The Agency is proud to share that several of our agents and teams have been named to Variety’s list of 2023 Showbiz Real Estate Elite, which honors professionals that are at the forefront of the nation’s most dynamic markets and help actors, directors, producers and show business executives sell their holdings or find the home of their dreams. Here are the honorees and excerpts of their profiles from the publication:
Mauricio Umansky is the founder and CEO of The Agency, a rapidly expanding global billion-dollar brokerage that utilizes technology and innovative marketing strategies to assist agents and their clients in achieving their real estate goals. With more than 75 offices stretched over eight countries, The Agency takes a collaborative approach to the business of real estate, and most uniquely, does it all with a healthy dose of family pride — daughters Alexia Umansky and Farrah Brittany; Mauricio’s sister Sharon Umansky Benton; and his father, Eduardo, work together in the real estate firm. This year Variety is bestowing its Showbiz Real Estate Elite honor on the Umansky Group at The Agency.
Last December, the Grauman Rosenfeld Group and Bond Street Partners merged, creating Bond Collective, and became one of the biggest teams in the country, with more than $9 billion in lifetime sales. Harris and Parnes starred on Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles,” and Grauman and Rosenfeld are featured on Netflix’s “Buying Beverly Hills.” Last year, Bond Collective did $1.3 billion in sales, with high-profile clients including Lee Daniels, Dwayne Wade, Norman Reedus and Diane Kruger. “We believe that the market will begin to stabilize as the Fed peels off rate hikes, and the market adjusts to the new norm,” says Grauman.
Arana is no stranger to representing high-profile clients, having worked with Ben Affleck, Lady Gaga, LeBron James, Larry David, Rick Caruso, Tom Barrack, Anthony Hopkins, Jeffrey Gundlach and Alessandra Ambrosio. In 2022, he did $457.9 million in sales, bringing his lifetime cume to $4.4 billion. “I think the real estate luxury market in the high-end areas will stay strong due to the continued lack of inventory, which currently is the biggest challenge in the marketplace,” Arana says.
Dazzan’s 2022 sales hit $211 million, as he watched his lifetime numbers soar to more than $2.5 billion. Notable deals include 21808 Pacific Coast Highway, 24051 Long Valley Road, and 3910 Villa Costera, with high-profile clients including James Perse, Flea and Mel Gibson. Dazzan says, “The market has adjusted to the new environment and sellers are starting to revise pricing, but inventory is still 50% of historical levels, so I don’t anticipate strong downward pressure on prices.”
In just under five years, Haskell has sold $600-plus million in properties. He had a big 2022 ($210-plus million in sales), with a $160 million listing at the Sanctuary at Loon Point, as well as a $25 million deal for 851 Buena Vista in Montecito. Some of his A-list clients include Matt Damon, Chris Hemsworth, David Boies, Rhonda Byrne and the Givenchy family. “I think special and rare properties will continue to trade for record numbers,” Haskell says.
The Agency’s Joey Ben-Zvi was also nominated in Variety’s Up Next Category. The agent and star of “Buying Beverly Hills” has more than $100 million in sales to date, including such 2022 transactions as 12916 Evanston St., for $11.6 million.
“We are so thrilled for our agents and teams who have been named to Variety‘s list of 2023 Showbiz Real Estate Elite,” says The Agency’s President, Rainy Hake Austin. “The Agency was founded in Beverly Hills—central to some of the world’s most famous film and television studios. Naturally, our network of agents and teams are deeply familiar with the L.A. market and provide unmatched service to the city’s most venerable show business professionals. Congratulations to all our honorees, your service deserves the spotlight!”
Be sure to pick up Variety’s print issue on newsstands February 22, which will feature its full list of 2023 Showbiz Real Estate Elite.