Pleasanton, CA — March 11, 2021 — NextHome is pleased to announce the newest addition to the franchise, NextHome Legacy Realty, based in Tampa, Florida. The brokerage represents the 82nd office location opened in Florida for the NextHome franchise and the 550th NextHome office opened nationally.
NextHome Legacy Realty will serve clients across the greater Tampa Bay area, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, and Polk counties. With more than 150 people moving to the Tampa Bay area each day, NextHome Legacy Realty is positioned to be a leader in regional real estate.
NextHome Legacy Realty is owned by Shawna Ramkalawan – a longtime broker and real estate management professional who has built a legacy of excellence in the Tampa Bay area.
Shawna went into real estate in 2005 after leaving a career in hotel management and marketing.
“My late husband owned a mortgage company and thought it would be a good idea for me to get my real estate license so we could work together,” Shawna said, recalling her first introduction to the industry. “I agreed to go to the class but reserved every right to back out if I didn’t like it. Well, it turned out that I loved real estate! What a great business opportunity and career!”
Shawna never looked back, joining a boutique brokerage in Las Vegas. She soon found herself taking on management and broker roles as she gained experience in residential real estate, property management, and office leadership. While in Las Vegas, Shawna not only worked with boutique brokerages, but franchised firms and property management companies as well.
In 2007, the Atlas Group LC asked Shawna to launch an expansion in the Tampa Bay area. She moved her family to Florida and began to build an outstanding real estate reputation. After the first year, her brokerage was acquired by Home Encounter and Shawna became their director.
Since 2011, Shawna has worked in real estate business development, management, and broker leadership. She is also a certified life coach, offering agents unique growth opportunities.
In 2015, Shawna took the helm of a Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices office that was underperforming. Her management skills and knack for creating a great workplace culture soon built a thriving brokerage. Shawna developed the luxury division for Berkshire Hathaway Florida Properties Group and put together many exciting community events. Over five years, Shawna recruited 125 agents, increasing net profits by 183%.
“People would always comment how my office was so different, that I created a great culture,” Shawna recalled. “I think it is because I truly care about people and I built a solid foundation where everyone worked in a collaborative environment.”
In 2020, Shawna knew that her career would evolve yet again as she focused on creating her own legacy. She began looking into franchises and, after extensive research, found NextHome to be the perfect fit.
“I started going through NextHome’s website and thought ‘this is too good to be true,’” Shawna said. “Then I talked to Charis (Moreno, NextHome’s VP of Sales) and thought ‘these are my people.’”
Today, Shawna is combining her excellent management skills with NextHome’s suite of cutting-edge tools and technology to bring Tampa Bay clients an unparalleled experience.
“Outside of NextHome’s technology, I knew this was a great company that was fresh and exciting and actually saw people as people and not just numbers,” Shawna said. “‘Humans over Houses’ is not just a tagline, but it was a way of doing business that dovetailed with the way I do business. That sealed the deal.”
Shawna is the proud mother of two children who she raised with her beloved husband David, who passed away in 2016. Niara (25) will be joining NextHome Legacy Realty as an agent and Seamus (22) serves his country in the U.S. Coast Guard.
Please join us in congratulating Shawna on the opening of NextHome Legacy Realty in Tampa, Florida!
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.