Sales agent surpasses $35M in closings

SARASOTA — Prominent local real estate agent Cheryl Loeffler was named the top sales associate in Premier Sotheby's International Realty's Sarasota-Bradenton office, with total closed sales exceeding $35 million in 2012.

Loeffler notched more than $18 million in closings on Longboat Key, where she specializes in the luxury market, according to a release. Plus, she listed and sold one property, at En Provence on Longboat Key, for $3.45 million in one day, the agency says.

Loeffler, like many others in real estate, ended 2012 in a flurry of deals. In fact, Loeffler juggled six pending closings the week before Christmas, an unusually high amount for the holiday season. Many 2012 sellers sought to avoid higher capital gains taxes in 2013.

A 25-year veteran of luxury real estate sales, Loeffler has closed more than $1 billion in total real estate transactions. Loeffler's 2012 output, moreover, contributed to a strong year at Premier Sotheby's International Realty. The firm, which also has offices in the Naples-Fort Myers region, closed more than $2.3 billion in total transactions in 2012, according to the release, a 35% increase from 2011.