The Rogue Valley's vigorous economic expansion has turned commercial real estate offices into a growth industry.

The number of local commercial brokerages has nearly doubled in the past decade, offering a wider range of options for people involved in property sales and leases.

Real estate franchises such as Coldwell Banker, John L. Scott and Re/MAX have expanded their commercial presence in recent years and Keller Williams Realty Southern Oregon became the latest entry in the parade this month.

"This makes for a more all-around real estate office," said Keller Williams partner Bill Allen. "We're definitely not going to take over the market, but we want to have a play in what is going on."

Keller Williams, operated by Bill Leep and Allen, opened a residential office in Medford at 1025 Court St. last year. Veteran Bay Area broker Tom Fischer will work out of the same location for Keller Williams.

Fischer began his career 1985 with San Jose-based BT Commercial, one of the largest Northern California brokers which earned an estimated $80 million in gross commissions last year. In 1993, Fischer co-founded Catalyst Real Estate Group in Palo Alto with Mark Pearson. Catalyst carved out a niche in the biotech field, representing tenants and landlords.

After selling his share of the business and operating a scuba diving business in Costa Rica between 1995-98, Fischer launched a brokerage division for Palo Alto property management firm Wills & Co. He then moved into land acquisition for the Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District.

Keller Williams commercial division's phone number is 608-0447.