Jackson Keddell's parents are artists and wanted him to make a career out of the craft as well.
"But I always pictured myself as a businessperson in a suit," he told Homes.com.
Keddell, a 35-year-old Miami Beach, Florida, native, had two friends whose fathers were involved in real estate, and they had a knack for satisfying his curiosity, filling him in on who was living where and what new developments were in the pipeline.
"I didn't have the business dad; I had the artist dad, who I would never replace, but they had different experiences," Keddell said of his friends' fathers. "I'm a bit of a know-it-all. I like to know what's going on."
He earned his real estate license 11 years ago as a senior at Florida International University and now specializes in high-end homes across South Florida as senior director of luxury sales for the Douglas Elliman brokerage.
Keddell totaled $41 million in sales last year and said he has been involved in more than $900 million in sales during his career. He ranks among the 25 top-selling Douglas Elliman agents in Florida and in the top 5% companywide for 2025.
Buyers want historic homes
Keddell previously assisted the sales team at the Eighty Seven Park oceanfront condo tower in Miami Beach, and later he served as sales executive for penthouses at the 1 Hotel South Beach condo hotel.
While he didn't pursue art, he's still immersed in the industry as board president of Edge Zones, a Miami-based nonprofit art organization. His mother will have a show at Edge Zones during the famed Art Basel Miami Beach event next month, and he plans to attend the main fair to support close friends who have galleries exhibiting there.
Miami's housing market has slowed recently as more owners list properties for sale. In July, the median price for all property types fell 1.2% from the prior year to $550,000, the fourth-worst showing among the top 40 markets, according to Homes.com. The median rebounded in October, rising 1.8% year over year, the data showed.
In some cases, deals aren't happening because buyers can't find big enough homes. People moving to the Miami area often are looking for older, historic homes, but they're surprised at how small they are, according to Keddell.
"It's a challenge finding historic homes with high bedroom counts," he said. "People can't fit their lives into these historic little homes. A lot of families are sitting on the sidelines waiting."
The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
What's your home like?
"I own and rent in Midtown Miami. I have a two-bedroom apartment. I have a lot of art up on the walls and also on the side because I don't have the space for it."
What's your favorite spot in your home and why?
"I intentionally left the living room as one big open room with no TV. There's space to do whatever I want."
What are your hobbies?
"The greatest part of living in Miami is the lifestyle. I get lots of exercise. Pilates. Tennis. Hot yoga. The highlight of my week is probably playing doubles with some guys on a Wednesday night in Key Biscayne."
What's the most bizarre thing that has happened to you on the job?
"I was working with a woman who said she wanted to tour a $7 million house. We're on a second tour. She walks in crying and saying, 'I'm going to buy this house.' But she wasn't qualified. It turns out the lady did social media for a plastic surgeon's office. It's amazing the extent to which people carry out lies to waste other people's time."