Brothers Dave Corbin (left) and Jim Corbin (right) by their jump at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center.
Giving Back To The Community Is Important To The Corbin Real Estate Team
Story by Deborah Welky • Photos by Julie Unger
Jim Corbin is proud of his real estate career in Wellington, but just as proud of how he and his team have given back to the community. Corbin started in the real estate business in Kansas City, Mo., at age 20, then brought his expertise to Wellington long before it was incorporated as a village. “I’ve been selling real estate in Wellington for 39 years,” he said. “It’s hard to believe that the time has gone by so fast.” Back in 1978, there was but a handful of agents serving the area, and most of those were having trouble locating anything west of Florida’s Turnpike. However, there’s much more competition now. “Last time I checked, there were 18,000 Realtors in the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches, and 700 of those were in the 33414 ZIP code,” Corbin said. David Corbin, Jim’s Realtor brother, is part of the Corbin team at Illustrated Properties, as are Nic Corbin and Miranda Culbert. “We’re the ‘Four Cs.’ Although her last name isn’t Corbin, Miranda has been putting up with me for 17 years
now,” Jim Corbin said. “We’ve been together longer than many people have been married.” Active in community fundraisers and events since arriving in Florida, Corbin also bears another distinction. “I think I can very safely say that I was the first equestrian Realtor in Wellington. My brother and I had an equestrian background and upbringing. We used to ride and show up north, and that’s part of the reason I moved here,” he said. “I even loaned one of my horses for the Munich Olympics — a lifetime ago — in 1972. In 1978, Bill Ylvisaker was bringing polo to Wellington, and then the horse shows started.” At first, local officials seemed to be overlooking the potential of those in the equestrian industry, Corbin said. “I begged the village to pay some attention to these horse-show people,” he continued. “Especially the hunters and jumpers — people did not pay much attention to them.” Yet even as Corbin was breaking new ground with his expertise in equestrian
real estate, he never made that his sole focus. “All properties are important, and you need to cover all bases,” he said. That has never been more true than today, with many people still skittish about purchasing a home. Fortunately for Corbin, his many contacts and open-minded philosophy have kept his business at the front of the pack. “A friend of mine in Chukker Cove decided to sell her house in Palm Beach for $6 million,” Corbin said. “Little things can turn into big things.” Sometimes friends, former clients or people he meets have properties outside the area, but they still want Corbin to handle the sale. “They didn’t want to start over with someone else,” he explained. “It means more homework for me if I’m unfamiliar with the area, but I’ve lived in a hotel while I sold a home up in Hutchinson Island and down in Delray Beach. I’ve sold a condo on the ocean in Singer Island as well as a $3.75 million farm right here in Saddle Trail Park.” Combining his equestrian and real estate interests has had another result: sponsorships. “Illustrated Properties was one of wellington the magazine | april 2017
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