Century 21 Advanced All Service Realty celebrates 25th anniversary

Century 21 Advanced All Service Realty is celebrating a milestone this month with its 25th anniversary.

To mark the occasion, the real estate company will be having a Customer Appreciation Day with light refreshments on Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the office located at 1843 U.S. 27 N., Sebring. The staff would like to invite past clients and customers to stop in.

There have been many changes over the years and the name is one.

The company started as Advanced Concept Realty with owners Helen Mitchell and Judy Cormier and a handful of agents. Then there was the merger with Sebring Realty and its owner, Sandra Handley, to become Century 21 Advanced Sebring Realty Inc.

As a testament to the staying power of the company, during the mid-1980s interest rates were lingering around 18 percent and the average selling price was around $29,000.

During the mid-1990s, Mitchell and Handley, began to consider retirement, and started to search for someone that would be a perfect match for their company and the agents they had come to consider family. They wanted someone that would guide the company into the 21st century and they found it in Richard Howard.

Howard took the helm in 1998. He looked for a way to showcase all of the services, beyond buying and selling, that his newest acquisition could offer the public. There was a full property management division, commercial real estate, mortgages, new construction, relocation and closing services.

He wanted all of this under one roof and a new name, Century 21 Advanced All Service Realty Inc., was born. A man of vision he looked to make sure that the sales staff was equipped with up to date technology, support staff, a visible location and moved the office to its current location in Sebring in July of 1999.

In January 2000, Howard passed the torch to Ronnie Carter and Sandra Carter who are the current broker/owners.

The past five years have been a roller coaster ride for many who work, invest in and own real estate. With a slowing number of sales along with the plummeting prices it has been a time for readjusting.

"As the market changes you have to change with the market" Ronnie Carter said. "It's a time to get back to the basics and embrace the current market conditions. It's a very good time to buy a home.

In addition to the Sebring office, Century 21 Advanced All Service Realty has an Avon Park location at 598 U.S. 27 N in Avon Park.

For more information, call 863-385-1181.