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It doesn’t get much better than the view of the Gulf of Mexico from 4720 Ocean Boulevard in Destin, Florida! This seven-bedroom home with private rooftop pool and sundeck is for sale through Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty. Contact Blake Morar for information at (850) 231-6052.
Growing an Empire
A Formula for Success
Photography courtesy of Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty
Once thought of as a rural destination with little in the way of luxury, the Northwest Florida coastal region has boomed in the past decade, now boasting amenities, activities, dining, and events that match the celebrity clientele who often vacation or own homes there. Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty, the area’s top luxury real estate firm, is ready to introduce clients to “the new Gulf Coast.”
An independently owned and operated affiliate of the esteemed Sotheby’s International Realty brand, Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty comprises a team of local real estate professionals committed to selling some of the most desired homes in Northwest Florida’s exclusive beachside communities including Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach, WaterSound Beach, WaterColor, Seaside, and more. Broker/owners Chris Abbott and Blake Morar, along with chief operating officer Wes Madden and the entire team, are proud to celebrate twenty years in business this year.
“The company has grown from a boutique independent brokerage to a globally recognized brand through the affiliation with the Sotheby’s International Realty brand,” Abbott says. “Although our growth and experience have evolved, the core values and culture we started with has remained constant and stays in focus of our personal and working lives daily.”
Along the way, Abbott says, the most significant change in the growing real-estate industry these past two decades has been the way he and his realtors connect with clients. The days when potential buyers drive past a For Sale sign and call the phone number on it for more information have been enhanced by Internet listings and agents’ access to property information online. When a potential customer calls or emails, agents now have tools to provide excellent customer service no matter where they are in the world. “The way we communicate with buyers and sellers has changed, and the convenient access they have to online property information has provided us the opportunity work with more educated clients,” Abbott explains. “We have many lines of communication now, whether it be e-mail, text, or social media. Yet the fundamental benefits of using the good old-fashioned telephone still stand true in what our business and industry really encompass—building lasting relationships.”
“We have many lines of communication now, whether it be e-mail, text, or social media. Yet the fundamental benefits of using the good old-fashioned telephone still stand true in what our business and industry really encompass—building lasting relationships.”
Morar stresses that the company’s affiliation with the Sotheby’s International Realty brand has also been integral in the success of their branch. “Our affiliation with the Sotheby’s International Realty brand allows us to present distinguished properties to well-qualified buyers worldwide—as well as down the street,” he says. “We’re set apart by our level of professionalism, strong results in the luxury segment of the market, experience and education in our local market, training and technology, connections to our feeder markets throughout the world with other Sotheby’s International Realty affiliates, and the recognizable presence through a proven and historical brand.”
Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC reported in March that in 2017, its affiliated brokers and sales professionals achieved approximately $108 billion in global sales volume—the highest annual sales volume performance in the history of the brand.
If you’ve ever wondered why people call Northwest Florida’s beachfront “the Emerald Coast,” take a look at the bright green hues of its clear Gulf water.
“The Sotheby’s International Realty brand is in sixty-nine countries worldwide,” says Philip White, president and chief executive officer of Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. “The success of the global economy coupled with our strategic goals yielded outcomes better than we could have anticipated in 2017.”
These advantages have also led Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty to develop what it’s calling “The Success Team,” a company-managed team program designed to serve as a recruitment and training tool for agents who already have experience in the real estate field, preferably in competitive feeder markets to Northwest Florida. These agents have proven track records, but the Success Team is set up to help them transition into their new market by giving them roles at Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty rather than them starting their career with another brokerage in the area. By providing these new recruits local market knowledge, generating leads, eliminating their startup costs, offering mentorship and training, and giving them access to the vast database of resources that the company has at its disposal, the company further grows its footprint in the area and the new realtors get the benefits of an internationally known brand and a talented, supportive team.
By recruiting top talent in the marketplace, Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty has been equipped to serve over seven hundred families buying and selling real estate in the Northwest Florida market, with a sales production approaching $700 million leading the market in 2017.
“Our favorite thing to do—and always our end goal—is to help people achieve success, whether that means helping our agents and staff do their best in their careers or assisting buyers and sellers with their real estate needs,” Madden says. “We’re making sure they have a pleasurable and smooth experience in the process.”
Abbott, Morar, Madden, and their team invite potential buyers and sellers to strike while the market is healthy and inventory is doing well across the Florida Panhandle’s most desirable areas. No doubt they will discover what makes the Gulf Coast a real “happy place” for those all those who live, work, or visit here.
“We are blessed working in this part of the world and appreciate it every day,” Abbott says. “The properties, the people, and the lifestyle all complement our philosophy in both life and business, and we look forward to another twenty years of success!”
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Visit ScenicSIR.com to learn more, view properties, or set up an appointment with a realtor.
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![Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Crustless Quiche
By Sonja & Alex Overhiser, founders of A Couple Cooks | Serves 6–8
This crustless quiche is quite the heavy lifter; it works just as well at big family brunches as for make-ahead weekday breakfasts. The savory egg custard is baked without the traditional pastry shell, making it much simpler to whip up. Cottage cheese adds a boost of protein, and the custard is packed with nutrient-dense spinach.
Ingredients
10 oz [280 g] frozen spinach, thawed
6 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 tablespoons roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning or dried oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons feta cheese crumbles
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch round pie dish.
2. Use your hands to squeeze out as much excess liquid as you can from the thawed spinach, then break it into small pieces.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Stir in the spinach, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, 4 tablespoons of the sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, kosher salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.
4. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining sun-dried tomatoes and the feta cheese crumbles.
5. Bake the quiche until set in the center and golden around the edges, 28 to 30 minutes. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving.
Tips
Leftover quiche keeps well, and you can eat leftovers cold, at room temperature, or warm. Try it on a sandwich; it’s especially good on bread with Dijon dill spread.
If possible, look for bagged frozen spinach rather than boxed. It thaws easily in a colander under warm water.
Storage
Leftovers will keep, refrigerated, for up to 5 days.
See more festive recipes in VIE: www.viemagazine.com/article/the-holiday-table
Excerpted from A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together by Sonja and Alex Overhiser © 2024. Published by Chronicle Books. Photography © Shelly Westerhausen Worcel.](https://viemagazine.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
