Florida Realtors honors Central Florida real estate leader as 2026 Realtor of the Year

Florida Realtors has named Tim Weisheyer, a longtime Osceola County real estate professional and the organization's 2025 president, as its 2026 Realtor of the Year. The honor, presented Thursday during the state association's annual Convention & Trade Expo at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, recognizes Weisheyer's nearly three decades of service to the real estate industry and Central Florida communities.

The award marks the 71st year Florida Realtors has presented its Realtor of the Year recognition, honoring individuals who have made the greatest lifetime contributions to their local Realtor boards, communities, the state association, and the National Association of Realtors. Weisheyer, a member of the Osceola County Association of Realtors, was recognized alongside several other Florida real estate professionals who received statewide honors for their achievements in leadership, education, advocacy, and community service.

What's happening

Weisheyer accepted the award from 2026 Florida Realtors President Chuck Bonfiglio Jr. before an audience of real estate professionals at the Orlando convention. A broker, investor, developer and business leader with nearly three decades of real estate experience, Weisheyer has served as president of both Florida Realtors and the Osceola County Association of Realtors.

During his year as Florida Realtors president, Weisheyer led efforts to strengthen the association's reputation as what the organization calls "The Voice For Real Estate" in Florida, positioning the group and its experts as trusted statewide sources on real estate, housing, and related policy issues. Under his leadership, the association expanded technology resources including Sabal Sign and Form Simplicity, enhanced access to research and market insights, and grew opportunities for members conducting international business.

Beyond his real estate industry roles, Weisheyer has served in significant public positions in Central Florida, including chairman of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and as an elected member and chairman of the Osceola County School Board. In these capacities, he helped oversee major public operations, budgets, and initiatives affecting the region.

Florida Realtors also announced other award recipients Thursday. Jonathan Dolphus of Miami Realtors + RWorld and Michael "Mike" Bruno of the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee were named co-recipients of the 2026 Associate Realtor of the Year Award. Josep "Joe" Pelayo received the Commercial Realtor Achievement Award, Jeff Jones earned the Realtor Achievement Award, Adam Gurske was honored as Humanitarian of the Year, Helen Moore received the Spirit of Advocacy Award, Lorry Santana won the Newcomer Award, and Erin Michelle Miller was named Educator of the Year.

What this means for Central Florida's real estate market

The recognition of Weisheyer highlights the significant role Central Florida real estate professionals play in shaping statewide industry policy and practice. As the region continues to experience rapid population growth and development — particularly in Osceola County and surrounding areas along corridors like State Road 417, the Western Beltway, and US 192 — industry leadership from local professionals helps ensure Central Florida's specific market conditions and challenges inform statewide advocacy efforts.

Osceola County, where Weisheyer has built his career, has been among the fastest-growing counties in Florida over the past decade, adding tens of thousands of new residents. The county's real estate market faces pressures common across Northeast and Central Florida: balancing housing supply with affordability, navigating insurance cost increases, managing infrastructure capacity as communities expand, and addressing changing demographics as both domestic migrants and international buyers reshape local markets.

Weisheyer's dual experience in real estate leadership and public service on the Osceola County School Board reflects the interconnected challenges growth brings to Florida communities. Real estate development drives school enrollment, which requires capacity planning, facility construction, and capital funding — issues that Realtor associations and local governments must coordinate on as master-planned communities and residential projects add thousands of rooftops to previously rural or agricultural areas.

What this means for industry advocacy and policy

During Weisheyer's tenure leading Florida Realtors, the association focused advocacy efforts on property rights, insurance, housing affordability, and Florida's condominium market — issues that directly affect real estate transactions and homeownership across Northeast Florida and statewide. These policy areas have become increasingly critical as Florida's property insurance market has contracted, with multiple carriers exiting the state or restricting coverage, and as condominium associations face new reserve requirements and structural inspection mandates following the 2021 Surfside collapse.

The emphasis on positioning Florida Realtors as a trusted statewide voice on housing issues comes as real estate professionals navigate significant regulatory and market changes. In recent years, the National Association of Realtors has faced litigation over commission practices, leading to practice changes that affect how buyer representation agreements are structured and disclosed — changes Florida agents must implement while maintaining client relationships and transaction volume.

Advocacy work by state and local Realtor associations typically involves direct engagement with the Florida Legislature, state agencies like the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and local governments on zoning, land-use regulations, and building codes. For Northeast Florida, this includes work on coastal construction regulations, flood insurance requirements through the National Flood Insurance Program, and septic-to-sewer conversion mandates that affect older neighborhoods in Duval, Clay, and St. Johns counties.

What this means for professional development and industry standards

The emphasis Florida Realtors places on education, technology resources, and professional standards — areas Weisheyer championed during his presidency — reflects the increasing complexity of real estate transactions and the higher level of expertise buyers and sellers expect from their agents. Access to market data, legal forms, digital transaction tools, and continuing education helps real estate professionals navigate questions clients face about flood zones, homeowners association regulations, title issues, and the financial implications of location choices.

The expansion of technology resources like Sabal Sign and Form Simplicity that occurred under Weisheyer's leadership addresses practical transaction needs in a market where electronic signatures, remote closings, and digital document management have become standard practice. For agents working with out-of-state buyers relocating to Northeast Florida — a significant portion of the market — these tools enable efficient transactions even when clients cannot be physically present for every step of the process.

The recognition of educators, advocates, and newcomers alongside the Realtor of the Year reflects the industry's focus on developing the next generation of professionals and maintaining ethical standards as market conditions change. In rapidly growing markets like Northeast Florida, where new subdivisions, apartment complexes, and commercial developments continually reshape neighborhoods, real estate professionals serve as interpreters of change for existing residents and guides for newcomers trying to understand unfamiliar communities.

What happens next

Weisheyer's recognition as Realtor of the Year caps his term as the 2025 Florida Realtors president, with Chuck Bonfiglio Jr. now serving as the 2026 president. The annual Convention & Trade Expo where the awards were presented brings together real estate professionals from across Florida to discuss market trends, policy developments, and industry practices that will shape the coming year.

The issues Weisheyer emphasized during his presidency — property rights, insurance, housing affordability, and condominium market stability — remain active areas of state legislative and regulatory attention. The 2026 Florida legislative session, which will convene in Tallahassee in March, will likely see continued debate over property insurance reform, building code requirements, and housing supply initiatives, with Realtor associations positioned to advocate for policies affecting buyers, sellers, and the transaction process.

For real estate professionals in Northeast Florida, the direction set by state association leadership influences the resources, training, and advocacy support available as they navigate local market conditions. Whether addressing a buyer's questions about flood insurance near the St. Johns River, explaining new condominium reserve requirements at the beaches, or helping sellers understand how market conditions affect pricing strategy, agents rely on the policy work, legal forms, and professional development that organizations like Florida Realtors provide.

As Florida's population continues to grow — with Jacksonville and Northeast Florida among the regions absorbing significant migration from other states — the real estate industry's ability to advocate effectively on housing policy, maintain professional standards, and help communities manage growth impacts remains central to how the region develops. Weisheyer's recognition as Realtor of the Year reflects the industry's acknowledgment that leadership requires balancing business success with broader community service and policy engagement in a state where real estate decisions shape quality of life for millions of residents.