History of Hoyt C. Murphy, Inc.
Most of us who came from other places view St. Lucie County and the Treasure Cost area as a welcome slice of paradise. But imagine it, a little more than 64 years ago when Hoyt Campbell Murphy came to town in 1946.
"We thought it was heaven," he said of this peaceful seaside South Florida town of then, maybe 15,000 residents. Murphy first came through Fort Pierce on vacation while a school principal in Tennessee. It was easy to become attached to this area's beauty. There are many more residents, businesses and jobs today and as one of the Treasure Coast's oldest real estate company, Hoyt C. Murphy, Inc. REALTORS has contributed a lot to the area's growth!
Before starting Hoyt C. Murphy, Inc. Realtors, Hoyt Murphy, Sr. owned and operated the 26 room White House Hotel. The building was almost directly across the street from his current real estate sales complex in downtown Fort Pierce. Murphy's very first commission was $35 on a lot sale of $350.
In 1949, Murphy began the real estate company that would grow to include more than 50 agents. In 1954 Murphy bought the property on the west side of U.S. 1, right across the street from his hotel. In 1981, the company purchased and renovated the two story colonial style home on its Fort Pierce property. The home, which used to belong to State Representative Banty Saunders, was turned into offices.
Estimates today indicate the company has been involved in the sale of over 20,000 properties since 1949. Murphy has agents who specialize in selling homes and condos, investment properties and raw land. Plus, each of Murphy's three offices have full time property management departments. Working with permanent and seasonal residents, investors and major corporations, Murphy agents are skilled and seasoned in all areas of the business.
The firm has sold over $1.5 Billion of local real estate transactions from groves to resorts, hotels to commercial properties, single family homes to vacation rentals. "You have to be real dependable to be successful in real estate," Hoyt Murphy, Sr. stated. "And stable. That's why we've kept our company offices in the same places all these years. People know where to find us."
"Real estate is a serious business," he said. "It often involves the largest purchase a couple, family or an individual may make." "They come back because we've been treating people right since the beginning. We are taking care of some third generation clients now," Murphy commented.
The business is now run by his son, Hoyt C. Murphy, Jr. (Pat) and daughter, Peggy Murphy. Both Pat and Peggy Murphy helped their dad around the office from the time they were very young. Two years apart in age, they both received their real estate licenses as soon as they could and went to work for the company. Today, Peggy runs the Beach Office, and Pat runs the Fort Pierce Office and serves as company president.
Following the real estate adage that "location, location, location" is vital to success, Murphy operates all three of his offices in very visible locations. The Main Office, at 411 N. U.S. Hwy. 1, encompasses two large buildings dedicated to real estate sales and a third building for rentals and property management. The company's Beach Office is located right on A1A on Hutchinson Island, at 221 S. Ocean Drive. The Port St. Lucie office is located at 7202 S. U.S. Hwy. 1, near Prima Vista Boulevard.
