A recent Wall Street Journal article listed Seattle as the number one market in the nation to begin bouncing back from the economic slump. That news brings a smile to the faces of Phyllis and David Danforth, who have some news of their own. They have just completed the purchase of Coldwell Banker Del Bianco Realty in Burien.

The Danforths have been a Coldwell Banker affiliate since 1993, with principal offices in Federal Way and boast 250 agents on their roster. The new combination adds 48 Del Bianco agents and makes Coldwell Banker Danforth and Associates the largest single real estate office in the nation.

Bob Del Bianco, who along with his wife, Toni, owned the agency, will remain as broker. He has worked for 43 years as a Realtor in the South Seattle area. His office was the first Coldwell Banker affiliate in the Seattle area, in 1993. That same year, Danforth and Associates became an affiliate, too. Phyllis Danforth had been a Coldwell Banker agent working out of the Southcenter office, beginning in 1974.

Danforth and Associates opened in Federal Way in 1993 with 38 agents. Prior to that, agents rented a "desk" and paid a monthly fee. Each agent was expected to produce $25,000 in commissions.

In the new office, the Danforths moved toward the concept of the "virtual office" which allows real estate agents to work from home or anywhere without the obligation to pay for a desk, but still be able to take advantage of the support staff at the main office.

Many aspects of a transaction can now be done online. In the Danforth system, agents do pay a fee, but keep all their commission.

In the new combined agency, Realtors will be able to lease space in the Burien office that housed Del Bianco Realty.

"We only hire experienced agents," Phyllis Danforth noted. "That is how we have grown. We decided to do something different in order to survive. I've worked hard over the years to build a solid foundation for our office and we're now in a fortunate position to move strategically while many other firms are struggling," she said.

The other distinction Danforth and Associates has is they are the largest single office in the Unites States with a woman owner.

The new organization has agents living in all the communities between Federal Way and Ballard, David Danforth said. The virtual office concept means that the number of agents who can work this way is unlimited.

Transactions that once took 120 days might now be done in three to four days if the buyer has cash in hand. The average closing, aided by technology, is about 30 days, he said.

He also said his company offers training classes to all agents for continuing education.