"The first thing you've got to do is keep the talent," he says. "They've got a strong base of agents."

The next thing on the list will be to expand. The merger will immediately grow GVA's presence in California, with the San Francisco office adding about 40% more office space to its current location at Two Transamerica Center (505 Sansome St.). The space will be used to add brokers, which the company is currently recruiting, as well as, property management and appraisal services.

As for expansion into additional Bay Area markets, Lyons says he will be opportunistic. "I would like to do another Portland," he says, referring to finding local brokers who want to break away from their current situation and open an office under the Kidder Mathews name. "As we talk [to brokers about joining the San Francisco office] there might be a group that says 'hey, I want to do something'; if that comes up and it's the right fit, we will do it."

Generally speaking, Lyon says that if they can expand into a new market every 18 months to two years that would be good, with the goal being four or five additional offices in the region. "But if the right opportunity arises, we would do it more quickly," he adds.

Whitney Cressman and Kidder Mathews are not new to each other. Since the two both became affiliates of GVA, they have been assisting each other with clients that are doing business in the others' market. That got the principals started talking, and at some point several months back Lyon says the principals at Whitney Cressman began thinking about broadening their base of ownership similar to Kidder Mathews, which has dozens of shareholders both within and outside the company.

"I said if you are really looking to do something, why don't we talk about doing something bigger on the West Coast together," Lyon says. "It grew from there."

Whitney established the firm bearing his name in 1974. The firm became an affiliate of GVA in 2002. Kidder Mathews was launched in 1969 by Jerry Mathews and partners Bill Kidder and Bob James. The company now has about 70 shareholders and more than 250 employees. Mathews recently stepped down as chairman to become chairman emeritus, but continues to serve on the firm's strategic planning and compensation committees.