NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Crye?Leike Franchises, Inc. (CLFI), an independently operated subsidiary of Crye-Leike, Inc. (CLI), was recently recognized by Entrepreneur magazine on their annual Franchise 500 list with a ranking of 365.

According to Entrepreneur, factors such as financial strength, growth rate, system size, years in business, startup costs, and other criteria are considered when calculating the Franchise 500 list.

In response to his company's ranking, CLFI president Kevin R. Joiner said, "We are honored to be named as one of the top 500 franchises in the United States. With over $430 million in sales in 2006 and a 12.2% increase in the number of real estate transactions, we believe we are on firm footing for a stellar year in 2007."

Joiner went on to say, "CLFI is actively evaluating qualified prospective franchise owners and ownership groups in an effort to help potential candidates increase local market share and clearly define a more organized and professional image." He added, "along with our progressive strategies and systematic approach we will continue to build on the CLFI's history of stable expansion, with a move to increase its presence throughout the United States in 2007, while strengthening our efforts in our traditional base market in the south."

The CLFI network is currently comprised of independently owned and operated franchise brokerages located throughout Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi. The offices enjoy comprehensive training, management, technology, and marketing support from CLFI.

CLFI owner and chief executive officer Harold Crye, who was recently named by Realtor magazine as one of "real estate's 25 most influential thought leaders," said, "I am very pleased with the direction in which our franchise system is headed. Crye-Leike is a full service real estate company that offers its sales associates access to some of the best resources in the business, from a fully staffed extended-hour appointment center, to a fully functional marketing department, a free in-house real estate training school and so much more."

Crye-Leike? (www.crye-leike.com), a full service real estate company for 30 years, is the nation's 6th largest real estate firm and the largest in the Mid-South. It has a network of over 3,500 sales associates and 109 corporate and franchise offices located in 58 counties throughout a seven-state southern region in Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi. In 2006, the Crye-Leike organization attained sales of $6.1 billion with 35,498 closed transaction sides.

For information about owning a CLFI franchise, call toll-free (866) 603-2470 or visit franchises.crye-leike.com.

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