Top New York broker Fredrik Eklund, star of Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing New York,” is about to snag his first property in South Florida, The Real Deal has confirmed.
Eklund, of Douglas Elliman, recently boasted on his Facebook page that he and his husband Derek Kaplan have reserved a unit at Eighty Seven Park, at 8701 Collins Avenue in Miami Beach. Elliman will be the exclusive sales and marketing firm for the planned waterfront condominium designed by Renzo Piano, which has not yet launched sales.
“No, we are not moving to Miami,” Eklund wrote on his Facebook page. “This will be a vacation home for the family, plus it’s the first and only project in Florida I feel I CANNOT miss as an investment.”
Eklund has sentimental ties to South Florida. He and his husband married at Little Palm Island in the Florida Keys in February 2013.
Douglas Elliman has confirmed the purchase to TRD.
The 70-unit oceanfront building is being developed by Miami-based Terra Group, in partnership with Bizzi and New Valley. Eloy Carmenate, who recently joined Douglas Elliman’s Florida brokerage as executive director of the firm’s Miami office, will be leading sales for Eighty Seven Park.
The 20-story condominium will be on the site of the former 10-story Howard Johnson Dezerland Hotel. Designed by famed architect Morris Lapidus and built in 1951, the Dezerland was originally known as Biltmore Terrace. In December 2013, Martin bought the property from Sunny Isles developer Michael Dezer for $65 million.