RE/MAX Expands with the Help of a Loan from BayFirst

August 30, 2021

When it was time for Cheryl and Bryan Guentner to expand their real estate company to reach the next level of success, they knew finding the right bank for support would be key.



The Guentners own RE/MAX Platinum Realty in Sarasota, which is in the top 1% of all Real Estate Brokerages and top 6% of all RE/MAX locations in the United States.  In 2020, they decided to add a fifth location and did so with the help of a 504 Loan from BayFirst.

“The SBA loan helped us control our rent cost on a high-profile retail location,” said Bryan.  “We were able to effectively lock in our payment at historic interest rate lows.  This freed up capital to not only help us thrive but to also expand during the COVID-19 crisis.”

After finding the perfect location in an area of high demand at a great price, the husband-and-wife team opened their newest office in Lakewood Ranch. With more than six years of in-market experience and a trustworthy staff ready to start, they hit the ground running and haven’t looked back. 

The best part about this process, according to the Guentners, was that it was relatively low stress thanks to the help of our VP of SBA Lending, Mike Giasone.

“Mike was a pleasure to do business with.  There is a lot of paperwork required with these loans.  Mike did whatever he could to make the process go as smooth as possible and get us from the start to the finish line.  We had a great experience locally with Mike and BayFirst,” added Bryan.

As always, we are proud to have played a part in the success story of this local business.  If your business is booming and you’re ready to add a location, get started by filling out the form below.