New ReMax member brokers and owners Alistair and Ann Grell have opened RE/MAX Millenia Realty in Roseau, Dominica's capital city. The new RE/MAX office is part of the Millenia Group - an architectural, engineering and environmental services firm that has been serving Dominica since 2004.
"Our office is the only one-stop real estate and development firm in the country," Alistair Grell says, adding that Dominica is a growing market that's quickly becoming a haven for second homes. "We might be a small firm in a small country, but we're thinking globally - and RE/MAX is the No. 1 global real estate franchise."
The Grells are a husband-wife team, and with Alistair's engineering background and Ann's banking/lending expertise, their office is poised to offer a well-rounded selection of real estate services. They were attracted to RE/MAX because of its educational offerings, as well as its global brand-name recognition and the potential for referrals.
In October, they traveled to RE/MAX World Headquarters for a flag-raising ceremony to commemorate the purchase of their new franchise. They hope that bringing RE/MAX into Dominica will also raise professional standards in the country's real estate industry.
"We plan to emphasize the training, commission concept and marketing tools that RE/MAX offers its agents on the island," Ann Grell says. "By aligning ourselves with RE/MAX, we will stand apart from other brokerages that do not have the support and services of an international brand."
Dominica, located in the Lesser Antilles between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans. France ceded possession of the island to Great Britain in 1763, which made the island a colony in 1805. Dominica gained its independence in 1978.
William Soteroff, RE/MAX Senior Vice President of International Development, says the new addition illustrates how well known the RE/MAX brand is around the world.