Top Real Estate Agents on 30A: Meet The Kendall Hood Collection
THE SHORT VERSION
The Kendall Hood Collection is a luxury real estate team at Compass and one of the top-ranked teams on 30A. RealTrends Verified named it the #1 medium-sized team by volume in Seagrove Beach and #2 in Northwest Florida for 2026, placing it in the top 1.5% of teams nationally. The team has closed more than $540M in lifetime sales across 600+ families. Eight advisors cover the corridor, and they do not all cover the same thing. Scroll to the advisor match section if you want the short path to the right person.
Updated September 12, 2026.
30A is not one market. It is a dozen small ones stacked along 24 miles of coast, and the gap between Rosemary Beach and Blue Mountain Beach is the gap between two entirely different investments. Who you hire to navigate that matters more here than almost anywhere else in Florida.
The Kendall Hood Collection has spent two decades learning this coastline street by street. This page introduces the full team, tells you what each advisor actually specializes in, and shows the transactions behind the claims. Use it to find the right person, not just the right office.
What this covers
- Why the Kendall Hood Collection ranks among the top 30A teams
- Which advisor fits your situation
- The team at a glance
- The advisors, and what each one does best
- What this looks like in an actual transaction
- How to choose a real estate agent on 30A
- Frequently asked questions
Why the Kendall Hood Collection ranks among the top 30A teams
Here is what separates this team in a crowded market. Every figure below is verified and dated, not rounded up for effect.
- More than $540M in lifetime sales and 600+ families served across the Emerald Coast.
- RealTrends Verified 2026: #1 medium-sized team by volume in Seagrove Beach, #2 medium-sized team by volume in Northwest Florida, top 50 medium teams in Florida, and top 1.5% of teams nationally.
- Compass 30A's top medium-sized team three years running, and a Compass Top 100 team.
- In the 12 months ending June 30, 2026: 82 transactions and $124M in closed volume, an average sale price of $1.51M, a high sale of $10.09M, and $56.9M in luxury sales above $3M.
- A 97.6% list-to-sale ratio, with listings selling in an average of 68 days.
- 59.2% of business comes from repeat clients and referrals, which is the number that says the most about how people feel after closing.
- 100+ five-star Google reviews.
- Eight advisors, plus dedicated operations, marketing, and transaction support running in the background while your advisor stays focused on you.
Production figures reflect the 12 months ending June 30, 2026. Awards reflect RealTrends Verified 2026 rankings. Lifetime and review totals current as of September 2026.
The short version: on 30A, specialization beats generalization. If you want to see how that plays out inside real transactions rather than in a stat line, our case studies walk through six of them, buy side and sell side, with the strategy and the outcome on each.
Which advisor fits your situation
Most people land here trying to answer one question: who on this team should I actually call? Find your situation below.
- Gulf-front, waterfront, or a purchase above $3M.Kendall Hood.
- Short-term rental or investment property, especially in Sandestin.Nevan Farias.
- Buying remotely from out of state.Nevan Farias or Andrea Gallagher.
- Military relocation to Eglin, Hurlburt, or Duke Field.Cassy DeJulio or Andrea Gallagher, both through the Compass Military Division.
- Alys Beach, Kaiya, or Rosemary Beach on the east end.Andrea Gallagher.
- Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, or Crestview.Cassy DeJulio.
- Freeport and Hammock Bay.John Currence.
- Selling, and the home needs work before it lists.Sarah Svoboda.
- A second home on 30A, bought from outside Florida.Ginger Harrell.
- Already under contract and want to know who is driving it.Courtney Payne, Director of Operations.
Not sure? Call the team at (850) 974-4556 and we will route you. There is no internal competition for that call.
The team at a glance
Name | Role | Focus |
|---|---|---|
Founder and Principal, Broker Associate | Gulf-front and waterfront, second homes, investment strategy, 30A through Destin | |
Director of Operations | Listing and transaction coordination, team systems, client experience | |
Real Estate Advisor | Seller representation, staging and pre-listing preparation, 30A through Destin | |
Real Estate Advisor | Military relocation, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, and Crestview | |
Real Estate Advisor | East end of 30A, Alys Beach, Kaiya, and Rosemary Beach, military relocation, out-of-state buyers | |
Real Estate Advisor | Short-term rental and investment property, Sandestin specialty, remote buyers | |
Real Estate Advisor | 30A second-home buyers, negotiation, licensed in Florida and Arkansas | |
Real Estate Advisor | Freeport and Hammock Bay, waterfront, Navy and veteran clients |
Together the team brings more than 50 years of Emerald Coast real estate experience. Full profiles live on the team page.
The advisors, and what each one does best
Kendall Hood, founder and principal
Best for: Gulf-front and waterfront purchases, sales above $3M, and investment strategy on 30A and in Destin.
Kendall founded The Kendall Hood Collection and leads it as a Broker Associate with more than 20 years on this coastline. An Alabama native who grew up vacationing on 30A and in Destin, she earned a marketing degree from LSU, started her career at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, then spent six years at Emerald Grande in Destin mastering new construction, investment strategy, and second-home ownership.
She specializes in luxury and Gulf-front property, waterfront and bayfront homes, and short-term rental investment, and she will tell you plainly where your money goes furthest and where it will not. Kendall holds the 30A seat in Collective by Luxury Presence, an invitation-only network limited to 100 top-producing luxury agents nationally in its 2026 cohort. She is also a member of the Compass Sports and Entertainment Division and connects clients across more than 30 second-home markets through the Compass Resort network.
"This is the most professional luxury realty group on 30A. They had our house under contract in one week."
Client review
Courtney Payne, director of operations
Best for: the part of the transaction you never see, which is the part that decides whether it closes on time.
Courtney is originally from Northwest Florida and built her real estate career in South Florida with The Meyer Lucas Team at Compass, working across residential sales, negotiation, and transaction management. During her time there she contributed to more than $50M in sales volume across 70-plus residential transactions, and in 2024 she was named Rookie of the Year and promoted to Senior Agent.
She brought that production background to the operational side when she returned to Northwest Florida. As Director of Operations she works alongside Kendall to run the team's day-to-day operations, refine its systems, and coordinate listings and transactions end to end. Having sold at a high level herself, she knows what a deal needs before it asks. When a transaction has moving parts, and on this coast most of them do, Courtney is why it still closes on time.
Sarah Svoboda, real estate advisor
Best for: sellers whose home needs presentation work before it lists, and buyers across 30A through Destin.
Sarah brings a designer's eye and deep local roots. Born in St. Louis and holding a psychology degree from Columbia College, she moved to the Emerald Coast in 2005 and has called it home for more than 20 years. She started in advertising at the Walton Sun, spent years in home staging where she learned exactly how presentation moves a sale, then transitioned into real estate alongside Kendall. Over the past five years she has helped more than 50 families buy, sell, and invest along 30A.
Off the clock she is woven into South Walton life, from the Children's Volunteer Health Network to the Emerald Coast Middle School PTO to youth football and cheer. Her clients tend to become lasting friends.
"The KH team seamlessly blends professionalism, knowledge, and compassion. Sarah treated our transactions as if they were her own."
Client review
Cassy DeJulio, real estate advisor
Best for: military relocation, and buyers and sellers in Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, and Crestview.
Cassy came to the Emerald Coast the way many of her clients do, through the military. Born and raised in Kansas City, she vacationed in Destin for years before her husband's Air Force orders to Eglin brought the family here for good. That firsthand experience makes her a natural fit for military relocation, and she pairs it with deep knowledge of the western Emerald Coast and a name for fast, clear communication. Clients and referring agents alike point to how well she listens.
"Cassy was fantastic to work with while selling our home. Amazing and quick communication throughout."
Client review
Andrea Gallagher, real estate advisor
Best for: the east end of 30A, including Alys Beach, Kaiya, and Rosemary Beach, plus military relocation and out-of-state buyers.
Andrea knows military moves from the inside. Originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, she spent her husband's 20-year military career raising their three children before the family chose 30A for their next chapter, buying their home here in 2018. She earned her license in 2022 and joined the team at Compass's 30A flagship, where she specializes in relocation through the Compass Military Division. She also co-founded and leads a national nonprofit supporting service members, first responders, and their families.
Her advice to buyers is refreshingly honest: you cannot truly time the market, so buy the right home when the timing is right for you.
Nevan Farias, real estate advisor
Best for: short-term rental and investment buyers, Sandestin in particular, and anyone purchasing from several states away.
Nevan is the advisor you want when you are buying remotely or buying for income. He first discovered the Emerald Coast in 2013 and moved here full time in 2021. His primary farm area is Sandestin, and he works across investment properties, vacation homes, and primary residences in Santa Rosa Beach and the wider 30A corridor on both the buy and sell sides.
Clients single out his communication and his willingness to handle every detail remotely, including checking on the property between closing and move-in. Off the clock you will find him driving 30A, playing the Sandestin courses, or out with his family at the Red Bar.
"Nevan took care of everything and made buying a house easy, even though I did it all remotely."
Client review
Ginger Harrell, real estate advisor
Best for: second-home buyers purchasing 30A from out of state, and clients who want a hard negotiator.
Ginger pairs an insider's feel for 30A with a career built on sales discipline. A North Carolina native and UNC Chapel Hill graduate, she spent years in pharmaceutical sales before moving into real estate, sharpening the diligence, negotiation, and communication skills she now brings to clients. She is licensed in both Florida and Arkansas and has bought and sold across property types, including single-family homes, golf-course communities, beachfront and lakefront property, and raw land.
As a 30A homeowner herself who lives most of the year in Northwest Arkansas, she understands the buyer who is doing this from a distance, because she has done it. She and her husband are raising three boys, so she also understands what it takes to find a home that fits a family's changing needs.
John Currence, real estate advisor
Best for: Freeport and Hammock Bay, waterfront property, and veteran and military families.
John is originally from Annapolis, Maryland, where he grew up on the water. He is a Navy veteran and a former Merchant Marine deck officer, and he sold real estate for six years in the Annapolis market, one of the most competitive waterfront markets on the East Coast, earning Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices' Honor Society and Leading Edge Society awards along the way.
He and his wife Rebecca first visited the Emerald Coast about 12 years ago and moved here full time in June 2025, settling in Hammock Bay in Freeport with their two daughters. Freeport is his niche, and it is one of the few places on this side of the bay where a family can still buy space. He is also active in the Freeport Merchants Association. Florida license SL3647096.
What this looks like in an actual transaction
Rankings are a summary. Transactions are the evidence. Three from the last 18 months:
A Gulf-front record in Destin. Kendall represented the buyer on 2974 Scenic Highway 98, a newly completed residence with roughly 67 feet of direct Gulf frontage. It closed in March 2026 for $10,094,000, the highest Gulf-front sale on that stretch and a new ceiling other sellers now price against. The buyer had already trusted Kendall with four previous transactions across 20 years.
A Seacrest Beach listing that got better after it went under contract. The home launched as a Compass Coming Soon on July 10, 2026, and went under contract four days later, before it ever reached the MLS. That first offer carried a buyer home-sale contingency, so Kendall negotiated a kick-out clause. A backup offer arrived on July 23: all cash, $100,000 above the original contract, with better terms throughout. That buyer closed in August 2026 at $1,695,000.
A search that had stalled for months. A family relocating from Cincinnati had been hunting 30A with nothing to show for it, because the home they wanted was never on the public search sites. Kendall found it through local relationships inside Watersound Camp Creek. Under contract within one week, closed September 2025 at $4,250,000.
Three more, including an off-market Old Seagrove sale and a double-sided Sandestin transaction, are in the full case studies.
How to choose a real estate agent on 30A
If you are comparing teams, three questions separate a specialist from a generalist on this coast.
First, ask who knows the neighborhoods, not the region. An agent who treats Rosemary Beach, WaterSound, and Seagrove Beach as interchangeable will cost you on both price and fit. Every pocket of 30A trades differently, and the differences are not obvious from a listing photo.
Second, ask about rental performance if you are buying for income. Peak-season numbers, occupancy realities, and short-term rental rules vary street by street, and the honest answer is sometimes that the numbers will not carry the house. You want an advisor who says so before you close, not after. Our guide to buying a 30A investment property covers the math.
Third, look at where the business comes from. A team pulling most of its work from repeat clients and referrals, as this one does at 59.2%, is a team people choose to work with twice. That is the metric marketing cannot fake.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the top real estate agents on 30A?
The Kendall Hood Collection at Compass is among the top-ranked real estate teams on 30A. RealTrends Verified named it the #1 medium-sized team by volume in Seagrove Beach and #2 in Northwest Florida for 2026, placing it in the top 1.5% of teams nationally. The team is led by Kendall Hood, a Broker Associate with more than 20 years on the Emerald Coast, and includes advisors Sarah Svoboda, Cassy DeJulio, Andrea Gallagher, Nevan Farias, Ginger Harrell, and John Currence, with Courtney Payne as Director of Operations. The team has closed more than $540M in lifetime sales and served 600+ families.
Who is the best real estate agent for luxury Gulf-front property on 30A?
Kendall Hood specializes in Gulf-front, waterfront, and bayfront property and represented the buyer on the highest Gulf-front sale on that stretch of Scenic Highway 98 in Destin, which closed at $10,094,000 in March 2026. The team recorded $56.9M in luxury sales above $3M in the 12 months ending June 30, 2026.
Which 30A agent specializes in short-term rental and investment property?
Nevan Farias is the team's short-term rental specialist, with Sandestin as his primary farm area and coverage across Santa Rosa Beach and the wider 30A corridor. The team also connects investors with CPAs who specialize in cost segregation so depreciation and tax benefits can be modeled before an offer is written. The team does not provide tax advice.
Who is the best agent for a military relocation to Destin or Eglin?
Cassy DeJulio and Andrea Gallagher both handle military relocation through the Compass Military Division. Cassy's family relocated to the area on Air Force orders to Eglin, and she covers Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, and Crestview. Andrea spent her husband's 20-year military career as a military spouse and covers the east end of 30A.
What makes the Kendall Hood Collection different from other 30A teams?
Two things. Depth of local specialization, since the team covers 30A neighborhood by neighborhood rather than as one market, and a full-team model that pairs each advisor with dedicated operations, marketing, and transaction support. The results show up in a 97.6% list-to-sale ratio, an average of 68 days on market, and 59.2% of business coming from repeat clients and referrals.
Does the team work with out-of-state and remote buyers?
Yes. A large share of Emerald Coast buyers purchase from other states, and the team is built for it, from remote showings to relocation guidance through the Compass Military Division. Nevan Farias and Andrea Gallagher both specialize in handling the entire process for buyers who cannot be here in person. Our 30A relocation checklist is the place to start.
What areas on 30A does the Kendall Hood Collection cover?
The team works the full 30A corridor, including Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach, Seacrest Beach, Kaiya, WaterSound, Seagrove Beach, Seaside, WaterColor, Grayton Beach, Blue Mountain Beach, Dune Allen, and Inlet Beach, plus Santa Rosa Beach, Miramar Beach, Sandestin, Destin, and Freeport. Note that Rosemary Beach and Seacrest Beach both carry Inlet Beach mailing addresses, and much of the 30A corridor carries a Santa Rosa Beach address, which trips up plenty of out-of-state searches.
How do I choose a real estate agent on 30A?
Look for genuine neighborhood-level knowledge, honest guidance on rental income if you are investing, and a track record weighted toward repeat clients and referrals. On a coast where each community trades differently, a specialist will serve you better than a generalist. Ask any agent you interview for the absorption rate on your actual street and price band, not the corridor average.
Ready to buy or sell on 30A?
The right team on 30A is the one that knows this coastline street by street and tells you the truth about it. The Kendall Hood Collection has done that for 600+ families and more than $540M in sales, and we would be glad to do it for you.
Reach the team at (850) 974-4556 or [email protected]. You can also read the case studies, explore our 30A community guides, or get a valuation on your home.
About the author
The Kendall Hood Collection at Compass is a luxury coastal real estate team serving 30A, Santa Rosa Beach, Miramar Beach, Destin, Freeport, and the greater Emerald Coast. Led by founder and principal Kendall Hood, a Broker Associate with more than 20 years of experience, the team has guided 600+ families through over $540M in Emerald Coast transactions.
Meet the team | 2048 W County Hwy 30A, Suite 107, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 | (850) 974-4556
Last updated September 12, 2026. Production figures reflect the 12 months ending June 30, 2026. Awards reflect RealTrends Verified 2026 rankings, based on closed residential sales volume. Lifetime totals and review counts are current as of September 2026 and are updated quarterly. Nothing here is legal, tax, or insurance advice. Consult your own licensed professionals regarding your specific transaction.
