A real estate property management company and brokerage with offices in Wilmington and Cary is in the process of merging with another local property management firm.

Victory Real Estate Property Management and Southern Retreats Management Co., a smaller firm, are combining, Victory announced Tuesday, with the Southern Retreats name dissolving at the end of 2014.

The merger adds 60 properties to Victory’s list, for a total of 300 rental properties the combined company manages. Victory also offers advice on real estate investments and sales.

Broker and owner Ralph Hunter founded Victory in 2005. The firm has a Wilmington office in Suite 1A at 4002 ½ Oleander Drive.

The merger has "been something that our owner has been wanting to do for years, and he was looking for the right staff to accompany him in this change,” said Sarah Fraser, marketing director for Victory. “He felt like Southern Retreats complemented what we had.”

The change and an additional hire bring Victory’s number of employees up from three to six -- five full-time and one part-time.

Victory Real Estate Property Management's office in Cary is in Suite 200 at 1135 Kildaire Farm Road.

In addition to the Wilmington area, the firm offers its services in Cary, Raleigh, Durham and surrounding communities.

Victory also announced Tuesday that it has partnered with another company Hunter owns, MoveZen, a business that puts on one website a variety of resources for those who plan to move to Wilmington or the Raleigh/Durham area.

“It’s a centralized place for making moving manageable,” Fraser said.

She said Victory’s future plans include possibly expanding into the management of apartment complexes and adding new positions.