Florida Trend Exclusive
Mission BUILT
When Miles Alexander III talks about community, he’s describing a philosophy that has shaped his career in real estate development. Affordable housing isn’t easy — it’s political, it’s competitive and it’s slow — but that’s where the real need is, he says. Today, about 75% of his company’s business is workforce and affordable housing. One of the ongoing projects Alexander is most excited about is the Tomlinson Workforce Housing Project in St. Petersburg, a public-private collaboration with the local school district designed to create attainable housing for teachers and district staff. [Source: Florida Trend]
7 best Florida real estate schools for 2026
Are you ready to begin a fulfilling real estate career in the Sunshine State? To get started, you have to complete 63 hours of prelicensing coursework through a state-approved real estate school before you’re allowed to take the licensing exam. Most schools offer this online now, which makes it easier to work through the material without putting your life on hold. Not all online Florida real estate schools are the same. Some are better if you want structure and support while others work well if you just want to get through the coursework at your own pace. [Source: Housing Wire]
What a ban could mean for Wall Street firms that make billions on Florida home rentals
Global asset managers, private equity firms and real estate investment trusts are major institutional landlords in the Sunshine State, with portfolios that add up to tens of billions of dollars of real estate. As the state’s population boomed during the pandemic, so did those firms' bottom lines. According to some estimates, institutional investors own 20% to 25% of single-family home rentals in Florida. The buying frenzy has prompted backlash from individual homebuyers who say corporate landlords are pricing them out of the market. [Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal]
5 Florida beach towns to buy property in the next 5 years, according to real estate agents
As real estate costs continue to skyrocket across the United States, there's still ample opportunity for buyers to find and purchase property in Florida-based beach towns. While searching for affordable listings with a reasonable cost of living is top of mind for most buyers, it's equally as important that the beach towns themselves are in areas where experts anticipate growth, rather than dormancy, over the next five years. [Source: MSN]
New Florida mobile home bill makes major changes to rent, rules
A new bill filed in Florida last week aims to lay out a litany of rules for mobile home parks in the state. The bill (SB 1550) was filed on Friday by state Sen. LaVon Bracy Davis (D-Ocoee), and it amends a Florida statute, which governs what factors courts may use to determine whether rent increases are “unreasonable.” Under current law, courts may take factors like prior disclosures, inflation changes, operating costs and taxes into account. But that’s not all. The bill also introduces some key rules for mobile home park owners to keep in mind. [Source: Click Orlando]
$7 Million
A Florida property that is located on the southern tip of a peninsula that stretches into the Atlantic Ocean has hit the market for $7 million—decades after it became known as the home of a beloved 65-foot dragon sculpture fondly known as Annie. [Source: Realtor.com]
› Chuck Bonfiglio installed as Florida Realtors President
Florida’s largest professional trade association has a new leader: Chuck Bonfiglio. The broker-owner of AAA Realty Group in Plantation was installed this week as President of Florida Realtors, representing more than 230,000 members statewide. The role was officially established during the association’s 2026 Mid-Winter Business Meetings in Orlando.
› Are offices filling up again? How workspaces in Miami compare to other cities
Across much of the country, the market for office space was slow last year. But numbers from Miami-Dade County tell a different story. Though demand hasn’t returned to the highs Miami-Dade saw in 2022 after the pandemic, new data from South Florida brokerage Blanca Commercial Real Estate and the international commercial real estate firm JLL shows the office market was strong in 2025. Fourth-quarter reports from both firms highlighted that Miami-Dade is outperforming national trends in office real estate.
› Developer acquires abandoned Orlando Sun Resort for $70M
After approving plans to redevelop Kissimmee's abandoned 900-room Orlando Sun Resort & Spa site in March of last year, a new developer has purchased the site — with a new purpose in mind. On Jan. 2, Accesso Partners — a commercial real estate investment manager, owner and operator of multi-tenant retail, office, mixed-use and multifamily assets based in Hallandale Beach — acquired the property for $70 million.
› Tampa industrial real estate included in multi-state acquisition
Brennan Investment Group has acquired a 10-building shallow-bay industrial portfolio, including properties in Tampa, according to a Jan. 8 announcement. The Class B portfolio totals 482,312 square feet across six submarkets in four states. Brennan is a Chicago-based private real estate investment firm focused on industrial properties. The portfolio includes five properties in the Mid-Atlantic region, located in Farmingdale, New York, Whippany, New Jersey and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.