Lakeland commercial real estate giant expands into North Carolina

Saunders Real Estate, which just closed two land deals totaling $38 million, now has operations in five states across the Southeast.

By Louis Llovio
| 7:30 a.m. July 15, 2025
| 2 Free Articles Remaining!

Located in North Florida, Saunders Real Estate sold the 4,833-acre working ranch and timber operation, sold in June 2025 for over $20 million.

Tampa Bay-Lakeland

A division of Saunders Real Estate, a long-established real estate firm in Lakeland, is expanding.

The company’s land division, Saunders Land, has moved into North Carolina with two new hires — industry veterans Kenneth Chesson and Bill Frisbie.

Chesson is the lead broker and senior advisor and is based in Williamston. Frisbie is the regional managing director and senior advisor. He is based in Raleigh.

Saunders, which already has operations in Alabama, Georgia and Arkansas, says the expansion “positions the company as the region's leading land brokerage.”

Dean Saunders founded the firm as Saunders Real Estate in 1986, after four years in the legislature. In 2010, Saunders, known for his pioneering work on conservation easements, teamed up with Gary Ralston and R. Todd Dantzler to form a sister company, Saunders Ralston Dantzler. The two eventually merged. The company joined SVN International in 2017 and became independent again earlier this year.

The firm specializes in commercial and land sales.

Just last month it announced closing two land deals totaling $38 million and covering 6,400 acres — a 4,833-acre working ranch and timber property in Putnam County for $20.29 million and a 1,625-acre transitional property in Marion County for $17.92 million.

author

Louis Llovio

Louis Llovio is the deputy managing editor at the Business Observer. Before going to work at the Observer, the longtime business writer worked at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Maryland Daily Record and for the Baltimore Sun Media Group. He lives in Tampa.