Two real estate companies in Whistler have merged to form the largest real estate company in the corridor.
On Monday Windermere Sea to Sky Real Estate announced it had merged with Remax of Whistler to form one company, which makes up almost 50 per cent of the market share in Whistler.
"It’s a very positive thing for the real estate industry," said Ann Chiasson, the president of Remax Sea to Sky Real Estate.
"It solidifies two fairly long-term strong companies in town into one major player."
Michael d’Artois, former president of Remax of Whistler, said he was happy to step down as owner of the company, allowing Chiasson to be the sole owner of the Remax brand in the corridor.
He has owned the Remax franchise in Whistler for 17 years and will be staying on as a realtor after the merger.
"I’m looking forward to simplifying my life, just to be selling real estate and helping people find the great lifestyle (opportunities) that we offer in Whistler," he said.
"That’s sort of what I’ve been doing all these years anyway."
The merger will take existing successful realtors in both Sea to Sky Real Estate and Remax and put them all under the same Remax umbrella.
"Primarily it’s adding existing realtors to one group, one company, and strengthening our position in the market," said Chiasson.
The Remax brand will bring huge strength to the company’s three offices in the corridor, according to d’Artois.
Remax, he explained, is the biggest real estate company world-wide, with offices in 53 countries and 94,000 realtors.
"It (the brand) automatically gives us that global network with all of those people for exposing everything we have to boast and tell about the corridor," he said.
Even the referrals from the Remax offices in the Lower Mainland will be a huge boost to the offices in the corridor.
In addition, he said the Remax logo is one of the top five most recognizable logos in the world.
"It’s going to be fantastic in the corridor because it’s going to be nothing but red, white and blue signs," said d’Artois.
The new company will now have two offices in Whistler and one in Squamish. Chiasson also has plans to expand to Pemberton in the future.
The Squamish office already has command of 60 per cent of the Squamish market.
D’Artois said there will be tremendous growth in that market in the next 15 to 20 years.
"This really strengthens the office down there in that it associates them not only with all of those (Remax) realtors but it gives them all of that corporate support, all of the training, all of the education," he said.
In the meantime business will continue as usual at all three offices as the transition takes place over the next month.
Remax Sea to Sky Real Estate will continue to have a luxury boutique office that specializes in marketing and selling luxury properties through Christies Great Estates and Luxury Real Estate.
