TIFTON — Within a year, the first major Keller Williams Real Estate office more than quintupled its staff of agents and Karen Thomas, office head, was eager to go all out in celebration.

In collaboration with the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce, Thomas held a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this month to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the opening of her branch of the Keller Williams Real Estate company.

Featuring a full course of catering and live music, the event saw the office space filled with members of the community, from the office employees and their friends and family to officials of the chamber, city and county.

The office is notable for being what its parent company refers to as a Real Estate Centers, or REC, which are larger than typical real estate offices and typically require standards, such as a larger staff, that a city like Tifton could not normally provide.

However, the conditions have been slightly reduced to accommodate the smaller town, allowing Tifton to be the home of the first revised model REC. As the leader of this new REC, Thomas said she has worked to ensure her office fully serves both the community and its parent company, having boosted her staff from only two agents at the start to 17.

“We feel thrilled,” Thomas said. “Because we love being in the community. This is where we raised our children, our grandchildren; so for us, it’s just a pleasure to be here and serve the community, give back to the community.”

Thomas has worked with Keller Williams for only a year, since the Tifton office opened, but has had 17 years of experience in real estate. She said she hopes with this new office, she will be able to continue serving the community, both as a business and as a member of it.

Keller Williams Realty is located at 122 2nd St., and is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. More information, call (833)-833-1145