EXHIBIT 10.25

                              CONSULTING AGREEMENT

         This CONSULTING  AGREEMENT (the "Agreement")  dated of this 30th day of
September,   1998,  by  and  among  ABBOTT  REALTY  SERVICES,  INC.,  a  Florida
corporation (the "Company"),  and WILLIAM W. ABBOTT, JR., an individual residing
in Florida ("Consultant").

                                    RECITALS

         WHEREAS,  the  Company  and  each  of  its  respective  affiliates  and
subsidiaries (collectively,  the "RQI Group Companies") are engaged primarily in
the  business of  providing  property  management,  brokerage,  rental and sales
services (the "Business");

        WHEREAS,  the Consultant provides consulting services in connection with
the Business; and

         WHEREAS, the Company desires to engage Consultant to provide consulting
services in connection  with the Business  pursuant to the terms and  conditions
hereof.

                                   AGREEMENTS

         NOW,  THEREFORE,  in  consideration  of  the  mutual  promises,  terms,
covenants  and  conditions  set forth herein and the  performance  of each,  the
parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

Section 1.   CONSULTING SERVICES.

         (a) The Company hereby engages Consultant and Consultant hereby accepts
the engagement upon the terms and conditions  hereinafter set forth.  Consultant
shall (i)  consult,  advise and assist the Company  with respect to managing all
aspects of the relationship with the developers of the Tops'l project including,
without limitation, with respect to construction management, property management
and management of the operation and  administration  thereof,  (ii) use his best
efforts to promote the  business  and  activities  of and be an  "ambassador  of
goodwill"  with respect to the RQI Group  Companies and the Cathedral  Group and
(iii) act as a "secret  shopper" with respect to the Cathedral Group  properties
(collectively,  the "Engagement").  Consultant shall have such responsibilities,
duties and authority in connection  with the Engagement as an Executive  Officer
or the Chairman of the Board of Directors of either RQI (the "RQI Board") or the
Company (the "Company Board") may require or assign.

         (b) Consultant hereby agrees to devote such time, attention, energy and
efforts to the business of the Company as shall be reasonably  required in order
to meet the  objectives  of the  Engagement.  Consultant  shall be a real estate
broker for the Company subject to the terms and conditions of a standard brokers
agreement in effect from time to time.
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         (c) Consultant  shall  adhere  to,  execute and  fulfill  all  policies
established by the Company in connection with the Engagement.  Consultant  shall
not commit any act, or make any  statement,  which would be  deleterious  to the
reputation  and  goodwill of the Company or any of the  corporations  affiliated
with  the  Company.  Consultant  agrees  that he will use his  best  efforts  to
represent the Company within the scope of the engagement and that he will act in
good faith in the best interests of the Company.

Section 2.   COMPENSATION.

         For all services  rendered by Consultant,  the Company shall compensate
Consultant as follows:

         (a) Consulting  Fees. The consulting fee payable to Consultant shall be
$125,000 per year,  payable on a regular basis in accordance  with the Company's
standard payroll procedures but not less frequently than monthly.

         (b) Other  Compensation  and Benefits.  Consultant shall be entitled to
receive additional benefits and other compensation from the Company in such form
and to such extent as specified below:

             (i) Preferential  brokerage  commissions payable in accordance with
         the terms and  conditions  of the standard  Cathedral  Group  brokerage
         agreement  in  amounts  equal to  thirty  percent  (30%)  for  property
         listings and fifty percent (50%) for property sales.

             (ii) Payment of all premiums for coverage for Consultant and family
         under  health,  hospitalization,  disability,  dental,  life and  other
         insurance plans that the Company may have in effect from time to time.

             (iii) Reimbursement for all business travel and other out-of-pocket
         expenses  reasonably  incurred  by  Consultant  in the  performance  of
         Consultant's  services  pursuant to this Agreement and consistent  with
         the Company's policy for the reimbursement of such consulting  expenses
         in effect from time to time,  other than expenses  relating to any car,
         car  phones,  gas  or  car  insurance   incurred  by  Consultant.   All
         reimbursable  expenses shall be appropriately  documented in reasonable
         detail by Consultant upon submission of any request for  reimbursement,
         and in a  format  and  manner  consistent  with the  Company's  expense
         reporting policy.

             (iv) The Company shall pay for or reimburse  Consultant  for a Full
         Membership in the Tops'l Beach and Racquet Club  excluding any expenses
         or members  costs  relating to personal  training,  tennis  lessons and
         other separate ("a la carte") expenses.

Section 3.   INTENTIONALLY DELETED.

Section 4.   TERM; CESSATION; RIGHTS ON CESSATION.

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         The  term of this  Agreement  shall  commence  on the date  hereof  and
continue for three (3) years,  (the "Term").  This  Agreement  and  Consultant's
Engagement may be terminated in any one of the following ways:

         (a) Death.  The death of Consultant  shall  immediately  terminate this
Agreement  with  no  compensation  due  to  Consultant's   estate  hereunder  or
otherwise, except as set forth in subsection (f) of this SECTION 4.

         (b) Disability.    Subject  to  and  conditioned   upon  the  Company's
compliance with applicable law, if, as a result of incapacity due to physical or
mental illness or injury,  Consultant  shall have been absent from  Consultant's
full-time duties hereunder for one hundred twenty (120)  consecutive  days, then
thirty (30) days after  receiving  written notice (which notice may occur before
or after the end of such one hundred  twenty  (120) day period,  but which shall
not be effective  earlier than the last day of such one hundred twenty (120) day
period),  the Company may terminate  Consultant's  Engagement hereunder provided
Consultant is unable to resume  Consultant's  full-time duties at the conclusion
of  such  thirty  (30)  day  notice  period.  Also,   Consultant  may  terminate
Consultant's Engagement hereunder if his or her health should become impaired to
an extent that makes the continued  performance of Consultant's duties hereunder
hazardous  to  Consultant's  physical or mental  health or life,  provided  that
Consultant  shall have  furnished  the Company with a written  statement  from a
qualified  doctor to such effect and provided,  further,  that, at the Company's
request  made  within  thirty (30) days of the date of such  written  statement,
Consultant  shall submit to an examination  by a doctor  selected by the Company
and such doctor shall have concurred in the conclusion of  Consultant's  doctor.
In  the  event  this  Agreement  is  terminated  as  a  result  of  Consultant's
disability,  Consultant  shall have no right to any  compensation  hereunder  or
otherwise, except as set forth in subsection (f) of this SECTION 4.

         (c) Good Cause.  The Company may  terminate the Agreement ten (10) days
after delivery of written  notice to Consultant for good cause,  which shall be:
(1) Consultant's breach of this Agreement,  or failure to comply with any lawful
directive of the RQI Group  Companies,  the RQI Board,  the Company  Board or an
Executive Officer of RQI or the Company;  (2) Consultant's failure to adequately
perform any of Consultant's material duties and responsibilities  hereunder; (3)
Consultant's willful dishonesty,  fraud,  misconduct or any conduct constituting
or  exhibiting  moral  turpitude or which  adversely  affects the  operations or
reputation  of the  Company  or  any  of the  other  RQI  Group  Companies;  (4)
Consultant's  conviction in a court of competent jurisdiction of a felony or any
misdemeanor other than a minor traffic  violation;  (5) chronic alcohol abuse or
illegal drug use by Consultant;  (6) the usurpation of any corporate opportunity
of the  Company  or any of the other RQI Group  Companies;  or (7) the breach by
Consultant of any of the  representations,  warranties or covenants in the Stock
Purchase Agreement.  In the event of a termination for good cause, as enumerated
above,  Consultant  shall  have  no  right  to  any  compensation  hereunder  or
otherwise, except as set forth in subsection (f) of this SECTION 4.

         (d) By  Either  Party.  At  any  time  after  the  commencement  of the
Engagement,  either  Consultant  or the Company  may  terminate  this  Agreement
effective  thirty (30) days after written 

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notice is  provided  to the  other  party.  Upon  termination  by either  party,
Consultant shall receive no compensation  hereunder or otherwise,  except as set
forth in subsection (f) of this SECTION 4.

         (e) Upon  termination of this Agreement for any reason provided herein,
(i) Consultant shall be entitled to receive all fees earned and all expenses due
through the Cessation Date, and (ii) except as otherwise  provided by SECTION 18
hereof  all  other  rights,  duties  and  obligations  of the  Company  and  the
Consultant  under this  Agreement  shall cease and terminate as of the Cessation
Date.

Section 5.   RETURN OF COMPANY PROPERTY.

         All Proprietary  Information  including,  without limitation,  records,
designs, patents, business plans, financial statements, manuals, correspondence,
reports,  charts,  advertising  materials,  memoranda,  lists and other property
delivered to or compiled by  Consultant  by or on behalf of the Company,  any of
the other  RQI  Group  Companies,  or any of their  representatives,  suppliers,
vendors or customers  which pertain to the business,  activities or future plans
of the Company or any of the other RQI Group  Companies  shall be and remain the
property  of such  company,  as the case may be,  and be subject at all times to
their  discretion  and  control  and shall be, upon  cessation  of  Consultant's
Engagement  with the Company  collected by Consultant and delivered  promptly to
the General Counsel of the Company without request by the Company.

Section 6.   LIMIT OF ENGAGEMENT.

         This  Agreement  does not and shall  not be  construed  to  create  any
employment  relationship,  partnership or agency  whatsoever beyond the purposes
set forth in SECTION 1 above.  Consultant  acknowledges and agrees that he is an
independent  contractor  vis-a-vis the Company and that Consultant  shall not be
deemed to be a partner,  employee, agent, or legal representative of the Company
for any  purpose  other than the  purposes of this  Agreement  set forth in said
SECTION 1, nor shall  Consultant  have any  authority or power to act for, or to
undertake  any  obligation  or  responsibility  on behalf  of, the  Company,  or
corporations  affiliated  with  the  Company,  other  than as  expressly  herein
provided.  Consultant  represents  and  warrants  that he  conducts  a  business
enterprise  independent of the Company.  Further,  Consultant  acknowledges  and
agrees that the amounts paid under SECTION 2 hereof are in full  satisfaction of
all amounts due by the Company for services rendered by Consultant hereunder and
Consultant  disclaims  any right,  title,  or interest  in employee  benefits or
insurance  offered by the Company or other  compensation  without  regard to the
reclassification or other characterization of Consultant's relationship with the
Company at a future point in time by any Federal,  State, or local government or
agency. In this regard, Consultant shall be solely responsible for obtaining his
own benefits, including Medicare,  unemployment,  workers' compensation or other
insurance  and the payment of  self-employment  taxes  excluding  the  insurance
coverage referenced in SECTION 2(b)(ii) hereof.

Section 7.   UNAUTHORIZED ACTS.

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         (a) Consultant represents and agrees with the Company that he will make
no  disbursement  or  other  payment  of  any  kind  or  character  out  of  the
compensation  paid to him hereunder or with any other fund, or take or authorize
the  taking  of  any  other  action  which  contravenes  any  statute  or  rule,
regulation, or order of any jurisdiction. Consultant further agrees to indemnify
and save harmless the RQI Group Companies, each of their respective subsidiaries
and affiliates  and their  directors,  officers,  and employees from any and all
liabilities,  obligations, claims, penalties, fines or losses resulting from any
unauthorized  or  unlawful  acts  of  Consultant  (or  from  any  violations  by
Consultant of any laws or regulations,  whether willful or not) and for any acts
by  Consultant  against  Company  policy,  except to the  extent  such acts were
undertaken at the direction of the Company.  Consultant  further  represents and
warrants that under no circumstances  shall Consultant  solicit or accept either
directly or indirectly any form of  remuneration  from any third party including
but  not  limited  to  any  business  owner  or  broker  for or  related  to the
performance of Consultant's services hereunder. The provisions of this SECTION 7
shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement.

         (b) Consultant  agrees to disclose honestly and fully to the Company or
its  authorized   representatives  all  information  and  documentation  in  his
possession  concerning all  transactions  or events relating to or affecting the
Company or any other RQI Group Company as and to the extent such  information or
documentation  (i) was acquired or developed by Consultant during his engagement
under this  Agreement  and (ii) is  requested  by the Company or the  authorized
representative thereof.

Section 8.   NO PRIOR AGREEMENTS.

         Consultant  hereby  represents  and  warrants to the  Company  that the
execution  of this  Agreement by  Consultant  and his or her  Engagement  by the
Company and the performance of Consultant's duties hereunder will not violate or
be a breach of any oral or  written  agreement  with,  or other  duty owed to, a
former  employer,  client or any other  Person.  Further,  Consultant  agrees to
indemnify  the Company  from and against any and all claims,  judgments,  fines,
actions,  suits, demands,  charges, costs and expenses including but not limited
to  attorneys'  fees and  expenses  (collectively,  "Claims"),  (i) relating to,
arising from, or in connection with any actions by Consultant  outside the scope
of Consultants  duties  hereunder or as directed by the Company  Board,  the RQI
Board or any  Executive  Officer or (ii) any breach by Consultant of any oral or
written agreement between  Consultant and any third party or any other duty owed
by Consultant to any third party.

Section 9.   ASSIGNMENT; BINDING EFFECT.

         Consultant  understands  that  he or she  has  been  selected  for  the
Engagement by the Company on the basis of Consultant's personal  qualifications,
experience  and  skills.  Consultant,  therefore,  shall not  assign  all or any
portion  of  Consultant's  performance  under  this  Agreement.  Subject  to the
preceding two (2) sentences,  this Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to the
benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective  heirs,
legal representatives, successors and assigns.

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Section 10.  DEFINITIONS


             For purposes of this Agreement,  the following terms shall have the
respective meanings ascribed thereto in this SECTION 10:

         (a) "Agreement"  shall have the  meaning  assigned  to such term in the
Recitals hereto.

         (b) "Cathedral  Group"  shall mean  Abbott  Realty  Services,  Inc.,  a
Florida  corporation,  Tops'l Sales Group,  Inc, a Florida  corporation,  Abbott
Resorts,  Inc., a Florida corporation,  Abbott & Andrews Realty, Inc., a Florida
corporation,  S.I.I.K.,  Inc.,  a Florida  corporation,  Tops'l  Group,  Inc., a
Florida corporation and Tops'l Club of NW Florida,  Inc. , a Florida corporation
and any other subsidiaries and affiliates thereof during the term hereof.

         (c) "Cessation  Date"  means  the  date of  cessation  of  Consultant's
Engagement with the Company.

         (d) "Claims"  shall  have  the  meaning  assigned  to such  term in the
SECTION 8 hereof.

         (e) "Company"  shall  have the  meaning  assigned  to such  term in the
Recitals hereto.

         (f) "Company Board" shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.

         (g) "Consultant"  shall have the  meaning  assigned to such term in the
Recitals hereto.

         (h) "Executive  Officer" means any of the Chief Executive Officer,  the
Chief Operating  Officer,  the President,  the Senior Vice President,  the Chief
Financial Officer, the Secretary,  the Treasurer, and the General Counsel of the
Company and of RQI.

         (i) "Person" means any individual,  firm,  company,  limited  liability
company,  partnership  (including,  without  limitation,  any general,  limited,
limited  liability  or  limited  liability  limited  partnership),   corporation
(including  not-for-profit),   joint  venture,  unincorporated  organization  or
association,  trust, union,  governmental  entity,  department or agency, or any
other entity, business or organization of whatever nature.

         (j) "RQI"  shall  mean   ResortQuest   International,   Inc.,  and  its
successors and assigns.

         (k) "RQI Board" shall have the meaning assigned to such term in SECTION
1(A) hereof.

         (l) "RQI Group  Companies" shall have the meaning assigned to such term
in the Recitals hereto.

         (m) "Term"  shall have the  meaning  assigned to such term in SECTION 4
hereof.

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Section 11.  COMPLETE AGREEMENT; AMENDMENT.

         (a) This Agreement  supersedes  any other agreements or understandings,
written or oral,  among the Company and  Consultant,  and Consultant has no oral
representations,  understandings  or  agreements  with the Company or any of its
officers,  directors or representatives covering the same subject matter as this
Agreement. This written Agreement is the final, complete and exclusive statement
and  expression of the agreement  between the Company and  Consultant and of all
the  terms  of  this  Agreement,  and  it  cannot  be  varied,  contradicted  or
supplemented  by  evidence  of any  prior  or  contemporaneous  oral or  written
agreements.

         (b) This  written  Agreement  may not be  later  modified  except  by a
written  instrument  signed by a duly  authorized  officer  of the  Company  and
Consultant,  and no term of this  Agreement  may be  waived  except by a written
instrument signed by the party waiving the benefit of such term.

Section 12.  NOTICE.

         Any and all notices given in connection  with this  Agreement  shall be
deemed  adequately  given only if in writing and personally  delivered,  sent by
first class  registered  or certified  mail,  postage  prepaid,  return  receipt
requested,  sent by  overnight  national  courier  service,  sent by  facsimile,
provided  a hard copy is  mailed on that day to the party for whom such  notices
are intended or sent by other means at least as fast and reliable as first class
mail. A written notice shall be deemed to have been given to the recipient party
on the earlier of (i) the date it shall be delivered to the address  required by
this  Agreement,  (ii) the date delivery  shall have been refused at the address
required by this Agreement, (iii) with respect to notices sent by mail, the date
as of which the postal  service  shall have  indicated  that the notice has been
delivered  to the address  required by this  Agreement,  (iv) with  respect to a
facsimile, the date on which the facsimile is sent. Any and all notices referred
to in this  Agreement,  or which any party  desires to give the other,  shall be
addressed as follows:

         To the Company:   ResortQuest International, Inc.
                           530 Oak Court Drive, Suite 360
                           Memphis, Tennessee 38117
                           Attn:   John K. Lines, Senior Vice President, General
                                   Counsel and Secretary

         with a copy to:   Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP
                           1230 Peachtree Street, N.E. Suite 3100
                           Atlanta, Georgia 30309
                           Attn:   Bruce W. Moorhead, Jr., Esq. or
                                   Dennis O. Doherty, Esq.

         To Consultant:    William W. Abbott Jr.
                           506 Highway 98 East
                           Destin, Florida  32541

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         with a copy to:   James Grimsley, Esq.
                           Smith, Grimsley, Bauman, Pinkerton, Petermann, Saxer 
                           & Wells
                           25 N.E. Walter Martin Road

                           Fort Walton Beach, Florida  32548

Section 13.  SEVERABILITY; HEADINGS.

         If any portion of this  Agreement is held invalid or  inoperative,  the
other portions of this Agreement shall be deemed valid and operative and, so far
as is reasonable and possible, effect shall be given to the intent manifested by
the portion held invalid or inoperative.  The paragraph  headings herein are for
reference purposes only and are not intended in any way to describe,  interpret,
define or limit the extent or intent of the Agreement or of any part hereof.

Section 14.  GOVERNING LAW.

         This Agreement shall in all respects be construed according to the laws
of the State of Delaware.

Section 15.  CONSENT TO JURISDICTION; SERVICE OF PROCESS

         The  Company  and   Consultant   hereby   irrevocably   submit  to  the
jurisdiction  of the federal  courts  located in Florida in connection  with any
suit,  action or other proceeding  arising out of or relating to this Agreement,
and hereby agree not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense,  or otherwise in
any such suit,  action or  proceeding  that the suit,  action or  proceeding  is
brought  in an  inconvenient  forum,  that the  venue  of the  suit,  action  or
proceeding is improper or that this  Agreement or the subject  matter hereof may
not be enforced by such courts.

Section 16.  WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL.

         BECAUSE  DISPUTES  ARISING  IN  CONNECTION  WITH  COMMERCIAL   MATTERS,
INCLUDING CONSULTING  AGREEMENTS,  ARE MOST QUICKLY AND ECONOMICALLY RESOLVED BY
AN  EXPERIENCED  AND EXPERT  PERSON AND THE PARTIES  WISH  APPLICABLE  STATE AND
FEDERAL LAWS TO APPLY (RATHER THAN ARBITRATION  RULES),  THE PARTIES DESIRE THAT
THEIR  DISPUTES (IF ANY) BE RESOLVED BY A JUDGE APPLYING SUCH  APPLICABLE  LAWS.
THEREFORE,  TO ACHIEVE THE BEST  COMBINATION  OF THE  BENEFITS  OF THE  JUDICIAL
SYSTEM AND OF ARBITRATION,  THE PARTIES HERETO WAIVE ALL RIGHTS TO TRIAL BY JURY
IN ANY ACTION,  SUIT,  OR  PROCEEDING  BROUGHT TO RESOLVE ANY  DISPUTE,  WHETHER
ARISING IN  CONTRACT,  TORT,  OR OTHERWISE  BETWEEN THE PARTIES  ARISING OUT OF,
CONNECTED  WITH,  RELATED  TO, OR  INCIDENTAL  TO THE  RELATIONSHIP  ESTABLISHED
BETWEEN THEM IN CONNECTION  WITH THIS  CONSULTING  AGREEMENT OR MATTERS  RELATED
HERETO.

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Section 17.  CONSTRUCTION AND INTERPRETATION

         Should    any   provision   of   this   Agreement    require   judicial
interpretation,  the  parties  hereto  agree  that  the  court  interpreting  or
construing the same shall not apply a presumption that the terms hereof shall be
more strictly  construed against one party by reason of the rule of construction
that a document is to be more strictly  construed against the party that itself,
or  through  its  agent,  prepared  the same,  and it is  expressly  agreed  and
acknowledged   that  the   Consultant,   the   Company   and  their   respective
representatives,  legal and  otherwise,  have  participated  in the  preparation
hereof.

Section 18.  SURVIVAL

         Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, SECTIONS 3,
5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 of this  Agreement  shall  survive any
termination of this Agreement or of the Consultant's  Engagement hereunder until
the expiration of the respective statute(s) of limitations applicable thereto.

Section 19.  THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES.

         Except as expressly  provided  herein with respect to affiliates of the
Company, this Agreement does not create, and shall not be construed as creating,
any rights enforceable by any person or entity not a party to this Agreement.

Section 20.  COUNTERPARTS.

         This  Agreement  may be  executed  simultaneously  in two  (2) or  more
counterparts,  each of  which  shall  be  deemed  an  original  and all of which
together shall constitute but one and the same instrument.

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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as
of the day and year first above written.

ABBOTT REALTY SERVICES, INC.

By: /s/ John K. Lines
   ------------------------------
Name:  John K. Lines
Title: Senior Vice President and Secretary

"CONSULTANT"

/s/ William W. Abbott, Jr.
----------------------------------
William W. Abbott, Jr., individually

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