Movers & Shakers: Miami Brokers Launch Side-Backed Firms

It’s been a busy week for hiring news in South Florida real estate.

Side, the venture-backed startup based in San Francisco, which calls itself a back office for top brokers, scored two new partnerships in Miami. Jose Medina and Dexter Brandao left OnePath Realty to launch their own Chez Realty.

The pair said they have closed more than $150 million in sales in the last nine years, with an average of 100 sales per year focused in southwest Miami-Dade County. The duo brought in eight additional agents to Chez Realty.

After seven years with Coldwell Banker Realty, Marco Tiné left to launch Casa Collection Realty with Side. Tiné closed $60 million in sales last year and this year to date, with a focus on properties priced between $3 million and $8 million across Miami-Dade County, he said.

The moves follow Miami broker Alyssa Morgan’s announcement of her partnership with Side to launch the Inside Network.

Suffolk Construction continued its Florida expansion and hired Jay Fayette as president of Florida East Coast operations. Prior to joining Suffolk, Fayette was president and CEO of PC, formerly known as Pizzagalli Construction Company.

Boston-based Suffolk also announced Pete Tuffo, president of its Florida Gulf Coast division, will also be national director of gaming and entertainment.

Toronto-based Colliers also made expansion moves, hiring Lauren Pace as senior director of industrial services. Pace will be based in South Florida. Before Colliers, Pace worked at Duke Realty as the director of leasing for Sunbeam Properties.

Trion Properties, the private equity real estate firm headquartered in Miami and Los Angeles, promoted David Moghavem to director of East Coast acquisitions. Moghavem previously worked as the firm’s Colorado director of acquisitions.

Cozza Realty Group, a Miami-based brokerage, brought on three new agents. Anthony Tiljak, Vanessa Pagán and Andy Molina joined the team led by founder Brad Cozza.

Re/Max Advance Realty added nine new agents: Ashley Fahmie, Joel Figueroa, Priscilla Forgett, Giovanni Gonzalez, Maybel Marin, Isabella Medlin, Shilpin Patel, Jasmine Pimienta, and Darren Smith. The company said it now has 160 agents in its six South Florida offices.