Like most people coming to Prague in the early '90s, Ben Anderson was looking for a new adventure. What he ended up finding was a new career path.

After a few years of doing various jobs to pay the rent, Anderson decided that he was going to make his stay in the Czech Republic a little more permanent, and, with the help of another fellow British expat, opened Identity Ltd., a firm dedicated to selling and leasing commercial and private property.

The real estate scene in those days was a little chaotic. Anderson remembers hearing about how some landlords would just walk into tenants' homes unannounced.

"It was the clash of a different way of thinking and a different culture," he says.

Anderson and his business partner, Mark Batt, were hoping they could bring some order to the market with their new business venture.

The risk paid off. Identity, which is now headquartered along a busy, tree-lined street in Vinohrady, is celebrating nearly 10 years on the Czech market, and managers say business is stronger than ever. Over the past decade, the firm has picked up some pretty big-name clients, including ORCO Property Group, ING Housing, GE Capital and Riverside School. It relies heavily on personal referrals when taking on new clients.

"There are always going to be new firms coming along, and that is fine," Anderson explains. "They are cutting corners.

"It all comes down to [the fact that] it's a small town, and everyone knows each other," Anderson adds. "We want to build up long-term relationships with people."

Anderson says Identity never turns anyone away, regardless of whether they want to make a purchase, find a rental or just need a little advice.

"We will show them what they want, and we will show them the best we have," Anderson says.

Since moving to Prague 2 in July, Identity has seen an increase in its walk-ins, and Anderson couldn't be happier.

"We are so visible here," he says.

In the greater scheme of things, however, being around for 10 years on the Czech market is not a long time, notes Michal Malecha, Identity's leasing manager.

"Everything started in 1990, after the communists left," Malecha points out.

But, despite this, "I think our image is very good. We don't get any complaints," he adds before chuckling, "If we did, it would end up on Expats.cz."

Anderson says his firm's staying power is a testament to the value it places on friendly, straightforward service.

"We put the emphasis on customer care," he says. "I think we are fairly pleasant, and we are fairly choosy over whom we employ. There is a very highly skilled work force here."

Malecha, who came to Identity six years ago, can attest to that. "I actually care about whether my clients find a good price," he says. "I am not considering clients as numbers."

Identity helps its clients through both short- and long-term leases. Rentals generally start around 15,000 Kč ($680) per month for a one-bedroom apartment, according to Anderson.

"We have been doing rentals in this country for 10 years, and we know how much an apartment can fetch," Anderson says. "We know what we are showing [clients] is a good product."

For those looking to buy or sell, Identity will help scout out property locations and guide its client through the process from the initial meetings with land surveyors and architects to mortgage consulting and ownership validation.

"A lot of expats buy apartments to rent out as an investment," Anderson says, adding that the firm is currently marketing 18 houses in Prague 5. "We sell the product for the right price to the right person."

Identity also has a presence on the commercial market, whether it is with startups or established companies. The firm also assists investors with the identification and acquisition of commercial and residential properties.

"There is hardly any exclusivity on the market," Malecha says.