Since opening its doors less than two years ago, real estate startup Urban Compass has grown to become the ninth-largest brokerage by dollar volume in New York City, boasting just under $495 million in listings as of November 2014, according to The Real Deal. Outsiders attribute the company’s meteoric rise to its ability to raise capital, including a $40 million Series B round last July that reportedly upped its valuation to more than $360 million. Insiders credit management’s success at building the Urban Compass brand and a relentless focus on creating a competitive differentiation through technology and a culture of excellence that has helped it attract top-producing agents.
Urban Compass founder and CEO Robert Reffkin and mega-producer and President Leonard Steinberg will share an insider’s view of “How to Build the Next-Generation Brokerage” on Wednesday, Jan. 28, during Real Estate Connect New York City 2015 at the Marriott Marquis.
“The savvy entrepreneurs at Urban Compass have attracted an impressive roster of investors, clients and top-producing agents and, shaken up the New York City real estate scene,” says Inman Publisher Brad Inman.
Prior to his role as a founder of Urban Compass, Reffkin served as chief of staff to the president and COO of Goldman Sachs following five years in the firm’s private equity arm. Previously, he worked at Lazard and McKinsey & Company. In 2005, he was appointed as a White House Fellow to serve as special assistant to the secretary of the Treasury. He received bachelor’s and MBA degrees from Columbia University and is the founder of New York Needs You. He recently completed 50 marathons, one in each state, to raise $1 million for nonprofits.
A real estate professional with almost 20 years of experience, Steinberg “… embodies the new breed of modern real estate professional who provides substantive knowledge about all aspects of real estate and full-fledged, elegant and discreet service to sellers, developers and buyers of New York property,” according to his biography. His “ … broad knowledge of the luxury market, consumer and design trends, the properties, and the many criteria involved in the sale or purchase of a property provides his clients and customers with a service unparalleled in the industry,” it continues. His clientele ranges “from first-time sellers to seasoned multiple-dwelling owners of multimillion-dollar homes.”
To register for Connect, go to http://bit.ly/connectnyc.