Gil Dezer brought in back-up for his Bentley-branded condo tower.
The developer hired Douglas Elliman Development Marketing to partner with his in-house sales team, Dezer Platinum Realty, to sell Bentley Residences in Sunny Isles Beach, according to a press release. Dezer Development first launched sales of the planned 62-story, 216-unit tower in January of last year, when Dezer completed a $10 million oceanfront sales center.
Prices for units in Bentley Residences at 18401 Collins Avenue start at $5.3 million, according to the release, up from the $3.9 million starting price reported when sales first launched. Bentley Residences, like Dezer’s Porsche Design Tower, will have a Dezervator, a patented car elevator that allows owners to park their cars in their condos. Units will have either three-car or four-car garages, and private pools, the release shows.
Miami-based Sieger Suarez Architects designed the building with Bentley Motors. Amenities will include a spa, movie theater, beauty salon, whiskey and cigar lounge, and a private restaurant headed by star chef Todd English.
Construction is set to start this year, and Dezer expects to finish the tower in 2026, the release says. Dezer landed a $40 million construction loan for the project in November.
He estimated the tower’s sellout will reach $1.2 billion when sales launched. Dezer was not immediately available for comment on this announcement, as he was participating in a car rally, he confirmed.
A year and a half into sales of the units, Dezer and Elliman both declined to comment on the number of units already presold. Jay Parker, Elliman’s Florida CEO, said he has pitched the brokerage’s services before, but Dezer has historically shied away from bringing in outside sales support.
Parker said Dezer saw the Elliman partnership as a chance to “enhance velocity,’’ adding that Elliman’s brand reaches into key markets in the Northeast and California, where many of South Florida’s luxury buyers hail. “The dynamics of the market have changed so dramatically,” he said.
Parker also noted that Elliman generally does not partner with other brokerages, but made an allowance to work alongside Dezer’s in-house team. He said Elliman’s team is prepping domestic launch initiatives and educating agents about the project in advance of the busy winter season.
The tower will be the first Bentley-branded residential building in the world. Its construction coincides with a wave of branded condo developments popping up in South Florida. More than two dozen branded projects are planned or under construction, with developers hoping to appeal to the steady stream of luxury buyers who started arriving in the pandemic and have not stopped.
Few other projects offer the car-centric perks of Bentley Residences, with many towers incorporating luxury branding tied to hospitality. Players in the automotive industry have emerged as a significant buyer pool in South Florida in recent years, and some have turned to luxury storage facilities for their car collections.