Jackie Soffer

Jackie Soffer, part of the Soffer real estate dynasty, leads Turnberry, the family firm founded by her late father, Don Soffer. Don helped create the city of Aventura in the late 1960s. Soffer has talked about how she didn’t plan to join the family business, but changed her mind after college, when she returned to Miami. 

“I actually wanted to do something on my own. I studied in Italy for one year. I loved everything Italian, the art, the architecture, the culture, and the history. I wanted to incorporate my education into my career,” she told Barron’s. 

Under Jackie’s leadership, Turnberry has dramatically expanded and redeveloped Aventura Mall, one of the nation’s most successful indoor malls, which it co-owns with Simon. The mall is her baby, and where her office is located. 

Turnberry is also co-developing the 800-key convention center hotel in Miami Beach Convention Center, and SoLé Mia, a 184-acre, $4 billion master-planned community with LeFrak. Outside of South Florida, Turnberry’s developments include JW Marriott Nashville and the St. Regis Nashville. 

Jackie co-led Turnberry with her brother, Jeffrey Soffer, until they split in 2019. He left to form Fontainebleau Development, keeping properties that included the Fontainebleau Miami Beach resort and the condo project Turnberry Ocean Club.

Jackie, married to developer Craig Robins, once joked to The Real Deal that they steal each other’s ideas. 

— Francisco Alvarado