New York-based Current Real Estate Advisors is opening an office in Miami.
The social media-focused commercial real estate brokerage, founded and led by Brandon Charnas and Adam Henick, hired Miami broker Stefano Santoro to lead the new office as managing partner, The Real Deal has learned.
Charnas, who is married to Arielle Charnas, a social media influencer and fashion designer, said there is “huge demand” from landlords and tenants for the firm’s services.
Current Real Estate uses its social media following – about 19,400 on Instagram – for marketing to and polling its followers. Both Charnas and Henick said the firm’s approach on social media will “pay dividends” in the Miami market.
The firm is finalizing a lease for its Miami office at an as-yet undisclosed building in Wynwood, Henick said. It will focus on retail and office leasing and investment sales in Wynwood, Miami Beach, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables and other markets, according to a release.
Hospitality magnate Scott Sartiano, who is planning to open his private social club Zero Bond at 0 Bond Street in New York, tapped Current Real Estate to find a location for Zero Bond in Miami, Charnas said. Current rebranded and leased 0 Bond.
In Miami, Santoro and Current Real Estate are taking over retail leasing of 10,000 square feet at the Oasis in Wynwood, a Spotify-anchored mixed-use project at 2335 North Miami Avenue, Charnas said.
Santoro was previously with Apex Capital Realty and Dwntwn Realty Advisors. He worked on deals that included the Urbanica Beach Hotel in Miami Beach and a Wynwood assemblage that L&L Holding Company and Carpe Real Estate Partners are under contract to purchase.
Current Real Estate plans to hire more brokers in Miami, Henick said. While Henick is staying in New York, Charnas confirmed that he and his wife are looking for a temporary rental as they prepare to open the Miami office. One of the buildings they’ve looked at is Alex Sapir’s Arte by Antonio Citterio in Surfside.
Henick and Charnas are optimistic about a return to normalcy in both New York and South Florida. Henick said that once there is a vaccine, “life will come back to normal, and we want to be ahead of the curve on that.”
“We’re not letting the virus get in the way of our overall strategy,” he said.