Florida Realtors 2024 Leadership: Delivering Essential Tools for Today’s Market
Despite headwinds in the industry, this year’s Leadership Team has a renewed vow to serve consumers and members.
There are glimmers of growth in the housing market, and opportunities abound for Realtors® who are committed to serving their communities. There’s no better day than today to show your value, engage in additional training and use the free products and services that Florida Realtors® offers as part of your membership.
The 2024 Leadership Team is here to help your business thrive despite the chaos swirling. “Our organization has always had very strong advocacy and that will continue to be a priority,” says Gia Arvin, 2024 Florida Realtors® president and broker-owner of Matchmaker Realty in Gainesville. “We had an historic 2023 as far as homeownership initiatives with affordable housing and down-payment assistance with the Hometown Heroes program, now part of the Live Local Act. We want to build on that, focusing on insurance reform because that is a key piece to affordable housing,” she said.
It’s safe to say that in addition to advocacy, Florida Realtors’ products and services can provide members with that competitive advantage, so they can save money and boost business. For example, the Florida Realtors® free SunStats® real estate market statistics allows agents to pull reports of macro- and micro-level housing market trends. The Florida Realtors® free Legal Hotline attorneys offer guidance on a variety of legal questions regarding property issues, broker business, ethics, license law, contracts and much more. And the Florida Realtors® free Tech Helpline is available to members seven days a week to help with tech issues, large and small. Rounding out the list of exclusive member benefits is Form Simplicity, which offers up-to-date easily accessible contracts, addendums and transaction management services. Simply said: Florida Realtors is your true business partner.
Florida Realtor® magazine interviewed the Leadership Team to share their visions for the future and how the association can be your partner throughout your real estate career.
Gia Arvin, President
Broker-Owner, Matchmaker Realty, Gainesville
Arvin is a Board Certified real estate broker who took over her mother’s brokerage when she passed away a few years ago. She uses many Florida Realtors® tools and services in her own business. Here’s what she has to say:
Homegrown Priorities. We want to focus on the Florida issues facing real estate professionals today, which means continuing to innovate and find ways to bring additional insurance providers back to the state. Also, the condo market is so contentious with everything that happened in South Florida. We need condo reform as well as access to the community association documents. Also, water quality continues to be a big issue. Environmental funding is of utmost importance.
Professionalism. As a broker-owner, part of my job is training new agents. Florida Realtor® magazine is a key part of every office meeting we have. I read the magazine cover to cover, then I ask three questions at each meeting to ensure the agents are also reading it. The magazine is a powerful tool when it comes to getting relevant information to the agents in my office.
Tim Weisheyer, President-Elect
President, Dream Builders Realty, Orlando
Weisheyer owns five companies, including his real estate brokerage, a commercial and development company, and a consulting business. He has been active in local government boards and agencies and has his finger on the pulse of the industry from many different perspectives. Here’s what he has to say.
Homegrown Priorities. My No. 1 priority is growing and developing leaders within the Realtor association. When looking at leadership, I look for the four Cs: Character, competency, courage and commitment. As the owner of a commercial brokerage, I see the gap that exists with our commercial members. You can’t build strong communities without having a strong commercial and residential market that work together, so we’re going to look at expanding the services that we offer commercial members.
It’s All About the Data. I speak regularly and not just on behalf of Florida Realtors. So, I’m constantly pulling data to look for trends in the market. I pull this information from Florida Realtors® SunStats®. It allows me to drill into specific trends I’m seeing and present that information in a regular video series I produce. The reports from SunStats enhance all my customer communication.
Chuck Bonfiglio, Vice President
Broker-Owner, AAA Realty Group Inc., Fort Lauderdale
Bonfiglio is no stranger to the real estate industry, taking over a company founded by his father, who was a past president of Florida Realtors®. Here’s how he views the association as a success partner to its members.
Homegrown Priorities. First and foremost, I want to make sure our members and our organization are prepared for the future. We are listening to members, people in our community and being proactive. We want to focus on property insurance. We need to make sure we educate our members so they can educate the consumers they serve. Then, we also need to hold the legislature accountable for the changes they’ve made to ensure we can stabilize the market. We also want to put a renewed emphasis on commercial real estate and serve that portion of our members.
Members also need to know that legal help is just a call away. When I’m working on a project and need another set of eyes, the Florida Realtors® Legal Hotline attorneys can give that second look. You can save thousands a year on legal fees by calling the Legal Hotline attorneys who can help you with contracts or answer questions about current real estate issues.
Jorge Guerra, Treasurer
Broker-Owner, Real Estate Sales Force, Miami
As the owner of a successful and growing independent real estate brokerage, Guerra focuses a keen eye toward marketing his company and agents, and serving consumers with complete transparency. Here’s more about his goals for the coming year.
Homegrown Priorities. I want to bring successful commercial practitioners to talk about what they are seeing, practicing and how they are navigating the market. I want to reformulate our message to commercial practitioners and grow that membership. In addition, property insurance and affordable housing are two huge priorities from an advocacy perspective.
Watch and Learn. I am a firm believer that if you talk for more than five minutes in a video, you just want to hear yourself talk. That’s why I love Florida Realtors’ 250 Take 5 videos. It is so easy to pop into the Florida Realtors website and learn about a subject quickly. It’s also a great resource library for agents to refer to when looking for a new marketing or business idea.
Jeffrey Levine, Secretary
Director of Productivity and Broker-Associate, Keller Williams Realty Services, Boca Raton
As the Director of Productivity for a Keller Williams office, Levine provides valuable training to agents to help them build their businesses. Here’s what he sees as opportunities in the coming year.
Homegrown Priorities. To me, 2024 is going to be a pivotal year in our business. We must help our members show their value at a very high level. Consumers already know the value of using a real estate professional. So, we want to continue to provide valuable products and services, while ensuring that the real estate agent always remains in the center of the real estate transaction.
Terrific Tech Help. New agents always ask what technology they need, or they need help setting up that technology. I always send them to the Florida Realtors® Tech Helpline. It’s free for members and is an amazing service. They can help you choose a computer, fix a problem, set up a phone and more. From basic to advanced issues, you can count on them to help you work through and resolve it.
“2024 will be a pivotal year for real estate,” says Arvin. “We must invest in our profession and our communities through our advocacy. We must continue to communicate our value, and we stand with all our Realtor® members to support and build amazing communities where we live and work.”
As your business partner, the 2024 Leadership Team will continue to innovate with products and services that will help you drive your business forward. #
Tracey C. Velt is a contributing editor for Florida Realtor® magazine.
2024 Florida Realtors leadership team goals
This year, the Leadership Team is focusing on professionalism, advocacy and inclusion. Here are their goals:
Professionalism
- Continue to promote Florida Realtors® Board Certified Professional endorsement..
- Introduction for free Forewarn app to all members.
- Focus on training needed for a changing business climate (Conveyance to Foreign Buyer Act, Buyer Broker Agreement.)
- Additional support to our commercial, property management, appraisal and auction practitioners.
Advocacy
- Build on historic year in 2023 for homeownership and affordable housing.
- Focus on additional insurance reform.
- Condo reform and access to documents.
- Water quality and environmental funding.
Inclusion
- More engaging committee work and involvement.
- Largest diversity committee, to date.
- Look to boards for leadership and talent that has not been tapped.
- Expand water clean-up day.
2024 DISTRICT VICE PRESIDENTS
D1 Susan McQuillan
D2 Alisa Rogers
D3 Andrew Harper
D4 Daniel Guerra
D5 John "Jack" Martin
D6 Ruth Bryson
D7 Silvia Dukes
D8 Danielle Galvin
D9 Amy Mullins
D10 Brent Morse
D11 Chris Krzemien
D12 Lisa Hill
D13 James Mulvey