In downtown Wilmington, a new real estate office is coming to the historic building at the corner of Chestnut and North Front streets.

Wilmington-based residential real estate firm Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage plans to open an office there this summer. Located in the Murchison National Bank building, the space at 200 N. Front St. was formerly occupied by Manifest Design.

"We've been looking for a couple years for the right spot downtown," said Tom O'Neill, Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage's vice president of operations. "We're in the process of upfitting it now. We think it's the best location in the entire downtown and that it's going to be huge for foot traffic and walk-ins."

To start, Sea Coast will likely have seven agents working out of the new downtown office, he said. But there's also room for other Realtors with the firm to drop in, with open space at the front, work areas and two conference rooms.

The open space will allow the company to host art nights and other events, O'Neill said.

The company purchased the space, nearly all of the first floor of the building, for $714,000 in December. The upper floors hold residential units, O'Neill said.

He said the renovations for the office are expected to be complete by mid-July. 

Sea Coast Advantage has more than 675 real estate agents across at least 21 offices in Southeast North Carolina, including in Wilmington, Leland, Jacksonville, Carolina Beach, Topsail Island, Hampstead, Southport, Sneads Ferry, Havelock, Oak Island, Holden Beach and Calabash.