The story of how a local company became part of an international brand is rooted in big dreams, focus and perseverance.

When Destin Real Estate Company was founded in 1998, it employed just two people — one of whom was owner Blake Morar — and lacked its own systems, processes or even facilities. What Morar had, though, was a small group of determined agents and a vision for the future. In short order, the company found office space in Grayton Beach and added to its ranks. A burgeoning brokerage, it became apparent that Destin Real Estate Company was outgrowing its space and plans began to construct a new home for the business along Scenic Highway 30A in Blue Mountain Beach, which was completed in 2004 and remains today.

By 2005, the fledgling company was taking shape as new agents were brought into the fold. Morar added staff and marketing personnel in an effort to both support the growing team and put custom, high-quality marketing out along the Emerald Coast. In any business, growth means change. Morar took time to focus on the value platform for his company — its mission, vision and ideals — before seeking additional real estate agents to join in a measured and deliberate approach to growth.

Eight years later, Morar partnered with Chris Abbott to become co-owners of Destin Real Estate Company, which was by now gaining attention from international brands the likes of Sotheby’s International Realty, who sought a permanent presence in the Florida Panhandle.  In late 2012, Morar and Abbott considered affiliating with the world’s leading luxury real estate brand, ultimately determining that the timing was not quite right. Over the course of the next year, Destin Real Estate Company shored up its business practices and marketing, laying the groundwork for what would become northwest Florida’s Sotheby’s International Realty affiliate. In less than one month, as 2014 began, Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty was born.

Affiliating with the Sotheby’s International Realty brand spurred the company on to new heights. In 2015, an office location was opened at 30Avenue in Inlet Beach, followed closely by a Destin office at City Market Bayside in 2017. The same year, the company’s leadership added Wes Madden as its chief operating officer.

Today, the core values established as the company’s foundation all those years ago, combined with intentional decision-making, have created a company culture unlike any other — equal parts family atmosphere and collaborative workplace. Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty proudly claims its place as the No. 1 luxury real estate brokerage in northwest Florida, serving Destin, Miramar Beach, 30A and Panama City Beach with more than 70 full-time local experts. In 2021, more than two decades after its humble beginning, the brokerage eclipsed $2 billion in sales volume.