Miami real estate agency acquires pair of Sarasota-Manatee firms

A Miami agency that bills itself as the largest independent real estate firm in Florida has expanded into the Sarasota-Bradenton market with the acquisition of two firms and the opening of a downtown office. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed. 

The Keyes Co. has acquired Signature Premier Properties Sarasota and Florida SunCoast Real Estate. It will operate out of an office at 1433 Main St.

“Signature Premier Properties Sarasota and Florida SunCoast Real Estate enable us to make an impactful debut in a pivotal market that continues to experience incredible growth and demand,” Keyes President Christina Pappas says in a statement. “Both firms share our commitment to personal, hands-on service and the belief that connection and community is at the heart of real estate.”

Signature Premier Properties Sarasota is an affiliate of New York’s Signature Premier Properties, which is co-owned by Peter Morris and Kathleen Viard. It has 60 agents based in Sarasota, including New York transplants who leverage their relationships in both markets to benefit both buyers and sellers.

“The Sarasota market continues to see the New York relocation activity that started during the pandemic,” Viard says in a statement. “Keyes is the perfect partner to allow us to build upon our momentum since launching the Sarasota brokerage a few years ago.”

Kathy Curd of Signature Premier Properties Sarasota will serve as the sales manager of the new Keyes Sarasota office, according to a statement.

The company also acquired Bradenton-based Florida SunCoast Real Estate, which is co-owned by Barry and Sherry Grooms, who have a combined 50 years of experience, including leadership positions within the industry. Barry Grooms is a past president of Florida Realtors and consistently reaches the top 2% of his market area as a residential and commercial real estate agent, according to a statement. Sherry Grooms has been president of the Manatee Association of Realtors and network president of the Women’s Council of Realtors.

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“Like Keyes, we are a family-owned brokerage that puts people first,” Barry Grooms says in a statement. “We were attracted to Keyes due to its unmatched reputation earned over nearly a century of service, market-leading technology and support for agents, and community impact.”

Barry Grooms will become the Southwest Florida regional manager of Keyes, helping the company identify additional firm merger opportunities and recruit top associates in the region.

Keyes — which has a presence in Lee, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, and Volusia counties and was founded in 1926 — is in “active negotiations” with other Southwest Florida brokerages as well as other target Florida markets, according to a statement. 

“Our track record of successful partnerships is creating exciting new opportunities across Florida,” Keyes Senior Vice President Steven Reibel says in a statement. “We are actively engaging with broker/owners who recognize the advantages of collaboration, as the evolving industry landscape creates new opportunities for boutique brokerages to thrive by joining forces.” 

The acquired firms will gain access to Keyes’ tools and support systems, while the company will add topnotch professionals focused on growth and excellence to its network, according to a statement.

The Keyes Family of Cos. and its network of partner brokerages, which encompasses 3,600 associates and 58 offices, reportedly closed more than $10 billion in annual real estate sales and services in 2022.