by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
The opening of an office in Orange Park will feel like coming home for many Prudential Network Realty agents.
“We had an office several years ago and closed it six or seven years ago,” said Carmen Edwards, broker/manager of the Prudential’s Avondale/Ortega office. “We feel it is the right time to go back in again and we are very excited to be in Fleming Island.
“We feel like it is like going back home. When (Prudential President) Linda Sherrer first started in real estate, she worked in Orange Park. She is just ecstatic about going home again.”
Edwards said the new office will be located in the strip center Westover Station on SR 17 in Fleming Island.
“We hope to have it completed by the last week of January or first week in February,” said Edwards.
The office will be staffed with a mixture of current Prudential agents and newly hired seasoned agents.
“We have room for 30 and hope to have at least 18 by the end of the year,” said Edward,s who will be the broker/manager of her current office and the new office concurrently. “We are looking to hire new seasoned agents and about six or seven agents will transfer from existing offices to the Fleming Island office. If we start running out of desk space then we will look for an expansion. I think we will have a lot of room for growth in that strip center.”
Edwards said it will be tough to split herself between two offices, but is optimistic that it will work.
“I think it will be OK,” said Edwards. “I do so much of my correspondence via e-mail so that should help a lot. ”The new office will be very high tech. We will have the latest and greatest programs to enhance the agent’s business and make their life a lot easier.”
According to Edwards, the new office will concentrate on resales and will do quite a bit of business with Eagle Harbor with new construction.