Podcast Summary: Inside the $630M Bentley Residences – How Gil Dezer Is Changing Luxury Real Estate

Podcast: The Determined Society with Shawn French
Host: Shawn French
Guest: Gil Dezer (President, Dezer Development)
Episode Date: November 26, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the engineering, ambition, and innovation driving the $630 million Bentley Residences in Sunny Isles, Florida. Host Shawn French sits down with luxury real estate magnate Gil Dezer to discuss the complex foundation pour, the project's distinctive features (like car elevators and balcony swimming pools), and how Dezer’s approach is uniquely disrupting the high-end condo market. The discussion delves into construction challenges, the mentality required for groundbreaking development, and why “an educated consumer is my best customer.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Record-Breaking Foundation Pour

• The “Mat Pour”: The foundation involves 2,300 concrete trucks, making it the second-largest mat pour in the U.S. and the biggest in Florida.

  • Engineering Complexity:
    • 300 pilings, each going 200 feet deep
    • Excavation of a 40-foot-deep hole (00:12–03:06)
  • On the Scale of the Job:
    • “I said, why does my building have as much concrete as a stadium?” – Gil Dezer (01:40)

• Blue Collar Workforce & Coordination:

  • Hundreds of workers braving Florida heat for a year just to complete the foundation.
  • Coordination with local authorities to shut down streets (03:06–04:10).
  • Quote: “Those are the real workers.” – Dezer (02:22)

• Foundation Costs:

  • $48 million on just excavation and prep.
  • “I call it the Emperor's New Clothes phase… we're spending all this money and you don’t get to see anything.” – Dezer (04:11)

2. Building Philosophy & Overcoming Adversity

• Delay and Complexity:

  • Start to this phase took two years of planning and sales before construction (13:40–14:23).
  • On Construction:
    • “Any kind of construction is just a series of problems you need to solve on the hourly.” – Dezer (06:19)
    • “You have to really be committed to this and you gotta be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.” – Dezer (06:47)
  • “When you’re running a good job, you’re solving problems before they happen.” – Dezer (07:23)

• Hands-On Leadership:

  • Gil Dezer is a detail-oriented leader, present at the job site daily.
  • “Each one of these buildings is my baby.” – Dezer (09:13)
  • Reluctance to operate like “the man in the ivory tower.” (08:43–09:13)

3. Innovation in Condo Living

• Signature Features:

  • Balcony Swimming Pools: Every unit has a private pool plus "wind protection" to make balconies usable year-round (16:19–19:09).
    • “We wanted to create an outdoor living room.” – Dezer (18:29)
  • Car Elevators: Residents can park up to four cars right next to their unit, eliminating the need for traditional parking garages (20:34–21:08).
  • Faceted Glass Exteriors: A $42 million investment in hurricane-proof, “diamond” glass to create a unique appearance (19:33–20:26).

• Raising the Bar:

  • Dezer's philosophy is to “throw everything at it” – outdoor showers, heated floors, saunas in every unit, built-in safes, and soon, robot package delivery.
  • “Anything you need… I also live in my own condos, so I know what’s necessary.” (32:23–33:13)

• Transparency With Buyers:

  • Unlike competitors, Dezer builds full-scale units for show rather than sample kitchens, believing “an educated consumer is my best customer." (16:07)
  • “We’re not afraid of what we’re building.” – Dezer (17:08)

4. Market and Financial Perspective

• Construction Loan & Pricing:

  • Closed a $630 million construction loan, the largest of Dezer’s career: “That number buckles me too.” – Dezer (15:01)
  • Pricing for units at $2,700/foot—double that of prior projects, but with significantly enhanced features (15:04–15:23).

• Buyers & Value:

  • Catering to highly educated, wealthy buyers who appreciate the additional square footage (balconies & garages not counted in FAR).
  • “If you buy at any one of my competitors, you gotta get your head checked straight. There’s no reason for it.” – Dezer (29:12–31:49)

• Amenity Partnerships:

  • On-site restaurant by celebrity chef Todd English—exclusive to residents (31:49–32:17).
  • “It’s literally going to be the restaurant your friends are dying to come and visit you for.” – Dezer (32:06)

5. Technical & Engineering Details

• Continuous Pour Risks & Scheduling:

  • Pour scheduled for Friday–Sunday (30–36 hours) (04:40–04:45).
  • Safety mechanisms and testing for every load of concrete (10:04–10:49).
  • “The vertical schedule is what dictates the delivery date.” – Dezer (11:10)

• Car Elevator Engineering:

  • Otis is now building the elevators, taking the “Dezervator” concept global (20:39–21:05).
  • Elevator ride is “ear-popping,” moving at 1,000 feet/minute—door-to-door in about two minutes (25:31–26:41).

• Feedback-Driven Design:

  • Many enhancements (balcony wind resistance, more car spaces per unit) came directly from owner feedback—especially lessons from the Porsche Design Tower (18:29–21:21).

• Problem-Solving Ethos:

  • Innovative solutions for issues like car delivery logistics and package security (23:43–25:22; 33:13–34:07).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [01:40] Gil Dezer: “I said, why does my building have as much concrete as a stadium?”
• [06:19] Gil Dezer: “My job as a developer is I am a problem solver.”
• [07:23] Gil Dezer: “When you’re running a good job, you’re solving problems before they happen.”
• [09:13] Gil Dezer: “Each one of these buildings are my babies.”
• [15:01] Gil Dezer: “That number buckles me too.”
• [16:07] Gil Dezer: “An educated consumer is my best customer.”
• [18:29] Gil Dezer: “We wanted to create an outdoor living room. An outdoor living space.”
• [19:57] Gil Dezer: “I spent $350,000 creating a mock up of this faceted glass… just to pass the hurricane test.”
• [22:34] Gil Dezer: “The less intelligent people are afraid of change.”
• [31:49] Gil Dezer: “If you buy at any one of my competitors, you gotta get your head checked straight. There’s no reason for it.”
• [32:06] Gil Dezer: “It’s literally going to be the restaurant your friends are dying to come and visit you for.”

Important Timestamps

• Foundation & Engineering Deep Dive: 00:12–03:38
• Construction Challenges & Adversity: 06:19–08:43
• Innovation Discussion (Balconies, Elevators): 16:19–21:08
• Faceted Glass & Enhanced Features: 19:33–20:26
• Loan Closure Announcement: 14:26–14:54
• Car Elevator Technicals: 25:31–26:41
• Amenity Discussion (Todd English Restaurant): 31:49–32:17
• Robotic Package Delivery: 33:13–34:07

Tone & Style

The conversation blends sharp technical insight with humor and candor. Gil Dezer’s tone is both no-nonsense and playful, particularly when debunking critics and discussing luxury-market psychology. There are moments of lighthearted speculation (“Maybe in 10,000 years from now when they find these buildings underwater…”) and self-awareness about operating at the high end (“If you buy at any one of my competitors, you gotta get your head checked…”).

Summary Takeaway

This episode distills the raw ambition, meticulous problem-solving, and market disruption behind the Bentley Residences project. Dezer’s approach is uncompromising—whether it’s over-engineering for resilience, inventing new luxuries, or refusing to cut corners in design or service. The episode is both a tribute to high-rise innovation and a very human window into what it truly takes to change the landscape of luxury living.