Mike Pappas

Mike Pappas is the veritable elder statesman of Florida’s brokerage world.

The longtime CEO of the Keyes Company, Pappas has seen the state through countless up-and-down cycles. He’s a pragmatist about what it takes to survive in the ultracompetitive brokerage industry, often citing the adage “grow or die” as his guiding business philosophy.

He’s earned the right to dole out advice to the up-and-comers. His Keyes Company is the largest independent real estate brokerage in Florida. It was founded by Ken Keyes and later purchased and led by Pappas’ late father, Ted Pappas. Mike Pappas joined the firm as a sales associate in 1980 and became CEO in 1993 and has since overseen decades of expansion while serving in advisory roles with the National Association of Realtors and Realtor.com. Under his leadership, Keyes expanded to more than 50 offices and approximately 4,000 agents statewide.

In 2016, Keyes acquired Illustrated Properties, significantly strengthening its Palm Beach County footprint and adding a luxury brand to its portfolio. The company has since built out affiliated insurance, property management, mortgage, and title operations.

In 2023, Pappas appointed his daughter, Christina Pappas, as president, formally initiating a multigenerational succession plan.

— Kate Hinsche