Tori Boyd, CEO Signature Property Group, affordable housing Tampa, property management, HOPE VI Belmont Heights, Morris Brown College, Chop Shop Show. In this engaging episode of Chop Shop, Daryl "EZDZ" Newton and Waldo "Dade City" Woodard welcome Tori Boyd, CEO of Signature Property Group, a trailblazer in Tampa Bay's affordable housing and real estate development scene. Tori shares her inspiring journey from South Florida roots and Plantation High, through Morris Brown College in Atlanta, to her start in apartment leasing in Smyrna. She details the move to Tampa driven by family and cost of living, her first jobs at Palms at Livingston and Ashley Gables, and pivotal time at Tampa Housing Authority working on the HOPE VI grant revitalizing Belmont Heights from Ponce de Leon and College Hill. Rising through property management to regional manager overseeing 22 properties across Florida and Tennessee, Tori recounts challenges like managing evictions, lease violations for non-payment and incarceration, post-COVID mentality shifts, and creating mixed-income communities. Now a developer, she owns Casa Del Mar in South Tampa and discusses current projects in Atlanta, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and more. The conversation covers corporate experiences including a shocking first-day bias incident, her Pittsburgh Steelers fandom and Tom Brady admiration, rapid-fire questions on favorites (mac and cheese, watermelon, Will Smith, Boys II Men, Tupac), pet peeves like procrastinators, and spades strategies. Packed with Tampa history, career gems, firm-but-fair insights on affordable housing rules, and authentic banter, this episode delivers motivation and real talk on building legacy in real estate. (2,847 characters) Topic Segments
- 00:00:24: Show intro, welcoming Tori Boyd
- 00:01:24: Tori's background, Morris Brown, early leasing job in Atlanta
- 00:02:44: Moving to Tampa, first apartments and jobs (Palms at Livingston, Ashley Gables)
- 00:06:24: Housing Authority experience and HOPE VI Belmont Heights project
- 00:11:51: Transition to off-site property management and career growth
- 00:14:58: Affordable housing rules, evictions, lease violations, incarceration policies
- 00:24:37: Casa Del Mar ownership and current development work
- 00:31:03: Story of becoming regional manager, managing 22 properties
- 00:35:07: Corporate challenges and first-day discrimination experience
- 00:59:35: Personal life – Tom Brady, Pittsburgh Steelers fandom
- 01:01:00: Multi-city development projects (Atlanta, NJ, Philly)
- 01:13:50: Shoutouts and start of rapid fire Q&A
- 01:25:48: Rapid fire favorites (food, actors, music, athletes, pet peeves)
- 01:33:31: Wrap-up, Easter plans, spades talk, closing remarks
