Reese Newell — Founder, The Lauderdale Collection
The founder  ·  About

Not your typical
property manager.
Not even close.

Industrial engineer. 10-year high-stakes poker career. $5M+ in winnings across 70 countries. Now an owner-operator of designer-furnished beach condos in Fort Lauderdale — managed with the same analytical discipline that built every career before it.

$5M+
Poker winnings
10-year career
70
Countries played
& visited
20%+
Revenue advantage
over competitors

An engineer who learned
to think in probabilities.

I graduated from Penn State with an Industrial Engineering degree and a business minor. I was trained to solve complex systems — to find inefficiencies, model outcomes, and optimize. I just never expected to apply that to a poker table.

I started playing poker in college, progressively getting better, losing money the first five years while most people would have quit. Then I found the right people, the right framework, and something clicked. Within 2 years I was making more than triple any engineering salary I could have taken, so I decided to play full time — even though everyone told me I was making a ridiculous decision.

I earned half of my winnings playing 1-on-1 — heads up poker, the most aggressive and intense format. Pure math, pure psychology, pure edge.

“I didn’t guess. I built models. I calculated pot odds, opponent ranges, expected value. The same way I run every property today.

I played with some of the best in the world. Sat across from Johnny Chan multiple times. Competed at the highest stakes the game had to offer. And I learned something that most people never do: the difference between a good decision and a lucky outcome.

I made the calculated bet that poker was the right path for me. It was — but little did I know that 2 years in, the US government would do something that would change my entire life path...

When the edges narrowed,
I moved to a new table.

In 2021, I hung up the poker mouse for good and started looking for the next edge worth pursuing. We began buying and operating short-term rentals in Fort Lauderdale, learning the market through trial and error as owners ourselves — not just managers.

The deeper we got into the numbers, the more obvious the inefficiencies became. Most operators were guessing, copying competitors, and managing properties passively. We approached it differently: pricing strategically, understanding the market building by building, and operating every property like revenue actually mattered.

Over time, the results compounded. What started as our own portfolio became a repeatable system — one built around data, positioning, automation, and truly understanding the Fort Lauderdale market from an owner’s perspective.

“We’re owners first, operators second — and we manage every property like it’s our own, focused on maximizing performance rather than simply collecting a management fee.

In 2026, we decided to open up management and acquisitions to a small group of clients so others could benefit from the same edge and long-term approach that helped us build our own portfolio. Our goal is simple: help clients acquire and operate high-performing beach condos that create lasting value for themselves and their families.

Ready to work with someone
who actually runs the numbers?

Free revenue analysis — no obligation, no sales pressure. Just an honest look at what your Fort Lauderdale condo should be earning.

Get My Free Revenue Analysis Call 725-425-4448 →