Pleasanton, CA— July 12, 2017 — NextHome is proud to announce our latest addition to the franchise, NextHome Smart Realty. The brokerage will represent the 30th NextHome franchise location opened in the state of Florida. The company will be owned and operated by 34-year real estate veteran, Tom Baker.
Based out of Boynton Beach, NextHome Smart Realty will provide residential real estate sales services to various cities including Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, Delray Beach, Wellington, and the remainder of Palm Beach County. The brokerage currently has agents who service two other locations – Hialeah and Fort Lauderdale.
Boynton Beach is home to 70,000 residents and is one of the principal cities in theMiami metropolitan area. Located on the eastern Florida coastline, the City of Boynton Beach is one hour north of Miami.
The brokerage will provide real estate services such as first-time home buyers, investment properties, relocation services, short sales, and foreclosure sales.
Baker has been in real estate for over 35 years, starting in Long Island, New York in the early-1980’s. As a home builder and real estate agent, he built and sold single family residences for a local independent company.
Relocating to California’s Bay Area in the late 1980’s, Baker stepped away from real estate to be a partner in a sports energy drink called Carbo Force. As a partner and sales manager for the business, he took the startup company into multi-million dollar sales within 18 months of the business in Northern California. Today, Carbo Force is still sold in gyms and retail locations such as GNC Nutrition Stores.
After the partners sold the company to a large retailer and after cashing out, Baker returned to real estate – this time in Orangevale, CA. Working for Prudential California Realty, Baker looked to return into a field where he could spend more time with his family. He and his wife at the time, adopted two children from Russia, and Baker wanted to make his family the important focus in life.
“I wanted to balance out my life of sales with being a good father and husband,” said Baker.
In 1995, Baker and his family moved to Florida to be closer to many of the other family members who relocated from New York.
Baker restarted his career in Boynton Beach with RE/Max and quickly became the #1 agent in his office. With over $10 million in sales annually, Baker continued as a top producer until the market shifted in 2007.
Florida was one of the hardest hit states during the national recession, which forced Baker to adjust his strategy. He adapted to sell short sales and foreclosures and in 2009, he attained his broker’s license.
In 2010, Baker transitioned into management and ran a local real estate brokerage in Boynton Beach called The Realty Pros. After 18 months under his leadership, the company grew from six agents to 25 agents, all while increasing sales significantly for the company.
Realizing his talent in leadership, along with having a broker’s license, Baker opened his own brokerage in 2013 and has been running as a successful independent ever since.
Baker found NextHome through a simple Google search of “real estate franchises”. He knew that in order to increase his service level for his brokerage, he wanted to connect with a company that could take him to the next level.
“NextHome gives me the tools needed in order to create real value for not only my agents, but to our clients as well,” said Baker. “I never wanted to be like other brokerages who weren’t providing anything for their agents.”
When not selling real estate, Baker enjoys spending time with his wife of nearly seven years, Tatiana, and his two children – Josh (25 years old) and Emily (23). Baker is excited to be a grandfather in October, as Josh is having his first child.
Baker understands the importance of family and spending time with them. In 2014, Tatiana was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer and was given three months to live. As a patient to an experimental treatment in Georgetown University hospital, Tatiana beat her cancer and is healthy today.
“It was one of the defining moments of my life,” said Baker. “I’m so happy to have my family.”
Please join us in welcoming Tom and the rest of his team at NextHome Smart Realty to the NextHome family and congratulating them on their brand new office location!
Interested in being a part of the NextHome Real Estate Franchise? Contact VP of Sales Charis Moreno at Charis@NextHome.com.
Each office is an independently owned and operated business.