Industry Real Estate Leader Joins Global Boutique Brokerage To Lead New Market Strategies
LOS ANGELES, April 28, 2022 — Global real estate brokerage, The Agency is proud to announce veteran industry leader Mike Schwartz joins the team in a leadership position, where he will spearhead the growth of new market strategies. With nearly two decades of real estate experience, Schwartz is welcomed to The Agency after holding managerial positions at Coldwell Banker, and most recently Compass.
“I am delighted to welcome Mike Schwartz to The Agency team. Mike is an inspiring leader and well-respected professional in our industry, and I am thrilled to work alongside him again,” said Rainy Hake Austin, President of The Agency. “At The Agency, we continue to fixate on innovative ways we can further elevate the agent while balancing both touch and technology. Mike’s ingenious approach to business and admirable management style will be invaluable as we continue to break boundaries in our industry.”
Having worked in real estate for nearly 20 years, Schwartz is an expert at managing agent and brokerage operations. He has worked in residential real estate management since 2016 and has gained a stellar reputation for the caliber of service he provides to agents, staff, and clients. His passion for market data, economics, strategy, contract-knowledge and adding value for agents is evident in the impressive expansion of agents and offices previously under his management. Schwartz’s ability to scale brokerage operations and expand into new markets will be a valuable asset in his leadership role at The Agency, significantly as the firm strategically expands its luxury presence.
“The Agency is on an impressive track for expansion and we’re thrilled to welcome Mike Schwartz to our growing team,” said Mauricio Umansky, CEO and Founder of The Agency. “At The Agency, we are currently hyper-focused on advancing our service and solutions for agents. Mike will be an incredible asset to our leadership team as we continue to innovate and cultivate a seamless, fully-integrated agent experience like no other brokerage has done before.”
Schwartz joins The Agency from Compass where he held the role of Sales Manager and oversaw approximately 400 agents in offices spanning the areas of Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley and Orinda. He led offices responsible for record-breaking production, exceeding $3B in annual production in 2021 alone. As the first-ever sales manager appointed to Compass in the Bay Area, Schwartz is an expert in strategic growth and brokerage management. He also held positions within the firm’s Diversity Council and always strives to include equity and inclusion in professional and personal endeavors. Before his time at Compass, his first tenure as a sales manager was at Coldwell Banker, where he was one of the top recruiters in the nation, and he doubled the size of the Berkeley office within one year.
“I am very excited to have the chance to work and collaborate with Rainy Hake Austin and Jeff Samuels, Regional Manager of The Agency Northern California again,” said Schwartz. “I have long admired The Agency’s approach to business and the unique brand they’ve sustained over the past decade, especially as they’ve grown globally while maintaining their boutique feel and white-glove service for agents. I am most looking forward to the open collaboration and distinctive culture their firm is known for and helping advance their mission to provide the very best service in the business, with the aim to elevate our industry together.”
In addition to his excellent managerial experience, Schwartz is also recognized for his impressive residential sales achievements. Prior to his aforementioned managerial roles, he served as a top-producing broker at Coldwell Banker. A born and raised New Yorker, has a passion for culture, arts, reading and comedy. He currently lives in Berkeley with his wife Joanna, whom he met in college at UCLA while doing activist work, and their two sons, Ethan and Blake.
With solid infrastructure and an internationally renowned brand, The Agency has grown to over 50 corporately-owned and franchise offices across the globe. Poised for further expansion with like-minded partners in strategic markets, The Agency is noted by The Financial Times as one of The Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies and has ranked among Inc. 5000’s list of fastest-growing private companies in the country for six consecutive years. Recently, The Agency ranked 21st on the 2022 RealTrends 500 list and led the top 50 firms in average sales price by sides with a “whopping” $2.5 million average sales price. As one of the fastest-growing luxury boutique brokerages in the world, The Agency plans to announce more new global franchise partners in the coming months as part of its strategic expansion.
About The Agency
The Agency is a full-service, luxury real estate brokerage and lifestyle company representing clients in a spectrum of classes, including residential, new development, resort real estate, residential leasing, and luxury vacation rentals. Since its inception in 2011, The Agency has modernized and advanced the real estate industry by fostering a culture of partnership in which all clients and listings are represented in a collaborative environment. Shunning the traditional brokerage model, agents share knowledge, spheres of influence, contacts, and expertise, ensuring clients better representation and a true competitive edge. The Agency has closed more than $41 billion in real estate transactions since its inception and has over 1,00 agents in more than 50 offices in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe.
