Edina Realty is staking a claim on the Iron Range.
The Twin Cities-based real estate brokerage has opened an office in Virginia, Minn., that will serve the broader Arrowhead region with six agents and broker Mary Jacobsen, who formerly operated as Coldwell Banker Properties North — Virginia.
Jim Young, senior vice president and regional manager for Edina Realty, said the company had been on the hunt for opportunities to open a more remote office in the area, so when Jacobsen's Coldwell Banker franchise agreement expired, they joined Edina Realty. The nearest Edina office is in Duluth.
Jacobsen, who has been in the business in the area for more than 25 years, said in a statement that when the franchise agreement expired the agents and broker gathered to discuss options.
"When we looked at everything Edina Realty has to offer, we knew it was the right fit for us," she said. "We are happy to be joining a Minnesota-grown company that continues to expand into markets such as ours."
The deal is part of a broader outstate strategy for Edina Realty, which operates hub offices that support satellite offices. In Wisconsin, for example, the company has six hub offices and about 10 satellites.
"The technology we're employing and giving agents allows them to be more mobile," said Young. "In this case it allows us to add a satellite office to that Duluth hub and serve agents with support right out of Duluth."
In early 2015 the company acquired Prudential Elite Realty, the leading brokerage in Marshall, Minn. That deal included 11 agents, and earlier this year Edina Realty acquired Century 21 New Horizons in Little Falls.
