The actual change occurred on August 25, and took nearly six months of negotiations. All of Shamrock’s real estate agents moved to Windermere along with a few new agents, and became something familiar yet new.

“After 26 years, we didn’t want the responsibility of running a business anymore,” said Gary Henry, former Shamrock Realty owner and current Realtor at Windermere. “My wife Linda and I decided that it was the right time in the business to make the change.”

Henry and his wife purchased Shamrock Realty in 1980 from its founder, Linda’s mother, Dorothy Bradley. They ran Shamrock together for 26 years, becoming an important member of the Kingston business community.

Henry believed that the market was at its peak, and decided that it was time to sell the business about seven months ago.

“I was fortunate that Linda prodded me to get on the ball and make the call [to Windermere],” said Henry. “I thought that Windermere [wasn’t an option], but Linda said that I should call anyway.”

During this time, the co-owners of Kitsap County Windermere, Jim Laws and Carter Dotson, were in the process of expanding Windermere into Kingston. The company that Henry sold his business to had to have similar business philosophies, and Windermere fit the bill perfectly.

“Windermere has a very similar philosophy to Shamrock of how we treat customers and business ethics,” said Henry. “I was very happy to learn that we shared such a similar business philosophy.”

According to Henry, Windermere provides its agents with a very appealing commission structure, and also provides them with excellent support tools that would have cost him too much to provide.

“I have nothing but good things to say about the buyers [Carter Dotson and Jim Laws]. Windermere really is a great company, I couldn’t be more happy,” said Henry.

Henry still enjoys communicating with customers and doing real estate work, and is currently working as an agent for Windermere’s Kingston branch.