News
Guardian Merges with Legacy
June 12, 2012
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| Portland-based Guardian Real Estate Services and Legacy Management Group announced a merger this morning. Each gets something, Guardian president Tom Brenneke tells us: For the Legacy principals, it's asset and property management, while Guardian gains entry into the Seattle market. "What made it attractive was an opportunity to go deep into Washington," Tom says. "We see a dynamic market there. Everyone wants apartments, and we'll compete well." The move has increased Guardian's portfolio by 150 properties and 7,000 units, bringing the company's total to 18,000 and setting them up as one of the largest vertically integrated firms on the West Coast. |
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| Turns out Tom, above, is part of quite a real estate legacy—his grandfather, Richard W. Brenneke, was a commercial broker, and his father Barry Brenneke began Guardian in the 1970s. Under Tom's leadership, they shifted their focus toward management, and Tom bought the company from Barry in 2001. Barry is still in the game, too, managing his own portfolio of properties. Did Barry approve of the merger? "I talked to him about it, yes," Tom says. "He thought it was a fabulous idea." |
