Pettingell ranks No. 1 for fourth year

The view from the top is a familiar one for Roger Pettingell.

Pettingell was the top-ranked real estate agent in Sarasota and Manatee counties for sales volume in 2014 — the third consecutive year and the fourth time in the past five years he has reached the No. 1 spot.

A Previews property specialist with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate’s Longboat Key office, Pettingell closed 59 sales in 2014 with a total sales volume of just under $67 million — up from $61.85 million in 2013.

Pettingell said that part of the increase was the result of a rising market. But he also attributes the year’s success to the fact that in late 2013, he doubled his full-time staff from two to four “laser-focused people,” which has allowed Pettingell to focus on customer service.

“You can’t over-promise and under-deliver,” he said. “Now, we have plenty of time for delivery, and we’ve expanded our capacity for the number of customers we serve.”

In 2014, he also increased his focus on video marketing, producing nearly 30 REALTALK videos in which he discusses trends in the local luxury market for his YouTube channel. He also produces a professional video for nearly every property he represents and also produced a video about Sarasota by helicopter.

Pettingell began his career on Longboat Key in 1983 in marketing for Arvida Corp. After Disney bought Arvida a year later, he moved to Boca Raton to serve as marketing liaison between Disney and Arvida. He returned to Longboat Key in 1989, when the company became Waterside Properties. Coldwell acquired Waterside approximately 15 years ago.

Pettingell believes 2015 will be even stronger than 2014.

“It’s not just a recovering economy anymore,” he said. “People aren’t trying to buy bottom-feeding deals from someone who happens to be underwater. Buyers are happy to be getting out of a cold climate and buying their second or retirement home in Florida. It feels a lot like it felt 10 years ago: steady, not a buyer’s market and not a seller’s market but just kind of balanced.”

Pettingell’s sales goal for 2014 was $65 million. When staff reached that goal in early December, they celebrated with dinner at Selva Grill and then attended a performance of “Black Nativity” by the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe.

This year, Pettingell and his team will have to sell even more real estate before the celebrations begin: He has set his goal for 2015 at $70 million.

 Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].