(openPR) - Steve & Kelly Kepler, Michal Winiarek, Kevin & Sara Maddocks Enter Joint Venture

Clearwater, FL (September 10, 2008) – Engel & Voelkers Florida, one of the world’s most respected names in upscale international real estate, is pleased to announce that Steve and Kelly Kepler, Michal Winiarek, and Kevin and Sara Maddocks have collaborated to purchase two franchises in Clearwater: Clearwater Downtown and Clearwater Beach. The Downtown location, to be located at 432 Cleveland Street, Suite B, Clearwater, FL 33755, will open by late 2008. The Beach location, also to be announced, is slated to open by late March 2009.

The Clearwater Property Shops join the company’s expanding network of Florida-based franchises specializing in exclusive residential real estate listings. Unlike any other existing real estate company in Florida, Engel & Voelkers opens the Clearwater area to an international real estate-selling network offered by parent company Engel & Voelkers Group’s worldwide brand with 320 offices in 26 countries and four continents. The Hamburg, Germany-based organization’s growing portfolio of global locations includes the Hamptons; Greenwich, Conn.; England, Ireland, Italy, Chile, Spain, Switzerland, South Africa and Thailand.

Kevin and Sara Maddocks are franchise owners of the St. Petersburg Downtown and St. Petersburg Beaches Property Shops. Originally hailing from England, the couple now resides in the Tampa Bay area. Prior to moving to the US, they founded a successful utility construction business, based near London.

Steve Kepler joins Engel & Voelkers from Coldwell Banker and Byrd Corporation, in St. Petersburg, Fla., where as a Realtor, he marketed million-dollar homes and condominiums in the Tampa Bay area. Prior to that, he worked as a marketing, design and production manager with Counter Culture Clothing in Huntington Beach, Calif. He has a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Central Florida.

Kelly Kepler, a Realtor since 1997, has been with Engel & Voelkers Florida’s Tampa Hyde Park Property Shop since May 2008. Prior to that time, she worked for a Clearwater developer as director of sales and marketing, selling a 48-unit condominium complex.

Winiarek, a fourth generation real estate professional and a long time Tampa resident, introduced Engel & Voelkers to Tampa Bay by opening the area’s first Property Shop in South Tampa’s Hyde Park Village. The Property Shops will handle worldwide, upscale residential real estate transactions as well as specialize in representing properties and clients within the Clearwater area.

“Steve and I are excited to enter this partnership with Michal, Kevin and Sara,” said Kelly Kepler. “Once we all met and realized that we had the same vision for the Clearwater Downtown and Clearwater Beach Shops, we decided to form a partnership.”

Timo Khammash, managing partner of Engel & Voelkers Florida, said, “The Keplers, Michal and the Maddocks’ form an outstanding collaboration to manage the new Clearwater Shops. Their industry experience and exceptional backgrounds with Engel & Voelkers make them a top-notch team. I’m proud to add the Clearwater Shops to Engel & Voelkers Florida’s growing number of franchises.”

With many European style Property Shops soon to be open throughout the state and an anticipated 200 more debuting over the next 10 years, Engel & Voelkers Florida is rapidly exposing the Florida residential market to its elite international network of agents and buyers, offering premium property representation. The company was recently cited in the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) International Real Estate Report as bringing “European Culture to U.S. Industry.” International Service Check, a renowned worldwide customer service quality analysis firm, has rated Engel & Voelkers Florida as one of the top five real estate companies in the state in regards to its dealings with European investors.

Engel & Voelkers Florida Property Shops are currently open in prestigious locations such as Bradenton, Cape Coral, Celebration, Naples, Coral Gables, South Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers River District, Punta Gorda, Sarasota, Tampa Hyde Park, Jupiter, and St. Petersburg Downtown/Beaches. Franchises recently sold in Clearwater and are due to open by late 2008 and March 2009. Franchises are currently available for purchase in Miami, Boca Raton, Tampa, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and various other Florida cities.

The Engel & Voelkers Group provides real estate brokerage services for both buyers and sellers, focusing on upscale residential and commercial properties in top locations worldwide. Engel & Voelkers provides a proprietary buyer and seller system, advanced technology that connects property shops throughout the world and an academy that offers extensive training and support for their franchises.

Engel & Voelkers Group also publishes its own lifestyle and real estate magazine, known as GG Global Guide to Lifestyle, People & Real Estate. The glossy, quarterly publication focuses on luxury living, exclusive destinations and famous artists, designers and business leaders plus features magnificent Engel & Voelkers listings from around the world.

Engel & Voelkers Florida serves as the master franchise headquarters for Florida, providing statewide support to franchisees to ensure they have all of the necessary tools and services they require to develop, manage and grow successful real estate agencies within a clearly defined sub-market. For more information on Engel & Voelkers Florida, visit www.engelvoelkers.com/florida/ or call (239) 348-9000. To contact the Clearwater Downtown/Clearwater Beach Property Shops, call (727) 462-9792 or email Kelly.Kepler@engelvoelkers.com.

Press Contact:
Duree Ross
Duree & Company, Inc.
10740 Pegasus Street
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33324
www.dureeandcompany.com
dureeross@aol.com