J.P. Shamshoian is CEO and sole owner of Realty Concepts, which announced an acquisition deal with Guarantee Real Estate in April 2024. Photo contributed by Realty Concepts

One year has passed since Realty Concepts announced its acquisition of Guarantee Real Estate, merging two major Central Valley brokerages. CEO J.P. Shamshoian says the integration has exceeded expectations in terms of size and collaboration.

“It’s been the best year of my career,” Shamshoian said. “I’m very, very grateful for all the good things that have happened at Realty Concepts over the last year.”

The merger, announced on April 16, 2025, brought over 370 agents from Guarantee into Realty Concepts, which previously had about 315 agents. Today, Realty Concepts has more than 620 agents, and is one of the largest brokerages in the Central Valley.

The acquisition idea grew out of a long-standing friendship between Shamshoian and the family behind the original Guarantee Real Estate brand. Guarantee Real Estate had been owned by HomeServices of America, Inc. — a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate — since 2013.

Shamshoian said the integration process, which might take years in other cases, happened quickly. 

“It took a couple of weeks,” he said. “People believed in what we were doing and believed in each other. After that, we were off to the races.”

Even though Realty Concepts made nearly $1.5 billion in sales last year, Shamshoian said it was the camaraderie that made it most memorable.

“The way that the people have come together and embraced one another as colleagues and friends has been the biggest success,” he said. “The friendships and the strengthening of professionalism across the board are what really stand out to me.”

While Shamshoian had strong expectations for what the merger would bring, he said it has exceeded even his expectations. 

“I had dreams, but I didn’t know if the reality would match those dreams, and in fact, the reality has exceeded those dreams,” Shamshoian said. 

Looking forward, Shamshoian said Realty Concepts will continue to emphasize agent training and regional growth. 

“We continue to invest heavily in our agents and their training, and continue to be on the lookout for the best and brightest agents in our area,” Shamshoian said. “At the same time, we are keeping our ears to the ground for expansion opportunities, both locally and regionally, to expand our footprint and continue to grow here in the Central Valley.”