Realogy Ribbon-Cutting Brings Christie to Madison Thursday

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for Realogy's new Park Avenue headquarters will bring the governor to Madison Thursday.

Gov. Chris Christie will be the guest of honor at the ceremony, scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday.

Richard A. Smith, Realogy's chairman, CEO and president, Jon Hanson, the founder and chairman of Hampshire Real Estate Companies, which developed the former Verizon property, and Madison Mayor Bob Conley are expected to be in attendance.

Realogy's relocation to Madison from Parsippany brought 950 employees to the borough. They moved in stages starting in April and finished moving in by the end of May.

Mark Panus, senior vice president of corporate communications for Realogy, said the move went smoothly and the building is beautiful, with a striking entrance plaza.

Realogy Holdings Corp., the parent company of Century 21, ERA, Coldwell Banker, Sotheby's International Realty and other business units, signed a 17-year lease for the site. It considered several other relocation options, including moving out of New Jersey, before it was wooed with incentives from state, officials have said.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the project brought Christie to Madison in February 2012.