Real Estate Network
Real Estate Network is a privately held full-service real estate brokerage in Monticello, Indiana, serving buyers and sellers of residential, lake, commercial, and farm properties in the White County/Twin Lakes region with 14 broker associates, holding the #1 market position since 2003.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersMonticello, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Real Estate Network does
Real Estate Network LLC is a privately held, full-service real estate brokerage founded in December 2001 in Monticello, Indiana, by Chris Thayer, Deb Huffer, and Gilda Hickman. The firm serves buyers and sellers of residential, lake/waterfront, commercial, and farm properties across the Monticello/Twin Lakes region of White County, Indiana, with limited reach into the adjacent Lafayette/West Lafayette market. It has held the #1 market-share position in its primary service area continuously since 2003, per White County Association of Realtors/MLS/IRMLS data, and currently operates with approximately 14 broker associates from a single headquarters office at 902 N. Sixth St. Ste C, Monticello.
The firm's underlying technology stack is conventional brokerage infrastructure: an IDX/MLS-integrated website powered by LinkURealty, real-time listing syndication to Zillow, Realtor.com, Trulia, Lakehouse.com, and the Indiana Regional MLS, plus Matterport/VR-360/Property Panorama virtual tours, a suite of standard mortgage calculators, and minor integrations such as Yahoo Maps and meteoblue weather. There is no proprietary platform, no in-house software development capability, and no AI/ML component. Bart Hickman — a co-owner since 2014 — is the dominant individual producer, with $247.4M in career sales volume and 1,396 closed transactions from 2004 to 2022, and has been the county's top-ranked agent since 2008.
Real Estate Network earns revenue exclusively through traditional real estate commissions on closed transactions, with the brokerage taking a split of agent commissions on residential, commercial, lake, and farm deals. The firm is privately held, has no external institutional investors, no funding history, no subsidiaries, and no M&A activity. Marketing is multi-channel but conventional: company website, major portals, Facebook/Instagram organic social, the local Monticello Herald Journal, and IRMLS listings. Value-added buyer and seller services (free market analysis, VIP Home Finder, relocation assistance, home warranty referral) are standard brokerage offerings rather than differentiated products.
Real Estate Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Real Estate Network
- Legal name
- Real Estate Network LLC
- Website
- https://homes-by-network.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Real Estate Network is a privately held full-service real estate brokerage in Monticello, Indiana, serving buyers and sellers of residential, lake, commercial, and farm properties in the White County/Twin Lakes region with 14 broker associates, holding the #1 market position since 2003.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Real Estate Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Real Estate Brokerage
- NAICS
- Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Traditional Residential Brokerage (Existing Homes) (BPAJAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Recreational Land Brokerage (Hunting, Fishing, Wildlife) (BPAJADAD), Rural Residential & Acreage Homesites Brokerage (BPAJADAE)
Keywords
Where Real Estate Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Monticello
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Real Estate Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Real Estate Commissions: Traditional real estate commission-based revenue model. Agents earn commissions on completed residential, commercial, lake, and farm property transactions. The company takes a split of commissions from agent transactions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels10 records
Real Estate Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Real Estate Network is a full-service real estate brokerage established in 2001, serving the Monticello, Indiana (Twin Lakes/White County) area and surrounding markets including Lafayette/West Lafayette. The company represents buyers and sellers across residential, waterfront/lake (Lake Shafer, Lake Freeman, Tippecanoe River), commercial, and farm/rural property categories, supported by 14 broker associates, an IDX-enabled website, virtual tour technology, and complimentary market analysis.
Product overview
Real Estate Network is a full-service real estate brokerage operating since 2001, serving the Monticello, Indiana area including Lake Shafer and Lake Freeman communities. The company offers a unified platform combining MLS listing search with virtual tour technology (Matterport, VR-360-Tour, Property Panorama), mortgage calculators, and dedicated buyer/seller services. Core offerings include residential sales, lake property specialization, commercial real estate, and farm sales, supported by free market analysis, relocation services, and VIP Home Finder programs. The company leverages IDX data feeds for real-time listings and integrates weather/mapping tools for area information.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Buyer Representation Services Full-service buyer brokerage in which broker associates assist homebuyers with property search, showings, market analysis, offer preparation, negotiations, and closing coordination across residential, lake, commercial, and farm properties.
- Seller Listing Services Full-service seller representation including complimentary market analysis, pricing strategy, property marketing across 200+ websites, virtual tours, MLS/IRMLS syndication, and end-to-end transaction and closing management.
- Lake Shafer Property Services Specialized real estate services for Lake Shafer waterfront properties, covering 1,291 acres with maximum depth of 30 feet; offered to buyers and sellers targeting lakefront homes and acreage on the lake.
- Lake Freeman Property Services Specialized real estate services for Lake Freeman waterfront properties, covering 1,647 acres with 50 miles of shoreline and all-sports lake activities; offered to buyers and sellers of lakefront homes.
- Commercial Real Estate Services Brokerage services for commercial property transactions including office buildings, investment properties, retail, estates, trusts, and business locations in the Monticello and surrounding Indiana markets.
- Farm and Rural Property Services Brokerage services for farm, rural, and acreage property transactions in the surrounding farm country of White County and adjacent Indiana markets.
- Relocation Services Comprehensive relocation assistance for buyers moving into the Monticello area, providing area demographics, school information, local resources, and connection with Real Estate Network agents.
- Free Market Analysis No-cost comparative market analysis service for prospective sellers, comparing a property to similar homes sold in the past year to recommend an optimal listing price.
- VIP Home Finder Program Personalized buyer service program providing registered buyers with exclusive access to new and coming-soon listings, plus a dedicated agent to support their home search.
- Real Estate Career Opportunities Recruitment and onboarding program for licensed real estate agents to join the firm as broker associates, providing brand, leads, marketing support, and access to the firm's client base.
Companies that use Real Estate Network
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Real Estate Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature2 records
Real Estate Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Real Estate Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- F.C. Tucker Company: Indiana's largest independent real estate brokerage, operating a similar full-service residential, lake, and luxury model across Indiana. Comparable as an independent (non-franchise) regional player, though materially larger and broader in geography than Real Estate Network.
Emerging players
- Redfin: Tech-enabled national residential brokerage and portal that disintermediates traditional agents. Comparable as a competitive threat that diverts seller leads and pressures commission structures in markets Redfin enters.
- Compass: Tech-enabled national residential brokerage with proprietary platform tools and premium marketing. Comparable as a competitive pressure point in upper-tier residential and luxury segments adjacent to Real Estate Network's lake-property niche.
- eXp Realty: Cloud-based brokerage operating with a low-overhead, agent-centric model. Comparable as a competitor recruiting agents away from independent regional firms via revenue-split economics and remote operation.
Broad incumbents
- Keller Williams Realty: Largest U.S. real estate franchise by agent count, with substantial Indiana footprint. Comparable as a competing agent-centric residential brokerage model serving similar buyer/seller segments.
- Coldwell Banker: Global residential brokerage franchise with significant Indiana agent presence. Comparable as a competing full-service residential brokerage operating in overlapping Indiana submarkets.
- Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate: National brokerage franchise operated through Realogy/Nexus. Comparable as a competing residential brokerage brand with Midwest regional coverage and similar full-service buyer/seller offerings.
- RE/MAX: Global residential real estate franchise with extensive Indiana coverage. Comparable in serving buyers and sellers of residential, lake, and rural properties through independent contractor agents in regional markets.
- Century 21 Real Estate: Established global residential brokerage franchise with Indiana presence, including rural and secondary-market areas. Comparable as a competing full-service traditional brokerage.
- Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices: Large national brokerage franchise network with active Indiana affiliates. Comparable as a competing brand offering traditional residential brokerage services to buyers and sellers in similar Midwest markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Real Estate Network social profiles
Digital presenceReal Estate Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Real Estate Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Real Estate Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Real Estate Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Real Estate Network
What does Real Estate Network do?
Real Estate Network is a full-service real estate brokerage established in 2001, serving the Monticello, Indiana (Twin Lakes/White County) area and surrounding markets including Lafayette/West Lafayette. The company represents buyers and sellers across residential, waterfront/lake (Lake Shafer, Lake Freeman, Tippecanoe River), commercial, and farm/rural property categories, supported by 14 broker associates, an IDX-enabled website, virtual tour technology, and complimentary market analysis.
Is Real Estate Network a public or private company?
Real Estate Network is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Real Estate Network founded?
Real Estate Network was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Real Estate Network based?
Real Estate Network is headquartered in Monticello, United States, in the North America region.
How does Real Estate Network make money?
One revenue line is on record: real Estate Commissions.
Who are Real Estate Network's main competitors?
F.C. Tucker Company is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Redfin, Compass and eXp Realty. Broad incumbents are Keller Williams Realty, Coldwell Banker, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, RE/MAX, Century 21 Real Estate and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.
Does Real Estate Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Real Estate Network.
What industry is Real Estate Network in?
Real Estate Network's product category is Real Estate Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAAAA, Traditional Residential Brokerage (Existing Homes), with a secondary code of BPAJADAD, Recreational Land Brokerage (Hunting, Fishing, Wildlife). Its NAICS code is 53121 and its SIC code is 6531.