Updated, November 9, 2016, 12:46 p.m.: After a year-long stint with Compass, luxury broker and former music industry executive Annie Challis jumped to Coldwell Banker’s Beverly Hills South office last month.
Challis, who was president of Stiefel Entertainment before taking on real estate in 2005, told The Real Deal she left Compass to have international reach. She wanted to refer her high-profile clients seeking abodes in London — where she was born and raised — to other agents at the same firm, and to benefit from their referrals in Los Angeles.
“Compass is a great idea, it is a great startup, but I am British and known in England, so it felt silly not to use those contacts,” she said, mentioning that Rod Stewart, who she managed at Stiefel, remains her “best friend.”
“Coldwell Banker is involved [in London],” she said, adding that she was excited to work for under the guidance of a woman, regional manager Beth Styne.
Before joining Compass, Challis was a broker with Keller Williams, which also lacked an international referrals program.
“In England, they don’t have inspections or contracts like we do and they need their handholding,” she said. “[The referrals] help with that.”
Challis is not the only agent to leave Compass for Coldwell after a short run. Three agents who had left Coldwell for Compass returned to their former home in September, TRD reported, after only eight months at the firm.
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that Beth Styne was head of Greater Los Angeles at Coldwell Banker. She is regional manager.