Chris Abbott's family first discovered the Gulf Coast in the early 1950s and have lived here ever since. At that time, his grandfather, William W. Abbott Sr., was an Air Force major OSI and initially purchased waterfront property in Fort Walton Beach to raise his family there after retiring.In 1970, Chris' grandfather became a real estate broker, beginning his career selling condominiums in the El Matador development on Okaloosa Island. This was one of the first residential condominium properties built in northwest Florida. Soon, the Abbott name became synonymous with real estate along the Gulf Coast when Chris' father, William W. Abbott Jr., and uncle, Stephen J. Abbott, joined the family business, founding Abbott Realty Services in 1977. With personalized customer service and an unsurpassed work ethic, they built a company employing more than 1,000 people and became the largest employer in Destin since the mid-1980s.Chris was raised in the family business and enjoyed his childhood on the Gulf Coast. After playing baseball in Tallahassee and graduating from Florida State University with a degree in business management, he pursued a career in yacht sales, as life on the water has always been a personal passion. The yacht sale industry helped hone his sales skills, so the transition to real estate sales in 2004 was a natural one.He is the third generation of Abbott real estate experts in this area, and although times have changed, the founding principles that guide him are tried and true: customer service, knowledge, hard work and dedication. Today, Chris is the co-owner and managing broker of Scenic Sotheby's International Realty and looks forward to assisting you with your real estate needs.