Meet Our Instructors
BETSY PEPINE
Betsy’s Bio ⌄
Betsy moved to northwest Gainesville in 1974. After graduating from high school, she left Gainesville to pursue a business education at Duke University and an MBA in marketing from The Wharton School of Business. After a twelve-year career in pharmaceutical marketing research and consulting, she returned to her hometown of Gainesville and pursued her interest in real estate. Having been a real estate investor for years, she decided to turn her passion into a career by becoming a full-time Realtor. Soon, she became a broker and opened Pepine Realty. She began building a robust real estate team, helping families and businesses with their relocation, second-home purchases, primary residences, and office spaces. Her team stays very active in the community, volunteering regularly in the communities that have supported them. Pepine Realty has one office in Gainesville. In addition to working full time as a broker of real estate, she is also an active volunteer in the community, earning the Impact Award in 2016 by Business in the Heart of Gainesville. She has served on numerous boards, been active in teaching Gainesville's youth at church, and assisted with homelessness in the community. She has also raised several guide dogs for the blind. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors, running, traveling, wine, cooking, and reading. Most importantly, she devotes significant time to her two daughters and rescue dogs.
VICTORIA COYNE
Assistant Broker | Team Leader
Victoria’s Bio ⌄
Her professional career encompasses leadership and team motivation, coaching, training, recruitment, luxury sales, new home sales, default market expertise, business development, operations, and proficiency in real estate and contract law.
Commencing her real estate journey in the 1980s within the title industry, she served as a title examiner and paralegal in Massachusetts. In 1992, she acquired her broker's license, subsequently dedicating 15 years as the operating principal broker of a boutique real estate office in the north shore community of Boston, holding brokers’ licenses in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
During the market downturn, she transitioned to an operations role in a prominent foreclosure law firm before relocating to South Florida in 2011 to pursue opportunities in the default market. Credited with aiding thousands of Florida homeowners and realtors in successful short sale closings, she served as Director of the short sale division of a statewide title company.
In 2014, she obtained her Florida broker’s license and assumed the role of Team Leader & Designated Broker of Keller Williams Realty in West Palm Beach. Additionally, she holds a Florida title insurance agent license since 2013.
Most recently, she operates as the broker owner/operator of Coastal Properties of Florida, situated in West Palm Beach FL since 2018.
She and her husband Bryan relocated to High Springs Florida in 2022, dedicating a year to travel and family. With three grown children and 17 nephews and nieces, family remains a focal point of her life.
In her leisure time, she enjoys cooking, camping, traveling, swimming, boating, indulging in music, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Her academic pursuits span Psychology at Valley College CA, Real Estate Law & Paralegal Studies at Bentley University MA, and Interior Design at North Shore College MA.
Active in professional circles, she has served on the Board of Directors for Realtor Association Broward-Palm Beach - St Lucie Counties from 2020 to 2022 and fulfilled a two-year term on the Regional Board of Directors North Palm Beach from 2020 to 2022. She also served as a Florida Realtor Director for FAR from 2019 to 2022.
TARIA “LEA” CREWS
Lea’s Bio ⌄
Originally from Chicago, Lea relocated to Florida more than 20 years ago and has proudly built her life here with her husband and their eleven-year-old daughter. Together, they enjoy a blended family of five adult children and four deeply loved grandchildren. Much of their recent free time has been spent traveling to visit their youngest adult son who serves in the military. Outside of real estate, Lea enjoys reading, gardening, and documentaries—lifelong learning is a value she carries into every part of her life.
Before becoming a real estate professional, Lea built a successful career in mass-production baking, with specialized training in French pastries and artisan bread. When physical demands forced her to step away from the industry, she shifted her focus back to education—earning a degree in Business Administration and later pursuing Computer Science. That path led her into the behind-the-scenes side of real estate, working in backend development, blockchain support for IDX/APIs, and systems optimization.
It didn’t take long for Lea to discover her true passion: real estate itself—and even more so, supporting the people within it. She found immense fulfillment helping clients reach their goals and guiding fellow agents through challenges, breakthroughs, and career milestones. That passion ultimately grew into her dedication to teaching and mentoring.
Lea approaches real estate with the same precision, creativity, and discipline she honed in professional baking. Attention to detail, consistency, and a commitment to excellence define her work—whether she’s advising a client, teaching new agents, or empowering experienced agents to elevate their business.
At the heart of everything Lea does is service. Her mission is simple:
Provide support, encouragement, and real results—while helping others succeed in an industry she genuinely loves.
Our Advantages
Live Instructor-Taught Courses Available
Our courses are taught by experienced instructors who are happy to answer all of your questions.
94% Course Exam Pass Rate
We’re dedicated to ensuring our students succeed, and take pride in educating.
Highly reviewed courses and instructors
Our engaging courses and knowledgeable instructors have earned us a 5 star rating on Google.
Attend Online or In-Person
You can choose to learn from the comfort of your home while still receiving the same quality of education and exam prep as in-person students.
Self-Paced or Instructor-Led
Learn at your own speed with our Self-Paced online options, or participate in a classroom-style environment with our Live Instructor courses.
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WHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING
★★★★★
I approved the Florida Real Estate Licensing Examination today! After attending the 63 hours course in person at this school three weeks ago, I have to say it was really helpful for me. If you ask, the instructors can provide you with real experiences about this business, as well they will guide you focusing on the topics to pass the state exam. I’m completely satisfied, so I highly recommend it!— HECTOR
★★★★★
Excellent school. Thorough instructors. The course adapted to areas we needed more help with. Highly recommend. — JESSICA
★★★★★
Mega Kudos to both instructors who are exceptionally talented and extremely patient real estate professionals. They both remained focused on covering all the material in the text book and, they used a variety of learning techniques, examples and after hours study sessions to help students correctly tackle and answer all potential exam questions (i.e., word and math). The Pepine Brokerage team also invited guest speakers to provide students with insights into various aspects of the real estate business. I was totally impressed with this school and appreciated the confidence which I gained after each day in class. For me, attending the North Central Florida Real Estate School was a five-star educational experience. It is 100% the best ‘bang for the buck’ for any individual who is committed to obtaining a Florida Real Estate Associate’s license. — WENDY
FIVE STEPS TO BECOME A
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4041 NW 37th Place, Ste. B
Gainesville, FL 32606