The Raines Group

What The Raines Group does

The Raines Group is a privately held residential real estate brokerage founded in 1998 by Sandy Raines, headquartered in New Albany, Ohio. The firm operates a team-based model comprising 19 lead real estate consultants supported by a dedicated operations bench that includes a Director of Operations, Sales Manager, Marketing Manager, Client Service Manager, Transaction Coordinator, and unlicensed client service assistants (including a remote function based in Manila, Philippines). The company serves residential home buyers, sellers, and relocating families across more than 17 Central Ohio submarkets, including New Albany, Bexley, Dublin, Gahanna, Powell, Upper Arlington, Westerville, and Worthington.

The Raines Group generates revenue exclusively through real estate commissions on buyer representation, seller representation, and relocation transactions. Marketing is a core operating expense and a key differentiator, with annual investment exceeding $1 million deployed across paid digital advertising, organic social (Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn), video content, email marketing, community events, and a Preferred Vendors Network that generates referral flows. The technology stack is conventional for the industry: a company website with property search functionality, market statistics, neighborhood pages, and blog content, supplemented by standard social channels and a vendor submission program. The firm reported 2024 total sales volume of $255M, contributing to a cumulative 6,000+ homes sold since founding. Recognition includes placement among the top real estate teams in Ohio and the top 100 Realtors nationally. There is no proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capability, and no documented M&A, funding, or geographic expansion outside Central Ohio.

Name

The Raines Group

Legal name

The Raines Group

Website

https://therainesgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Raines Group is a privately held, team-based residential real estate brokerage founded in 1998, serving home buyers, sellers, and relocating families across 17+ Central Ohio submarkets via 19 lead consultants and dedicated operations staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New Albany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Commission - Seller Services: Commissions earned from representing home sellers in listing, marketing, and selling their properties. The company invests over $1 million annually in marketing to attract buyers and achieve above-market sale prices for clients.
2. Real Estate Commission - Buyer Services: Commissions earned from representing home buyers in finding and purchasing properties. Services include relocation support, preferred vendors, and guided home search experience.
3. Relocation Services: Assistance for clients relocating to or from the Central Ohio area, including coordination of moving services and connections to preferred vendors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Raines Group is a full-service residential real estate brokerage serving Central Ohio. The firm represents home buyers and sellers through a team of real estate consultants, providing property marketing, listing services, buyer representation, relocation support, transaction coordination, and market analytics across communities such as New Albany, Bexley, Dublin, Westerville, and Columbus.

Product overview

The Raines Group is a traditional residential real estate brokerage serving Central Ohio. They offer home buying and selling services across multiple central Ohio communities including New Albany, Bexley, Blacklick, Columbus, Delaware, Dublin, Gahanna, German Village, Grandview Heights, Granville, Hilliard, Lewis Center, Powell, Short North, Upper Arlington, Westerville, and Worthington. The company provides comprehensive real estate services including property search, marketing, staging consultation, relocation assistance, and market statistics. Their service model centers on team-based real estate consulting rather than a technology product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Buyer Representation Full-service representation for residential home buyers in Central Ohio, including property search, offer preparation, negotiation, transaction coordination, and access to preferred vendors and relocation resources. Targeted at individuals and families purchasing homes.
• Seller Representation Comprehensive listing and marketing services for home sellers, including property assessment, staging consultation, comprehensive marketing (over $1M annual investment), listing on MLS and digital platforms, negotiation, and closing coordination. Targeted at homeowners in Central Ohio.
• Relocation Services
• Property Search Self-service property search through the company website (therainesgroup.com), featuring listings, neighborhood information, market statistics, featured listings, and access to open houses across Central Ohio. Targeted at prospective home buyers.
• Free Home Valuation No-cost home valuation service for homeowners considering listing their property, providing market-based assessment of property value. Targeted at potential home sellers in Central Ohio.
• Market Statistics & Neighborhood Reports Weekly market statistics including new listings, under contract properties, sold homes, and total homes for sale. Also provides free neighborhood sold reports. Targeted at buyers, sellers, and market observers in Central Ohio.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sold our house quickly, for significantly more money than any other home on our street
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Preferred Vendors NetworksupportingOthersLocal business partners providing services to clients including moving trucks/vans, contractors, lenders, painters, and home service providers. The company maintains a vendor submission program for businesses to introduce their services to agents and clients.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• RE/MAX: One of the largest global residential real estate franchise networks. Comparable as a residential brokerage serving home buyers and sellers, but franchise-based and globally distributed rather than a concentrated team.
• Compass: Tech-enabled residential brokerage combining agents with proprietary technology platform. Overlaps on buyer/seller representation but differentiates via technology investment rather than marketing spend.
• Keller Williams Realty: Largest residential real estate franchise by agent count in the U.S., known for team-based operating models. Comparable in team-centric brokerage approach but at national scale with a different profit-share structure.
• Coldwell Banker Realty: National residential real estate franchise with broad agent network. Overlaps with The Raines Group on full-service buyer/seller representation but operates at national scale with franchise model rather than a single regional team.
• eXp Realty: Cloud-based residential brokerage with a revenue-sharing model and large agent network. Comparable in residential brokerage services but operates on a remote-first, agent-owned model rather than a centralized team.
• Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices: National residential real estate franchise affiliated with Berkshire Hathaway. Overlaps with The Raines Group on full-service residential representation but operates through a franchise system with premium brand positioning.

Direct peers

• Redfin: Tech-enabled residential brokerage and portal serving home buyers and sellers in the U.S. Directly competes in residential representation but differentiates through lower-commission model and proprietary technology platform.
• @properties / Christie\u2019s International Real Estate: Residential brokerage with strong Midwest presence, particularly in Chicago, that has expanded nationally. Comparable as a high-performing team-based brokerage serving similar buyer/seller segments with above-asking-price outcomes.
• Howard Hanna Real Estate Services: Largest privately held real estate brokerage in the U.S., headquartered in the Midwest and dominant across Ohio and Pennsylvania. Closest comparable to The Raines Group as a high-volume, team-based residential brokerage serving the same Ohio markets with similar full-service buyer/seller representation.

Regional players

• Sotheby\u2019s International Realty: Luxury-focused residential brokerage with global brand recognition. Comparable in residential buyer/seller representation but skewed toward luxury and international clientele, with limited overlap in the mid-market Central Ohio segment.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/therainesgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/9203170/admin
• Instagraminstagram.com/therainesgroupOH
• Xx.com/rainesgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Raines Group