LAKELAND, FL, January 10, 2023 - SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler is a full-service land and commercial real estate brokerage firm headquartered in Lakeland, Florida. In its 26th year of business, the firm brokered $642,897,955 in 2022.
These transactions were representative of nearly 97,000 acres and over 1,000,000 square feet of commercial space. The total value of the top 20 deals equated to 53% of total sales and nearly 20% of all transactions closed at over $3,000,000.
Branching out of Polk County, the firm has three other offices in Lake City, Florida, Thomasville, Georgia, and most recently, Orlando, Florida. These offices and the advisors within were responsible for a significant portion of the firm’s 2022 success. Over 13% of all transaction value this past year was derived from timberland listings in North Florida and Southern Georgia. Further solidifying the expansion into Orlando, the firm’s commercial deals accounted for 42% of all 2022 transactions.
"The opening of these branch offices will allow us to be more immersive in those markets," said Founder & Managing Director Dean Saunders, ALC, CCIM. "Keeping growth in mind, I'm eager to see what SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler will accomplish in the next term."
Over the past year, SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler had the opportunity to represent various buyers and sellers in some of the most significant transactions throughout the Southeast. Most notably, the top ten deals of 2022 are listed below in order of sale price:
- Sunbreak Farms ($76,700,000) 10,330 ± acres of improved farmland in St. Lucie County, Florida was co-listed by Dean Saunders, ALC, CCIM and Jeff Cusson, CCIM.
- Gooski Timberlands and Fort McCoy Timberlands ($37,555,061) 12,712 ± acres of timberland, ranch, and recreation in Marion County, Florida. Sold together, these two properties were co-listed by Dean Saunders, ALC, CCIM, Greg Driskell, Tony Wallace, CF, and Dusty Calderon.
- Bronson Cattle and Timber ($35,914,470) 12,098 ± acres of ranch and timberland in Levy County, Florida was co-listed by Dean Saunders, ALC, CCIM, Greg Driskell, Tony Wallace, CF, and Dusty Calderon who would represent the seller in the transaction. The buyer was represented by Jimmy Hancock, Bryant Peace, ALC, and John T. “Jay” Vogel II.
- South Lake Toho Community ($30,000,000) 538 ± acres of residential development in Osceola County, Florida was co-listed by David Hitchcock, ALC, CCIM and Clay Taylor, ALC. This parcel fell under Osceola County’s Mixed-Use Conceptual Master Plan for residential, recreational, and environmental development.
- Circle N Farms ($18,000,000) 4,505 ± acres of planted pine timber in Lee County, Alabama was listed by Todd Davis.
- West Pipkin Storage ($16,025,000) 110,991 ± square foot vacant commercial space in Polk County, Florida was co-listed by David Hungerford, CCIM and Gary Ralston, CCIM, SIOR, CRE.
- Asana Ranch ($12,500,000) 1,298 ± acres of ranchland in Polk County, Florida was co-listed by Clay Taylor, ALC and David Hitchcock, ALC, CCIM.
- Underbrink Ranch ($12,250,000) 4,647 ± acres of ranch and timberland in Levy County, Florida was co-listed by Dean Saunders, ALC, CCIM, Greg Driskell, Tony Wallace, CF, and Dusty Calderon.
- Groveland Industrial ($11,500,000) This 89,916 ± square foot commercial and office space was brokered by Jim Allen, Augie Schmidt, and David Hungerford, CCIM.
- Hartt Grove ($10,700,000) 1,136 ± acres of citrus groves in Highlands County, Florida was brokered by Richard Dempsey, ALC, CIPS and Dean Saunders, ALC, CCIM.
Arguably one of the most important transactions was the $7.75 million conservation deal brokered by Founder & Managing Director, Dean Saunders, ALC, CCIM, in Central East Florida. Abington Preserve features 3,600 acres of rich biodiversity that is now permanently protected through a conservation easement. Since the beginning of his career, Dean has consistently been a proponent of preserving Florida land. In 1992, he proposed the legislation that developed into Florida’s conservation easement program. 30 years later, SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler is proud to support the conservation of over 10,000 acres of Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes in 2022 alone.
“I am so proud of what we have accomplished this past year”, said Partner & Managing Director Gary Ralston, CCIM, SIOR, CRE, “the work our advisors have done within and beyond Florida should not go unrecognized.”
It is not without the dedication of its expert land and commercial advisors that the firm was able to achieve such advances. Over the past year, multiple advisors paved their own path and achieved the following accreditations:
The firm has also made significant strides in its property management division, with a 55% year-over-year revenue growth and properties managed increasing by 33%. SVN | SRD’s commercial property managers oversee a million square feet with nearly 200 tenant companies across Central Florida, seeing a 71% increase in rent collections on behalf of property owners in 2022.
"Over the past year, our team has made tremendous strides in all areas of land and commercial real estate," said Partner & Managing Director, Todd Dantzler, CCIM. "The dedication to the work today will provide opportunities for years to come."
Projections into 2023 are highly promising in this season of growth for SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler. With around $350 million under contract so far, the firm is bound to outpace its 2022 performance.
About Saunders Real Estate
Saunders Real Estate is a leading land and commercial real estate brokerage serving buyers, sellers, investors, and landowners across the Southeastern United States for 30 years. With over 100 advisors and offices in major U.S. markets including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, we specialize in large-acreage land transactions, commercial property sales and leasing, and property management.
To reflect our legacy and continued growth, Saunders Real Estate operates through two divisions – Saunders Land and Saunders Commercial. Our expertise spans agriculture, conservation, recreation, residential development, and commercial real estate, supported by specialized services such as forestry, land management, and investment acquisitions.
Today, Saunders Real Estate is recognized as a trusted authority in the region, delivering exceptional results through experienced leadership, innovative strategies, and a client-focused approach.