Downtown St. Petersburg Franchise Site Selected for 1st

Engel & Voelkers Florida Real Estate Office in Pinellas County

Plans for St. Petersburg Beaches Franchise Also Announced Plus

Corporate Office Now Open to Serve Existing and Future Tampa Bay Locations

St. Petersburg, FL (June 16, 2008) – One of the world’s most respected names in real estate will soon join downtown St. Petersburg’s business community when the first Engel & Voelkers Florida franchise in Pinellas County opens this summer.

The signature red, black and white color scheme, global data base of property listings, highly personalized, customized service and representation of upscale residences sets Engel & Voelkers apart from other real estate brands. The ever-expanding worldwide real estate network recently began offering Florida, and other U.S. franchises, extending its presence to 27 countries on five continents.

The St. Petersburg office will join the global family of more than 320 franchises already operating when it opens late summer. The franchise owners are Kevin and Sara Maddocks, who recently relocated to the Tampa Bay area from England. The new office is located in a 1,000-square-foot storefront site at BayWalk, a popular downtown open-air retail and restaurant complex, where it overlooks the busy intersection of Second Avenue and Second Street North.

Working with the Maddocks are two local real estate brokers, longtime Tampa Bay area resident and former marketing executive Maddy Krasne, and Diane Gaffney who has more than 25 years experience working in real estate, primarily in Southern California and Central Florida.

The group currently works from a central office site that will eventually serve as the coordination center for current, and yet-to-be-announced, Tampa Bay area Engel & Voelkers franchises. That regional administrative headquarters is at 877 Executive Center Dr., Suite 103, in St. Petersburg.

In addition to the downtown St. Petersburg office, a St. Petersburg beaches Engel & Voelkers franchise will open early next year. Both the Maddocks and Krasne are partners in the property shop to be located within that Gulf Coast community. Prior to her roles with the downtown St. Petersburg and St. Petersburg beach real estate shops, Krasne worked in franchise development for Engel & Voelkers Florida, helping to introduce the new real estate brand throughout the state.

Recognized as leaders in the luxury residential real estate category, Engel & Voelkers Florida is part of a worldwide brand that first expanded to this state last year and has since opened a Naples,FL headquarters office for franchise development while overseeing franchise expansion into select cities including South Beach, Coral Gables and Fort Lauderdale.  With its extensive international network of real estate offices, brokers and agents, as well as its worldwide inventory of upscale residential properties, Engel & Voelkers excels at representing waterfront estates, historic homes, coastal villas and other unique properties.  

The opportunity to own the first Engel & Voelkers franchise in the St. Petersburg area prompted the Maddocks to spend more time in Tampa. The couple has visited Florida for years, and already owns a residence in Orlando, where they were in the restaurant business for a number of years. They recently decided to move to Tampa and find a business opportunity focused on real estate. Previously, they worked together to develop and operate a successful utility pipe installation business based near London.

“The Tampa Bay area offers a diverse range of real estate that includes waterfront homes, elegant residences in gated communities, historic homes that are one-of-a-kind and much more. However, it makes sense to market the Tampa Bay area collectively so that the franchises based here are able to create effective marketing programs, successfully participate in sponsorships and promotional programs and ensure we utilize every resource available to best serve our clients,” said Kevin Maddocks.

Because Engel & Voelkers property shops are located exclusively in popular, highly trafficked locations, its addition to downtown St. Petersburg underscores the sophistication of that real estate market and its appeal to international investors and home buyers looking for luxury homes and condominiums.

“We knew that both St. Petersburg area franchises have the potential to become among the most successful in Florida. Once we all agreed to work together, everything else began to fall into place in terms of finding the ideal downtown location, beginning the transformation of the space and organizing a great team of professionals who know this area well,” said Krasne.

The Hamburg, Germany-based real estate organization’s growing portfolio includes England, Ireland, Italy, Chile, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand and South Africa. All franchises are independently owned and distinguish themselves by offering highly personalized service and adopting the distinctive color scheme and striking décor that is associated with the brand.

For more information on the Engel & Voelkers property shop in St Petersburg, visit www.engelvoelkers.com/florida/ or call 727-570-9000.

The Engel & Voelkers Group

The Engel & Voelkers Group provides real estate brokerage services for both buyers and sellers, focusing on upscale residential and commercial properties in top locations worldwide. Engel & Voelkers provides a proprietary buyer and seller system, advanced technology that connects property shops throughout the world and an academy that offers extensive training and support for their franchises.

Engel & Voelkers Group also publishes its own lifestyle and real estate magazine, known as GG Global Guide to Lifestyle, People & Real Estate. The glossy, quarterly publication focuses on luxury living, exclusive destinations and famous artists, designers and business leaders plus features magnificent Engel & Voelkers listings from around the world.

Engel & Voelkers has a master franchise headquarters for Florida in Naples, 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 more information on Engel & Voelkers Florida, visit www.engelvoelkers.com/florida/ or call 239-348-9000.

MEDIA CONTACT for interviews, information or images regarding the Tampa Bay franchises:

Mary Lou Janson, mary_lou_j@hotmail.com, 813-361-1061 or 813-251-5737 (www.maryloujanson.com).

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About : Recognized as leaders in the luxury residential real estate category, Engel & Voelkers Florida is part of a worldwide brand that first expanded to Florida last year. To date, it has opened a Naples,FL headquarters office for franchise development while overseeing franchise expansion into select cities including South Beach, Coral Gables and Fort Lauderdale. With its extensive international network of real estate offices, brokers and agents, as well as its worldwide inventory of upscale residential properties, Engel & Voelkers excels at representing waterfront estates, historic homes, coastal villas and other unique properties.
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