Paradise's Best Salesman

“BELIEVE IN WHAT you sell,” Michael Martinez tells AQUA Pinecrest, “and, trust me, you will enjoy much more success.”

The Miami born and raised ONE Sotheby’s International Realty Senior Vice President certainly knows of which he speaks: On the success side of the ledge, over the last quarter century he’s been a certified Top Producer company-wide for more than a dozen years with career gross sales approaching $2 billion. (He earned the distinction of #1Top Producer, period, in the years between 2018 and 2020, then again from 2022 through 2024.)

In 2024 alone, he finalized more than $200 million in sales. Celebrity clients have included NBA star Jimmy Butler and MLB legend David “Big Papi” Ortiz.

And as for belief? Martinez certainly comes by that honestly as well.

“My father had a full-time career, but his part-time hobby was building houses,” he says. “We would move all over town from the Gables to South Miami to Miami Beach and

everything in between. So, that’s kind of where I started indirectly learning and appreciating the whole real estate game.”

LAW OF ATTRACTION

Still, it wasn’t a straight line. Throughout high school, Martinez thought he’d follow his older brother—a role model—into law. (His oldest brother is a doctor; high achievement apparently runs in the family.) And despite his father’s background in real estate, there was no pressure to join the business. “My parents were immigrants, and they valued hard work, dedication, perseverance,” he says. “But they never forced a path on us. The most important thing at home was for us to go to school and be educated. What we chose to be educated in, though, that was up to us.”

After graduation, however, he made the fateful decision at age 18 to take the real estate course and earn a license. “The idea was to have a flexible part-time job while I was in college,” Martinez says. “A full-time career in real estate wasn’t something that was on my radar yet. I didn’t know the snowball effect it would have, which I am very grateful for now.” Also, as an avowed lower of the water, he wanted to be able to afford a boat. Even at the outset, however, real estate was fun and fulfilling. And, more importantly, Martinez sensed he had a knack—if not an outright calling—for sales. The dominos began to fall in that direction: He set aside law school dreams to study marketing, which he believed—correctly, as it would turn out, that it would go hand in hand with real estate sales.

The synergy was obvious almost immediately. Within a couple years Martinez had gotten his real estate sea legs—and, it must be noted, his much-coveted boat—and when his first big opportunity called, he was ready.

SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN

It was a loft building on the Miami River: a bit unusual for the Magic City, especially at the time. Martinez had gone to see the project for some clients but ended up falling in love with the setup. “I believed in the group,” he says. “I believed in the concept.” He sold pre-construction units to friends from childhood, friends from college. He sold units to clients. And this is when Martinez speaks the line with which we opened this article: “Believe in what you sell and, trust me, you will enjoy much more success.”

Martinez had such a run in the lofts that he was offered a job with its developer. “I worked there for eight years,” he says. “I learned a lot about construction, obviously, and pre-construction sales, which opened up another path for me. I actually sold condos all over Brickell for a good portion of my career.”

Then came the 2009 downturn, which hit the condo market particularly hard. And Martinez learned another foundational career lesson: When to pivot.

THE LUXURY MARKET

As he considered his next move, Martinez realized he had spent considerable time on Miami Beach and understood the home market there—not just in the sense of where the beautiful homes are but what the quality of life is in specific enclaves. It was the sort of knowledge that is hard-won and only achieved through experience. He started selling single family homes and in short order realized luxury real estate was the niche in which he wanted to build his long-term career.

It was professional endeavor, sure, but it would eventually have personal implications as well: “When I was ready to buy our family home, I knew exactly where I wanted to be: in the Pinecrest and Coral Gables area,” Martinez says. “It’s one of the most sought out neighborhoods for a reason! Great schools, larger spaces and yards for families, proximity to marinas and the water lifestyle. There’s Old Cutler Road, which is one of the most beautiful drives in the city. So, we decided to make that our nest egg neighborhood, and I focused a lot of my efforts in this particular neighborhood.”

Today it would be hard to argue Martinez doesn’t have it all. His career has been essentially a rocket ship for many years now. He has a family with his wife Pamela, a nurse practitioner, and two beautiful, happy young children. He’s active in the community. He’s an assistant baseball coach in his son’s league. “I enjoy my life,” he says. “I enjoy selling people the opportunity to move to a place where a lot of people love to vacation. And, as a Miami native, I can say I truly believe in our neighborhood.”

The unique specialness of sunny South Florida was really driven home to Martinez in the early 2000s when he would travel to South America and Europe to meet with potential clients about pre-construction opportunities. “That’s when I was realized how special this city is,” he says. “Doesn’t matter where you go; everyone wants a piece of Miami. Whether you’re talking about the culture, the climate, the tax advantages, there’s something for everyone here.”

At this point you Martinez into the real estate business?

“I always joke that there is probably more real estate licenses issued in Florida than drivers licenses,” he says, laughing. “I don’t think people always recognize the amount of work and sacrifice that goes into doing this as a career at a high level. But, still, if somebody tells me they’re thinking about getting a real estate license, I encourage them. At the very least it’s good to have that knowledge even if you never use it professionally. And if you do decide to use it professionally, there are so many branches of the real estate business, [a license] is a tool that can definitely give you a lot of options.”

BY SHAWN MACOMBER