Douglas Elliman, New York City’s largest residential brokerage and a growing player across the country, sold $18 billion of real estate nationwide last year, representatives for the firm told The Real Deal.
The year-end sales volume, up from $14 billion in 2013, was disclosed at the brokerage’s annual awards ceremony – dubbed the Ellies – that took place Feb. 12 at Cipriani.
A team led by “Million Dollar Listing” star Fredrik Eklund and his business partner John Gomes broke the firm’s all-time record with $371 million worth of closed sales in 2014, with another $705 million in pending contracts for more than $1 billion of sales combined.
“It was a hell of a year on every level,” Eklund posted on Instagram, where he bragged a few months ago about his team’s record-breaking year. On the night of the Ellies, he posted: “I’m still just that kid from Sweden realizing my dreams in New York, came here with nothing, and tonight I will be celebrating with a billion reasons!”
Marcos Cohen took home the honors for top individual agent by gross commission income, repeating his feat from 2012. Robert Nicoletti won for top individual agent by number of transactions.
Led by Chairman Howard Lorber and CEO Dottie Herman, Elliman, now at 5,500 agents, has expanded into Florida and California over the past few years. Elliman’s Miami office sold $1.21 billion worth of real estate last year. And with more than 1,720 agents in New York City, it was the city’s largest brokerage last year, according to a TRD ranking based on data from Online Residential. Elliman had $3.6 billion in listings, as TRD reported, and more than 50 agents had listings priced at $10 million or more. The Hamptons office sold $136 million in listings over $10 million. Representatives for Elliman said it has added 50 agents and three managers in Brooklyn within the past year.
Meanwhile, Douglas Elliman Development Marketing put $3.9 billion worth of real estate in contract last year, sources said.