Florida Realtors® 2024 Annual Meetings & Convention

Today’s Friday report is coming to you from Orlando where Florida Realtors® 2024 Convention & Annual Meetings are wrapping up. I have been here since driving up Monday to be in time for orientation for Florida Faculty Audition Panels which began very early Tuesday. Next, I sat on one of ten panels that spent the entire day vetting instructors looking to be approved to teach state classes. Those classes are required for Realtor license renewals, continuing education, Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI) curriculum, plus some recently developed to cover new mandated national changes.

Prospective instructors complete a rigorous program just to get to the audition stage including specialized training, application approval, and phone interviews. Some are looking to join the faculty and approval for their first class, others are looking to add a class to those they already are approved to teach.

Panels are made up of a non-bias mix of brokers, agents, committee chairs/vice chairs, education directors, other faculty members, and Association Executives. My panel had seven members plus a Florida Faculty employee who acts as timekeeper and collects our evaluations. Each panelist provides a written evaluation on each applicant. They are rated numerically on presentation ability, platform skills, subject knowledge, podium presence, and understanding of adult learning theory.

Each audition is 45 minutes which results in a long but rewarding day, not only for the work performed but for the new friendships made. My panel rated nine presenters. Those determined ready for Faculty approval are recommended by motion to the Program Development Subcommittee which met this morning. Our subcommittee motion then moves forward to the Professional Development Committee which meets tomorrow.

The Convention/Trade Expo were Wednesday and Thursday with Erin and Ben Napier, stars of HGTV’s Home Town, at the General Session the first day. The Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association had good representation at the many classes offered during the multi-day event. At the Awards Luncheon yesterday, we had in 14 attendance, and I corralled them all for a picture with Florida Realtors 2024 President Gia Gavin.

Sanibel Captiva Realtors with 2024 FR President Gia Arvin

At the Awards Luncheon with our 2024 Prez Brendan Albright & President-Elect Becky Mulka

It is always special at these events to see so many colleagues that we don’t get to see otherwise throughout the year. I was especially thankful to also see some of them surprised with state awards: Susie Lewis from Hollandale Beach was recognized as 2024 Education Volunteer of the Year; Christel Silver from Delray Beach is 2024 Educator of the Year, while our 2023 FR President Mike McGraw is 2024 Realtor of the Year. Congratulations to all award winners!

Sanibel and Captiva also had excellent island representation at the Closing Session yesterday afternoon where Florida Realtors attorneys provided a legal update and our Chief Economist provided a market outlook. Our state leadership team works hard to ensure that we have the tools needed to perform our work correctly and the future continues to look good for our industry in the sunshine state.

This morning, I participated in the Program Development Subcommittee, followed by the Capital Club Luncheon which is for PAC investors. Tomorrow morning, after the Professional Development Committee Meeting, I drive back to home-sweet-home.

SanibelSusan Realty

Next Thursday is our local association August membership meeting with guest speaker, John Talmage, Director of Lee County Economic Development Office, with an Open House caravan of new listings following the meeting.

Below with data from the islands Multiple Listing Service (MLS) are summary tables of the residential sales statistics, followed by the Sanibel/Captiva MLS action reported this week.

There were no Captiva sales again this week, also no Sanibel condo or lot sales, but three Sanibel homes went under contract.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity August 16-23:

Sanibel

CONDOS

1 new listing: Captains Walk #F2 2/1.5 $439K.

1 price change: Mariner Pointe #733 2/2 now $579K.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: Sanibel Arms #C1 2/2 $365K.

HOMES

3 new listings: 1684 Bunting Ln 2/2 $995K, 431 Rabbit Rd 3/2.5 $1.05M, 1155 Seagrape Ln (multi-family) 4/2 $1.1M.

3 price changes: 586 Boulder Dr 3/2 now $599K, 235 Palm Lake Dr 3/2 now $949K, 673 East Rocks Dr 3/2 now $1.549M.

3 new sales: 1719 Serenity Ln 3/2 listed at $79K, 9126 Mockingbird Dr 3/2 listed at $829K, 994 Whelk Dr 3/2 listed at $1.495M.

1 closed sale: 836 Birdie View Pt 3/3.5 $1,837,500.

LOTS

Nothing to report,

Captiva

CONDOS

1 new listing: Beach Homes #4 3/3 $5.3M.

No price changes, new or closed sales.

HOMES

No new listings.

3 price changes: 1072 South Seas Plantation Rd 3/3.5 now $6.55M, 11550 Paige Ct 5/5.5.5 now $6.65M, 11521 Paige Ct 4/3.5 now $9.5M.

No new or closed sales.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

This representation is based in part on data supplied by the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® Multiple Listing Service. Neither the association nor its MLS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy.  Data maintained by the association, or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.  The information provided represents the general real estate activity in the community and does not imply that SanibelSusan Realty Associates is participating or participated in these transactions.

Enjoy your weekend! Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan