KINGSTON — In a flurry of paper, computers and office supplies, Windermere officially blew into Kingston this week, taking over a longtime fixture on the real estate scene, Shamrock Realty.

The changeover of the long-standing office was completed yesterday after months of negotiations.

“I felt it was time to get away from the responsibility of owning a business,” said Shamrock owner Gary Henry. “I wanted to get back to selling real estate. I’m not retiring, I’m just getting back to the fun of working with customers.”

Henry’s mother-in-law, Dorothy Bradley, was a part of the group of women that opened Shamrock Realty in 1965. She bought it from the group shortly thereafter.

Bradley ran it until 1980 when Henry and his wife, Linda, purchased the business.

“Shamrock has been a valued member of the Kingston business community for over 40 years,” said Kingston Windermere manager Kelly Muldrow. “The agents are committed to serving the community. Windermere will continue what Shamrock has done.”

About six months ago, Henry decided he was ready to sell the office, and approached Windermere to see if the firm was interested.

Coincidentally, a few weeks before, Kitsap County Windermere co-owners Carter Dotson and Jim Laws were in the midst of planning to site a Windermere office in Kingston.

Henry was seeking a reputable agency that would blend his style into its overall business philosophy, and Dotson and Laws were looking for a place to settle in the North End. The trio agrees the sale could be the start of something new and vibrant in Kingston.

“This is an exciting opportunity,” Dotson said. “Part of the joy of the process is just looking to build on what (Shamrock) did in Kingston.”

Shamrock’s current employees, including the Henrys, will continue working with Windermere. Shamrock will remain a company until Henry’s final real estate transaction with the business closes. All other Shamrock Realtors and agents have completed their dealings as a part of the company and have already transferred to Windermere.

In the next few weeks, Henry will follow suit, and said he has no regrets about it.

“I’m not going to miss a thing about running my own business,” he said. “It can’t be all bad, since I managed to do it for 26 years, but I’m ready to move the control to somebody else.”

Windermere is all set to get underway working in Kingston, Dotson said, and has already hired a new agent from the area and is hoping to build on Shamrock’s legacy.

“I see Kingston as having unlimited potential,” he said. “It’s very attractive to folks who are tired of living in the city and are ready for something a little smaller and quieter.”

“I think the North Kitsap community has recognized that Kingston is a gem in the crown of Kitsap,” Muldrow said, adding that he and Windermere hope to continue that reputation.