected as president of West Penn Multi-List and the first woman to serve as chair of the NAR Real Estate Services Advisory Group. She is a graduate of Georgian Court University. Casey has frequently ranked as the industry’s most powerful woman leader.

Howard W. “Hoby” Hanna, IV

Hoby serves as President of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. Hoby is a third-generation member of the Hanna real estate family, and his leadership has been instrumental in their recent growth and expansion, with companies such as FC Tucker, Allen Tate Company, RealtyUSA, Nothnagle Realtors and Kelly & Visconsi. Hoby is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.

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