NEW YORK CITY-In the wake of the defection of Laura Pomerantz, former principal and founding partner, from PBS Real Estate—prompting the demise of that company—John Brod, the firm's other principal and founding partner, has joined forces with ABS Partners Real Estate, it was announced Thursday. ABS also will absorb several PBS employees, according to the announcement.

Consideration of the two companies coming together began in February when, by coincidence, ABS' Gregg Schenker, president and co-managing partner and Brod found themselves on a flight together, Schenker tells GlobeSt.com. The two have known each other for years, he says, but started talking about coming together on that trip.

“John Brod and the PBS team bring a wealth of experience and capability to further enhance our established platform,” he says. “So much so, in fact, that the company—as well as ABS—brings more than the work of one firm to the table. “In the combination of what they have and what we're providing, one and one equals three,” Schenker says. “There's some crossover in the skill set, but the core focus over the years has been slightly different and by combining our efforts, there's an opportunity for both companies to enhance their platform and offering of services of clients.”