Coldwell Banker wins battle of the brokers
June, 04, 2008
Miami real estate brokers battled last month, but it wasn't over who would make the most sales this summer — it was over who could make the best cocktail.
Miami developer EA Fish Associates and the Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches hosted its second "Battle of the Brokers" on May 29.
Five local brokerage teams rolled up their sleeves and took their position behind five bars set up on the 22nd floor of Latitude One, a near-complete Class A office building with breathtaking views. Latitude One is the commercial component of the luxury condo project called Latitude on the River in Miami.
"This was a chance for EA Fish to show its project to commercial realtors who may have clients looking for space," says Danielle Blake, vice president of corporate and governmental affairs for RAMB. "These events are also great for networking between brokers, lenders and title companies. It's a one-stop shop networking venue."
Steven Gelb, Florida managing partner of EA Fish, says RAMB reached out to the firm about using Latitude as the venue for its benign bartending battle. "We welcome the opportunity to expose the brokerage community to the project," he said.
The brokers also welcomed the opportunity, but for different reasons: to battle for bartending bragging rights.
The contenders were Coldwell Banker, Fortune International Realty, New Image Realty Group, Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell and Keller Williams. Each team was armed with alcohol and mixers and concocted free drinks for 200 judges at the beach-themed contest. The team with the most tips in its sand bucket took home the crown.
And the winner was: Coldwell Banker, with $803 worth of tips in the bucket. Coldwell Banker's Battle of the Brokers team captain Gus Rubio could not be reached for comment.
Proceeds, which included revenue from $20 tickets, a $2,000 sponsorship from EA Fish, and the monies collected in the tip buckets, go to the Realtors Political Action Committee. RAMB had not yet tallied the donations at press time. Last year's Battle of the Brokers took in nearly $18,000.
This article previously ran on the Daily News section of the Web site.