The Society of Real Estate Professionals (SOREP) is the premier group of commercial real estate professionals in West Central Florida.  Originally founded as the Bergstrom Council in 2014 as an affiliation of the University of Florida, the organization has since become an independent 501c.6 nonprofit institution as of 2017.

SOREP boasts over 200 active members and encompasses a variety of professional industries, including private equity, development, lending, legal, construction, appraisal, and more.  We host regular events, including breakfast expert panels, construction tours, economist presentations, and happy hours.  We focus on education — of our members and of our community. 

Our Society supports students pursuing post-secondary degrees in real-estate related fields with the SOREP Annual Scholarship. Since 2018, SOREP has awarded over $150,000 in scholarships to 55 students from 7 universities.

Past Speakers Include:

• Willy Walker, Walker & Dunlop
• Greg Friedman, Peachtree Hotel Group
• Jim Schroder, TriBridge Residential
• Granvil Tracy, American Land Ventures
• David Selznick, Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors
• Benjamin Mallah, Equity Management Partners
• Edward Mitchell, Duke Realty
• Christopher Bowen, RD Management
• John Jackson, Cushman & Wakefield
• Leslie Deutch, John Burns Real Estate Consulting
• Carlos Alfonso, Alfonso Architects
• Benjamin Mallah, Equity Management
• Mitchell Rice, RMC Property Group
• Mike Connor, Paradise Ventures
• Ron Wheeler & Craig Sher, The Sembler Company
• Bobby Julien, The Kolter Group
• Casey Cummings, Ram Realty
• Duane Stiller, Woolbright Development
• John Jung, BB&T Economist
• Bob Buckhorn, Former Tampa Mayor
• Rick Baker, The Edwards Group
• Skipper Peek, Tavistock Development