Earlier this month, our team gathered at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, for the annual Saunders Conference. This event brings together our land and commercial real estate advisors and staff from across the United States for several days of collaboration, training, and recognition. Each year, the conference serves to celebrate our firm’s accomplishments from the past year while honoring the advisors and team members whose performance, leadership, and dedication stood out across the organization.
Celebrating Excellence in Land and Commercial Real Estate
Tyler Davis, President at Saunders Real Estate, presented awards at the annual Saunders Conference.
Saunders Real Estate recognized exceptional performance across the firm by honoring our land brokers and commercial real estate advisors who reached significant milestones in 2025.
The Dean’s List
Based on annual transaction volume, “The Dean’s List” recognizes Saunders Real Estate’s top ten advisors from the past year. These individuals contributed significantly to the firm’s presence and activity across the markets we serve.
Our top real estate advisors for 2025 are:
Trent Saunders, Jeff Cusson, Dusty Calderon, Greg Driskell, Tony Wallace, Bo Jahna, Todd Dantzler, Jeremiah Thompson, David Hungerford, Mike Matre
Commemorating Performance
Each year, Saunders Real Estate recognizes our top-performing advisors through a series of production-based awards. These honors are determined by annual gross commission income (GCI) and reflect noteworthy land and commercial real estate sales performance across the firm.
ELITE AWARD:
Trent Saunders, Jeff Cusson, Dusty Calderon
PINNACLE AWARD:
Greg Driskell, Tony Wallace, Bo Jahna, Todd Dantzler, Jeremiah Thompson, David Hungerford, Mike Matre
CHAMPION AWARD:
Bill Frisbie, Marvin Puryear, Tom Tuggle, Trish Leisner, Clay Taylor, Gary Ralston, David Lapham, Daniel Lanier, Vinh Dawkins, Chap Shuman, Jay Vogel, Todd Davis, David Goffe, Rick Gonzalez, Lauren Smith
PRODUCER AWARD:
Shea Booster, David Hitchcock, Austin Fisher, Augie Schmidt, Mike Lansdell, Ken Rembert, Bryant Peace, Richard Dempsey, Eric Ammon, Craig Morby, Keat Waldron, Mark Wirick, Carly Powell, Cliff Wiley, Clayton Taylor, Trace Linder, David Saley, Jerrod Parker, Kim Lohry, Andres Cadavid, Sid Bhatt, Joey Hungerford, David Hill, Hoke Smith, Jill Howard
Deal of the Year
The Deal of the Year Award recognizes our firm’s largest transaction completed during the year, based on total sales price. For 2025, the honor was awarded to Dean Saunders, Jeff Cusson, and Bo Jahna for the sale of Corrigan Ranch. At approximately 5,862 acres, the deal represents one of the largest land transactions in Indian River County, Florida, this year.
Jeff Cusson, Dean Saunders, and Bo Jahna received the "Deal of the Year," award for their 5,862-acre sale of Corrigan Ranch in Indian River County, Florida.
Saunders-to-Saunders Deal of the Year
This award highlights a transaction where both the buyer and seller were represented by Saunders Real Estate advisors, highlighting our firm’s value on internal collaboration and market expertise. The 2025 Deal of the Year Award was presented for the sale of Owl Hammock Farms, a 5,633-acre agricultural property in Immokalee, Florida, represented by Trent Saunders, Dean Saunders, and Bill Frisbie.
Emerging Leaders of the Year
Each year, we acknowledge both a land real estate advisor and a commercial real estate advisor who have demonstrated strong performance and clear leadership potential. For 2025, Clayton Taylor of Saunders Land and Vinh Dawkins of Saunders Commercial were honored for their continued success, dedication, and significant contributions to both our firm and the real estate industry.
Saunders Ambassador of the Year
Gary Ralston was honored with the Champion Award, and was inducted into the Saunders Hall of Fame.
The Ambassador of the Year Award celebrates an individual who represents our firm’s principles while strengthening relationships across the industry. For 2025, this recognition was awarded to Liz Menéndez, a commercial real estate advisor based in Tampa, Florida. Her leadership, professionalism, and dedication to her clients continue to align with the standards and culture we seek to uphold.
Saunders Hall of Fame
The Hall of Fame Award is presented to individuals whose long-term contributions and achievements have had a lasting impact on our firm’s culture, standards, and direction. For 2025, Gary Ralston was inducted into the Saunders Hall of Fame in recognition of his decades of service, leadership, and mentorship. His influence has helped advance professional education, data-driven decision-making, and problem-solving within our firm, shaping the way our real estate advisors approach transactions and serve their clients.
Saunders Team Member of the Year
The Saunders Team Member of the Year Award is presented to an individual whose dedication, professionalism, and contributions play an important role in our firm’s success. The 2025 award recipient is Eli Nicholson, Marketing Coordinator at Saunders Real Estate, who joined the company in May 2022. Eli works diligently to support the firm and our advisors through digital marketing, content creation, and media production efforts, strengthening how listings, initiatives, and services are presented across multiple platforms.
Supporting Growth in Land and Commercial Real Estate
Our annual Saunders Conference is more than a meeting on the calendar. It’s a time when our land and commercial real estate teams step away from daily routines to reconnect, learn from one another, and invest in professional growth. The awards presented each year reflect the hard work and results achieved in the prior year and represent just one way we recognize the real estate advisors and team members who drive our firm forward.
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.