Andres Asion
After seven years heading Fortune International Group's development sales division, Andres Asion is leaving Friday for his own firm, The Real Deal has learned.
And the timing is no accident.
Asion, 41, told TRD that his plans are to capitalize on the condo market slowdown to branch out beyond development sales to residential and commercial deals and distressed properties, as well as advising developers on revising their projects as they face the next phase of the cycle.
“It's one of those times in my life that I want to go on my own,” he said.
Asion, a fixture at South Florida launch parties, said he told Fortune President and CEO Edgardo Defortuna early this year about his plans. “I am not leaving to jump ship to a competitor….,” he said. “I look forward to working with Fortune and Edgardo in the future on other deals.” Defortuna was out of the country on Thursday and could not reached for comment.
Asion actually founded his firm, Miami Real Estate Group, in 2008, after working for 12 years at Cervera Real Estate. He worked at his firm for a year, spearheading the sellout of Infinity on Brickell, Brickell on the River and Havana Lofts, the latter for a bank. Then Fortune decided it wanted to expand its development sales arm beyond its own projects to third-party developers. “So I came on board, and together with the rest of the team, we went after additional business and we were very successful,” Asion said.
At Fortune, Asion worked on 39 development projects, with total sales of $10 billion. Among the condo projects: SLS Brickell, the Paraiso towers, Hyde Midtown, One Ocean and Brickell Heights.
“It's been an amazing ride,” he said.
When he joined Fortune, his brother-in-law's sister-in-law, Susan Priscal, ran Miami Real Estate Group as the broker of record. The brokerage firm currently has a total staff of seven and one office at Brickell on the River, at 41 Southeast Fifth Street in Miami.
“The business never closed,” Asion said. “I was just never attached to the business, and I never wanted to close shop but never did business through that entity.”
He begins Monday as broker at Miami Real Estate Group, with plans are to add a second office at 60 Southwest 13th Street, with a goal of more than doubling the staff to 15 or 20 agents.
“I'm looking forward to looking for good business opportunities for buyers and developers looking for the right opportunity for the next round of the market,” he said, “whether in Miami or Atlanta or Dallas,” or internationally.
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