As soon as he began selling luxury real estate in Miami 21 years ago, BRG International Founder Matias Alem saw a gap in the market. “I was selling all of these luxury properties, but I could always see how they could be made even more luxurious and attractive to clients. So it frustrated me that I couldn’t make those upgrades and show truly premium products,” he said.
Alem came to the U.S. from Brazil as a student. He began working in real estate in Miami shortly after, earning his real estate license in 2001. He loved the field and gained a reputation as a Brazilian agent specializing in helping wealthy Brazilians find their dream homes in South Florida’s most desirable enclaves.
Under-developed luxury properties were the most significant pain point he saw in his market. A lack of luxuriously finished and furnished properties made it hard for his monied clients to envision their completed dream homes. However, he knew that if he could expand his business into a firm that could design and renovate properties in addition to selling them, he’d be onto something special.
Expanding His Skill Set
The real estate entrepreneur went back to school and graduated in architecture school in 2008. Shortly after that, he expanded his firm into its current iteration: a one-stop shop for luxurious South Florida properties. Clients can use an agent to find suitable land or property, use the same firm for architecture, design, and renovations and receive the keys to their dream home. It’s a streamlined process that his clients rave about, especially the jet-setters who can’t be on hand to oversee new builds or renovations.
They know that they are in good hands when they let the experts at BRG manage their luxury real estate projects.
Today, BRG International has sold almost $1 Billion in properties since inception and quickly become one of the top brokerages in South Florida, with 23 agents on staff. With a focus on ultra-luxury waterfront properties in Miami Beach and South Florida, their high-net-worth clients come from all over the world.
Though the high sales figures are impressive, Alem’s proudest moment was when he became successful enough to move his family into a luxury property, not unlike those he renovates and sells.
When asked what he means by a “luxury” property, Alem is happy to explain. “What I look for – or even expect, today – is a high level of design, resort-style amenities, a solid structure, and, of course, location,” he said. Beyond the boxes that must be ticked, Alem also let us in on the latest trends he sees in South Florida’s most luxurious properties.
Let There be Light!
Among the most significant trends today is the integration of extensive LED lighting, both inside and outside of luxury properties. These can include large-scale lighting installations as well as the use of tiny lights placed strategically to draw attention to specific spaces or design elements.
Alem also pointed to subtle, hidden accent lighting that provides a home with a soft glow after sunset, making it feel like a cozy and inviting hideaway. “I love to see and design this sort of unexpected lighting that provides atmosphere as well as light,” he said. He mentioned underneath countertops and behind curtain rods as among his favorite places to use this mood lighting.
Wall Paneling
Alem likes to incorporate wood wall paneling into his designs, this creates a warmth in the home and he is able to use hidden hinges to create panels that are actually doors, so he can hide A/C closets as well as service areas or electrical panels with these beautiful wood wall panelings.
Rocks Rule
Incorporating 3D stone is another big trend in design for 2022. Stone has been a part of luxury design since ancient times when marble ruled and was a way to show off wealth. In more recent history, marble and granite bathrooms and kitchens are de rigueur in luxury properties while the use of flat slate tiles is a beloved design element both indoors and outdoors.
Textured and 3D stone elements allow for a comfortingly tactile design that is warmer, homier, and less studied than highly-polished stone or stone tiles, making it a hot new design feature in recent years.
Rippled stone can give the illusion of movement and make a space feel fresh. At the same time, 3D designs such as flowers or mandalas can extend design themes to the walls themselves.
Ultra-luxury Features
Beyond these trends, Alem sees properties with highly luxurious, even boast-worthy, features often selling for over the asking price. He noted that elements that make downtime more fun, such as a bowling alley or home theater room, are very desirable to buyers.
And pools are a perennial favorite, especially in sunny South Florida. The one place that Alem believes that owners must install a pool is a penthouse. “Penthouses and pools, they just go together, don’t they?” he said.
This top-selling real estate and architecture CEO always seems to see the next big thing in his field, and these trends and observations sound like they would make spot-on upgrades to any luxury property.
About Matias Alem
Matias Alem is the Founder and CEO of BRG International, a Miami-based, multidisciplinary luxury Real Estate Brokerage and development company that specializes in high-end real estate. With over 21 years of experience in Real Estate and over 120 million in sales in 2021 alone, BRG International is one of the leading Luxury Real Estate Boutique Companies in South Florida. To discuss how BRG International can help you reimagine real estate, please visit www.brgintl.com
