One of the original seven founding MBF board members, Darlene Dale has been a pillar of the Miami real estate community since 1970. She began her career in earnest with Cousins Realty (where her territories included Pinecrest, South Miami, and Snapper Creek Lakes) and from the outset, distinguished herself as a leading authority in land and office building sales, commercial realty, and of course, residential.

In 1981, after lending her talents to a number of local offices, Darlene joined Esslinger Wooten Maxwell (EWM) and remained there for the duration of her remarkable career. Her diverse portfolio demonstrates an extraordinarily broad array of talents and service throughout South Florida, including record residential sales in Snapper Creek Lakes, multi-million-dollar home sales in Gables Estates, apartment complex deals in Broward County, and land, ranch, and farm transactions in Martin County.

This consistently excellent production earned Darlene inclusion in EWM’s elite Chairman’s Club from the year of its origination until her departure from Miami in 2016. In 2004, she was the top producer for EWM’s Coral Gables office and was also named one of the Top Ten agents in Miami-Dade County.

As an active and engaged MBF board member, Darlene’s most notable contribution was her service as the chapter’s liaison to the Miami-Dade County Crime Coalition, which passed legislation that dramatically improved safety and lowered crime rates throughout the region.

A native of Oklahoma, Darlene earned a scholarship to Oklahoma State University and studied journalism before serving as a civilian in the United States Air Force and piloting solo by the age of 19. She moved from Miami to her vacation home in the north Georgia mountains in 2016, and will soon make her permanent home in the town of Sharpsburg, Georgia (adjoining Peachtree City.)

Established in 2011, the MBF “Legacy Award” honors longtime Master Brokers who have enjoyed exceptional careers in Miami real estate, and whose leadership and professionalism elevated the standards for the entire industry. Past recipients include Alicia Cervera and Evelyn Framer (2011), Jeanne Baker (2012), Rosalie Elliot (2013), Teresita Shelton (2014), Consuelo Stewart (2015), Helen Jeanne Nicastri (2016), Ron Shuffield (2017), and Charlette Seidel (2018).