Related Group has delivered more than 60,000 South Florida units since 1979, more than any Miami developer, and its 2026 pipeline is led by Baccarat, Casa Bella, and St. Regis Brickell, per Related Group. In my experience the delivered-unit count is the most useful signal when a buyer weighs a still-unbuilt tower. Check escrow terms and named partners before you reserve.
When you buy a Miami pre-construction condo, you are buying a promise from a developer, not a finished unit. That makes the developer's name on the purchase agreement one of the most important line items in the deal. Related Group is the name most Miami buyers encounter first, because it built more of the skyline than anyone else: Icon Brickell, Brickell Heights, Paraiso, and now a 2026 slate of branded towers. This guide lays out what that track record means for your risk, your deposit, and your timeline.
Who is Related Group
Related Group was founded in Miami in 1979 and has grown into the developer most identified with the modern South Florida skyline. According to the company, it has delivered more than 60,000 residential units across the region. That is not a marketing round number to me, it is the reason Related keeps showing up on the buyer side of my deals: the name carries weight when a bank, an appraiser, or a nervous buyer is weighing a tower that will not top off for two years. Its portfolio runs from mainstream rental communities to the branded ultra-luxury towers now defining Brickell and Edgewater.
The company is a separate business from Compass, where I hold my license, and from LuxuryDade. I do not work for Related. I represent buyers, and part of that job is telling you honestly where a developer's record is strong and where you still need to do your own diligence.
Track Record and Delivered Projects
Related's delivered work is the core of the case for it. Projects such as Icon Brickell, Brickell Heights, and Paraiso reshaped entire districts, not single blocks. A developer that has completed tens of thousands of units on comparable pre-construction terms has a repeatable playbook for financing, permitting, and closing, which is exactly the risk a first-time pre-construction buyer is trying to price. The un-fakeable part of a track record is delivery: towers that actually got built, on terms buyers actually closed on.
Reputation is not a guarantee. Every project stands on its own site, its own lender, and its own contract. But a deep delivery record narrows the range of things that can go wrong, and that is why I treat it as the first filter, not the last.
The 2026 Miami Pipeline
Related's current luxury pipeline is concentrated in Brickell, the Arts and Entertainment District, and emerging waterfront enclaves. These are the projects driving the top of the branded market in 2026, each pairing a prime site with a named design or hospitality partner.
| Project | Area | Scale | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baccarat Residences | Brickell | 75 stories, 316 units | 2028 |
| Casa Bella by B&B Italia | Arts & Entertainment | 56 stories, 317 units | 2026 |
| St. Regis Residences | Brickell | Branded twin towers | Under way |
| Ritz-Carlton Residences | North Bay Village | Waterfront branded | Announced |
Casa Bella by B&B Italia rises 56 stories with 317 residences at 1444 Biscayne Boulevard, across from the Adrienne Arsht Center, with interiors by Piero Lissoni. Baccarat Residences Brickell, a 75-story tower with 316 residences starting on the 15th floor, was reported roughly 95 percent pre-sold with completion targeted for 2028. Availability and figures change, so confirm the current status of any specific unit before you rely on it.
How Deposits and Escrow Work
On a Related pre-construction purchase, your deposit is governed by Florida condominium law, not by a handshake. Deposits sit in an interest-bearing escrow account, and you get a 15-day rescission window after signing to walk away. From there, most branded towers stage payments across milestones: reservation, contract signing, groundbreaking, and structural top-off, reaching 30 to 50 percent of the price by the time the tower is out of the ground, with the balance due at closing.
- Reservation: typically 10 percent, refundable inside the rescission window.
- Contract to top-off: staged installments bring total deposits to 30 to 50 percent.
- Closing: remaining balance and financing, often two to four years out.
The thing I tell every pre-construction buyer: read the escrow and default clauses before you fall in love with a floor plan. A strong developer record lowers delivery risk, but your contract still defines what happens to your money if timelines slip. My full walkthrough of the pre-construction buying process covers each milestone in order.
How to Evaluate Any Miami Developer
Related is the benchmark, but the framework applies to any developer you consider. Weigh four things, in order.
- Delivered-unit count. How many comparable units has the developer actually completed and closed? Related's 60,000-plus is the deepest in Miami.
- On-time history. Do prior towers deliver near their stated windows, or years late?
- Escrow and deposit terms. Are deposits protected and staged, or front-loaded and exposed?
- Named partners. Are the architect, interior designer, and hospitality brand named and contracted, as with Casa Bella's Piero Lissoni and B&B Italia, or vaguely "to be announced"?
Foreign Buyers and Related Towers
Related's branded towers are built with international buyers in mind, which matters because they drive the top of this market. According to Miami Realtors, foreign buyers accounted for more than 52 percent of new-construction South Florida sales in 2025, with purchasers from 73 countries. On the branded end, deposit programs and closing logistics are already structured for buyers wiring from abroad.
One point I make to every international client: a strong developer does not replace your own representation. On a Related tower I represent you on the buyer side, not the developer, and that separation is exactly what protects your interests on price, unit selection, and contract terms.
My Take for Buyers
If you are choosing between a Related tower and a project from a developer with a thin delivery record, the track record is a real, priceable advantage, and I weigh it heavily. But I do not treat the name as a substitute for diligence. My advice on Related pre-construction is simple: use the record to narrow your shortlist, then win on the specific unit, the specific floor and line, the specific escrow terms, and the specific closing timeline. That is where a buyer's agent earns their keep.
"When a buyer asks me about a Related tower, I tell them the track record buys you a lower delivery risk, not a discount. You still have to fight for the right floor, the right line, and the right escrow terms, and that is the part I handle."Gerardo Gonzalez, Licensed Real Estate Agent at Compass
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Work with Gerardo?
Book a 30-minute call. I walk you through specific buildings, units, and numbers relevant to your situation. No pitch, just analysis.
Book a Consultation