John Tobe

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, John has been visiting Naples since 1972. An entrepreneur at heart, John has worked in many different industries throughout his 40-year career. After attending the University of Cincinnati, he moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where he started a branch of his family’s business, Queen City Typesetting. Within four years, he purchased the business, and then transformed it into Papa John’s Print Network, a $10 million print operation with more than 100 employees.

John sold the company to Papa John’s International in 1994, became a Vice President within the company and later transitioned into a franchisee role where he first discovered his love of real estate. With 45 Papa John’s locations across the U.S., John played a crucial role in the site selection process and learned the challenging ins and outs of the commercial real estate industry.

In 1998, John returned to his roots and founded Tobe Direct, a leading print and direct marketing firm. For 17 years, John grew the business into one of the nation’s largest direct mail companies before selling to Private Equity in 2015 and then again in 2018 when he retired.

John lived in Louisville for 33 years but called Naples his second home after buying a vacation property in 2002. After selling his business, John moved to Naples full-time where he returned to his passion in real estate. With a laser focus on client satisfaction and personal relationships, John has an immensely successful track record within the Naples luxury market. He now owns four First Watch franchises and has been working in real estate development in Naples since 2013.

John is actively involved in the Naples community, dedicating his time to The Immokalee Foundation and The First Tee. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, cycling, boating, traveling, and spending time with his family.