San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
New markets, fresh faces, visionary tech: boutique brokerage The Agency expands on both coasts
There’s never a dull moment at global, boutique real estate brokerage The Agency, which is quickly expanding across Northern California. The firm recently announced its plan to enter Silicon Valley and the Peninsula, welcoming seasoned industry veteran Quetzal Grimm as Managing Director of its upcoming offices in Los Altos, Palo Alto and Woodside.
Grimm joins the company’s Northern California-based leadership team, which includes The Agency President Rainy Hake Austin and Northern California Regional Manager Jeff Samuels.
The expansion into Silicon Valley marks an exciting time for the company, which already has offices throughout Northern California, from Carmel to the East Bay. A Bay Area native himself, Grimm brings extensive experience, most recently holding a leadership position at Compass before returning to his boutique brokerage roots.
Also joining The Agency leadership team is Mike Schwartz, regarded as one of the industry’s top leaders and experts. Schwartz has managed offices across California at both Coldwell Banker and Compass, most recently managing in Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda and Orinda. The leadership team also welcomed Vice President of Strategic Growth Aisha Chiappetta, a well-known figure in the tech industry with 25 years of experience in recruiting and sales.
“The Agency is thrilled to partner with the best in the business to bring our signature culture of collaboration to the Peninsula and Silicon Valley,” said Rainy Hake Austin, President of The Agency. “The Agency has already firmly established our presence throughout the region, and we could not be prouder to welcome top real estate veterans to lead the next chapter in the Northern California market.” The Agency team across Northern California currently represents an incredible portfolio of properties from the oceanfront to wine country.
In addition to its rapid growth on the West Coast, The Agency recently announced the acquisition of Triplemint, a technologydriven, independent brokerage based in New York City. The
Agency will adopt Tripelmint’s proprietary, disruptive technology, designed to help agents generate and close more business with enhanced efficiency on behalf of their clients.
The companies, which will jointly operate as The Agency, form an agent-first, tech-driven, boutique luxury global brokerage firm. With the acquisition news, The Agency also announced plans to open its East Coast headquarters in New York City later this year.
“The Agency is focused on continued global expansion, choosing quality over quantity every time,” said Mauricio Umansky, CEO of The Agency. “Learning from others that came before us, we intend to offer the 2.0 version of luxury real estate as we seek to provide a seamless, integrated experience for our agents, helping them to become better advisors and elevating their ability to provide a high-touch and high-tech experience for clients in a way that has yet to be seen in our industry.”
For The Agency, how the company grows takes precedence over all else. “We are expanding our global reach while maintaining our boutique, collaborative culture by obsessing over experience at every touchpoint and quality in everything we do,” adds Austin. “Our integrated technology experience will save agents time and provide valuable solutions so they can remain focused on what they do best, advising clients and selling real estate.”
The acquisition announcement comes at a time of rapid expansion for the firm. In 2021, The Agency launched 11 offices and another six in the first quarter of 2022. To date, The Agency has closed more than $41 billion in real estate transactions and has more than 50 offices in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe, with more offices slated to open around the globe in the coming months.
The Agency recently ranked
Number 21 on the RealTrends 500 list of top U.S. residential brokerages and first among the Top 50 U.S. firms in average sales price with a $2.5 million average per transaction, solidifying the company’s strength within the luxury market.
With the development of cutting-edge technology and continued commitment to firstclass service for agents and clients alike, The Agency is the fastest-growing boutique, luxury real estate franchise brand in the world.
Even as it expands, the firm’s focus remains the locally-driven, boutique experience it offers on a global scale, with Northern California remaining a key region for The Agency’s strategic and sustainable growth.
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