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n a year marked by national and local headlines proclaiming a real estate slowdown, Sarasota-Manatee's luxury market defied the trend. According to industry sales figures, seven top agents and their teams collectively closed over $100 million in transactions each, accounting for 11.5% of the region's total sales volume.
The top 25 agents in the area dominated the market, selling a staggering $2.5 billion worth of property, while the remaining 3,000+ agents contributed to the other $19.7 billion in transactions. Lynn Morris and Georgia Kopelousos, both Realtors with Michael Saunders & Co., led the pack by selling condo units at the highly anticipated St. Regis Longboat Key Resort.
Morris averaged a remarkable $5.6 million per sale, totaling $282.9 million, while Kopelousos boasted an average sale price of $6.4 million for a total sales volume of $261 million. The region's long-time top agent, Roger Pettingell with Coldwell Banker Realty, also made headlines by closing $221 million in real estate transactions, all within the 2024 calendar year.
Pettingell Professionals, led by Pettingell and his new partner Thomas Arbuckle, claimed the top spot in Sarasota County for the 15th consecutive year, according to the REALTOR ASSOCIATION of Sarasota & Manatee's multiple listing service. The team has achieved nearly $3 billion in sales over four decades.
Pettingell attributes their success to a combination of factors, including lower taxes, warm weather, and the region's rich cultural offerings. "We never bought into the idea that 2024 wouldn't be a good year," he said. Despite a slower pace compared to the pandemic-era frenzy, luxury property prices remain buoyant, driving sales volumes across the region.
The top 10 real estate agents in Sarasota-Manatee for 2024 were:
1. Lynn Morris with Michael Saunders & Co. - $282.9 million
2. Georgia Kopelousos with Michael Saunders & Co. - $261.0 million
3. Roger Pettingell with Coldwell Banker Realty - $221.5 million
4. Toni Zarghami with Keller Williams Coastal Living - $148.6 million
5. Bruce Myer with Coldwell Banker Realty - $130.7 million
6. Joel Schemmel with Premier Sotheby's International Realty - $126.2 million
7. Jason Soto with Soto Real Estate Inc. - $123.0 million
8. Kim Ogilvie with Michael Saunders & Co. - $93.1 million
9. John Neal with Neal Communities Realty Inc. - $91.4 million
10. Charles Buky with Coldwell Banker Realty - $82.7 million
