Memphis, Tenn., - Great real estate leaders have one thing in common - they know when it's the right time to make a move to better serve their business and their clients. That's the idea French & Company founder Nick French recently had when he decided to join forces with Crye-Leike, REALTORS, Inc.

 

Two historic real estate firms will merge in Memphis on May 16, 2011 as French & Company, Realtors, will be joined into Crye-Leike, REALTORS of East Memphis.

 

Gail and Nick French founded French & Company in 1977 - the same year Crye-Leike opened its first office and was founded in Memphis. The French & Company's East Memphis firm is known for representing buyers and sellers of fine properties from Downtown to East Memphis. The French team will operate The French Connection at Crye-Leike and Nick French will join Crye-Leike as a Vice President.

 

They are both Life Members of the Multi-Million Dollar Club of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors. Their unique marketing has been recognized nationally with several awards from the Council of Residential Specialists of the National Association of REALTORS. They have been featured on the covers of both the Residential Council magazine and the Brokerage Council magazine. Together they hold nine professional designations.

 

"The merger is extremely attractive because it enables us to provide Crye-Leike's superior technology, tools, marketing and web presence along with one-stop-service to serve our buyers and sellers," said Nick French. "Enhanced service; that's what it's all about."

 

Nick French has been Realtor of the Year for both the Memphis and Tennessee Association of Realtors. He served as President of the Tennessee Association in 1997 and the New Mexico Association in 2007. In addition to local and state offices Nick has been on the Executive Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee of the National Association of REALTORS.

While in New Mexico, French was Vice President and Manager of Sotheby's International Realty in Santa Fe.

 

Gail French has been active in the Women's Council of Realtors serving as President of the Memphis Chapter and the Tennessee Chapter and Governor for WCR of the Provence of Tennessee. She has been recognized as Member of the Year in both Memphis and Tennessee. Nationally, she was Regional Vice-President and served multiple terms on the Executive Committee, Nominating Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee. She has been on the Board of Directors of the Memphis and Tennessee Associations of Realtors.

 

The company is known for upper end, luxury, niche marketing of houses and condominiums throughout the Memphis area. They were part of the development team for Massey Hill and have sold over sixty homes in the luxury garden condominiums known as The Woodlands at Poplar and Goodlett.

 

French and Company has been privileged to have professional associates who distinguished themselves as Life Members of the Multi-Million Dollar Club, by earning industry designations, and by being very involved in the community.

 

"We welcome French and Company and their many loyal clients. They bring national credentials and special skill sets to our East Memphis office. We're excited about their arrival. In the market we're in now, the cream rises to the top. We expect to see more consolidation of firms as we all seek to become more efficient and provide better services to our customers " Steve Brown, Memphis area GM at Crye Leike.

 

"French & Company and Crye-Leike opened our businesses the same year. We have worked together on various committees throughout the years such as bringing the computerized Multiple Listing System to the Memphis Area Association of Realtors. I have always had the highest respect for Nick and Gail and am proud that we are bringing our companies together, even if it took 34 years," said Dick Leike, Co-Founder and President of Crye-Leike

 

More About Crye-Leike, REALTORS

Harold Crye and Dick Leike established Crye-Leike, REALTORS in 1977. Today, Crye-Leike?, the nation's 6th largest real estate company, has a network of more than 3,200 licensed sales associates based out of 113 corporate and franchise offices located through-out the nine-state southern region of Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana and Oklahoma.

 

Crye-Leike is a full-service real estate company offering buyers and sellers services in: residential and commercial sales, mortgage, title, insurance, business brokerage and investments, property management, development and construction, builder resources, REO bank-owned properties, relocation, auctions, and home services. In 2010, Crye-Leike attained a sales volume of $3.85 billion with 24,260 homes sold. More information is available at http://www.crye-leike.com.