A new Windermere Real Estate franchise has opened its offices just north of downtown Spokane.


The franchise, Windermere Real Estate/City Group Inc., is located in about 2,000 square feet of office space on the second floor of the Rivers Edge Building, at 111 W. North River Drive. It is the sixth Windermere agency in the Spokane-Coeur dAlene area.


This office gives us a great opportunity to have a more central location for our clients, says Lisa Arsenault, director of marketing for Spokane-based Windermere Services/Inland Northwest, which provides support services for Windermere agencies in Eastern Washington, North Idaho, and Montana.


The City Group agency, which opened earlier this month, currently employs seven real estate agents and expects eventually to double that number, Arsenault says.


Four veteran Spokane real estate professionals, Cathey Wells, Randy Wells, and John and Marianne Becker, own the agency.


The Beckers, who are husband and wife, also own Windermere Real Estate/North Wall Street Inc., on Spokanes North Side, and John Becker, a 25-year real estate veteran, is president of Windermere Services. Marianne Becker is the designated broker for the City Group office, Arsenault says.


Cathey Wells and her son, Randy, previously worked at a Tomlinson Black real estate office here. The tandem lists properties for sale jointly. Cathey Wells has worked as a real estate agent in the Spokane market for more than 25 years, and Randy Wells has worked here for eight years.


Seattle-based Windermere Real Estate Co. currently has more than 220 franchise offices in seven western U.S. states and in British Columbia.