West Villages Realty is a Different Kind of Real Estate Brokerage and It's Working

Venice, FL, September 26, 2017 --(PR.com)-- West Villages Realty LLC is one of the fastest growing real estate brokerages in Sarasota County. If you ask broker Ali Johnston to what she attributes her success, she will sum it up in one word, “focus.” She goes on to say, “Real Estate is local in nature, and possibly nowhere else is that as true as it is in SW Florida.”

West Villages Realty LLC opened in 2015. It is a boutique brokerage catering to individuals with both a personal and high-tech, web-based tools. It is a company that offers buyers and sellers the opportunity to work with a brokerage that is highly focused on one area.

“This focus empowers our buyers with comprehensive knowledge of their real options to be better prepared, especially in sharing the area insight to negotiate with the sellers, buyers or builders," says Ali. "Our customers that list their home for sale with us discover very quickly that we understand even the small details to support a top asking price and the advantages their existing homes can sometimes have over the new ones being offered by the builders.”

The company's area of focus, the West Villages Improvement district, was established in 2004. After the downturn, it sat quiet, waiting for the market to change. Ali, who holds an MBA in Real Estate, says, “It may possibly be the best piece of undeveloped land in SW Florida at this time due to its features and proximity to the beach. Also, the timing couldn’t be better for the area's developers moving forward.”

Florida expects a huge increase in population growth due to baby boomers retiring, and homebuyers in that group are typically looking for a relaxing place to be able to easily become part of a new social circle, all while enjoying a vacation-like atmosphere. West Villages and southern Sarasota county offers a number of such resort style communities at a cost savings over Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch, that can assist boomers to maximize their retirement income.

The West Villages is in the middle of it all, and the fact that it is being developed now allows it to grow into the demands of the larger population and not adapt to it like all the other areas west of I75 and closer to the Gulf.

The homes of the West Villages are made up largely of new construction. This reinforces the importance of having an educated and focused agent. “We know new construction better than most, because the only way you learn how to set the right expectations and how to truly compare one to the other is through experience. Multiple listings services or Zillow or Trulia are not going to give buyers all the information they need to truly compare and have the best experience with the process."

Sure, buyers can walk in and talk to any old builder's rep, but Ali says "they are not all equal." Ali points out that, "These national and international developers' reps are also a well trained sales staff that, at the end of the day, they are trained for and work for that builder. For the people buying homes and moving to the area, we can be their partner before, during, and after your purchase to help to make the relocation as smooth as possible."

West Villages Realty was a awarded the 2017 Readers' Choice award for best real estate office in Venice by the largest newspaper in the region, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, beating out some of the biggest names in the industry.

Ali believes today's buyers are understanding more and more that, although they can do some shopping online, they benefit immensely from the 'boots on the ground' professional assistance to bring the details together and fill in the gaps through the entire process. "By staying focused on this fast changing area, we can offer that to them like no one else." She goes on to say, "Any agent can unlock a door and read details in the MLS. Our agents have regular training to be educated on the communities that make up this area, as well as on ways to help our customers throughout the entire process. These buyers are not just buying a home. They are buying the realization of a dream, a lifestyle, and there is a lot more to consider than just the house itself.”

No stranger to education and the importance of it, Ali has two Masters degrees and is also the third generation in her family to settle in the Venice area. She and her husband live in the heart of the West Villages themselves. West Villages Realty maintains a blog for the news and events in the area, in which they strive to maintain an educational perspective for home owners and buyers. They attend local West Villages Improvement District board meetings and share the proceedings with readers.

“Though it is just one aspect, providing comprehensive information is a very important part of what we do. We want to demonstrate our long term commitment to this area and our customers.” says Ali. Currently West Villages Realty has a team of 4 agents with a couple additional scheduled to join the team before next season. Ali explains “We maintain high standards. While most brokerages look to add licensed agents as quickly as possible, I want to make sure we are not just adding agents to add volume. This would dilute our ability to train and to educate our team properly, and that training is essential to serving our customers the way I expect them to be served.”