Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

Three panels of experts, brokers and developers from Miami to New York, from the Caribbean to Los Angeles, and up the coast to San Francisco informed and interacted with the audience in the capacity-filled event space.

If you added the total value of the transactions of luxury real estate all of them have been responsible over the course of their careers on a spreadsheet, you would end up seeing multiple billions of dollars as the result.

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

The Summit started on the evening of this past Tuesday, February 11th with an intimate dinner inside the building's Armani Restaurant, where Italian cuisine was the star of the evening. Just like the panels that would take place the following day, diners experienced a three-course meal that delighted the palate.

April Donelson, Cheryl Casone

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

Fox Business Network Anchor Cheryl Casone traveled from New York with her FBN:AM film crew to capture the annual Summit in its greatest edition yet.

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

After a good night's sleep, it was time to get down to business when the sun rose on the South Florida coast on the morning of the 12th.

Moderator Alex Vidal with "Titans of Miami" developer panelists

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

Alex Vidal, President of RelatedISG International Realty, served as Moderator for the full day's worth of dialogues.

Gil Dezer, Kamal Hotchandani, Sebastian Tettamanti

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

Haute Living CEO Kamal Hotchandani gave introductory remarks, welcoming the audience that included numerous members of Haute Living's exclusive networks of realtors, brokers, developers, interior designers, doctors and lawyers, as well as industry insiders and VIPs. After the formalities, it was time for the panels to begin.

Developers, "Titans of Miami"

Louis Birdman, Shahab S. Karmely, Edgardo Defortuna, Daniel Kodsi, Gil Dezer, Eric Fordin, Ricardo Tabet, Marcelo Kingston

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

The real estate developer panel, titled "Titans of Miami," kicked off the highly anticipated Haute Residence 2020 Luxury Miami Real Estate Summit panels (read full recap here).

The panelists spoke extensively about the past, present and future of development growth in Miami, South Florida, on national, and international levels. Their developments in Miami have generated worldwide headlines and were rightfully highlighted in their answers. As well-known names in the real estate and development community, they were the perfect start to the Summit.

International Power Brokers

Sue Nickason, Ben Bacal, Dolly Lenz, Jenny Lenz, Mary Ann Osborn, Richard Steinberg, Cody Vichinsky, Olivia Hsu Decker, Jay Parker, Michael Goldstein

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

The International Power Brokers panel featured brokers that execute hundreds of millions of dollars in luxury real estate transactions year in and year out (read full recap here).

Each was asked and spoke of their success by Vidal. Most importantly for the industry insiders, brokers and agents in attendance, the panelists gave their tips on how to market and engage higher-priced listings and the clients that come with them.

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

Miami Power Brokers

Phil Gutman, Lourdes Alatriste, Crista Ryan, Christian Martinez, Sebastian Tettamanti, Maria Eugenia Alvarez Vitale, Steve Solomon

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

The Miami Power Brokers panel closed the daylong study and dialogue with a talk about the real estate market in Miami and the broader South Florida area that includes Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties (read full recap here).

They spoke about the current state of the real estate market in Miami-Dade and close communities in Broward and Palm Beach counties that are a quick drive up I-95 and enjoy the same South Florida weather yearlong. Other topics included: What makes Miami and South Florida such an active destination for many around the country and the world, contrasts between the renting and buying markets, the ins and outs of searching and asking for proof of funds from potential buyers, the impact of brand names on a project, and more.

Jeff Miller, Phil Gutman and Ian Reisner at Opening Night dinner of Haute Residence 2020 Luxury Miami Real Estate Summit

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

April Donelson, Seth Semilof, Olivia Hsu Decker, Alex Vidal, Sue Nickason

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

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Louis Birdman, Shahab S. Karmely, Edgardo Defortuna, Daniel Kodsi, Gil Dezer, Eric Fordin, Ricardo Tabet, Marcelo Kingston

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

The panelists spoke extensively about the past, present and future of development growth in Miami, South Florida, on national, and international levels. Their developments in Miami have generated worldwide headlines and were rightfully highlighted in their answers. As well-known names in the real estate and development community, they were the perfect start to the full day's worth of panels at the Summit.

Gil Dezer, Kamal Hotchandani, Sebastian Tettamanti

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

Residences by Armani/Casa developer Gil Dezer, President of Dezer Development remarked on the boom that the real estate industry in Miami is experiencing. "(To) people trying to time the market and be financial analysts, stop," he said. "If you think it's expensive now, just wait, because it's not going to get any cheaper," answering about why people should buy properties now.

Shahab S. Karmely speaking at "Titans of Miami" panel

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

Shahab S. Karmely, Founder of KAR Properties LLC and a staple in the development world of Miami having developed marvels like One River Point, once again participated in the exclusive panel at Haute Residence's annual real estate summit.

Daniel Kodsi speaking at "Titans of Miami" panel

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

Daniel Kodsi, CEO of Royal Palm Companies, spoke about PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter, a project that is taking downtown Miami and South Florida by storm as the most amenitized building in the U.S., situated 90 feet above the ground. "When we started talking about it, we said 'let's do one great building. It has got to survive probably through a couple of markets from the day you launch it to the day you finish it,'" he said, helping to grasp the longevity of time and "developments" that can happen throughout the building of a project the size of PARAMOUNT.

Louis Birdman speaking at "Titans of Miami" panel

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

Louis Birdman echoed that and added, "Miami is a relative bargain compared to other global cities". The South Florida cosmopolitan city has attracted hundreds, if not thousands, of residents from high-profile areas like New York. As co-developer of the recently-completed One Thousand Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects, designed by the architecture genius, he said, "We wanted someone that had no preconception about Miami" as he remembered how Hadid ended up as the one for the job.

Ricardo Tabet speaking at "Titans of Miami" panel

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

Ricardo Tabet, Co-founder and CEO of Optimum Development USA was present less than a week since the groundbreaking ceremony of Monaco Yacht Club & Residences, the boutique luxury residential building that will house its own marina in the MiMo district of Miami Beach.

Edgardo Defortuna speaking at "Titans of Miami" panel

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

Co-founder and CEO of Fortune International Group and Miami expert Edgardo Defortuna said, "Miami attracts the best crowds of everyone throughout the world," as he spoke fondly of the Magic City and its surroundings, where he has been responsible for billions of dollars in real estate transactions.

Eric Fordin speaking at "Titans of Miami" panel

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

Eric Fordin, Vice President at The Related Group, joined Haute Residence's real estate summit for the first time. Fordin oversees land acquisition, partnership agreements, development budget creation, project fiscal responsibility at Related, which he joined in 2004.

Marcelo Kingston speaking at "Titans of Miami" panel

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

Marcelo Kingston, Managing Partner of Multiplan Real Estate Asset Management (REAM) said, "The connectivity to the beach, to the boardwalk and the natural landscape of Miami will make your life at 57 Ocean unique and special," as he described the highly-anticipated project's, which recently hosted a special dinner for the Haute Living Dallas issue featuring NFL Hall of Famer Troy Aikman during Super Bowl week.

Moderator Alex Vidal with "Titans of Miami" panelists

Photo Credit: Romain Maurice

President of RelatedISG International Realty Alex Vidal served as Moderator for the panel, asking questions of the Titans that produced answers which engaged and did not let go of the audience for over an hour. A successful start to the real estate summit that was just getting started.

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The event will be covered extensively by Fox Business Network and Anchor of FBN:AM, Cheryl Casone, who is taking her New York film crew to Miami's sandy beaches to interview some of the real estate industry's biggest names at the Summit.

The "Titans of Miami" panelists will start this year's Summit at one of the grandest residential locations in all of South Florida, where they will speak of the luxury real estate market and where they see it heading. Listen and learn from them by purchasing your ticket to the Summit HERE.

They are:

Gil Dezer, President, Dezer Development

Photo Credit: Dezer Development

An accomplished businessman and humanitarian, Gil Dezer is a visionary developer, and one of the largest oceanfront property owners in Sunny Isles Beach. Dezer and his father, Michael Dezer, own just over 27 acres of prime oceanfront property, arguably one of the largest holdings of beachfront property owned and developable in the state of Florida.

Dezer has been instrumental in changing the face and value of the South Florida residential real estate industry through the introduction of brand partnerships, connecting his developments with some of the world’s most recognized brand names.

In collaboration with real estate mogul and now-President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, Dezer led the Trump Organization’s first foray into the South Florida real estate market through the successful development of Trump Grande Ocean Resort and Residences and Trump Towers in Sunny Isles Beach.

Dezer Development received a $214 million construction loan from Wells Fargo in September 2013, at the time marking the largest loan for a single construction project in the Southeast in the post-recession era. The highly-anticipated Porsche Design Tower officially became a reality in the first quarter of 2017, marking the completion of the iconic tower.

Dezer leveraged this track record of success with marquee lifestyle brands to enter into an exclusive partnership with The Related Group and Armani/Casa Interior Design Studio to launch the world-renowned fashion and furnishings designer, Giorgio Armani’s, first residential tower in the U.S. real estate market, Residences by Armani/Casa. Designed by globally-acclaimed Argentine-born architect, César Pelli, the 56-story oceanfront tower features 308 luxurious residences and incomparable amenities spanning two floors, all exquisitely designed by Armani/Casa with rich textiles and custom furnishings.

Louis Birdman, Co-Developer, One Thousand Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects

Photo Credit: Louis Birdman Architect

For nearly three decades, real estate industry veteran Louis Birdman has taken a leadership role in the development of over 70 residential projects, comprising more than 18,000 residential units nationwide.

Mr. Birdman has a significant background in property acquisitions, dispositions, entitlements, financing, planning, design, construction, sales, and marketing. Mr. Birdman has been a principal investor and developer in numerous real estate development projects throughout Florida and nationwide, including Las Vegas, Arizona, Colorado, and Texas.

He is also the founder and principal of Louis Birdman Architect, an architectural consulting practice that provides consulting services to developers of real estate in both related and unrelated entities. He has been a registered architect licensed in Florida since 1989 and has held architectural licenses in multiple jurisdictions in the United States, including Chicago, New York, and Nevada.

Mr. Birdman is the co-Developer of One Thousand Museum Residences by Zaha Hadid Architects, a 62-story condominium tower in Miami with 84 half-floor and full-floor residences. One Thousand Museum just completed, ushering in a new era of luxury living in Miami.

Edgardo Defortuna, President, CEO and Founder, Fortune International Group

Photo Credit: Fortune International Group

Edgardo Defortuna is President, CEO and Founder of Fortune International Group, a Miami-based full-service real estate firm recognized throughout South Florida, Latin America and Europe as a leader in high-end luxury real estate. He oversees all of the company's activities across all of its business units.

Mr. Defortuna brings 30+ years of experience in the real estate industry and is considered a visionary and a driving force in South Florida real estate. Since its launch in 1983, Fortune International Group has been a preeminent leader in real estate sales, management, and development, successfully operating and building in South Florida’s best neighborhoods including Brickell, Key Biscayne, Coral Gables, Miami Beach, Aventura, and Sunny Isles Beach. Today, Fortune International Group maintains 18 offices worldwide with over 1000 agents. In addition, its portfolio of developments includes Jade Residences at Brickell Bay, Jade Beach, Jade Ocean, Auberge Beach Residences & Spa Fort Lauderdale, The Ritz-Carlton Sunny Isles Beach, and Jade Signature.

Fortune International Group is well-known around the world, with a strong presence in Latin America. The company has also penetrated the European and Asian markets at full speed, with a special focus on Spain, Britain, France, Turkey, and Russia. Through his company’s success, Mr. Defortuna is widely recognized for having made a significant contribution to the internationalization of Miami and its reputation as a global business, trade and vacation hub.

A pioneer in many areas, Mr. Defortuna can be credited for being of the first Miami developers to align with international “starchitects” to bring his vision to fruition. Fortune International Group has worked with the very best in the world including Herzog & De Meuron, Pierre Yves Rochon, Michele Bonan, Arquitectonica, Carlos Ott and others.

According to Mr. Defortuna, “the keys to successful residential real estate development include market knowledge, construction experience and access to plenty of capital. Equally important are ambition and reputation.”

Shahab S. Karmely, Founder, KAR Properties LLC

Photo Credit: KAR Properties LLC

With 35 years of international real estate experience, Shahab S. Karmely has honed an impressive pedigree in transactional, managerial, and developmental disciplines. These, combined with an extensive background in fine arts and design, are the foundational elements of his development expertise and overall vision. As the founder of KAR Properties LLC, and through KAR and/or its affiliates, Mr. Karmely has acquired, repositioned, and monetized over 3 million square feet of office, luxury mixed-use, and industrial space in the US, Southeast Asia, and Europe. With offices in New York and Miami, KAR currently oversees the management of a core portfolio of assets and a development pipeline in excess of 5 million square feet.

KAR has made a significant entry into the Miami market with acquisitions and investments in excess of $300 million in established and emerging neighborhoods. Mr.Karmely’s background as a developer/owner/manager gives him a unique perspective and invaluable insights in analyzing and implementing the appropriate strategies for a variety of asset classes. He champions innovative and inventive approaches in response to changing market conditions, trends, and new opportunities as is required in today’s dynamic and challenging real estate markets.

Marcelo Kingston, Managing Partner, Multiplan Real Estate Asset Management (REAM)

Photo Credit: Multiplan Real Estate Asset Management

Marcelo Kingston, Managing Partner of Multiplan Real Estate Asset Management (REAM), has more than 20 years of experience in the real estate development and financial sectors throughout the United States and Brazil.

Under Mr. Kingston’s oversight, Multiplan REAM--founded by José Isaac Peres, the internationally-recognized Brazilian developer, and owner of major residential and commercial real estate holdings--is currently developing 57 Ocean, a new, ultra-luxury wellness-inspired oceanfront condominium in Miami Beach. Designed by globally-acclaimed Miami-based firm Arquitectonica, the enclave will feature a limited collection of 81 residences in a one-of-a-kind, elegant and high-profile boutique residential building with luxury amenities.

Mr. Kingston is also the founder and former CEO of PatioMix Shopping Centers, a fully-integrated Brazilian mall company with development, construction, leasing and management capabilities. Active in the industry, as well as his surrounding community, he is a member of the ULI Florida Multifamily Product Council, the Key Biscayne Village Educational Advisory Board, and the Key Biscayne K-8 Educational Excellence School Advisory Council.

Mr. Kingston holds a BA in Finance from Louisiana State University, a Master of Design from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Daniel Kodsi, CEO, Royal Palm Companies

Photo Credit: Royal Palm Companies

Photo Credit: Optimum Development USA

Ricardo Tabet is the co-founder and CEO of Optimum Development USA LLC, a fully integrated real estate and development investment firm with offices in the U.S. and Europe. An accomplished professional with more than 22 years of experience in the real estate industry, Mr. Tabet is widely regarded as a highly respected business executive and successful residential and commercial developer.

Curating, creating and delivering unique, exclusive lifestyle and architecturally distinctive properties, Mr. Tabet specializes in developing ultra-luxury condominiums, high-end retail, strategically located lifestyle boutique hotels and “Class A” office buildings in prime locations throughout the world. Among the company’s most notable recent projects are The Celino Hotel in Miami Beach, a Small Luxury Hotels of the World brand; 160 Imlay in Brooklyn, a luxury residential condominium conversion that was formerly the New York Dock Co.; Labels Berlin 1 and 2 in Germany; and the Exchange Palace in Budapest, a mixed-use project being developed in one of the most renowned buildings in Europe that formerly housed the country’s stock exchange.

As a former senior executive of several large national and international investments firms, Mr. Tabet has been involved in more than $4 billion in real estate transaction deals and has led the acquisitions, repositions and development of major real estate assets in the Middle East, Europe, the United States, and South America. He has also acted as an exclusive representative and real estate investment advisor to many institutions, foreign investment banks, and family wealth management offices.

Mr. Tabet earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and hotel administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and his Master in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Eric Fordin, Vice President, The Related Group

Photo Credit: The Related Group

Eric Fordin is a Vice President at The Related Group. His commercial real estate experience spans more than 21 years, with specialization in the acquisition, entitlement, development, financing, sales, and marketing of multifamily and mixed use development projects. 

Since joining Related in 2004, Mr. Fordin has been involved in the development, from concept through construction completion, of over 2,000 units with a value in excess of $3 billion. These projects include the Residences by Armani Casa, Hyde Resort & Residences, Apogee Beach, Beachwalk Resort & Residences, Hyde Beach House, Loft and Loft 2.  

His oversight includes the negotiation of land acquisition and partnership agreements, development budget creation and project fiscal responsibility along with the overall management of the development process including overseeing the team of consultants including general contractors, architects, engineers and designers in the realization of The Related Group projects. 

After earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of South Florida, Mr. Fordin attended New York University where he completed real estate-related courses in project management, cash flow analysis, and construction essentials for owners and developers. 

Full Schedule of Events at Haute Residence 2020 Luxury Miami Real Estate Summit:

11:00am – 11:30am: Welcome and Registration

11:45am – 1:15pm: Titans of Miami – “East Coast Kings”

Masters of the Miami skyline sound off on where they see the luxury market heading and its evolution.

Developer Panelists: Gil Dezer, Louis Birdman, Dan Kodsi, Shahab Karmely, Marcelo Kingston, Edgardo Defortuna, Ricardo Tabet, Eric Fordin

1:15pm – 1:30pm: Jumbo Loan King

Eric Fessler, expert entrepreneur, has over 30 years of mortgage banking experience closing over $10 billion. Fessler discusses the procurement of jumbo loans in single-family homes along with warranty and non-warranty new condominium developments on a nationwide scale.

1:30pm – 2:30pm: Lunch – Residences by Armani/Casa

Network with the greatest minds of development and brokerage in the luxury real estate market.

2:45pm – 3:45pm: International Power Brokers Panel

Top broker/agents from key international real estate meccas such as Miami Beach, Los Angeles, New York City and Cayman Islands sound off on the latest in market conditions and development.

Panelists: Dolly Lenz and Jenny Lenz (NYC), Mary Ann Osborn (LA), Richard Steinberg (NYC), Cody Vichinsky (NYC) Olivia Hsu Decker (San Francisco) Jay Parker (Miami), Ben Bacal (Hollywood Hills), Michael Goldstein (Miami), Sue Nickason (Cayman Islands)

4:00pm – 5:00pm: Miami Power Brokers

Top South Florida brokers share their knowledge on the evolution and direction of the luxury market today.

Panelists: Jill Eber, Maria Eugenia Alvarez Vitale, Jeff Miller, Lourdes Alatriste, Steve Solomon, Crista Ryan, Sebastian Tettamanti, Christian Martinez

5:00pm: Summit Closing Remarks

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