96




                     THIRD AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT


         This Third Amendment to Employment  Agreement (this "Third  Amendment")
is entered  into as of January 1, 1997 by and between  John Bram  Bartling,  Jr.
("Employee")   and  Cardinal  Realty   Services,   Inc.,  an  Ohio   corporation
("Employer").

                                    RECITALS:

         A.  Employee  and  Employer  are a  party  to that  certain  Employment
Agreement dated as of December 1, 1995, as amended by that certain  Amendment to
Employment  and Award  Agreements  dated as of April 18,  1996 and that  certain
Second  Amendment to Employment  Agreement  dated as of December 20, 1996 (as so
amended, the "Employment Agreement").

         B.  Terms  which  are  used but not  otherwise  defined  in this  Third
Amendment have the meanings given them in the Employment  Agreement  (including,
without  limitation,  terms  defined  in  prior  Amendments  to  the  Employment
Agreement).  The Employer desires to increase the Base  Compensation of Employee
for the 1997  fiscal  year,  to permit  the  payment  of a  portion  of the Base
Compensation  of the Employee for the 1997 fiscal year in shares of Common Stock
and to allow the  Company to pay a portion of the Cash Bonus for the 1996 fiscal
year in shares of Common Stock.

         NOW  THEREFORE,  Employer  and Employee  agree to amend the  Employment
Agreement as provided in this Third Amendment:

         1. Amendments to Employment Agreement.

                  (a)  Section  3(a)(i) of the  Employment  Agreement  is hereby
         amended  by  deleting  the  words  "and any  extension(s)  hereof"  and
         substituting the words "through December 31, 1996" therefor.

                  (b) Section 3(a) of the Employment Agreement is hereby further
         amended by adding the  following  provisions to the end of said Section
         3(a):

                  (iv) From January 1, 1997  through the term of this  Agreement
                  and any  extension(s)  thereof,  Employee's Base  Compensation
                  shall  equal  Three   Hundred  and  Forty   Thousand   Dollars
                  ($340,000) per annum.

                  (v) The  Base  Compensation  paid  to  Employee  for the  year
                  beginning  on  January 1, 1997 and ending  December  31,  1997
                  shall be paid as follows:

                           (A)      Two Hundred and Ninety-eight  Thousand Seven
                                    Hundred  and  Fifty  Dollars  ($298,750)  in
                                    cash, and




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                           (B)      Forty-one  Thousand  Two  Hundred  and Fifty
                                    Dollars  ($41,250) in shares of Common Stock
                                    valued  at  $20.625   per  share  (or  2,000
                                    shares),

                  in equal  bi-monthly  installments of cash and equal quarterly
                  installments  of shares of Common  Stock (or 500 shares at the
                  end of each calendar  quarter) of the Employer issuable to the
                  Trustee for the benefit of Employee .

                  (c) Section 3(b) of the Employment Agreement is hereby further
         amended by adding the following language at the end of Section 3(b):

                  (v) Notwithstanding  the foregoing  provisions of this Section
                  3(b),  in the event that  Employee  shall be  entitled  to the
                  payment of a Cash Bonus on account of  Employer's  1996 fiscal
                  year,  then, in such event,  Employee shall have the option to
                  elect to  receive  all or any  portion  of such Cash  Bonus in
                  shares  of  Common  Stock  based  upon a per  share  price  of
                  $20.625,  which  shares of Common Stock shall be issued to the
                  Trustee for the  benefit of Employee on account  (and in lieu)
                  of all or such portion of Employee's Cash Bonus for Employer's
                  1996 fiscal year.

         2. Miscellaneous.

                  (a)  Effect  of  Amendment.  Except as  specifically  provided
         herein, this Third Amendment does not in any way waive, amend,  modify,
         affect or impair the terms and conditions of the Employment  Agreement,
         and all terms and conditions of the Employment  Agreement are to remain
         in full force and effect unless otherwise specifically amended,  waived
         or changed pursuant hereto.

                  On and after the date of this Third Amendment,  each reference
         in the Employment Agreement to "this Agreement", "hereunder", "hereof",
         "herein" or words of like import referring to the Employment  Agreement
         shall mean and be a reference to the Employment Agreement as heretofore
         amended and as further amended by this Third Amendment.

                  This Third Amendment  constitutes  the entire  agreement among
         the parties  pertaining to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all
         prior and contemporaneous agreements,  understandings,  representations
         or other arrangements,  whether express or implied, written or oral, of
         the  parties in  connection  therewith  except to the extent  expressly
         incorporated or specifically referred to herein.

                  (b) Counterparts.  This Third Amendment may be executed in any
         number of  counterparts  and by  different  parties  hereto in separate
         counterparts,  each of which when so executed  and  delivered  shall be
         deemed an original, but all such counterparts together shall constitute
         but one and the same instrument.

                  (c) Governing Law. This Third  Amendment shall be governed by,
         and shall be construed  and enforced in accordance  with,  the internal
         laws  of the  State  of  Ohio,  without  regard  to  conflicts  of laws
         principles.



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         IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  Employer  and  Employee  have  signed  this Third
Amendment so as of the date hereinabove provided.

                                              CARDINAL REALTY SERVICES, INC.
Attest:

______________________________                By:  /s/ John Bram Bartling, Jr.
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                       JOHN BRAM BARTLING, JR.