Continuing our profiles of folks connected to the Parklander during the past 30 years, we talked to Bobbi Mechler, from the Mechler Group.
Thirty years ago, when the Parklander published its first issue, the city was already known as a place where young families raised their children in a park-like environment. That’s one of the reasons that attracted Bobbi and her husband to the area after relocating from Long Island.
Parkland was an idea. Surprisingly though, Parkland at the time, had no public parks. The first park in Parkland, Quigley Park, was dedicated in 1989. Over the years, as the city grew, more and more parks were added. Now it is hard to imagine Parkland without all of its playgrounds, sports facilities, and trails.
Bobbi, working in the real estate industry, has always enjoyed meeting the residents and potential new residents moving to the area. She shared some of her interesting experiences in the Parklander™ magazine back in 1991. One story about the perfect seller, a homeowner baking cookies for potential buyers, is still good advice today.
Her love for her work had a strong impact on two of her children. Her son, Brent, and daughter, Courtney, joined their mom soon after college. They have been working together for 21 years.
Even though real estate can be a very competitive industry, Mechler’s family enjoyed working together, and there was much laughter. Brent and Courtney were quick studies, and inherited the same charm from their mom. Soon, clients were feeding back how much they loved working with them.
Having her kids working with her was a boon for Bobbi. She was able to give them hands on training and advice from her years in the business. Courtney, who always wanted to work with her mom, helped the team adopt new technology, and market effectively over the years.
These days, real estate marketing is recovering in the “new normal”. After a period of time with no face to face meetings, recently rules with masks have been adopted. Property owners can now set the rules for buyers. Some advice from Bobbi, if you are showing your house, is to keep your lights on, so it minimizes potential buyers from touching the switches.
Looking forward, Bobbi would like to see the area continue to retain the park-like atmosphere, so she can continue to enjoy her tennis, bike rides and walks. Considering how Parkland went from no parks in the 80s, to now, with the right planning, we can continue to improve our neighborhood. Someday, perhaps, one of her grandchildren will be helping new residents finding their home in Parkland.
by Li Pan
January 20th was officially Adam Fiorello Day in Parkland, Mayor Michael Udine proclaimed. The young Parkland resident, who turned 22 just the day before, is in a fight for his survival. He was diagnosed in December 2013 with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer affecting the soft tissues in the muscles and connective tissue.
Having visited Adam in the hospital, local sports teams have rallied around him, including Miami FC soccer coach Alessandro Nesta and Chicago Cubs baseball player Anthony Rizzo and other people at the local event. He was introduced at a Miami Heat basketball game and honored with a jersey in his name in February.