HISTORY OF CONDO
HOTEL CENTER
A Division of
Sheldon Greene & Associates, Inc.
Licensed Real
Estate Brokers, In Business Since 1970
A Long History in the Hospitality
Industry
While condo hotels are fairly new,
the people behind Condo Hotel Center have been in
the hotel industry for many years.
Condo Hotel Center is actually a division
of Sheldon Greene & Associates, Inc., which was
founded in 1970 in Miami and is dedicated to the sale
of hotels. A family-owned business, the firm has a
long, successful background and an excellent reputation.
Sheldon
Greene, Chief Executive Officer
Background
Considered
a legend in the hotel real estate, Sheldon Greene
was the founder of Sheldon Greene & Associates,
Inc. the parent company of Condo Hotel Center. He
established the business in 1970 in Miami, Florida,
to specialize in hotel brokerage, a unique niche at
the time. The firm soon achieved worldwide success
and garnered respect throughout the hospitality industry.
Vision for
the Future
In 2002, it was Sheldon
who recognized the condo hotel niche and decided to
dedicate a division of his company to this burgeoning
field.
"I saw the concept of hassle-free
luxury vacation homes as an ideal solution for baby
boomers entering their retirement years as well as
busy families who wanted to maximize their vacations
and diversify their investments," Sheldon said.
"From a developer standpoint,
condo hotels offer a way to make projects feasible
that otherwise might not be in today's difficult lending
environment. Getting financing for a $100 million
hotel just isn't likely these days, but leverage the
project with multiple investors who each own a single
condo hotel unit and the project suddenly becomes
viable. I see condo hotels as a win-win situation
for buyers and developers."
Responsibilities
As CEO of Condo Hotel Center,
Sheldon is the visionary for the company, seeing opportunities
in places where others would never dream. His ideas
and thoughts have been instrumental in keeping Condo
Hotel Center at the forefront of the industry.
These days he spends much of his time working directly
with developers in the pre-construction stages of
condo hotels. He provides guidance in helping them
get their projects off the ground and then helping
them to move inventory when they become reality.
Experience
Sheldon has devoted his entire
career spanning five decades to real estate sales,
real estate appraising and consulting. For the past
35 years he has specialized in the area of hotels.
He has made real estate law, having won a landmark
case regarding hotel sales that had made its way up
to the Florida Supreme Court.
Lectures
He has lectured at Florida International University
School of Hotels; Miami Board of Realtors; National
Innkeeping Association; American Institute of Real
Estate Appraisers.
Florida International University has conferred upon
Sheldon the title of Honorary Community Professor
in recognition of exemplary personal services rendered
to the students of the school.
Articles & Publications
Sheldon has written over 100 articles which have appeared
in Hotel & Motel Management, Real Estate Today,
Canadian Resort & Motel Magazine, International
Motel Review, Business Leader, National Innkeeping,
and Innside Issues. He also was the founder
and editor of The Greene Florida Hotel & Motel
Report for 15 years.
Memberships
Sheldon has faithfully served with dedication and
distinction for 10 years as an Officer and Director
of the Miami Beach Board of Realtors and therefore
has been elevated to the status of Trustee.
Hotel Brokers International (HBI) granted Sheldon
an Honorary Lifetime membership in recognition of
service to HBI and the hotel industry in 2000.
Personal
Although in his 70's, Sheldon maintains an extremely
active role in Sheldon Greene & Associates, Inc.
and Condo Hotel Center. He can often be found at his
desk not just weekdays but also weeknights and weekends.
When not working, he is usually spending time with
his four grandchildren, twins Haley and Lindsay (age
8), and Ryan (14) and Katelyn (8).
Joel Greene, President
Background
Joel, a graduate of the University of Florida and
licensed real estate broker, has always
worked in the areas of commercial real estate. Originally,
he specialized in the sale of apartment buildings
and shopping strip centers. But in 1988 he joined
his father's business, Sheldon Greene & Associates,
Inc., where he focused his attention on hotels and
motels.
In 2002 he began to see the first
hints of the budding condo hotel market. He worked
with Sheldon to launch a new division called Condo
Hotel Center and assumed the role of President.
Corporate
Philosophy
Under Joel's leadership,
the company has grown rapidly and extended its reach
from Florida condo hotels to properties throughout
the U.S. and worldwide.
"We built Condo Hotel Center
based on the premise that buyers are intelligent and
savvy. If you give them accurate detailed information,
they can analyze a property and determine whether
it's right for them," Joel explained.
"No hype or hard sell is needed.
That's been our guiding philosophy from the start
- to become a reliable, trusted information source
on condo hotels."
Memberships
Joel is a member of the Greater Miami & the Beaches
Board of Realtors and has sat on the board's Grievance
Committee and Professional Standards and Ethics Committee
for the past nine years.
Interviews,
Lectures and Publications
Joel has been referred to as an expert in the field
of condo hotels and has been interviewed for many
articles on the subject. He has been quoted in the
Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today,
Business Week, Travel & Leisure, CNN/Money Online
and many other publications.
He is a guest lecturer to real estate
and hospitality classes at Florida International University.
He is also the editor of Condo Hotel Center's popular
Property
Alert newsletter.
Specialties
Joel works with clients from all over the world, many
of whom not only appreciate his knowledge of hospitality
products but also his firsthand knowledge of real
estate in South Florida where he has lived since age
three.
He has also become a world-renowned
specialist in foreign real estate, particularly Dubai
condo hotels. He recognized and capitalized on the
investment potential of this new region long before
any other North American realtor.
In addition to Condo Hotel Center,
he manages Condo Hotels Dubai, www.CondoHotelsDubai.com,
a niche website focused on condo hotel properties
being developed in Dubai, U.A.E.
Personal
Joel is married to Jackie, a case manager at Health
South Rehab Hospital, and they have identical twin
8-year-old girls, Haley and Lindsay.
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Read
Frequently Asked Questions About Condo Hotels here.
View
our Featured Condo Hotel Properties here.
Contact us for more information, info@CondoHotelCenter.com,
305-944-3090.
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