Auld Lang Syne! All thanks to you, Concierge Auctions is closing out its 14th year in business in the global luxury real estate auction sector, remaining the No. 1 choice to sell the world’s most distinguished properties and achieving record prices. With the industry’s most comprehensive database of high-net-worth property connoisseurs on the planet, our firm matches sellers of one-of-a-kind properties with the world’s most capable buyers via our state-of-the-art digital marketing, property preview, and bidding platform.
Watch our video highlight of our year here.
Global Expansion
In 2021, we reached over $3 billion in historic sales, processed over $3.4 billion in competitive bids with an average home sell price of $4.9M, grew our global activity to 30 countries and 46 states, averaged over five bidders per auction, and continued to expand our database of high-net-worth real estate buyers, sellers, agent representatives, and investors—to more than 775,000 contacts, including 3,500 billionaires, 13,500 private clients, and 160,000 weekly subscribers.
Strategic Partnership and Acquisition: Sotheby’s And Realogy
In November 2021, we announced that Concierge Auctions was acquired by Sotheby’s, the world’s premier destination for fine art and luxury goods, and Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), the largest full-service residential real estate services company in the United States.
Today and moving forward, we will continue to partner with all real estate companies, and through these additional resources and reach, service all brands and clientele better than ever before.
“This joint partnership presents a unique opportunity to benefit from two of the most established and renowned companies in the industries that we serve—real estate and auction—and to be part of an even greater vision,” said Chad Roffers, Concierge Auctions Co-Founder and President. “We look forward to helping more clients than ever before sell their one-of-a-kind real estate assets to the world’s most capable buyers, with speed and certainty.”
Record-Breaking Sales
We continued to break records, including our fourth world record for highest price of a single-family home ever sold at auction with the sale of Villa Firenze, one of the most expensive residential properties in the world and listed for sale at $165 million in cooperation with listing agents Jeff Hyland and Rick Hilton of leading Los Angeles brokerage, Hilton & Hyland.
“To the most affluent sellers, time is the ultimate resource,” stated Roffers. “If a luxury property hasn’t sold within 90 days, it will likely stay on the market for the following 3–5 years, selling for a fraction of the price. In only 53 days, we secured a strong field of bidders—which ultimately resulted in breaking our own previous world record—and brought reach, speed, and certainty to our client. Not every seller has the risk tolerance to let the market speak, and it paid off in folds for our client.”
Prior world records include:
Walnut Place in Dallas, Texas
• Previously Listed for $48.9 million
• In cooperation with Allie Beth Allman of Allie Beth Allman & Associates
Villa Passalacqua in Lake Como, Italy
• Previously Listed for €100 million
• In cooperation with Alessia Bagni of Como Relocation Services
Playa Vista Isle in Hillsboro Beach, Florida
• Previously Listed for $159 million
• In cooperation with Mayi de la Vega of ONE Sotheby’s International Realty
Trophy Sales
Continuing to represent more than 90 percent of $10 million-plus auction sales with an A+ client satisfaction rating on Zillow, 2021 marquee sales above $10 million include:
Secret Beach | 2884 Kauapea Road in North Shore, Kauai, Hawaii
• Previously Listed for $50 million
• In cooperation with Neal Norman of Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers
The Regalia Penthouse | 19575 Collins Avenue in Miami, Florida
• Previously Listed for $39M
• In cooperation with Jeff Miller of ONE Sotheby’s International Realty
Chateau Le Rosey | Vaud, Switzerland
• Previously Listed for CHF 35M
• In cooperation with Guive Emami of Swissroc Mountain Properties
Sierra Towers Penthouse | 9255 Doheny Road in West Hollywood, California
• Previously Listed for $33.5 million
• In cooperation with Aaron Kirman of Compass
Stella Nova | 1400 Linda Flora Drive in Bel Air, California
• Previously Listed for $29.9M
• In cooperation with Kurt Rappaport and Drew Meyers of Westside Estate Agency
Devils Corral | Jerome, Idaho
• Previously Listed for $19.75M
• In cooperation with Barrett Molter of Sun Valley Real Estate
Little Ragged Island | St. Andrew’s, Bahamas
• Previously Listed for $19.5M
• In cooperation with Stuart Halbert of Bahamas Realty
19700 SE Mack Dairy Rd, Jupiter, FL 33478
• Previously Listed for $15.15M
• In cooperation with Todd Peter of Sotheby’s International Realty
WYO Manor | 2250 Newport in Casper, WY
• Previously Listed for $14.95M
• In cooperation with Richard Lewis and Chopper Grassell of Live Jackson Hole at Compass Real Estate
Chalet Maurine | Chemin de Medieres 59 in Verbier, Switzerland
• Previously Listed for CHF 14.9M
• In cooperation with Guive Emami of Swissroc Mountain Properties
690 Loyola Drive in Silicon Valley, California
• Previously Listed for $14M
• In cooperation with Greg Goumas and Arthur Sharif of Sotheby's International Realty
Briscoe Manor | 5801 FM 723 in West Houston, Texas
• Previously Listed for $13.5M
• In cooperation with Rick Doak of Republic Ranches
230 Quarry Ridge East in Charleston, West Virginia
• Previously Listed for $13M
• In cooperation with Amanda Neville of Old Colony Realtors
“Nearly 10 years ago, we were the highest bidder when Concierge first sold Secret Beach,” stated the seller, Michael Shotey. “As previous buyers of the incredible properties the Concierge marketplace brings forward, when we decided to sell the property, our first choice was to go straight to auction on the Concierge Auctions' platform in conjunction with the top listing agent in Hawaii. Their process has evolved so much, and their reach combined with the certainty of a sale is unbeatable.”
“Not only did the auction process bring our client global exposure for her one-of-a-kind property—the largest held privately owned island in the Bahamas—but it also afforded her ultimate control by defining her own date of sale,” said Stuart Halbert, listing agent for Little Ragged Island.
An Agent-Friendly, Tech-Forward Tool
Offering a more efficient method for buying and selling the world’s finest homes, in 2021 our properties attracted nearly three million website pageviews from 231 countries.
Born out of the luxury real estate industry with an extensive network of independent luxury agents and high-net-worth clients, our technology platform serves as an additional tool for agents to market and sell unique, one-of-a-kind luxury properties around the world.
We have maintained alliances with leading brokerages around the world, including Sotheby's International Realty, Engel & Völkers Americas and Canada, Coldwell Banker, Corcoran, Better Homes and Gardens, ERA Real Estate, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices of America, Luxury Portfolio International, Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate, Leverage Global Partners, Naef Prestige Knight Frank, and more.
“At this time last year, I knew 2021 would be prime for our platform as an on-demand, tech-forward model offering transparency and convenience to our clients. This year, we saw a 45% increase in weekly subscribers and a 14% increase in our global database of high-net-worth property connoisseurs,” said Laura Brady, Concierge Auctions Co-Founder and CEO. “As we’ve held our auctions digitally for many years, we focused this year on enhancing our clients’ experience.”
Agent Advisory Board
In 2019, we announced our inaugural Agent Advisory Board, a hand-selected group of top agents and brokers created to act as a think tank on the state of luxury real estate sales and marketing. The agents and brokers selected for the Advisory Board all have extensive familiarity with the high-end auction process, as well as a proven track record of success with Concierge Auctions, and collectively have achieved billions of dollars in global luxury real estate sales. In 2021, we welcomed a new board member to this esteemed group, John-Mark Mitchell, Founder/Owner and CEO of Mitchell Prime Properties.
The 2021 Concierge Auctions Agent Advisory Board members include:
• Frank Aazami | Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty, Phoenix, Arizona
• Lourdes Alatriste | Douglas Elliman, Miami, Florida
• Matt Beall | Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers, Princeville, Hawaii
• Paul Benson | Engel & Völkers, Park City, Utah
• Kyle Crews | Allie Beth Allman & Associates, Dallas, Texas
• Brad Hermes | Keller Williams, Houston, Texas
• Seth O'Byrne | Compass, San Diego, California
• John McMonigle | The McMonigle Group, Newport Beach, California
• John-Mark Mitchell | Mitchell Prime Properties, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Billy Nash | Illustrated Properties, Palm Beach, Florida
• Kristen Routh-Silberman | Corcoran Global Living, Las Vegas, Nevada
"I am honored to take this next step. Together, we’ve successfully sold over 10 exceptional properties, and we’re just getting started,” said Mitchell. “I’m looking forward to continuing our work together.”
Giving Back: Key For Key®
In partnership with Giveback Homes, our Key For Key® giving model has guaranteed that for every home the firm sells, a home is built for a family in need. Since 2017, the program’s origin year, we have committed to build over 400 homes to date—with nearly 50 of those built in 2021 alone.
Accolades and Achievements
In 2021, Concierge Auctions was recognized with a number of awards, adding to its collection of professional accolades, including:
• Nine Telly awards for cutting-edge videography, including three gold awards
• 16 National Auctioneers Association and USA TODAY awards for innovative marketing, including two “Best in Show” awards and an honorable mention for “Campaign of the Year”
• Laura Brady, Concierge Auctions CEO, named one of The Top 100 Women Leaders in Real Estate of 2021 by Women We Admire
Additional historic recognitions include:
• Placement on Inc. Magazine's Fastest-Growing Companies in America list for six consecutive years and "Hall of Fame" member
• 38 total Telly awards
• "Best Website", “Best Overall Marketing”, and "Most Significant Sale" for the record-breaking sale of Playa Vista Isle in Hillsboro, Florida, which broke a U.S. World Record for highest sale price ever achieved for a property at auction, from Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate
• 75+ total marketing awards, including “Best Website” and “Best in Show” for print and film from USA TODAY and the National Auctioneers Association (NAA)
• Most Influential Leaders in Real Estate recognition of CEO Laura Brady and Chairman Chad Roffers
Luxury Homes Index
We released our fifth-annual “Luxury Homes Day on Market Index,” analyzing the 10 highest property sales in 56 top luxury markets across the United States to determine the impact that the number of days a high-end property is on the market has on its final sale price. In the new 2021 edition, our research showed that while the U.S. real estate market remained strong in 2020, the luxury sector saw increased Days On Market, and seller and buyer trends shifted, likely due to new location and property priorities inspired by COVID-19. Of the 56 markets, the total Days On Market for the top 10 homes was 497 days, an 11% increase from the 451 days in 2019, and the average sale price was $15,145,856. Only 33% of these properties sold in under 180 days. Our sixth-annual Luxury Homes Day on Market Index analyzing 2021 luxury sales is scheduled to be released in February.
The Future in Focus: Product Refinement
“We’re committed to holding the best and simplest terms in the industry. For sellers, we continue to offer our services with no costs or fees. For buyers, we sponsor a Starting Bid Incentive of up to 50% of the Buyer’s Premium,” stated Roffers. “And for agents, our custom-built technology, marketing, and sales platform is another tool at their disposal for luxury listings.”
With Realogy's more than 300,000 globally affiliated real estate agents across six brands, including Sotheby's International Realty®, Corcoran®, and Coldwell Banker®, Concierge Auctions will benefit from increased distribution, lead generation, and industry-leading data scale, along with enhanced marketing visibility from the brands and affiliated agents. Sotheby's will provide deep luxury auction expertise, including innovation in online and live auctions, and access to an unmatched global network of fine art and luxury goods collectors.
"We founded Concierge Auctions with a vision to enhance the way luxury properties are bought and sold," said Brady, Concierge Auctions Co-Founder and CEO. "Fourteen years and billions in sales later, we are the largest auction marketplace for high-end homes, have one of the most comprehensive databases in the industry, and are active in 30 countries and 46 U.S. states. We couldn't imagine better partners than Sotheby's and Realogy for our next phase of growth."
About Concierge Auctions
About Concierge Auctions Concierge Auctions is the world’s largest luxury real estate auction marketplace, with a state-of-the-art digital marketing, property preview, and bidding platform. The firm matches sellers of one-of-a-kind homes with some of the most capable property connoisseurs on the planet. Sellers gain unmatched reach, speed, and certainty. Buyers receive curated opportunities. Agents earn their commission in 30 days. In November 2021, Concierge Auctions was acquired by Sotheby’s, the world’s premier destination for fine art and luxury goods, and Realogy Holdings Corp., the largest full-service residential real estate services company in the United States, holding a joint 80 percent ownership stake. Concierge Auctions continues to operate independently, partnering with real estate agents affiliated with many of the industry's leading brokerages to host luxury auctions for clients. Since Concierge Auctions’ inception in 2008, it has generated billions of dollars in sales, broken world records for the highest-priced homes ever sold at auction and conducted auctions in 46 U.S. states and 30 countries. The firm owns one of the most comprehensive and intelligent databases of high-net-worth real estate buyers and sellers in the industry, and it has committed to build more than 400 homes through its Key For Key® giving program in partnership with Giveback Homes™, which guarantees that for every property the company sells, a new home is funded for a family in need. For more information, visit ConciergeAuctions.com.