Miramar, Fla. October 9, 2025. Broward-MIAMI REALTORS® brought its City Spotlight series to the City of Miramar, convening local leaders and real estate professionals to discuss growth, housing attainability, small-business support, infrastructure, and opportunities for REALTORS® serving buyers, sellers, and investors across South Florida.
The program opened with Claudia Bailly, the Chief of Broward-MIAMI (and event coordinator), welcoming attendees and introducing the morning’s discussion alongside Larry Singh, the 2025 Broward-MIAMI President. The agenda featured a panel with The Honorable Wayne Messam (Mayor, City of Miramar), Natascha Tello (Broker, Keller Williams), and Anita Fain Taylor (Director of Economic & Business Development, City of Miramar), moderated by Avril Cherasard (Governor, Broward-MIAMI Board, and Miramar Commissioner).
Miramar’s Momentum: Context for REALTORS®
Sophia Allen, 2026 Broward-MIAMI President, framed the conversation with key MIAMI MLS data and impressive statistics underscoring Miramar’s growth and the continued positive outlook for both residential and commercial real estate.
The insights pointed to Miramar’s strong median household income, high homeownership rates, and a diverse and educated workforce where affordability reigns and where properties sell faster!
Sophia closed her comments highlighting the strength of Miramar’s Commercial real estate investment opportunities, its attractiveness for small and medium-sized businesses, and emphasized multi-family and industrial properties as growth sectors.
Larry Singh highlighted the community’s character and trajectory, “diverse community and major growth.”
That lens set up the panel’s deeper exploration of housing attainability, business grants, infrastructure, and how REALTORS® can plug into city resources to better serve clients.
Panel Highlights: Affordable Housing, Small-Business Grants, and Infrastructure
Mayor Wayne Messam: Senior Housing, Ownership, and Corridor Upgrades
Mayor Wayne Messam spotlighted Miramar’s commitment to high-quality housing and inclusive support of residents. “Our seniors are living in class A development great amenities, security and home ownership opportunities,” said Mayor Messam.
He explained the city’s financial partnerships that catalyze development and urged REALTORS® to recognize emerging opportunities connected to infrastructure improvements. “Buy the historic properties now, buy 5, the entire 441 (referring to State Road 7) corridor is being rebuilt by the DOT. We’re upgrading the infrastructure to accommodate the growth.”
He also pointed to Miramar’s evolving identity and demographics, “we have established a new identity as a growing city, population has doubled from 2000-2015, and we’ve become more family friendly. Show up and learn as a realtor to our local events.”
What this means for REALTORS®: Senior-friendly Class A communities with ownership pathways, strategic opportunities along the 441 corridors amid DOT upgrades, and continued household growth that supports both residential and neighborhood-serving commercial demand.
Anita Fain Taylor: Down Payment Assistance, Home Rehab, and Small-Business Support
Anita Fain Taylor detailed city programs that improve housing access and help local businesses expand, “small business grants for brick and mortar, need new equipment, existing business that needs face lift, signage grants, we have programs.”
She humbly praised the team effort behind Miramar’s community-driven initiatives. She said, “my team comes up with all the ideas that I help them execute for the community.”
Anita also outlined the 3 pillars of the city’s Economic Development strategy:
- Attainability – offer down payment $50-70k in assistance for income-based qualified home buyers through Federal programs.
- Sustainability – most popular program, home improvement housing rehab; fix your existing home. We have a separate program for repairing air conditioning.
- Resiliency – she shared a personal perspective on Miramar’s culture of service,
“I’ve never worked for a municipality that care more for the people. Proud to be a part of that.” Her personal invitation to see Miramar firsthand was clear, “strong is believing; we welcome people to take a tour and see the beauty of the city.”
What this means for REALTORS®: Miramar’s $50–70K down-payment assistance, home improvement/rehab options, and small-business grants can help close deals, stabilize neighborhoods, and support mixed-use corridors. Agents can guide clients to programs that reduce barriers to ownership and improve existing housing stock.
Natascha Tello: Networking, Audience Growth, and Accountability
Broker Natascha Tello focused on actionable steps for agents to grow sustainably, “Network and grow audience,” she said. “Take accountability. Don’t let flexibility ruin your reputation, get things done.” She also spoke to family-life advantages and geographic positioning, “incredible location to raise a family. Heart of it all.”
What this means for REALTORS®: Success hinges on consistent networking, audience growth, and follow-through. Miramar’s “heart of it all” location, proximate to Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and supports a compelling value proposition for families and professionals seeking access, amenities, and community.
Moderator Avril Cherasard: Tough Questions, Practical Focus
Commissioner Cherasard’s facilitation steered the conversation toward practical takeaways for REALTORS®, including how to leverage city programs, anticipate infrastructure shifts, and translate policy updates into client value.
Membership, Advocacy, and Community Involvement
Claudia closed with a direct message to members, “use the membership to the fullest, learn about what we offer to our members!”
The program also included a brief mention to Tamika Moses, 2025 MIAMI-Commercial President, on commercial opportunities in Broward county. Valeria Morena, VP of Political Engagement, with the Realtor Political Action Committee (RPAC), thanked the major contributors in shaping your local legislation.
Larry offered final encouragement grounded in professional involvement, “the more you get involved, the more you see what the association does for you. I learned from a state and national level what can be done for my community.”
The evening concluded with Jalina Pittman, Director of Broward Outreach, leading a raffle to cap a full house, well-attended program focused on learning, connection, and local impact.
Watch the City Spotlight: Miramar — Full Recording
