For industry veteran John Lawrence, real estate has always been about more than buying and selling homes. It’s about achieving the financial goals of clients and the professional aspirations of the talented agents who seek out the often daunting but always rewarding New York City real estate market.
John’s own 34-year real estate career began right after college, inspired by friends and family in the business and his passion for architecture. He made a sale on his very first day, setting the stage for a rapid ascent to top producer. After selling more than 75 townhouses and brownstones in less than two years, John pivoted his considerable talents to the sales management sector, where he oversaw the opening of numerous sales and rental divisions with Bellmarc Realty Group. In 2006, he was recruited by Douglas Elliman’s venerable Vice-Chair, Dottie Herman. John and his team of 50 agents joined the firm, and he went on to orchestrate more than $2 billion in sales per year while managing three offices and more than 400 agents.
In sales management, John excels at cultivating talent and motivating people to exceed their own expectations. During his time running one of the country’s most influential real estate divisions, that diligent hands-on approach resulted in coaching four REBNY Rookie of the Year winners. Two of his top brokers also earned the first Broker of the Year awards ever bestowed.
After his award-winning stint in sales management, John yearned to return to the trenches, so to speak. He joined forces with Joe Peraino to form The Peraino Lawrence Team at Douglas Elliman, one of the top-producing teams in New York real estate. In addition to assembling the dynamic group, John counts among his proudest achievements of that era the $35.5 million sale of a full-floor apartment at the illustrious One57 condominium on Billionaire’s Row.
By leveraging his considerable leadership skills in the team environment rather than the multi-office sales management arena, John is able to maximize his unique coaching style for a boutique audience of hand-selected agents. He’s earned an impressive reputation across the industry for his supportive communication style and collaborative, team-oriented approach. John’s decades of experience and agile mindset are ideal for overcoming obstacles and avoiding challenges before they arise. He truly shines at building consensus and driving stakeholders toward a common goal. Both straightforward and easygoing, clients and fellow agents alike admire John’s ability to make even the most complex deals look effortless.
In 2021, a strong offer from the Compass executive team laid the foundation for another compelling career pivot — creating a unique, diverse and nimble real estate collective intentionally assembled to maximize Compass’ state-of-the-art technology and revolutionize the traditional way of doing real estate. Compass is the largest and fastest-growing real estate brokerage in the country, with $251 billion in 2021 sales. John was attracted to the company’s leading-edge tech platforms and innovative entrepreneurial spirit. He considered their fundamental tenets — dream big, move fast and obsess about opportunity — perfectly in line with his own personal philosophies. Rather than being reined in or restricted, Compass encouraged John to be the limitless, groundbreaking pioneer he’s always wanted to be. It was the perfect backdrop for creating the real estate team he’d long dreamt of.
Today, The Lawrence Team at Compass is a fully managed team tirelessly devoted to helping each member reach their full potential in order to deliver a truly exceptional experience for all clients. Diverse backgrounds and points of view are encouraged. With a robust global presence, the team advertises locally and internationally, and members speak over seven languages. John ensures that resources are plentiful so that each person can play to their unique strengths in service to their clients. In addition to 25+ agents, The Lawrence Team includes a marketing coordinator, administrator and team manager.
Since moving to Compass, many doors have opened for John. In his first year, he joined REALM Global — an exclusive membership of the most accomplished real estate professionals across 40 U.S. states and 12 countries. John has also ushered The Lawrence Team into the top 1.5% of the more than 1.6 million licensed realtors nationwide: According to RealTrends, the group ranked among the country’s top teams with $119 million in closed sales in 2021 alone. John’s proudest achievement, though, is his team’s unwavering dedication to serving each client with white-glove attention and peerless knowledge, no matter how big or small the deal is.
The through line of John’s successful career is a genuine passion for helping people reach their goals at all levels of the business. From helping renters, first-time buyers and newly minted agents to spearheading complex multimillion-dollar negotiations in the development sector, he’s an enthusiastic and dedicated advocate. Over the years, John has executed innumerable transactions and taught hundreds of brokers how to succeed, driven by a deep belief in creating opportunity and nurturing the next generation of real estate professionals.