Realtor® Cindy Birge: It’s About Family, Service and Community
CHIPLEY, Fla. — When Cindy Birge answers the phone, it’s often someone she’s known for decades. Recently, she received a call from a woman whose aunt Birge had helped buy a home nearly 24 years ago. The woman still receives Birge’s yearly handwritten Christmas card. The tradition takes Birge weeks to complete but keeps her closely connected to the community she has served her entire life. “That’s the kind of personal touch people remember,” Birge says. “And it’s why they call back.”
Birge, broker-owner of Elite Realty in Chipley, Florida, founded her firm 25 years ago with one goal: to deliver top-notch service rooted in deep knowledge of the Florida Panhandle. A fifth-generation Floridian, Birge never strayed far from home. Instead, she stayed to serve her neighbors – specializing in residential properties, vacant land, property management and new construction. “I always wanted to simplify complex transactions and guide people in finding their perfect home or investment,” she says.
Birge is a Florida Realtors® Board Certified Professional, a new endorsement for Realtors who have reached the pinnacle of their careers and fulfilled leadership, education and skill-based achievements over the life of their real estate careers.
Elite Realty thrives on a close-knit, family-first culture. Birge’s daughter serves as broker manager for the firm. “We’re very intentional about keeping it family oriented,” Birge says. “When you live in a small town of just 14,000 people, service and relationships are everything. You see your clients at church, at football games. You have to take care of them because they’re part of your life.”
That philosophy carries into her leadership style. Birge calls herself a “non-competing broker,” but the truth is she still sells – just differently. She doesn’t take leads from the office, instead relying on her strong base of referrals. “They have to call and ask for me by name,” she explains.
Her passion lies with first-time homebuyers. “Helping people who never thought they’d own a home, especially when there’s down payment assistance or special financing involved, is incredibly rewarding,” she says.
Birge recalls 2007, when the phones stopped ringing during the housing crash. As a single mom with two children in school, she pivoted to property management to keep her business afloat. “You can’t focus on the dollar,” she advises new agents. “Focus on service, and the business will come.”
Birge’s service mindset extends far beyond real estate. She’s Chipley’s chamber past-president, sits on the Economic Development Board, serves on Habitat for Humanity’s board, chairs her church board, and leads the Affordable Housing Coalition, where she’s overseen funding for 17 years. Her civic involvement reflects her belief that real estate professionals must invest in their communities.
At the association level, Birge has worn nearly every hat: local board president twice, state RPAC trustee, public policy advocate, and even a National Association of Realtors® board director. “I decided early on this was a profession, not just a job,” she says. “If you want a voice, you have to have a seat at the table.”
Above all, Birge prides herself on being a problem solver. Deals fall apart all the time, but, she says, “I don’t take no for an answer.” That tenacity has earned her the respect of buyers, sellers and colleagues alike. In Chipley, Birge is a fixture, mentor, and, most of all, a neighbor.
Florida Realtors® serves as the voice for real estate in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research, and legislative representation to 238,000 members in 50 boards/associations. Florida Realtors® Newsroom website is available at floridarealtors.org/newsroom.