Fernanda Zomignani

I think my success comes from being very empathetic and being able to read people very fast. I can look at a family and know immediately whether they'll be happy on Brickell or in Sunny Isles - I put them in the right place and the right neighborhood. My honesty is crucial - it's hard to find somebody you can trust 100%, especially when you're in a different country, but my clients know they're completely taken care of. I sometimes even pay for things myself to make things happen when clients are abroad or can't handle something. I'm also not afraid of working - I work Sundays and Saturdays. I'm not the kind of realtor who says 'Oh, sorry, I don't do shows on Sundays.' Being a people person, my empathy, my honesty, and my willingness to work hard - those are what drive my success.

I have three young women in my house, and what I tell them is: be kind, but don't be too nice. There's a difference - if you're too nice, people sometimes lose respect. But be kind. And here's something really important: do not lose your femininity. You can be strong and feminine at the same time. You don't have to be aggressive or masculine to be successful. There's an armor that I wore for so many years because I thought we had to fight against masculine energy, but no, you don't. There's space for everybody. Don't lose your feminine side. This is not a war - we're not fighting anybody, we're just here to be successful. I think my generation became too aggressive, too masculine, and we fought men for no reason for a while, until we woke up. You can be both strong and feminine.

The biggest opportunity in the Miami market right now is understanding that most of the companies transferring here haven't arrived yet. Everyone talks about Citadel and other big names coming over, but only the top executives have come so far. People are too attached to the $100 million deals, but they need to think about all the workers that are coming in the next 18 to 24 months - imagine what that will mean for the market. There are over 30 companies that have not arrived yet. Also, in November, Florida may have property tax exemption for Homestead, which is a huge deal. There's a big gap between now and November to buy your Homestead, because the moment we get exempt on property tax, prices are going to explode. Then everybody's going to move to Florida. Property tax is my biggest hurdle when I'm selling because when people think about how much they're going to pay, they hesitate. But if it gets exempt, I think we will see massive growth. The timing between now and November, and between now and when all the companies are settled in Miami - that's the big opportunity.

Honesty is the most important value to me - it's number one. Trust and honesty go hand in hand. Respect is also essential, and it applies everywhere in my work and personal life.