670 N. Orlando Avenue Ste 1014,
Maitland, FL 32751
The Hope Group offers a small by design approach for building a custom home. As your personalized concierge resource we have the ability to curate off market land opportunities and custom built designs. We partner with you through your decision making process to ensure unparalleled results, with a maximum return on investment.
Meet Our Team
Industry innovator Laura Hope founded The Hope Group to bridge the gap between high-end custom homebuilders and buyers seeking unique home solutions. She specializes in aligning her clients’ particular needs, expectations, and budgets with top architects, builders, and other industry experts. Passionate about her profession and visionary in her execution, Laura consistently maximizes returns on investment for builders and buyers alike. She is dedicated to bringing her clients’ dreams to fruition, and she does that with integrity and compassion.
Laura’s love of real estate was predated by her work at her family’s electric company, which gave her an affinity and respect for construction and its associated trades. Before long, Laura was shadowing a local custom homebuilder. There, she learned the intricacies of managing residential build projects, including how to run a construction site and perform cost analyses. Once she obtained her real estate license in 2010, Laura set out to bring those new construction builds to the market herself.
Laura offers her clients personalized, end-to-end care, an unmatched work ethic, and fierce negotiation skills. A collaborator by nature, she has built a team of professionals who broker intelligent deals and hold client service as their No. 1 priority.
Laura holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology and business from Northwestern University. Beyond real estate, she enjoys an active lifestyle by soaking up the stunning Florida coastlines and beaches from her bicycle, practicing yoga, or competing in a great game of tennis. Laura can also be seen cruising around town in her golf cart, enjoying the sights and scenery of beautiful Winter Park and New Smyrna Beach.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration at the University of Central Florida, Leighton began his professional arc in digital marketing and as a computer software specialist selling software as a service (SaaS). As marketing manager and custom home consultant, he keeps The Hope Group current and relevant in the ever-evolving online realm while helping clients bring their vision to reality through the new-build process.
But more than digital expertise, Leighton credits his professional background as the foundation of his confidence in meeting clients, listening to their problems, and providing solutions. His passion for real estate stems from his desire to meet people, learn their goals, and be a problem solver. He considers it a privilege to help clients purchase or build their dream home.
Off the clock, Leighton loves to read, journal, and work out; a self-confessed “gym junkie,” he’s training for an Ironman race. His spare time goes to more reading, personal development, and video gameplay.