Real estate magnate Howard Hanna dies at 101 | WV News

PITTSBURGH (WV News) – One of the most innovative real estate leaders died when Howard Hanna of Pittsburgh died on September 25 at the age of 101.

Considered a trendsetter in the industry, Hanna looked for new and innovative ways to promote his business while making it first a regional, then a state, and now a national brand.

In 1957, Mr. Hanna Howard founded Hanna Real Estate Services on the corner of Bayard Street and Craig Street in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh. That office, his first office that would become a flagship office for hundreds more over the years, was so influential in the area that this neighborhood corner is now known as the Howard Hanna Way. His influence in the community extended beyond this region and influenced many lives across the industry, but always started with his supportive wife, the late Anne Freyvogel Hanna, his family, agents and staff. Hanna’s flair for the personal touch is one of his most memorable qualities, and many people have noticed his handwritten notes over the decades.

Prior to entering the real estate business, Mr. Hanna earned two business degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and rose to the rank of captain when he left the military in 1946, and held a variety of roles in local chambers of commerce throughout the region and served as executive vice president of the Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh and executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Cleveland.

The real estate business, which began so modestly in a single office in 1957, has since grown to become a national brand as the largest independent and operated real estate agent in the United States. Through Mr. Hanna’s determination since day one and the management of his children and grandchildren for the past 40 years, the company is now a full-service real estate company with more than 400 residential and commercial properties, mortgages, insurance, titles, and trust service offices in 11 states and 13,000+ sales reps and employees.

A dedicated real estate leader, Mr. Hanna was a past chairman of the Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission. In the numerous awards and honors Mr. Hanna has received over the years, a lifelong achievement has been recognized, not only for business endeavors, but also for helping the communities in which he lived and worked. In 2001 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Realtors Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh.

In 2013 the University of Pittsburgh named Mr. Hanna a Legacy Laurate, awarded to the university’s most accomplished alumni, and in 2019 the university awarded him the Distinguished Alumni Fellow Award. Mr. Hanna was also a proud member of the University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning Society.

In May 2018, Hanna received the 26th Annual History Makers Award from Senator John Heinz History Center for giving back to the community and helping shape the Western Pennsylvania region. As a former Eagle Scout, Mr. Hanna was honored with the first William S. Dietrich II Award in August 2021, which is presented to a Boy Scout alumnus for outstanding public witness to the Boy Scout Oath and the Boy Scout Act in his or her chosen profession or area of ​​endeavor.

Mr. Hanna’s three children – Howard W. “Hoddy” Hanna, III, Chairman of Hanna Holdings, Inc .; Helen Hanna Casey, CEO of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services; and Annie Hanna Cestra, Executive Vice President & COO of Hanna Holdings, Inc. – joined the company in 1965 and eventually grew Howard Hanna Real Estate Services into a national real estate company. In addition to his three children, Mr. Hanna had 10 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, all of whom affectionately call him “Bop-Bop”.

Now in the third generation, Mr Hanna’s grandchildren run the business he has built with so much dedication over the years and will continue their commitment to Howard Hanna Real Estate Services in the future.

The funeral will be organized by John A. Freyvogel Sons, 4900 Center Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Visit there from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 28th and Wednesday, September 29th. The funeral is on Thursday, September at 10:30 am at St. Paul Cathedral in Oakland. Commemorative donations can be made to the University of Pittsburgh’s Howard W. Hanna Jr. Scholarship Fund or the Urban League of Pittsburgh-Cleveland Hanna Home Ownership Fund.

source https://www.bisayanews.com/2021/10/03/real-estate-magnate-howard-hanna-dies-at-101-wv-news/