When Keith Wood met ERA American Real Estate founder Gloria Frazier at a hurricane cookout during the 2004 season, neither could have predicted their conversation about market trends would lead to a two-decade relationship. 

• Now, as Wood assumes the role of Vice President and Head of Business Development, his journey reflects the power of meaningful connections in building a lasting career.

Wood’s real estate story began in high school, when a friend’s stepmother, Diane Keller, became his first mentor. While helping manage her real estate office, Wood discovered his natural ability to connect with clients.

“Customers kept calling asking for me thinking that I was a regular employee,” Wood recalled laughing. “Diane came to me and said ‘Keith, customers love you. Have you thought about getting into real estate?'”

That early experience led to a pivotal moment when Keller made a decision that would shape Wood’s future. “She came to me one day and said, ‘Keith, I’m at a tough point because you’ve worked as high as you can get in this company and you need to expand your wings,'” Wood said. “‘The only position above the position you currently hold is the owner of the company. And that’s me.'”

• Keller made Wood a promise: she would help him find opportunities at a larger company if he would help train his replacement. This early lesson in professional development and graceful transitions would later influence Wood’s own leadership style.

His path eventually led him through various roles in property management, including positions at ResortQuest (then Abbott Resorts) where he worked his way up from guest services to senior operations manager. The challenging hurricane season of 2004 brought an unexpected turning point when Wood met Gloria Frazier, founder of ERA American Real Estate, at a neighborhood cookout during a power outage.

“We just started talking about real estate, the market, the economy, what I thought things were going to do. I didn’t know who Gloria was,” Wood said. That chance encounter led to a job offer and the beginning of a two-decade relationship that would transcend business.

• “Gloria has just been an incredible mentor and she’s more than a mentor and has become family. I consider her a mom,” Wood said. “She has been a great leader to model after.”

Under Frazier’s guidance, Wood learned valuable lessons about business leadership. “What I received from Gloria was the mentorship of someone that truly cared. You knew that she cared about customers, about the business, and about the employees. It wasn’t self-serving,” Wood explained. “If you give it your all, the money will come. The business will come. If you just stay true to what that culture is that you’ve established, the business will come. That’s what I learned from her.”

This philosophy helped Wood build ERA American’s Property Management Division from roughly 600 properties to 1,500 units. During the 2008 recession, he focused on helping homeowners explore alternatives to foreclosure, establishing himself as a trusted advisor during difficult times.

• “I made sure that I was that person that could help advise them that there’s other options than letting their home go back to the bank,” Wood said. His personal experience as a young property investor, having purchased his first investment property at age 18, helped him relate to clients’ concerns about market fluctuations.

Wood’s influence expanded beyond ERA American when a chance encounter at a Florida Realtors committee meeting led to his involvement in state-level legislative work. His expertise in property management caught the attention of the Florida Realtors president, leading to his immediate appointment to a task force working with legislators on industry regulations.

“I learned a long time ago that you can always think that there’s someone smarter in the room and there probably is,” Wood said. “But what if you’re the one that’s holding that missing link, that extra little piece that puts all the puzzles together?”

This perspective has served him well throughout his career, as ERA American has repeatedly created new positions to leverage his unique abilities. His most recent role as President of the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors (ECAR) put his leadership skills to the test during a challenging year for the industry.

• “There were 5,500 agents that I worried about every day. That I had to make sure understood the changes that were coming,” Wood said. “How do I acknowledge the fear that they have? Because I’d be silly to play it off like it’s not scary. But acknowledge it and give them the reassurance that we got this, and that I’m in it with them.”

Tony Lombardo, CEO of ERA American Real Estate, recognized Wood’s unique combination of skills and experience in creating the new vice president position. “Keith’s track record of success, both within the company and across the industry, uniquely qualifies him to lead our business development efforts as we continue to grow,” Lombardo said.

In his new role, Wood will focus on expanding ERA American’s managed properties, identifying merger and acquisition opportunities, and developing strategic partnerships. He remains optimistic about the market’s future, seeing opportunities in both sales and rentals.

“I think showing people that there are opportunities and that they can do it,” Wood said about what excites him most about his new position. He’s currently working with several first-time property investors, including friends who never considered real estate investment before. “I’ll walk you through it and I’ll coach you through it. I’ll set up a team around you that can help facilitate everything.”

Wood credits his wife, Nikki Segraves Wood, herself a successful real estate professional, for helping keep him motivated. 

• “She works extremely hard, and she’s got an incredible balance. Her time is her time. Family time is family time, but she has extremely lofty goals that she sets for herself and she works really hard to achieve those,” he said.

Looking ahead, Wood sees his role as helping others navigate the changing real estate landscape while maintaining the values that have guided his career. “Staying plugged into the community as a whole on what’s going on and just looking after the community in general” remains central to his approach.

For Wood, success in real estate isn’t just about transactions – it’s about building relationships and helping others achieve their goals. Whether he’s advising military families about property management options or helping fellow agents adapt to industry changes, his focus remains on making a positive impact in his community.

• “As an agent who is on the grind everyday, it can be hard to stay on top of best practices, new trends and even upcoming legislation,” Wood said. “You’re in the whirlwind of what you have to do every day.” His new role will allow him to help others see beyond the daily grind to identify opportunities they might have missed.

As he steps into this next chapter of his career, from a teenage property manager to vice president, a few things haven’t changed – it’s still all about building relationships, mentoring others, and staying committed to serving the community.