Ford Realty in Picayune is in the middle of a growth spurt.

Over the last year Broker Martha Ford added new staff to meet the growing demand in the Picayune area and renovated her office to make the building brighter and more inviting.

Now, she intends to continue that growth after being inspired by what she’s seen along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Recently she’s been spending a lot of time near the beach, and in that time she realized she was missing out on a market of interest to people in Pearl River County.

Ford has found that when she’s helped a family buy a home, they typically come back to her to find their next home since a rapport was established. However, if they were looking to buy in an area outside of Pearl River County, she would end up having to refer them to another agency.

And while that typically meant a small profit for her business if the sale occurred, she was missing out on helping her customers find the perfect property outside of Pearl River County.

To address that situation, she decided her agency would join the Gulf Coast Association of Realtors, which enables her and her staff to see listings within that coverage area.

She’s also added more staff. Ford Realty now has four Realtors who are licensed in Louisiana and Mississippi, and three who are licensed in Mississippi. By the end of the year, she expects two more Realtors to join the fold, one of which has experience as a broker, Bobbie Schute.

Ford said Schute will join Ford Realty as an associate broker, ensuring the business will continue should the unthinkable happen to Ford.

Now, her agency can co-list homes for sale across the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast, meaning more opportunities for business.

Ford said the housing market is doing well, and now even other Gulf Coast Realtors can see her more than 80 listings available in Pearl River County,

“It’s going to be a win, win,” Ford said.

And, it also means that her customers will know every house that is for sale,  meaning they are less likely to miss out on that dream home. Ford said that could occur because at times some home and land owners don’t advertise the fact that their property is up for sale with signs at the roadside. They may forego those signs to retain a bit of their privacy while they wait for a buyer, Ford said.

Now that she has access to properties within other counties, her next task is to become educated on the building codes within those areas, and about the ordinances regarding water front properties.

Ford Realty can be reached by calling 601-798-6202. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.