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One amazing property called Jade at 16 West 19th Street certainly had interesting people behind it. The project was designed by yoo, an international branding, design and investment property company. They have worked on a huge range of properties including offices, hotels, residential properties, rentals and more. The main thing that made them so interesting were the designers they had on their team.
Their team included four of the best designers in the world, who worked to design fantastically innovative, interesting and beautiful locations. Rather than just designing buildings and residences – they designed cutting-edge, thoughtful and dramatic works of art. Their design team included Philippe Starck, Jade Jagger, Marcel Wanders and Kelly Hoppen.
For this specific property, at 16 West 19th, a number of amazing companies teamed up together. These included Perkins Eastman, SHVO with founder and president Michael Shvo, the Cooper Group Inc. and Halstead Property. They all worked together to create the finest property imaginable.
The Nurai exclusive residential development project was launched simultaneously with the opening of SHVO-Dubai, on 
May 12, 2008. In ‘over-the-top’ Michael Shvo style the sales event took place at its innovative, state-of-the-art sales center, a 21,000 square-foot office located on Tariq Bin Ziyad Road, Dubai’s answer to New York’s Fifth Avenue.
Michael Shvo’s incredible, multi-media opening for the Nurai project featured more than 30 private transports by helicopter; an amazing room filled with over 51,000 gallons of water to give the impression of the water-adorned villas of Nurai; Fifty foot high screens to display computer powered, virtual reality fly-throughs of the Nurai island residences; and a private show by Lionel Ritchie, Grammy award winner, for the 300 elite buyers for the exclusive Nurai residences.
Apparently the whistles and bells worked. Within a mere 36 hours of the opening, Michael Shvo already sold approximately 70% of the Nurai project, representing an exchange of over 750 million dollars’ worth of luxury apartments in the following categories:
• Luxury resort and hotel with 60 suites
• Private water villas consisting of 50 residences
• Beachfront estates residences, 31 in number
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Michael Shvo grew up in a small town in Israel, and arrived in New York City in 1996 with about $3,000 and just one bag of luggage. Having not a clue what he would do in the “Big Apple,” he started his business life by managing a fleet of taxis. While searching for his own place to live he realized that real estate could be a great career for him and exceedingly profitable as well.
In 1998 Shvo began to work for Douglas Elliman, the well-known real estate agency. He showed a drive rarely seen, showing upwards of 40 rental apartments each day to clients. Michael Shvo was always the first person in the office each morning, and because no one else was there he took all the calls from their clients. In just one year at Elliman Michael Shvo was giving training seminars for new agents coming to work for Elliman. He was the perfect example and role model for the trainees as someone who arrived at Elliman with no experience and fewer contacts, and through sheer hard work and drive could succeed fantastically.
In May 2008, SHVO New York took its first giant step in its goals to expand internationally by opening sales in Dubai with a gala extravaganza event. The recording artist/singer Lionel Ritchie performed privately for more than 300 world-class potential buyers, who were also treated to a cutting-edge technological display of the offerings with virtual reality “fly-throughs” in a huge, 21,000 square foot sales center.
Michael Shvo’s first project outside of the United States sold out in just 36 hours. It was estimated that more than $750 million of the region’s most expensive real estate was cobbled up; accounting for about 70% of the exclusive project.
The Dubai project is located on a small, natural island called Nurai just 12 miles north of Abu Dhabi. Michael Shvo commented on the high-end project with the following observation:
“We made gold from sand,” said SHVO president Michael Shvo. “There was nothing there and we created a state-of-the-art environment dedicated to communicating the privacy, exclusivity, modernity and solace of Nurai.”
At the height of the real estate boom in the mid-2000s, the image of this marketing sector changed drastically. Traditionally real-estate agents were stereotyped as suburban matrons that would more likely be driving an SUV than a Mercedes. Glamour has not been part of the job description- that is until recently.
In a city like New York, where it is possible to sell five 1 million dollar condominiums by parking outside the construction site and peering at the hole in the ground where the apartments will one day exist through a hole in the fence, big bucks breeds respect, admiration and a glamorous aura. One of these people that changed that perception was Michael Shvo.
Shvo, who began his company, which bears his name, in 2004, is young, talented and driven. He was even asked to star in his own reality TV show, (an offer he turned down so he could devote himself to his company.)
The state of real estate acquired a new image in the mid-2000s, and much of the credit for that can go to Michael Shvo.
In the following video real estate marketer Michael Shvo discusses risk, return, and theory in the real estate market. Michael Shvo appeared on Cityscape TV in Dubai, where he spends two weeks each month, splitting his time between the Emirate and New York City.
Appearing on a page of the website of The Luxury Marketing Council Worldwide, Michael Shvo and Markus Draxler represented the real estate marketing firm of SHVO.
The Luxury Marketing Council services its members in the United States and Internationally with a large number of member-only events all year long. They sponsor moderated panel discussions, usually focusing on a particular area of luxury with experts on that subject. The Luxury Marketing Council also sponsors Think Tanks, Roundtable Discussions for Executives, Common Practice Surveys and other events, like CEO breakfasts, and more.
The Council represents a large number and variety of businesses and service outlets which are considered marketers of luxury including, Cartier, Christie’s, Mercedes-Benz, Neiman-Marcus and many, many more.
The Council estimates that there are approximately 8.7 individuals worldwide who are potential or actual customers of luxury items and services due to their liquid portfolios valued in United States dollars at $1,000,000 or more.
Middle Eastern countries, such as Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are all now in expansion mode as high oil prices and a desire by rulers to invest in their country’s infrastructure
Michael Shvo Invests in Abu Dhabi
combine to create an atmosphere of growth and improvement.
Michael Shvo, the President and CEO of the real estate marketing firm called SHVO explained why the risks in these locations are small.
“If the governments are putting money into the markets, then we can all put money in because the governments are not going to let the markets collapse,” says Michael Shvo.
While Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are experiencing rapid growth and increased investment, Dubai is struggling. After a period of growth and excitement the property market in Dubai collapses when demand and lack of credit dealt a “one-two” punch to the market.
This has not prevented foreign investors from putting their money into neighboring countries with better prospects and potential for growth. Up-scale property marketers such as Michael Shvo, who has an office in Dubai and New York, is especially excited by the prospects for real estate in Abu Dhabi.
Michael Shvo and Markus Draxler appeared in a photograph which was displayed on the web site of the Luxury Marketing Council. This organization, whose headquarters is in New York but has branches in cities throughout the United States and the world, was founded in 1994. The Luxury Marketing Council Worldwide is an organization by which its members are invited to join is made up of over 2,800 of the most prominent and talented CEOs and marketing executives. These individuals represent in excess of 860 companies marketing major luxury goods and services. Michael Shvo of the real estate marketing firm SHVO is a member of the Council which is mandated to act a s a catalyst which brings together the best, most innovative and imaginative marketers of luxury products and services. Together these talented marketers can explore best practices and the most critical issues of concern. They can share information on market trends and other pertinent issues.
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