MNS Real Estate, the New York City-based residential advisory and brokerage firm led by Andrew Barrocas, has expanded to South Florida. The firm is providing leasing advisory and marketing services for the 559-unit Metro Parc in Miami and the 106-unit Boca Villas in Boca Raton.
MNS, founded by Barrocas in 2006, has represented 41,000 units across 600 buildings and sold nearly 5,000 sponsor units, according to a release. It currently represents more than 22,000 units. Beginning next year, MNS will also produce South Florida rental reports, complementing its reports for Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
Alexander Ruiz, chief operating officer and partner at Prestige Companies, has been appointed to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation Board of Directors. The Florida native has more than two decades of experience in real estate and finance, leading development, finance, investment and operational activities at Prestige. Over his career with the firm and its affiliated companies, Ruiz has coordinated more than $3 billion in real estate acquisitions and managed more than $1.8 billion in loans, according to a news release.
The Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives appointed Ruiz to the board, where he’ll work to address the state’s housing needs. The board consists of 10 other members, including eight appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate, and one appointed by the president of the Florida Senate, as well as the secretary of the Florida Department of Commerce, who is an ex-officio voting member. Board members serve four-year terms.
Ruiz has served on the boards of Kristi House, the City of Hialeah Personnel Board and the City of Hialeah Workforce Housing Task Force. He graduated from the University of Miami with an MBA and graduate certificate in finance and international business.
Commercial real estate veteran Scott Allen joined Colliers’ South Florida team as senior vice president. Allen brings more than 27 years of commercial real estate experience. He specializes in tenant representation and strategic advisory, working with clients across leasing, sales, build-to-suit projects, acquisition and dispositions, a news release said.
