Beverly Hills-based brokerage The Agency has picked Boca Raton as its first location in its highly anticipated expansion plan throughout South Florida.

The luxury brokerage celebrated the announcement last week at a private cocktail reception hosted in Faena’s Living Room, where they hit the ground running; contracts were signed and deals were inked on the hotel’s velvet, cheetah-print couches. The celebration followed The Real Deal’s South Florida Real Estate Showcase & Forum where Umansky revealed the finalized location.

The Agency is launching its office at 20 Southeast Third Street in mid-November, according to managing partners Chris Franciosa and Jared Ringel, who are leading the Agency’s expansion in South Florida along with Howard Elfman, the managing broker.

The brokerage was attracted to the “long-term stability” of Boca Raton and its potential for growth. The two-story, 6,700-square-foot office will house the Agency Development Group and the Agency Creates, its creative division.

The Agency plans to expand the business to Broward and Miami Dade, according to managing partners Franciosa and Ringel who joined the Agency from Douglas Elliman and have sold more than $100 million of real estate in their careers. The Agency anticipates about 20 agents joining the Boca office, but Ringel hinted at the possibility of a Miami location already in the pipeline as well.

In addition to its home base in Beverly Hills, the firm has 25 offices in Brentwood, Calabasas, Danville, Malibu, Noe Valley, Venice, Orange County, Pacific Palisades, Palm Desert, Park City, Scottsdale, Sherman Oaks, Turks and Caicos, Los Cabos, Punta de Mita and elsewhere.

It will compete with other high-end brokerages in South Florida like One Sotheby’s International Realty, the Keyes Company and Lang Realty.

Mike Pappas, CEO of the Keyes Co., stated that “Just as the L.A. market is very intense and competitive, so now is the South Florida market with all the major players, both local firms and firms outside of this market.”

Article by: Katya Demina