Realtor® Adam R. Jonas: On the Real Estate Path Since High School
LAND O’LAKES, Fla. – Adam R. Jonas, co-owner and broker of First Integrity Real Estate in Land O’Lakes, Florida, fondly remembers when he first caught the real estate bug. “When I was in middle school and high school, I used to stuff mailers for my oldest brother and his now wife. It was the mid-90s, so we were doing it old school,” he recalled.
Diving headfirst into the real estate sector on the title and foreclosure side right out of high school, Jonas observed firsthand the intricacies involved with mortgages. “I did like 4,000 title searches a year for several years and it was fun and interesting, but I was burned out,” he said. “At the time, I was seeing all these people lose their houses, and I thought I would rather help someone get into a home rather than lose it.”
His association with foreclosure firms gave Jonas a great foundation for transitioning to sales 10 years ago. That preliminary experience translated into a 22-year full-time career in real estate sales where he now works alongside his brother Michael, who runs their Naples location.
He’s also involved in the insurance industry now, with Foundation Rock Insurance Group.
Jonas is one of 20 Realtors® in the inaugural class of Florida Realtors® Board Certified Professionals, a new endorsement for Realtors who have reached the pinnacle of their profession and fulfilled leadership, education and skill-based achievements over the life of their real estate careers.
For Jonas, the real estate business relies on genuine human interactions. His forte lies in building relationships. Whether it’s fellow professionals in the Tampa Bay area, where he’s known for bringing creative solutions for closing transactions, Jonas believes in the power of face-to-face interactions. He emphasizes the significance of attending local events, networking gatherings and staying informed on community developments.
With deep roots in his community, Jonas is committed to volunteering, either through his children's school activities or through his local Realtor association. Currently, he chairs the government affairs committee for the Pasco chapter and is a key figure in its commercial real estate committee.
Jonas’s advocacy for continued learning and education is why he decided to seek the Board Certified Professional endorsement, emphasizing the importance of agent education in the industry. He believes real estate professionals should always be in the loop and avoid making decisions based on assumptions.
One of Jonas’s hallmark tales of relationship-building revolves around his association with a mortgage loan officer from his childhood days. From acquaintances to collaborators, their bond strengthens by the day, testament to Jonas’s philosophy of maintaining regular personal interactions, be it weekly lunches or shared poker nights.
“The biggest thing is just making the commitment and showing up,” he says. “I'm a big believer in that one-on-one contact with people. You have to get in front of them, not just one-on-one, but in group settings, too.”
Jonas exemplifies what it means to be a dedicated, knowledgeable and community-focused real estate professional.
Florida Realtors® serves as the voice for real estate in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research, and legislative representation to 238,000 members in 51 boards/associations. Florida Realtors® Newsroom website is available at floridarealtors.org/newsroom.