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Keller Williams Realty Welcomes Top Producing Southern Arizona Real Estate Brokerage to its Ranks

"We felt it was our responsibility to be the stewards of our agents' careers and, based on our research and what we have seen, it is obvious that Keller Williams Realty is the right choice for a positive future," said Anthony Azar, operating principal of Keller Williams Southern Arizona. "We absolutely have the best agents in the city, and that is statistically supported by their rankings and their designations. We are thrilled to be a part of a company that is as serious about growth and success as we are."

Sue Cartun, operations manager of the new organization, added, "KW's philosophy of putting agents and ownership on the same side of the table was an incredibly important part of our decision to join Keller Williams Realty."

This comes on the heels of a year of positive growth for Keller Williams Realty throughout the U.S. and Canada. The company outpaced the downward trend in the real estate market and grew in every category - opening 30 new franchises, ending the year with a 16 percent year-over-year increase in the number of contracts closed per agent, more than 76,879 associates across North America (up three percent). In addition, the company gave back more than $32.2 million in profit share to its agents.

"We make it our business to get in business with the best - and Anthony and his associates are proven leaders in the Southern Arizona marketplace," said Mark Willis, CEO of Keller Williams Realty. "It's our honor to welcome them to the Keller Williams family."

In 2009, in addition to becoming the 3^rd largest real estate company in the U.S., surpassing Re/Max, Keller Williams Realty received the highest overall satisfaction ratings from home buyers among the largest full-service real estate firms from J.D. Power and Associates for the second year in a row, and was ranked as the No. 1 real estate franchise on the 31^st Annual Franchise 500 list by Entrepreneur magazine.

"I am so thrilled to be a part of the Keller Williams family," said Nancy Colvin, operations manager for the new Kolb La Playa office. "Joining forces with Keller Williams Realty is a huge benefit for our agents and was the best decision for our team as a whole."

"We are confident that with this change, Tucson-area residents will think of us when they think of real estate," added David Jones, senior team leader in the new operation's Joesler Village location. " We're proud to be one of the leading real estate companies in the state."

About Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Founded in 1983, Keller Williams Realty Inc. is the third-largest real estate franchise operation in the United States, with 668 offices and more than 76,000 associates in the United States and Canada. The company, which began franchising in 1990, has an agent-centric culture that emphasizes access to leading-edge education and promotes an economic model that rewards associates as stakeholders and partners. The company also provides specialized agents in luxury homes and commercial real estate properties. For more information, or to search for homes for sale visit Keller Williams Realty online at (www.kw.com).

Keller Williams Realty, Inc.
Ellen Marks, 512-294-3746
emarks@kw.com