Milwaukee-based Ogden & Company Inc. is expanding its Scottsdale, Ariz. office. The company recently added a designated residential broker and 20 new residential sales agents to the office, said executive vice president Ken Higgs. The broker, Michael Ashley, formerly owned Ashley Fine Properties in Scottsdale. Ashley was hired by Ogden and brought the 20 agents from his company with him to Ogden, Higgs said. Ogden has had an office in Scottsdale for about 3-½ years. When the office was first opened, it focused on property management, but it is now adding more residential brokerage.
"Now we’re starting to be a more full-service company like we are in Milwaukee," Higgs said. The Scottsdale office now has 41 employees.
The slowdown in the residential real estate market is a good time to add more employees to be prepared for the next boom, Higgs said.
Not that the Phoenix area is slowing down too much. Phoenix is the fastest-growing metro area in the nation, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data.
"Anywhere the sun shines, people are going to move to," Higgs said.
As baby boomers move into retirement, many are moving to the Phoenix area for the warm weather and lower taxes, he said.
