Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Florida 1st

What Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Florida 1st does

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Florida 1st is a privately held, full-service real estate brokerage franchise headquartered in Downtown Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Founded in 1985 and locally owned and operated by the Whiddon Family across three generations, the firm operates as a franchisee of Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate LLC (a brand owned by Meredith Corporation and affiliated with Anywhere Real Estate Inc.). The company serves residential and commercial buyers and sellers across South Florida's Tri-County area — Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade Counties — and maintains two physical offices in Downtown Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors. Leadership comprises Gene Whiddon III as CEO, Rebecca Stoneback as COO and Managing Broker, and functional directors covering relocation/business development, marketing, and accounting.

The firm runs a transaction-based commission model typical of traditional real estate brokerages, with revenue earned on each closed deal. Its go-to-market is sales-led and field-driven: a network of 251–500 agents and staff executes deals directly, supported by an MoxiWorks-powered website offering property search, neighborhood/community landing pages, financial calculators, and an agent directory. The brokerage has built a Preferred Partners Program integrating Motto Mortgage (pre-approval) and BW Title Partners (title/closing) into the buyer transaction flow. The stated value proposition centers on local market expertise, full-service transaction support, and the brand recognition of the national Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate franchise system; the firm self-claims the "#1 Real Estate Brokerage in Fort Lauderdale" position. There is no proprietary technology platform, no mobile app, no public API, and no AI/ML capability disclosed in the available data.

Name

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Florida 1st

Legal name

Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate LLC

Website

https://bhgfirst.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Florida 1st is a privately held, family-owned residential and commercial real estate brokerage franchise serving South Florida's Tri-County area from offices in Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors, earning commissions on transactions since 1985.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Real Estate Brokerage

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Real Estate Brokerage (Buy/Sell) (FSAEAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Residential Investment Property Brokerage (SFR/Small Multifamily) (BPAJAAAE)

Keywords

• Residential real estate brokerage
• Property buying and selling
• Real estate agent services
• Commercial real estate transactions
• South Florida real estate

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Lauderdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Commission: Traditional real estate brokerage earning commissions on residential and commercial property transactions. Full-service brokerage model assisting buyers and sellers through the entire real estate transaction process.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Florida 1st is a full-service real estate brokerage that helps residential and commercial property buyers and sellers in South Florida's Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade Counties navigate the entire transaction process. Services include property search via a MoxiWorks-powered platform, agent representation, comparative market analysis, negotiation support, and access to preferred mortgage and title partners. The company earns commissions on closed real estate transactions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Property Search Platform A real estate property search platform enabling users to browse, filter, and view property listings across South Florida, including single-family homes, condos, townhouses, multi-family properties, and land. Targeted at home buyers searching for properties in the Tri-County area.
• Buyer and Seller Services Full-service real estate brokerage providing buying and selling assistance including Comparative Market Analysis, property valuation, expert negotiation, and end-to-end transaction support for residential and commercial properties. Targeted at individual home buyers, sellers, and investors in South Florida.
• Preferred Partners Program Network of preferred partners including Motto Mortgage for mortgage pre-approval and BW Title Partners for closing and title services, providing integrated support for home buyers throughout the real estate transaction. Targeted at home buyers needing mortgage and title services.
• Agent Directory Directory of real estate agents and staff members including contact information and roles, serving Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade Counties. Targeted at home buyers and sellers seeking an agent.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Motto MortgageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPreferred mortgage partner providing pre-approval services for home buyers. Motto Mortgage provides fast and secure pre-approval powered through the brokerage's website.
• BW Title PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTitle services partner shown as preferred partner on the website, providing closing and title services for real estate transactions.
• MoxiWorkscoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite platform provider powering the brokerage's property search, listing management, and agent website tools. Terms of Service agreement is directly with MoxiWorks LLC.
• Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFranchisor providing the Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate brand, suite of tools, support, and national marketing presence. The brokerage operates as an independently owned and operated franchise.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Illustrated Properties / EWM Realty International: Long-standing Florida-focused independent brokerage with deep South Florida roots. Comparable in scale and local-market orientation, operating in overlapping sub-markets with similar community-focused brokerage services.

Direct peers

• eXp Realty: Cloud-based residential brokerage rapidly expanding its South Florida agent base. Competes directly for agent recruiting with attractive commission splits, and for the same residential transaction market in the Tri-County area.
• Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty: Florida-focused arm of a major national residential real estate franchise, with strong presence in Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade. Direct competitor in the same geography and similar full-service buyer/seller offering.
• Sotheby's International Realty (Florida): Luxury-leaning global real estate franchise with a strong Florida franchisee network in South Florida. Competes for higher-priced residential and waterfront listings in Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade.
• Compass: National technology-driven residential brokerage with an aggressive South Florida agent-recruiting presence. Competes directly for the same agent talent and mid-to-upper-tier buyer/seller pool in Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade.
• Coldwell Banker Realty: Major national residential real estate franchise with deep South Florida market share. Competes in the same Tri-County service area, offering similar full-service buyer/seller representation under a recognized national brand.
• The Keyes Company: Long-established, family-owned Florida residential brokerage headquartered in South Florida. Operates in the same Tri-County geography with a similar full-service, community-rooted model, making it the closest head-to-head competitor for buyer and seller representation.
• RE/MAX: Large global residential real estate franchise with extensive agent networks across South Florida. Competes for the same pool of buyers, sellers, and independent agents, particularly in suburban Tri-County sub-markets.
• Keller Williams Realty: Largest residential real estate franchise by agent count in the U.S., with substantial South Florida market centers. Competes for agent recruiting and buyer/seller mandates in the same Tri-County region.
• Douglas Elliman: East Coast residential brokerage with a significant South Florida presence, particularly in luxury and coastal segments. Overlaps with the firm's service area in Broward and Miami-Dade, and competes for higher-end buyer and seller representation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/better-homes-and-gardens-real-estate-florida-1st

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Florida 1st