John R. Wood Properties today announced merger agreements with two vacation rental companies, Ft. Myers-based Resort Harbour Properties and Naples-based The Holiday Life. In April, the company also acquired a Pine Island-based vacation rental company.

“Continued expansion of our presence in the high-end vacation rental market is a natural strategic evolution for John R. Wood Properties in our local area. These companies share our core values of legendary service and a respected code of ethics. Incorporating them into the John R. Wood Properties family will help agents realize a larger selection of listings for our clients while helping preserve our number-one market share in the Lee and Collier County market, and it’s a goal we have pursued for several years,” said Corey McCloskey, John R. Wood Properties Vice President of Operations.

The three new entities will now be recognized as divisions of JRW Vacation Rentals LLC, A John R. Wood Company.

“Affiliating with a larger real estate company such as John R. Wood Properties will enable each of these rental businesses to have access to more potential landlords and renters from the 700 John R. Wood agents”, said McCloskey.

Resort Harbour Properties specializes in the condominiums at Sanibel Harbour Resort and nearby Punta Rassa. Owner Angelo Celmo has joined John R. Wood Properties as a broker associate; Sanibel Harbour rental operations will continue to be led by Kelly Dickens.  The Resort offers short term rentals with fabulous waterfront views.  Celmo formed the company in 2007.

The Holiday Life is a Naples-based vacation rental business owned by Casey Potter and Lisa Potter. The company has quickly grown among Collier County’s thriving luxury vacation rental market.  Led by Casey, The Holiday Life has accumulated approximately 100 high-end rental listings, with some Naples luxury homes going for upwards of $100,000 per month in season. The Potters formed the company in 2013.

Pine Island Realty has been in business since 1980, and formed the rental operation about two years ago.  It is now called Pine Island Vacation Rentals and is led by Kelly Cruz.  The Pine Island market is a popular destination for fishermen who want a crack at the fabulous fishing in the Pine Island/Boca Grande area.  The company also has a number of family renters looking to get away from the stress of their normal lifestyle.

“Luxury vacation rentals have seen significant gains during the last year as travelers enthusiastically embrace these forms of accommodation,” said McCloskey. “However, shifts in consumer expectations place a premium on factors like rate transparency, cancellation policies and, as always, customer service. Particularly in the luxury sector, travelers expect the same effortlessness and reliability from vacation rentals that they have traditionally found in other forms of travel. The companies that will be successful are those that are already adapting to these changes.”

To maximize the ease of reserving vacation rentals, all 3 divisions use popular websites such as VRBO and AirBnB.  These allow customers to search for specific dates, prices, types of properties, and other amenties, so they can find their ideal vacation property.

In 2021, John R. Wood Properties surpassed all southwest Florida residential real estate brokerages in sales volume, listings sold and total closed transaction sides, based on information from the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® MLS for closings 1/1/2021 through 12/31/2021. Led by President and CEO Phil Wood, recently recognized among Florida’s most influential business leaders by Florida Trend magazine, the firm reported a record-setting written sales volume of $5.834 billion while also leading the Collier and Lee County market with 3,054 listings sold and 6,109 transaction sides. 

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Two local vacation rental firms merge with John R. Wood Properties