As the battle to dominate the luxury real estate sector intensifies, virtual brokerage eXp Realty has launched eXp Sports & Entertainment within the firm’s luxury division, the company announced at its conference Tuesday in Miami.
Agents within the division will receive specialized certification, branding assets and a global network catered to clients within the sports and entertainment professions.
“The Sports and Entertainment segment requires a unique level of confidence, discretion and specialized knowledge,” Leo Pareja, CEO of eXp Realty, said in a statement. “This launch is a direct response to our agents’ desire to dominate lucrative niche markets. By embedding eXp Sports & Entertainment within our successful Luxury platform, we’re not just providing a credential, we’re providing the industry’s most powerful framework for agents to build credibility, connect with key advisors and confidently serve the world’s most demanding clientele.”
Those luxury agents who join the division will have access to the official eXp Sports & Entertainment mark, design suite and marketing assets; listing decks, social media templates and presentations; twice monthly masterminds with experts in the field; and partnerships with key individuals in the industry, including athlete advisors, entertainment attorneys and wealth planners, as well as access to a vetted relocation vendor directory.
“EXp is once again raising the bar for specialization,” Wendy Forsythe, Chief Marketing Officer at eXp Realty, said in a statement. “For an agent focused on high-profile clients, having a certified, recognized brand, backed by a global network, is the ultimate competitive advantage.”
Leading brokerages have sought to elevate their brands through launching or beefing up sports and entertainment divisions in recent years, including Christie’s International Real Estate Austin and Dallas, which launched a sports and entertainment division based out of the two cities last year with an eye on business from the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, and FC Dallas, as well as the many musicians and entertainers drawn to Austin.
In 2023, Compass recruited nearly 30 agents to add to its Sports & Entertainment Division at mid-year, and in 2022, Keller Williams launched its own Sports + Entertainment agent community.
The luxury space has remained relatively resilient even as the general market has slowed in recent months. Still, most luxury firms aim to set themselves apart via unique niches or flavors in a bid to cater to their clientele — and win control of the still-lucrative high-end sector. Case in point: Christie’s International Real Estate President Gavin Swartzman recently told Inman the company was zeroed in on becoming the “dominant modern luxury global brand” in today’s market.
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