For the average workaday joe, a $20 million home is like Cosette's castle on a cloud in Les Misérables: something relegated to the land of dreams.
But for those who can afford marble countertops, cathedral ceilings, gold-plated fixtures, and infinity pools, real estate mavens "the Jills" are the go-to team. Jill Eber and Jill Hertzberg reign supreme atop Miami's real estate landscape, having closed the county's record residential sale this year at a whopping $47 million.
Early in their careers, the two worked for the same company and quickly discovered they made a dynamic team. They launched a joint venture with nothing more than a handshake, and 20-plus years later, they're real estate superstars. They've won countless awards (including the number one team worldwide out of 85,000 Coldwell Banker agents); garnered coverage from MSNBC, Today, and the New York Times; and set sales records aflame.
The Jills attribute their success, even during the recession, to commitment. "Of course everyone was making less money and spending less," Hertzberg says. "We made less, but we didn't spend less. We never let go of anyone — we kept our staff, our marketing, our website, everything. I think that's part of the reason we've been successful."
Adds Eber: "We're so similar in many ways and different in others, but we have the same passion for our business and the same work ethics and morals, and it's just been fantastic."
After a precipitous fall, property values have been rising steadily over the past couple of years. And that's good for everyone. "I really believe what we've done is we've elevated the market here," Eber says. "I'm sure everybody is happy when the values of their properties increase."
And all the media appearances have brought attention to Miami's little piece of paradise, which means more tourism, which means more home buyers and more money in the local economy. "I think we've been ambassadors of goodwill," Hertzberg says. "I think we've gone out and told everyone we meet and greet that this is an amazing place to live, and I think we have definitely held the banner."
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