As I delve deeper into the world of L.A.’s real estate titans, I find myself in awe of their incredible accomplishments and unparalleled expertise. Each of these agents has carved out a unique niche for themselves, catering to an eclectic mix of high-profile clientele and navigating the labyrinthine Los Angeles property market with grace and finesse.
2019 has been a challenging year for the luxury real estate market in Los Angeles, with numerous factors contributing to a chill in the market. These include a newly implemented “luxury tax,” persistently high-interest rates, and limited property inventory. As a result, many top real estate agents in the area have experienced a decline in their sales figures.
35 brokers, chosen based on factors such as total sales volume from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, media visibility, and high-profile clientele, have managed to navigate the challenges of 2024. Cooper Mount of Carolwood commented that the market in 2024 was exceptional for those who chose to participate. Despite difficulties faced industry-wide, buyers with patience and determination were able to secure attractive deals within the city. Conversely, sellers with top-tier properties in prime locations, provided they were strategically positioned, experienced record-breaking sales prices.
Despite all the bravado, it seems everyone is relieved that 2024 is nearing its end. According to Sandro Dazzan from The Agency, as interest rates keep dropping into 2025, we can expect more hesitant buyers from the past two years to finally enter the market and submit offers.
David Parnes and James Harris
Bond Street Partners/Carolwood
2021 has been quite an eventful year, marked by Bond Street Partners merging with Carolwood in February. Notable transactions include acting as intermediary for both parties in the off-market sale of Robbie Williams’ Holmby Hills estate to Afterpay co-founder Nick Molnar for $67.5 million. Our clientele also includes Kevin Durant, Carey Mulligan, and Marcus Mumford. As Parnes puts it, “The variety of people we get to interact with definitely keeps things interesting.
The Altman Brothers Team
Douglas Elliman
Josh, Matt, and Heather Altman, stars of the reality show Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, consistently put in extra effort. With over $1.1 billion in sales last year, they broke records for Hancock Park and Encino’s trendy neighborhood. Noteworthy listings like Oakley founder James Jannard’s $68 million Stonehenge-inspired mansion in Beverly Hills are part of their portfolio. When it comes to working with high-profile clients such as Kendall Jenner, Justin Bieber, Tyler Perry, and James Cameron, Josh Altman advises treating them the same way you would treat anyone else.
Cindy Ambuehl
Christie’s
Ambuehl, with over $257 million in sales, remains a go-to choice for Hollywood elites. Known previously as an actress and model, Ambuehl has made headlines recently with high-profile transactions such as the $40 million sale of Kendrick Lamar’s Brentwood estate and the $8.8 million transaction involving Mischa Barton’s home. Beyond her impressive sales track record, Ambuehl is also dedicated to philanthropy, backing organizations like Give Back Homes and P.S. Arts. Among her current listings is the $115 million “Villa Del Amor” in Bel-Air, a luxurious European-style property owned by Sugarfina’s Paul Kessler and Diana Derycz-Kessler.
Santiago Arana
The Agency
A mainstay on this list, Arana clocked in at $39.8 million this past year. He recently made tabloid news since he holds the listing for Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s former marital home in Beverly Hills, now listed for $68 million. (He had previously sold Affleck’s Pacific Palisades home for $28.5 million.) Arana’s philanthropic endeavors include working with Habitat for Humanity and Give Back Homes.
Blair Chang
The Agency
A second-generation agent, Chang has notched $100 million in sales this year. He repped the seller of the Brentwood home snapped up by Formula 1 heiress Petra Ecclestone for $30.5 million. He also held the listing on the $22.5 million Hollywood Hills home purchased by Powerball winner Edwin Castro and the post-split Brentwood property Ben Affleck purchased for $20.5 million. Chang now holds the listing for Jonny Cat Litter heiress Joi Stephens’ $88 million Santa Barbara estate. “I do things that others won’t do and try to bring out the best in everyone that I work with,” he says.
Jordan Cohen
Re/Max
Currently, Cohen stands as the leading RE/Max agent globally and tops the list in Ventura County. With a staggering $300 million in sales last year, he has served numerous discreet clients and well-known figures such as Kaley Cuoco and Bret Michaels of Poison. Having been in the field for 32 years, Cohen remains actively involved, even with his work escalating. As he puts it, “I have two full-time assistants, but I am the only salesperson, so I manage all property viewings, negotiations, and closings.
Chris Cortazzo
Compass
Growing up in Malibu has given me a strong bond with this town,” notes the longtime realtor, who’s played a significant role in preserving his hometown’s property values. Between summer 2023 and summer 2024, he managed over $501.3 million worth of sales there. In March, he represented investors Mark Cirlin and Man Li-Yeh in the sale of their Doug Burdge-designed oceanfront property for $38.45 million.
Sandro Dazzan
The Agency
Last year, one of Dazzan’s total sales of $150 million was a $61 million deal for The Edge, which is the inaugural property at The Case, an incomplete community inspired by midcentury modern design, situated high above Malibu Colony Beach. Looking ahead to 2025, Dazzan predicts that the market will continue to improve: “I foresee a robust market next year with rising prices as interest rates decrease and more buyers enter the real estate scene.
Drew Fenton
Carolwood
Despite racking up nearly half a billion dollars in sales in the past year, Carolwood CEO and co-founder Fenton is looking forward to a more prosperous 2025. “We are optimistic the market will improve as rates go down,” he says. “Quality inventory is very scarce.” This from a man who just repped the seller in a record-breaking $75 million deal at Point Dume and a $65 million sale in Beverly Hills. His current offerings include the $137.5 million Aaron and Candy Spelling estate, Cher’s $75 million Malibu estate and the legendary Conrad Hilton estate, co-listed with several other top agents on this list and priced at a cool $195 million.
Josh Flagg
Compass
The star of Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles finds 2024 to be an outstanding year for him,” he shares. And he’s got the proof: a whopping $300 million in sales, including the largest single-family home in Pasadena, 2 Oak Knoll Terrace, and Judy Garland’s former residence in Bel-Air. The upcoming year looks promising as well, with him being involved in co-listing the most expensive house on the market in L.A. County – Conrad Hilton’s former estate located at the heart of Bel-Air.
Sally Forster Jones
Compass
Reflecting on my early days, after buying and beautifying my first house, I sold it for a significant profit, igniting my curiosity about real estate. This led me to venture into investing and renovating multiple single-family homes. This experience proved instrumental in obtaining my real estate license and marking the beginning of my career. Fast forward to today, my clientele includes high-profile individuals like Markus Persson (of Minecraft), Candy Spelling, and Chrissy Teigen and John Legend. Last year, I made a staggering $132 million in sales and jointly represented the seller who sold Odin, the Encino estate to DJ Zedd for $18.4 million. Moreover, in April, I partnered with another prominent Compass agent, Tomer Fridman, to establish Jones Fridman International.
Tomer Fridman and Isidora Fridman
Compass
Tomer Fridman and his mother, Isidora, may have generated over $145 million in sales this year, but Tomer views luxury real estate as extending beyond mere transactions. He describes himself less as a salesperson and more as an advisor or consultant. Apart from servicing high-profile clients such as the Kardashians, who rely on him for their real estate needs (for instance, brokering the sale of Leah Remini’s Fryman Canyon Estates home), Tomer is also an exclusive representative for the Rosewood Residences Beverly Hills – the hotel brand’s debut residential project. The penthouses in this development sell for $45 million and above.
Carl Gambino
Gambino Group/Compass
As a gamer, I couldn’t believe the journey that led me from being a dog walker in L.A. to selling multi-million dollar properties to celebrities like Mark Wahlberg, Renée Zellweger, and Priyanka Chopra. One of my canine clients trusted me enough to let me show them real estate, and I ended up closing a 3-acre deal in Bel-Air for them. Now, I’m known in the business world, with clients like Mindy Kaling, Brooklyn Beckham, and Nicola Peltz on my roster. Last year alone, I racked up over $355 million in sales! A former client even called me to sell her property, and when she popped up on my phone, it was just her dog’s name.
Ginger Glass
Compass
Glass, who is both a licensed real estate agent and attorney, shares that her father advised her at a young age to obtain a real estate license, which she accomplished in Nevada when she was 18 years old. Fast forward two decades, and she has become a renowned figure in L.A.’s real estate scene. Her impressive clientele includes stars like Cameron Diaz and Kourtney Kardashian, and last year alone, she closed sales amounting to $593 million. Notable transactions from the past year include the sale of Alfred Hitchcock’s former Bel-Air residence and a remarkable $21.5 million deal for a modern estate in the exclusive Madison Club in La Quinta, setting a new record.
Eric Haskell
The Agency
As an art dealer and furniture designer, I once dipped my toes into the real estate world by approaching one of my celebrity clients with a proposition to sell their property. To my delight, they agreed, and within two weeks, I had it under contract. Looking back, this was a pivotal moment in my career as I went on to close deals worth a staggering $138.5 million last year, working with big names like Matt Damon, the Hemsworth brothers, Kristen Wiig, and Cody Ko. With the year 2024 approaching, I felt it was a great time for a fresh start, as we agents had to put in extra effort as demand started to dwindle.
Juliette Hohnen
Douglas Elliman
Hohnen, who closed $60 million worth of properties last year, including Paul Reubens’ Pacific Palisades estate for $3.8 million, approaches every sale as if it were her own home,” she says. In her own words, Hohnen emphasizes her selling approach: “I prefer to collaborate with genuine buyers and sellers. As realtors, we are deeply invested in our work, working tirelessly seven days a week. The kind of people we work with significantly impact the quality of our lives. With life being so precious, I choose to avoid any toxic time-wasters.
Justin Paul Huchel
Carolwood
For Huchel, the road to dominance in the luxury market was paved with grit and cheap Mexican food. “When I came out to L.A., I got a position working for one of the most successful agents in Beverly Hills at that time,” he recalls. “I was so broke that I used to order one taco and extra chips from Baja Fresh every day for lunch. When I finally sold my first house for $1.1 million behind the Chateau Marmont, I felt like I had hit the lottery.” Huchel has come a long way since, with sales of $112 million last year, and clients including Meghan Trainor, Harry Styles, Lea Michele, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis and Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford.
Aaron Kirman (Team of the Year)
Christie’s International Real Estate | Southern California
Christie’s International stands out in several ways: they have over 230 agents, possess a collection of architecturally stunning properties designed by renowned architects such as Craig Ellwood, Richard Neutra, and Kelly Slater, cater to high-profile clients like Rihanna, Justin Bieber, and Nicki Minaj, and close sales worth $2.08 billion in a single year. However, Christie’s International is not just about selling megamansions to famous celebrities. They also work with clients who are less known but equally important. As stated by Kirman, their president and CEO, “We treat all clients equally, whether they are well-known figures or not. We approach our work with persistence, respect, and determination.
David Kramer
Hilton & Hyland
During my college years at California State University Northridge, I didn’t have a clear career path,” says broker Kramer looking back. “Someone suggested real estate to me, and it felt like a perfect fit. In my final year of college, I began selling real estate and closed six deals within the first six months! I even have a Polaroid photo of the first house I sold – a $120,000 single-family home in the Valley – saved for a dear friend. Kramer has been consistently achieving impressive sales figures since then; over $79 million in the past year alone.
Linda May
Carolwood
May, renowned for luxury real estate, amassed sales totaling $152 million from June 2023 to July 2024. Significant transactions include brokering the sale of Larry and Joan Flax’s Hollywood Deco Estate in Beverly Park for $42.5 million (representing both parties). Currently, she is offering Villa dei Fiori for $150 million, and her prestigious clientele includes James Burrows and Mel and Susan Geliebter. “Los Angeles is brimming with fascinating homes steeped in architectural history,” she shares. “What I enjoy most is unearthing a property I’ve never seen before and finding the ideal buyer for it.
Jade Mills
Coldwell Banker
Mills began her career in real estate after her husband left her. Before that, she worked at the Century Plaza Hotel in the lobby. Once she obtained her real estate license, she dedicated countless hours to her work and eventually started closing escrows. To this day, she works from 6 a.m. to midnight. Her hard work has certainly paid off, as she has made $264 million in sales this year and has worked with high-profile clients like Jennifer Aniston and Sylvester Stallone. Mills is known for her relentless dedication within the industry. In addition, she makes time for charity work, serving on the board of governors at Cedars-Sinai.
Cooper Mount
Carolwood
The Malibu native can’t imagine selling real estate anywhere else. “The cast of characters in this city is second to none, the culture is incredible, the history deep and the weather immaculate,” Mount says. “I can start a morning by showing beach houses in Malibu steeped in Hollywood history, head to Bel-Air to show historical estates with tycoon pedigrees and end in Los Feliz showing editorial grade, world-renowned architectural homes. Where else can you do that?” During the past 12 months, he’s made $235 million in sales, boosting his career total to $800 million.
Marc Noah
Sotheby’s
If you’re looking for something in, say, a hollowed-out volcano, Noah is probably your guy. He’s listing La Fin, a $130 million marquee property in Bel-Air commonly described as a “Bond villain lair” (though the infinity pool contains no sharks; at least none are mentioned in its Zillow listing). Last year, Noah, who has been brokering in L.A. for about two decades, sold Kimora Lee Simmons’ Coldwater Canyon estate for $16.5 million along with other big listings for a 12-month total of $71.5 million.
Michael Nourmand + Rochelle Atlas Maize
Nourmand & Associates
Nourmand and Maize have built a reputation for managing high-profile clients such as Christina Ricci, Cheryl Hines, Forest Whitaker, January Jones, and Joe Manganiello. Their combined earnings this year reached $129 million, and they boast years of industry knowledge. Despite the hurdles faced today, they maintain a guarded optimism about their business’s future. “The market’s ability to bounce back and adjust is truly impressive,” remarks Maize. Nourmand agrees, citing Thomas Edison’s quote: “Genius is one percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration.
David Offer
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
Offer has consistently ranked among Berkshire Hathaway’s elite agents, with annual sales of $131 million and a 30-year career total exceeding $4.58 billion. In fact, he currently holds the third position nationwide. Known for his enduring professional connections, he has primarily grown his business through returning clients and referrals.
Jason Oppenheim
The Oppenheim Group
As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but marvel at Jason Oppenheim’s meteoric rise in the Los Angeles real estate scene, thanks to the smashing success of “Selling Sunset.” This year, he made headlines and even graced the pages of The New Yorker by listing Kanye West’s oceanfront abode in Malibu. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando, this property underwent a dramatic transformation at West’s hands when he removed its original interior finishes. Quite a tough nut to crack, priced at a staggering $39 million, but with Oppenheim at the helm, I’ve got my fingers crossed for a successful sale!
Lea Porter
The Beverly Hills Estates
The most notable transaction this year, drawing significant interest, involved the sale (to an undisclosed purchaser) of Jennifer Lopez’s Bel-Air mansion for $33.9 million. “The negotiations were intense,” she shared. “The property required considerable repairs and had been listed for quite some time, leading to extensive discussions about credits and adjustments. Yet, my clients were captivated by the property. It’s truly enchanting, spanning a sprawling 8 acres.
Kurt Rappaport
Westside Estate Agency
Rappaport, known as the leader in off-market property sales, currently manages over a billion dollars worth of listings. Among these is Casa Encantada, priced at an astounding $195 million, and not far behind is the record-breaking sale of James Jannard’s Malibu estate for $210 million in June. Notable clients include Madonna, Ryan Seacrest, Tom Brady, Ellen DeGeneres, and Brad Pitt. In the last year, Rappaport has closed deals totaling an impressive $726 million.
Joyce Rey
Coldwell Banker
Year after year, Rey boasts a staggering $115 million in sales and counts among her clientele renowned figures such as Lionel Richie, Taylor Hackford, Helen Mirren, Kendall Jenner, Taylor Swift, and the Schwarzenegger family. Her ability to maintain celebrity clients’ satisfaction is second to none. “My commitment to confidentiality, unwavering dedication to my clients’ well-being, coupled with decades of wisdom and expertise are the keys to earning the trust of high-profile clientele,” she explains.
Marcy Roth
Douglas Elliman
Although she did an impressive $124 million in sales this year, it was a mere $3.2 million purchase that made her the most headlines: the iconic Brady Bunch house in Studio City, bought by art collector Tina Trahan. “This wasn’t a typical house transaction,” Roth says. “It was more like buying a museum. The inside of the house was renovated to mirror the TV set, but it doesn’t have most of the modern conveniences.”
Heather T. Roy and Learka Bosnak
Douglas Elliman
As a duo of self-styled “cool nerds,” Roy and Bosnak, we’ve got a knack for keeping things low-key yet fun. We’re a favorite among young Hollywood stars, racking up an impressive $68 million in sales this year. One of our most memorable adventures? Selling the actual house from the movie “Nightmare on Elm Street” and fully embracing its spooky legacy.
F. Ron Smith and David Berg
Compass
Smith & Berg Partners have achieved the highest property sale price this year in Pacific Palisades so far, a magnificent spec mansion worth $32.3 million. This significant transaction has boosted the total sales for the year to an impressive $390 million and the lifetime sales to a staggering $6.8 billion. The partners express their approach to work as being similar to how they handle their personal relationships: investing time, building connections, and finding joy in their tasks, even when encountering difficulties.
Tracy Tutor
Douglas Elliman
This year, Tutor and her team have been managing a variety of high-profile clients such as actress Rebel Wilson and hotelier Grant King, while also successfully selling some of Los Angeles’s most prestigious penthouses (at the West Hollywood Edition). Additionally, they have handled substantial out-of-state deals, including two ranch estates in Taylor Sheridan’s well-known Bosque Ranch neighborhood in Texas. “Los Angeles is unlike any other market in the world,” asserts Tutor. “The people I work with are larger than life – just like myself.
The Umansky Team
The Agency
Not only do they convincingly portray high-profile agents on screen (until the cancellation of Buying Beverly Hills in August), but the Umansky Team, led by Mauricio Umansky and including Farrah Brittany, Eduardo Umansky, and Sharon Umansky Benton, also excels at embodying such roles in real life. This team, with a collective career sales of $5 billion and an impressive $225 million last year alone, boasts a unique blend of luxury living and architectural ingenuity that makes Los Angeles particularly captivating, according to Mauricio.
Branden and Rayni Williams
The Beverly Hills Estates
In the past year, these business partners enjoyed another successful year with sales amounting to $2 billion. Notable deals included the sale of 1312 Ridgecrest Drive for a staggering $75 million and the sale of 1301 Collingwood Place, an Olson Kundig design, for $37.4 million. Branden expresses his aspirations for Los Angeles, “I yearn for a holistic revitalization in the city that tackles its systemic issues while accentuating its distinct strengths. My aim is to witness L.A. regain its energetic, flourishing state.
This tale was initially published in the September 11 edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Consider subscribing by clicking here.
Read More
- BODEN PREDICTION. BODEN cryptocurrency
- GHST PREDICTION. GHST cryptocurrency
- BETA PREDICTION. BETA cryptocurrency
- STRD PREDICTION. STRD cryptocurrency
- Mango Markets Exploiter Found Guilty Of Fraud And Manipulation
- GBP EUR PREDICTION
- MATIC PREDICTION. MATIC cryptocurrency
- LOOKS PREDICTION. LOOKS cryptocurrency
- BRN/USD
- TNSR PREDICTION. TNSR cryptocurrency
2024-09-15 19:56