Brian DusseauWhen Keller Williams, the self-proclaimed second-largest brokerage in the nation, stormed into Manhattan this year with super-broker Ilan Bracha at the helm, industry insiders wondered if its arrival would prompt a wave of movement among high-profile agents.
But four months later, and despite KW’s profit-sharing model, some of those waves are traveling the other direction. Bond New York last month announced that four Keller Williams agents have left to join Bond.
Brian Dusseau, who was a managing director at the rental and sales brokerage CitySites before joining Keller Williams NYC, leads a team of corporate rental brokers that includes his father, Larry Dusseau, and Doreen Fuentes.
Dusseau said despite his affinity for Bracha and Keller Williams CEO Adina Azarian, he couldn’t afford to stay at Keller Williams, because of the firm’s heavy focus on exclusive sales and rental listings.
“I came in thinking I’d help them with their open listings rental business,” he said. Instead, “they just want to do exclusives.” However, he said, “the majority of rental buildings aren’t exclusive, and I needed more listings to support my clients, especially during the spring and summer, when business picks up.”
Another Keller Williams agent who moved to Bond is Steve Sosna, formerly a manger at the sales and rental brokerage Absolute Properties NYC.
Bruno Ricciotti, who cofounded Bond New York in 2000, said he expects to see more and more brokers returning to traditional firms from companies trying out newer models.
“Some agents are hoping that there’s a free lunch out there,” he said, “but it’s just a matter of who pays for the support.”