LAPLACE – The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. announced recently that Gertrude Gardner, Realtors, New Orleans largest and oldest locally-owned real estate company under the same family leadership, has merged with Prudential Louisiana Properties, to form Prudential Gardner, Realtors. The new company will specialize in residential, commercial, fine home and relocation activities. The Gertrude Gardner Corp. was founded in 1943 by Gertrude Gardner and has been run by her grandson, Glenn Gardner, as president since 1979. The company specializes in residential, commercial and industrial sales, rental property and management, auction, business opportunity and home loan services. The company is ranked in the top 1 percent of all real estate companies nationally and had gross annual sales of approximately $753 million in 1999. The merger of New Orleans-based Gertrude Gardener, Realtors, including it’s subsidiary Martha Ann Samuel, Inc Realtors, and Prudential Louisiana Properties, including its sister company, Prudential Bailey Real Estate, was effective Jan. 1. Throughout Metropolitan New Orleans, Southern Mississippi and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Gertrude Gardner, Realtors, has 21 offices, approximately 800 licensed sales professionals and brokers and 75 employees. Prudential Louisiana Properties has 14 offices, over 500 licensed sales professionals and brokers and 58 employees. The combined entity creates metropolitan New Orleans’ Largest residential real estate company with more than 30 percent market share, which is 50 percent more residential sales volume in metro New Orleans area than the company’s next closest competitor in metro New Orleans and the surrounding areas. Together, both companies generated in excess of $1.3 billion in sales in 1999. Barbara Blades, president and CEO of Prudential Louisiana Properties, will be president of residential services; Glenn Gardner, president and CEO of Gertrude Gardner, Realtors, will become president of operation; and Norris Songe, CEO of Prudential Louisiana Properties, will be president of client services. According to Blades, “this merger is about more than market share. It is the coming together of two tremendously respected real estate brands who have a clear vision in deliver exceptional real estate related service in new and innovative ways.” Gardner added, “My grandmother built her name, Gertrude Gardner,’ into a house-sold’ word. As we move into the next century, we look forward to the blending of these two great companies and how, together, we can serve the needs of our market in a bigger and better way with additional client services. Gertrude Gardner, Realtors, has been known as home grown, locally owned and national known for many years, and now as part of this larger entity, Prudential Gardner, Realtors, we’ll still be homegrown and locally owned, but now even international known.” Prudential Louisiana Properties, an independently owned and operated franchisee of the Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., has been a part of the Prudential Real Estate Network since 1989. Veterans in the real estate industry, the management team of Prudential Louisiana Properties have been involved in the business since 1967. The company excels as one of the premier real estate specialists in the New Orleans metropolitan and Mississippi Gulf Coast areas and is a valued member of the community. Prudential Louisiana Properties had gross annual sales of approximately $559 million in 1999. Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, a company of the Prudential Insurance Company of America, consists of two entities: The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. and Prudential Relocation. The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. is a leading full-service real estate franchise operation that awarded its first affiliation in 1988. The Prudential Real Estate Network comprises of approximately 42,000 sales professionals in more than 1,500 offices through the United States and Canada. The Network generated an annual sales volume of $92.4 billion in 1999. Prudential Real Estate brokerage services are offered through the network of franchisees of The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. Most franchisees are independently owned and operated. The River Parishes offices are managed by Linda Martin, Richard Labat and Mary Bergeron, and they remind that Prudential Gardner, Realtors stands ready to give the same high-quality service that clients of both companies have enjoyed for many years. According to Martin, “We are delighted to join forces with this well-respected company.” Labat adds,” The merger of two area real estate market leaders will be of great benefit to both buyers and sellers. “Here in the Boutte office, we are all looking forward to the blending of these two great companies. Our clients can look forward to the same personalized service they have come to expect, along with the additional benefits a larger company can provide,” said Bergeron.