What Habitat Group does

Habitat Group is a Miami-based, vertically integrated real estate development and hospitality company founded in 2005 by CEO Santiago Vanegas. Operating primarily in Miami's Brickell neighborhood with secondary projects in Neiva, Colombia, the firm pioneered the flexible, owner-controlled short-term rental condo-hotel model in 2008 when it converted Habitat One from apartments to a vacation rental hotel, an approach that has since inspired approximately 20 competing Brickell developments. The company's portfolio spans legacy assets (Habitat Residence I & II, East River Living, The Jefferson Hotel, Key Biscayne single-family homes, three Colombian projects), core condo-hotel product in market (Smart Brickell Towers I, II, and Luxe, Millux Place, Season One), and a forward pipeline anchored by The Habitat Collection (four Kobi Karp-designed buildings, 2026–2028 delivery) plus three projects under a 2024 JV with Kazakhstan's BI Group (Parkside, Season Royale, Millux Place).

The firm's "Smart Living" technology platform integrates Nest smart thermostats, Lifx Wi-Fi-enabled LED bulbs, Samsung digital appliances, Alexa voice control, mobile concierge applications, and smart access control, all controllable via smartphone or in-unit tablet. Habitat operates as a self-performing general contractor with in-house architecture and design and runs its own hotel management platform, eliminating third-party brand fees and capturing operational economics across the full project lifecycle.

Revenue is generated through four streams: one-time real estate development sales (condos priced $290K–$600K with a $250M sellout target on the third real estate fund), recurring hotel and hospitality operations revenue (driven by ~70% of buyers handing units back under the leaseback program), recurring leaseback and rental income programs, and professional services fees from the affiliated Habitat Immigration Law Firm (EB-5, EB-1, EB-2 NIW, L-1, O-1, E-2 visas). The firm distributes product through exclusive broker Cervera Real Estate, direct developer sales, international sales offices in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina, and EB-5-linked immigration channels — primarily targeting HNW Latin American investors, with a growing domestic US segment (rising from 10% to 20% on Smart Brickell).

Name

Habitat Group

Legal name

Habitat Development LLC

Website

https://habitatgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Habitat Group is a vertically integrated Miami-based real estate developer and hospitality operator, founded in 2005. It pioneered the owner-controlled short-term rental condo-hotel model in Brickell, serving HNW Latin American investors with tech-enabled residences, in-house hotel management, and EB-5 visa-linked investment pathways.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Condo-Hotel Real Estate Development

NAICS

Residential Property Managers (531311)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Hotels & Motels (7011), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513)

akta.pro primary industry

Extended-Stay Brand Residences (Managed Residences) (THAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Condo-hotel development
• Real estate investment
• Hospitality management
• Short-term rentals
• Smart home real estate

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Development & Property Sales: Habitat Group develops and sells condo, condo-hotel, and multi-family residential units. Revenue is generated through unit sales at projects like Smart Brickell, Millux Place, Season One, and Parkside. Pricing ranges from approximately $300,000 to $600,000 per unit for condos. The company has a $250 million sellout target for its third fund with Smart Brickell.
2. Hotel & Hospitality Operations: Habitat Group manages hotel operations at Smart Brickell Towers 1 & 2, including hotel rooms, amenities, and short-term rental management. Approximately 70% of buyers hand their units back to Habitat for full hotel-style operation. Revenue includes hotel room revenue and management fees.
3. Leaseback & Rental Income Programs: Owners can lease their condo units back to Habitat Group, which then includes them in the hotel pool. Habitat manages the property and shares rental income with owners. This provides a recurring revenue stream for the company through hotel occupancy and management fees.
4. Immigration Law Services: Habitat Immigration Law Firm, affiliated with Habitat Group, provides legal services including EB-5 investor visa processing, EB-1, EB-2 NIW, L-1, O-1, E-2 visas, family-based immigration, naturalization, and other immigration matters. Services are offered in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Habitat Group is a vertically integrated real estate development and hospitality firm that acquires, designs, develops, builds, sells, and manages condo-hotel and residential properties centered in Miami's Brickell neighborhood, plus selected projects in Neiva, Colombia. The company pioneered the flexible, owner-controlled short-term rental condo-hotel model in Brickell—delivering fully furnished, smart-home-equipped units (with Nest, Lifx, Samsung, and Alexa integrations) approved for short-term nightly rentals and managed either by owners or by Habitat's in-house hotel division. Its portfolio includes the multi-tower Smart Brickell development, Season One, Millux Place, Parkside, the planned Habitat Collection (2026-2028), and legacy properties; the firm also provides EB-5-linked investment structuring through an affiliated immigration law firm and financial services through Blue Palm Capital.

Product overview

Habitat Group is a vertically integrated real estate development and hospitality company operating a multi-product portfolio centered on Miami's Brickell neighborhood. The core offering consists of condo-hotel developments including Smart Brickell (three towers - Tower I, Tower II, and Luxe), Season One, Millux Place, and Parkside, all designed for short-term rental flexibility. The company also operates The Habitat Collection, a four-building condo project launching 2026-2028. Legacy properties span residential rentals, hotels, and international developments in Colombia. Service offerings include hospitality management, immigration law services through an affiliated law firm, restaurant and spa amenities, with Blue Palm Capital providing financial services. The company positions itself as a pioneer in flexible owner-controlled short-term rental units, integrating smart home technology and design efficiency across its properties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Soca Café: Colombian café bringing taste of Neiva, Huila to Brickell, Miami with coffee, pastries and fusion cuisine.
• Elysium Spa

Products and services

• Smart Brickell Tower I Mixed-use condo and hotel property in Miami's Brickell neighborhood featuring 50 condos and 50 hotel residences, delivered fully furnished with smart home technology including Nest thermostats and Alexa integration. Targeted at individual investors and Latin American buyers seeking short-term rental income with optional personal use.
• Smart Brickell Tower II Second tower of the Smart Brickell development offering 50 condos and 50 hotel residences with smart living features, currently under construction. Targeted at individual investors and Latin American buyers.
• Smart Brickell Luxe Third and final tower of the Smart Brickell project featuring 53 condos and 78 hotel residences (131 total across 23 stories) with commercial spaces, designed by Ginard Studio as a sleeker tower than the first two phases. Targeted at buyers seeking fully furnished smart-home-equipped condo-hotel units.
• Season One Fully finished and furnished condo residences by Restoration Hardware with short-term rental approval, located at 1200 SW 2nd Ave with 80 residences. Targeted at buyers seeking luxury turnkey living with short-term rental income capability.
• Millux Place Nine-story condo building with 99 fully furnished residences by Restoration Hardware, featuring rooftop pool, fitness center, and lounge for short-term rentals. Targeted at investors seeking luxury-furnished turnkey income property with full amenities.
• Parkside Condo/hotel development in Brickell with 187 residences across 8 floors, developed in partnership with BI Group USA and designed by Kobi Karp. Targeted at buyers seeking income-producing short-term rental units in the Brickell Financial District.
• The Habitat Collection Four iconic condo buildings to be delivered between 2026 and 2028, designed by renowned architectural firm Kobi Karp, fully finished and furnished with approval for short-term rentals. Targeted at luxury buyers and investors seeking the highest tier of the Habitat Group portfolio.
• Habitat Residence I Condo-hotel property at 1701 SW 2nd Ave in Brickell, offering daily, weekly, and monthly rentals with hotel services, delivered in 2010. Targeted at short-term rental guests and investors.
• Habitat Residence II Condo-hotel at 1700 SW 2nd Ave with 25 lodging units offering daily, weekly, and monthly rentals, delivered in 2014. Targeted at short-term rental guests and investors.
• East River Living Modern 34-unit residential rental community at 39 NW 7th Ave in Little Havana, delivered in 2021. Targeted at urban renters in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood.
• The Jefferson Hotel Historic 1920s boutique hotel in Little Havana with 33 rooms, fully remodeled by Habitat Group with rooftop bar and downtown skyline views. Targeted at short-term hotel guests and visitors to Miami's Little Havana.
• Le Parc Urban renewal project in Neiva, Colombia featuring 42 condos across 12 floors with rooftop pool, outdoor gardens, and park views. Targeted at Colombian buyers seeking modern condominiums in Neiva's Sevilla neighborhood.
• Parque Museo Mixed-use commercial and residential development in Neiva, Colombia combining cultural atmosphere with residential and park infrastructure. Targeted at Colombian buyers and tenants seeking a culturally integrated urban living environment.
• Laguna Club Gated community in Neiva, Colombia with 77 houses and 48 condominiums featuring two clubhouses, pools, and gym facilities. Targeted at Colombian families seeking amenity-rich suburban living.
• Key Biscayne House Portfolio Three exclusive single-family home developments in Key Biscayne, Florida at 571, 599 Glenridge Road and 785 Fernwood Road. Targeted at luxury single-family home buyers on Key Biscayne.
• Hospitality Management Services End-to-end hospitality management including hotel operations, amenities management, short-term rental management, and residential sales for Smart Brickell properties, with approximately 70% of condo-hotel buyers handing units back to Habitat for full hotel-style operation. Targeted at condo-hotel unit owners who want professional short-term rental management.
• Immigration Law Services Legal services through Habitat Immigration Law Firm including EB-1, EB-2 NIW, EB-5, L-1, O-1, and E-2 visa assistance, family-based immigration, and naturalization in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Targeted at foreign national investors seeking U.S. residency linked to Habitat real estate investments.
• Blue Palm Capital Financial services entity affiliated with Habitat Group offering investment and capital management services related to Habitat real estate offerings. Targeted at investors in Habitat Group's real estate funds and projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Income increased from $300,000 per year to $1 million per year when Habitat One was converted from apartments to vacation rentals.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• BI Group (Kazakhstan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 July 2024Habitat Group partnered with Kazakhstan-based BI Group, a major Central Asian construction company, to form Brickell Park Group LLC—a joint venture to develop three condo-hotel projects in Miami's Brickell. BI Group's entry into the U.S. market is facilitated through this partnership, with BI contributing construction expertise and capital. The first joint project is Parkside at 1750 SW First Ave, acquired for $14.8 million. Two additional projects—Season Royale and Millux Place—are also planned under this partnership. The venture obtained $9.8 million in seller financing.
• Cervera Real EstatecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMiami-based Cervera Real Estate is the exclusive sales and marketing broker for Smart Brickell projects. Karen Elmir's team at Cervera handles condo sales to domestic and international buyers. Alicia Cervera Lamadrid has been quoted as a strong advocate for the Smart Brickell model, noting its flexibility and market appeal.
• Kobi Karp ArchitectscoreTechnology or IntegrationMiami-based architect Kobi Karp is working on all three projects in the BI Group partnership (Parkside, Season Royale, and Millux Place), redesigning plans with bigger unit sizes and new facades. Kobi Karp is also the architect for The Habitat Collection of four condo buildings to be delivered between 2026 and 2028.
• Ginard StudiosupportingTechnology or IntegrationPalmetto Bay-based Ginard Studio is the architect for Smart Brickell Luxe, the third and final tower of the Smart Brickell development. The firm designed a sleeker tower compared to the first two phases.
• Fortune International RealtysupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFortune International Realty, led by Alfonso Jaramillo, brokered the deal for the Brickell Park Group LLC acquisition of the development site at 1750 SW First Ave for $14.8 million.
• Franklin Street (Brokers and Lenders)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFranklin Street teams represented buyers and arranged financing for the $15 million sale of East River Living to Cochise Capital. Dan Dratch led the buyer's representation; Joseph Landsberg arranged the $9 million mortgage from First Republic Bank.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Related Group: Related Group is one of the largest Miami-based condo developers with deep Brickell exposure. It competes directly with Habitat on luxury and mid-rise condo product targeting international Latin American buyers, though at significantly larger scale and broader price points.
• Terra Group: Terra Group is a Miami-based developer active in Brickell and surrounding submarkets. It develops luxury condo and mixed-use projects with similar international buyer exposure, directly competing for the same Latin American capital pool as Habitat.
• Aria Development Group: Aria Development Group is a Miami-based developer of luxury condo and mixed-use projects in South Florida, frequently serving international Latin American buyers. It competes directly with Habitat on similar submarkets and product positioning.
• CMC Group: CMC Group is a Miami-based developer of boutique luxury condo projects, often featuring short-term rental flexibility and Latin American-targeted sales. It is a close comparable to Habitat in product size, buyer mix, and Brickell/Downtown submarket focus.
• Mast Capital: Mast Capital is a Miami-based real estate investment and development firm focused on luxury residential and mixed-use projects in South Florida. It competes with Habitat for Brickell sites, buyers, and short-term rental-licensed product positioning.
• Fortune International Group: Fortune International is a Miami-based luxury condo developer and brokerage where Habitat's founder Santiago Vanegas previously worked. It targets similar Brickell/Downtown Miami buyer demographics including Latin American investors with comparable product positioning.
• Property Markets Group (PMG): PMG is a Miami-based developer specializing in luxury condo and condo-hotel projects, including short-term rental-licensed properties in South Florida. Its product strategy, buyer mix, and condo-hotel hybrid model closely mirror Habitat's approach.

Broad incumbents

• The Related Companies: The Related Companies is a large, national real estate developer with condo-hotel and branded residences offerings across multiple U.S. markets. It operates at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth than Habitat, but competes at the upper end of the same condo-hotel buyer pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNvb5YbUmbXP-S8RRyGe5sQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/habitatgroupmiami
• Instagraminstagram.com/habitatgroupmiami/?hl=es

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Habitat Group