Realtor | Corey Dwan

SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY® LUXURY NETWORK SHOWS 57 PERCENT OFFICE GROWTH IN 2006 45 New Sotheby’s International Realty® Affiliates Results in an Increase of 126 Offices
PARSIPPANY, N.J. (Jan. 31, 2007)

Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. today announced that 45 affiliate brokerages in 12 countries joined the Sotheby’s International Realty® network during 2006, and affiliates are now located in 17 countries around the world. The luxury real estate franchise also grew to 346 worldwide offices from 220 offices, an increase of 57 percent. The number of sales associates grew 42 percent to end the year with more than 7,200 sales associates.
“Our network’s substantial growth during 2006 reflects the enormous amount of human and capital resources we have invested in developing unique marketing programs, systems and tools that help our affiliates become stronger providers of luxury real estate services,” said Michael R. Good, president & CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. “We support our affiliates with a level of high- touch service that is unmatched in the luxury home market, and will continue to align our prestigious name with leading firms located around the world.”
The growth of the Sotheby’s International Realty® network included 34 firms located within the United States, and 11 affiliates located in Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, St. Barth, Turks and Caicos, New Zealand, Monaco, Spain and Switzerland.
In addition, eight agreements with international master franchisors were signed in 2006, paving the way for future office expansions in Antigua, Barbados, Brazil, Mexico, Moscow, St. Maarten, and Thailand as well as into Madrid and elsewhere in Spain.
The companies joining the Sotheby’s International Realty® network benefit greatly from new access to international marketing tools, business resources and sales associate recruiting tools that are designed to help affiliates expand and reach their business goals. Among the numerous success stories, Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, was able to expand his business from six initial offices in January 2006 to nine offices by the year’s end in, and outside, his primary Orlando, Fla., market.
Mr. Soderstrom said, “2006 was a challenging year for the industry. Our affiliation with the Sotheby’s International Realty network allowed us to expand and take market share as well as develop global contacts that would not have materialized outside of this powerful network. With the support of the brand and Sotheby’s International Realty leadership, 2007 is going to be our best year ever.”
The continued growth of the Sotheby’s International Realty® network and its leadership in the luxury segment has been recognized throughout the industry. The April/May issue of “Unique Homes” magazine included Michael R. Good, president & CEO, and Wendy Purvey, senior vice president of marketing for Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc., in its list of “35 of the Most Influential People in Luxury Real Estate.”

About Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc.
Founded in 1976 to provide independent brokerages with a powerful marketing and referral program for luxury listings, the Sotheby’s International Realty® network was designed to connect the finest independent real estate companies to the most prestigious clientele in the world. In February 2004, Realogy Corporation (then Cendant Corporation), the world’s leading real estate brokerage franchisor, entered into a long-term strategic alliance with Sotheby’s Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BID; LSE: STBA). The agreement provided for the licensing of the Sotheby’s International Realty® name and the development of a full franchise system by Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc., a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation (NYSE: H). Affiliations in the system are granted only to brokerages and individuals meeting strict qualifications. Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. supports its affiliates with a host of operational, marketing, recruiting, educational and business development resources. Franchise affiliates also benefit from an association with the venerable, 260-year-old Sotheby’s auction house.

For more information, visit www.sothebysrealty.com.