(Photo above: L-R Erica Davis, Sara LaFaver and Shelley Griffin | by Ross Chandler)
Harcourts The Garner Group announce the new owners of the iconic, local real estate agency. When the time came to sell, Sandy Garner, former president and CEO, looked no further than her two daughters, Erica Davis and Shelley Griffin, and niece Sara LaFaver. All three business partners have extensive experience in the local real estate arena and have been with the business since its inception in 2008.
Davis, Griffin and LaFaver are excited to be keeping The Garner Group in the family, and expand the business. The sale of the business was finalized on January 1, 2017. The new owners are all natives and lovers of beautiful Central Oregon and together they bring more than 50 years of real estate experience to the table.
LaFaver is the managing principal broker who has been with The Garner Group since 2009 and will bring more than 20 years’ real estate experience to the table. Davis is the transaction coordinator and office manager with the business since 2003 and more than 15 years of experience in the real estate world. Griffin is a broker and is among the top producing agents in the Bend real estate market. She has 15 years of real estate experience in her pocket and has been a licensed broker since 2002. The three co-owners are thrilled to be able to grow the business together.
Among the recent favorable changes happening at The Garner Group, the new owners are happy to announce a remodel and expansion. The company, currently located at 2762 NorthWest Crossing Drive in Bend, will expand upon their current space and into the remaining available business space in the building. This expansion will allow for the hire of new brokers and additional staff. The new owners are confident about the potential growth for the company, the addition of new Garner Group team members and the business that new agents will bring.
Another exciting business change happening in the coming months at The Garner Group is a new real estate listing option. Property owners will soon have the option of listing their home in a non-distressed property auction. Auctions were formerly only used for bank-owned properties.
Non-distressed auction listings offer comparable fees to regular listing procedures and bypass the additional buyer’s premium so often associated with auction property sales. Auction listings have primarily been used in Australia and are just starting to make their way to California and Reno, Nevada.
The Garner Group was started in 2008 by Sandy Garner. Throughout her career, Garner has earned both regional, national and international sales awards. In 2014 she received the Gary Bunger Memorial Award for Industry Loyalty by Central Oregon Builders Association for her involvement in COBA, industry accomplishments and other civic activities. When the time came to sell, Garner wanted to be sure that the business would remain in the family.
Davis, Griffin and LaFaver are pleased to say that Sandy Garner will stay on and continue to sell properties as an agent.
About Harcourts The Garner Group
Harcourts The Garner Group is located in Bend, Oregon, and is a locally-owned and independent real estate company founded in 2008. The Garner Group joined the Harcourts real estate company as a franchise in 2014 and now known as Harcourts The Garner Group Real Estate. The business currently has 31 active licensed brokers in the Central Oregon Real Estate Market.
