For the Keyes Company, there’s no “Good Feeling” about a former client banking $10 million from the sale of a Miami Gardens retail plaza to rapper Flo Rida and his business manager, Lee “Freezy” Prince.
In a lawsuit filed last week in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, Keyes is alleging the seller, North Miami-based G.I.A. Investments, owes the brokerage $300,000. That represents the 3 percent commission allegedly earned from last month’s deal headlined by the Miami-based hip-hop artist, whose real name is Tramar Dillard.
Keyes declined comment through a spokesman. Peter Izaak, manager of G.I.A. Investments, said the allegations in Keyes’ lawsuit are false. “It’s in our lawyers’ hands,” Izaak said via text message. “And the listing ended many months before any discussion of a sale.”
The deal closed on July 14. Strong Arm Management, an entity managed by Prince and Flo Rida, whose hit songs include “Low” and “Good Feeling,” acquired Cloverleaf Shopping Plaza, a 27,800-square-foot strip mall at 18130, 18138, 18164 and 18230 Northwest Second Avenue, as well as 230 Northwest 183rd Street.
In October of last year, G.I.A entered into a commercial listing agreement with Keyes to market Cloverleaf Shopping Plaza for sale, the lawsuit states. A copy of the agreement is attached to the lawsuit. Keyes subsequently advertised and promoted the property on multiple marketing services and using multiple methods to attract buyers, the lawsuit alleges.
In a July certified letter mailed to Izaak, Keyes attorney David Israel claims that the brokerage is entitled to its commission payment “for procuring a prospective buyer for the subject property, whether directly or not.”
G.I.A. “failed and refused” to pay Keyes despite “previous friendly efforts” to obtain the commission,” Israel wrote. “Instead, you have attempted to argue that the listing agreement expired in 2021, which is clearly not true,” he added. “[Keyes] will not continue to entertain your misstatements and will only accept commissions which are due and owing to [Keyes] without further delay.”
A family-run company, Keyes is one of the oldest and largest independent brokerages in Florida. Keyes is led by CEO Mike Pappas and his daughter, company president Christina Pappas.