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Week of August 14, 2003 |
Longtime Miami Beach real-estate firm merges with Century 21 By Kristen FidhTRG Realty Associates of Miami Beach and national firm Century 21 United Properties will merge Aug. 31 under the name Century 21 United TRG. The two companies have moved into an office at 2895 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach. TRG opened more than 30 years ago as Mederos Realty, said broker Maria Chavez. It became TRG in 1985. "Since TRG has been a mom-and-pop business since the 1960s, we knew that we could really capitalize on the market if we had an internationally well-known name such as Century 21," Ms. Chavez said. Discussions about the merger began in May, said Francisco Angulo, a broker at Century 21 United Properties. "People know and recognize the TRG label as a standup, local business," Mr. Angulo said. "The merger will allow us to attract the customers who want to stick with the same company they've seen around town for years as well as the people who would use (Century 21 United Properties) for our mortgage, financial or technological services. Basically, our customers will now have access to a room full of experienced professionals under the name United Team Group." Cendant Corp. owns the Century 21 franchise, and each office is independently run, Mr. Angulo said. United Team Group is a group of real-estate offices and financing services that includes Century 21 United Properties, Century 21 Platinum Reality, United Mortgage Bankers and Guaranty Trust & Title. "The most important asset we will gain with the Century 21 name is the training our associates will receive because of our affiliation with the company," Ms. Chavez said. She said the business has succeeded as a small company for such a long time because of recommendations customers give their friends and family. Training will make proven associates even more knowledgeable, she said. Ms. Chavez said she expects her business to triple within the next 12 months. "Although it's hard for me to give an exact figure, I see sales rising from $6 million to $20 million by the year." Mr. Angulo said Century 21 United Properties has increased sales by at least 35 percent annually since 1999. "I've found that the market in Florida has a lot of room compared to the rest of the states for owning a piece of real estate because it is generally very underdeveloped," Mr. Angulo said. "And now is a great time to take advantage of our local expertise and national reputation because interest rates for first-time buyers are so low." |
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