About Us
Empire South Realty Advisors was founded in 2006 to buy, sell, and broker land parcels in the southern United States. After buying a distressed development from a bank sale in 2013 with a major portion of the community still left to be sold, we couldn’t find a management company that primarily focused on new or partially completed communities. In that void, we began managing the association internally, and created a successful business model with a truly proactive approach.
While most management companies prefer communities with constructed homes, our new way of doing business set us apart from our competition. We have completed the “developer turnover” process for over 50 associations and have experienced 50% growth for the last three years.
Our dedicated and experienced staff include individuals with diverse backgrounds not only in the property management industry but also customer service, accounting, construction and real estate.
Association politics can create feelings of distrust and disdain among many individuals. Our goal when managing an association is to create a climate of transparency and collaboration among the members and the board.
We advise the board on when and how to execute decisions and maintain precise records for the members. Thereby creating a strong, long-lasting bond between management, board and the members they serve.
Our goal when managing an association is to create a climate of transparency and collaboration among the members and the board
Our Values
Mission
Vision
Our firm has been managing communities for over 10 years. Our focus and expertise is in new communities and assisting in the turnover process from Declarant control to the Inaugural Board and servicing the needs of members for years to come.
Our team
Brad Church
Brad Church began his Real Estate Career in 2006, buying, selling, developing, and brokering land parcels in the southeastern United States. He has been involved in over 3,000 Real Estate transactions in seven southeastern states. He founded an Association Management Division in 2015 when he could not find a company to manage a distressed community he had purchased from a local bank. From that one community, we have grown to 60 communities in 10 states with a staff dedicated solely to Association Management.
As a resident of Amelia Island, Church is a member of The Amelia Island Plantation Chapel and works actively in helping the homeless population of Nassau County, FL. He recently served three years on the Board of Directors of the AIPCA while chairing the Community Standards Committee. He currently sits on the Finance and Golf Committees at the Amelia Island Club and is the Director of USCSF Community Development, a Foundation focused on US Constitution Education for High School students. In his free time, Church enjoys watching college football with his family, playing tennis and golf, snow-skiing, and is a private pilot who donates flights to Pilots for Paws and Angel Flights.
“Nothing makes you more tolerant of a neighbor’s noisy party than being there.” – Franklin Jones
Milagros Gamez
Milly Gamez was born and raised in Nuevo León, México. She finished law school in UANL specializing in corporate law. Milly worked for several insurance companies in México in customer service and managing general liability accounts. Milly moved to the beautiful state of Florida in 2021. Shortly after, Brad offered Milly the opportunity to work with him and his amazing team in property management as an administrative assistant.
Milly enjoys spending time with her young son, both love swimming and karaoke.
“Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle”– T.H. Thompson
Mercedes Moya
Has developed her professional career working in customer service positions for the last 20 years. She has an MBA in International Trade and worked for international companies, managing customer’s accounts and inquiries.
Mercedes was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico. Spending part of her university years in San Antonio, Texas, and part of her MBA studies in Paris, France. She loves to travel and spend time with her husband and her daughter. Mercedes joined the Empire South Realty team at the beginning of 2022 seeking to contributing her skillset to the different associations equally. Working at ESR, what she likes the most is to witness and be part of the creation a community of neighbors.
“You define your own life. Don’t let other people write your script” – Oprah Winfrey
Sierra Sims
Is a dedicated community association professional with a strong focus on client relationships, strategic problem-solving, and results-driven service. With experience in residential and commercial management, Sierra brings a thoughtful, detail-oriented approach to each task.
Known for her clear communication and deep understanding of the industry, Sierra works closely with clients to help them navigate community association living with confidence. She holds an AMS credential as a Community Association Manager with over a decade of experience in the industry.
When not working with clients, Sierra enjoys spending time outdoors and with her friends and family.
“Don’t be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don’t have to live forever, you just have to live.” – Natalie Babbitt
Chad Brockman
Chad Brockman is licensed as a Community Association Managers (CAM) by the State of Florida and has been in property management for the last 4 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration-Finance from the University of North Florida. With thirty years of management experience, he has obtained the communication skills, technical expertise and ability to solve problems needed to be a successful property manager.
In his free time, he enjoys the outdoors and spending time with family, friends and his dog Maisie.
“There’s really no secret about our approach. We keep moving forward- opening up new doors and doing new things- because we’re curious. And curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” – Walt Disney
Nicole Roth
Jordan Brooks
With over 8 years of experience in residential property management, I bring a strong background in operations, resident relations, lease administration, and team leadership. Throughout my career, I’ve successfully managed multifamily communities, overseen lease-ups, and consistently delivered high resident satisfaction and retention rates.
“Great communities don’t just happen – They’re managed with care, communication, and consistency ”
Amy Suarez
Raised in South Texas, Amelia is an experienced Personal Assistant with over six years supporting CEOs and senior executives in high-profile environments. Holds a degree in international Relations and an MBA in Business Administration, loves to spend her free time traveling and with her Family. Has a passion for customer service and love to contribute to the communities growth.
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” – Wayne Gretzky
Emilee Hughes
Emilee Hughes born and raised on Amelia Island. Being a small business owner and has successfully managed her own venture for nearly 7 years, furthering her organizational, multi-tasking, and client- focused skills.
In addition, Emilee has been working Customer Service Relations for over 10 years. She is passionate about helping others, bringing compassion, patience, and genuine care to every interaction. Emilee takes pride in creating positive experiences through attentive support and thoughtful communication. Working for ESR will be no different!
Outside of work, Emilee enjoys meeting new people, volunteering with Cat’s Angels to support local stray cats, spending time at the beach, and making memories with friends and family.
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”
Carrie Forehand
As a lifelong resident of Fernandina Beach, Carrie brings a deep appreciation for island life along with a strong sense of community. After 27 years of Customer Service experience, she has developed exceptional communication skills, reliability, and a genuine passion for helping others.
Carrie stays busy with her two daughters and poodle Jammer. In her free time she enjoys spending time at the beach, traveling, and exploring the world as a certified scuba diver. She is excited about joining the team and looks forward to contributing her experience, positive energy, and dedication.
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ryan Sanders
Ryan Sanders was born and raised in the Texas Hill Country. He graduated from Texas State University in 2012 and has spent the past eight years working in property management, gaining broad experience across property operations, inspections, maintenance coordination, and on-site management.
Ryan’s background includes managing both long-term and short-term rental properties, ranging from single-family homes to luxury vacation destinations. His experience spans day-to-day operations as well as multi-property oversight across Texas, giving him a well-rounded, hands-on understanding of how properties operate at every level.
In his free time, Ryan enjoys watching sports and spending time with family and friends.
“When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before.” – Jacob Riis
