Congratulations to LYND for its purchase of $49 million in distressed notes secured by three apartment buildings in Florida. LYND has been one of the most active players in the distressed commercial real estate market having purchased $400 million in notes since January 1.  President and COO A. David Lynd talks about the company’s latest deal with Globestreet.

To read the article, click here.

Condo sales in Miami were up 134 percent in January year-over-year, according to the Miami Association of Realtors.  That’s not a typo. 

Canyon Ranch Living Miami Beach was featured in a CNBC TV segment and article for its recent sales surge and its lavish party that just passed on March 10, 2011.  The sales team, Pordes Residential Sales & Marketing, threw a party for potential investors, complete with massage therapists, a climbing wall and a yoga team to greet you at the door. 

Boardroom PR pro Lauren Simo secured a front-page story on the residential real estate market for Miami Beach luxury hotel/residential condo Canyon Ranch Living Miami Beach.  After learning that the property’s sales team had sold more than 25 units in 10 weeks, a triumph in today’s real estate market, she reached out to reporter Mitra Kalita and pitched a story on Canyon Ranch Living Miami Beach’s sales success. This sparked the interest of the reporter, who just so happened to be working on a story about all-cash deals from wealthy buyers. By the time the story went to print, Canyon Ranch Living Miami Beach had sold 35 units.

In our 21 years as a Ft. Lauderdale public relations agency, we have found well sourced trend stories to be one of the most effective strategies for our media relations clients.

Click the link below to read the full story.

2-8-2011 Wall Street Journal

Just prior to Lebron James making his decision to go to the Miami Heat, the media constantly asked Where will he go, where will Dwyane Wade go, where will Chris Bosh go?   News outlets coast to coast pondered the question.   

Just prior to that, many news outlets (not the sports writers!) were reporting on the Jake and Vienna split.  For those who never read it or clicked on it, it was nothing more than a break-up Jake, a “Bachelor” on the ABC show, and his fiancée, whom he met during the process.

How do two people without any news value generate so much interest?  Magazine covers, daily papers, radio and tv shows tapped into this split between two people who were hardly together.  The reason is simple.  The media made them a couple – and the media continued its role in making their split newsworthy.  With the right public relations, they stayed top of mind.

So when three of the most talented athletes on the planet dominated the media thereafter, yes, it was overkill – but at least they earned their right to be in the public eye. 

But really, it doesn’t matter.  Because the media has the power to make people newsworthy who met on a TV show and then broke up.  That’s it. 

With Lebron, Dwayne and Chris, the talent came first – then the media frenzy.  With Jake and Vienna, the media frenzy came first – and we’re still waiting for the talent. If you think these things all happen by accident, think again.  Behind both sets of characters were skilled public relations experts.

NAIOP South Florida, on which chief operating officer Don Silver serves as vice president of public relations, received news coverage in the Miami Herald.

Members and news media gathered in late January for the trade organization’s all-important 2010 economic outlook.  Mark Dotzour, chief economist and director of research for the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, presented a frank talk on market conditions and whether they might improve this year.

As reported in the Miami Herald, commercial real estate prices have fallen 35 percent to 50 percent from 2007 levels.  “Those prices should never have been paid and those loans should never have been made,” Dotzour was quoted as saying. “The prices are getting back to the reality level where tenants can make a profit and survive.”

Dotzour predicted that market conditions would improve this year, but that some owners would be forced to sell at discounted prices.