Two of the bigger players in the Inland Northwest residential real estate market, Coldwell Banker Tomlinson and Century 21 Beutler & Associates, have consolidated some operations under a common ownership group.

Ann Beutler, co-founder of Coeur d'Alene-based Century 21 Beutler & Associates and a partner in the new ownership group, says the six affected individual real estate offices will maintain their current brand identities.

The offices collectively have roughly 400 real estate agents and support employees in all, says Mike Hume, another partner in the ownership group. They include two Coldwell Banker offices in Spokane, Century 21 offices in Coeur d'Alene and Spokane, and two Sotheby's International Realty offices in Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint, he says.

"There will be a lot of synergy from this," Beutler says. "We're working on some new programs, products, and services we can bring to agents and customers."

Hume says the ownership group will operate its Idaho offices through two companies named T&B Idaho Inc. and T&B Idaho Two Inc., encompassing the Century 21 and Sotheby's International Realty offices in that state, and will operate Spokane offices through T&B Washington Inc.

Beutler says no money or assets changed hands during the ownership transition.

"We're just forming a new ownership group," she says.

Bob Tomlinson, CEO of Coeur d'Alene-based Tomlinson Real Estate Group LLC and another owner in the new ownership group, wasn't available immediately for comment.

In a prepared statement, however, Tomlinson says, "We see a positive advantage to being able to serve a much broader customer base."

The new group has a total of nine owners, Hume says. In addition to Tomlinson and Hume, owners previously involved in just the Coldwell Banker operations are Fred Meyer, Eric Johnson, Neil Johnson, and Melinda Denton, he says. In addition to Ann Beutler, owners coming from the Century 21 side are John Beutler and Jeff Bond, he says.

Under the new ownership structure, Tomlinson is the board chairman, Hume is president, Ann Beutler is vice president, Meyer is secretary, Bond is treasurer, and the other owners carry the title of directors, Ann Beutler says.

She says combining forces is expected to help the offices gain market strength, especially in the Spokane area. "There's some potential for us to grow in the Spokane market, and to grow our market share in Coeur d'Alene," she says.

Hume says, "It's just to make us have more of a regional presence in the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene area and in Sandpoint. This joining of forces also brings together two great local names, Beutler and Tomlinson, which further increases our market strength."

The Coldwell Banker Tomlinson offices under the ownership group are located at 4102 S. Regal, on Spokane's South Hill; and at 8205 N. Division, on Spokane's North Side.

Affected Sotheby's International Realty offices are located at 221 E. Sherman, in Coeur d'Alene, and at 200 Main, in Sandpoint.

The Beutler & Associates offices that are under the ownership group are located at 1836 Northwest Boulevard, in Coeur d'Alene, and at 41 W. Riverside, in downtown Spokane.

Tomlinson Group offices that aren't under the new partnership group are located in Boise, Tri-Cities, Cheney, Moses Lake, Pullman, Moscow, Lewiston, and Clarkston, Hume says.

The Tomlinson Group was founded in 1938 as a full-service real estate company. Coldwell Banker Tomlinson was ranked the third largest Coldwell Banker franchise in the U.S. for 2012 by real estate trade magazine REAL Trends.

In 1990, business partners John and Ann Beutler opened an independent real estate brokerage in Coeur d'Alene, the Beutler & Associates website says. In 1997, the agency affiliated with Century 21.

Century 21 Beutler & Associates has ranked in the top 10 companies in the International Century 21 System, and the Coeur d'Alene office was ranked the No. 1 Century 21 office in the world in 2007 and 2009, based on sales volume, Beutler & Associates says.