Miami Empresarial Magazine Eric Harari Interview

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eric harari: from canada to bahamas, a builder Rebeca Trujillo

Eric Harari’s La Palmeraie, a nine-room, oceanfront luxury resort villa with 5-star services on Harbour Island

Developer Eric Harari is driven by his passion for real estate —a passion honed by his keen eye for “properties with great possibilities,” tempered by his analytical mind, and empowered by his gung-ho attitude.

A French native, Harari, who was raised and educated in Paris, London and New York, arrived in Miami in 1996. Armed with an MBA in Finance and Marketing from NYU, he set out in search of opportunities. He dabbled in the stock market for a time and then decided to change his focus.

“I didn’t know anything about real estate, but in 1999 and 2000, the prices

The reception area at Bel Air Tremblant’s clubhouse is a marriage of minimalist elegance and nature 6 MiamiEmpresarial

Developer Eric Harari during his exclusive interview with Miami Empresarial at Miami Habital HQ

of apartment buildings in Miami Beach were very low.”

Harari bought his first properties and “came up with the idea,” he says, of running them as short-term rentals.

He openly confesses he didn’t know anything about vacation rentals either, but learned the ropes quickly.

“I learned everything on the job,” he explains. “I became very good at internet marketing. Very quickly, in a matter of two months, I was number one on Google.”

In 2000, Eric formed Miami Habitat, which became one of the largest vacation rental companies in Miami.

As time went by, people started to approach him, asking his advice on investing in local real estate.

In 2002 as co-owner of MLR Realty and using his knack for internet marketing, Eric embarked on multiple projects, including the rehabilitation of existing homes, condo conversions, and new construction. In 2004, his Absolut Lofts in South Beach was awarded “Best Loft Project in the US,” by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) .

In 2005 Eric began developing an

In the early 2000s, Harari taught himself the ropes and revolutionized Miami Beach’s vacation rental industry with his short term properties.

“I learned everything on the job. . . and fast!” exceptional new project in Bay Harbour called The Carat Townlofts. At the same time he was also a partner

Panoramic windows throughout every Bel Air Tremblant home allow for breathtaking views 24/7

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for all seasons PRESENTING

THE HARARI COLLECTION International Resort Living At Its Finest Bel Air Tremblant features fully furnished vacation rental homes and residences for sale

in Absolute Bay Lofts, another residential high rise planned for Miami’s Edgewater district. Anticipating the upcoming economic downturn, he chose to cancel both projects.

As the real estate crisis was easing, Harari became involved in a fierce legal battle against the cities of Miami Beach, North Miami and North Miami Beach. The municipalities had introduced regulations to ban shortterm rental homes, threatening Miami Habitat’s survival.

The war lasted three long years, but Eric prevailed: Miami Habitat was awarded “grandfather rights,” allowing it to continue in business, renting apartments and villas to visitors planning short term stays in the area.

diversifying into new, more stable markets in canada and the bahamas The economic downturn —and especially the crash of South Florida’s real estate industry— taught Eric Harari something valuable: He needed to seek new, more stable markets.

He had already separated himself from his Miami investments, so he please turn to nex page >

from Bel Air Tremblant, QC, Canada

to The Palmeraie, Harbour Island, Bahamas

Just 8 minutes from the #1 ski resort in Eastern North America, this 543 acre (219 hectares) community is the most innovative real estate development in Mont Tremblant and the first to combine residential homes and vacation rental lodging, offering resort-style amenities to both its residents and guests.

The newest and most luxurious beachfront property in Harbour Island, La Palmeraie lies on a stretch of pink sand beach and is set amidst a lush tropical landscape, creating an ambiance of luxury and elegance. It offers the privacy of an exclusive villa combined with the luxury, comfort and service of a five star resort.

BEL AIR TREMBLANT 200, chemin de la Station Mont-Tremblant, QC J0T 1M0 Canada

LA PALMERAIE 29 Upalong Road, Dunmore Town, Harbour Island, The Bahamas

VACATION RENTALS RESERVATIONS REAL ESTATE SALES +1 819.774.0203 +1 819.219.1293 rent@officialmonttremblant.com sales@belairtremblant.com belairtremblant.com/tremblant-chalet-rentals/ belairtremblant.com

VACATION RENTALS RESERVATIONS +1.786.814.8998 info@lapalmeraiebahamas.com lapalmeraiebahamas.com

state real estate real estate real estate real estate real estate real estate real estate rea focused on a place he visited often, knew well and loved. He purchased 500 acres of magnificent untouched land in Mont Tremblant, in Canada’s Quebec province, and began executing his vision for a modern, picturesque residential community that would accommodate year-round residents and vacationers.

The first step was to build the area’s infrastructure, including the roads leading up to the community and its power grid. It would take nine years before obtaining the necessary permits and licensing for the project; during this time, Harari completed a comprehensive market study —on a local, Canadian, U.S. and international level.

Applying his signature “think outside

Harbour Island provides an idyllic setting for La Palmeraie, where guests can enjoy a unique luxury getaway

named “one of the 10 prettiest alpine chalets in the world” by TripAdvisor.

Bel Air also went on to receive an “Exceptional Guest Reviews” award from Booking.com for receiving a 9.5 out of 10 rating from past guests.

Today, Bel Air Tremblant Resort & Résidences is flourishing. It is the first development in Mont Tremblant to combine residential and vacation lodging complemented by a full range of resort amenities, and the only one zoned for short term rentals, allowing its homeowners to generate revenues.

been acquired by buyers from the United States, South America, Asia and Europe.

from a mountain paradise to a tropical island villa with amazing pink sand beaches Eric Harari’s La Palmaraie is another amazing project: a nine-bedroom, fully-appointed and amenity-laden oceanfront villa with 11,000 square feet of living space on three floors is Harbour Island’s the newest and most luxurious beachfront property.

La Palmeraie was designed as the ultimate private resort, with luxury accommodations and amenities throughout, like an expansive interior social area, a well-appointed kitchen, a home theater, bar, spa with massage room, fitness center, wine cellar, and more. The villa boasts a private beach with pink sand, two pools and sun deck, tiki hut and cabana, and a dining gazebo equipped with a grill and kitchenette for outdoor cooking.

of the box” approach, he devised a perfect “bulletproof” plan for his Bel Air Tremblant project.

The resort debuted in January 2015, introducing an entirely new concept in vacation lodging called miniloft, a small, modern vacation home which proved to be an immediate success. In November 2016, the miniloft was 6 MiamiEmpresarial

The residential community offers 16 ready-to-be-built home models, competitively priced from $382,000 to $1,500,000 with lot size ranging from ¾ acre (3,000 m²) to 5 acres (20,000 m²), most of them with incomparable 360 degree views of the breathtaking mountain surroundings.

Since April 2018, 28 new homes have

Designed and customized by Harari himself, La Palmeraie is an idyllic —and exclusive— getaway/vacation residence for high-end clients that demand privacy, the finest accommodations and service, impeccably kept grounds with lush, tropical vegetation and Bahamas’ paradisiacal weather year-round.