Engel & Volkers Expands with New Miami Franchisee

Engel & Völkers is expanding in Miami with a new franchisee, The Real Deal has learned. 

Daniel Nault, executive vice president of sales and leasing for the Quebec City and Miami-based real estate firm Heafey Group, acquired Engel & Völkers franchises, according to the brokerage. Pierre Heafey, president of his company, is an investor in the franchises. 

Nault converted his former brokerage, Edgewater One Real Estate, into Engel & Völkers Miami, which has its office inside the DoubleTree by Hilton Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay, at 1717 North Bayshore Drive. He also acquired the rights to the Miami Beach market, where he will likely open an office at the Hilton Bentley Miami/South Beach Hotel next year. Both the DoubleTree and Hilton Bentley are Heafey Group properties. 

He declined to disclose terms of the franchise agreement.

Nault also entered into a joint venture with Engel & Völkers franchisee Francisco Garcia to open a sales center at the Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach condo hotel as the exclusive sales and marketing firm for the development. Nearly 40 units remain for sale. Heafey owns the Fort Lauderdale condo-hotel. 

Nault and his partner, director of luxury sales Vanessa Gomez, are working with about a dozen real estate agents and plan to recruit agents who have closed $3 million and up in annual dollar volume. 

Nault said he had reached out to top firms, including Engel & Völkers, years ago to have more exposure to international clients. 

Gomez said they could open four offices in the next five years, including in Sunny Isles Beach.

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Engel & Völkers Florida, now led by CEO Peter Giese, has had a presence in Miami before. Three years ago, it terminated its affiliation with former Miami managing broker and license partner Irving Padron, after Padron failed to meet deadlines to open in Sunny Isles Beach. About the same time, the brokerage inked a new deal with Magnus Jennemyr to lead the Coconut Grove office, which Jennemyr still operates.

Nault and Gomez said they are in talks to work with Jennemyr, as well as to merge with another office in Miami Beach.