Education
- Loyola University Chicago, Master of Science in Accountancy
- Loyola University Chicago, Bachelor of Business Administration
- Belen Jesuit Preparatory School
Languages
- English
- Spanish
Community
- Belen Jesuit Alumni ACRES Founding Member
- YMCA Young Professionals Board Member
Derek Varona is one of the co-founders of Sea Grove Realty. Derek’s attention to detail, trustworthy personality and analytical background are critical to Sea Grove Realty’s ability to serve its clients.
Prior to founding Sea Grove Realty, Derek worked in a client service role as a CPA at Deloitte, the largest professional services firm in the world. Upon graduating from Loyola University Chicago, Derek joined Deloitte’s Chicago office in its tax function. As a member of the client service team, Derek worked in a multitude of industries including Real Estate, Financial Services, Family Businesses, and Manufacturing. Specifically, Derek served as the team lead for a major hotel and ski resort developer coordinating all of the company’s compliance work. After 9 years in Chicago, Derek returned to Miami with Deloitte, working in the Audit function, primarily in the Healthcare and Gaming industries. Derek was immediately commissioned as the team lead for the audit of a major South Florida healthcare provider. His wide range of experiences in professional services has given him perspective on what it takes to provide high quality customer service. Further, Derek was able to develop and fine-tune his strong interpersonal, quantitative and analytical skills, serving these clients, which are at the top of their respective fields.
Derek’s interest in real estate stems from his experience at home growing up with his mother, who has been in the industry for over 20 years as a realtor. Learning firsthand what the real estate industry could offer, he developed an appreciation for the variety of specializations, opportunities, and great relationships forged by working in the industry. His passion for real estate combined with his professional and personal experience in Chicago prompted Derek to found Sea Grove Realty.
Derek considers his love for his hometown and his vision of the City’s future as one of the great metropolitan cities of the world as crucial components of his contributions to Sea Grove Realty and to the firm’s ability to produce results for its clients.