Story and Pictures by Carl Gordon
The real estate market is on fire in Florida and Weichert Realtors Hallmark Properties is right in the thick of it. Located next to Legends Golf Course at 4300 South Highway 27 in Clermont next to Akino’s Restaurant, Joanne Galyean manages a team of 70 plus agents in both real estate sales and property management.
Galyean, originally from New Jersey, runs the Clermont Office of Weichert Realtors Hallmark Properties. She also manages the property management team known as Miosky Team.
“Properties to sell are getting harder and harder to find,” said Galyean. “It’s a definite catch-22. People don’t really want to sell their homes due to not being able to find another to replace it,” she continued.
Weichert Realtors Hallmark Properties also specializes in long-term rentals. Galyean said that rentals are “off the chart” as people want to move to Florida to get away from the high property taxes as well as what she terms as “the atmosphere” of the north.
“People are fed up with the protests and violence that seems to be rampant up north, it’s much friendlier here in the south,” said Galyean.
Most real estate agencies are desperate for listings here and Joanne said that the average house sells within hours of being listed often with multiple offers above the asking price.
“It’s a sellers’ market here right now,” said Galyean. She continued, “I’ve never seen this 
kind of market before. Folks need to take advantage of it while they can; once interest rates go up…people are going to lose their chance.”
Inventory is not the only thing that is in short supply. Galyean said that she’s actively hiring and training experienced as well as new agents.
“We have one of the last old-fashioned agencies here,” said Joanne, “we are family-owned and give the new agents everything they need to succeed.”
To learn more, visit www.weicherthallmark.com or email or call Joanne at jgcgem@aol.com, 352-536-9948.
