![Florence Zimmerman](https://cdn.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/styles/bio_thumbnail_image/public/florence-zimmerman.jpg?itok=7ApW8g9D)
2022 Individual Sales Volume: $11.9 million
2022 Individual Transaction Sides: 27
Finding Belonging
It’s no easy feat moving across the country and leaving behind everything you know. When Florence Zimmerman, 29, and her husband moved to Orlando, Fla., from the Bay Area in northern California, they didn’t know anyone, but it didn’t deter Zimmerman from making her mark in the real estate world.
She spent the first six months making phone calls, hosting open houses and attending training sessions.
“Most of the trainings were centered around networking your sphere, though, and at that time, I didn’t have a sphere.”
So, she got busy building one. “I realized that every time I needed a professional—someone to do my hair or a photographer, for instance—I looked to Instagram. I decided to put myself out there in that way.”
With a focus on educating prospective clients, Zimmerman dove full force into Instagram, and the effort paid off quickly. “People started messaging me, and it started to snowball. Now, over half my business comes from Instagram.”
Zimmerman recently brought a buyer’s agent onto her team and is helping that agent grow. She’s also focused on helping those who relocate to the area find their place.
“We didn’t have friends when we moved here, and it took a while to figure out our place,” she says. “I want my clients to know that they have a friend and that they belong here.”