A real estate firm based in Wrightsville Beach is moving to a new location after a merger.

Cadence Realty Corp. and Jeff Baker of BlackAcre Real Estate Group LLC merged in January, said Luke Waddell of Cadence.  

“It’s a huge win-win,” Waddell said. “It adds to the tool belt we have and all the things we can offer clients.”

Baker has 15 years of real estate experience and is licensed as a real estate broker and an attorney in North Carolina. Baker opened his real estate law practice in 2004 and expanded from a single downtown office to four locations offering legal services to the surrounding 10 counties. 

He sold his interest in the firm at the end of 2013 to focus his efforts on marketing and consulting for builders, developers and real estate investors. Baker was previously working under the umbrella of Nest Realty.

“The main reason for this move was to be an equity partner versus just working for a brokerage,” Baker said. “That was my main catalyst for leaving Nest.”

Cadence previously focused primarily on property management and general real estate sales, Waddell said in a news release. He said the addition of Baker will enable the firm to expand its service offerings to include marketing, acquisition and consulting services for luxury, new construction and investor clients.

Waddell, also a licensed real estate broker, said the firm’s current listings are mainly homes in the price range of $450,000 to $1.5 million.

“We’re going to be expanding our offerings into commercial at some point in the near future,” Waddell said.

The company will continue to operate as Cadence Realty Corp. and is currently moving from Stone Street to 100 Keel St. in Wrightsville Beach.

Baker said he sees the housing market in Wilmington as a healthy one.

“It’s really a primary residence buyer that’s in the market [now as opposed to the downturn], which makes things a lot stronger on a long-term basis,” Baker said.