Some moments stay with us forever. At the headquarters of the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association, Ana Gazzara came up to me and pinned the official ORRA Global pin on my lapel. It took only a few seconds. But those seconds carried years of journey.
A moment on record
It happened in March 2026, at the association's headquarters, in front of a large screen showing the association's program. Ana opened the video saying she was there, at the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association, to present me with the official ORRA Global pin as an Honorary Member of Global Orlando. After the pin came a long hug, the kind that says more than any speech. Then she added that this was my home too, and that I would always be more than welcome whenever I was in Orlando.
The road there
Nobody gets to a place like that by chance. There were certifications, trips, connections beyond borders and many doors I knocked on, some that opened right away and others that took persistence. The pin was not the beginning of anything. It was the recognition of a path built step by step.
Not as a visitor
There, I was welcomed as an Honorary Member of ORRA Global, the Global Real Estate Council of Orlando. The difference is in the detail: I was not treated as someone passing through, but as someone who belongs.
What ORRA Global is
The Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association is one of the largest REALTOR® associations in Florida, and its global council exists to prepare professionals for a market without borders. ORRA describes the council's mission as providing resources, education and technical tools so that its members can grow and compete in the global real estate market.
The council was recognized by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) in 2018, when it received the Diamond Award, NAR's highest global distinction, for excellence in educational opportunities and market materials. It maintains relationships with associations in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa, according to ORRA.
Why Orlando matters
For those of us who serve Brazilian families and investors dreaming of a second home or of diversifying their wealth in the United States, being part of this network means access to local knowledge, trusted partners and a fuller view of how international transactions work, from cultural differences to closing.
"This is your home too"
That is what I heard from Ana Gazzara: "This is your home too. Whenever you are in town, you are more than welcome in Orlando." A simple sentence, said sincerely, that sums up the spirit of collaboration I have found in the international market since I became part of it.
Thank you, ORRA. Thank you, Ana. Some places we visit. Others, we come to call home.
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