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New York City-based agent John Lawrence has rejoined Douglas Elliman after spending about three years at Compass, the firm has informed Inman.
Lawrence brings his 19-person team, The Lawrence Team, back to Elliman with him. The team will be based out of Elliman’s flagship office at 575 Madison Avenue, but will have a presence in Long Island City and New Jersey as well.
Michael S. Liebowitz | Douglas Elliman
“As I’ve said since taking on the privilege of leading this great company, our agents and their expertise are the heart and soul of Douglas Elliman,” Michael S. Liebowitz, president and CEO of Douglas Elliman Inc., said in a statement. “In this sense, John and the entire Lawrence Team are very much on brand with this brokerage.”
Lawrence started his real estate career in 1988 at the now-defunct CIT where he focused on conversion projects from rentals to co-ops. He gradually moved up the ladder and landed at Bellmarc, where he led the company’s largest office and attracted the attention of former Douglas Elliman brokerage CEO Dottie Herman.
Herman recruited him to join Douglas Elliman in 2006, where he stayed until joining Compass in late 2021. Lawrence remained at Compass until this past December.
“We wish him all the best and continued success,” a representative for Compass said of Lawrence’s move.
Richard Ferrari | Douglas Elliman
While at Douglas Elliman the first time around, Lawrence oversaw billions in transactions from more than 400 brokers across three offices, according to a press statement from Elliman. He decided to transition from sales management to sales in 2020 after he brokered a notable $35.5 million deal at Apartment No. 81 at 157 East 57th Street, one of the biggest sales that year in Manhattan.
“In addition to being a top-performing agent, John is an exceptional manager and cultivator of talent,” said Richard Ferrari, president and CEO of brokerage for Douglas Elliman’s New York City, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. “I look forward to working with him to bolster Douglas Elliman’s reputation as a home for great careers.”
The Lawrence Team currently specializes in Manhattan and the greater Tri-State area, but Lawrence is aiming to expand its reach with more agents and staff to cover Westchester, the Hamptons and Florida in the coming years.
John Lawrence | Douglas Elliman
“Having spent much of my career in sales management at Douglas Elliman, I know first-hand that no other brokerage is as committed to the growth and success of its agents and teams,” Lawrence said in a statement. “My team and I could not be happier to make our home here at Elliman.”
Lawrence also serves on the board of REALM Global, the membership community for the top 1 percent of real estate professionals worldwide.
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