Under the Palm Agency: Meet the Team
Mexican & American husband and wife dream team (yes, we said it). Swapped the concrete jungle of New York City for the real jungle of Mexico’s Riviera Maya. Bridging on-the-ground expertise in Mexico with New York-level efficiency to ensure your ultimate getaway – a vacation home, full time residence or investment property in paradise – is realized safely and seamlessly.
Alberto Lama & Lauren Rich-Lama, UNDER THE PALM agency
Lauren Rich-Lama, AGENCY DIRECTOR
vacation connoisseur / hotel & real estate junkie / American living in Mexico.
Originally hailing from the glorious ‘burbs of Maryland, Lauren spent 15 years having a love affair with New York City before swapping the concrete jungle for the real jungle. Now, you can find her embracing all things luxuriant living – the good, the glamorous to the ungodly flying bugs – in the tropics of Mexico.
But let’s rewind. A serial entrepreneur, Lauren has been proudly self-employed since graduating from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology with a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising & Marketing Communications. Past lives have seen her at the helm of her own fashion PR agency for nearly a decade in New York, followed by running a successful multi-artist photography studio alongside her husband, Alberto.
A self-described boss babe, hotel junkie and sun-avoidant SPF addict who doesn’t particularly like sand, heat or humidity, Lauren often wonders how it is that she ended up in the tropics. Yet here she is, in a state of perpetual sweat radiance and uncontrollably voluminous hair. Embracing her best beach life, she founded Under the Palm in 2023 as a luxury travel agency and escapist editorial destination dedicated to the unapologetic ritual of vacation. And because the only thing better than vacation is a vacation home, Under the Palm has now evolved into a boutique luxury real estate agency specializing in premium property sales in the Mexican Caribbean.
On any given day Lauren can be found slathering on the sunscreen, mastering the underrated art of Spanglish and plotting palm-fringed adventures with her husband and business partner, Alberto.
Alberto Lama, licensed INTERNATIONAL real estate broker
vacation home virtuoso / leisure enthusiast / Mexican-American living in Mexico.
Born and raised in vibrant Mexico City, Alberto later spent 16 years in the center of it all: New York City. Here, he spent nearly a decade behind the lens as a professional photographer before becoming drawn to the dynamic world of luxury property sales. Upon earning his real estate license in the state of New York in 2015, Alberto kick-started his career working in sales with luxury real estate firm Halstead Property. Soon, he felt the pull to return to his native roots and landed in Mexico’s Riviera Maya.
Today, Alberto counts over seven years experience selling paradise as an independent real estate broker fully licensed and registered in Mexico. Specializing in luxury property sales for international clients, expect seasoned expertise in navigating the ins and outs of purchasing prime real estate in coastal Mexico: ocean view villas to jungle-immersed pied-á-terres to beachfront branded residences. Alberto is SEDETUS-certified and holds professional associations with both NAR (National Association of Realtors, United States) and AMPI (Asociación Mexicana de Profesionales Inmobiliarios, a.k.a. Mexico’s equivalent to NAR).
Alberto resides in the region with his wife and business partner, Lauren. Here, he can typically be found questioning the necessity of long pants, perfecting his Muay Thai skills and perpetually searching for the perfect taco al pastor (in Tulum, this spot comes close).
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