Sotheby's International Realty is pleased to announce that once again it is the most represented real estate brand on the 2022 REAL Trends "The Thousand" Individuals by Sales Volume list. The rankings represent the brand's unparalleled network of luxury agents, accounting for nearly 20% of the Individuals by Sales Volume category. The annual report ranks America's top 1,000 residential real estate agents and teams based on 2021 annual sales volume and transaction sides.
"Once again, Sotheby's International Realty agents continue to outperform the industry," said Philip White, president and CEO of Sotheby's International Realty. "In 2021, the brand achieved a global sales volume of US$204 billion – a more than 33% increase year-over-year, significantly outpacing NAR¹. These rankings show that more luxury agents who transact at the high-end are affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty than any other brand, and it recognizes their many accomplishments during another historic year. I am proud to work alongside the best in the business."
2022 REAL Trends "The Thousand" Rankings (Listed in Alphabetical Order):
Anne Erwin Sotheby's International Realty
CAIN Group
Canning Properties Group
Dreyfus Group
Echelberger Group
Gregg Lynn Team
Huff/Vaughn/Sassi
Luxury Property Group
Michelle Thomas Team
Private Client Group
Stanfield Real Estate Group
The Behr Team
The Field Team
The Power of 4
The Waterfront Team
Tom Evans Real Estate
On the 2022 list, Sotheby's International Realty claimed 43 of the top 250 sales associates in the REAL Trends individual sales volume category.
Chris Adlam
Ralph Arias
Scott Aurich
Serena Boardman
Binkan Cinaroglu
Lisa Cregan
Dan Dockray
Robert Dullnig
Andrew Ernemann
Carrie B. Goodman
Harald Grant
Eric Iantorno
Brad Kappel
Chris Klug
Michael LaPay
Eric Lavey
Mary Lee
Ginger Martin
Michael Martinez
Leslie McElwreath
Chandra Miller
Beate V. Moore
Craig Morris
Todd Peter
Russell Post
Bridget Ramey
Michael Rankin
Garrett Reuss
Hillary Ryan
Joseph Sabeh
Linda Sansone
Tara Shapiro
Tina Shone
John Shroyer
Wendy Storch
Darlene Streit
Alexis Tarumianz
Tyler Thomas
Jorge Uribe
Karen Van Arsdale
Christian Wach
Kumara Wilcoxon
Lea Williams
Binkan Cinaroglu
Anne Lusk
Darlene Streit
Michelle Thomas Team
The complete "The Thousand" top real estate professionals list can be found on REAL Trends' website, www.realtrends.com.
¹Copyright ©2021 "Existing Home Sales." NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. January 20, 2022, https://cdn.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/ehs-12-2021-overview-2022-01-20_0_0.pdf
Originally published on February 22, 2022 | Extraordinary Living Blog
Sotheby's International Realty is pleased to announce that its global network achieved a record US$204 billion in 2021 global sales volume, a 36% increase in sales growth year over year, as U.S. cities saw a resurgence of interest following the pandemic and sales activity in secondary and resort markets around the world remained strong. The brand's U.S. sales volume grew by 33.8% year over year, significantly outpacing NAR's national increase of 20.6% from the prior year,1 underscoring the brand's leadership in the high-end market.
"Our office’s sales volume in York County increased by nearly 35% over 2020 totals."2 said Linda Briggs, broker/owner of Anne Erwin Sotheby’s International Realty. "Our agents outperformed the industry average as clients continued to depend on our trusted expertise to navigate a constrained market."
The Sotheby's International Realty® brand's existing presence in major metropolitan and resort markets around the world ensured the brand was well-prepared to meet the renewed interest in cities and the sustained boom of secondary home markets.
Interest in U.S. cities such as New York, Miami, San Francisco, and Austin returned to pre-pandemic levels and helped trigger record-breaking sales. Other U.S. cities, such as Atlanta, Houston, and Los Angeles, also saw strong performances in 2021.
With remote and hybrid work models influencing buyer behavior in 2021, secondary markets and resort areas continued to produce high demand and increased prices. In the U.S., areas such as Florida, Hawaii, and Colorado saw record performances. Globally, second home markets in Australia, Spain, and Switzerland and resort areas in the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Turks & Caicos, and Puerto Rico achieved notable growth and record sales.
As buyers continued to prioritize properties that offered more space and land, states with no income tax such as Florida, Texas, and Wyoming offered added appeal, while the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and Singapore remained popular for their favorable tax structures and saw significant gains.
Sotheby's International Realty continued to lead the industry with its technology and marketing efforts. Sothebysrealty.com saw more than 46 million visitors in 2021, a 25% increase year-over-year and the most visits to the website in its history. The site was also named Best Real Estate Website in the People's Choice Category in the 25th Annual Webby Awards, recognizing the brand's efforts to introduce translations in 14 languages, nearly 60 currency conversions, and a mobile-first approach to emphasize the method in which today's clients are buying and selling homes.
Property videos, which exploded in popularity during the 2020 lockdown, have continued to trend as more buyers start the initial viewing process online. Videos produced by Sotheby's International Realty agents were played nearly 90 million times – a 50% increase year-over-year.
Sotheby's International Realty was also awarded the honor of 2021 Top Luxury Brokerage by Inman, the industry's leading source of real estate information. The prestigious award is a testament to the brand's achievements in luxury marketing, record-breaking sales, and high-quality service.
"Buyers continue to rely on virtual technology to make their homebuying process more convenient," said Chief Marketing Officer, Bradley Nelson. "As a brand, we have always sought out to establish the highest standard for marketing luxury properties and I am proud that our marketing and technology investments have been recognized as the ‘best' in the industry in 2021."
During another record year, Sotheby's International Realty continued to strategically expand its presence around the world. In 2021, the brand opened 86 new offices, bringing the brand's total presence to more than 1,000 offices in 79 countries and territories with more than 25,000 independent sales associates worldwide.
"Sotheby's International Realty continued to expand internationally in key markets," said Tammy Fahmi, senior vice president of global servicing and strategy for Sotheby's International Realty. "In 2021, the brand opened offices in five new territories and our international sales volume grew by 56% year over year. Our global presence is a draw for our agents and clients, and we continue to evaluate markets that will support our strategic growth."
In the EMEIA region, the brand expanded to Oman and Morocco and opened three new offices in the Swiss Alps region. In the Caribbean and Latin American region, the brand opened new offices in Jamaica and St. Kitts & Nevis during a boom of Caribbean interest.
As affluent individuals looked to purchase homes in a market with limited inventory, Sotheby's International Realty agents acted as true global real estate advisors. Referral sales volume within the brand's global network increased by nearly 80% year over year and the average sales price of these referrals increased by 21% year over year.
"Our ability to produce another historic year amid record demand and low inventory shows beyond a doubt that Sotheby's International Realty agents are resourceful, committed, and informed to meet and exceed the needs of their clients," concluded Fahmi.
Originally published on January 10, 2022 | Extraordinary Living Blog
The Sotheby’s International Realty® 2022 Luxury Outlook report is an ambitious exploration into high-end residential markets across the globe. With demand reaching record levels, inventory generally not keeping up, and people caring more than ever about their homes, this year has been a busy one. In this report, we follow the trends that are likely to shape the coming months across the world's prime housing markets, from the resurgence of urban cities to the return of the international buyer.
"More than ever—for buyers and sellers—working with a knowledgeable agent who truly understands the local market is of utmost importance. A great agent scours the market for deals where there is minimized inventory and can advise on the strongest secondary markets and areas of highest potential growth." - Philip A. White Jr., president and chief executive officer, Sotheby’s International Realty®
View the report below:
16-18 Bald Head Cliff Road South, Cape Neddick - sold by Anne Erwin Sotheby's International Realty - was 2021's highest sale in York, Maine.
2021 vs 2020 Local Statistics:
View this post on Instagram
Originally published on February 25, 2021 | Extraordinary Living Blog
Sotheby’s International Realty is pleased to announce that its affiliated brokers and independent sales professionals achieved a record US$150 billion in 2020 global sales volume, a nearly 32% increase in sales growth year over year, as the definition of home changed for consumers around the world. Due to a longstanding commitment to innovation, Sotheby's International Realty® agents were able to seamlessly help clients navigate the changing market dynamics brought on by the global pandemic with existing technology offerings which propelled business momentum.
"Agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty quickly pivoted to address the impact of the global pandemic," said Philip White, president and CEO of Sotheby's International Realty. "Thanks to innovations we pioneered nearly a decade ago, our affiliated companies and agents made the impossible possible. Their adaptability to serve clients safely further extended our position as a leader in luxury real estate."
Sotheby's International Realty continued to lead the industry and was well-positioned to meet the needs of consumers as the buying and selling process became increasingly virtual. Sotheby's International Realty agents accelerated the use of the brand's existing video, virtual reality, and live-streaming technology to produce new forms of content that engaged buyers and set a new standard for marketing luxury properties. Currently, buyers can safely tour more than 6,000 properties via virtual reality or video on sothebysrealty.com. Property videos also proved engaging on social media where the brand's YouTube channel delivered 43 million views, or the equivalent of more than one million hours watched.
"As a leader in the luxury real estate industry, Sotheby’s International Realty is able to anticipate trends," said Chief Marketing Officer, Bradley Nelson. "Our priority remains to present listings in the best possible manner and to provide a superb end-user experience however buyers prefer to search for their new home. Virtual technology has been at the forefront of our marketing strategy for several years and comes as naturally to us as our commitment to high quality service."
Despite travel restrictions, Sotheby's International Realty remained committed to expanding its global footprint and achieving strategic growth. In 2020, the brand opened more than 50 new offices across the world, bringing the brand’s total presence to nearly 1,000 offices in 75 countries and territories with approximately 24,000 independent sales associates worldwide.
The brand's existing affiliated companies around the world continued to grow in 2020. Sotheby's International Realty increased its total domestic presence to 45 states around the country. Sotheby's International Realty facilitated affiliate expansions through 12 domestic M&A transactions, including California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, and Washington.
The brand also continued to expand internationally in key markets and opened offices in seven new territories. In Europe, the brand expanded to Ukraine, Romania, Montenegro, and in Germany. In the Asia-Pacific region, the brand opened its first office in South Korea and expanded in the Caribbean and Latin American region with two new offices in Paraguay and Antigua & Barbuda.
"Our international footprint is one of our greatest competitive advantages," said Tammy Fahmi, vice president, global operations and international servicing. "Our brand's locations are in the most desirable places around the globe, so our clients know they can rely on our local market expertise wherever they are looking to buy or sell."
As affluent individuals looked to acquire secondary homes in markets around the world, Sotheby's International Realty agents acted as true global real estate advisors and referral volume surged by 42% to US$2.9 billion in closed sales volume.
"Our 2020 results prove what is possible when you focus on quality above all else. We remain proud to be the real estate brand of choice for so many luxury real estate experts and affluent clients. We will continue to work tirelessly to prove their trust has been well placed," concluded White.
Originally published on February 1, 2021 | Extraordinary Living Blog
Sotheby’s International Realty is pleased to announce the release of its inaugural 2021 Luxury Outlook report which examines high-end residential markets across the globe in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The comprehensive report provides insight into the world’s top primary and secondary markets and the anticipated wealth trends that will drive discretionary investment in the coming months. The report reveals that global wealth is forecasted to grow and pandemic trends are expected to persist in the year ahead. With priorities shifting toward larger homes with special amenities, including "Zoom rooms," multiple offices and workspaces, and an increased interest in sustainable homes with wellness and technology features, the Luxury Outlook highlights new spending habits and homebuying trends.
"As a leader in luxury real estate, it was important for us to analyze trends emerging from the most unparalleled year in modern history," said Bradley Nelson, chief marketing officer for Sotheby’s International Realty. "The pandemic recalibrated interest in larger, greener properties, secondary cities, and geographies with favorable tax and emigration policies. These preferences are likely here to stay for the foreseeable future, and it was important for us to provide a resource to those looking to navigate the months ahead."
4 Bayberry Lane, Cape Neddick - listed and sold by Anne Erwin Sotheby's International Realty - was 2020's highest sale in York, Maine.
See Bloomberg's coverage of the report, "Millennials Are Changing the Luxury Real Estate Market."
by Melissa Couch
Originally published on March 3, 2020 | Extraordinary Living Blog
Sotheby’s International Realty is pleased to announce that its affiliated brokers and sales professionals achieved more than $114billion USD in global sales volume, the highest annual U.S. sales volume performance in the history of the brand. $102 billion USD of the global sales volume was achieved in the U.S., marking another record accomplishment for the brand.
"In 2019, the Sotheby’s International Realty® brand continued to achieve solid growth,” said Philip White, president and chief executive officer for Sotheby’s International Realty. “The brand expanded into new countries and territories and entered new markets in the U.S. We continued to make strategic business decisions that benefitted both our independent sales associates and affiliate companies. I am immensely proud of the hard work and dedication from our vast global network, and I look forward to continuing this momentum in 2020."
Propelled by a strategic business move in March 2019, when Sotheby’s International Realty integrated its affiliate network and company-owned brokerage into one global organization, 50 new Sotheby’s International Realty offices were opened, bringing the brand’s presence to 1,000 offices in 70 countries and territories and more than 23,000 affiliated sales associates worldwide.
Sotheby’s International Realty continued to lead the category with the roll-out of exclusive marketing affiliations and first-ever technology launches, announcing it will soon unveil a new, fully integrated website. The brand’s existing website, sothebysrealty.com, saw another record year with more than 34 million visits, a 14 percent increase year-over-year. In addition, Sotheby’s International Realty was the first real estate brand to launch and implement mixed reality to its Curate by Sotheby’s International Realty sm augmented reality app, which merges the real world with virtual home staging. The platform can be utilized in various homebuying and selling scenarios, and particularly benefits agents and developers to help prospective buyers envision their new home. To support the daily business needs of the network’s more than 23,000 independent sales associates, the brand unveiled Current by Sotheby’s International Realty® a robust marketing suite of technology tools consisting of best-in-class and exclusive apps, which provide sales associates with a distinctive and competitive edge in the market. For partnerships, the brand entered into an affiliation with Bloomberg.com as the exclusive launch sponsor for a new luxury properties marketplace.
The Sotheby’s International Realty brand and its independent sales associates continued its support for New Story, the brand’s charitable partner and a certified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. As a result, 83 families, who were among those who lost their homes in the 2017 earthquakes, were able to move into their new homes in Morelos, Mexico. A total of 153 homes in Haiti and Mexico were funded through the initiative.
This year observed significant growth for the brand’s existing affiliate companies in the United States through recruitment efforts and strategic mergers and acquisitions. Most notably, the brand increased its market presence in Brooklyn, New York; the Greater Boston area, Massachusetts; and Indiana. The brand also entered several new key markets last year, expanding the Sotheby’s International Realty network’s presence to 43 states across the country.
Outside the U.S. the Sotheby’s International Realty brand achieved more than $12 billion USD in sales volume and continued to expand into key markets around the world. In Europe, the brand grew its presence in Monaco; France; and Berlin and Binz, Germany. New offices were also opened in Doha, Qatar; and Paphos, Cyprus, expanding the brand’s global presence in marketing luxury listings. In the Caribbean and South America, the brand saw growth in Zapallar, Chile, an upscale residential community located two hours outside of Santiago; and agreements were signed to expand into the Anguilla territory. In the Asia-Pacific region, new offices were opened in Tauranga, New Zealand; and Port Douglas, Hobart, and Perth, Australia.
For those who raise the bar, there is only Sotheby’s International Realty
Forbes.com: 3,929-Acre Hub And Homestead In Central New York Is On The Market For $65 Million
MansionGlobal.com: Elie Tahari Doubles Down on Selling Hamptons Beach House
RobReport.com: Home of the Week: Inside a Spectacular, $20 Million Colorado Estate That Doubles as a 100-Car Auto Museum & MansionGlobal.com: This Retired Racing Driver’s Colorado Estate Has Its Own Car Museum
FT.com: The Landmark US Skyscrapers Refurbished For Luxury Living
by Erik Weinbrecht
Originally published on March 14, 2019 | Extraordinary Living Blog
Inspired by the pages of RESIDE® Magazine, RESIDE by Sotheby’s International Realty® explores the incredible people, places, and brands featured in the magazine, bringing their stories to life. From the nightlife of one of the world’s favorite cities, to art and beyond, RESIDE by Sotheby’s International Realty explores the best of luxury living.
On this episode, we visit the Dominican Republic, discover the eclectic culture of Portland, Oregon, and talk to award-winning Minneapolis Chef, Jamie Malone.
Sergio Llach – Dominican Republic Sotheby’s International Realty
https://s.sir.com/2TjcgQA
Deb Tebbs – Cascade Sotheby’s International Realty
https://s.sir.com/2XGmclU
Chef Jamie Malone – Grand Cafe
https://www.grandcafemn.com
Episode 2 Transcript:
Hello and welcome to RESIDE® by Sotheby’s International Realty. I’m Erik Weinbrecht your host and guide as we dive into the pages of RESIDE magazine to discover more about the incredible people, places, and brands featured within. Please be sure to like, follow, and subscribe to @sothebysrealty on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to experience incredible homes and stories from around the world. Without further delay, let’s get started.
Erik Weinbrecht (EW)
Featured in the latest edition of RESIDE in a round-up of Caribbean destinations, the Dominican Republic is home to a rich cultural history and a highly touted reputation for some of the world’s favorite rum, chocolate, coffee, and golf. With me today to explore this incredible destination is Sergio Llach, president and CEO of Dominican Republic Sotheby’s international Realty. How’s it going Sergio?
Sergio Llach (SL)
I’m doing great, Buenos tardes.
EW
Thank you again for taking the time to join me today. The article in the most recent edition of RESIDE features these incredible destinations in the Caribbean and the Dominican Republic is one of them so you know, where do we start? You know with all the choices in the Caribbean, why the Dominican Republic? What makes it stand out?
SL
I would say my friend is the friendly people and the service provided. It’s something that’s not found on any other Caribbean nation particularly because Spanish is our primary language, so that’s what I would say – the people in the service that they offer.
EW
Now one of the things that you mentioned you know when we first started speaking, before we actually started rolling tape, you told me to add golf into the description of the Dominican Republic. What makes golf so important there?
SL
Well first of all the teeth of the dog is the number one course in the entire Caribbean for countless years and just in our eastern side of the country that we must have at least twenty world-class golf courses. Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, and Robert Trent Jones you know, famous worldwide designers, people from all over the world come just to go here.
EW
And you know that that kind of ties well into the magazine article, you know it focuses mostly on tourism and the people who vacation there, what’s full time life like ther in the DR?
SL
Full time life down here is great because the DR is not just a small country it’s a very big nation and we have Santo Domingo just an hour or so away with three million people and there are symphonies and culture and restaurants. Out in the east where are all the resorts are, you have the lifestyle you want to live with the golfing with the weather year round with the service year round and the restaurants, marinas – everything you could possibly want from a United States or European standpoint. You has with great weather year round and the ocean two steps away.
EW
Are you finding that a lot of people are buying you know their second or third homes in the DR or are they really coming and living there full time?
SL
You know it always starts out with a, “let me buy because we’re going to use it for two or four weeks per year,” and as families get into the culture and the lifestyle down there it evolves into six months a year. The typical lifespan of a buyer in our part of the Dominican Republic can range anywhere from ten to thirty or more years. This is really interesting, it is fabulous actually, everybody always wants ocean front property that’s kind of like the dream for Caribbean and buyers today it is almost impossible for me to find some great ocean front property available because all the children and the grandchildren don’t want to sell the homes! I have an inventory issue.
EW
Well you’re having a legacy issue.
SL
Yeah yeah really it’s true and it’s nice because you know the kids are like no you know where we gonna go not only do we grew up here and our kids are going after that where is there that’s anywhere better offers everything we offer so it’s quite fascinating.
EW
And where do you find your buyers are coming from? Are they are they local or they natives or are they coming from you have a specific place? Is there a specific feeder market
SL
This one of those interesting questions about our market since Santo Domingo is an hour away, I would say fifty percent of our buyers come from that mega feeder to market, which is something right in the country. And then the rest of the mega feeder markets are New York, France, Spain, Canada – all over the world because there are direct flights to Punta Cana and Santo Domingo from every major airline and that’s the key to any feeder market.
EW
With twenty eighteen now you know well and the rear view mirror what’s on the horizon for the Dominican Republic? What’s going on in in twenty nineteen and what you looking forward to?
SL
From a tourism and lifestyle point of view I see it only getting better and better because as most people learn the differences between for example the all-inclusive in the Punta Cana areas they learn about the more upscale lifestyles in certain areas in Punta Cana and La Romana, so I think it’s just gonna grow. The world doesn’t know about Casa de Campo and the world doesn’t know too much about the resorts in Punta Cana, but every year they know more and more so I think it only get better. And a as a as living there more and more I hear, “Gosh I’d like to live here more, gosh I’d like to live here more,” so I see it only positive Erik.
EW
Well thank you for taking the time to join me today, you know I think you’ve given everybody some insight into the Dominican Republic and you know maybe now you know people will know Casa De Campo.
SL
Tell the check us out! As we say here me, “me casa, tu casa!”
EW
Excellent! Be sure to check out the article on sothebysrealty.com to learn more about the Dominican Republic and the other destinations in the Caribbean, thanks again Sergio!
SL
Thanks Erik, take care, bye bye, ciao ciao.
EW
From the sandy beaches and warm escapes of the Caribbean our journey takes us to Portland Oregon where the night life reflects the city’s vibrant, varied and incredibly diverse cultural reputation. Deb Tebbs owner and CEO of Cascade Sotheby’s International Realty is here to take us out for a night on the town, hi Deb.
Deb Tebbs (DT)
Hi!
EW
Hi how’s everything going?
DT
It’s going great how are you?
EW
I’m doing okay! So Portland was featured in the most recent addition of reside magazine and I figured you’d be the expert to talk to, right?
DT
Well I certainly know the city well!
EW
Good good. So Portland is very much so in the vernacular of pop culture these days – tell tell me why so many people are going to Portland?
DT
Well I think it’s a kind of a combination of a few things – up first of all it’s a it’s just a flat out right foodie destination, so the diversity of of cuisine is is unending with food carts down to in a five star restaurants and just a diverse Food Network. The other in their tracks people to Portland is the craft beer scene so there are a myriad of breweries and if it’s not your gig then there’s the wineries that are all within an hour’s drive from downtown.
EW
You said craft beer and I just started nodding my head, “yes yes yes.” So I mean the craft beer phenomenon and and you know the cultural importance of cuisine that’s something that I definitely becomes part of a city’s DNA but it’s something that’s a part of many different cities DNAs, what’s what’s something that really sets the city apart from other metropolitan cultural hubs the United States?
DT
As far as the food and beer or just in general? [laughs]
EW
In general what’s something that’s unique to Portland?
DT
Well you know I’ve been to a lot of different cities and I think first of all to think about that Portland isn’t a big city it’s a it’s a it’s a little city I call it a baby city. It’s really accessible to walk so you can walk you know from just about anywhere within the city and I know that that happens in a lot of different places but it’s, it’s the vibe it’s small. There are the biking and the walking it’s it’s very easy accessible areas – lots of green belts lots of water are you know there’s its three or four different rivers to come together there. The vibe of the people definitely laid back and artsy very different than if you’re in New York City or or a San Francisco just a very different culture. That makes sense?
EW
Yeah it sounds very varied I’m getting this kind of – and personally I I have not been to Portland – but I’m getting this this vibe for me that it’s kind of like a um Brooklyn with more injections of nature around it.
DT
That’s spot on and I think that yeah the park factor is a big deal that and the clean air the recreation and then it’s got it’s really diverse. Because they have all these little eclectic neighborhoods within the city so there are a myriad of of areas that you can choose to live in. Starting from the pearl district to Multnomah Village, to the Beaumont area, lake Oswego there and all of those neighborhoods bring their own flavor to the city.
EW
Okay so they each have their own kind of unique fingerprint that that you know defines them.
DT
Absolutely, absolutely and and they’re all very diverse. If you’re in the pearl district you’re in a high rise condo that you know is overlooking the river and you’re basically not driving anywhere you’re walking or biking. If you’re in lake Oswego you’ve got a beautiful home on the lake and that’s a completely different setting and vibe. If you’re in Irvington or north west you’re in an area of homes that are older and more established in kind of the original neighborhoods of the city. So there’s there’s a lot to choose from.
EW
From churches converted into concert venues and Twin Peaks inspired lounges the piece in RESIDE paints this very eclectic picture of Portland’s night life that seems to kind of mirror the the eclectic nature of the different neighborhoods. What’s your can’t miss spot?
DT
My can’t-miss spot is Al’s Den. Al’s Den is a part of Mcmenamins which again was originally developed out of an old church and it’s this underground place – so you walk underneath and this kind of it’s all bricks and dark kind of it den like and there’s all different types of a live music going on down there I’m just real different types of music to. The night I was there it was kind of bluegrass–y, but they’ve got different venues. Hale Pele is a tiki bar recently voted number one tiki bar in America so that’s a cool hip spot, and then the vault cocktail lounge is kind of like a hidden gem in the pearl district. If you want to go there to have a a real signature cocktail made up for you that’s a spot to go.
EW
I have to say that my favorite part about doing this podcast so far is I’m learning about all these incredible cities that you know are very accessible for for me to get to and I I keep having these these things added to my, I don’t wanna call my “bucket list,” but you know a list of of things to do every time I go into a new city.
DT
Yeah, and well there’s a kind of a saying in Portland it says, “keep Portland weird,” and it’s true! It’s eclectic and it’s inclusive and that’s the vibe there and it’s it’s really celebrated through the for the diverse culture residents because there, it’s an extremely diverse from tech to retirement to people who are developing their vineyards who are growing wine. I mean it’s just and then you know you’re an hour where you’re at the you’re at the Oregon coast. Your an hour away your up skiing Mount Hood. So it’s just the accessibility for so many different lifestyles.
EW
Is there anything special coming to the city that we should keep an eye out for?
DT
Well I have heard I don’t know if it’s clarified but there’s a group of investors including the Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and his wife that are trying to bring Major League Baseball to Portland it’s the Portland diamond project.
EW
That sounds very cool! I’m a I’m a big baseball guys so that’s that’s exciting it’s been a while since there’s been an expansion with a new team so that would be really cool.
DT
Yeah they do a lot with soccer, with their Timbers but yeah so that that would be exciting for the city for sure.
EW
Well thank you so much for your time today Deb and thanks for for keeping it weird!
DT
Thanks for having me on, bye!
EW
Chef Jamie Malone had a busy twenty eighteen. Her year old Minneapolis restaurant the Grand Cafe was named one of Food and Winemagazine’s best new restaurants of twenty eighteen and her decadently high-end French inspired chicken liver moose donut was named the magazine’s twenty eighteen dish of the year. On top of that chef Jamie and her business partner procured a second restaurant, East Side just this past October. Chef Jamie thanks for joining me today!
Chef Jamie – CJ
Thank you so much for having me!
EW
It’s it’s it’s an honor to have an award-winning chef on our second episode of the podcast!
CJ
[Laughs] Exciting for me too!
EW
So, I mean what drew you to French cuisine?
CJ
you know I think sometimes I liken it to music that you fall in love with when you’re young. Most people I think you know the music they first fall in love with when they’re fourteen fifteen sixteen they’re sort of in love with forever. And that’s kind of how I feel about food I first fell in love with French food and you know one of the reasons I love food is you get to learn about all kinds of different cultures but French food is my first love so it runs the deepest.
EW
And you’re a native to Minneapolis right?
CJ
I am yeah
EW
How did French cuisine come up in the culture there? Is that something that’s inherently special to Minneapolis?
CJ
No it’s not and you know I went to Le Cordon Bleu so I went to you know a traditional French culinary school, but actually before my time there were some French restaurants in Minneapolis. But when I was coming up there weren’t a lot of them and I think that made it feel even more special and a little bit exotic, especially the kind of French food I like to cook which is very old fashioned very you know very traditional so, so to me it felt exotic.
EW
So do you find ways to take the traditionalist approach to a French cuisine do you do you find ways to kind of work in some of the city into that cuisine?
CJ
You know I think the for me the most important way to do that is to create relationships with purveyors and you know so we have people who do flour locally obviously we’re the mill city so that’s kind of a big thing here. And we get a lot of produce locally that’s kind of the biggest way to make the tie in but I’m not I’m not one of those cooks whose hyper focused on the place where we’re at I’m kind of more in interested in transporting our guests.
EW
Where you find the inspiration for your dishes?
CJ
You know I think my inspiration for food it comes through just experiences that have brought me pleasure and that I have loved and have stuck with me an impacted me and so I always try to distill that within the personality of the restaurant. You know I get inspiration from really old cookbooks there’s just certain things that you know read about or it’s just like all man that’s just elegant and stunning and I just love everything about it I love you know sometimes the necessity from which things came and then there are you know created and then their refined over generations to be this thing of elegance and art and that I just find incredibly beautiful, but as far as you know for the restaurant also are trying to create dishes but also try to create like the whole world everything about the restaurant is just kind of its own little world, so we like to tie in everything not just the food.
EW
So what do we mean by that, like the décor?
CJ
The music, the decor in the style of service, the words we use I’ve got a funny story actually my business partner Nicky on Monday we were having a conversation and we’re talking about exactly this and I said you know we can we can dig deeper into the words that we use on the on the dining room floor, but to say you know if someone comes into reservation instead of saying great we should say like marvelous because it feels kind of Old World and unique and instead of marvelous I said “marvelfluff” [laughs] Weird, so that’s forever our word. We always joke around about that, but we’re trying to put a lot of spotlight on the nuances.
EW
So so to lean on your words, speaking of things that are that are “Marvelfluff,” How how did you come up with the with the award winning donut? I I’ve got to know.
CJ
You know it was a work in progress and an old chef partner of mine Eric Anderson and I used to kind of do riffs on things with chicken liver all the time and that was just one of the evolutions that it came into It just really felt like are you know chicken livers is very old fashioned and very rich and can be kind of boring still a little maybe grandma-ish, which I do like, this felt like a really fun and a super fun evolution of it. I like to incorporating pastry techniques in savory food so we use something called Luster Dust for the glaze so it’s like sparkling glittery and it’s got all those kind of whimsical qualities of a French pastry but it’s savory.
EW
Very interesting I mean I I have a very adventurous palates as I as I’m told I and I constantly love to try new things and the moment I read that in in both food and wine and in RESIDE magazine I just said, I’ve got to try it, I’ve got to go to Minneapolis to try it I absolutely have to. You mentioned that chicken liver feels kind of like grandma-ish and and that that gets me thinking, how does a background like yours where you have you know this this deep and you know kind of like all-encompassing love for food, but you also have this professional training – how does that differ you from those who are who are brought up in the kitchen and you know they kind of cut their teeth with their grandma standing next to them and you know holding their hands and things like that?
CJ
Yeah that’s a good question. You know I think most cooks even who have gone through culinary school really the way you do cut your teeth is either in the kitchen or you probably do have some sort of deeper history growing up with food, which I think is both in the same for me. I think the big difference with culinary school is you really have concentrated time to focus on foundational techniques.
EW
So I mean twenty eighteen has been an absolutely whirlwind of a year it seems like for you with you know everything that you have going on and you know we’re just getting into February of of twenty nineteen so what do you think this year has in store for you?
CJ
You know just we’ve got two restaurants now we’ve got a great team and we’re just going to put our heads down and work on making everything better and more fun and more magical.
EW
No rest for the wicked, right?
CJ
Yeah, exactly [laughs]
EW
Well thank you very much for joining us today on the podcast and be sure to visit chef Jamie the next time you’re in Minneapolis and experience her unforgettable culinary creations. Thanks again Chef Jamie.
CJ
Thank you so much for having me.
EW
Thanks again to Sergio, Deb, and Chef Jamie for taking the time to be with us today. Thanks also to Stephen Connelly behind the board and all of you for listening. Don’t forget to subscribe to the RESIDE by Sotheby’s International Realty podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen. If you’re craving more RESIDE visit sothebysrealty.com/reside for more from this and previous issues of the magazine. Until next time…
Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC today reported that in 2018 its affiliated brokers and sales professionals achieved more than $112 billion USD in global sales volume, the highest annual sales volume performance in the history of the brand. Additionally, 27 affiliated companies surpassed $1 billion USD in sales volume in 2018.
"Experts predicted that 2018 would be a slow year for the global real estate market," said Philip White, president and chief executive officer, Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. "Despite the forecast, our talented affiliated companies and their sales associates continued to perform at the top of their game to drive a year-over-year sales volume increase that is truly remarkable. We are going to keep the momentum going in 2019 and we will continue to empower the Sotheby’s International Realty network by offering innovative products, tools, and research to provide best-in-class service."
The Sotheby’s International Realty brand also reported growth across its global network. At year-end, the network totaled more than 990 offices in 72 countries and territories and more than 22,500 affiliated sales associates worldwide.
In the United States, the Sotheby’s International Realty brand achieved more than $100 billion USD in sales volume in 2018. This year witnessed continued significant growth by the brand’s existing affiliate companies through talent attraction as well as mergers and acquisitions. Most notably, the brand increased its market presence in Essex and the Acton-Boxborough area of Massachusetts; Greater Portland, Oregon; and Nashville, Tennessee. The brand also entered several key new markets last year, namely, Bandon, Oregon; Huntsville, Alabama; the Sandhills Region of North Carolina; Mendocino, Fort Bragg, and Ventura, California.
Outside the United States, the Sotheby’s International Realty brand achieved more than $12 billion USD in sales volume in 2018 while continuing to expand into key markets. In Europe, the brand grew its presence in Menorca and Madrid, Spain; Sylt and Bern, Germany; Kitzbühel, Austria; Zurich, Switzerland; and Slovakia. The brand also sold the rights to the island country of Cyprus. In Asia, new offices were opened in Colombo, Sri Lanka; and Bangkok, Thailand, and agreements were signed to expand into Jakarta and Bali in Indonesia, and Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam and the Maldives. The brand also saw growth in Mexico City, Mexico; the Metropolitan area of Puebla; Valle de Bravo and Malinalco in Estado de Mexico; and Cuernavaca and Tepoztlán in Morelos.
2018 was an impactful year for the brand with the roll-out of new tools and offerings. Sotheby’s International Realty became the first real estate brand to launch and implement a virtual staging augmented reality app, transforming the home buying and selling experience for sales associates and consumers with the launch of Curate by Sotheby’s International Realty℠. Design Vault, a cloud-based ad-builder tool was also unveiled, allowing companies and agents to create advertising, marketing and social assets with ease. The brand entered a custom-publishing relationship with The Wall Street Journal / Barron’s Group to present RESIDE®, a bespoke luxury lifestyle magazine providing affiliate companies around the world a turnkey solution to creating a customized, branded magazine. The publication’s inception also birthed the brand’s new podcast series. In partnership with Inman, an exclusive channel called Leading in Luxury was launched, featuring experts from the Sotheby’s International Realty brand discussing trends, best practices and innovations in luxury real estate.
"As much as it was revolutionary, 2018 was also an affirmative year for the brand," said Kevin Thompson, chief marketing officer, Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. "The Sotheby’s International Realty brand has always stood at the forefront of innovation in the industry, but we recognize that in order to maintain this standard, we need to continue to press forward. With the launch of new technology and tools, we continued that tradition, always aiming to provide industry-leading levels of service that sales associates affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty around the world are known for."
The Sotheby’s International Realty brand website, sothebysrealty.com, saw another record year with more than 30 million visits, a 13 percent increase year-over-year, with 13 percent of traffic generated from new users. Top searches on sothebysrealty.com in the United States included New York, New York; Malibu, California; and Los Angeles, California. Outside of the United States, the top locations searched were London, United Kingdom; Paris, France; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Lake Como, Italy; and Sydney, Australia.
The Sotheby’s International Realty brand’s affiliated companies and sales associates raised nearly $1 million USD to date for New Story, the brand’s charitable partner and a certified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The funds raised have gone directly to the construction of new homes in Morelos, Mexico for families who lost their homes in the 2017 earthquakes.
"It was awe-inspiring to visit the families in Mexico whose lives will be forever changed by the generosity of our network," said White following a recent trip to visit two recently constructed communities in Mexico. "Partnering with New Story as a charitable partner allowed us to extend the services we provide daily: to help people discover homes that allow them to live their best life."
The Sotheby’s International Realty® brand claimed 40 of the top 250 sales associates in the Individual Sales Volume category of the 2018 REAL Trends/The Wall Street Journal "The Thousand." In addition, 12 teams affiliated with the Sotheby’s International Realty brand were recognized as being among the top 250 teams in the nation by sales volume. The annual report ranks America’s top 1,000 residential real estate agents and teams based on 2017 annual sales volume and transaction sides.
