HUNT Real Estate names fourth-generation leader

Buffalo, NY HUNT Real Estate Corp. was founded as the Hunt Business Agency by Charles S. Hunt in 1911, a firm he led until his son, C. Stuart Hunt, completed service in the U.S. Army and his education at Colgate University in 1947. As the suburban housing market expanded in the post-war years, HUNT grew alongside it, becoming a dominant force in residential brokerage. In 1968, as the company’s founder entered retirement, Stuart Hunt took over the company’s commercial brokerage and led its rise to prominence in that sector.

In 1975, Peter F. Hunt joined the firm following his college graduation. By that time, the real estate industry had become increasingly competitive. 

Peter led a new era of growth that restored HUNT’s leadership in residential real estate and, in 1984, founded what would become one of New York State’s largest independent mortgage bankers – HUNT Mortgage. Under his leadership, the company also expanded into related businesses including title, insurance, and commercial property management, becoming one of the most fully integrated real estate and homeownership service organizations in the Northeast.

As the company evolved, so did its next generation of leadership. Charles F. Hunt, Peter’s son and great-grandson of the company’s founder, first joined HUNT during his high school years, working across various departments. After graduating from Canisius High School, he earned a Management degree from Bentley University in Waltham, Mass., in 2006. While in college, Charlie began selling real estate in the Greater Boston market. Following graduation, he remained in Massachusetts before relocating to Florida in 2008 to lead HUNT’s expansion into the Sarasota market. The onset of the Great Recession soon reshaped the industry nationwide, prompting the company to refocus operations in New York State.

In 2011, Charlie returned to Buffalo, taking on increasing leadership responsibilities while earning his MBA. He became executive vice president in 2015, was named chief operating officer in 2019, and assumed the role of president of residential brokerage in 2022, leading HUNT’s strategic expansion into the Greater Boston market through acquisition.

Today, with residential branch offices stretching from Western New York to Boston, HUNT Real Estate ranks 29th in the nation in residential sales. Peter Hunt announced that the company will enter a new phase of growth under fourth-generation leadership, with Charles Hunt appointed chief executive officer. Peter Hunt will transition to the role of executive chairman.

“The industry has changed significantly and requires a new generation of leadership,” said Peter Hunt. “My son Charlie is uniquely positioned to continue building our organization’s prominence in all the regions we serve and beyond.”

Very few companies survive into the second generation of family ownership and leadership. Fewer still reach a third. Only a rare few endure, owned and led by a fourth. “I am humbled to have the opportunity to lead our company into its 115^th year of continuous service to buyers and sellers of all forms of real estate and to expand our reach across all related elements of the industry,” said Charles Hunt. “We have a powerful leadership team and the finest sales professionals in the business. Together we will continue to deliver exceptional real estate and homeownership experiences to our clients.”