Real Brokerage expands in Midwest with Iowa-based The Team
The Real Brokerage announced that real estate leaders Cody Burger and Dennis Buchheit have moved their 30-agent brokerage to Real under the name The Team. The group, based in Dubuque, Iowa, previously operated as an independent brokerage known as Unlimited.
The Team serves buyers and sellers across Dubuque; Galena, Illinois; and southern Wisconsin. Since 2020, the brokerage has closed about 5,000 transactions totaling $1.2 billion in volume, according to the company announcement.
The move gives Real, a top-ranked firm by RealTrends Verified, a larger foothold in a smaller but active Midwest market as national brokerages continue to compete for productive teams rather than individual agents. For brokers and team leaders, these platform moves can signal shifting economics around splits, stock incentives, technology stacks and administrative support.
Buchheit brings more than 30 years of real estate experience to Real and also co-owns multiple complementary businesses in property management, insurance, HVAC, cleaning and construction. That ecosystem can create cross-sales and referral opportunities while helping to stabilize revenue through market cycles.
Buchheit recruited Burger to Unlimited in 2020 to run the company, a partnership that preceded Unlimited’s merger with the region’s largest brokerage. Together they grew Unlimited into a local market leader by both agent count and production, the announcement explained.
Burger has balanced ownership responsibilities with active production. He is on track to generate about $15 million in personal sales volume in 2026, according to the announcement.
At Real, Burger and Buchheit plan to leverage the firm’s cloud-based brokerage platform to streamline operations, recruit additional agents and expand into new Midwest markets.
“Cody and Dennis have built a business with a strong regional presence and a clear vision for growth,” Joel Kirsch, senior vice president of growth at Real and a 2024 HousingWire Insider, said in the announcement. “They bring valuable operational experience, production success and an entrepreneurial mindset.”
Buchheit said the switch was driven largely by technology and long-term positioning.
“Real is light-years ahead when it comes to technology and where the industry is going,” he said, noting that the platform and community provide tools and relationships to “build a business that’s positioned for the future.”
Burger said the move will allow him to spend less time on day-to-day management and more time on production, agent development and geographic expansion. “I’ve spent years running every aspect of the business while still producing, and Real gives me an opportunity to take a lot off my plate,” he said.
This article was generated using HousingWire Automation and reviewed by a HousingWire editor before publication.
Source: www.housingwire.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.