Engel & Völkers expands to the Florida Keys

UPDATED, Jan. 16, 11 a.m.: Engel & Völkers is island hopping.

The brokerage opened a new office at 90773 Old Highway in Islamorada, marking its expansion into the Florida Keys.

John Gallant, who owned Blue 9 Realty, the brokerage that previously operated in the same space as Engel & Völkers’ new office, will lead the branch as license partner and broker, according to a press release.

The office will host a grand opening on Feb. 22.

Blue 9 Realty, previously Heritage Realty, had three locations, including Islamorada, West Palm Beach and one in Cartagena, Colombia. Gallant has nearly 10 years of real estate experience.

Peter Giese, chief growth officer of Engel & Völkers Florida, said in a statement that the brokerage is focused on entering markets such as Big Pine Key, Key Largo, Key West, the Lower Keys and Marathon.

The new office adds to Engel & Völkers Florida’s franchise locations, which are spread throughout the state and include Boca Raton, Wellington, Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Timo Khammash and Oliver Tonn co-own Engel & Völkers Florida, the master franchise partner.

A year ago, developer Tricia Ward-Holloway joined Engel & Völkers Palm Beach as a license partner, in addition to acquiring the rights to Engel & Völkers Banner Elk in North Carolina, where a number of South Florida residents have vacation homes. Since then, Ward-Holloway relinquished ownership of the Palm Beach office to focus on Banner Elk, a spokesperson said.

Last month, Engel & Völkers expanded to St. Augustine with license partner and broker Jenn Bryndall and her husband, Greg Bryndal.

The Florida Keys, like other parts of South Florida, is grappling with an affordable housing crisis and vulnerability to sea level rise. Monroe County was seeking a portion of the $633 million Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity received from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to raise roads and elevate buildings and homes.