Mauricio Umansky, The Agency CEO and Co-Founder: “We leverage cutting-edge, proprietary technology, including our fully-integrated CRM, data platforms, algorithms and predictive analytics, to support our service structure and create a simpler, smarter buying and selling experience”

The Agency is an agent-first, tech-driven boutique luxury global brokerage representing clients worldwide in a broad spectrum of classes, including residential, new development, resort real estate, luxury leasing, and vacation rentals. Breaking away from the traditional brokerage model, The Agency takes a collaborative approach to the business, fostering a culture of partnership in which all clients and listings are represented in a collaborative environment. Agents and clients benefit from the shared resources and networks of the entire global team, including in-house creative, public relations, and cutting-edge technology divisions.

The Agency has closed more than $41 billion in real estate transactions since 2011, comprising over 50 offices in five countries and counting as one of the fastest-growing boutique luxury real estate franchise brands in the world.

In conversation with Mauricio Umansky, CEO and Co-Founder of The Agency

Q. What was the motivation behind starting The Agency?

Innovation and collaboration were founding principles of global, boutique real estate brokerage The Agency. When Billy Rose and I established The Agency in 2011, we set out to create an industry-disrupting brokerage that would progress and modernize the experience of buying and selling real estate. Breaking away from the traditional brokerage model, The Agency fostered a culture of partnership, in which agents shared their knowledge, expertise, and spheres of influence to offer their clients better representation. In addition to our signature culture of collaboration, The Agency became recognized as an industry leader for fostering creativity and innovation, helping advance and alter the industry through a globally recognized brand, world-class marketing, and solution-based tools and technology.

Q. “Earning the trust and respect of consumers all around the world is possible by delivering high quality in all of our actions.” How do you interpret this statement?

For The Agency, quality is one of our key pillars and defines everything we do. It’s essential to our core as a company and shines through in the people we choose to work with, the resources we provide and our dedication to enhancing the real estate experience through best-in-class technology. Our goal is to create exceptional experiences at every touchpoint to not only earn the trust and respect of clients and agents but to create raving fans who are passionate about The Agency. This is only feasible through a commitment to being intentional and innovative with our services and offerings—and that’s what we work every day to accomplish as a team.

Q. How do potential buyers approach you? How do you market your services?

The Agency is more than a real estate company; we’re a lifestyle brand. Clients seek us out because of our global reputation for quality agents, unique approach to marketing, and strategic innovation. We’ve worked to create a global brand presence that also resonates on a local level and have chosen where to expand and invest with intention—nothing is by chance. We are thoughtful with every decision we make, from the strategic placement of our offices to serve the local community to how we leverage our reach to serve our buyers and sellers. The Agency’s powerful internal referral system connects our global markets so agents can serve their clients, whether they’re seeking a home in Silicon Valley, a vacation property in Aspen, or a second home in Los Cabos. No matter where you are in the world or where you’re looking to go, we can take you there. And that’s an extremely powerful differentiating factor that truly matters to our clients.

Our buyers approach us from many avenues, whether online, on social media, or directly at our offices. It is vital in this day and age to ensure our property and agent marketing is compelling digitally, on mobile, and in print. We have a dedicated team of strategists who ensure our properties and agents stand apart from the crowd. The Agency is among the most-followed brokerages in the world with over 370,000 Instagram followers, which beyond expanding our presence, has allowed our agents to engage with buyers and sellers, resulting in millions of dollars in sales.

Q. How do you help the buyers identify the right property for them?

Matching a client with the right property is an art and one that our agents are amazingly skilled at. Finding a perfect match goes far beyond the bedroom count, square footage or price. Our agents work to understand their client’s emotional state, lifestyle and specific needs. Every property and every client is different and bringing the two together to a person’s satisfaction is an incredible phenomenon that our agents make happen daily.

Q. What does the future hold for your company and its customers? Are exciting things on the way?

The Agency is committed to strategic and sustainable global growth-focused on maintaining our boutique, service-first approach and collaborative culture. Most recently, The Agency acquired Triplemint, a revolutionary technology-driven, independent firm based in New York City. Through this new partnership, The Agency will further develop our concierge service platform, which was built in concert with agents, and created to make the buying and selling process more streamlined, efficient and effective.

While The Agency began with one boutique office in Beverly Hills, we currently have over 50 corporate and franchise offices throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe. We are currently expanding into new markets, preparing to launch our East Coast headquarters in New York City and growing our Northern California footprint with upcoming offices in Los Altos, Palo Alto and Woodside. The Agency is also widely known as one of the fastest-growing boutique, luxury real estate franchise brands in the world, with new and upcoming offices launching in Denver, Seattle and Austin, to name a few.

Meet the leader behind the success of The Agency

Co-Founder and CEO Mauricio Umansky has helmed the creation and expansion of billion-dollar brokerage The Agency, while rising to the top of the industry himself. Umansky has achieved nearly $4 billion in real estate sales and holds the distinction of selling the most homes in the country priced above $20 million. He has represented some of the world’s most noteworthy properties and together with his team, is recognized among the highest-producing agents in RealTrends annual list, featured in The Wall Street Journal, and has ranked #97 on Swanepoel’s 2022 Power200, a prestigious list of top real estate executives in the United States. In addition to his professional contributions to the industry, Umansky’s philanthropic work includes serving as a board member for Giveback Homes, an organization dedicated to building homes for families in need, supporting The Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and the National Breast Cancer Association.

“Our in-house Relocation Department nurtures relationships with global companies and brokers to ensure The Agency brand of turnkey concierge service to buyers and sellers all over the world.”