Since 2019, Stephanie Machado, real estate advisor, has called Fort Lauderdale-based “Team JK at Compass” her professional home. Instead of the title “agent,” she prefers “real estate advisor” and works hard to claim the distinction.

  

In 2022, Stephanie’s total volume sales reached a stunning $12.1 million in 14 transactions. She attributes the remarkable accomplishment to her knowledge and passion for the area’s single-family waterfront home market.

 

Stephanie has some observations about how the South Florida market compares to recent general housing market trends: “The South Florida real estate market is unique from other U.S. markets. Home prices have decreased slightly and are taking a bit longer to sell, but the demand is still there. We have international buyers, as well as many new residents and corporate relocations from high-income tax states. Because the demand is still here, sellers are still getting a good price in comparison to what they would have gotten if they sold three years ago.”

 

Although some are predicting a general market housing crash, Stephanie believes that the Broward County market will stabilize and continue to produce higher prices than in

other markets. At a recent presentation called “Inflation, Your Wallet and the Election,” sponsored by Fort Lauderdale-based “Tower Forum,” a professional organization of area business professionals, Stephanie took heed to a speaker’s remarks. “He said that prices in Florida may eventually rise to be comparable with California prices. We won’t have taxes like California, but in Fort Lauderdale, we’ve already seen homes sell for over $1,500 per square foot. I even sold a waterfront house in Pompano Beach last year that was close to $900 per square foot. These are prices we’ve never seen before in this area.”

 

            Stephanie has conducted many “door knocking” campaigns in neighborhoods like Pompano Isles, Cypress Harbor in Pompano Beach, Lake Estates & The Landings in Fort Lauderdale and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. She likes to hand-deliver local market information about neighborhood transactions and provide contact information about herself and Team JK at Compass. For some agents, door knocking may seem outdated, but Stephanie sees it as a way to “stand out” and have the neighborhood residents learn to trust in her knowledge of the area.

 

As a child, Stephanie often rode with her dad, a general contractor, on visits to worksites in high-end residential areas of Montclair, NJ. They’d stop for inspections, where her dad would talk to the workmen. These trips brought Stephanie to appreciate quality home construction and inspired her passion for helping people, as well as making her professional role as an advisor/expert in real estate seem almost inevitable.

 

In 2016, FAU awarded Stephanie a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications, with a minor in hospitality. Having gotten her real estate license during her last winter break at school, she took a salary job at a commercial real estate firm called NAI Global. There, she met a top producer who offered her the sage advice that if she wanted to be successful in the business, she would need to put all of her time into it. Stephanie took the advice to heart, gave her two weeks' notice and started working as a full-time agent on commission at The Keyes Company in Fort Lauderdale.

 

Stephanie feels a strong connection with the Broward County community and is most fulfilled when she gives back. She states, “Accomplishments don’t mean much if you’re not leaving a positive impact in the world.” She is an active member of The Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward County and “Beach Sweep,” a monthly beach cleanup effort.

  

Away from work, Stephanie likes to relax and go to comedy clubs. She enjoys snorkeling and paddling and takes hiking trips to popular areas in the Southwest whenever she can get away. Over the 2022 holiday season, she traveled to Punta Del Este, Uruguay, for a rare and meaningful visit with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Despite the distance, she aspires to remain engaged with her family and help out however she can.

 

In response to Real Producers’ question about advice she wanted to offer to other professionals, Stephanie remarked lightheartedly, “Don’t be a secret agent!” She hopes her colleagues will take her advice seriously and understand the value of getting to know people face to face. Perhaps she is also hoping that she meets you at the next beach cleanup!