As far as real estate agents go, Mauricio Umansky could be one of the most recognizable faces in the business. He’s closed some pretty major deals in California over the years—the Playboy mansion (which was the first home in Los Angeles to sell for over $100 million), the Walt Disney estate and former homes of Michael Jackson, Prince and Michael Jordan to name just a few. His successes have even played out on Bravo’s hit show, Million Dollar Listing. But now, his luxury real estate agency, simply called The Agency, has opened at 2 South Avenue in New Canaan, one of the first outposts on the East Coast for the rapidly growing brand. He’s partnered with longtime Fairfield County agents Cliff Smith and Todd David Miller, who own and operate the franchise territory throughout the county. Umansky says that with Smith and Miller at the helm here, he plans to “disrupt” the way real estate business is done in Fairfield County by offering clients a white glove approach to the experience of high-end home buying and selling.
Here, we chat with Umansky about his firm’s growth and how he plans to bring his company’s level of service to our towns.
What makes your firm stand out?
We are a boutique firm with a truly global reach. Our brand is unmatched in its power to deliver results for our agents and clients through our unparalleled marketing and proprietary technology offerings. We are among the most followed real estate brands in the world on Instagram. Our social media, in-house public relations and creative team bring distinct and effective marketing strategies to both our agents and our properties.
Why was it important to open in New Canaan?
Cliff and Todd reached out to me last year with the idea of bringing The Agency to Connecticut. It came at a perfect time as we were beginning to expand the brokerage into other luxury markets in strategic locations on the east coast. With Fairfield County being a suburb of NYC, and New Canaan specifically being such a beautiful and desirable town, we felt very confident this was a natural fit. Cliff and Todd were also our ideal partners to lead the charge as they already had such a strong business and reputation in the area with sales topping $100 million in 2020. They both represent The Agency culture and brand so well. We couldn’t be happier with this endeavor and they have already achieved so much in the few months since joining us.
What is your plan to expand on the East Coast?
The Agency has continued its growth trajectory with the debut of multiple new franchise locations this year, with our expansion on the east coast as a top priority. Introducing and expanding our brand’s presence with our existing offices and in synergistic regions including Boston, Montreal, Las Vegas, Maui, Denver, Seattle and the Cayman Islands is paramount to us. This year alone we’ve already launched new franchise locations in Oakville, Canada, North Shore-New York, Calgary and Vancouver, Canada, as well as new corporate office locations in Studio City and Pacific Palisades, California. In addition, we have a presence in the DC Metro area and South Florida, with more expansion on both coasts on the way.
What can a buyer/seller expect when working with one of your agents?
White-glove customer service. We have a full-service in-house marketing team of specialists, including award-winning digital marketers, publicists and designers. Our support team is dedicated to each and every one of our agents to help them maximize their business and to go above and beyond for clients. Buyers and sellers can expect true collaboration across all our offices and sales agents. We truly operate as one family. Also, we understand real estate is one of the most personal decisions and one of the largest financial decisions a person will make. An app can’t tell you about the school district, neighborhood, history of the home, street or suburb. We are on-the-ground experts in each market we serve and aim to guide clients through this important investment each step of the way.
What is your view on the market in general? Will it stay this active?
On a macro level across the country, we are seeing similar trends with buyers opting for suburban living over dense cities. With the work-from-home culture remaining, buyers have the option of working from anywhere. This is to the benefit of suburban towns like New Canaan, Darien and others in Connecticut. New Canaan has been a top choice among New Yorkers exiting the city with its beautiful, quintessential Connecticut estates, top schools and the wide variety of dining destinations and boutique shopping.
