Carolyn Block Ellert and Laurie Ingber
Carolyn Block Ellert, co-founder of Premier Sales Group, just bought out her business partner Laurie Ingber to become full owner of the Fort Lauderdale-based brokerage.
“Our interests were heading in different directions,” Ellert said. “It happens after some time, and I was looking to continue to grow our brand.”
Ellert declined to disclose terms of the buy-out.
Ingber said via email that she has joined Mattamy Homes, the largest privately owned home builder in North America, to lead sales and marketing of its new Southeast Florida Division. The Toronto-based company’s portfolio includes five communities in Broward, Palm Beach and St Lucie County totaling more than 8,000 lots.
Ellert and Ingber founded Premier in 2000. Since then, the firm has closed more than $4 billion in sales, handling luxury condo and condo-hotel developments, as well as condominium conversion projects.
Premier’s focus will continue to be on preconstruction sales, with an emphasis on technology and research, Ellert said. Current clients include 30 Thirty North Ocean, which is under construction on Fort Lauderdale Beach, and the firm continues as a consultant and adviser for the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach. Other past projects include The Brazilian Court Palm Beach, and The Symphony, Las Olas Riverhouse, Sapphire and the Atlantic Hotel, each in Fort Lauderdale.
Ellert said the firm has six full-time agents and will be expanding. It operates an office at 1500 West Cypress Creek Road, Suite 108 in Fort Lauderdale.
Ellert, the current and founding chair of the Master Brokers Forum’s Gold Coast chapter, began her career in real estate managing the sales force for several New York properties. She later joined Louise Sunshine’s the Sunshine Group as director of sales and became its broker of record for Florida, according to a release. In 1993, she and Ingber opened the Sunshine Group’s Florida division, before forming Premier Sales Group.