Christie's International Real Estate brings Warburg agents into new NYC brokerage

Christie's International Real Estate has launched a new brokerage firm in New York City, the company announced Tuesday. The firm said this move establishes a direct presence in the nation's largest luxury housing market and deepens its ties to the Christie's auction house. The new company-owned operation, Christie's International Real Estate New York, opens with roughly 120 agents from boutique brokerage Warburg, along with several agents from Christie's International Real Estate's former New York affiliate, according to the announcement. The company will be led by Kevelyn Guzman, who managed Warburg for more than 18 years and now serves as regional vice president of Christie's International Real Estate New York. 'This is an incredible opportunity to provide a boutique experience that also features the global reach and prestigious brand heritage of Christie's International Real Estate. We're fortunate to have a great culture and strong foundation on day one. And we're excited to highlight the assets of this brand and our talented real estate professionals in a new offering for clients,' Guzman said in a statement. Gavin Swartzman, president of Christie's International Real Estate, said the move is designed to align the company's residential brokerage operations more closely with the historic art and luxury business. 'New York is a market built on relationships, expertise and trust, and those principles are at the heart of both Christie's International Real Estate and Christie's art and luxury business. Our goal is to build a brokerage firm that brings those worlds closer together, while giving our advisors everything they need to provide exceptional service,' Swartzman said. The brokerage will be based at 60th Street and Madison Avenue on Manhattan's Upper East Side, placing it near core luxury residential corridors and the city's top retail and cultural destinations. The new brokerage will also leverage its partnership with Christie's auction house to offer clients expanded services around fine art and luxury collectibles. Those services include marketing, sale, acquisition and financing support across dozens of categories, from watches, jewelry and handbags to wine, furniture, automobiles and memorabilia, according to the company. Positioning real estate advisory alongside art and luxury asset advisory has become a more common strategy at the high end of the market, as ultra-high-net-worth clients look for coordinated advice around property, collections and alternative investments. Tying the New York residential brokerage more closely to the auction business is aimed at capturing those clients earlier and keeping more of their transactions within the Christie's ecosystem. This article was generated using HousingWire Automation and reviewed by a HousingWire editor before publication.