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Fortune International Realty’s President Has News on Two Fronts

That fact that Edgardo Defortuna—in his characteristically sophisticated way—is in particularly high spirits these days is unmistakable.

The bonhomie of Fortune International Realty’s president and CEO was on full display at a recent SFBW CEO Connect as he answered questions about the forthcoming Okan, the supertower designed by Behar Font & Partners that will change and bejewel the Miami skyline. (Fortune serves as in-house sales for Okan Group, the building’s developers.) Then within days, news came that Fortune, the family-owned brokerage firm that was among the first to establish a connection between Latin America and Miami’s luxury market, signed on as Christie’s International Real Estate’s newest affiliate.

Fortune was founded in 1983 by the Defortuna family, and today, Fortune has over 600 agents in 11 Miami offices and will soon open an office in Fort Lauderdale. The Christie’s deal takes Fortune to another level, as it makes Fortune the brand’s exclusive affiliate for Miami-Dade and Broward counties. A name change reflects confers even more prestige on the company: The firm will now be known as Fortune Christie’s International Real Estate.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Christie’s International Real Estate,” Deforuna said. “From auction house synergy to technology, training and an enviable global network, this was the right move at the right time. Over the years, we have been approached by every major real estate brand you can think of, but none has ever demonstrated the ability to add value for our business the way that today’s Christie’s International Real Estate does. The technology, luxury branding, and international visibility will give our team an incredible edge as we look to grow and deliver an even higher level of service for our agents and luxury clients in South Florida.”

As for the hotly anticipated Okan Tower, Defortuna was quick to cite statistics as business community leaders enjoyed cocktails at the project’s sales center: 902 feet, 70 stories, 399 residences, 163 luxury Sky Residences rising above the 51st floor, 236 condo-hotel residences starting on the 36th floor. A swimming pool will glisten on the rooftop’s sky deck, evoking some of the highest residential pools in places like Hong Kong and Singapore.

And more: The tower will usher in a new 316-key Hilton Hotel to the area, but Defortuna noted that residents will enjoy special access to their lairs in the sky, as if a boutique property will be nestled within what is certain to become an instantly iconic modernist monument. “Okan Tower will offer a superlative lifestyle with its best-in-class architecture, amenities, services and convenience in one setting,” Defortuna said. “The feedback from buyers worldwide has been phenomenal, and it is a testament to Okan Group, which envisioned a true beacon for Downtown Miami.”

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Drew Limsky

Drew Limsky

Editor-in-Chief

BIOGRAPHY

Drew Limsky joined Lifestyle Media Group in August 2020 as Editor-in-Chief of South Florida Business & Wealth. His first issue of SFBW, October 2020, heralded a reimagined structure, with new content categories and a slew of fresh visual themes. “As sort of a cross between Forbes and Robb Report, with a dash of GQ and Vogue,” Limsky says, “SFBW reflects South Florida’s increasingly sophisticated and dynamic business and cultural landscape.”

Limsky, an avid traveler, swimmer and film buff who holds a law degree and Ph.D. from New York University, likes to say, “I’m a doctor, but I can’t operate—except on your brand.” He wrote his dissertation on the nonfiction work of Joan Didion. Prior to that, Limsky received his B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Emory University and earned his M.A. in literature at American University in connection with a Masters Scholar Award fellowship.

Limsky came to SFBW at the apex of a storied career in journalism and publishing that includes six previous lead editorial roles, including for some of the world’s best-known brands. He served as global editor-in-chief of Lexus magazine, founding editor-in-chief of custom lifestyle magazines for Cadillac and Holland America Line, and was the founding editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Interiors South Florida. He also was the executive editor for B2B magazines for Acura and Honda Financial Services, and he served as travel editor for Conde Nast. Magazines under Limsky’s editorship have garnered more than 75 industry awards.

He has also written for many of the country’s top newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, USA Today, Worth, Robb Report, Afar, Time Out New York, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Ritz-Carlton, Elite Traveler, Florida Design, Metropolis and Architectural Digest Mexico. His other clients have included Four Seasons, Acqualina Resort & Residences, Yahoo!, American Airlines, Wynn, Douglas Elliman and Corcoran. As an adjunct assistant professor, Limsky has taught journalism, film and creative writing at the City University of New York, Pace University, American University and other colleges.