Broward has become a first-choice market.
Credit: Starlife Group
For a long time, South Florida’s housing story seemed to revolve around Miami.
Miami had the skyline, the population growth, the international attention and the development cycle that kept getting bigger. But as the city grew, prices climbed, land became harder to secure, and pressure on existing neighborhoods increased.
Traffic also became part of the equation. Miami continues to rank among the country’s most congested urban markets, and for many residents, the daily experience of getting around has become a meaningful quality-of-life consideration.
These shifts have helped put Broward County in a different position. It is no longer simply the place people consider when Miami becomes too expensive. Increasingly, Broward is becoming a first-choice market for residents who want access to the broader South Florida lifestyle without giving up convenience, quality or a sense of community.
That shift matters because it is changing where they choose to live and what they expect from housing.
Today’s renters are weighing flexibility, mobility, cost and quality of life all at once. Elevated home prices, higher insurance costs and the long-term responsibilities of ownership have made buying more complicated for many households, even those with strong incomes. At the same time, renters want functional floor plans, robust amenities, walkable surroundings and finishes that feel closer to a luxury condominium than a traditional apartment.
Recent market data underscores the momentum Broward’s luxury rental market is seeing. In the county, demand outpaced supply in 2025 for the first time in three years, a meaningful signal after the county absorbed a significant wave of new inventory. Cushman & Wakefield’s Q1 2026 Broward multifamily report also showed continued positive absorption at the start of the year, with Central Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood/Dania Beach accounting for a significant share of the county’s market gains.
Broward is particularly well-positioned for this next phase. Many of its communities still have room for growth, especially along corridors with existing infrastructure, access to major roads and proximity to established neighborhoods. Hollywood is a clear example. Located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, with access to the beach, a historic downtown, established residential neighborhoods and a growing mix of dining, retail and entertainment, the city offers many of the fundamentals renters want while maintaining an identity of its own. Luxury rental communities can play a valuable role in the city’s evolution by giving residents services and amenities they associate with ownership, paired with the flexibility that renting provides.
That is the lens through which Starlife Group has approached 21 Hollywood, a 14-story, 200-unit mixed-use rental development planned along Federal Highway with 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. The luxury development recently launched pre-leasing, giving prospective residents their first opportunity to secure a home in the building as it moves closer to completion. The project is part of Starlife Group’s broader South Florida pipeline, which includes more than 1,600 residential units and over 3 million square feet of active and planned development across luxury multifamily, mixed-use, residential and hospitality projects. Through its vertically integrated platform, including its in-house construction arm, Starlife Builders, the company is able to guide projects from concept through execution with greater control over quality, timing and long-term value.
The project is designed for residents who want an elevated living environment without being locked into ownership. At 21 Hollywood, that means residences with Bosch appliances, Italian cabinetry, quartz countertops and curated tile finishes, alongside amenities built around wellness, productivity and connection. It combines high-quality residences, modern amenities and a street-level experience intended to support a more active corridor. It also reflects our belief that developers have to be embedded in the communities where they build. As members of organizations including the Urban Land Institute and the chambers of commerce of Hollywood, Aventura and Fort Lauderdale, we see firsthand how housing, mobility, retail, public space and local business growth all are connected.
Projects like 21 Hollywood reflect where the market is moving. As more people look beyond Miami-Dade for housing that better aligns with their lifestyle and budget, Broward has an opportunity to capture that demand through development that is both accessible and aspirational. The county’s next chapter will depend on projects that understand renters are no longer choosing between flexibility and quality. Increasingly, they expect both.
Gevorg Shahbazyan is the founder and CEO of Starlife Group, a South Florida real estate development firm with a growing pipeline of multifamily, mixed-use, luxury residential and commercial projects. A real estate developer and entrepreneur with more than a decade of experience, Shahbazyan has led Starlife Group’s expansion across South Florida, including 21 Hollywood, the firm’s 200-unit mixed-use rental development on Federal Highway.
This content was contributed to Browardist by Starlife Group.
