Douglas Elliman Acquires Seaside Properties Group

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FORT LAUDERDALE—Douglas Elliman is on the South Florida expansion path. Executing its strategy to grow through acquiring boutique specialist companies, the firm just bought Fort Lauderdale-based Seaside Properties Group.

The Seaside acquisition follows Douglas Elliman’s moves to acquire South Florida boutique firms Carson Realty Group and Martha A. Gottfried. With the latest acquisition, the firm now has offices from Miami’s Brickell Avenue through Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and Palm Beach. Douglas Elliman plans to open a Aventura office in mid-December.

Vanessa Grout, president & CEO of Douglas Elliman in Florida, says Seaside will create synergies. Douglas Elliman is known for dealing in high-end properties through a vast network of 4,000 agents in New York and Long Island and with Europe's Knight Frank.
 
“Niki Higgins of Seaside Properties Group will be a valuable asset to Douglas Elliman with her specialist knowledge of luxury waterfront properties from South Beach to Palm Beach,” says Grout. “She is savvy and sophisticated, with expert negotiating skills and experience working with high-end clients.”

Higgins is no stranger to Douglas Elliman. She gained experience selling multimillion-dollar properties in Manhattan for Douglas Elliman in New York before moving to Florida 15 years ago. She has inked $33 million in sales in the past three months, including a home in Palm Beach’s ‘Estate Section’ for $9.87 million; a $1.83 million oceanfront penthouse at The Palms in Fort Lauderdale and a $2.5 million condominium residence at One Bal Harbour for a high of $1,183 per square foot.

“I feel that the South Florida market is white-hot and definitely roaring back from the 2009 market-low for properties over a million dollars,” says Higgins. “Trophy properties—spectacular penthouses or large homes over $25 million—are appealing to the uber-wealthy as they reorganize their assets. High-end real estate is seen as a hedge against currency fluctuation and changing economic conditions in the United States, Europe and around the world.”