Out-of-State Agents Gain Ground as Florida Response Times Lag

Written by:

Rudi Davis

Date:

09 Dec 2025

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The Florida residential real estate market is suffering from slow response times and complacency among local agents, according to Joseph Bograd, team leader of The Bograd Team. When Bograd tried to rent a property in Florida four years ago, he experienced delays that would be unacceptable in his Pennsylvania market, and he immediately recognized an opening.

“Agents weren’t getting back to me, and then finally they’d respond three or four days later,” Bograd says. “I’d get a call about my inquiry days after I reached out, with excuses about the weekend or being busy.”

Bograd says this was not a one-off experience. He encountered similar delays with multiple agents and properties, revealing what he describes as a widespread lack of urgency in Florida’s real estate sector. “A lot of the agents in Florida seem very comfortable, very complacent,” he notes.

Work Ethic as a Market Advantage

Bograd’s experience points to a rarely discussed factor in real estate expansion: regional differences in service expectations. Agents from highly competitive markets can gain an edge in areas where slower response times are the norm.

“If someone is reaching out to spend hundreds of thousands or even a million dollars on a rental or a purchase, and they don’t get a response for days, that’s not someone I want to work with,” Bograd says. His solution was straightforward: “I decided to get my license in Florida.”

Bograd emphasizes that the issue isn’t about Florida agents lacking skill, but about differences in market dynamics. In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, where he built his business, agents must respond quickly and be available at all hours to stay competitive. “If I’m the agent that clients can reach 24/7, using the same work ethic I have in Pennsylvania or Jersey, nobody will stand in my way in Florida,” he says.

This approach has produced results. Bograd reports his team closed about $30 million in Florida transactions last year with his partner Jess, and expects to surpass that figure this year. “Many of our clients first find us on social media, but it’s the level of service that gets deals done,” he explains.

Raising the Bar on Service

Bograd’s observations suggest that the influx of teams from highly competitive markets is not just about brand expansion or capital. These teams introduce service standards—like immediate responses and consistent follow-up—that often exceed local expectations, giving them a lasting advantage.

“Because of how we conduct business compared to the competition, we’re seeing the benefits,” Bograd says. His team is now planning to open a physical office in Fort Lauderdale, with a possible second location in Naples.

This trend has broader implications for the industry. In regions where established agents have grown complacent, clients who experience higher service levels—such as same-day responses and professional communication—see it as exceptional rather than standard. This can accelerate market consolidation, as out-of-state operators attract clients who are dissatisfied with slow or inconsistent service.

Bograd sums up the opportunity: “If the local work ethic is slow, that’s not what clients want. We’re stepping in to fill that gap.”

Consistent Standards Across Markets

The Bograd Team’s strategy is to maintain the same high service standards in every state where they operate—Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida. Bograd says this means treating every client inquiry with urgency, regardless of transaction size or location.

To support their Florida expansion, the team has partnered with Location Real Estate and is building infrastructure to handle more listings and clients. Currently, they have about eight active listings in the state and recently closed a $3.4 million sale in Lake Mary.

Whether other teams from the Northeast will pursue similar strategies depends on how quickly Florida’s established agents recognize the risk of losing business to faster, more responsive competitors. For now, Bograd believes that maintaining high service standards is the key to winning clients in any market—especially where slow responses have become common.