In an elaborate ceremony held last May, Barak Dunayer, founder of the boutique firm Barak Realty, handed out bonuses to his top–producing agents in an effort to build loyalty and keep his agents from bolting to larger firms.
One of those who received a check was Jeffrey Tanenbaum, who was honored as Barak’s top–earning sales agent.
But last month, Tanenbaum became a senior vice president at Halstead Property, the city’s fourth–largest brokerage.
“It’s very difficult for smaller agencies to go up against established firms and compete,” Tanenbaum said, explaining that he felt a larger agency would be advantageous to his growing business.
Dunayer wished Tanenbaum well, and said he wasn’t concerned in this instance about losing a top agent to a larger, rival firm. “I’m seeing a lot of movement between smaller and larger firms in both directions,” he said.