Nest Realty, a Virginia-based residential real estate firm with offices in the Wilmington area, announced recently that it has partnered with @properties, a company headquartered in Chicago that has more than $10 billion in sales annually.

The Mayfaire Town Center and Carolina Beach offices of Nest (the name stays the same) have nearly 50 agents total, said Ryan Crecelius, principal broker at Nest Realty in Wilmington.

"Currently we are focused on a slow and steady growth plan. With the right people," Crecelius said in an email Thursday. "We’re taking a close look at expanding into Hampstead/Topsail with a new office. I’ve had many inquiries from great agents in that area, who are seeking something different from their brokerage, so there seems to be a need."

As for the @properties partnership, Crecelius said, "I like analogies, so if you're into music, we added Mick Jagger to our band. If sports are your thing, we just landed Michael Jordan. That's how big this is for our local agents and clients.

"And it was done for all the right reasons. Not to be 'bigger,' but to do things smarter, so we can deliver the most incredible support and marketing possible. The benefits to our agents and clients are endless and I’m so proud of where we are headed."

Crecelius said the partnership also means being able to offer Nest Realty agents in Wilmington a group health care and dental plan through United Health Care.

"With our agents being 1099 independent contractors, this is a great benefit that we're proud to offer to every Nest agent," Crecelius said.  

A blog post on the main Nest Realty website explained how various facets of Nest Realty will stay the same.

"Jonathan Kauffmann, Jim Duncan, and Keith Davis will continue to be in control and run the day-to-day operations of Nest," according to the post. "In addition, our entire marketing and operations team will continue to stay focused on Nest and our agents. Nothing changes here."

Nest has 15 locations in five states and a total of 350 agents, according to the blog post, which also stated, "In 2019 alone, Nesters helped almost 4,000 clients buy and sell $1.4 billion worth of real estate."