Alexander Goldstein is the broker and CEO of Miles Goldstein Real Estate, a boutique-sized luxury real estate brokerage founded upon principles of professionalism, discretion, and precision. He specializes in the representation of unique, rare, and exotic waterfront and oceanfront properties in South Florida. Miles Goldstein Real Estate was founded with the primary focus of anticipating and catering to every need of upscale clientele, and each associate of the firm has been chosen for their individual skill sets. Goldstein sat down with Haute Residence to discuss his new headquarters and what this means to the future of Miles Goldstein:
We hear there has been a change of headquarters for your boutique luxury real estate brokerage, Miles Goldstein Real Estate, and there’s some great Miami history involved here with Cigarette Boats, Don Aronow, and Thunderboat Alley?
I came across an opening for the second floor of The High Lift Marina Building in Aventura at the end of the infamous “Thunderboat Alley”, a long stretch of waterway and the birthplace of a billion dollar boat and racing industry.
The name thunderboat alley came from the insanely loud noise the race boats used to make and the waterway being alley like shaped. The building is boutique sized and has only two floors on one of the busiest corner streets in Aventura.
This was Don Aronow’s, founder of Cigarette Boats, former office space. Don Aronow founded Cigarette, Donzi, Magnum, Apache and Formula boats which broke speed records, and won every major boat race in the world. These kinds of boats changed boating, and Miami, forever.
What went on at this waterway, helped mold Miami. Millionaires, billionaires, dignitaries, and diplomats traveled from all over the world to come and buy their race boats and be able to race them down Thunderboat Alley. This was part of that shift of Miami’s attitude entirely. Miami went from a sleepy retirement city to an exotic, booming attitude-filled city. This was how Miami became Miami.
Why did you feel it was time to move spaces?
I founded Miles Goldstein Real Estate, a luxury boutique real estate brokerage from my living room 3.5 years ago. I envisioned the day I would open a headquarters that represented the brand and its evolution. I was patient and waited for the right time and place to make this move.
In the very beginning, I chose a typical brokerage atmosphere with plenty of normal office spaces, with your average building set up like most ordinary businesses. This served its purpose, but as our brokerage CLAWED itself to becoming the top producing company in Golden Beach, Aventura, and Eastern Shores, we were in the midst of proving our value, and I knew we were in need of a headquarters that had the style, attitude, and energy that our brand was all about in order to take the company to the next level.
What appealed to you about moving to that location, and how will this new location help expand your business?
The two-floor building is located in the heart of Aventura, one of the busiest cities in America offering dense street exposure. The traffic alone is billboard-level marketing for us. In addition, I am reaching the boating and waterfront market, which I specialize in. The building is not only home to Formula Boats on the ground floor, but also dry storage space for over 300 boats. There couldn’t be a better location for my brokerage. Our company’s focus is on waterfront real estate, and our synergy within this location is a dream. I’m a tremendous believer in energy and history. What I am to this industry, is comparable to the way Don Aronow and his race boats approached the boating world, and Miami altogether. I went all in - fast, aggressive, and I continue to do things exactly the way I want with zero care for the massive corporate world that currently “dominates” the real estate industry. These were the same years my best friend since preschool, Brett David’s father, opened “ Prestige Imports,” just 5 minutes away in North Miami Beach - which became the place to buy Exotic Cars in Miami, and under the leadership of Brett, has only exploded.
I was born and raised in Miami, and I'm not sure I’ve ever met anyone as passionate about this city as I am. I'm as Miami as it gets. Take it or leave it. I've been boating since before I could walk, and own my own speed boat today, I am taking advantage of Miami waters as much as possible. I have a deep appreciation for this city’s present, its past, and its future. I worked my entire life to be a business owner in the city I love, and I'm proud my business has influenced it even in the slightest.
The energy on this waterway, and within the building of our new headquarters was EXACTLY what I was looking for. Aventura is one of the most central locations in Miami, with Golden Beach, Sunny Isles, Eastern Shores, and Bal Harbour all surrounding it, offering me the dream location surrounded by water as far as the eye can see.
How are you going to make the space your own?
The headquarters is a large open space, with all of the associates of the firm able to collaborate together, having no private office spaces within other than a conference room. We are a true firm. We are not 400 agents in competition with one another under one roof. We move, think, act, together. It's powerful when the right energy is combined. The space is designed and covered in art to give a luxury home living room feel and being that we are on the second floor, the entire office space feels like you are literally SITTING on the water. From associates’ desks - you stare down the same raceway cigarette boats were raced on 30 years ago. It’s a thrill. There is an energy to this waterfront world, and the closer I can keep our brand in alignment with it, the better.
Photos courtesy of Alexander Goldstein