Named a Top Agent at Preferred Shore Real Estate

Every so often this business hands you a moment that makes you stop and feel grateful, and this is one of them. I am honored to share that I have been recognized as one of Preferred Shore Real Estate’s Top Agents for the second quarter of 2026, and featured in the brokerage’s Inside the Barrel spotlight. It means a great deal to me, and I do not take it lightly.

I want to be honest about what an award like this really represents, because it is easy to see a headline and assume it is about numbers. It is not, at least not to me. Recognition like this is a reflection of the people who trusted me with one of the biggest decisions of their lives, and of the work we did together to get it right. So before anything else, thank you. If you are one of the buyers, sellers, or relocating families I have worked with, you are the reason my name is on that page.

What This Recognition Actually Means

Preferred Shore is one of the fastest-growing brokerages on Florida’s Gulf Coast, with a deep bench of talented, hard-working agents. Being counted among the top of that group is humbling, because I know exactly how good the people around me are. This is a place full of professionals who answer their phones, show up for their clients, and treat this work like the serious responsibility it is.

To me, the honor is not a trophy on a shelf. It is proof that the way I choose to do this job actually works, and that treating people right is not just the decent thing to do, it is also the smart thing to do. That is a message worth repeating, especially in an industry that does not always earn the trust it asks for.

The Approach That Got Me Here

If you have spent any time around me or read my story, you know I run my business on four words I call RISE: Responsiveness, Independence, Self-Motivation, and Ethics. They are not a slogan. They are the standard I hold myself to on every single deal.

Responsiveness means your calls and texts get answered, not ignored. Independence means I work for you, not a quota. Self-motivation means I chase the deal so you never have to chase me. And ethics means straight answers and your interests first, every time, even when the honest answer costs me a sale. I would rather lose a commission than watch a client make a mistake they will regret. Recognition like this tells me that standard is landing with the people who matter most, and that is the part I am proudest of.

Built on Relationships, Not Transactions

Here is something people outside of real estate do not always realize. The agents who last in this business are almost never the ones chasing the next quick sale. They are the ones who build real relationships, do right by people, and earn referrals for years. So much of my work comes from past clients sending me their family and their friends, and there is no higher compliment in this job.

A lot of my clients become friends I still grab dinner with long after we closed. I stay in their corner well after the keys change hands, whether they need a great contractor, a doctor, a school recommendation, or just an honest opinion on a renovation. That is not a marketing line. It is how I was raised in this business, in a family of Realtors up in Rochester, and it is the foundation everything else is built on.

A Second-Generation Realtor, Now on the Gulf Coast

Real estate has been in my blood for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a family of Realtors in Rochester, New York, learned the business the right way, and spent more than a decade building my career up north, where I still own a brokerage today. When my wife and I made the move to Sarasota, I brought that same standard with me, and I have never looked back.

That New York foundation matters more than you might think, because so many of the people I help down here are making the exact move I did. I know both ends of it, which is why guiding a New York to Florida relocation is such a big part of what I do. Earning this kind of recognition in my Gulf Coast market, in a town I now proudly call home, is genuinely special to me.

Thank You to the People Who Made It Possible

I want to close where I started, with gratitude. Thank you to my clients, who trusted me and then trusted me again with the people they love. Thank you to Preferred Shore and to the colleagues I get to learn from every day. And thank you to my family, who put up with the early calls and the late showings this job sometimes demands.

An honor like this is not a finish line. If anything, it raises the bar. It reminds me what my clients expect, what I expect of myself, and how much this community has given me since the day I arrived. I plan to keep earning it, one relationship at a time.

Let’s Find Your Place on the Gulf Coast

Whether you are relocating from up north, upgrading between our Gulf Coast communities, or just starting to daydream about life near the water, I would love to help. The same care that earned this recognition is the care I bring to every client, whether you are buying your first condo or a waterfront estate. Have a question about the area, a home, or a move? Reach out any time, and let’s talk about what you are looking for. If you want to get a feel for the lifestyle first, here are the Sarasota restaurants I send every new client to. Thank you again for reading, and for being part of this.