Engel & Voelkers Florida Establishes Key Sites Along State’s Central Corridor to Southern Shores

Aug. 14, 2007 - PRLog -- Naples, Fl (Aug. 14, 2007) – Engel & Voelkers Florida is on the move, finalizing new contracts and securing locations for future franchise shops reaching from Central Florida to the coastal areas stretching from Cape Coral to Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

Nearly a dozen franchise owners have already signed up and are now in the process of selecting, converting or building sites for strategically located real estate shops. Every shop will boast the signature look and stylish design that defines similar Engel & Völkers Group sites worldwide.

The initial entry into the U.S. by the Hamburg, Germany headquartered Engel & Völkers Group first introduced the worldwide real estate network to U.S. via the Northeast and now the Southeast.

A major marketing effort to sell Florida franchise agreements has been under way for only a few months but already executives with Engel & Voelkers Florida have contracted with leading real estate professionals from throughout the state who are eager to embrace a real estate sales approach that has been successfully spreading to 26 countries on five continents for 30 years.

Encouraged by their initial successes, executives with the Naples, FL-based franchise operations predict the number of franchise contracts could easily double – or even triple – by year’s end.

“Once people recognize what Engel & Voelkers represents within the global real estate industry and realize the potential for a Florida-based franchise, the interest and excitement really begin to build,” said Timo Khammash, managing partner and head of franchise distribution for Engel & Voelkers Florida.  Plans are already being made to develop franchises in California, across the U.S. and, eventually, in Canada.  Almost every 100 hours, Engel & Völkers opens a property shop somewhere in the world.


The first Florida Engel & Voelkers real estate shop began doing business in Punta Gorda in June, joining 300 other similarly branded shops worldwide. Each signature storefronts is located in high profile, high trafficked locations and are easily recognizable due to the distinctive Engel & Völkers Group logo, color palate, inviting interiors and large display windows.

Additional franchises joining Florida’s flagship location over the coming months include shops planned for Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Celebration, near Orlando.

The following highlights the progress of the Florida franchise expansion effort to date for 2007:


•   April - Engel & Voelkers Florida, one of the world’s most respected names in upscale international real estate, announces it will open a Naples office that will serve as statewide headquarters for a new master franchise operation.

•   June - A new Engel & Voelkers Florida franchise office will join the state’s Southwest Florida real estate firms when it opens this fall in Cape Coral. Thomas Hopf, a licensed Florida REALTOR® for more than 10 years, is the franchisee owner.

•   June - Two Fort Lauderdale-based business partners and real estate professionals, collectively boasting over three decades of South Florida real estate experience, have agreed to open the state’s first southeastern franchise of Engel & Voelkers Florida. Albert M. Clark Jr., P.A., Realtor®/owner, and Michael Lichtenfeld, broker/owner, will manage an Engel & Voelkers real estate shop that will be launched in the Fort Lauderdale area later this year.

•   June - Gregg Fous, a Fort Myers Realtor® who has successfully combined his knowledge of real estate with internet marketing expertise, has agreed to add a downtown Fort Myers site to the fast-growing network of Engel & Voelkers Florida real estate shops.

•   June - The first real estate franchise shop affiliated with Engel & Voelkers Florida opens in Punta Gorda, marking the initial entry into this state of one of the world’s most prestigious real estate specialists. The opening also marks the addition of the 300th property shop affiliated with the Engel & Völkers Group. Franchise owners Hilde Block and Greg Loomis opened the newly constructed site June 29 in downtown Punta Gorda’s Swiss Connections Building, located at 403 Sullivan St.

•   July - A contract for a 1,800-square-foot Engel & Voelkers Florida real estate shop site is finalized between Michal J. Winiarek and Hyde Park Village, a high end retail, restaurant and residential complex located within a historic South Tampa neighborhood.

•   Additional agreements:

Martin Block for Sarasota

Salomon and June  Bendayan for Miami Beach

Engel & Voelkers Florida initially launched here in late 2006 during a downward trending domestic real estate market. However, the strength of the euro and pound and on-going international interest in Florida real estate make this state an attractive addition to the growing global network.

Engel & Voelkers Florida, like its global counterparts, is firmly entrenched in technology that enables agents to represent clients and upscale properties worldwide courtesy of the internet plus offer a more collaborative, rather than competitive, sales approach. But it is equally committed to the more mainstream methods of showcasing real estate such as creating an elegant personal experience that enables buyers and sellers to view listings and talk with agents in the customized, boutique-style shops. It also directly markets listings with its own glossy magazine, GG, a stunning showcase for estates, mansions and modern luxury homes throughout the world.  

The Engel & Völkers Group

The Engel & Völkers Group was established 30 years ago in the western suburbs of Hamburg, Germany as a purely residential estate agency. Today the Engel & Völkers Group has achieved a leading position in the European market and a prominent position in the global luxury real estate market.  

Engel & Völkers provides real estate brokerage services for both buyers and sellers, focusing on upscale residential and commercial properties in top locations worldwide. Its proprietary buyer and seller system offers advanced technology that connects property shops throughout the world.  Extensive training and support is provided for all franchises.

Engel & Voelkers Florida serves as the master franchise headquarters for Florida, providing statewide support to franchisees to ensure they have all of the necessary tools and services they require to develop, manage and grow successful real estate agencies within a clearly defined sub-market.

For information about Florida franchise opportunities, contact Timo Khammash at (941) 544-2829 or go to www.engelvoelkers.com/florida.

 
MEDIA CONTACT for interviews, information or images:

Mary Lou Janson, mary_lou_j@hotmail.com, 813-361-1061 or 813-251-5737,
www.maryloujanson.com.
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Mary Lou Janson is a publicist and freelance writer based in Tampa, FL. She works independently or partners with other professionals or firms for select projects.

Her approach is to gain a thorough understanding of your business, product or organization, create compelling concepts for the media and, in turn, effectively present, pitch and position those concepts to the print, broadcast and electronic media reaching your target audience (www.maryloujanson.com).

Website: www.engelvoelkers.com/florida