After more than two decades working separately, real estate power couple Alexis and Michael LaMontagna have co-founded a new team under luxury firm Resident.
Alexis has spent the past 25 years working under her mother, Jade Mills, who leads Jade Mills Estates under the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury brand. Michael also had a tenure at Jade Mills Estates as the team’s executive director, before moving on to Hilton & Hyland and The Beverly Hills Estates, where he most recently worked alongside the husband-and-wife duo Branden and Rayni Williams.
“This next chapter isn’t about leaving anything behind. It’s about building on the foundation that I’ve received from 25 years with my mom,” Alexis said in an exclusive statement to Inman on Friday. “It’s about creating something for Michael and me and for our three children. It’s about our identity, our brand and creating our legacy.”
Michael added, “We’ve been doing this independently for 25 years, but we’re just getting started, and the sky is the limit.”
The couple said they weren’t looking for a new brokerage, as they’d built strong reputations and an enviable list of transactions, which includes the $16 million sale of a Peter Tolkin-designed, 3.26-acre estate and two consecutive $30 million sales in Beverly Hills’ Trousdale Estates, right where they were.
Michael and Alexis LaMontagna
However, when the LaMontagnas decided to combine their businesses, Resident was the only brokerage that came to mind. The couple had gotten well-acquainted with Resident co-founders Jon and Lauren Grauman and Adam Rosenfeld over the past several years and watched their transition from working under The Agency to launching a boutique firm on the Side platform.
The duo learned about Resident’s approach to the business — which, according to their website, focuses on integrity, collaboration and thoughtful growth.
“As Alexis and I began to form the vision of our partnership, we wanted to align ourselves with a firm led by strong individuals who were accessible and shared our vision and values,” Michael said. “We see a lot of ourselves in Adam, Jon and Lauren, and we feel blessed to have their support, commitment and collaboration.”
The duo said they bring the best of both worlds to their namesake team.
Michael said he’s “highly technical and research-driven,” focusing the bulk of his time on gathering on-and-off-market intelligence, contracts, inspections, escrow, and coordination with attorneys and business managers. Meanwhile, Alexis said she excels at the creative direction and relationship building, with her often taking the lead on branding and marketing, design and the client experience.
“We’re going to be able to service more clients with a combination of our skills and assets,” they said, noting they’ll both be directly involved in every part of the transaction process. “Michael can do what he does best, and Alexis can do what she does best, and we lean on each other for support and motivation.”
Grauman and Rosenfeld said the LaMontagnas are “exactly the kind of people” they want at Resident, and they’re excited to help the couple write the next chapter of their journey.
“They’ve each spent 25 years becoming exceptional at what they do, but what impressed us most is that they aren’t looking at this next chapter as simply combining two successful books of business,” Jon Grauman said. “They have a very clear vision for what they want to build together. Our job is to give them the infrastructure, resources and support to make that vision bigger.”
Rosenfeld added, “We’ve known Alexis and Michael for years, and there has always been a shared way of thinking about the business, relationships and how clients should be served … That’s ultimately the kind of company we’re trying to create — a place where great agents can build something that is truly their own without having to build it alone.”
As for the next steps, Michael and Alexis said they’re less focused on meeting specific transaction volume and team growth goals, and more focused on building a business that mirrors the integrity and passion they developed under Jade Mills and other mentors.
“Working alongside my mom has been the biggest honor and privilege of my career,” Alexis said. “What I have learned from her goes far beyond business.”
“After working together for so long, it will be an adjustment for both of us, but she understands that this is the next right step for me and Michael,” she added. “There is something quite special about watching your child take everything that you’ve taught them and build upon it in their own.”
