Four professional athletes set up 1st national sports and entertainment luxury real estate firm

A group of professional athletes has established the first national sports and entertainment luxury real estate firm. Known as Aston Rose, it specializes in finding homes for celebrities, athletes, and high-net-worth individuals, according to Forbes.

One of the founders of the luxury real estate firm is Tomi Rose, who has been described as a trailblazer in the real estate industry with 20 years of experience. Rose birthed the idea of forming sports and entertainment divisions within real estate brokerage firms in 2013.

She is also known for selling LeBron James’ South Florida home and has also starred on NBC’s Hot Listings Miami.

The other co-founders of Aston Rose are Rob Hite, Rod Watson, and Lisa Leslie. Hite is a former NBA player who went on to become a broker, and he is best known for his sale of David and Victoria Beckham’s penthouse at the One Thousand Museum in Miami.

Leslie, on the other hand, is a four-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time WNBA champion. She has worked with notable clients like Kyrie Irving, Chris Webber, and Anita Baker. Her work earned her a “top 10 in closed volume” award from her former firm, Keller Williams Realty of Boca Raton, FL, according to Forbes.

A former international professional basketball player, Watson has worked in the real estate industry for over 15 years. He has worked with NBA stars like Zach Randolph, De’Aaron Fox, Markelle Fultz, Melo Ball, and Moochie Norris.

According to Forbes, the combined real estate transactions of the Aston Rose team exceed $500 million. The founders also set themselves apart as being the first company to be founded by former professional athletes.

“We understand that many African American and minority athletes are making money for the first time. Unfortunately, so many of those athletes fall into the trap of it being about things that don’t appreciate in value for them; our firm is changing that,” Leslie told Forbes.