Engel & Völkers today announced its latest franchise expansion with a newly established brokerage in St. Petersburg, Florida; marking the company’s fourth location in the Tampa Bay market. Opting for the local vernacular, the shop was named Engel & Völkers St. Pete and is owned and operated by Leisa and Matthew Erickson, formerly Leisa Erickson & Associates, a RE/MAX Metro team.
“Having our own brokerage was simply the next logical step for us as entrepreneurs,” said Leisa Erickson. “We relish the opportunity to help other professionals grow their business and obtain freedom of time and individuality as a better way to work and live.”
Aware of the many existing opportunities for growth by joining a franchise network, the Erickson’s diligently vetted several companies before deciding on Engel & Völkers.
“The Engel & Völkers brand and reputation is above all others in look, mission and ethos,” said Leisa Erickson. “We have been watching Engel & Völkers’ expansion in the Americas for some time now and knew it would be a perfect fit. By aligning ourselves with this brand, we are able to offer a higher level of service to our clients and undoubtedly draw other like-minded agents to join us. The connected global culture of Engel & Völkers, including the yachting and aviation divisions, provides expanded connections for our advisors globally and we are beyond excited tap into these as our market is seeing a growing influx of global buyers and sellers.”
After extensive careers in the corporate sales and marketing sector, the Erickson’s found success in the real estate industry. In just five years they have amassed over $26M in annual sales volume and are ranked tenth out of the top 100 agents in Pinellas County.
Engel & Völkers St. Pete hit the ground running by recruiting three local top agents before they opened their doors for business on November 12, 2018. Engel & Völkers St. Pete is currently operating out of a temporary space, located at 433 Central Ave Suite 209, while their official storefront shop is being renovated. They plan to host a grand opening in early 2019 at their permanent location at 102 2nd Ave NE, just off Beach Drive in downtown St. Petersburg. The bespoke shop will create a space for those passionate about real estate and will include a hospitality lounge for advisors and clients alike.
They hope to develop a unique workplace culture by setting certain professional standards for members of their brokerage such as minimum production levels, while instilling a culture of luxury service standards to cater to the most discerning of clients.
“We are focused on building our brokerage with experienced, savvy professionals who conduct at least 12 transactions per year and who fit our culture of diversity and humility,” said Matthew Erickson. “We are more focused on quality than quantity, however we endeavour to have 20 advisors by mid-2019 and grow to 50 thereafter.”
According to a 2015 census estimate, St. Petersburg is the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa and the fifth-most populous city in Florida. Engel & Völkers now has four locations in the area: Bellair, Madeira Beach, South Tampa and St. Pete.
“The markets in and around Tampa Bay are of strategic importance to our growth,” said Timo Khammash, Managing Partner of Engel & Völkers Florida. “We are very pleased to have Leisa and Matt on board with us in St. Pete.”
For more information, please visit engelvoelkers.com.
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