A Venezuelan-born entrepreneur and television personality is moving into real estate, joining the Douglas Elliman brokerage in the Miami area.
Chiqui Delgado said she will work with existing Douglas Elliman agent Edgar Marquez as part of The Casa Team. She will be based at Elliman's Coral Gables, Florida, office, while Marquez will have dual offices in South Florida and New York, the brokerage said.
Delgado, a first runner-up in the 1990 Miss Venezuela pageant, starred in popular Latin American telenovelas such as "Calypso," "Cosita Rica" and "María Rosa, búscame una esposa." She also hosted Univision network programs, including "¡Despierta América!," "Mira Quién Baila" and "Nuestra Belleza Latina."
In addition, she has more than 20 years of business experience.
"My background is on the design and investor side," she told Homes.com. "Being a real estate agent allows me to combine both of those."
Marquez and Delgado say they will represent buyers and sellers across Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The team will consist of just the two of them for now, although they expect to add two agents and possibly more, depending on demand.
They also said they will appear twice a month for real estate segments on a Univision morning show filmed in Miami and syndicated live nationwide.
Marquez, also a Venezuelan and a former lawyer, started his real estate career in Miami more than two decades ago before moving to New York City. He has been with Elliman, the nation's sixth-largest brokerage by sales volume, for three years.
Miami listings have shot up in recent months, helping to level prices. Still, Marquez said he's confident in the long-term allure of South Florida real estate.
"I've seen many markets and many cycles," he said in an interview. "It needed to go through a certain correction. That's healthy for any market to do."