Names matter — especially in a place where the landscape has always been part of the story. As our region grows, our organization is moving forward with a proposed name change from Bonita Springs-Estero REALTORS® to Coconut Coast Organization of REALTORS® (CCOR). It’s a change rooted in local history, shaped by today’s community identity, and designed to support the future of REALTORS® and consumers across Southwest Florida.
So why “Coconut Coast?” Because coconuts aren’t just a tropical symbol here — they’re part of our origin story. Long before today’s master-planned communities, shopping centers, and waterfront neighborhoods, this coastline was home to ambitious agricultural experiments, coastal settlements, and real working waterfronts where the “coconut” name wasn’t branding — it was literal.
Want the official details and timeline?
Read the Name Change FAQ here:
Coconut
Coast Organization of REALTORS® (CCOR) — Name Change FAQ
Why “Coconut Coast” Works — Historically and Today
“Coconut Coast” is a local identity that feels instantly familiar. It reflects the coastline we serve, the heritage that shaped it, and the modern place-names and landmarks that already carry the coconut theme — from Coconut Road to Coconut Point. But more importantly, it’s a name that can grow with the communities we represent.
As outlined in the Name Change FAQ, this proposed name is meant to:
- Honor the region’s identity — a coastal, tropical, Southwest Florida lifestyle that residents and visitors recognize immediately.
- Support long-term growth — by broadening recognition beyond two city names as our footprint and partnerships expand.
- Keep our roots visible — by tying today’s REALTOR® mission to a real local story, not a generic tagline.
Now let’s talk about the “why” behind the coconuts — because the history is better than most people realize.
The Survey: Bonita’s Coconut Plantation Dream
One of the most defining early chapters of Bonita Springs history is a planned development once known as “The Survey”. In the late 1800s, Birmingham financier Braxton Bragg Comer purchased thousands of acres from pioneer Archibald McLeod and promoted the area as a tropical agricultural venture — a plantation and model community concept that included crops like pineapples, bananas, and coconuts.
“A plantation was started… with pineapples, bananas and coconuts.”
That experiment wasn’t just about planting trees — it was about imagining what this coastline could become. Even if the original plantation-era vision evolved over time, the idea is strikingly familiar: a place built around climate, lifestyle, and opportunity. In other words, the same ingredients that still define why people move here today.
When we say “Coconut Coast,” we’re not borrowing an aesthetic — we’re nodding to a real period when coconuts represented ambition, industry, and a future-focused vision for this region.
Estero Bay’s “Coconut” Community and the Roots of Coconut Road
Across the water and down the bay, Estero has its own coconut chapter — one tied to the coast, the river, and the working waterfront. Early records describe a small settlement on Estero Bay known as “Coconut”, linked to fishing camps and waterfront life. Over time, the coconut name became embedded in local geography and memory — and it still shows up today in one of the most recognizable corridors in the area: Coconut Road.
This is where the story shifts from plantation vision to coastal reality: boats, nets, fish camps, and families who lived close to the water. The coconut identity here isn’t a marketing layer — it’s a historic place-name that survived because it meant something to the people who used it.
Even now, that same stretch of Estero is a crossroads of “old Florida” and “new Florida” — a place where heritage and growth share the same shoreline.
From Agriculture to Icon: How “Coconut” Became a Modern Coastal Brand
Over the decades, coconuts and palms became visual shorthand for Southwest Florida — but in our area, the coconut theme lands differently because it has actual local roots. Today you see it in:
- Place-names that residents use every day (Coconut Road, Coconut Point, and nearby coastal references).
- Architecture and landscape design built around palms, shade, outdoor living, and Gulf-coast life.
- Community identity — the “coastal Southwest Florida” feel that defines how neighborhoods are marketed and experienced.
In branding terms, “Coconut Coast” is clear, memorable, and instantly regional. In local-history terms, it’s not a random coastal label — it’s a thread that runs from early agricultural vision in Bonita to coastal settlement identity in Estero.
So Why Change Our Organization’s Name Now?
This proposed name change is about alignment: aligning our organization’s public identity with the broader region we serve, while keeping the story grounded in something authentic. “Bonita Springs-Estero REALTORS®” has served us well — but as communities grow and regional lines blur, a name that reflects the coastline identity can help us communicate more clearly to both members and the public.
“Coconut Coast Organization of REALTORS®” is designed to be:
- Recognizable to consumers who may not identify with a two-city label but do identify with the Gulf-coast lifestyle.
- Expandable as partnerships, service areas, and member businesses reach across a wider Southwest Florida footprint.
- Still local — because the coconut story is part of our actual local history, not a generic rebrand.
Learn more & follow updates:
Visit the Name Change FAQ:
Coconut
Coast Organization of REALTORS® (CCOR) — Name Change FAQ
A Note to Members and the Public
Our mission remains the same: supporting ethical, professional real estate, protecting property rights, and serving Southwest Florida consumers with accurate information and trusted guidance. This proposal is about strengthening how we present that mission — in a way that is both regionally accurate and authentically rooted.
If you’ve lived here a long time, you’ve probably seen the coconut thread in a dozen everyday places without realizing how deep it goes. And if you’re newer to Bonita Springs or Estero, we hope this story helps explain why “Coconut Coast” feels like more than a name — it feels like home.
Have a historic photo, family story, or local memory connected to The Survey, Coconut Road, or old Estero Bay waterfront life? We’d love to help preserve it — and spotlight it as part of the region’s evolving identity.