HousingWireHousingWire
Leading brokerage Compass announced some key leadership moves this week to bolster its operations in the Southeast, including Florida.
The brokerage has hired industry veteran Nikol Solares as senior managing director of new development marketing. Adam Vellano was promoted to managing director of the South Florida market. And Erika Sheridan was promoted to senior director of marketing and operations in the Southeast.
Jeff Polashuk, regional vice president at Compass, highlighted these changes as key steps to bolstering the brokerage’s presence in the luxury real estate market.
“This leadership growth represents Compass’ unwavering dedication to excellence, expansion, and the luxury real estate sector in Florida and the Southeast,” Polashuk said in a statement. “We are poised for continued success, supporting our agents and expanding Compass’ footprint across the region. The future of Compass is bright, and we look forward to continuing to provide the industry-leading tools, technology, and support our agents need to excel as the demand for luxury properties continues to rise.”
Solares brings 20 years of experience in luxury development, new construction sales and marketing to her new role. The veteran development executive established herself as one of the premier brokers in the South Florida region. Solares joins Compass from her most recent role as senior vice president of sales at Douglas Elliman, where she oversaw $2 billion in high-end inventory.
In previous roles, she led several luxury developments in Miami Beach, including The Residences at Ritz Carlton Miami Beach.
“I’m thrilled to join Compass at such a dynamic time for the company and the market,” Solares said in a statement. “This is an incredible opportunity to work alongside such a talented group of agents and leverage my experience in pre-development sales and marketing to further strengthen Compass’ presence in the market. I look forward to collaborating with our agents to build on the company’s success and drive continued growth.”
Vellano also offers decades of experience in his new role. Before joining Compass, Vellano was the West Coast sales manager at BEX Realty and the broker-owner of Vellano Realty Group.
In addition to his broker experience, Vellano also maintains a strong track record of success as an educator. The Louisiana Tech University graduate was recognized as 2019 Education Volunteer of the Year by Florida Realtors, among other accolades.
With a proven track record of leading Compass’ marketing operations in Washington, D.C., Sheridan brings valuable experience to the Southeast region. The Georgetown University graduate joined Compass in 2018 as regional public relations leader on the corporate communications team. Before Compass, Sheridan also operated her own PR firm, epgPR, from 2008 to 2017.
These leadership changes follow a trend of growth moves made by Compass in 2024. In November alone, Compass added a top-performing agent duo and Texas and a new network for luxury agents in vacation home markets.
Compass currently has more than 33,000 agents in its national network. It is the nation’s leading brokerage by sales volume.
