Collectors welcome: brokers host private events to show off their listings during Art Basel

On the eve of Art Basel Miami Beach, top residential brokers were busy showing off their multimillion-dollar properties to potential buyers and fellow agents, literally rolling out the red carpet for them.

Darin Tansey of Douglas Elliman pulled out all the stops at 35 East Di Lido Drive, a recently completed waterfront mansion. It’s officially hitting the market next week for $17.95 million, but Tansey was looking to capitalize on art collectors in town for Miami Art Week with an invite-only cocktail event at the home.

Darin Tansey, George Sarkis, Jay Phillip Parker, Scott Durkin, Susan de França, Jerome Baker, Stephen Kotler and Warren Sapp at 35 East Di Lido Drive (Credit: Lifestyle Production)

“The Tuesday of Art Basel is the day when you have all of the true collectors of art in town before the parties begin,” he said. Guests included NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, Miami Dolphins player Jerome Baker, and on the Elliman side, Susan de França, president and CEO of Douglas Elliman Development Marketing; Elliman president and COO Scott Durkin; Jay Phillip Parker, CEO of Elliman Florida; and Stephen Kotler, CEO of Douglas Elliman’s Western region.

Tansey and George Sarkis, an Elliman Sports & Entertainment division agent, hosted the event. It featured models clad in silver outfits on stilts, dressed as angels, a graffiti artist flown in from New York who worked on a live piece, a docked yacht from Worth Avenue Yachts, Lamborghinis from Prestige Imports parked in the three-car garage, a DJ on the dock and a number of sponsors.

Only Elliman agents were invited so as to “keep it in the family” and Tansey said he already has some prospective buyers. About 250 people attended.

“Everyone with a luxury home is in some way an art collector,” said Techrin Hijazi of William Raveis Real Estate. Hijazi is working with Valli Art Gallery to host a private event on a 140-foot luxury yacht docked at 44 Star Island Drive in Miami Beach on Friday evening. It will be catered by Sciuri Cafe in Miami Beach with cigars from Rocky Patel Premium Cigars.

It makes sense that the event is being hosted on a yacht: the property returned to the market as a teardown earlier this year with Hijazi and Lourdes Alatriste, a partner at Engel & Völkers, for $18.4 million.

6332 Alton Road, which is on the market for $5.6 million

Nancy Batchelor of EWM Realty International also hosted an event at one of her listings, known as the “Skinner House” at 6332 Alton Road in Miami Beach. The four-bedroom, 4,860-square-foot home is on the market for $5.6 million. Batchelor and Michael Raynes, the developer, hosted the soiree, which was catered by Le Basque.

On Wednesday evening, Hilda Alvarez and Luxury Living Realty’s Karla Abaunza and Jorge Escasena held an event at unit 7716 at Oceanside Fisher Island that showcased art from Pablo Atchugarry, Gustavo Montoya, Carlos Cruz-Diez and others.

98 La Gorce Circle, asking $10.5 million

Julian Johnston, broker and owner of Calibre International Realty, said most agents host their open houses and cocktail parties on the Tuesday and Wednesday of Miami Art Week.

Any later and “you’re competing against so many events.” He had a broker’s open for 98 La Gorce Circle. The price for that property was just reduced to about $10.5 million. And he plans to have another at 4510 Prairie Avenue, also in Miami Beach, next week to attract agents and buyers still in town from Art Basel.

Amanda Rabines contributed to this story.