Certification underscores exemplary service to real estate clients enhanced by appreciation of other luxury assets — including home interiors, art, wine, jewelry, watches and other collectibles
Erin Williamson, Pablo Rener, and Calvin Campbell from First Team Real Estate honored for completing the exclusive program and earning the designation
Houston, Texas (November 14, 2019) — Christie’s International Real Estate, the real estate arm of Christie’s, the world’s leading art auction house, welcomed 200 brokers from its global network, to the company’s invitation-only Luxury Specialist Conference. The annual forum, held November 12 and 13 at the five-diamond Uptown Post Oak Hotel in Uptown Houston, included experts in high-end real estate and a spectrum of other luxury segments, all providing insights on how to provide differentiated and exclusive client service.
Leadership and philanthropy, both valued when operating at the highest levels of real estate sales, were addressed as key elements to deepening ties with existing and prospective clients. At the conclusion of the conference, attendees were bestowed with the “Christie’s International Real Estate Luxury Specialist” designation by Christie’s Education, which is reserved for brokers who have shown a dedication to exceptional client service by continuing to acquire expertise and insights into the ever-evolving luxury sector.
Pictured from left: Dan Conn, Chief Executive Officer, Christie’s International Real Estate; Pablo Rener, Luxury Specialist, First Team Real Estate
“Erin, Pablo, and Calvin are all extremely successful and talented professionals. I cannot think of more deserving and dedicated agents to receive this designation from our luxury partners,” explained Cameron Merage, CEO, and founder of First Team Real Estate. “We are proud and delighted to have these individuals as luxury leaders in our local markets, sharing the values and strategies of First Team and Christie’s International Real Estate with every buyer and seller they assist.”
Dan Conn, CEO of Christie’s International Real Estate, said: “We continue to focus our efforts on helping our network members and their agents to become trusted advisors to their clients in every sense of the word, and to provide them with unique marketing tools and services with which to service their clients in a way that no other agents can. We invite our Affiliates to exhibit real estate at top auctions around the world, to participate in sponsored luxury events such as the Concours d’Elegance car show in Pebble Beach, to create special evenings with Christie’s specialists and leaders from our other luxury partners at homes offered for sale and to schedule tours for brokers and their top clients at our auction house locations around the world including our hubs in New York, London, Los Angeles and Hong Kong. No other network can offer this level of luxury expertise, education, and exposure, which further underscores the value of our Luxury Specialist designation.”
International attendees hailed from Argentina, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Taiwan, to name a few. In the United States, agents from New York to Florida and Montana to Hawaii were among those represented.
Pictured from left: Dan Conn, Chief Executive Officer, Christie’s International Real Estate; Calvin Campbell, Luxury Specialist, First Team Real Estate; Zackary Wright, Executive Director, Western Regional Manager, Christie’s International Real Estate
Participants heard from Christie’s International Real Estate executives, including Mr. Conn, and their industry-leading peers who provided their insights in separate presentations and panels. Christie’s colleagues discussed current interior design trends and an overview of the new book from Christie’s Education’s Agnes Berecz’s “100 Years 100 Artworks.” Luxury brands Pomellato, the Italian jewelry brand; Ulysse Nardin, the Swiss watch manufacturer; and Julia B., the custom linen boutique company, all of which are partners of the Christie’s International Real Estate network, joined the conference to provide hands-on experiences in their sectors, which are valuable to agents when interacting with top-tier clients.
Windows of the World Wine School; One More Wave, a nonprofit for rehabilitating veterans through surfing; and golf celebrity Michael Breed rounded out the conference presentations. Small group discussions also allowed those in attendance to share their real estate successes and challenges, while still leaving ample time for one-on-one networking and relationship building.
Earlier this year, Christie’s International Real Estate announced the formation of the Masters Circle, a group of top-performing agents from within the network. Erin Williamson and Pablo Rener are also a part of this elite group and as such, were invited to stay for additional programming after the conclusion of the main conference.
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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 49 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, Moscow, 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, 2019.) For additional information, please visit christiesrealestate.com.
