From Sarasota, to Afghanistan, to New York City TV studio

From Sarasota, to Afghanistan, to New York City TV studio
Herald Tribune
By Josh Salman
Published: Monday, December 23, 2013

John Wilcher, an agent with DWELL Real Estate in Sarasota, was flown to New York City to meet with the star of Bravo TV's "Million Dollar Listing," Fredrik Eklund.

SARASOTA - As John Wilcher laid sleepless in his Army bunk not far from areas of Afghanistan pockmarked by bombings, he could think only of a promise he had made his daughter two years earlier.

Wilcher didn't know if he would ever see his family again -- but he had vowed to his little girl he would return home safely.

Now a Realtor in Sarasota, his combat deployment stands in stark contrast to a recent crowning achievement.

Nearly penniless after the real estate market collapsed in 2007, Wilcher turned to the Armed Forces as a way to support his family.

But his story after his return also propelled him to the top of a global contest that sent him to New York City this month to meet the star of Bravo's reality TV series "Million Dollar Listing" -- Wilcher's hero in the business.

"I laid it on thick and just told my story," Wilcher said. "Hundreds and hundreds of people applied -- and I was one of about 20 to be selected."

Wilcher began his career in law enforcement, working as a police officer in Lexington, Ken. There, he was involved in the largest crack cocaine arrest in the city's history and spent time undercover for both the Drug Enforcement Agency and U.S. Marshall Service.

He moved to Florida with his girlfriend -- now his wife -- in 2001 to forge a life in Sarasota.
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