On a hot but cloudy morning, inhabitants of the Trump Towers in Sunny Isles Beach hope for a fresh breeze at the beach. Some take a dip in the ocean while others relax on the blue-cushioned deck chairs standing by for them. The excavators working close by do not seem to disturb them.
Sunny Isles Beach has seen a development boom over the last 15 years. All along the beach there are shiny high-rise buildings, many of them home to luxury hotels and apartments.
A few hundred meters away from the beach, across the road, is the real estate agency Big International. Owner and founder Eli Nektalov and his employee Anna Abraham are discussing a contract they are hoping to clinch with a Russian couple. They speak Russian with each other - their mother tongue. Today 70 of Nektalov’s 100 agents are Russian-speakers.
These days Sunny Isles Beach is also known as Little Moscow. According to the 2010 census, just over 7 percent were Russian-speakers – and since then that number is likely to have increased. Next door to the real estate agency Big International is the restaurant Kalinka, the tourist agency Amber Tours, the caviar bar Nutcracker, as well as another real estate agency – all Russian-speaking businesses. On the streets of Hollywood and Hallandale Beach one can also hear a lot of Russian.
Small posters showcase recent offers at Big International. Among them is a penthouse with ocean views, four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The asking price: just under $6.5 million.
Besides the Trump Towers, the business-mogul-turned-presidential-candidate has another development in the area. Trump is a household name with Russian-speakers here, says Eli Nektalov. “People from the former Soviet Union know Trump because he has many projects in those countries,” says the owner of the real estate agency. “They know him as someone who achieves his goals. That is why I am sure that most Russian-speakers will vote for Trump.”
If Putin and Trump work together and America and Russia become friends, they could create a lot of wealth - Eli Nektalov
Nektalov says it has been interesting to see how Russia and Vladimir Putin recently have become such important topics with Trump’s campaign – and with his opponents. "If Putin and Trump work together and America and Russia become friends, they could create a lot of wealth."
His agent Anna Abraham says she admires Trump as a businessman. She had read many of his books before he ventured into politics. However, as a green card holder, she cannot actually vote for him. “This is the first U.S. election I follow closely,” she says. “I wish I had the right to vote.” She sees similarities between Trump and Putin "They are very strong leaders, they are great negotiators and they actually seem to like each other," Abraham says.
Her boss nods his head at this and adds: “Trump has been all over the world. He will take the best parts of everywhere and fix the problems of the United States, like in health care or education.” Above all Nektalov hopes that Trump will fix relations with Russia, as recent comments made by Trump indicate. Those comments about looking at lifting the sanctions, imposed by the U.S. on Russia due to the country's role during the Ukrainian conflict, go down well with the real estate agent.
His business with Russian-speaking customers, who are looking for an investment or a second home in the United States, is going slowly. That is due to the economic crisis in Russia, but mainly due to the sanctions, believes Nektalov. “The banking restrictions and the visa ban for certain Russians create rumors,” he says. “People are scared to invest in the United States and in South Florida.”
Lifting the sanctions would be a game changer for the real estate business in the area, says Nektalov. He is positive that Trump will win the election and that things will turn out well – for his business and for the United States, which he considers home.
