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A Minute With...Brent Boyette Regional Senior Sales Associate—Seaside Villas

Gulfport | Brent Boyette admits he lucked into his current position as a regional senior sales associate with McKinley, an investment real estate company. The 22-year-old has spent the last two years as a sales associate with the company, leasing apartments to singles and couples in the LGBT and straight communities alike. His newest job is as a regional sales associate for Seaside Villas, a McKinley property overlooking Boca Ciega Bay. His goal is to turn the newly renovated apartment complex into a hassle-free LGBT friendly environment for singles and couples looking to enjoy Florida’s Waterfront. It’s a new experience for Boyette, who grew up in Lakeland and then moved to Orlando for several years. The former fl ight attendant says he’s found his niche and will stay in the apartment industry for the foreseeable future. For more information on Seaside Villas, visit McKinley.com, or contact Boyette at BBoyette@McKinley.com or at 727-341-0186. Boyette gave Watermark a tour of the 122-apartment, 3-building complex and answered some of our questions...

A Minute With...Brent Boyette Regional Senior Sales Associate—Seaside Villas

Gulfport | Brent Boyette admits he lucked into his current position as a regional senior sales associate.  The former flight attendant says he’s found his niche and will stay in the apartment industry for the foreseeable future.

For more information on Seaside Villas, visit McKinley.com, or contact Boyette at BBoyette@McKinley.com or at 727-341-0186.

Boyette gave Watermark a tour of the 122-apartment, 3-building complex and answered some of our questions:

WATERMARK:

Gulfport is already well-known as an LGBT friendly place. Why focus on creating an

LGBT-centric apartment complex?

BRENT BOYETTE:

I’d like to see urban professionals seeking a lifestyle, not just an apartment. Here we provide a better quality of living.

I’ve seen apartment complexes that won’t let two men lease an apartment if it only has one bedroom.

Gulfport is so welcoming and so artistic. It’s a boutique community and LGBTs of all ages are still discovering the area.

So this could be an LGBT Melrose Place?

In a way. An apartment complex is a community.  We have several community areas overlooking the bay and sunbathing decks around three pools.

The complex is still undergoing renovations. Does

anyone live here yet?

Right now there are only a few residents, but we have several more tenants moving in over the next few months. We’re doing a lot to reach out to the

community, and I think we’ll fi ll up fast.

Does this outreach have anything to do with your

“Gay by the Bay” campaign?

Yes. We’re a major sponsor of St. Pete Pride this year and we’re looking to host LGBT events here throughout the year. We want to offer not only homes

to people, but a sense of belonging and community.

How large are your apartments?

We offer one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging from small studios to penthouses overlooking the water. Our leases start as low as $749 per month

and go up to $4,500.

What does the lease include?

Most of the apartments have washers and dryers inside. For those that don’t, we have laundry facilities on-site. Residents also get free wireless internet

throughout the complex and access to all three pools. Some of our apartments are furnished, if that’s what a resident wants, and we can lease by the

week, by the month or by the year. It really depends on what the resident wants.

Many LGBT people avoid apartments because of restrictions on pets. Can they bring their fourlegged kids?

We are very pet friendly. My dog Beamer lives here on site with me and we have our own dog walking area.

Are there any limitations on size?

There are no limits on size, but we do have limits on breeds. Each apartment can have two pets as long as they aren’t German Shepherds,

Rottweilers, Akitas or Pitt Bulls.

And what about kids—the human kind?

Of course children are welcome. But we don’t have a playground or anything like that. Some may view that as a positive thing. Our complex is really

geared toward couples without children and single professionals.

What happens when the complex is full? Will you stay here?

I hope to. I love Gulfport and St. Petersburg. McKinley is a big company and we have properties all along the I-4 corridor. I want to be the

guy that people can call and say, “Look, I’m moving to Orlando or Daytona Beach or Gulfport and I need an apartment. Can you help me?” That’s the ultimate. I

really enjoy helping people find their new home.