South Florida Real Estate Power Players List

The Real Deal’s Top 100 in South Florida highlights the developers, financiers and brokers who transformed the region from resort market to global capital hub.

At the foundation is Jorge M. Pérez, whose Related Group has defined Miami’s condo boom for decades and adapted its model after the 2008 crash reshaped preconstruction risk. In Sunny Isles, Gil Dezer turned luxury auto brands into residential skyscrapers, proving that experiential branding can command oceanfront premiums.

The migration north tells the next chapter. Stephen Ross is remaking downtown West Palm Beach into “Wall Street South,” while Ken Griffin accelerated the shift with a billion-dollar land assembly and a planned Brickell headquarters that cemented Miami’s financial ambitions.

And on the resi side, Jill Hertzberg, Jill Eber and Judy Zeder dominate the luxury ranks, commanding staggering on- and off-market volume.

Explore the full South Florida Top 100 to see the rest of the players defining this cycle.

Jorge M. Pérez

Pérez, known as Miami’s condo king, founded the Related Group in 1979 with then-minority partner Steve Ross, and got his start in the industry building affordable housing developments.

His most notable condo projects include the three-tower Icon Brickell complex, SLS Lux and SLS Brickell, Apogee Miami Beach, and the Residences by Armani/Casa, which Related co-developed with Dezer Development.

Pérez has been training two of his sons, Jon Paul and Nicholas, to eventually take over the family firm.

The Jills Zeder Group

Known as The Jills for decades, residential agents Jill Hertzberg and Jill Eber were at the top of Miami-Dade’s rankings, alongside their longtime firm Coldwell Banker. They brokered some of the most high-profile deals in Miami Beach and Fisher Island, and brought members of the families into the mix.

In 2019, they made a strategic move that cemented their position as the top residential brokers. They merged with Judy Zeder’s team.

TRD ranks the Jills Zeder Group No. 1 in Miami-Dade.

Gil Dezer

Dezer is president of his family’s firm, Dezer Development, a Sunny Isles Beach-based company that builds luxury skyscrapers on the sand. His most famous project, the Porsche Design Tower, ties both of his passions together: fast cars and high-end real estate.

In 2018, federal authorities tied the purchase of some units at Porsche Design to money laundering schemes. Dezer maintained that his firm operated within the law.

Dezer got into the business thanks to his father, Michael Dezer, who formed the family’s partnership with Trump.

Stephen Ross

The billionaire who shaped New York’s skyline over five decades is remaking Palm Beach County.

Related Ross dominates downtown West Palm: It has eight office buildings and about 1,500 apartment, condo and hotel units, including purchased, developed, under construction and planned.

Ross developed his first downtown West Palm project, the mixed-use CityPlace, in 2000. He also owns the Miami Dolphins and its home base Hard Rock Stadium and has a stake in Formula One Miami.

Ken Griffin

He may be the most influential billionaire in South Florida.

The founder and CEO of Citadel and founder of the hedge fund’s sister firm, Citadel Securities, moved the headquarters for both companies to Miami from Chicago after the pandemic. Griffin has spent more than $1 billion assembling land from Miami to Palm Beach, buying waterfront estates, land and commercial real estate.

Griffin’s moves spurred a wave of high-end financial firm relocations, though some have criticized the “Citadel effect” that has pushed some locals out.

Explore the full list to see the rest of the players defining this cycle.

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