MOSES LAKE - A new real estate company set up shop in Moses Lake, providing the area with residential, commercial and industrial property listings.

Realty Executives moved into the Gateway Commerce Center, off Patton Boulevard, in late July. Co-owner and broker Ken Bell said this week the company has been slowly building up its staff and operations.

They will hold a grand opening ceremony on Thursday at 4 p.m.

Realty Executives is an international real estate company founded in 1965. Franchises are located in 34 countries, and there are about 6,700 offices currently open.

Bell opened Washington state's first location with business partner Crystal Herrmann in 2001 in Bellevue, which is still operating. There are also Realty Executives locations in Issaquah and Vancouver.

Bell said the Moses Lake location is the first location on the eastern side of the state.

Bell and Herrmann decided to open a location in Grant County because of the amount of major companies looking at opening up shop in the Moses Lake area.

"It made a lot of sense to be out here," Bell said. "You look at what's happening, major companies are looking at Moses Lake because of the affordable electricity, inexpensive land and a good workforce."

Bell said Realty Executives specializes in residential listings, as well as new construction, commercial and heavy industrial listings.

What sets them apart from other realtors in the area is their extensive property listings.

The group is a member of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service as well as another database specializing in commercial listings.

"Brokers who have commercial listings sometimes don't have access to the listings we do," Bell said. "So we're trying to bring that to the table as well."

He said the group currently has just over 20 listings, valued at about $15 million total.

Bell said the group's immediate goal is to get the rest of the commercial spaces in the commerce center leased out to various retail operations.

Their long-term goal, he said, is to slowly develop the immediate area into a booming commercial center.

"There's upwards of 200 acres of commercially zoned land in the airport area, and 1,200 acres of heavy industrial land," said Bell. "We see the potential in businesses over the next 10 years, for this to be a thriving market place."

Bell said the goal is to convince companies who may overlook Moses Lake, to consider the area as a prime option to set up shop.

He said that if more businesses decide to come to Moses Lake, it would help the residential real estate market to grow as well.

"You have a situation where there's about 2,500 employees in the port area, a thousand residents in the immediate area, and nearly 4,000 community college students and faculty," said Bell. "At this point in time, the only thing they have is a gas station and convenience store."

Bell said there weren't a lot of other services in the immediate area, so the group's goal is to bring in more essential services.

"We're looking at everything from coffee drive-thru's, nail and hair salons, and other essential services," he said.

Bell said bringing in more restaurant and fast food places is another option, since workers in the area might not have enough time to go to Stratford Road or other places in central Moses Lake for lunch breaks.

"If we have something here, they would utilize it a lot," Bell said.

Bell said the commercialization of the port area is a 15 to 20 year project.

Realty Executives is located at 8420 Aspi Blvd., off Patton Boulevard. For more information call 509-498-2055.

Property listings can be found at www.forsaleinmoseslake.com, or check out their CBH Marketplace listing.