Intero Real Estate Services, which began operating out of a temporary facility near Lark Avenue and Winchester Boulevard in February, moved into its permanent home at 518 N. Santa Cruz Ave. this fall. Since coming into town, the company has attracted agents who formerly worked for Coldwell Banker, Alain Pinel Realtors and other firms in and around Los Gatos.

"We are a new option for the consumer and the Realtor," said Brian Crane, vice president of Intero in Los Gatos and a former Alain Pinel employee. "Competition is good for everybody. Choice is important."

Since opening the first Intero office in Morgan Hill in fall 2002, Intero founder Gino Blefari has expanded his company to include 13 offices throughout Northern California and more than 500 real estate associates. Blefari was former senior vice president of National Realty Trust, which bought up Coldwell Banker, Contempo and other real estate companies.

Intero, a word that means "whole" in Italian, illustrates the company's guiding principle, which is to cultivate a staff of well-rounded people with balance in their personal and professional lives.

"If you work harder on yourself than you do on the job, you'll do your job better. You'll serve your clients better," Blefari said in September.

One example of providing "completeness" is Intero's foundation, which raises money for child-service agencies. So far, Intero's Los Gatos office has given $20,000 to such causes.

"We make our living here in the community, and we want to give back," Crane said. "It's a part that isn't about selling houses, but it's an example of whole and complete."

Agents at other firms say that Intero's presence is healthy for the market.

"We welcome those guys to town. It's always good to have another independent [company]," said Jeff Barnett, vice president of Alain Pinel in Los Gatos. "They're a bunch of good people, the agents they have over there."

While a few agents have left Alain Pinel to work for Intero, Barnett said it has not affected his company's ability to sell homes or its bottom line. In fact, Barnett said, with 240 Alain Pinel agents employed in Los Gatos today, there is still a waiting list of people hoping to find work with the company.

Jeff Culbertson, president of Coldwell Banker in Silicon Valley, said he is not concerned with Intero's move to town. Since Jan. 1 of this year, Coldwell Banker has hired 42 new agents in Los Gatos, including some from Alain Pinel, while losing about seven to Intero, Culbertson said.

"In the real estate business, you have a lot of movement. It's the nature of the business," he said.

According to statistics from Culbertson's office, Alain Pinel and Coldwell Banker have each sold 43 percent of the homes sold in Los Gatos this year. Intero has sold 3.7 percent of those homes.

Representatives from all three companies agree that Los Gatos is a key location for real estate business.

"We in this area are blessed with the real estate economy," Crane said. "It's been a strong industry, and with technology layoffs, the industry has attracted a lot of new recruits."

Sandy Sims contributed to this story.