Crye-Leike, the nation’s 10th largest real estate company, has taken a new and aggressive marketing approach to expanding its brand through its franchise division, Crye*Leike Franchises, Inc., which has resulted in a 157 percent increase in franchise growth over the past two years.

Crye*Leike Franchises, Inc. (http://franchises.crye-leike.com) is working to broaden the franchise efforts of the largest real estate company in Tennessee and the Mid-South from a current base of 19 franchise offices in five states throughout the Southern Region of the United States.

Staff members of Crye-Leike’s franchise division have become road warriors by traveling to state Realtors’ conventions in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee, setting up exhibit booths to spread the Crye-Leike brand name and to inform the Realtor community about the benefits of operating a Crye-Leike franchise office.

"As the competition in real estate franchising has increased, the best way to spread the Crye-Leike name to the greatest number of people at one time is to have a presence at Realtor state conventions," said Crye-Leike President Dick Leike who oversees Crye-Leike’s franchise division. "Being an exhibitor, along with making marketing presentations to smaller real estate firms in outer lying areas, is the approach Crye-Leike is taking."

And his strategy is paying off. Three additional franchises have been secured, with grand openings held in May in Batesville, Ark., Greeneville, Tenn., and Gatlinburg, Tenn.

The franchising division of Crye-Leike began operations in 1999 and focuses its marketing efforts on establishing franchise territories in smaller populated areas where it would not normally open a company office because of market size and location. Crye*Leike, Franchises was recently ranked as the 18th largest Tennessee-headquartered franchisor by the Nashville Business Journal.

There are multiple reasons for franchise growth within Crye-Leike and in the real estate world, in general. Franchising is seen as a good alternative for someone wanting to start a business, even without real estate experience. Franchising in real estate is seen as extremely beneficial at this point in time because of the investment value of real estate, the best solid long-term investment available right now. And, the vast resources in place and support Crye-Leike corporate is able to provide is valuable for new franchisees just starting out, providing customer support seven days a week.