Keller Williams opens in Montenegro; Brown Harris Stevens and Elliman add experienced agents

# What happened Keller Williams Realty has been awarded a master franchise for Montenegro and expects to open its first market center there in Q4 2026. The Montenegro operation will be led by Dušan Raičević, who has 15 years of experience across investment, development, construction and sales and previously founded a local development and construction company.

Douglas Elliman added Paige Michaelis to its St. Petersburg, Florida office. Michaelis has more than 10 years of real estate experience, a background that includes residential, commercial and investment properties, and she is targeting growth in condo transactions.

# Why it matters These moves indicate continued franchise expansion into new international markets and targeted talent additions in competitive U.S. coastal markets. KW's entry into Montenegro increases its footprint across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. BHS and Elliman are strengthening local teams in markets where local relationships and specialist knowledge matter for higher‑end and seasonal inventory.

# Details: Keller Williams in Montenegro

• KW's master franchise in Montenegro brings the company's network in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to 31 master franchises, more than 160 market centers and over 10,200 affiliated agents in those regions.
• The first Montenegro market center is slated to open in Q4 2026.
• Dušan Raičević will lead the operation. His background includes 15 years in real estate and founding Gradient, a Montenegro‑based development and construction company.
• Raičević cited KW's focus on education, leadership, technology and collaboration and said the plan is to enable agents to build sustainable businesses using KW systems and international network.

# Details: Brown Harris Stevens hires

• Bonita DeWolf: nearly 30 years of experience, strong Hamptons focus, previously with The Corcoran Group for over 20 years and moved to Christie's in 2023.
• Janifer Jaeger: more than 20 years of experience in sales, management and marketing, former senior managing director and licensed associate broker at Corcoran before joining Christie's.

# Details: Douglas Elliman hire

• Paige Michaelis: over 10 years in real estate, most recently with Engel & Völkers. She brings experience with residential, commercial and investment properties.
• Michaelis aims to grow her business with a focus on condominium transactions in St. Petersburg. She cited familiarity with Elliman's luxury brand and its growth efforts in Florida as reasons for joining.

# What to watch next

• KW Montenegro: timing and scale of agent recruitment, market center services, and whether the operation pursues development and new‑construction listings given Raičević's background.

• Elliman in Florida: Michaelis's runway for condo market growth on the West Coast of Florida and any recruitment tied to Elliman's expansion strategy.