FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (February 27, 2025) –NAIOP South Florida, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, has announced the Awards of Excellence finalists for 2025 and plans to celebrate the winners on Thursday, April 3 during the 48th Awards of Excellence reception and dinner at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa, 3030 Holiday Drive in Fort Lauderdale.

The annual celebration, which acknowledges excellence throughout the South Florida commercial real estate (CRE) industry, will be from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

"The NAIOP South Florida Awards of Excellence provides a chance to honor excellence in our industry and celebrate the incredible achievements of our members, nominees, finalists and winners,” said Jules R. Morgan, executive director of NAIOP South Florida. “We are proud to recognize the individuals whose dedication and innovation continue to shape the future of commercial real estate."

Manny De Zarraga, executive managing director at JLL and a key member of the JLL Capital Markets, Americas’ Executive Council, the JLL Global Capital Markets Advisory Board and the Corporate Investment Banking team for Latin America will receive the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award.

With more than 34 years of experience in real estate investment banking, De Zarraga has specialized in expanding capital markets platforms and representing institutional investors and global family offices in institutional-grade commercial real estate. He is also a key member of JLL’s Global Capital Team, focusing on the Latin American markets.

De Zarraga joined JLL as part of JLL’s acquisition of HFF. Previously, he was a principal and managing director at Sonnenblick-Goldman Company for 14 years, where he handled major real estate transactions across various property types. He has served as the U.S. investment advisor to Brazil’s Grupo Multiplan since 1994 and was previously the privatization advisor to the government of Puerto Rico.

De Zarraga is actively involved in several industry and community organizations, including serving as vice-chair of the Urban Development and Mixed-Use Council (UDMUC) with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and as a member of the Consejo Empresarial de America Latina (CEAL). He also contributes to his community, serving as chairman of Habitat for Humanity, vice-chair of the University of Miami Business School Real Estate Board and as a member of the Florida State University Business School Real Estate Board.

"The Awards of Excellence is always a highlight for the commercial real estate industry, and this year’s event is no exception, with so many deserving projects, organizations and individuals to celebrate,” said Darcie Lunsford Awards of Excellence chair and senior vice president at Colliers. "We are thrilled to honor industry veteran Manny De Zarraga with a Lifetime Achievement Award, along with all the outstanding finalists and winners who have made significant contributions to our field."

The 2025 Awards of Excellence categories and finalists are:

Sale of the Year

·         701 Brickell - Nuveen & JLL Capital Markets

·         Doral Air Logistics Center – CBRE

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