Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another Estele Jiminab. We are here in Miami and we have the pleasure of having the one that will be showing us all the amazing things that we can do here in Miami. Her name is Bana and she's the co-owner of the Miami Guide, a company that specializes on putting the most incredible activities and things to do in the Magic City. She also is a real estate agent for Sotheby's, so she's going to talk about the amazing things that you can do in the city along with the booming real estate market that we are experiencing and also how combining both companies, it has helped her personally to grow into her career.
Bana, what's happening? Hi, how are you? Good, good, thank you so much for having me on here, super excited. Super excited to have you in Super Luxury Group.
So thank you for joining us today. It's a real pleasure because we are both here in Miami and we are here to talk about the Magic City. I mean, you are one of the co-owners of the Miami Guide, which is a very well-followed account on all social media platforms where you guys showcase the most incredible things that you can do in Miami. Tell us a little bit about the Miami Guide and also how you are personally doing real estate.
So it's a great combination. Tell us a little bit about it. Yeah, it really is like a match made in heaven. I have a partner with the Miami Guide, his name is Mike.
He lives overseas. I'm here in Miami based in Miami. So the Miami Guide has been around for a couple years now, more than five years. And we recently combined forces him and I about two years ago and me being a Miami native and him having this amazing platform, it really was just like fireworks.
Like we united, we brought some of the Miami flavor, we brought his tech, you know, technical minds and it was amazing what we're doing. It's amazing to see. I mean, I've been following you guys for a while. I mean, I love to see all the content that you post daily because honestly, living in Miami, I find, you know, a very, I guess, successful rewarding and also the lesson to be in such cities.
I wanted to ask you, how has it been for you? Because the Miami Guide, obviously, that's lots of collaborations has become this agency that works with other businesses and individuals. So tell us a little bit about how it's been your role being in the Miami Guide. So first and foremost, my love for supporting small business is really what fuels our passion.
You know, I've always been a local business supporter. And so with the Miami Guide being such a hyper local marketing company, really, it was perfect for us to showcase local businesses. Being a Miami native, Miami socialite, it was really, it's really easy to showcase everything that goes on in the city. You know, so I'm hands on, you know, tomorrow will be at the Miami Heat, the New American Airlines Arena.
Next week will be last week we're showcasing the new Adrian Arsh Center, the live show that they're having called Living on Living in Questions, I believe. So it's really nice to be able to showcase from art to music to concerts to hotels. So that's probably my part of the business is being hands on on site. Now, obviously, you know, I'm going to ask this question because I mean, what's the perfect weekend for you?
Perfect weekend, definitely a cabana on Sunday on the beach. That's that's go to I would like to go to the one hotel or the W get a nice cabana on the sand. That's on Sunday Friday night. I'll probably go out have a nice dinner.
Carbon is delicious. I mean, it really is worth the high. It's true. Maybe I've been to I was at coat recently and designed to just I like to go out on Friday nights.
That's like Friday night. What I like to do Saturday last Saturday. I went on the yacht. So, you know, you go out boating fishing.
That's probably my ideal. Maybe something like a pizza or something in the evening and then Sunday if I don't have to work, I think definitely a cabana by the sands. Nice to do like a nice three day dinner. Maybe during the day, you know, see some win-win spots during the day and then at night do dinners and beach on Sunday.
Amazing. So, what is your takeaway with all this cryptocurrency conference happening right now here in Miami? I love it. I love it.
I love to see Miami so vibrant. So, so focused right now is an obsession going on Miami. You know, everyone wants a piece of Miami, whether it's a studio on the beach or whether it's a commercial hotel, you know, property, whether it's anything. So, all this crypto coming into Miami, why not?
It's boosting the economy even more. You know, they have so much money. Miami's a perfect place to spend it. Miami's quickly becoming like a top luxury city.
You know, I said this years ago, six, seven, eight years ago. I said, Miami's going to be talked about. It's going to be the same conversation as London, Monaco, New York, LA and we're seeing it. You know, I love, I love listening to you speaking because, you know, being here in Miami and making my own choice of wanting to be here, establish myself and the business.
You know, I feel proud of being in Miami and when I hear somebody saying these things, it kind of brings the fire, you know, that we as those that live here in Miami feel inside. And there's so many others that are looking to move in here because Miami is the perfect combination for what a lot of people are looking or seeking when it comes to the lifestyle, right? You said it right there. It's a combination of everything.
You can get your parties, you can get your nice getaways, you can get your sports, you can get your business, you can get your network, you can get anything that you're looking for. It's here in Miami with Miami becoming this epicenter for so many reasons, and especially now through the pandemic, we've seen so many people focus on the lifestyle, right? The quality lifestyle. We've seen also a huge booming in real estate.
You, besides being the co-owner of the Miami guy, you do real estate with sofevis. So how have you seen the transition from what Miami was a couple years ago versus now in real estate? I think everyone wants a piece of Miami. So what I'm noticing is that I had listening, sitting on the market two years, you know, studios.
I'm like, what are they going to sell? Like, what are we going to do? All of a sudden, in a matter of, in about 60 days, I went from 25 listings to eight in 60 days. It was so crazy to see.
Those studios that were just sitting and sitting and what are they going to sell? All of a sudden cash off are showing requests. So it's crazy to see what's happening in the city. Before people were just visiting and now that people are relocating to remote work, you know, to see any reasons.
So how is talking about business, right? I want to understand because a lot of people, when they get into such competitive industries, like real estate, they try to go just straight forward and hey, I do real estate. Nobody cares. You need to add value first.
And there is, if you listen to some of the most successful real estate brokers, they'll have a trajectory. And some common histories is like, Oh, I was a concierge at this hotel where I met a lot of people I added value in your case with the Miami guy. How is that helped you do that first step? Yeah, well, real estate can first, you know, so I've been real estate going on nine years now.
So I think my background in real estate with the Miami guy just kind of, you know, really took, it kind of boosted me forward because now I added to my resume. You know, now it's not just 14,000 followers on Instagram. My personal site is more 200,000 followers on the Miami guy and it's, you know, 10, 20,000 impressions a month on our website, you know, so it's nice to be able to add that to my value pump potential sellers, suppliers. Amazing.
So obviously I will ask you this question as well. You being knowledgeable about all the things and areas in Miami as well as with real estate. What's your preferred location? Honestly, I really, really love hooking a growth.
That's just my number one city. I mean, number one on neighborhood. I live on the ocean myself, like I live on the beach on the sounds of it to myself. If I live anywhere in Miami, it's going to have to be by the water.
You know, I think that's just, that's just where I need my soul needs it. I'm very, I've noticed a difference in like, mentality and living just being on the ocean. You know, and if I was going to live on the beach, I saw the fifth or the ocean. You know what?
Let me just move to the ocean. So, but my number one favorite would have to be coconut growth, especially what's happening there. I can't believe how different it used to be. I used to live there years ago.
Different it is between Braggana Park, you know, completely being rebranded, Coco Walk, bought renovated, park road, grow background. Oh my God, everything beautiful. I love it. It's amazing.
And you said it right there. So depending on what you're looking for, I have lots of friends and family and, you know, also people that I know that are transitioning from being the beach to move now to Coral Gables, just because it's a more family. And I think that's really oriented neighborhood. It all depends on what you're looking, but very good points on what you're saying.
Now, I always ask this question as well in our SLD meetups and I'm very curious to know what will be your answer about what is luxury to you. I think luxury is ease. I think it's ease of life, ease, you know, privacy, you know, exclusivity. That's to me is the meaning of luxury, you know, maybe having private beach access, you know, not something that everyone can access.
You know, I think that is, is the meaning of luxury. It's an elevated living and elevated lifestyle that, you know, not everyone can afford. Sometimes it requires a lot of hard work, requires a lot of sacrifice. So I think that luxury is a reward, you know, amazing.
Now, let me ask because you obviously are doing a phenomenal job when it comes to the Miami guide also with real estate. And in these difficult times, it's very nice to be surrounded yourself by positive people, though, that value. So is there any specific routines or anything you do to maintain that energy, that positivity? Absolutely.
It's not easy. You know, the energy in Miami is so crazy. You know, you really have to learn how to, how to, you know, recalibrate and reset. And I travel, you know, I like to like leave like once a month if I can to either New York and New City, Mexico's an hour away, you know, Jamaica, three hours.
So I like to leave and then living on the ocean, I go right downstairs and I walk to the beach, you know, sometimes if my work day early, I go down to the water and I just kind of meditate. Every morning, I try to do some yoga and meditation. My personal trainers at 8 AM that really kind of helps me start the day night. So there you go.
So care is definitely important. These days, that's very important. Now, I really enjoyed the conversation because you obviously started by talking about the passion, you know, that's what what feels your soul. And I think that when you are a Miami native and you want to showcase the beauty that Miami has to offer, I think that becomes so genuine.
And it adds so much value to those around you that I think that is a perfect combination, you know, to have your business along with now the Miami guide, which I think is a perfect match. What will be a takeaway or any advice that you will give to those that have a business and they have a passion that can collide? Like, what will be the first step? I think the first step would be combining forces with someone that thinks like you know, it has a very part.
I think the key is strategic partnerships. You know, I think partnerships, I love it. Partnerships, you know, I think that will really help you. It wasn't for my partner Mike, we wouldn't even be here, you know, it came from a, it actually came from a podcast, he interviewed me on the podcast.
And then I was the 100th episode. And then I told him that I was doing these courses and these workshops and we should do something. So on the ref forget, we had a meeting in Fainna, hopefully like two years ago now, and look where we are now. Now we have a marketing agency, Ocean Sky Media, we have the Miami guide, we have partnerships with the dolphins, Miami Dave Seats hurdles, you know, hospitality groups.
So I think strategic partnerships and attracting like minded individuals is step one. I really know who you are as well. What do you like? Who are you?
Who are you? That kind of really helping still. I love it. No, it's been amazing here in all of that today.
So I do appreciate your time. But I look forward to seeing you soon. And let's keep bringing the beauty that Miami has to offer to this amazing platform that you guys have put together. So for those that are tuning in and after we watch this episode, I want to make sure that everybody follows Bana personally in her Instagram, also the Miami guide, because what they're doing is incredible.
And thank you again. Thank you. One last takeaway is people keep telling me, you know, I'm gonna wait, I'm gonna wait for my I'm gonna wait for real estate. What are you waiting for?
There's nothing to wait for. This is just gonna keep going skyrocketing. So I definitely my last thing to say is to no longer wait. Just really take advantage.
Up on this rocket. Yeah. Let's all go up together. Amazing.
Well, thank you so much, Bana. I wish you all the best. Keep doing this amazing job. Say hi to Mike as well.
I'm a big fan of yours. Look forward to keep seeing all the amazing things that the Miami guy has to do. Absolutely. We love SLG.
We love you guys. Thank you. We'll see you soon. Bye bye.
And thanks again for everybody tuning in today. We hope you enjoyed it. And remember, embrace each beautiful success in life. My name is Alvaro and I'll see you next time.