Planning a 1031 exchange Florida investors rely on? Compare 10 qualified intermediaries with Florida offices or staff on fund security, credentials and fees.
A 1031 exchange Florida investors complete follows federal rules only. Florida has no state income tax and adds no state-specific exchange rules, so the deferral that matters is federal capital gains tax, depreciation recapture and the 3.8% net investment income tax. Florida also does not regulate qualified intermediaries, which puts the burden of checking any Florida qualified intermediary’s fund security on you.
This list is for Florida owners of vacation rentals, condos, multifamily and commercial property. We included Florida-based intermediaries and national firms with documented Florida offices or staff, and each entry says which. We weighed how exchange funds are held, stated bonds and insurance, the Certified Exchange Specialist (CES) designation, Federation of Exchange Accommodators (FEA) membership, exchange types and years in business. For firms with no Florida presence, see our national list of top 1031 exchange qualified intermediaries.
The federal clock is strict: identify replacement property in writing within 45 days of closing the sale and acquire it within 180 days, or by your return due date if earlier.
1031 Exchange Companies In Florida At A Glance
Company
Headquarters
Best For
Standout
IPX1031
National (FNF subsidiary), 6 Florida offices
Large exchanges anywhere in the state
$100M fidelity bond, $30M E&O
First American Exchange Company
National (First American subsidiary)
Closings already with First American title
500,000+ exchanges, accounts in taxpayer’s name
Asset Preservation, Inc.
Roseville, CA, with a Sarasota office
Vacation home owners who want guidance
Since 1990, Florida vacation home handbook
Atlas 1031 Exchange
Naples, FL
Personal service from a CES founder
Serving clients since 2003
Keys Capital Inc.
St. Petersburg, FL
Tampa Bay investors who want a veteran local firm
Facilitating exchanges since 1986
Equity 1031 Exchange
Fort Myers, FL (directory listing)
Southwest Florida investors
Formerly Midland 1031, CES on staff
Redfish Exchange
Florida Emerald Coast
Panhandle vacation rental owners
Local QI since 2014
Exchange Resource Group
Lakewood, CO, with a Florida contact
Reverse and construction exchanges
85 years combined team experience
Old Republic Exchange
Walnut Creek, CA (national)
Investors who want insurer backing in writing
$80M aggregate fidelity bond
Deferred
Pasadena, CA (national, online)
Fee-sensitive forward exchanges
$0 forward exchange fee model
Best 1031 Exchange Companies In Florida In 2027
1. IPX1031 — Six Florida Offices Backed By A $100 Million Fidelity Bond
IPX1031 is a subsidiary of Fidelity National Financial and publishes a $100 million fidelity bond, a $50 million written performance guaranty and $30 million in errors and omissions insurance. It is a national firm with a deep Florida presence.
Its Florida page lists offices in St. Augustine, Sunrise, Maitland, Tampa, Miami and Pensacola. A regional manager in St. Augustine oversees the Southern and Southeastern regions, a South Florida specialist holds a law degree, and a separate staff member covers Central and North Florida. The page also calls out short-term rental vacation properties, retail, mixed-use and multifamily as common Florida exchange types.
For high-value coastal property, the bond and guaranty limits give a lot of protection in a state that does not regulate intermediaries.
Best for: Florida investors with large or multi-property exchanges who want strong published protections and a nearby office.
First American Exchange Company is part of First American Financial, the title insurer whose roots go back to 1889. It reports more than 500,000 completed exchanges and more than 145 exchange experts nationwide.
Funds sit in segregated bank deposit accounts titled in the taxpayer’s name and tax ID, at FDIC-insured institutions with investment-grade ratings. The company can often provide an indemnification letter covering losses from negligence, fraud or dishonesty by its staff.
Its Florida page names a vice president of business development and a vice president of operations who holds the CES designation. It is a national firm with dedicated Florida staff rather than a Florida-headquartered company, and it fits best when your closing already runs through First American title.
Best for: Investors and agents who want a high-volume, title-linked intermediary with Florida-assigned staff.
Asset Preservation, Inc. (API) was established in 1990, reports more than 200,000 exchanges and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Stewart Information Services Corporation. Its national headquarters is in Roseville, California, and its Florida division manager is based in Sarasota.
API holds funds in non-commingled accounts, carries fidelity bond and errors and omissions coverage, and has a written third-party performance assurance from Stewart. It has CES staff and is an FEA member.
Its Florida page names Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg and Port St. Lucie as service areas and links to a Florida vacation home handbook. That material is useful if you are exchanging a rental condo or beach house and need to show it was held for investment.
Best for: Owners of Florida vacation rentals who want a title-backed national firm with a Gulf Coast office.
4. Atlas 1031 Exchange — Naples Firm Led By A Certified Exchange Specialist Since 2003
Atlas 1031 Exchange has served clients since 2003 from its office in Naples. Its founder, Andy Gustafson, holds the Certified Exchange Specialist designation.
Atlas handles forward, reverse, improvement, leasehold improvement and international exchanges, which covers more unusual situations than a forward-only provider. It uses qualified escrow accounts for exchange funds, explained on a dedicated page of its site. Ask for its bond and insurance limits before you sign, because they are not stated on its homepage.
A Destin title company lists Atlas as a local intermediary for its clients, and the firm publishes educational material on each exchange type. As a founder-led firm, it suits investors who want direct access to an experienced principal during the 45 and 180-day windows.
Best for: Florida investors who want personal attention from a CES founder, including on improvement and international exchanges.
5. Keys Capital Inc. — St. Petersburg Intermediary Facilitating Exchanges Since 1986
Keys Capital Inc. is a qualified intermediary based in St. Petersburg. Its site marks it as handling 1031 exchanges since 1986, and its directory listing says principal Jack Shea has been a Florida real estate exchanger since 1982 and a facilitator since 1986. Its principals are real estate licensees, and Shea exchanges for his own account.
The firm structures and facilitates standard delayed exchanges for rental, multifamily, commercial and land investors nationwide, and offers a reverse exchange worksheet. Its site does not detail how funds are held, so request written account and bond information.
For Tampa Bay owners, the appeal is a long-tenured local principal who also understands exchanges from the investor side. Its site links to a services and fees page, so you can review costs before calling.
Best for: Tampa Bay investors who want a small local firm with decades of exchange experience.
6. Equity 1031 Exchange — Southwest Florida Intermediary Formerly Known As Midland 1031
Equity 1031 Exchange, LLC was formerly Midland 1031, LLC, which its directory listing places in Fort Myers. Its site links to Equity Trust Company, and Midland Trust now describes itself as part of the Equity Trust family.
The firm cites more than 25 years in business and has a Certified Exchange Specialist on staff. It handles standard delayed, reverse and improvement exchanges nationwide. Its BiggerPockets business listing states that it is an FEA member, carries a fidelity bond and professional insurance, and that more than half of its exchanges involve Florida.
Investors who already hold a self-directed IRA with the Equity Trust group may find it convenient to keep exchange work in the same family, though the exchange and the IRA are separate services.
Best for: Southwest Florida investors who want a long-running regional firm with CES staff.
7. Redfish Exchange — Emerald Coast Intermediary For Panhandle Investors Since 2014
Redfish Exchange has helped investors defer capital gains tax since 2014. It serves the Emerald Coast of the Florida Panhandle and clients across the U.S., and a Destin title company lists it as a local qualified intermediary.
Co-founder and managing member Angela Evans is an accounting professional and Florida State University graduate. The firm handles standard 1031 exchanges and reverse exchanges and offers classes and reference material on its site.
Its site does not state bond or insurance details, so request them in writing. For owners of Destin, Santa Rosa Beach or Fort Walton Beach vacation rentals, the benefit is a local team that works alongside the area’s title companies. A small firm also means you are likely to deal with the same person from the sale through the replacement closing.
Best for: Panhandle vacation rental owners who want a local intermediary that teaches the process.
8. Exchange Resource Group — Reverse And Construction Exchange Specialist With A Florida Contact
Exchange Resource Group is a nationwide qualified intermediary with its corporate office in Lakewood, Colorado. Its site lists dedicated regional contacts, including one for Florida with an 850 Panhandle phone number.
The firm handles all types of 1031 exchanges, including complex reverse and construction exchanges. It cites a combined 85 years of team experience and offers document preparation, timeline tracking, secure holding of funds and around-the-clock support.
Its site does not state bond, insurance or account details, so request them. ERG is a reasonable fit if you need an improvement exchange to renovate replacement property and want one-to-one access to staff. That structure can, for example, let you use exchange funds to update a dated coastal building you are acquiring.
Best for: Florida investors planning reverse or construction exchanges who want a smaller national firm.
9. Old Republic Exchange — Insurer-Owned Intermediary With A Written Parent Guarantee
Old Republic Exchange was incorporated in California in 1993 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Old Republic International, the insurance holding company that also owns Old Republic National Title. It is a national intermediary; its site lists Florida among the states in its find-a-representative tool but does not give a Florida address.
Its directory profile states a fidelity bond with a $40 million single-loss and $80 million aggregate limit, $50 million in professional liability insurance, and an optional written guarantee from Old Republic National Title Holding Company covering losses from gross negligence, fraud or dishonesty. Ask for current certificates.
Those written protections are among the most specific on this list, which matters in a state with no intermediary statute. Expect to work by phone and email rather than in person.
Best for: Investors who value insurer backing and a parent guarantee over a local office.
10. Deferred — Zero-Fee Forward Exchanges Run Online
Deferred is a national, online intermediary with offices in Pasadena and Carlsbad, California. Its Florida page lists it as serving Florida and explains that the state adds no extra exchange rules and that foreign sellers remain subject to federal FIRPTA withholding.
Deferred charges $0 for forward exchanges and covers its fee by sharing the interest earned on exchange funds. Funds sit in a segregated deposit account, with JPMorgan Chase and Raymond James shown as depository banks. It states a $10 million fidelity bond and $5 million in errors and omissions insurance and reports more than 7,000 exchanges.
Its limits are lower than those of the title-owned firms above, so weigh fee savings against protection on very large exchanges. Clients can start an exchange through an online form.
Best for: Florida investors doing simple forward exchanges who are comfortable working online.
How To Choose A 1031 Exchange Company In Florida
How Are Exchange Funds Protected?
Florida has no qualified intermediary statute, so ask every firm for its fidelity bond and errors and omissions certificates and whether funds sit in a segregated account or qualified escrow in your name. Firms that do not publish limits are not necessarily weaker, but you should see the numbers before signing.
Is Your Vacation Rental Eligible?
A vacation rental 1031 exchange works only if the property was held for investment or business use. If you also use a Florida condo or beach house yourself, ask the intermediary and your CPA how your rental and personal use days affect eligibility before you list it.
Do You Need A Reverse Or Improvement Exchange?
Competitive coastal markets sometimes push investors to buy first through a reverse 1031 exchange. Reverse and improvement exchanges require an Exchange Accommodation Titleholder and cost more, so ask how many the firm handled recently.
Will You Buy Fractional Or Out-Of-State Property?
Some investors exchange into Delaware Statutory Trust interests. These are securities, so review our list of Delaware Statutory Trust sponsors and speak with a licensed adviser. If you buy in a state with an income tax, that state may tax future gain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need A 1031 Exchange If Florida Has No Income Tax?
Often, yes. The exchange defers federal capital gains tax, depreciation recapture and possibly the net investment income tax, which can be large even without a state tax.
Does Florida Regulate Qualified Intermediaries?
Florida does not have a qualified intermediary licensing or bonding law. States such as California, Colorado, Nevada and Washington do, so Florida investors should do their own due diligence on fund security.
Are There Florida Closing Costs I Should Plan For?
Yes. Florida deeds carry documentary stamp tax, and closing costs paid from exchange funds can affect what counts as boot. Ask your title company and CPA how to handle them.
Conclusion
For a 1031 exchange in Florida, start with fund security, because the state leaves that question to you. IPX1031, First American and Asset Preservation offer large national platforms with Florida offices or staff, while Atlas, Keys Capital, Equity 1031 and Redfish give local, principal-led service in Naples, St. Petersburg, Southwest Florida and the Panhandle. Get bond and account details in writing, calendar the 45 and 180-day deadlines, and confirm the tax treatment with your CPA. If you plan to depreciate the replacement property faster, see our list of cost segregation firms in Florida.
This article is general information, not tax or legal advice.
