Christie’s International Real Estate to Launch Luxury
CHICAGO, Illinois and AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Christie’s International Real Estate, the world’s preeminent luxury real estate brand, will enter the Austin, Texas market this fall with the launch of a new affiliate. The brokerage firm will be owned and operated by Jerry Mooty Jr., with backing from the Jerry Jones family, owners of the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. Mooty, who is Jones’ nephew, also owns @properties Christie’s International Real Estate offices in Dallas and Frisco.
Mooty has brought on Romeo Manzanilla as principal, chief operating officer, and broker of record for the new firm. A longtime fixture in Austin real estate, Manzanilla previously led Texas operations for Compass, and before that, served as broker in charge at Realty Austin, where he grew the firm from 25 to more than 600 agents. He is also a past president of the Austin Board of REALTORS®, and a current board member of Texas REALTORS® and the National Association of REALTORS®.
According to Manzanilla and Mooty, @properties Christie’s International Real Estate is looking to locate their Austin headquarters in a prominent Westlake/Barton Creek location and will be operational by November 1. The duo said they already have commitments from a number of top-producing Austin agents to join the firm.
“With Christie’s International Real Estate’s unparalleled affiliate network, and @properties’ best-in-class pl@tform™ technology, our firm will offer an unmatched experience for Austin agents and clients,” said Mooty. “We plan to hit the ground running with Romeo and a fast-growing team of highly regarded agents to raise the bar for service in the Austin market, especially at the high end.”
The firm’s agents and clients will benefit from national and international exposure through the Christie’s International Real Estate network, which has affiliates in nearly 50 countries and territories. They will also gain access to exclusive marketing partnerships; a relationship with the iconic Christie’s auction house for the sale of fine art and luxury goods; and @properties’ and Christie’s International Real Estate’s proprietary pl@tform™ technology. The tech enables agents to digitally manage all aspects of the real estate transaction and client relationship through one fully integrated system.
The combination of resources has already proven successful in the Dallas Metroplex, where Mooty has grown @properties Christie’s International Real Estate from a startup to nearly 80 agents in less than two years.
“I’m delighted to lead Christie’s International’s expansion into Austin through our partnership with @properties. As the gold standard in real estate, we’re eager to introduce this prestigious brand to Austin, enhancing the luxury real estate options for clients seeking to invest in the vibrant Austin community,” said Romeo Manzallia.
“Austin is a key market for Christie’s International Real Estate, and we’re absolutely thrilled to have Jerry and Romeo leading the expansion. Jerry not only has great connections in Texas but also throughout our national and international network, and that’s going to be huge given the global business profile of Austin today. And Romeo is so well respected in this market; we are lucky to have him on board,” said Thad Wong, Co-CEO of Christie’s International Real Estate.
Texas’ capital city is home to the University of Texas, the annual South by Southwest Conference & Festivals, and hundreds of live music venues, which has earned the city the title of “Live Music Capital of the World.” Austin has been a hub for tech companies since the 1980s, and now serves as corporate or regional headquarters for some of the world’s most well-known brands including Dell, Apple, Facebook, IBM, and Tesla.
The Christie’s International Real Estate brand was born out of the iconic Christie’s auction house, which has captivated a global audience of art collectors and luxury consumers since 1766. The real estate company maintains a close partnership with the auction house, creating unique synergies between the worlds of high-end real estate, art, and luxury goods, including jewelry, watches, handbags, and wine and spirits.
Since its acquisition by Chicago-based real estate and technology company @properties in late 2021, Christie’s International Real Estate has added market-leading independent brokerage firms in major U.S. markets including Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, and the San Francisco Bay. The brand is also expanding internationally with new affiliates in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Malta, Japan, and other countries. The brand currently has Texas affiliates in Houston and Dallas.
- Romeo Manzanilla and Jerry Mooty
