On June 1, 1997, three real estate companies of
long-standing high-esteem with the Iowa City community, united to form Coldwell Banker
Real Estate Professionals - The largest real estate company in this marketing area. The
firm currently has 53 active, full-time agents, a closing department and a complete
support staff.
Coldwell Banker Real Estate Professionals excels at residential resale properties,
relocation, land and lot sales, new homes and commercial real estate.
It is because of the reputable histories of the three combined companies that we are able
to say with pride that no other such merger has ever taken place in this area. The
histories of these three companies are chronicled below.
Hilgenberg, Cilek, Hintze & Hupfeld
This real estate company was founded by Roland M. Smith in 1946 as Roland M. Smith, Inc.,
Realtors and located in the Paul-Helen Building at 209 E. Washington St. in downtown Iowa
City.
In 1966, Jerry Hilgenberg joined the company and in 1968, he and Phyllis D. Mahoney formed
a joint partnership with Roland Smith.
In 1972, Mike Cilek started as a sales person and in 1977, he joined the partnership with
Roland, Jerry and Phyllis. In 1984, the office moved to 1519 S. Gilbert St. under the new
name of Smith, Hilgenberg, Cilek and Associates, with Jerry Hilgenberg and Mike Cilek as
the owners.
The company underwent another name change in 1990. It was now to be known as Hilgenberg,
Cilek, Hintze & Hupfeld, and this was to be its' name for the next 7 years.
On June 1, 1997, HCHH (as it was affectionately called) merged with Duncan, Matheson,
Lehman, Inc. and Coldwell Banker Anderson-Bender to form what is now known as Coldwell
Banker Real Estate Professionals.
Duncan Matheson Lehman, Inc.
In 1944 Lysle Duncan opened the real estate
office that was to become the forerunner of Duncan Matheson Lehman, Inc., a company with a
53-year legacy of excellence.
Dick Duncan joined his father in 1957, in the family business, taking over as sole
proprietor upon Lysle's retirement in 1972. Looking back over the years, Dick recently
reminisced that "… our goal has always been to serve the community by building
on the traditional values of the early years."
Since 1944, the company has adopted several different names, reflecting the addition of
various partners and company owners. On June 1, 1997, Duncan Matheson Lehman, Inc., as it
was then called, merged with 2 other offices: Hilgenberg, Cilek, Hintze & Hupfeld and
Coldwell Banker Anderson-Bender, REALTORS. The union of the three companies became known
as Coldwell Banker Real Estate Professionals, the largest real estate office in the Iowa
City area.
Coldwell Banker Anderson-Bender, REALTORS
Coldwell Banker Anderson-Bender, Realtors was
founded by Stephen G. Darling in 1948 as Darling & Company, and was located on the
second floor of the Iowa State Bank Building in downtown Iowa City. The firm was joined by
Robert J. Bender in 1963 and relocated to 335 S. Clinton. The firm changed its name to
Darling-Bender in 1964 and was well on the way to becoming one of Iowa City’s top
real estate brokerage firms.
James R. Anderson joined Darling-Bender in 1972 and became a partner in 1975.
Robert’s son, Thomas, joined the firm in 1976 and became a partner in 1979. The name
was changed to Anderson-Bender, Realtors in 1980 and affiliated with Coldwell Banker in
1984. Mark Kamps joined the firm as partner in 1993 and in 1994 Coldwell Banker
Anderson-Bender moved to its present location at 44 Sturgis Corner Drive. Jeff Edberg
joined Anderson-Bender in 1995 and became a partner in 1996.
On June 1, 1997, Coldwell Banker Anderson-Bender, REALTORS joined with two other companies
to form what is now Coldwell Banker Real Estate Professionals.
