Michael Comras
Title: President and CEO, The Comras Co.
Age: 63
Birthplace: New York
Residence: Miami Beach
Education: B.A., University of Miami; MBA, Pace University
Michael Comras, president and CEO of The Comras Co.a boutique real estate development and leasing firm, has spent three decades transforming South Florida.
His Miami Beach-based commercial real estate business, which employs about 20 people, has played a pivotal role in revitalizing urban and suburban markets, including iconic neighborhoods such as Miami’s Coconut Grove, Fort Lauderdale’s Las Olas Boulevard and Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road.
Comras strategically places tenants to create vibrant, experiential environments that reflect each area’s evolving identity.
An avid outdoorsman, Comras looks to the future and remains focused on shaping South Florida’s evolution through thoughtful, community-driven developments.
What does your work at The Comras Co. entail? Our business is really about creating places where people want to be, creating a sense of place and really trying to figure out how to put together the right types of tenants to create the proper atmosphere. So, for instance, we redeveloped CocoWalk in partnership with Federal Realty and another company called Grass River, and we took the old CocoWalk, which was 200,000 square feet, and we demolished that down to about 150,000 square feet and built a brand-new office building.
What inspired you to go into the real estate business? My family works in different aspects of real estate. I started out building single-family homes on Long Island. And then, when I went back to work in New York City, I worked for a commercial real estate company doing property management and leasing acquisitions. When I came to Miami, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to focus on, and I really wanted to get more into the retail and restaurant end of the business. So, I started looking at Coconut Grove, and I was able to acquire a property right across from CocoWalk. That was my first building.
How does Miami compare to other markets in the region? Miami is probably one of the greatest places around for us. It’s such a melting pot of people, and it’s interesting to see the way the culture has evolved, which makes it just so much more interesting to be here. When catering to diverse communities, you need to listen to them, understand what their needs are, and then be able to take what you hear and turn it around to give them what they want in a different format. It requires you to work through situations because it’s not just about you, it’s about everybody.
What do you enjoy about leadership? Getting creative, developing concepts and working with people. I have a great team of brokers and administrative people, which I think is really important. I like hearing what they say, taking their ideas and incorporating them into my own. I also enjoy observing what I’ve seen over the years, mixing those influences together and shaking them up. My goal is to come up with a new way to look at things.
What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received? Just be honest.
What are some of your hobbies? My family, my work and my life. We’re very active. We ski and bike, things of that nature.
When you were a kid, what was your dream job? I wanted to be a successful businessman who gives back and does the right thing.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Courtney Danielle Moore, SouthFloridaBusinessJournal
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