The MIAMI Association of Realtors (MIAMI) has elected José María “Chepe” Serrano as its 2019 chairman of the board. He and the 2019 MIAMI leadership boards will be installed this afternoon at MIAMI’s 2019 Inaugural and Awards Celebration at Jungle Island.
“I’m incredibly honored to lead our South Florida Realtor family into another successful year,” Serrano said. “In 2019, MIAMI Realtors will continue to work to protect homeownership rights, improve communities and benefit consumers. Our priorities in 2019 include market influence, increased professionalism, broker/member profitability, professional development, collaboration and cooperation with other organizations, community initiatives and more.”
Serrano, who is the founder and owner of New Miami Realty Corp. in Miami since 2003, will lead the MIAMI Corporate Board. The board analyzes trends and makes key policy decisions affecting the real estate industry in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties. MIAMI represents nearly 50,000 residential, commercial and international real estate professionals.
Serrano first came to the United States from Bogotá, Colombia to attend Xavier University in Ohio. He didn’t have any family and friends in America. He didn’t speak English. Serrano learned English and moved to Miami to study at Florida International University, where he met his wife, Simona, and had two children (son Nicolas and daughter Daniela). Simona is also a Realtor at New Miami Realty.
Serrano partnered with his older brother, Gabriel, to launch New Miami Realty, Corp. in 2003. Eager to help his community and his industry in the way his parents taught him, Serrano began volunteering his time on local Realtor boards at the local, state and national levels.
In 2017, Serrano served as MIAMI commercial president. That same year, Serrano was awarded the prestigious Commercial Achievement Award by the Florida Realtors for his excellence in commercial real estate, and his dedication and commitment.
In addition to serving as 2019 MIAMI chairman, Serrano is the vice president of his local Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) chapter.
At the state level, Serrano has served on more than 33 committees for Florida Realtors. He is a Florida Realtors-accredited instructor and teaches regularly at the local and state level.
At the national level, Serrano is a member of NAR’s Global Business and Alliance Committee. He helped launch the NAR Pilot Grant Program, designed to actively give back to and enhance local communities.
Locally, Serrano remains involved with FIU’s alumni association. He also teaches as an adjunct professor at Miami-Dade College.
A devout Catholic, Serrano is an active member in his Miami parish. Serrano is in the Archdiocese of Miami’s lay ministers program. He helps his church in the married couples ministry “Matrimonios en Victoria/Marriages in Victory” and in the marriage preparation ministry “FOCCUS.”
Announcing the 2019 MIAMI Corporate Board
Joining Serrano are: Chairman of the Board-Elect Jorge L. Guerra, Jr., CRS of Real Estate Sales Force; 2018 Chairman of the Board George C. Jalil, RAA, TRC of First Service Realty, Real Living; Secretary Mark Sadek of The Keyes Company, Inc.; Treasurer Jack H. Levine, ABR, ABRM, CRB, CRS, SRES of Levine Realty Inc., Commercial President Jennifer Wollmann, CIPS of EWM Realty International; Residential President Ines Hegedus-Garcia of Related ISG International Realty; Broward President Jonathan Keith of Compass Florida, LLC; JTHS-MIAMI President Kim Price, CIPS of Jupiter Lighthouse Realty; YPN President Wesley Ulloa, CLHMS of LUXE Properties; Commercial President-Elect Fernando Arencibia, Jr, CDPE of RE/MAX Realty 1; Residential President-Elect Raul Estrada of Gables Mavens; Broward President-Elect Sharon R. Lindblade, CIPS, GRI, PMN, PSA of Century 21 Hansen Realty; JTHS-MIAMI President-Elect David Avernathy of Waterfront Properties & Club; 2019 YPN President-Elect Peter Ortega of Keller Williams Miami Beach; Director John Dohm, SIOR, CCIM, CFP of Infinity Commercial/Florida Transatlantic; Director Brian Sharpe of Sharpe Properties Group; Director Ron A. Shuffield of EWM Realty International; Director Moe Veissi of Veissi & Associates, Inc.; Director Christopher Zoller, CRS of EWM Realty International.
Teresa King Kinney, CAE, CIPS, GRI, RCE, TRC serves as the CEO for the MIAMI Association of Realtors.
About the MIAMI Association of Realtors
The MIAMI Association of Realtors was chartered by the National Association of Realtors in 1920 and is celebrating 99 years of service to Realtors, the buying and selling public, and the communities in South Florida. Comprised of six organizations, the Residential Association, the Realtors Commercial Alliance, the Broward Council, the Jupiter Tequesta Hobe Sound (JTHS-MIAMI) Council, the Young Professionals Network (YPN) Council and the award-winning International Council, it represents more than 46,000 real estate professionals in all aspects of real estate sales, marketing, and brokerage. It is the largest local Realtor association in the U.S. and has official partnerships with 204 international organizations worldwide. MIAMI’s official website is http://www.MiamiRealtors.
