I've been in marketing and sales since I graduated with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Roger Williams University in 1990. I played hockey as a kid through and up to my four years of varsity university hockey and pursued my love for hockey into the business arena, where I was first involved in the promotion and advertising of the Buffalo Sabres professional hockey team. I moved to Tampa in 1992 to join the sales and marketing group of the then-newly-formed Tampa Bay Lightning. During my four years with the Lightning, I headed up a sales group that helped establish many national attendance records. I also served as a consultant in other sports-related enterprises, but as long as I can remember I have always had a special interest in real estate, where I found my greater calling.

I became a Realtor in 1996. I consistently performed as a Top Sales Agent with my former brokers from 1998 through 2011, and since 1998, I have maintained my ranking in the top 1% nationwide for sales volume. Now as an independent broker, I am working hard to establish Mihara & Associates, Inc. as the leading brokerage in the Real Estate community.

Perhaps because of my competitive nature, I'm in my comfort zone to do battle for my clients who are facing foreclosures. It takes patience and pure doggedness to deal successfully with banks overwhelmed with foreclosures. I feel I have become an expert in ways of getting my clients' homes sold. These sales have a rather special meaning to me; it feels very good to have helped my clients out of a very tough situation.

I really love selling real estate. I believe that home ownership is still the American Dream and an investment as well, and my knowledge, compassion and dedication are geared to make it happen for my clients. I work hard to have a positive impact on your experience towards the attainment of your home. And you can reach me anytime, day or night. I answer my phone calls and I respond to my e-mails. My cell phone is (813) 240-5255, and my e-mail address is RayMihara@aol.com.

Tom Erwin
Director of Business Development

The most influential person in my real estate career has been Tom Erwin, the person who recruited and trained me in Real Estate sales. Too many Real Estate Agents do not receive the kind of teaching and mentoring that is Tom's signature. In 1996, Tom took me under his wing, and as the saying goes, the rest is history. We have come full circle, and in 2008, Tom joined us as Vice President of Ray Mihara, P.A. to help us grow by recruiting and training new Sales Associates. I might add that prior to joining us, Tom had over the years also trained my Team of Agents, as well as many of Tampa Bay's Top Producers in Real Estate. Tom, a Tampa native, has been a Realtor/Broker since 1979, and for more than 20 years, beginning in 1983, a recruiter/trainer for an international real estate organization.

Before entering the Real Estate profession, Tom was an Operations Manager, Sales Manager and Assistant Branch Manager for a national retail furniture company. Now, at Mihara & Associates, Inc., Tom’s responsibilities have broadened as Director of Business Development. Tom is an avid reader, loves theater- both live performances and movies, and is very eclectic in his music preferences. He also has a fine singing voice.

Les Glick
Corporate Advisor

Les is an independent advisor to corporate management of private and public companies. His background includes over 40 years of creating, managing, consulting to, and investing in companies in a variety of industries. One of the companies that he cofounded, Genex Corporation, was among the 100 fastest growing public companies in the 1980s. As CEO of Genex, Les hosted and met with dignitaries, such as Margaret Thatcher and Al Gore. Les was also the cofounder and first president of a major trade association, now known as BIO, the largest biotech trade association worldwide. He has been a guest on various TV and radio programs broadcast by the major networks in the United States and Europe. He has also been featured in numerous articles in the leading newspapers and magazines throughout Europe, Japan, Australia, and the United States, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Time, Fortune, and Forbes. Needless to say, Mihara & Associates, Inc. is fortunate to have someone of his stature and business acumen involved in its corporate decisions and long range strategic planning. In Les' spare time he plays jazz guitar and performs in a duo known as G Strings. His record company, Cooper Alport Productions, also produces CDs of a number of jazz artists.

Judy Mihara
Director, Financial Operations and Quality Assurance

Judy has 35 years of sales experience in a variety of industries: air freight services, biotech products, electronic test equipment, and information technology systems. And in each of these industries, she won numerous awards exceeding sales quotas. No surprise, then, that she has been a sales recruiter and a management consultant in sales force development. As a Realtor in 1998, Judy co-founded Ray Mihara, P.A., the predecessor of Mihara & Associates, Inc., where she continues to oversee financial operations and overall quality control. She insists that each Associate excel in salesmanship, knowledge of the homes and neighborhoods, and, especially, listening skills and the carry through of promises. "My experiences tell me that the key to sales success is honesty, reliability, product knowledge, and great customer service." She adds, "Ray and I work well together because our philosophies are the same. A music buff, Judy co-produces and markets recordings for a variety of jazz combos - and she's also a great cook!

Cathy Renwick
Marketing Administrator

A licensed Realtor since 1972, both as a Buyer's Agent and as a Listing Agent, Cathy was a multimillion dollar producer before joining Ray Mihara, P.A., the predecessor of Mihara & Associates, Inc., as Office Manager. Over the years she has assisted me, seamlessly, in implementing the services that we promise our customers and in carrying out our marketing programs. Indeed, because we have created Mihara & Associates, Inc. as a marketing-driven firm, whereby to a greater degree than other real estate brokerages we implement company-wide marketing strategies to increase the productivity of our sales associates, Cathy now focuses primarily on marketing. She is also one of our in-house techies because of her many years in the telecommunications and computer software industries as a Senior Documentation Analyst. Having lived in Tampa most of her life, she is familiar with the area's housing patterns, its history, its trends, and also its equine population. In fact, she is a past president of the Tampa Horse Show Association. However, Cathy does not confine her fondness for animals to just horses but is also great with cats, dogs, birds, and even ferrets.

Sophia Garrett
Operations Administrator

First impressions are important. That is the reason we have Sophia on the front line. She is the first person you will speak with when calling Mihara & Associates, Inc. You will find her upbeat, knowledgeable, and very competent. Sophia monitors all of our listings and closings, reviews all of our clients' contracts, coordinates all of our showings and open houses, and is our other in-house techie. Not only is she a licensed Realtor, but she is also experienced in previously managing a fast paced leasing office. Sophia loves the outdoors, especially the beach. To relax she will immerse herself in a book, but to help her keep up the stamina needed with her busy schedule she is a regular at the gym.

Susan Dean
Graphics Designer

Susan Dean relocated to Tampa from Chicago in 1993. Having provided a variety of support services to Barbara Gibson since 1998, Susan facilitates our sales and marketing activities by focusing on the creative design of marketing materials. Her dedication has been instrumental in the implementation and presentation of products and services to clients, who continually express their appreciation and gratitude for the excellent materials that she produces.

Associates

Laura Ash

A licensed Realtor since 1975, Laura is uncanny at spotting market trends. Her far-reaching experience as a Listing Agent renders the highest sale price for her clients. Realtors of Laura's caliber are especially valuable as a resource clients can take advantage of in dealing with uncertain times. Laura can guide her clients pass the uneasiness spread by rumors and scare tactics so prevalent today by explaining concrete measures available to sell a home. To serve the community, she is an active volunteer with Southeastern Guide Dogs, Inc.

Amanda Barningham

Amanda is originally from Nebraska and soon after moving to Florida began working in the Title business in early 2004. Almost immediately she realized her desire to try her hand on the Realtor side. She received her real estate license in 2006, the same year her daughter was born. Meanwhile, in 2005, she experienced first hand not only what it's like to buy a home but actually to build one. Over the next 6 years she personally bought and sold 4 more homes. In 2011, Amanda decided to join our team. She truly believes that whether you are a first time homebuyer, looking for a retirement home or a second home, or trying to deal with a short sale, it's important to have an expert in your corner, whatever your circumstances may be, to help you understand the process and keep things flowing smoothly. That is what made being a Realtor desirable to her; she wants to be part of that journey.

Oscar Contreras

Oscar’s prior employment history included three years selling electronics equipment and ten years working at a financial institution. Oscar became a Realtor in 2007, joined our team in mid-2011, and quickly demonstrated that he was a multimillion-dollar sales producer. Oscar’s motto shouts, “Customer Service!” He takes great pride in the fact that, at the end of each transaction, his clients are extremely satisfied. His follow-up is exceptional, too – just because the sale is done doesn’t mean Oscar is done. To get some insight into Oscar’s success, in early 2012, I accessed Zillow.com, which displays ratings of those Realtors who are reviewed by their customers according to likeliness to recommend, local knowledge, process expertise, responsiveness, and negotiation skills. Out of a best possible rating of 5, Oscar’s overall rating was 4.9. A resident of the Westchase area, he has fully recognized all the community has to offer. For relaxation he likes to spend time with his family, play poker, and play in a flag football league. Habla español.

Susan Cook

Susan was born and raised in Atlanta and has lived in the Tampa Bay area since 1990. A Realtor since 1996, when she first began working with Barbara Gibson, Susan has shown herself as one whom we can depend upon to put to excellent use her many years of real estate experience for her own as well as Barbara’s clients when she and Barbara are teaming up. Susan’s background includes 12 years of medical office management experience where she learned the importance of organizational skills and how paying attention to details can be a key factor for a successful completion of any endeavor. As soon as you meet Susan you will feel comfortable with her, and that comfort level will last throughout the entire real estate process.

Jan Dean

Jan, who is originally from Indiana, moved with his family to Florida from Chicago in 1994 and has lived in Cheval since 1995. He has been a Realtor since 2009 and frequently teams up with Barbara Gibson. Jan has extensive consulting, marketing and sales experience, having been a Regional Practice Leader for such major firms as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mercer Consulting and Alexander & Alexander. He also has owned his own firm since 1985. His broad business background has provided him with unique insights in his real estate work.

Mike Eagan

Mike's 20 years of sales accomplishments in the professional sports industry (including selling tickets when his team was in the middle of relocating) prompted me to recruit him in 2003. Converting Mike's prior experience from sports sales to Real Estate sales was a "slam dunk". A million dollar producer, Mike made his first sale in the first week he was a Realtor. His exceptional listening and customer service skills make him very easy to work with for both buyers and sellers alike. Mike has purchased and sold homes for investments, so he is intimately familiar with that marketplace and is very aware of the problems Real Estate investors face. His experience and successes in this endeavor are invaluable to his clients. Mike proves you can be both a nice guy and a professional who gets the job done. Mike is an avid reader and moviegoer, but sports make him smile. You'll like Mike as much as Mike likes sports, and Mike loves sports.

Barbara Gibson

Being a third generation native and growing up and attending schools and college in the Tampa Bay area, Barbara has a real feel for the area. She has witnessed the growth of our population, development of our schools, expansion of our roads, bridges and shopping malls, and proliferation of our sports and cultural achievements. Her background includes serving as Vice President of Flair Homes, where she coordinated the various stages from financing, permitting, and draws to the move-in for the new homeowner. She previously served as a vice president at Florida Federal, which at that time was one of the largest banks in Florida. There she supervised three offices and managed all operations from deposits to lending. She was also instrumental in opening Bay Federal, where she served as Senior Vice President with responsibilities for lending. In the mid 1970s, while still employed in banking, Barbara obtained her Florida real estate license because her job dealt heavily with real estate matters. She became a full-time Realtor in the mid 1980s and is a consistent multimillion-dollar sales producer. While she focuses on residential properties, her experience also includes sales of commercial properties, such as professional offices, warehouses, and large acreage.

Mark Hangen

Born and raised in Buffalo, Mark accumulated much sales experience, having owned several small businesses. He also coached football, ice hockey and Special Olympics teams. Mentoring youngsters led to his bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Buffalo State College and his certification in Special Education from the University of South Florida. He moved to Tampa to pursue a career in education, but after several years he longed to get back into sales and decided to become a Realtor. Since 2000, Mark’s first year as a Realtor, he has consistently been a multi-million dollar producer. He listens to the needs of his clients and uses his education background to coach them through all the steps of the home buying/selling practice, making the entire process understandable and stress-free from start to finish. He is also a licensed property manager and has personally managed over 50 properties for his many satisfied customers. Moreover, his experience as a real estate investor is a valuable resource to his clientele. In the past five years, he has also become an expert on distressed properties and has helped numerous families avoid bankruptcy and/or foreclosure by successfully negotiating favorable short sales for his clients.

Rebecca Hardin

Rebecca previously lived in Mississippi, Nebraska and Missouri, before moving to Tampa. Her chosen profession is real estate, having embraced it immediately following her graduation from the University of South Florida in 2011. A quick learner, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Women's Studies. A strong advocate for using technology to enhance sales and marketing productivity, she constantly works on growing Mihara & Associates, Inc.'s social media presence through Twitter, Linked In, and Facebook. She continually goes to classes and seminars focused on social media and other new technology relevant to real estate and real estate marketing in order to be as up to date as possible for our firm and our clients. Rebecca is outgoing, professional, courteous, and hardworking. She has a passion for helping people and making their lives easier. She also has two dogs (a Weimaraner and a Rottweiler) and a black cat that keeps them in line. In her spare time she loves to read and learn.

Heather Kress

Heather has been a licensed Realtor in the Tampa Bay area since 2001. A resident of Pasco County since 1993, she specializes in the Lutz, Land O' Lakes and Wesley Chapel areas. Heather received a B.A. in Communications from the University of Tampa and spent several years in marketing. She cut her teeth on the commercial side of Real Estate but found her passion was in the residential side, working with families and individuals looking for their perfect home. Recognizing that residential homes like commercial properties are important investments. Heather works within her clients' budgets to locate good properties that will also meet her clients' personal tastes and needs. Heather brings to her listing clients the same competence and professionalism. She listens to her clients and provides them the absolute best in customer service and satisfaction. Heather's excellent communication skills, approachable demeanor and strong sense of self make her an excellent candidate to represent you on any real estate transaction, be it on the sale or the purchasing side. She likes to relax just by having lots fun with her family.

David Marks

Born in New Jersey and raised in the Midwest, David came to Tampa in 1996 after graduating from Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in marketing and advertising. He spent his first seven years in Tampa as an advertising agency broadcast producer and developed an excellent foundation and skill set for marketing, advertising, and sales. A real estate professional since 2002, David made real estate a career by choice, becoming licensed as both a Realtor and as a broker associate. His dedication to this field keeps him constantly seeking new and innovative ways to market the growing and ever-changing real estate industry by offering a customized plan for a diversity of clients that is critical to the success of selling or buying a home. His mission is to provide the finest professional real estate guidance and dependable advice for his clients. He negotiates with proven experience, as he values most the trust and confidence that his clients have in his ability of providing a concierge level of service.

Enoch Poon, J.D.

Enoch has been a highly productive member of our Team since 2010. Enoch specializes in commercial properties and actively advises his domestic and overseas clients on commercial investment strategies. Enoch is also the founder and manager of a real estate investment company which oversees a large portfolio of commercial properties. As a U.S. patent holder, he is also the founder of an international consumer goods company with products in all major chains stores around the world. He has previously worked as a computer systems engineer and a corporate attorney. He received his J.D. from the University of Louisville and an Executive Certificate in Technology, Operations & Value Chain Management from M.I.T. Enoch was awarded Business Person of the Year during the 2007 International Business Summit in Tampa. He is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and Taiwanese and is a frequent speaker on the subject of international trade.

Brent Sheldon

Brent was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan and attended college in California during the Vietnam-era. He volunteered for military service, and served in the U.S. Air Force. After returning from Vietnam, he was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. After being honorably discharged, he briefly returned to Michigan, but longing for the beauty of the Tampa Bay area, he moved back here in 1974. For 19 years, Brent owned his own businesses. He started with a small deli, and over the years he owned nine different restaurants. After selling his last restaurant, he decided that real estate was a natural fit. He then became a buyer's agent and also a sales consultant for two major builders who specialized in townhomes, condos, and villas. With many years of experience working with buyers and sellers, and hundreds of sales specializing in townhomes, Brent knows how to match buyers and sellers with the right property. He feels that his clients' needs are so important that he makes himself available 24 hours a day. Customer satisfaction is his ultimate goal.

Marilaine Sheldon

Marilaine has lived in Tampa for most of her life. She attended local schools and has spent her entire professional career in the Tampa Bay area. She believes in giving back to her community, and is a long-standing member and past-president of the Kiwanis Club of Tampa. She also spent many years volunteering with the United Way of Tampa Bay. Her years in management with the IBM Corporation and her account management experience with a well-known staffing company prepared her well for a dynamic real estate career. Marilaine is a dedicated real estate professional whom people trust with their most-valuable asset. It's a responsibility that she takes very seriously. She knows the neighborhoods and area schools. She keeps track of market conditions, the local economy, and stays in constant touch with her clients throughout the process. Marilaine always does her best to make the process of buying or selling a home, a pleasurable and stress-free experience.

Sylvia Weigand

I'm always impressed with self-starters. Sylvia is a multimillion dollar producer. She quietly and enthusiastically has worked very hard to attain her success. She is always there for her customers and makes sure they feel comfortable to call her at any time. Sylvia is amazingly versatile about the territories she competently covers - South Tampa to Tierra Verde - and she is a specialist in waterfront properties. Sylvia's prior background in architecture and interior design has been a great asset in her ability to best put forward a house to sell or help her buyers find their perfect house. She is someone who you will find works very hard for you whether it's to sell your home or find that house that was made for you. To relax, Sylvia loves to read and work in the garden. Indeed, she is a talented landscaper. She is also very knowledgeable about jewelry and in fact has designed some beautiful pieces.

Linda Wernicke

Linda brings many years experience selling Tampa Bay's luxury homes in premier neighborhoods such as Tampa Palms, Hunters Green, Westchase, Waterchase, and Ladera. She has represented both developers and builders, including Hannah-Bartoletta Homes, Sunrise Homes, Taylor Woodrow, and Country Squire Estate Custom Homes. She is highly respected in the Real Estate community by her peers and clients, and has been recognized by the Builder's Association of Greater Tampa when she received the "Outstanding Salesperson of the Year" award from the Sales and Marketing Council for the Luxury Homes Division. Linda strives, at all times, for personal integrity, professionalism and customer satisfaction. Her clients describe her as a warm, caring person who is knowledgeable and delivers the highest level of personalized client service. Linda attributes her high level of success to the fact that she just loves selling homes!

Lightning
The Official Mihara & Associates, Inc. Mascot

This little rascal is mentioned here for a good reason. We take special care that your instructions regarding your pets are seriously followed when your pet is at home while Sales Agents are taking buyers to view your home. And we realize for those buying a home your requirements for your pets’ needs are important and will be incorporated into the search for your home. If it's good for your pets and makes your household more harmonious, then we're pleased too.