In the beginning, there was one. That’s how Ryan Crecelius, describes his days as a cub real estate firm owner after leaving Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty (now called Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage) in 2010.

“I wanted a concept that had to be started from scratch,” Crecelius said. “I saw an opportunity to start a small, more collaborative agency that allowed us to have a more open relationship with agents and clients.”

Enter Wilmington-based Do Good Real Estate – a boutique real estate firm that in 2011 became the region’s first certified Benefit Corporation, donating a portion of its proceeds to Wilmington nonprofits.

As the sole Realtor, Crecelius recalled, the hours were long, the customers were few and the timing to start a specialty real estate firm couldn’t have been worse.

But his patience and perseverance eventually paid off.

“I think it really did boil down to the timing,” Crecelius said. “Everyone realized we had hit bottom, and things were going to improve.”

After surviving through the recession, Do Good Real Estate is now growing – adding 15 new agents and taking over 3,000 square feet that was formerly occupied by CoWorx in Lumina Station.

“The market is really turning a corner,” said John Jackson, chief financial officer and broker with Do Good Real Estate. “We felt that now was the time to grow.”

And it’s not alone.

A number of area real estate firms are hiring – a sign the area’s market is on the upswing.

Wilmington-based Just For Buyers Realty, for example, will soon double its 1,000-square-foot footprint to accommodate new growth at its headquarters at 5 Silva Terra Drive. And Wilmington-based Team Gasparovic of Keller Williams Realty signed a lease in October to expand its 3,947-square-foot office by 1,620 square feet at 432 Eastwood Road.

One firm adding a number of Realtors to its roster is Wilmington-based Century 21 Sweyer & Associates.

Since first announcing its hiring blitz in 2013, the firm has hired 30 people.

Overall Realtor growth in the region is important as the housing market improves, said Jeff Sweyer, owner of Century 21 Sweyer & Associates.

“With the real estate market improving and more sales occurring, there will be more people becoming active agents,” Sweyer said.

“WRAR [Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors] reports that in the past two years there has been a 7.02 percent increase in licensee members. As a leading company, it is important for our company’s continued growth to hire additional real estate agents to service our customers’ needs and support our current team.”

Sweyer is serious about his firm’s growth.

The residential and commercial realty firm, and CAMS, its affiliated community association management company, now occupies about 25,000 square feet of office space at 1612 Military Cutoff Road – a space that gives the agency plenty of room to grow.

“We have a strategic plan to attract the best talent available to our firm,” Sweyer said. “We are hiring both experienced producing agents and those newly licensed. One of the more distinctive activities to recruit agents includes our Quarterly Realtor Mixer Real Estate Seminar.  During this event, we share a state of the market and key factors for a successful career in real estate.” 

Others are also expanding in the region.

Coastwalk Real Estate, a Carolina Beach-based realty firm, opened its third office in January to position itself to sell new and existing residences in the south Wilmington area. The firm’s other two offices are in Carolina Beach.

Justin Donaton, owner and broker of Coastwalk Real Estate, said increased buyer demand in the Monkey Junction, Myrtle Grove and south Wilmington submarkets prompted his firm to expand into the Port City.

“For us personally, 50 percent of our business was in Wilmington, although we have island roots,” Donaton said. “We like to grow organically and slowly. We’re not doing this to be a huge company … we’re very comfortable with who we are.”

Because of market demand, the firm has hired four additional agents – two for its Wilmington office and two for its Carolina Beach headquarters – to handle the influx, Donaton said.

“We’re very optimistic,” Donaton said of the region’s future spring and summer home sales. Homes sales were relatively flat this winter, thanks to bitterly cold temperatures and ice storms.

A WRAR report showed a small, 1 percent decline in the number of homes sold in the greater Wilmington area in February compared to February 2013.

In all, 416 homes were sold last month throughout New Hanover, northern Brunswick and Pender counties – down slightly from 420 homes sold in February 2013, but up from 333 homes sold in January.

Since the start of the year, homes sales have been in decline, according to WRAR’s figures.

But Donaton is not too worried. He said the region is slated to see home sales increase once the region unthaws from winter’s grip, and his firm will be ready.

“We’ve been talking with a lot of people from the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, and a lot are planning trips for the late spring, early summer,” Donaton said. “A lot are telling us they are going to buy.” 

Sweyer said there is room for Realtor growth, adding that there are plenty of homes for sale in the region.

“While we are always promoting the real estate industry as a career, we are very realistic in telling people what they need to do in order to be successful,” Sweyer said. “Markets can never be too big or too small for agents who find a passion for this industry.”

As the paint drives and the last desks are filled at Do Good Real Estate’s new office, Crecelius said he’s happy with the direction hisfirm has taken.

“You never want to be too comfortable; slow and steady wins the race,” Crecelius said.

“I feel we are on the right path for future growth … and that’s important to the success of our business model and our business.”