Storton plans Bend real estate offices

The Bend offices of RE/MAX Equity Group fell victim to the downturn in the real estate market last week.

The RE/MAX headquarters office announced that the brokerage in the Old Mill District is shutting its doors.

Peter Storton, the owner and principal broker of Sisters' RE/MAX Town & Country Realty, said that he plans to allow some of the brokers from that office to affiliate with his Sisters office - and he plans to reboot a RE/MAX presence in Bend.

"There are a lot of great brokers there that have been here longer than I have," Storton said.

Storton's situation in Sisters is entirely different from that of RE/MAX Equity Group.

"That belongs to the company," he said. "We're a franchise and we're privately owned."

Storton said he is interested in creating a franchise in Bend, perhaps in the same location on a reduced scale.

"There's meetings going on," he said. "Nothing's been scheduled at the moment."