5 minute read
Jon Singleton: Top Producer
Leaving a Legacy of Trust
Top Producer: Jon Singleton
By Zachary Cohen
Upon meeting Jon Singleton, one thing is clear: He exudes extraordinary friendliness. His likeability shines through his words. His ability to connect with others is apparent.
Underneath Jon’s friendliness is a deep commitment to trust, and trust is the legacy that he hopes to leave.
“Being there for my kids, my friends, my family, my customers — I want people to know I’ve been someone they can really count on,” he says.
Jon is a retired Navy search and rescue pilot, a REALTOR®, a husband, a dad — and most importantly, a kind-hearted human being. Through every step of his journey, he’s found a way to live and act with care and service in mind.
“People ask, ‘Why are you so kind?’ The answer is simple: That’s why I’m here.”
Jon served 10 years in the U.S. Navy.
THE JOURNEY TO REAL ESTATE
Jon flew for the Navy on active duty for 10 years. He was initially stationed in Jacksonville, where he met his wife, before moving on to the Middle East and then Washington, D.C. In the nation’s capital, Jon worked at the Pentagon as a budget and policy analyst.
“I was working on a massive spreadsheet about family housing. I was in the office overseeing 66,000 homes for Navy servicemembers and 120,000 apartments. It was all numbers — nothing you could touch, nothing personal.”
By the early 2000s, Jon and his wife, Candace, were expecting their first child. This signaled the end of his time in the Navy.
“They wanted to send me to Korea, and my wife really wanted to be home. Because I was in aviation, my commitment was 10 years, so it was a good break point. So I left active duty and came back to Jacksonville, where my wife is from, to raise a family.”
In 2002, Jon landed back in Florida, wondering what he would do for work. He assessed his experience, his options and his desires. During his last few years in the Navy, he became deeply involved with housing and large-scale historic renovation projects. The sector fascinated him, but he desired more human contact.
“I thought the work I was doing was cool, but it all boiled down to writing white papers. I wanted to touch a brick. I wanted to feel something. I wanted connection,” Jon reflects.
Thank you to the USS Orleck for this photo shoot location. The Jacksonville Naval Museum is now open to the public.
Jon holds a degree in psychology, a nod to his love for connection with others. While his mother always joked that he couldn’t make a living talking to people, Jon had other ideas.
“I realized real estate is a great way to make a living. Along the way, I realized I have figured out how to make a living by talking to people,” he laughs.
Jon officially started his real estate career in 2002.
RIGHT AT HOME
Twenty years later, Jon is thriving in real estate.
“I love this,” he beams.
In real estate, Jon has formed a niche in historic neighborhoods. He has two partners he’s been working with for several years, Susan Hopkins and Katherine Wohlers. Alongside their office
manager, Samantha Snyder, they officially formed The Singleton Team with Watson Realty in 2022.
“I’m hyper-focused in the historic area here in Jacksonville. There’s something about those historic restorations that really gets me excited. We live in San Marco, one of those neighborhoods. In 20 years, I think I’ve sold more houses than anyone ever in San Marco — almost 300 houses just in this neighborhood.
I’ve been doing it with a lot of focus for a long time. It’s been extremely rewarding.”
Jon has averaged over 50 sales per year for the last decade; in 2021, he closed over $17 million.
Jon and his wife, Candace, have been married for 26 years and they have two children, Emily and Brandon.
ONE EYE ON THE FUTURE
Twenty years after moving to Jacksonville to start a family, Jon’s family life is now in transition. His son, Brandon, is now 21, and his daughter, Emily, is 19. Both are attending college — Brandon at the University of North Florida and Emily at Samford in Birmingham, AL.
Jon is spending more time connecting with his wife, going out on dates, taking on new projects and simply spending quality time together.
“We’ve been married for 26 years,” Jon smiles. “Today, we’re enjoying where we are right now and looking forward to the next 26 years.”
Jon is predicting the next 10 years to be the most productive of his real estate career. At 53, he’s starting to think about retirement, but he’s still at least a decade away.
“I’ve started thinking more about — how does this end? What’s the legacy? Part of that is to set up that last chapter for us and the next chapter for my kids,” he says. “But more than anything, I want to leave that legacy of kindness, a legacy of trust.”
