Realtor groups close deal on merger

Realtors in Sarasota and Manatee counties have made it official: The Sarasota Association of Realtors and the Manatee Association of Realtors will merge into one organization.

The merger, according to a release, will take effect Jan. 1, 2015. The new group will be called the Suncoast Realtor Association, pending the approval of the National Association of Realtors. The organization will combine the membership of both associations, which is currently around 5,250 Realtors and nearly 500 business partners. The boards of directors of both associations will serve out their terms through Dec. 31.

“The overwhelming approval for the merger indicates that this is a move whose time has come,” SAR President Peter Crowley says in the statement. “Members understand that Sarasota and Manatee counties operate as one market and that it makes sense to pool our resources.”