John Tuccillo

Florida Realtors hired John Tuccillo, Ph.D., as chief economist and head of its new Industry Data and Analysis department. Tuccillo has worked as chief economist for the National Association of Realtors and the National Council of Savings Institutions, and spent the last 14 years heading his own consulting firm, John Tuccillo and Associates Inc., in Sarasota.

Tuccillo first became involved with Florida Realtors last November when he was brought in as a consultant to help with the development of the new department. He soon found he did not want to leave.

“When you move into a job, normally there’s already a set establishment, a structure and a staff, as well as projects that you’ve inherited,” Tuccillo said. “The opportunity to start from scratch and apply 35 years of experience was extraordinarily attractive. I like the people and I like the organization. The opportunity was compelling.”

One of the department’s biggest challenges, according to Tuccillo, is utilizing the research and data already available and compiling new information to make Florida real estate professionals more successful in their work.

“That’s one of the pluses – there’s a wealth of real estate data and information out there that would help Realtors in Florida provide even more value to their clients,” he said. “And a huge opportunity for me personally is that I have the chance to make a positive difference in the industry – that has always been my objective. That’s definitely part of the job’s attractiveness; I can find out what tools, data and research Realtors across Florida need to do their business more easily and successfully. The goal is to help them find the data and tools they need, and help them to understand those tools and how to use them to enhance and increase their business.”

The staff of the Industry Data and Analysis department at Florida Realtors also includes economist Brad O’Connor and research analyst Erica Cross.