The year is 1993. Businesses are booming and high net worth individuals from the Northeast and Midwest are flocking en masse to South Florida, finding haven in the region’s beautiful weather and pristine beaches. Meanwhile, three young real estate brokers saw an opportunity to satisfy an unfilled niche in the luxury real estate market. With that, an exclusive private boutique brokerage was born, one catering to the marketing and selling of properties priced exclusively in excess of one million dollars.
These brokers don’t like to boast about their remarkable achievements — their humble demeanors mirroring their virtuous work ethic.
Changing the Face of High-end Luxury Real Estate
At the time, there was no real estate company in the United States, let alone the world, that was devoted solely to the $1 million-plus marketplace. “When they pioneered in 1993, it was a major milestone for that niche,” said Charlette Richman, Premier Estate Properties public relations consultant. Yet skeptics suggested that perhaps this trio of visionaries were limiting themselves by concentrating on such a special segment of the market. Fast-forward to the present and find that Premier Estate Properties proved them wrong—they became the leading high-end luxury real estate company in Florida, with six flourishing offices located in Old Boca Raton, Suburban Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Vero Beach and Naples (Naples Estate Properties, a Premier Estate Properties company).
To this day, Premier Estate Properties and Naples Estate Properties are the only prominent real estate companies that deal exclusively with the $1 million-plus residential market. “We found our niche, placed our valued clients first and provided them the best possible service while striving to exceed their expectations and assuring confidentiality,” said Joseph G. Liguori, a founding partner and co-owner of Premier Estate Properties and Naples Estate Properties. His co-founder, Carmen N. D’Angelo, Jr., seconds these sentiments, as he puts it simply, “it came naturally and the business grew.”
Together, D’Angelo, Liguori and Liguori’s twin brother, Gerard P. Liguori, make up the aforementioned formidable trio of Premier Estate Properties and Naples Estate Properties. Each partner was ranked in the Wall Street Journal’s prestigious list of top residential real estate sales professionals, and are the only realtors in Florida to achieve this distinction for five years. This places them in the 99.99 percentile out of the more than 1.1 million realtors nationwide. “If you encapsulate, they are not only the best at what they do, they are the only ones who do what they do,” Richman said. Additionally, Premier Estate Properties generates more million-dollar-plus sales and more record-breaking sales in more communities than other companies in their geographic market.
Even as we sit around the conference table in their elegant Boca Raton corporate office, the partners are surprisingly modest about their success. These brokers don’t like to boast about their remarkable achievements — their humble demeanors mirroring their virtuous work ethic. Instead, they let 19 years of unmatched sales in high-end luxury real estate speak for itself.
Let’s Talk Numbers – The Estate Portfolio
From ocean, gulf, intracoastal and deepwater residences to country club homes, private enclave estates and ultra-luxury condominiums, Premier Estate Properties’ $1.4 billion Estate Portfolio is as diverse in locations as it is in style. Their newest listings include two splendorous oceanfront estates; a $25 million compound in Vero Beach; an $18.95 million estate in Manalapan; a dramatic $13.9 million Boca Raton Intracoastal estate; a $6.875 million deepwater estate in the internationally acclaimed yachting community of The Sanctuary; and an
$8.95 million Harbor Beach estate in Fort Lauderdale.
Premier Estate Properties is also listing a world-class $29.95 million ocean-to-intracoastal estate in Hillsboro Beach, which resides on 2.8-acres with beguiling beaches and private yacht dockage. Also listed is a major property located at the prestigious Royal Palm Yacht &Country Club, a resplendent $10.85 million fairway estate and a $5.9 million country club estate in Naples, Florida. These are merely a few out of the approximately 400 properties that Premier Estate Properties and Naples Estate Properties currently have on the market, and the Estate Portfolio continues to grow, reflecting the trust and confidence of their select clientele.
The Estate Agents and
the Administrative Team
With 30 of the country’s top-tier estate agents, the brokers and owners take pride in their respected colleagues, many of whom individually produce higher numbers in sales and listings than some entire companies. The brokers and owners also express the importance of the company’s administrative team, headed by Corporate Manager Laura A. Liguori. This dedicated team of professionals is committed to the excellence of the operational infrastructure at Premier Estate Properties and Naples Estate Properties.
One Company. One Vision. One Brand.
“Our focus is always on quality – quality service, quality marketing, quality properties,” Gerard Liguori said. The company’s reputation for unprecedented personal service in every price level of the $1 million-plus marketplace garners a loyal clientele. Furthermore, this emphasis on quality transcends into all facets of the company. Even their brochures are seemingly handcrafted one-by-one on glossy cover stock; to keep the brand untarnished, only professional photographers and copywriters are commissioned. The most discerning clients know they can rely on consistent quality throughout Premier Estate Properties’ offices and Naples Estate Properties.
Award-Winning Marketing
Premier Estate Properties has won seven prestigious awards: four CNBC/New York Times awards and three Bloomberg/Google awards, including Best International Real Estate Website and two awards for best real estate marketing in the United States. Their unique marketing approach includes EP Magazine, their bi-annual publication showcasing the company’s entire Estate Portfolio, distributed to 85,000 selected individuals from the Forbes 400 and Fortune 500 lists, athletes, celebrities, politicians, luxury resorts and private airports. In addition, EP Monthly, a periodical that features a selection of their listed properties, is strategically mailed regionally to more than 12,000 homeowners of million-dollar-plus properties each month. The brokerage firm takes pride in their unmatched strategies for marketing their ultra-luxury properties, aiming to “uncover and capitalize on every opportunity to sell our clients’ important properties,” says D’Angelo.
Another marketing strategy employed is “by invitation only,” a series of open house galas held at various listed properties in a partnership with some of the world’s top luxury brands including Rolls Royce, Cartier, Ritz-Carlton, Neiman Marcus, Aston Martin, UBS, US Trust, Trinity Yachts, Bentley Motor Cars and Marquis Jet. At one particular event, Premier Estate Properties partnered with Christie’s Auction House, where approximately $100 million in artwork and jewelry were displayed at the listed $28 million oceanfront estate. These gatherings allow for an elite group of prospective buyers to enjoy the luxuries of one of Premier Estate Properties’ and Naples Estate Properties’ exquisite estates.
Technologically Speaking
“Innovation has been the thread that runs throughout everything they do,” says Richman, pointing out a theme that Premier Estate Properties has maintained throughout their triumphant journey. In the early ‘90s, when many companies casually dismissed the importance of the Internet, Premier Estate Properties decided to embrace it, becoming one of the first real estate companies to have a domain name. Thanks to impeccable foresight, premierestateproperties.com and
naplesestateproperties.com are translated into 52 languages and registered in 32 major countries, contributing to their winning the CNBC/New York Times International award for Best Real Estate Website.
It doesn’t stop there. The tech-savvy firm is constantly finding new ways to improve the web-browsing experience for high net worth buyers. In keeping up with this approach, Premier Estate Properties and Naples Estate Properties recently launched highly sophisticated mobile websites, complete with QR codes and their own applications that allow clients to conveniently search premierestateproperties.com and naplesestateproperties.com hassle-free on their mobile devices. The mobile site even features GPS capabilities, so buyers can search for nearby available properties based on their locations.
Incomparable Global Network
Premier Estate Properties is the only company in its region that provides the largest and finest global network, which includes Christie’s International Real Estate, Mayfair International Realty, Luxury Portfolio International, FIABCI International, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate and Board of Regents. This vast network of 6,500 offices and 192,000 agents in 74 countries allows for their high-end properties to be marketed internationally as well as featured on more than 900 of the most visited websites. Premier Estate Properties and Naples Estate Properties are regularly featured on luxuryrealestate.com, the number-one luxury real estate website in the world.
Fearless And Peerless
Unparalleled. Unrivaled. Unmatched. However you say it, there’s no doubt that Premier Estate Properties is a stand alone, one-of-a-kind company. Founded on innovation, this philosophy has carried with them into all aspects of their high-end brand. From their personalized client service to their inventive integrated marketing approach to being on the forefront of cutting edge technology, this dynamite company is a force that cannot be reckoned with. When asked how they find inspiration for their groundbreaking ideas and business model, Liguori said, “We are driven by placing the needs and goals of our valued clientele first and foremost at Premier Estate Properties and Naples Estate Properties.”
Premier Estate Properties Corporate Office is located at 800 East Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33432. Reach them at (561) 394-7700 or visit their website at premierestateproperties.com.
Naples Estate Properties is located at 296 14th Avenue South, Naples, Florida 34102. Call (239) 262-0022 or visit their site at naplesestateproperties.com.
Cover Story
December 22, 2011FASHION :: COUPLES' RETREAT
