Neighborly and knowledgeable: Meet Young & Younger Real Estate

Moving to a new home is a big step for a family. So who better to help with that transition than a family business?

That’s part of what sets Young & Younger, one of central Florida’s most trusted real estate companies, apart from its competitors. When you turn to them, you’re turning to a father (Scott Young) and son (Brad Young) who have nearly 60 years of combined experience between them. You’re working with a team lead by two people who know each other, and their community, about as well as anyone could.

And you’re connecting with people who prove, each and every work day, that they know the importance of family.

We’ll be checking in with Scott and Brad monthly to share their tips and tricks for navigating the real estate process for both buyers and sellers, but first, read on to learn more about this dynamic duo.

A motorcycle and a backpack: How it all began

When Scott Young first arrived in Florida, he didn’t know where his journey would take him… and he certainly didn’t expect to wind up passing on decades of real estate know-how to his son. 

He left Michigan State University and headed south for a job with Disney, never dreaming he’d wind up being named "rookie of the year" for Merrill Lynch’s newly-formed real estate company.

"When I moved down here, I came down on a motorcycle and a backpack," Young tells FOX Digital. 

"So I started from nothing… Got good coaching, made a lot of phone calls, started growing [...] I’ve been doing it about 43 years now. And we just got better and better."

While Young emphasizes that the world of real estate is always changing, one of the biggest surprises for him came when his son Brad joined the business.

"He came in right at the end of the real estate crash in 2010, [right out of] college. I actually thought he was going to work [for only] one summer, because he was kind of a pain in the tail when he was at college. I thought I [would be] babysitting. And he just, boom, jumped into it and skyrocketed. 

"So now we've kind of grown together, for the last 15 years. [...] And now he's helped double the business."

Brad speaks proudly of his dynamic with his partner, who happens to be his dad. 

"I mean, we work well together," the younger Young adds. 

"I think just having a trust and being able to bounce ideas off of each other, we kind of both have two different outlooks, but we always end up kind of getting on the same page. So it's nice. We have two personalities and sometimes ways of doing things, but we’re always able to figure out something that kind of works for both of us. I think that makes us better."

An ever-changing landscape

While Young & Younger is clearly a family business, the Youngs also see great value in continuing to hone their skills with help from outside experts.

"When he came in," Scott says of Brad’s early days with the company, "well, nobody wants to work for their dad, right?" 

So he hired a coach to help Brad with the transition, and the benefits were immediately obvious.

"We still have one now," Brad notes, "because there's always things that are changing. Everything's changing. Real estate has completely transformed since I got in the business. There was no Zillow. There was no realtor.com. [...] And now it's a totally different world. Every buyer can see everything, and everything keeps changing."

Experience and innovation: A tale of two approaches

While the Youngs obviously share a great deal in common (besides a gene pool), they also believe that their differences help set Young & Younger apart.

"I've seen the market for 40-some years," Scott observes: "Boom times, crashes, terrible times, high interest rates, low interest rates. So it kind of makes me a little more conservative, whereas [Brad] comes in and the market's been really good since the crash when he started. 

"It gives us a nice flavor. We don't get too negative and we don't get too positive. We kind of help balance each other out."

Brad agrees. 

"It’s the benefit of having two different generations of experience, right? Because he's been doing this a really long time, has probably more experience than anybody. 

"We're evolving in different directions to make sure that we stay ahead of things. I mean, everything's changing with AI and all the different tools now that people are using."

Scott underlines the value of that contrast by pointing out what happens when it’s not part of the equation: "Agents that used to be huge hitters 20 years ago, if they haven't [evolved], their business is gone... It's been a nice balance. We've kept up with the times and try to stay ahead of the times." 

"Selling a house is special."

While the enjoyment the pair have in working together is obvious, so is their passion for the work itself, and that’s never more clear than when the conversation turns to their clients.

"You're helping people in a time that's confusing for them," Scott observes. 

"Like a first time buyer: What am I doing? What am I getting into? They're nervous, they're scared. Our job is to help get them to make a decision."

And the selling process is just as personal.

"When we help somebody sell a house, if they want to move up to their cabin in the mountains, or over to the beach for a new life, and they're retired, [we help them get] the maximum amount of money to make that transition. 

‘It's just a really fulfilling feeling to help them be able to do that. [...] Selling a house is kind of special. I mean, you're really involved in their life for that snapshot of a moment. Doesn't mean we're friends forever, but during that one period of time, it's pretty interesting, the connection you make with somebody when they're making a huge change in their lives."

Brad’s enthusiasm and empathy equal his father’s. 

"A lot of people call us and it's a very overwhelming process for them," he notes, and underlines how emotional the transition can be: "You're selling the place that's been your home maybe for the last 20 years."

Brad’s awareness of the emotional component of the work also extends to the stress of logistics, particularly when a client needs to sell their home in order to buy the next. 

"Getting people to trust us and take that leap, putting their house on the market, being able to work it out so they’re going to have time to find the next place. It always ends up coming together, but it's always extremely scary. I think [that fear] keeps people in the same house for five years longer than they want to be. So when we meet with somebody, we kind of explain how that process works and then we're able to make all that work. That's pretty fulfilling."

The first step in a new chapter

To start the process of buying or selling a home in central Florida, first you’ll want to find the right partner. And that’s what Young & Younger hopes to be. For more information, visit https://youngandyounger.com.

Real EstateLifestyle