Another bird nest is coming up on the right, Grandma!”
As a young child, Anthony Askowitz would stare out the car window, searching for the bird nests he knew so well on the drive to his grandmother’s house. They served as mile markers on the path to his next adventure on Duck Key. He’d imagine the birds looking down at him and tweeting, “Right this way!”
Decades later, the road to the Keys looks different, but the same enthusiasm of that little boy persists in its love for the Keys and the birds that define it as home. Today, Anthony Askowitz and his Co-Owner of RE/MAX All Keys Real Estate, Curtis Skomp, use that shared enthusiasm to guide their agents and lead clients to their own version of home in the Keys.
This month marks the one-year anniversary of Anthony and Curtis joining forces of RE/MAX Advance Realty and RE/MAX All Keys, under the direction of Chief Executive Officer, Melanie DeArmas, to become the only RE/MAX offices servicing Miami and the entire Florida Keys. It has been a whirlwind year since the merger, with record-breaking numbers and a combined sales volume of over ¾ of a billion dollars. A year not only full of satisfied customers, but also happy agents.
Anthony explains that the average real estate office loses 30% of its agents in an average year, even more during a merger. Yet, RE/MAX All Keys didn’t lose a single agent and even gained a few! Curtis credits the unprecedented retention rate to the team’s symbiotic mindset and strength of the RE/MAX name.
“At All Keys, we have highly experienced agents that understand real estate is a team sport. We feed off each other’s energy and push ourselves to be as good as the next player, but know when to pass the ball. We know that if our teammates win, we all win.”
As such, Curtis and Anthony are selective in who they allow on their team, embracing the concept of iron sharpening iron.
However, All Keys defines winning differently than most would expect. Rather than only relying on sales figures, they take the most pride in referrals. Referrals mean happy clients, and happy clients are the real win.
The RE/MAX All Keys team’s expertise runs the gambit, from commercial to residential, boat slips to houses to even islands, and everything in between. They pride themselves on contract-to-close service, which doesn’t stop as soon as a sign is in the yard.
Curtis and Anthony boast of their agents’ negotiating skills, stating that anyone can list a house, but only the best know how to get the right deal for their client. Many RE/MAX All Keys agents are in the Top One Percent out of thousands of RE/MAX agents in the state. Curtis, a Coral Shores High School graduate, was awarded the #1 RE/MAX Commercial Agent in all of the Florida Keys, and Anthony was awarded the Broker of the Year Award in all of North America, including Canada.
In addition to their nitty-gritty business skills, All Keys agents dig deeper than price point and bedroom count to get a full picture of their clients’ needs.
“When people think of living in the Keys, they often think of the things people buy, like houses and boats,” Anthony says. “But it’s really about the lifestyle the Keys offer.”
For Anthony, the Keys lifestyle is enjoying a turkey sandwich after a morning of fishing, followed by watching seabirds and the sunset as he grills his catch of the day. For others, it may include diving, boating, fine dining, shopping, lounging, and so much more. 
By getting the bird’s eye view of their client’s lifestyle, RE/MAX All Keys agents better understand the client’s goal and what would be the best fit for them. Then, they help direct their clients on the best path to their next adventure, saying, “Right this way!”
– Jerrica Mah is a writer, Army wife, and freelance book editor, who loves to travel with her family.
