LAKELAND, FL, January 24, 2022 – After marking 25 years in business in 2021, SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler, a full-service land and commercial real estate brokerage firm headquartered in Lakeland, Florida, has brokered $800,329,130.
The year’s sales and lease transactions represented 133,444 ± acres and 1,427,627 ± square feet. The top 20 sales equated to 58% of total sales, thirteen of which closed in the fourth quarter, and over one-third of all listings sold for over $1 million.
Notable sales in 2021 included the $55,000,000 sale of a 9,900-acre collection of 11 parcels throughout Indian River, St. Lucie, and DeSoto Counties that were sold through Saunders Auctions. In December, Senior Advisor Jeff Cusson and Founder and Managing Director Dean Saunders listed and sold 4,300 acres to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and 1,800 acres to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Both sales totaled $22,000,000. The top ten 2021 deals ranked in order of price:
- Green Island Ranch ($150,000,000) A 5,977-acre development sold in December 2021 and was co-listed by Dusty Calderon, Senior Advisor, and Dean Saunders, Founder and Managing Director.
- Rollins Okeechobee Ranch ($54,450,000) Dean Saunders, ALC, CCIM, represented the buyer on the purchase of this 12,130-acre property.
- Winter Haven Corp. ($43,750,000) The 1,841-acre property was listed and sold by Dean Saunders, ALC, CCIM.
- Roan Bridge Residential Development Land ($22,500,000) The 268-acre Planned Unit Development property was co-listed by Senior Advisors Dusty Calderon, Clay Taylor, ALC, and David Hitchcock, ALC, CCIM.
- Otter Creek and McGee Branch Timberlands ($17,520,000) The sale to Rayonier Forest Resources consisted of two large Florida timberland tracts totaling 17,956 acres. The property was co-listed and sold by Dean Saunders, ALC, CCIM, Tony Wallace, CF, Senior Advisor, and Greg Driskell, Advisor.
- Cow Hammock: ($15,500,000) Jeff Bewsher, an Advisor & Certified Wildlife Biologist, represented the buyer to purchase this exclusive 2,725 ± acre ranch.
- Osowaw Ranch ($15,000,000) Senior Advisor David Goodlett listed and sold the 6,665-acre tract to the State of Florida as a Conservation Easement as part of the Kissimmee St. Johns River Connector Florida Forever Project.
- G3 Ranch ($14,427,501) The 3,630-acre ranch, originally owned by the Ben Hill Griffin III Family Partnership, was co-listed by Senior Advisor Trent Saunders and Dean Saunders, ALC, CCIM.
- AgAmerica/Reichmann ($14,000,000) Founder, Managing Director & Senior Advisor Dean Saunders, represented the seller and buyer in the sale of 1,942 acres in St. Lucie County.
- Charlotte County Grove ($12,800,000) Located in Punta Gorda, Jeff Cusson, CCIM, listed and sold this 575-acre property.
“We, our brokerage, had a stellar year. But our advisors also had a huge year. We have the best in the industry on our team, and it’s exciting to watch their success,” said Dean Saunders, ALC, CCIM.
Of the firm’s 69 advisors, twelve had sales volumes that totaled over $25 million each; three advisors surpassed $100,000,000 in 2021. The top ten advisors in order of total 2021 transaction volume were:
- Dean Saunders, ALC, CCIM
- Dusty Calderon
- Jeff Cusson, CCIM
- David Hitchcock, ALC, CCIM
- Clay Taylor, ALC
- David Goodlett
- Steve Toner, MBA
- Gary Ralston, CCIM, SIOR
- Brian Beasley, CCA, CNLM
- Augie Schmidt
Over $100 million of transactions were from longtime clients who retained SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler once again in 2021. “We’re committed to providing the very best service to our clients,” added Gary Ralston, Managing Director & Senior Advisor.
With a continued focus on recruitment and advisor development, seven (7) advisors joined the firm in 2021. Several advisors earned professional designations, including Keat Waldron, who at 25 years old is the youngest Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) in Florida. Lauren Smith, who heads the firm’s property management division, is now a designated Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) and Certified Property Manager (CPM).
Commercial leases totaled $22,423,791 with an average lease term of four years with a 140% increase year over year. Significant commercial leases executed in 2021 included the 20-year lease of a historic building originally constructed in 1913 located in downtown Lakeland, Florida, by David Hungerford, CCIM, and Gary Ralston, CCIM, SIOR, CRE. In June 2021, Senior Advisor Augie Schmidt represented the seller on a large multi-tenant investment property consisting of approximately 68,392 square feet across 11 buildings with 53 tenants at the time of sale.
In its fourth year of operations, the SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler Georgia office reports sales and lease transactions totaling over $19,000,000, increasing 252% year over year with listings across Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.
Projections for 2022 remain strong, with the firm reporting sales and lease transactions currently under contract valued at roughly $400,000,000.
About SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler
SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler Real Estate is a full-service land and commercial real estate brokerage representing buyers, sellers, investors, institutions, and landowners since 1996. We are recognized nationally as an authority on all types of land including, agriculture, ranch, recreation, residential development, and international properties. Our commercial real estate services include marketing, property management, leasing and tenant representation, loan sales, valuation, advisory, and counseling services for office, retail, industrial, and multi-family properties. With over 100 expert advisors located in Florida and Georgia, we provide our clients with professional knowledge and resources to ensure the buyer’s and seller’s needs are met.