POWER BROKERS: Barry Seidel

Seidel founded American Property Group of Sarasota Inc. in 1986, to specialize in retail and restaurant properties. It has since expanded to the office and hotel sectors. Seidel, a former restaurant owner and operator in Philadelphia, today works alongside his wife and two sons. In all, his firm has 12 employees.

A CoStar Power Broker each year since 2012, Seidel attributes his place on the company's retail leasing list for 2015 to high volume.

“After 30 years, I know the market pretty well,” he says. “I've been one of the more visible brokers in Sarasota for a long time, so there's a trust factor there, and I know how to get really difficult deals done. I'm creative.”