Long & Foster

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Long & Foster Companies

Type	Corporation
Founded	Fairfax, Virginia, (1968)
Headquarters	Fairfax, Virginia, USA
Key people	P. Wesley Foster, CEO Brenda Shipplett, President
Industry	Real Estate, Mortgage, Insurance, Settlement & Title
Website	www.longandfoster.com

Founded in 1968, Long & Foster has grown from a single, 600-square-foot (56 m²) office in Fairfax, Virginia, to the largest privately-owned real estate company in the United States. Close to 17,000 agents represent Long & Foster Real Estate in nearly 260 sales offices in the mid-Atlantic region.^[1] According to the 2007 Swanepoel TRENDS Report [1] Long and Foster was ranked as #1 Regional Real Estate Brand.

P. Wesley Foster, the Chief Executive Officer and one of the founders, began his real estate career in 1963 as a sales manager at Michew Corporation, a home building company. In 1966, he moved to Nelson Realty as vice-president of sales. In 1968, he founded Long & Foster Companies with Henry Long. Long & Foster began with Foster handling the residential real estate arm of the business and Long handling the commercial side. Foster became the sole owner in July 1979, eleven years after establishing Long & Foster.

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. has offices and associates in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Delaware, and North Carolina. It provides services including the sale and purchase of homes, land, and commercial properties; mortgage, title, and insurance assistance; insurance offerings; and relocation and settlement services.