Selling Miami with Diane Lieberman

Diane Lieberman, a broker with the top-producing boutique real estate firm on Miami Beach, knows a thing or two about working her way up to the top. After all, that’s what she’s been doing since she was 23, when she received her Pennsylvania real estate license, her first stride on a road toward remarkable success.

 In less than six months, she had sold $100 million worth of property at The Caribbean.

Originally, Lieberman managed the apartment buildings owned by her husband, Alan, and performed quality control on their group of hotels. After relocating to Florida in 1991, she got her Florida real estate license and then, finally, her brokerage license in 1999. It was then that Lieberman took the leap and opened South Beach Investment Realty, a bold and independent move that would help Lieberman rise to the top.

Beginning with a team of only three agents, SBI Realty has become a leading firm that employs over 85 agents, and has made quite a stir in the industry.

Lieberman’s mix of hard work and determination has made her a Top Producer, after continuously having the highest sales volume in the industry, granting her a lot of opportunities for advancement.

In 2005, she was able to expand the company and open a branch office of SBI Realty at the Ritz Carlton South Beach.

In late 2009, she was personally chosen to sell out the area’s newest, most luxurious condominium, a high-end oceanfront property called The Caribbean on Miami Beach at 3737 Collins Ave.

Because of the ongoing recession and declining market conditions, it was a potentially challenging sell. But Lieberman was not intimidated by the challenge. In less than six months, she had sold $100 million worth of property at The Caribbean.

“I feel that success comes from the ability to focus and have goals,” Lieberman said. And her recipe for it has certainly proven effective.

This focus has led her to hold several prestigious titles in the industry, including a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS) re-designation and a seat on the Board of Governors for the Realtor Association of Greater Miami and Beaches (RAMB) in 2008 and 2009.

But to Lieberman, it all comes down to the high level of her clientele. Maintaining relationships with elite clients and celebrities is her top priority and has undoubtedly contributed to her real estate success.

Some of Lieberman’s past clients include Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat’s “Big Three,” Ivanka Trump, Kelsey Grammar and Hulk Hogan.

“It’s important to be disciplined, and in our business, stay in touch with your clients,” Lieberman said. “They can be our harshest critics or our best references. They are the lifeline of our business.

Lieberman and her husband are also the owners of The South Beach Group, a chain of 10 South Beach Historic Hotels, including Catalina Hotel and Beach Club, Hotel Chelsea and Metropole South Beach, all of which have experienced great success.

Despite the Lieberman’s triumphs in real estate, she remains determined to establish a presence outside of marketing exclusively luxury properties to the wealthy. She stays involved with community and cultural functions and various charity events, often hosting them at she and Alan’s hotels. In particular, Lieberman considers herself to have a deep, personal commitment to Jewish and local community causes.

She and her husband are on the board of MOCA – the Museum Of Contemporary Art – and are very active at the Arsht Performing Arts Center and the New World Symphony.

When it comes to the challenge of building a name for oneself in a competitive industry, Lieberman is no stranger. But after years of hard work and discipline, it’s just one more thing she can add to her list of successes.