Watson Realty is moving into the World Golf Village.
The private company has accepted an invitation to force a “strategic alliance” with The Davidson Companies to sell the approximately 127 lots in the King & Bear gated community. It’s about five miles west of the main WGV complex.
“We wanted to get with a company which had extensive contacts in the relocation market,” said Jim Davidson, president of The Davidson Company, which until now has handled real estate sales throughout the massive project west of St. Augustine. “Watson has three things we wanted: it’s privately held, it has a strong presence in this area and it is strong in RELO.”
Davidson said that his company was started “primarily to sell lots to builders. Watson sells to the consumers.”
The King & Bear property actually is owned by Hillman properties, a Pittsburgh company which bought the 4,000 acre River Tract at World Golf Village site in 1998. The site includes the King & Bear golf course. Hillman later added another 1,500 acres, all of the available commercial property.
“Watson has over 600 agents from Palm Coast to North Jacksonville, and we’re right in the middle of that,” said Davidson. “He has the entire market covered. He brings so much to the table.
“RELO is a major part of their company ... they have something like 29 agents in that area alone.”
Bill Watson, president of Watson Realty Corp., said in a release:
“Our intention is to add to the existing marketing of homes and home sites located at the King & Bear in The Neighborhoods of World Golf Village. We will use our network of strategically located real estate offices to enhance exposure of these beautiful home sites, wonderful facilities and magnificent homes built by the finest builders in the Jacksonville area. We could not be more excited by this opportunity and look forward to working with the existing sales team to maximize the opportunity for everyone’s success.”
Watson is an independent company with 40 residential sales offices and is the third largest real estate firm in Florida and the 21st largest in the United States.
The Davidson Companies consist of Davidson Development, Inc. (the master developer of World Golf Village) and Davidson Realty, Inc. They specialize in the planning, development, construction and marketing of long-term, large-scale, mixed-use real estate projects. The companies are currently involved with a variety of comprehensive planned communities throughout Florida.