Broker Associate · Owner · Pinellas Native
Broker Associate at Mangrove Bay Realty
✓Florida Licensed Broker · #BK3436609· Active through 09/30/2026VerifyTroy Nowak is a Broker Associate at Mangrove Bay Realty and a licensed Florida real estate broker specializing in short-term rentals, furnished rentals, and investment properties across Tampa Bay. Before real estate, Troy spent over a decade as a Pinellas County math teacher and the head boys’ varsity basketball coach at Dunedin High School — so when he talks about neighborhoods, schools, and what makes Pinellas tick, he’s lived it. Since launching his real estate career in 2019, he has closed 325+ sales with an average price of $523K, ranging from first-time buyers at $117K to luxury waterfront at $1.9M. He also owns and manages six STR and furnished rental properties in Pinellas County, has Airbnb Superhost/operator experience, and brings former institutional acquisition experience to investor guidance.
Public review profiles
Origin
Troy taught Algebra II and Geometry at Pinellas County schools for nearly a decade before he ever sat for the real estate exam. The last four years of that run, he was the head varsity boys' basketball coach at Dunedin High — the same high school that zones half the neighborhoods buyers ask him about today.
Two things carried over from coaching: people remember how you treated them long after the score gets forgotten, and the best players are the ones who see the play developing two steps ahead. Same applies to a transaction.
He opened Mangrove Bay Realty in 2020 because the big-box brokerage model wasn't built for the kind of client work he actually wanted to do: short-term-rental underwrites, institutional-style acquisition screens, downtown condo plays, and waterfront comps that require eyes on the ground. Today he runs the firm, manages the Dunedin Duo STR, and answers his own phone.
What I've done
325+
Career sales
Since 2019 · $117K–$1.9M
6
Rental properties owned & managed
STR · midterm · furnished rentals
BK3436609
Broker Associate
Mangrove Bay Realty
Where I add value
Find Troy elsewhere
Most of the market commentary lives on the journal here, but you'll also find Troy on these platforms.
From the journal
Market reads, neighborhood guides, STR underwrites — published when there's something real to say.
Florida home insurance in 2026: real Tampa Bay premium ranges, flood-zone checks, 4-point red flags, roof rules, quote checklist, and buyer negotiation moves from Troy Nowak.
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Direct-book a 4BR furnished midterm rental in downtown St. Pete near Central Ave. 30-night minimum for travel nurses, relocations, snowbirds, and monthly stays.
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Honest 2026 Florida real estate market analysis — the case for buying now vs. waiting, insurance realities, interest rate math, and Tampa Bay-specific buyer strategies.
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Pinellas County STR regulations by municipality: which cities allow short-term rentals, real compliance costs, and a due-diligence checklist for investors evaluating vacation rental properties in 2026.
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Tampa Bay real estate market forecast for 2026 — price trends by segment, interest rate impact, Hurricane Helene aftermath, and buyer/seller strategies for Pinellas and Hillsborough.
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A complete guide to first-time home buyer programs available in Florida and Tampa Bay in 2026 — down payment assistance, income limits, FHA/VA/USDA loans, and how to apply.
Read articleDrop your info — Troy texts back personally, usually within the hour.