The Tribune

Bahamian realtors were recognised as some of the top performers among the Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate franchise’s 12,000-strong worldwide broker and agent workforce in 2025.

Timothy Smith, a repeat member of the franchise’s Emerald Elite Founders Club, delivered a 2025 sales performance that landed him in the top 1 percent globally, becoming one of only 120 to hold that title.

And Mario Carey, founder and chief executive of Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate MCR Bahamas, the local franchise, cemented a spot in the top 3 percent worldwide. After arranging $3bn in transactions in a career spanning four decades, he credits the “support of a strong team” for the firm’s showing on a global scale.

“We have great support and I give our MCR team credit for our success,” said Mr Carey, who praised the firm’s young agents and other winners such as Ilianna Spychalla, who focuses on the Berry Islands, and her father Dean, who spearheads sales in Exuma and Eleuthera, where the firm opened a new office in 2025.

The Spychallas, along with Linda Mackey-Treco and Danae Bethel, ranked in Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate’s top 15 percent worldwide in 2025, making them award winners in a company with around 400 offices across the US, Canada, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Australia and New Zealand.

“Some are afraid when they see instability or uncertainty, others - especially those with a lot of money, the ultra-wealthy - see the advantages of a place like The Bahamas where they see peace and calm,” said Mr Carey. “But we can never take that for granted. We have to remember why they come here – the political stability, the tax-neutral structure and for those who could afford to live anywhere but choose to live here, it’s the beauty of The Bahamas.”

The latter, he said, is critical because it differentiates The Bahamas from other markets. “Ask the ultra-wealthy what made them choose The Bahamas and they will tell you it was the beauty and the lifestyle if affords,” Mr Carey added.

“If any government loses sight of how important the beauty of the waters and the land in The Bahamas is, if they fail to protect it, they will lose more than they can begin to understand. We are blessed and we need to remember that.”

Mr Carey cited what a friend told him years ago. “Imagine where we would be if Vegas (Las Vegas) had waters like The Bahamas,” his friend said. “The differential is our natural beauty.”

Mr Carey and Mr Smith, who are partners in the firm with offices or agents in Nassau, Exuma, Eleuthera, Abaco and the Berry Islands, agreed that stability and environment are critical to market desirability and value. 

“It’s about lifestyle,” said Mr Smith. “When what you have is what attracts people to you, you have to preserve that. Look at the land and the sea with a long lens.”

Dean Spychalla, who also manages hotels in Eleuthera and Exuma, said a large database gathered over decades of hotel management helps him put people and property together.

“Interestingly, most of my clients are older. I think they find it comfortable to work with someone more their age who has a lot of experience, especially in the Family Islands,” said Mr Spychalla, who specialises in residential sales with few buyers needing financing.

“They know what they want. They want what the Family Island life offers.” For his daughter, Ilianna, who manages a marina and villas in the Berry Islands, the hospitality experience is similar to her father – the hospitality job holding hands with the real estate professional, turning boaters into buyers.

Danae Bethel focuses on the western New Providence commercial sales space, handling sales for Venetian Village, the two-storey shopping plaza in Old Fort Bay that just held a soft opening. “There is limited inventory in the west where everyone wants to be,” said Ms Bethel. “Demand is great. Prices are only going to increase over time.”

Mr Carey added: “One firm in the tiny Bahamas taking home six top producer awards – that is amazing. And what’s best looking at the future is that every one of the winners did something different from others, and that just shows the diversity of ability of the firm.

“We want people to become part of The Bahamas, not just buyers in The Bahamas. There is so much wisdom and talent that could lend support to nation-building. That is the reward I want for our 10th anniversary; to be known as the firm that helps to build community.”