Our Story
Take a trip through history and see how we have grown to be the #1 in the world!
CENTURY 21 Affiliated's Story
Bill Kessler Opens CENTURY 21 A-K Realty
Bill Kessler purchased a CENTURY 21® Franchise after taking out a small loan and forming CENTURY 21 A-K realty with partner Gene Anderson. After the market crash in the early 80’s, he proposed the merger of three local CENTURY 21 companies, creating CENTURY 21 Affiliated.
Fun Fact: Using his Blue Volkswagon van as collateral, Bill Kessler was able to obtain a loan in order to purchase a CENTURY 21 franchise in 1978.
1978
1992
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Honored As The Most Productive CENTURY 21 Office In The World
CENTURY 21 Affiliated is honored as the most productive CENTURY 21 office in the world, out of 6,234 brokerages. This is a trend that will continue throughout the years.
Fun Fact: The CENTURY 21 franchise is the most recognized name in real estate (according to a study by Kantar).
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Begins Expansion
CENTURY 21 Affiliated begins expanding, with its first acquisition in Stoughton, WI, and first branch office in Waterloo, WI. CENTURY 21 Affiliated's Stoughton office still remains part of the organization today.
1993
2002
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Is Named Top 10 Broker In The Nation
CENTURY 21 Affiliated is named a Top 10 Broker in the Nation. CENTURY 21 Affiliated's drive to help clients makes them a leader in the real estate industry.
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Has 26+ Locations And 400 Professionals
This year, CENTURY 21 Affiliated had 26+ locations and 400 professionals. All of these offices and agents were based out of Central Wisconsin. Within a few years, the company would expand into new states.
Fun Fact: CENTURY 21 Affiliated has offices in six states - Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Florida and Wisconsin!
2004
2005
Dan Kruse Officially Starts Working For CENTURY 21 Affiliated
Dan Kruse started his journey with CENTURY 21 Affiliated as a Regional Manager running two offices in South Central WI. His success would lay the foundation for his future endeavors with CENTURY 21 Affiliated.
Fun Fact: Both of Dan's parents are Real Estate professionals with CENTURY 21 Affiliated
Dan Kruse Becomes A Partner And Named President Of CENTURY 21 Affiliated
Dan Kruse officially became a partner with Kessler and was named President of the organization.
2009
2011
Bill Kessler And Dan Kruse Form A Partnership With Tom Bretz And Adam Freeman
Dan Kruse forms a partnership with Tom Bretz and Adam Freeman and expands CENTURY 21 Affiliated into the Chicago market with the startup of an office in downtown Chicago. The idea of a regional franchise quickly became a reality for CENTURY 21 Affiliated.
Fun Fact: The partnership between Dan, Tom and Adam was discussed over a round of golf.
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Continues To Expand Into The Chicago Markets
CENTURY 21 Affiliated continues its growth through Mergers and Acquisitions throughout the greater Chicago marketplace. Offices range from the north in Waukegan, to downtown Chicago, to the south in Homewood.
2012
2013
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Is Named #1 In The World And Continues To Grow Into Indiana
CENTURY 21 Affiliated is named #1 In The World for the first time ever and continues the growth of the company into Indiana with our 54th office. CENTURY 21 Affiliated would go on to open several offices in the northwest part of the state, spanning from Schererville to Elkhart.
Fun Fact: CENTURY 21 Affiliated's 100th office to join the Affiliated Family was in Portage, IN.
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Partners With Jasen Schrock And Opens Offices In Michigan And Is Named #1 In The World For The First Time
CENTURY 21 Affiliated partners with Jasen Schrock and opens offices in Michigan. CENTURY 21 Affiliated would go on to open offices on the coast of Lake Michigan, in Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, along with many other locations.
Fun Fact: Before joining CENTURY 21 Affiliated, Jasen Schrock used to work for CENTURY 21 Real Estate LLC.
2014
2015
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Named #1 In The World And Breaks Transactions Record
CENTURY 21 Affiliated boasts 75 offices in four states, is named the #1 CENTURY 21 in the world for the second time, and breaks the CENTURY 21 world record with 12,063 closed transactions. This is a major milestone for both the company and the franchise.
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Named #1 CENTURY 21 Franchise In The World
CENTURY 21 Affiliated was recognized as the #1 CENTURY 21 franchise in the world in AGC and units sold for the third time. This is a first for any CENTURY 21 franchise, and CENTURY 21 Affiliated continues to hold the record for most transactions in one year. CENTURY 21 Affiliated was honored at the CENTURY 21 Global Conference in Las Vegas with many Affiliated agents in attendance.
2016
2017
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Named #1 CENTURY 21 Franchise In The World
CENTURY 21 Affiliated was recognized as the #1 CENTURY 21 franchise in the world in AGC and units sold for the fourth time. This is the second year in a row CENTURY 21 Affiliated achieved this milestone and is a first for any CENTURY 21 franchise. CENTURY 21 Affiliated was honored at the CENTURY 21 Global Conference in Orlando, FL with many Affiliated agents in attendance.
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Expands Into Florida
CENTURY 21 Affiliated expands into Florida with the acquisition of an office in Tampa. CENTURY 21 Affiliated would go on to open six offices in Florida, both on the Atlantic Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico.
2017
2018
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Celebrates 40 Years Of Service
For the last 40 years, CENTURY 21 Affiliated has been the local leader in real estate, providing home buyers and sellers with services that have helped them make informed real estate decisions. In 2018, CENTURY 21 Affiliated was excited to celebrate its 40th anniversary as a CENTURY 21 franchise.
Fun Fact: In the summer of 2018, Bill Kessler visited all 100+ offices in 100 days.
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Named #1 CENTURY 21 Franchise In The World For 2017
For the fifth time in a row, CENTURY 21 Affiliated is named #1 CENTURY 21 Franchise In The World. CENTURY 21 Affiliated was honored at the CENTURY 21 annual One21 Event in Las Vegas with many Affiliated agents in attendance and thousands of franchise members.
2018
2019
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Opens Its First Office In Minnesota
CENTURY 21 Affiliated opens its first office in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. This new office, just 20 minutes from St. Paul, allows for a broader range of coverage within the eastern part of Minnesota.
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Named #1 CENTURY 21 Franchise In The World For 2018
CENTURY 21 Affiliated was recognized as the #1 CENTURY 21® franchise in the world for the sixth time in a row. This is the third year in a row that CENTURY 21 Affiliated has broken the record in AGC and units sold with 100 Million in AGC and almost 21,000 closed units.
2019
2022
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Expands Into The California Markets
CENTURY 21 Affiliated is pleased to announce they have expanded its footprint by partnering with CENTURY 21 Award in Southern California. CENTURY 21 Award has 15 offices throughout Southern California and is a top-five franchise.
With this historic merger, CENTURY 21 Affiliated, the top-ranked franchise, will now have offices in three time zones (Pacific, Central and Eastern), 734 agents and 15 locations in Southern California. This is in addition to its current 995 agents and more than 60 offices across Northern Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
This is the first time that two CENTURY 21 franchises ranked in the top five have merged.
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Named #1 CENTURY 21 Franchise In The World For 2022
Once again, CENTURY 21 Affiliated was named #1 in the world for the 9th year! CENTURY 21 Affiliated boasts 75+ offices and 1,500 agents throughout 5 states.
2023
2024
CENTURY 21 Affiliated Named #1 CENTURY 21 Franchise In The World For 2023
10 Years of Excellence! In a historic moment in real estate, CENTURY 21 Affiliated was named the #1 CENTURY 21 franchise for the 10th year in a row, with many of our agents doing more business than the last year!
© 2023 CENTURY 21 Affiliated
©2023 . All rights reserved. CENTURY 21®, the CENTURY 21 Logo and C21® are service marks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC. Century 21 Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated.
This information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. You should rely on this information only to decide whether or not to further investigate a particular property. BEFORE MAKING ANY OTHER DECISION, YOU SHOULD PERSONALLY INVESTIGATE THE FACTS (e.g. square footage and lot size) with the assistance of an appropriate professional. You may use this information only to identify properties you may be interested in investigating further. All uses except for personal, noncommercial use in accordance with the foregoing purpose are prohibited. Redistribution or copying of this information, any photographs or video tours is strictly prohibited. This information is derived from the Internet Data Exchange (IDX) service provided by San Diego MLS. Displayed property listings may be held by a brokerage firm other than the broker and/or agent responsible for this display. The information and any photographs and video tours and the compilation from which they are derived is protected by copyright. Compilation © 2023 San Diego MLS.
Contact Information: CENTURY 21 Affiliated • Nikki Coppa • CA Department of Real Estate - CA DRE #01897784 • 7676 HAZARD CENTER DR #300, SAN DIEGO, CA 92108 • (619) 471-2000
