Top Corcoran Hamptons broker moves to Saunders & Associates

Veteran Hamptons broker Diane Saatchi has left behind her senior vice president position at the Corcoran Group for the smaller, more “personalized” feel of Bridgehampton-based Saunders & Associates, she told The Real Deal.

Saatchi, who has consistently been named one of Corcoran’s top five East End agents, joined the firm in 2004 after a 12-year stint at Dayton-Halstead, where she was a principal owner. During Saatchi’s tenure, Dayton-Halstead grew from a three- to 60-agent operation before it was purchased by Corcoran.

“If I decided that I wanted to get back into management again there’s room to do that at Saunders where there wouldn’t be at Corcoran,” Saatchi said of her decision to move. “At this point in my life, that smaller culture suits me… it reminds me in many ways of [Dayton-Halstead].”

Saatchi and her assistant, Anne Hyndman, will reunite at Saunders with the rest of the Saatchi team: former Corcoran brokers Dick Baker, Sarah Minardi and Heather Saskas. The trio moved to Saunders Nov. 3.

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Corcoran said they could not comment since it was a personnel issue.

Saatchi, whose last day at Corcoran was Dec. 23 — she started at Saunders the next day, Christmas Eve — said reactions from her former colleagues have been mixed.

“I’ve gotten a variety of emails from my colleagues… from, ‘I’m going to miss you’ to ‘I’m jealous,'” she said.

Saatchi’s listings technically belong to Corcoran, though her clients have the option to transfer with her to Saunders. Some have already made the decision to do so, she said, but would not specify which ones.