Meet Cliff Kaplan
Realtor®
Direct 941-704-5371 
Fax 941-552-1275
Email: cdkaplan@gmail.com
Cliff originally comes from Long Island, New York. He lived most of his adult life on the east end of Long Island in a small town known as West Islip. Living in West Islip for over 30 years, it was here, in the Islip township, where his children, Drew and Stacey, were born and attended school. Cliff first moved to Long Island in 1949 and one could say where he got his first taste in real estate when his parents bought a Levitt home in the original Levitytown. Cliff remembers as a young child introduced to, and shook hands with, Arthur Levitt at the Paramount Realty office [the real estate company marketing Levittown at the time]. In many ways, Cliff reflects what is happening now in Lakewood Ranch also happened in the development days of Levittown. How many people can say they have witnessed two separate towns being created from dirt to communities? Cliffs childen still live in New York, his son works and livesin New York City, and his daughter, married to Joe, has a son, Cliff's grandson, John, is his pride and joy.
Cliff eventually became a teacher in the Bethpage School District, teaching Earth Science to 8th graders at the JFK Middle Schools, Bethpage, NY. He taught in this district for 37 years and earned a Masters Degree plus 36 additional graduate credits during his teaching career. Deciding it was time to explore what else the world had to offer him, he decided to retire from teaching, but not before he went back to school to earn an additional college degree in Computer Graphic Art.
When Cliff eventually arrived in Lakewood Ranch, however, his life goals were changed as he entered into real estate, eventually working for the Realtor that sold him his home. He quickly learned his business and fail in love with the prospect of helping people find new homes. He equated being a Realtor with teaching since "both relied strongly on his ability to relate to people and their specific needs and desires." It wasn't long before Cliff found his special niche in real estate, rentals. Although he still successfully sells homes, he found the rental industry to be a wonderful challege, working with both Landloards and Tenants, making what he calls "a successful partnership between strangers", with people that suddenly have a lot in common. It is with this new focus in the real estate business that Cliff joins Atchley International Realty.
|