Julie Leonhardt LaTorre
Julie Leonhardt LaTorre has traversed from U.S. coast to coast building up a diverse resume.
She’s taught history, English and math to high-school aged girls living in a group home in the Greater Los Angeles area. She’s been a high powered real estate finance attorney on Wall Street.
She’s a master of real estate’s affiliate-based business model, having most recently led Christie’s luxury arm in that arena for four years. She’s also fluent in Spanish.
And now, with 15 years of industry experience under her belt, she is the new COO of Sotheby’s International Realty (SIR), the company announced today. LaTorre, who’s worked closely with auction houses and luxury brands, will lead SIR’s global servicing and operations.
“The Sotheby’s International Realty brand’s global strength and its innovative marketing platforms make it one of the most discerning luxury brands in the world,” said LaTorre in a statement. “I am thrilled to be joining the brand and look forward to working with the team to continue to grow the business globally, expand top-notch service initiatives and develop business-changing tools for affiliates to better serve their clientele.”
LaTorre added that when the position was presented to her, it was something she knew she had to pursue.
“The brand has grown so significantly in the past few years and to continue to meet our strategic goals it was time to add someone of Julie’s caliber to our senior leadership team,” Philip White, SIR president and CEO, told Inman. SIR declined to elaborate on who served as COO before LaTorre.
The Sotheby’s International Realty franchise has approximately 21,000 associates across 900 offices in 68 countries and territories.
This isn’t the first executive appointment for SIR in 2017. In March, the company also hired a new chief marketing officer, global luxury marketing executive Kevin Thompson.
In 2016, the real estate franchisor began hosting immersive 3-D home tours on its listing pages and rolled out an Apple TV app for home browsing.
LaTorre told Inman that these tech offerings were part of what drew her to SIR.
“As Chief Operating Officer, my focus is on providing Sotheby’s International Realty affiliates with the services and tools they need to be successful in the luxury residential real estate space,” she said. “I look forward to working with the team at large to identify those needs and solutions across the board, including any technological initiatives that may offer our affiliates a competitive edge.”