A Croatian buyer who had never visited the United States purchased a million-dollar Sarasota property for Airbnb investment after contacting Vlado Konatar of Kona Realty Group through social media. The entire transaction, from initial contact through renovation coordination to listing the property, took three months without any in-person meetings. The home now rents for $1,100 per night and is performing well, with the buyer already expressing interest in purchasing another property through the same remote process.
This transaction reflects a fundamental shift in how real estate deals come together in an industry traditionally built on local relationships and property tours. Konatar noted that authentic social media presence combined with market expertise can create opportunities that didn't exist a few years ago. The Croatian buyer wasn't responding to a property advertisement but to content that demonstrated how Konatar works and communicates. "I thought that was pretty crazy," Konatar said of the transaction. "But it worked out. He's making a lot of money, and he trusts the process enough to do it again."
The changing buyer profile in Sarasota includes younger professionals with substantial capital from industries like tech, marketing, and finance. Konatar recently worked with a couple from Washington state, ages 26 and 27, with a $2 million budget. The buyer runs a marketing agency that creates campaigns for major insurance companies, working with daily budgets around $50,000. These buyers are choosing Sarasota for schools, lifestyle, and taxes rather than as retirees or snowbirds.
For investors looking at Sarasota now, Konatar sees a strategic opportunity with properties at pre-COVID pricing levels and strong inventory creating conditions that rarely align. "Investors always say they wish they were buying homes five or 10 years ago because they were so much cheaper," he said. "I feel like that time is now. Everything is on discount. I think next year this time, they're going to wish they were buying these homes." Properties offering unique and custom features are selling in days or weeks instead of months, with the challenge being sourcing enough quality inventory to meet demand rather than finding buyers.
The digital transformation of real estate has arrived, with agents who build authentic online presences that demonstrate expertise and personality accessing buyer pools that traditional marketing cannot reach. Konatar's firm has experienced increased activity, noting "Spring 2026 is dramatically different from last year" and comparing current sales volume to "those COVID times where we were just selling like crazy." More information about Kona Realty Group is available at https://konarealtygroup.com.
