Hamptons-based Brokerage Teams Up With Palm Beach Firm

A brokerage in the Hamptons and another in Palm Beach are officially bridging the gap between their respective luxury enclaves.

Hamptons-based firm Saunders & Associates and South Florida’s Premier Estate Properties are forming a partnership that will allow the two to share referrals and listing information, the firms announced on Wednesday. Under the alliance, the brokerages will also host joint networking opportunities and other related events.

The partnership announcement comes as other independent firms have teamed up with counterparts in complementary markets, moves they made to expand their reach as the industry’s largest brokerages continue to get bigger through increased consolidation.

Earlier this month, the Modlin Group, which has operations in Manhattan and the Hamptons, launched a joint venture with Knight Frank, a London-based consultancy and estate firm. New York City townhouse specialist Leslie J. Garfield also has a partnership with London-based firm Russell Simpson.

The Hamptons and Palm Beach have long shared a symbiotic relationship among the nation’s wealthiest class, and that connection has only grown stronger in recent years. Several agents across both markets have begun spending time on both coasts, chasing clients such as hedge-funder Scott Schleiffer and Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, who own properties in each market.

Both Saunders and Premier Estate are among the top operators in their respective markets. Saunders placed fourth among the top brokerages in the Hamptons with nearly $1.4 billion in sales across more than 420 transactions, according to The Real Deal’s latest ranking.

Premier Estate had three of the top 20 agents and teams in Palm Beach on its roster in TRD’s 2026 ranking, including the Pascal Liguori Estate Group, D’Angelo-Ligouri team and Margit Brandt.

Premier Estate was founded in 1993 and is owned by Gerard Liguori, Carmen D’Angelo Jr. and Joseph G. Liguori. The firm opened its second outpost in Palm Beach last summer, which Brandt leads. It also has five other offices spread across the region, including in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton.

Saunders has been in the Hamptons since 2008, when it was founded by Andrew Saunders. It’s the largest independent firm on Long Island’s East End with roughly 200 agents.

Late last year, one of Saunders’ top agents, Ed Bruehl, left the firm to head Christie’s International Real Estate Group’s East Hampton outpost, which it opened in 2023. Before leaving the firm, Bruehl worked closely with another of the brokerage’s top agents, Jennifer Wilson.