Prominent Orlando Short Sale Property Specialist Paul Antonelli Launches Real Estate Brokerage

April 8, 2013 - PRLog -- ORLANDO, FL – Prominent Central Florida REALTOR and short sale specialist Paul Antonelli has launched his own real estate brokerage called Antonelli Realty.

         Antonelli, a NAR certified E-pro Realtor who has been a part of the Central Florida real estate scene since 2005 and is recognized as one of the area’s premier short sale experts, has set up shop off Town Loop Boulevard and John Young Parkway near Hunter’s Creek in south Orlando.

         He is operating out of the offices of Attorney Charles P. Castellon at 14129 Town Loop Boulevard, Suite 200.

         “This has been a goal of mine since moving to Central Florida from the Boston area – to start my own real estate company,” says Antonelli. “This is a great opportunity for me to continue providing the experience and real estate expertise under my own name.”

         As with any fledging enterprise, Antonelli has a plan in place to build his company. He will take it slow, laying the foundation and solidifying its place in the marketplace before bringing on new agents and relocating to a full retail area.

         “We want to be on firm ground, up and running before we begin recruiting new agents,” he says. “There is no definite timetable but we expect to be making some key decisions within six to nine months.”

         Although Antonelli Realty will focus primarily on general real estate properties, Antonelli says there will continue to be significant emphasis on property short sales – a niche that he successfully cultivated while working for two real estate companies in Kissimmee and Orlando and which fueled a popular local radio show he hosted.

         Antonelli, a multi-certified short sales advocate who holds several professional designations from NAR,  forged most of his success during his six years as an associate with real estate giant Coldwell Banker. In 2010 he ranked No. 12 in real estate listings among Coldwell Banker’s more than 4,500 Florida sales agents.

         However, it is the area of short sales where Antonelli has truly excelled. For example, during the past five years he completed more than 400 short sales transactions throughout Florida and as far away as Chicago – a conversion rate he estimates at better than 98 percent.

         Although Central Florida’s real estate market in recent months has shown strong signs of recovering with new construction starts up and existing home values inching up, Antonelli points out there is still about “three to five year’s worth of real estate properties that remain upside down in value” – meaning they are worth less than their mortgage amounts.

         Antonelli says properly structured short sales offer both home owners and mortgage lenders a viable option to foreclosure.

“The blueprint for a successful short sale depends on several factors,” says Antonelli. “One,  knowing how to get a short sales price approved by the lender; 2) having the lender sign off on the reduced sales price; and 3)  following clear and specific criteria outlined by the lender.

“The benefit of a short sale is that as long as the short sales approval comes with a full waiver of deficiency, once the house is sold, it’s sold,” he adds. “The homeowner is done with the lender and the lender is done with the homeowner. It’s a win-win for both parties.

“However, getting a full waiver of deficiency is where many agents fail and end up getting their seller into trouble.”

In addition to having his E-pro certification from the National Association of Realtors, Antonelli is a member of the Osceola County Realtor Association (OSCAR) and the Florida Association of Realtors and is a past Vice Chair of OSCAR’s Technology Committee and last year’s Chair for the Realtors Professional Development Group. He also has more than 15 years experience in Internet marketing, business development and market research and is a short sale and E-pro trainer.

Antonelli says his brokerage will continue serving the Central Florida public, helping property owners with their listings from Deltona to Miami to St. Petersburg and everywhere in between but expects most of its activity to continue in Orlando, Kissimmee, St. Cloud and the nearby surrounding areas.