Elliman taps Bill Begert as new COO of the western region

He will lead California and Colorado, along with Stephen Kotler

Bill Begert, Stephen Kotler (Credit: Corcoran and Elliman, MaxPixel)
Bill Begert, Stephen Kotler (Credit: Corcoran and Elliman, MaxPixel)

There’s another addition to the C-suite at Douglas Elliman.

The firm hired Bill Begert — formerly of Corcoran Group — to be the brokerage’s COO for the western region, The Real Deal has learned. Begert will oversee day-to-day operations in California and Colorado, reporting to Stephen Kotler, CEO of Elliman’s western region. Kotler had served as the firm’s chief revenue officer, and had worked in the New York office for more than 25 years.

In October, Begert left his post as vice president of field operations for Corcoran, a position he held for eight years. Before that, he served as director of corporate affairs for five years and executive assistant to CEO Pam Liebman.

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Another Corcoran alum, Scott Durkin, took a big jump up the Elliman ladder in December, becoming president of the brokerage and overseeing the likes of Kotler and Florida CEO Jay Parker. Sources said news of Durkin’s promotion stunned New York CEO Steven James, who had expected the kick upstairs. And it renewed speculation about the future of Elliman CEO Dottie Herman, who has stepped back from day-to-day management of the company.

The hires and promotions are part of a drive to expand Elliman’s national footprint. In August, the firm acquired Los Angeles-based Teles, a fast-growing brokerage that had $3.4 billion in revenue in 2016. With Teles, Elliman added roughly 500 agents and 20 offices to its roster. It also announced plans to acquire Boston-based Otis & Ahearn in October.

Elliman also intends to move farther up the California coast to San Francisco. The firm has six offices in Los Angeles County, and another 15 spread throughout Southern California.