Keller Williams Realty announced last week at its annual convention in Orlando, Fla. that it is now the third-largest real estate franchise in the United States, surpassing Re/Max International. Steve Murray of REAL Trends, a U.S. source of analysis and information in the residential real estate industry, says the Austin, Texas-based company claimed the number three spot with 72,794 U.S. associates at the end of 2008.
 
The company has been gaining ground for the last three years, outpacing downward trends in the real estate industry. Comparing the average annual performance of the company from 2004 - 2005 (Before the shift in the U.S. real estate market) to 2006 - 2008, Keller Williams Realty says it increased its associate count by 52 per cent, while market share for its offices increased 83 per cent and agent gross commission income went up 35 per cent. Keller Williams Realty has 679 offices operating in the United States and Canada. In 2008, the company shared more than $30 million in profits with its associates through its profit sharing program.
 
Last fall, the company also announced the launch of KW Commercial, a new division of the company dedicated to providing commercial real estate associates with specialized technology, marketing tools and resources. KW Commercial has more than 220 active brokers across the U.S. and Canada.
 
“Our goal is to create synergy between the residential and commercial sides of our Keller Williams offices, raising the bar for the service we provide to our clients,” says Ernest Furtado, KW Canada Commercial Director. “We envision our commercial and residential agents working side-by-side, sharing referrals and helping our offices grow.”
 
John Furber, Canada director of Keller Williams Realty, says, “Keller Williams is quickly picking up momentum in Canada and it will not be long before we will mirror the U.S. market share and growth numbers.”