Over a dozen Southern California market experts from First Team Real Estate honored for completing the exclusive program at first-ever virtual conference with insights on global economy, evolving business strategies and luxury trends in art, collectibles and home design
Christie’s International Real Estate, the real estate arm of Christie’s, the world’s leading art auction house, welcomed over 700 brokers from 24 countries, to the network’s annual invitation-only Luxury Specialist Conference. This year’s event was held virtually November 17 and 18, attracting the largest number of participants in the history of the forum. At the conclusion of the conference, attendees were designated as a “Christie’s International Real Estate Luxury Specialist” by Christie’s Education.
“It is an honor to have a battalion of trained luxury leaders across our local Southern California markets, sharing the insights and strategies of First Team and Christie’s International Real Estate with each and every client they assist,” explained Cameron Merage, CEO, and founder of First Team Real Estate. “It is a testament to the quality of agents at our company that we had a total of fourteen agents receive this prestigious certification. I cannot think of more exemplary and dedicated agents to be honored.”
First Team / Christie’s International Real Estate agents awarded this prestigious designation include:
- Bridget Flavin Daniel
- Jeannette DeMarco
- Serena Goss
- Daniel Gray
- Lucia Honda
- Lisa Hosinski
- Lisa Hungerford
- Kathy Leimkuhler
- Austin McElrath
- Pablo Rener
- Odile Romans
- Kim Schumacher
- Diane Stathakis
- Jason Zwolak
Speakers at the conference included Elliot Eisenberg, internationally acclaimed economist renowned for making the science of global money policies clear and logical; Michael S. Smith, the interior designer appointed by President Barack Obama to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House and responsible for the 2010 makeover of the Oval Office; and Antoine Hodge, the bar and spirits director of the world-renowned Baccarat Hotel New York who led viewers through a mixology demonstration using a list of ingredients circulated prior.
Dan Conn, CEO of Christie’s International Real Estate, said: “Our agents are experts in their local markets, the reason their companies were invited to join our exclusive network. This conference, offering continuing education in the luxury sector, allows them to build on their local reputations with an appreciation for the full scope of the interests of high-end clients: art collectibles, home design, wellness, and philanthropy. The global flow of real estate transactions is unprecedented in the current climate, as people continue to work remotely. Understanding the worldwide economy, best practices for digital marketing, and leveraging the Christie’s International Real Estate suite of services will grow their businesses and deepen relationships with buyers and sellers.”
Participants also heard from Christie’s International Real Estate executives and their industry-leading peers who provided insights into managing their businesses in a volatile environment, digital approaches for buying and selling homes, managing client relations, and leveraging PR and social media to build personal brands. A series of group networking discussions explored target and feeder markets in order to increase referral business and luxury lifestyle trends. Christie’s executives gave an overview of the current art market and strategies for collecting art and luxury goods including, jewelry, wine, and handbags.
Equipped with the ability to connect the world’s most affluent buyers with local homeowners, and educated on the latest strategies for wealth-building and success in the global luxury market today, these First Team / Christie’s International Real Estate certified agents offer high-end Southern California clientele unrivaled service and support.
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About Christie’s International Real Estate
Christie’s International Real Estate has successfully marketed high-value real estate around the world for more than 30 years. Through its New York City brokerage and invitation-only Affiliate network spanning 48 countries and territories, Christie’s International Real Estate offers incomparable services to a global clientele at the luxury end of the residential property market. The company has offices in London, New York City, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Palm Beach, and its affiliated brokerages have recorded approximately US$500 billion of real estate transactions over the last five years. (Data as of September 30, 2020.) For additional information, please visit christiesrealestate.com.
