"The A Team"
Our Guiding Principle..."We Are Committed to Providing 'A' Level Service to All of Our Clients."
The A Team, up close and personal
Mal Griffin PA, Realtor, GRI
Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Mal was a Navy “junior” who lived all over the world growing up. He has a grown daughter, Kim, a financial consultant of whom he is extremely proud. He is an avid outdoorsman with a love of boating, fishing, hiking, bird watching, and generally enjoying the abundant opportunities to enjoy the wonderful year round weather that Southwest Florida offers. Mal is a fair golfer and an enthusiastic tennis player. Mal and Sarah have been full time residents of Southwest Florida since 1988. They live in one of their favorite gated, golf course communities, Pelican Sound Golf and River Club, in Estero, Florida, which is just north of Naples, between Bonita Springs and Fort Myers. (See more about Pelican Sound under our Local Info Navigation Tab.)
Mal graduated from Annapolis High School and the University of Maryland with a degree in Marketing. He was a Naval Aviator, an A7 attack jet carrier pilot until 1978, a period in which he describes having some of the best experiences of his life. First licensed as a Realtor in Virginia Beach, Virginia in 1979, Mal had a successful real estate practice there specializing in residential sales, property management, and small investment syndications.
After succumbing to the lure of southwest Florida, Mal worked in Naples as an investment consultant for one of the top regional investment firms for five years. He resumed his real estate career in 1998 with Arvida Realty (now Coldwell Banker), and has since helped many families to find their perfect southwest Florida home. His friendly demeanor and extensive knowledge of local values puts his clients at ease and gives them confidence in his first class, ‘A Level’ service.
Sarah Thompson PA, Realtor, ABR CRS
Sarah hails from Hamlet, NC, but was raised in the Norfolk, Virginia metropolitan area. She has a marketing degree from Old Dominion University. Sarah became a licensed Realtor in Virginia Beach, Virginia in 1971 (at a very young age), and has been in the real estate industry virtually all of her adult life in one facet or another. She has two grown sons, John and Bruce, who are in mortgage banking and real estate sales. It must be in the genes!
As busy as Sarah and Mal are with their real estate business, time to enjoy their outside interests is limited. But as an avid birdwatcher, Sarah takes her binoculars with her on the golf course where she is a beginner (for 14 years!). She loves boating, fishing, tennis, swimming with the dolphins in the Gulf, hiking and biking all the trails around town and in the many state and national parks in the area, and socializing with her friends and clients. It’s a rough life but someone has to do it!
Sarah’s Florida real estate career has encompassed representing some of the nation’s top homebuilders in Naples, Bonita Springs, and Estero, as well as general real estate sales of luxury homes and condominiums. Additionally, Sarah spent six years as a top producing mortgage loan officer for Barnett Bank (now Bank of America). She has always been a top producer, in real estate and mortgage financing. Her extensive knowledge and expertise in finance has helped her to advise and assist her real estate clients. Finally, Sarah brings her southern friendliness to her real estate practice and professes to be on a “hugging basis” with most of her clients.
Barb Dunlap, Realtor, ABR, e-Pro
Barb’s sales experience started early in Tucson, Arizona and then in New York, finally arriving in paradise in 1999. Barb’s early work history included working in fashion and she was featured in Seventeen Magazine.
Barb had a career as a Sales Trainer for one of the top 10 banks in the nation and was mentioned nationally for her marketing and advertising accomplishments. Her experience in a national marketing setting, being certified in several needs based sales training programs, and writing her own training programs provided a great base for her real estate career. Selling in both the Finger Lakes of New York State and Florida provided a vast amount of experience in the residential real estate field. Barb has been a consistent recipient of the Circle of Excellence Award since 2001, signifying that she is a Multi Million Dollar Producer and holds dear her many satisfied sellers and buyers. Her attention to detail and caring attitude make Barb the choice of many Buyers and Sellers to help them with their real estate needs.
Barb has two sons, Bob in New York and Stacy in Michigan, who have given her three beautiful grandchildren that delight her as they grow and demonstrate their various talents. Barb and her fiancé, Leigh, are residents in one of her favorite Southwest Florida communities, Pelican Sound Golf and River Club. When Barb is not working on real estate, she and Leigh enjoy the golf and social scenes at Pelican Sound, and Leigh stays busy managing his commercial real estate.
Barb has helped many families to move into Pelican Sound as well as to other fine communities in SW Florida. She can help you make a smooth transition to paradise too!
Ron Sinks Realtor, GRI Candidate
Ron Sinks began his residency in Southwest Florida in 1989 when he and his then fiancé Darline Hillard decided that southwest Florida was the wonderful, tropical oasis where they both wanted to live. Ron is originally from Bowie, Texas where he was first licensed in Texas in 1972 owning and managing his own real estate and tax service and was instrumental in developing the Bowie, TX Board of REALTORS.
Ron's Professional Affiliations Include: Licensed Florida REALTOR®, Broker Associate and active member of the local, state and national Associations of REALTORS®. Past Director for Naples Area Board of REALTORS® and past President of Montague County Board of REALTORS®. Designations include: SFR (Short Sale & Foreclosure Resource). Ron is actively taking course studies in the Graduate of REALTOR® Institute working towards the coveted GRI designation. Ron believes you can never stop learning in this ever changing field of Real Estate and strives to stay current in the market to deliver the utmost in professional and personalized services to all his clients.
Ron is dedicated to his customers but tries to find a little time for fishing and golf which is so abundant in SW Florida. Ron helps his wife and their community by participating in fundraising organizations such as Susan G. Komen Walk A Thon, Rally for the Cure, and other important causes. Dear to Ron’s heart are his daughter Kristi and two granddaughters, P-Dee and Kaydee, who live in Joshua, Texas and love to call Ron and Darline Mee Maw and Pee Paw (It’s a Texas thing). When you hire Ron to help you with your real estate needs you will find a sincere and dedicated professional and a new friend as well.
Bruce Ives, Realtor, Luxury Home and Beachfront Specialist
Bruce hails from Virginia Beach, Virginia, but has been a resident of the Naples area since 1991, so he is practically a native by Florida standards! Bruce has been a Florida licensed Realtor since 2004. He is a candidate for the coveted GRI designation which signifies a high level of education and professional expertise.
Bruce and Krissy have two great children, Paige and Tyler. Family is very important to Bruce, and that is where his real estate practice focuses – on the needs of families who want to have their own ‘slice of paradise’ in Southwest Florida. When it comes to Buyer representation, whether it is a young family looking for their first home, or a more mature couple or individual looking to re-locate from the frozen north, Bruce has a history of making it a smooth transition and a smooth transaction. Bruce is familiar with all of the best communities from Naples to Fort Myers, so you will get good professional advice on the best neighborhood for your needs.
Bruce is affiliated with ‘The A Team’ of John R Wood Realtors as a full time Sales Associate. One of John R Wood Realtor’s top producing teams, ‘The A Team’s’ award winning marketing venues make Bruce and his team a great choice for selling your property also. From proper staging and pricing to exceptional marketing, Bruce and ‘The A Team’ know how to help you get top dollar for your property. Customers who hire Bruce to help them with their real estate needs know that they have a dedicated professional working for them.
Selling Your Property
The A Team, together with our company, John R. Wood Realtors, Inc., has effective and innovative marketing programs and advertising that give extensive local and worldwide exposure to the fine properties that we list for sale. In Florida the next five competitors combined sales do not equal our sales volume. We are #1 by far! Additionally, unlike the passive marketing efforts of most other agents (sign, MLS, seeya), The A Team employs a proactive marketing plan. We talk to prospective Buyers in our extensive database every day, working to sell your property. We get results!
Purchasing a Home
In our over 23 years living and working here in the greater Naples, Bonita, Estero, Fort Myers area (otherwise known as PARADISE), we have accumulated a wealth of knowledge that we will be happy to share with you to insure that you find the perfect home in the best location for you.
The ‘A’ Team operates under The Golden Rule
We listen to your needs, and you can be sure that we will respond in a professional and friendly manner. We brought our southern hospitality down from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and our low-key, non-pushy way of doing business serves us and our clients well here in the sunny, breezy, sultry climate of southwest Florida. Besides, we want to develop a lifetime friendship with you, so we treat you as we want to be treated…with patience, loyalty, and caring.
RESULTS COUNT!!
"The A Team's" Recent Accomplishments:
-
NUMBER1EXPERTS™ 
