We had the good fortune of connecting with Ray Collins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ray, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
Having spent decades in TV news as a reporter and then an anchor, I learned resourcefulness, punctuality and having a tenacity to get the job done. I was a college tennis player and always have a bit of competitiveness. All this conspired to fuel my second career as a Realtor. I was fortunate enough to close $60 million dollars in my first 3 years.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I never thought my career as a TV News Anchor would ever help so much in my new life as a Realtor. Writing, communication–but also video production: I used to produce videos five days a week on newsmakers–and now I make videos about the high-end homes I sell.

Florida Realtor Magazine did a full-page article about me, which led to an award for editorial excellence. I think
this, as well as having some name recognition and credibility from being on TV helped jump-start my new career.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I like to take people on a little tour of the beach communities to get that out of the way, see the bridges and the water–but then finally get out of the car and walk around Main Street in downtown Sarasota. It is such a jewel that often gets overlooked by our beautiful beaches. I love walking around downtown. Luckily I live close enough
that is is never far away.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m the youngest of six kids, and my parents really gave us a solid work ethic. It wasn’t always fun–but in hindsight, they had our best interests in mind. All of us graduated from college and went into diverse careers from medicine to law.

Website: www.raycollinsrealestate.com

Instagram: raycollinsrealtor

Facebook: Ray Collins Media & Real Estate

Youtube: RayCollinsMedia

Other: www.raycollinsmedia.com

Image Credits
Photo Courtesy: 1) Coldwell Banker 2) Coldwell Banker 3) Ray Collins 4) Ray Collins 5) Ray Collins 6) Realtor Association of Sarasota Manatee

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