An iconic Rochester brand name is a page in history. Nothnagle Realtors is now Howard Hanna Real Estate Services.

The branding change takes place Tuesday as all Nothnagle offices and signage will become Howard Hanna. In addition, RealtyUSA is also becoming Howard Hanna. The Pittsburgh-based realty firm acquired Nothnagle and Realty USA two years ago.

The decision to combine the three companies under one branding umbrella means that the Howard Hanna name will be on 101 offices across New York state with more than 3,000 agents representing the brand. In an exclusive interview with the Democrat and Chronicle, Howard Hanna President Howard "Hoby" Hanna IV and former Nothnagle President Armand D'Alfonso — now president of Howard Hanna New York — discussed the move and what it means for consumers in the greater Rochester region.

How did Howard Hanna, Nothnagle and RealtyUSA arrive at the decision to make the name change?

(Hanna) We did a lot studies and focus groups that were consumer-based and discussed our philosophy of who we want to be going forward. It's important because the Nothnagle history and Realty USA are important to who we are today. The general feeling by all is if we kept the Nothnagle name or the RealtyUSA name with Howard Hanna, it may be too much, too confusing for the customer, too confusing for the industry. Since the Howard Hanna brand is the name we use across the other seven states we're in, that's how we all collectively said it was the right decision. It was Armand (D'Alfonso) and Merle (Whitehead of RealtyUSA) who led that. They were closest to the marketplace, closest to the research.

Nothnagle is a huge brand name in the Rochester region and Realty USA is big in Buffalo. Will there be a transition period for consumers to get used to it?

(Hanna) The advertising we're using will say formerly Nothnagle and formerly RealtyUSA. They are wonderful brands. In the '90s, Nothnagle was The Gallery of Homes. Many people forget that was the original name of Nothnagle Realtors. Part of where real estate brokerage firms can change their names a little differently than other brands is that we have about five to six thousand "for sale" signs with our name all over western New York. We're also investing in our brand. There will be television commercials, billboards, newspaper advertising. Our television shows are being rebranded — and direct mail pieces. Our HowardHanna.com website is much more consumer-friendly than Nothnagle or RealtyUSA. People can go in and see what the value is on their own home or research the marketplace. We bring a lot of consumer-based marketing that Nothnagle and RealtyUSA have always done well. That's the fit between the three of us.

Technology has disrupted and changed a lot of businesses. But real estate has stayed insulated for the most part, with consumers preferring to work with a Realtor. Why do you think that is?

(Hanna) Buying and selling a home is such an emotional process. It's an infrequent transaction. It's very complex. When you're buying a home, it's your shelter; it's where your family is. You want that confidence in a real estate professional to validate that you're making the right choice. You need someone to guide you through a lot of studies and reports to let you know that this is a fair value — this is a fair amount. It's a significant purchase. For 90 percent of people, a home is their biggest purchase.

There is over 60 years of history associated with the Nothnagle name in Rochester, the region's largest realty firm with 28 offices. Why the switch to Howard Hanna?

(D'Alfonso) I believe real estate is local. Really, what makes up our company are the real estate agents. We will offer the same great agents, the same great service and the same great people who live and work here. In Rochester, we have about 700 agents.

Why do you think Nothnagle is the market leader in Rochester, and going forward, how do you retain that No. 1 status?

(D'Alfonso) It's really about the value we bring to consumers. We now offer things like 100 percent money back guarantee (with Howard Hanna) that we didn't have before.

You sold Nothnagle to Howard Hanna two years ago based on what you described as synergies. What are some of the similarities between Howard Hanna and Nothnagle?

(D'Alfonso) We're both family-owned companies and I think that's very important. We treat everyone as family. Our agents are family. We take the risks so our real estate agents don't have to. We stand behind everything we represent for buyers and sellers.

What do you see for the future of real estate and realty firms?

(Hanna) We're moving things to more of a digital component as opposed to a paper component. In Ohio, our title company became the first company to do paperless closing. You're going to see a lot more of that in the mortgage and title business. We're making life a little easier, a little simpler for the consumer.

MCHAO@Gannett.com