Innovation in Action: REMAX Advantage Partners with Florida’s Team Zimmerman to Redefine Brokerage Growth

In real estate, innovation isn’t optional – it’s essential. Brokerages and agents who don’t evolve risk being left behind. Few real estate professionals embody this mindset more than Gary Ashton and Debra Beagle, Co-Broker/Owners of REMAX Advantage and team leaders of The Ashton Real Estate Group, the No. 1 REMAX team in the world. Named Inman Innovators of the Year in 2024 and nominated again in 2025, Ashton and Beagle are known for pushing boundaries to enhance their business and empower agents. Their latest move – a strategic partnership with Florida’s powerhouse Team Zimmerman – is a bold reflection of that vision.

REMAX Advantage, based in Nashville, Tennessee, recently announced a new partnership with Team Zimmerman, a top-producing team of 25 agents based in the Daytona Beach, Florida market. Previously aligned with an unaffiliated brokerage, team leaders Rebecca and Eric Zimmerman made the decision to join REMAX Advantage as a partner – bringing their thriving business under the REMAX Advantage umbrella while maintaining their local identity.

“My vision for REMAX Advantage has always been to build a platform where we elevate others,” Beagle says. “This partnership allows us to extend that vision into a new market while keeping our culture and standards strong.”

Team Zimmerman’s journey began 21 years ago, growing to nine agents last year. Today, they’re up to 25 agents and are on track to surpass 175 transactions in 2025 – building on a record-breaking 2024. The decision to leave their previous brokerage wasn’t taken lightly. “It was like family,” Rebecca Zimmerman says. But after meeting Debra and Gary at Realtor.com’s Ashton Advance team training event last year, the connection was immediate.

“When I met Debra, I saw a mentor – someone who had already built what we’re trying to build,” Zimmerman says. “They’re intentional, strategic and people-first. That’s exactly how we operate.”

Team Zimmerman will retain their leadership and culture while tapping into REMAX Advantage’s systems, support and national brand power.

“Innovation for us has always meant finding smarter, more efficient ways to support agents and teams,” Beagle explains. “We’ve designed a model where Team Zimmerman benefits from full operational support – technology, marketing, lead handling, compliance, recruiting – all while maintaining their team identity. It breaks the mold of traditional brokerage growth.”

The Zimmermans were approached by many brokerages over the years, but none aligned with their vision like REMAX Advantage did.

“We were recruited a lot,” Zimmerman says. “But no one met us where we were like this. It’s so important to find a partner that aligns with what you’re growing. For us, it was 100% Debra, Gary and REMAX Advantage. It just made sense.”

Their decision was further solidified after attending the 2025 REMAX Broker Owner Conference (BOC) in Washington, D.C., where they saw firsthand the brand’s commitment to innovation.

“REMAX is turning the wheel,” Zimmerman says. “The traditional mom-and-pop brokerage isn’t relevant anymore. You have to be cutting edge. Buyers are more savvy and agents need more support.”

While at the BOC, Team Zimmerman saw a company evolving with the times – and helping agents level up – with tools and resources like new branding materials and listing presentations to  MAXEngage, MAXRefer and the new MaaS platform.

“They help us elevate our game and better serve our clients.”

At the heart of this partnership is a shared belief in people. Both teams prioritize culture, mentorship and agent empowerment.

“A brokerage isn’t a building,” Zimmerman says. “It’s the people inside – the staff, the agents, the support systems. That can get lost sometimes. But REMAX Advantage lifts up agents and gives them the tools to be knowledge brokers.”

As Team Zimmerman continues to grow in Florida, and REMAX Advantage expands its reach through strategic partnerships, one thing is clear: innovation isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a blueprint. And with leaders like Ashton, Beagle and the Zimmermans, the future of real estate looks collaborative, empowered and built to last.

“When you plant a seed in the right soil and give it the nourishment and mentoring it needs, it turns into a beautiful thing,” Zimmerman says.

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