TIM ELMES BIO
With over $4B in sales, The Elmes Group has established an international reputation as Fort Lauderdale’s premier luxury real estate team.
Renowned for his unparalleled negotiating skills, unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction, and personalized service, Tim has set the standard for excellence in South Florida’s luxury waterfront real estate market.
The leader in this market for over 40 years, Tim is renowned for his extensive knowledge of all aspects of this highly specialized niche. He has a unique ability to connect distinguished buyers with exceptional properties matching their criteria. Tim is frequently featured as a luxury real estate expert in national media, including the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, CBS, Financial Times, and Forbes.
The Elmes Group has consistently been recognized in the Wall Street Journal's Real Trends as one of the top Teams in the Nation with an extraordinary total sales volume of $324M+. At a local level, they are also frequently named as the #1 Real Estate Team in Fort Lauderdale and Broward Country. In addition, Tim holds the record for having been involved in every record-breaking sale in the city of Fort Lauderdale (except one) since his start 35+ years ago. Tim's highest career sale is 5 Harborage Isle Drive, sold for an astonishing $70 million in 2024.
Tim is sought by celebrities, sports professionals, and business leaders buying and selling homes throughout South Florida, and in particular in Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach.
Tim was born in England where he lived until he was six years old; he grew up in Beirut and Africa. Tim has visited over 50 countries and worked in 20 countries before settling in Fort Lauderdale. His extensive travels provided him a rich variety of experiences, enabling Tim to make strong connections with people across all strata of society. Tim has dined with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip as well as the former monarch of Bahrain, Sheik Isa Bin Sulman Al-Khalifa.
Tim became a partner in the largest territorial Sotheby’s International Realty affiliation in Florida when his Broward agency, Waterfront Estates, Inc. merged with Miami Beach-based Wimbish-Riteway Realtors in 1999. Sales volume at the time of the merger was $470,000,000; the sales volume had climbed to $1,250,000,000 when Wimbish-Riteway was subsequently sold to Coldwell Banker three years later, where Tim stayed until he joined Compass in 2019.
Since joining the team in 2020, Melanie Groenendaal has become an essential part of the Elmes Group, taking charge of overseeing daily operations and ensuring the seamless execution of all aspects of the business. Her dedication to supporting Tim and his extensive client base allows the team to maintain the highest standards of service and efficiency. Melanie’s commitment to excellence plays a pivotal role in sustaining the group’s continued success and unmatched client satisfaction.
Together, Tim and his team continue to redefine luxury real estate, setting benchmarks for excellence, innovation, and success.
THE TEAM
