Christie's International Real Estate
A global luxury real estate brokerage brand operating through independently managed offices and agents under a licensing and affiliation model.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Christie's International Real Estate is a luxury real estate brokerage brand serving high-value residential property markets through a network of affiliated offices and agents. The business traces its origins to Great Estates, a real estate company founded in 1987. In 1995, the Great Estates brand was acquired by Christie's, the London-based auction house, linking the brokerage operation to one of the world's best-known names in art and luxury goods. That relationship gave the real estate business an association with Christie's heritage, clientele, and international brand recognition while keeping real estate brokerage distinct from the auction house's core activities. The operation was known as Christie's Great Estates for a number of years. In 2011, Christie's renamed it Christie's International Real Estate, a change that emphasized the global scope of the network and separated the brand from a narrower geographic or historical interpretation of the earlier name. The company operates as a luxury property services platform rather than as a conventional property developer or a single centrally owned brokerage chain. Its activities generally include property marketing, buyer and seller representation, referrals, and local brokerage services delivered through affiliated firms. The brand's business model has historically depended on a combination of brand licensing, local market expertise, and international referrals. Christie's International Real Estate has reported a network of more than 400 offices and approximately 10,000 agents in nearly 50 countries and territories. The network is designed for clients who own, buy, or sell premium residential real estate and who may require exposure across multiple markets. Its positioning draws on the perceived relationship between luxury homes, prestige services, and Christie's auction-house identity, although the real estate operation is a separate business. A significant ownership transition occurred in December 2021, when a venture led by Mike Golden and Thad Wong, co-founders of the Chicago brokerage @properties, acquired the business from Christie's. The transaction preserved a long-term global brand licensing agreement with Christie's while moving ownership of the real estate company away from the auction house. The resulting organization became associated with the @properties platform and expanded its ambitions as an international luxury brokerage network. In 2024, Compass, Inc. announced an agreement to acquire the @properties Christie's International Real Estate business for $444 million. Compass completed the acquisition in January 2025. Following the transaction, Christie's International Real Estate became part of Compass's broader real estate platform, while the Christie's name continued to be used under the licensing relationship. The acquisition connected the luxury international network with Compass's technology, brokerage infrastructure, and domestic real estate operations. The brand's notable brokerage history includes participation in the sale of the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles, which sold for more than $100 million in 2016. Such transactions illustrate the type of high-value, highly publicized property assignment associated with the brand. Christie's International Real Estate remains an active luxury brokerage brand, with its public identity centered on international reach, premium residential property, local market expertise, and association with the Christie's name.
History
Christie's International Real Estate began in 1987 under the name Great Estates. It was created as a real estate brokerage business rather than as an extension of the auction-house business, although its later development became closely associated with the Christie's name. In 1995, the London-based auction house Christie's acquired the Great Estates brand. The acquisition established the foundation for a luxury property network that could benefit from the recognition and prestige attached to Christie's while remaining focused on property brokerage. Following the acquisition, the real estate business operated as Christie's Great Estates. The name signaled the connection to Christie's and emphasized the premium character of the properties it marketed. The network's role was to connect local and regional real estate firms with an international luxury brand, supporting high-end listings and referrals across markets. This structure differed from a conventional single-office brokerage because the brand's reach depended substantially on affiliated offices and local professionals. In 2011, Christie's changed the name to Christie's International Real Estate. The new name highlighted the geographical ambitions of the business and provided a clearer description of its role as a worldwide property network. Over time, the organization developed a presence of more than 400 offices and approximately 10,000 agents across nearly 50 countries and territories. Its service scope included luxury residential brokerage, marketing of major properties, buyer and seller representation, and international referrals. The business changed ownership in December 2021. A venture led by Mike Golden and Thad Wong, who had co-founded @properties, acquired Christie's International Real Estate from Christie's. The transaction was structured with a long-term global brand licensing agreement, allowing the real estate business to continue using the Christie's identity even though the auction house no longer owned the brokerage operation. The new ownership connected the brand with the @properties brokerage platform and its expansion strategy. Compass later agreed to acquire the @properties Christie's International Real Estate business. The reported purchase price was $444 million, making the transaction an important ownership milestone for the brand. Compass completed the acquisition in January 2025. The change placed Christie's International Real Estate within Compass's wider corporate group and gave the brand access to a larger real estate technology and brokerage ecosystem. The licensed relationship with Christie's remained central to the brand's identity. The brokerage has been connected with high-profile luxury property assignments, including the 2016 sale of the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles for more than $100 million. Such assignments have helped reinforce the brand's association with trophy properties and high-value residential transactions. Today, Christie's International Real Estate is an active international luxury real estate brand operating through a broad office and agent network. Its history is defined by three phases: establishment as Great Estates, association with and later separation of ownership from the Christie's auction house, and integration into Compass following the acquisition of the @properties-led business.
- 2025
Compass completes the acquisition
[1]Compass completes its acquisition of the @properties Christie's International Real Estate business in January.
- 2024
Compass announces acquisition
[1]Compass agrees to acquire the @properties Christie's International Real Estate business for $444 million.
- 2021
Ownership transfers to an @properties-led venture
[1]A venture led by Mike Golden and Thad Wong acquires the real estate business from Christie's while retaining a long-term global license for the Christie's brand.
- 2016
Playboy Mansion transaction
[1]The brand is associated with the brokerage of the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles, which sells for more than $100 million.
- 2011
The brand becomes Christie's International Real Estate
[1]Christie's changes the name from Christie's Great Estates to Christie's International Real Estate to emphasize its international real estate network.
- 1995
Christie's acquires Great Estates
[1]The London auction house Christie's acquires the Great Estates brand, beginning the brokerage business's formal association with the Christie's name.
- 1987
Great Estates is founded
[1]The real estate brokerage business that later became Christie's International Real Estate is established under the name Great Estates.
Products and positioning
A prestige-oriented, globally networked residential real estate brand positioned at the upper end of the property market. Its differentiation is based on international reach, local brokerage relationships, high-value listings, and the licensed association with the Christie's auction-house name.
Real estate services · 1987
Luxury residential brokerage
The core offering is brokerage for premium and high-value homes. Local affiliated agents represent sellers and buyers, advise on positioning and transaction strategy, and coordinate the sale or purchase of residential properties in luxury markets. The brand supplies an international identity and network while local firms provide market-specific execution.
Real estate marketing · 1995
International property marketing
Christie's International Real Estate markets significant residential properties to domestic and international audiences. Its network model is intended to give affiliated offices access to cross-border referrals and a broader pool of potential buyers, particularly for distinctive, high-value, or trophy properties.
Real estate network services · 2011
Global referral network
The brand connects affiliated offices and agents operating across nearly 50 countries and territories. This network supports referrals for clients moving between markets and provides local representation for international buyers and sellers. The network has been described as comprising more than 400 offices and approximately 10,000 agents.
Controversies
2021
Christie’s affiliate sues Compass over agent recruitment
A Christie’s International Real Estate affiliate in Ridgewood, New Jersey, sued Compass, accusing it of soliciting a team of four agents and unlawfully encouraging them to breach existing contracts. The complaint also named the agents and alleged improper client solicitation and use of confidential information. Compass called the allegations opportunistic and without merit.
Brand decisions
2024
Compass agrees to acquire the @properties Christie's businessM&ABackground
The @properties-led ownership group pursued a larger corporate platform for its brokerage businesses and international luxury network.
Action taken
Compass agreed to acquire the @properties Christie's International Real Estate business for $444 million.
Aftermath
The transaction was completed in January 2025, placing the brand within Compass's corporate group.
Announced acquisition consideration. $444 million (2024 announced transaction)
2021
Sale of the brokerage to an @properties-led ventureM&ABackground
Christie's decided to transfer ownership of the real estate brokerage while preserving the commercial value of its name in the property market.
Action taken
A venture led by Mike Golden and Thad Wong acquired the business and entered into a long-term global licensing agreement with Christie's.
Aftermath
The brokerage became associated with the @properties platform while continuing to operate under the Christie's International Real Estate name.
2011
Rebrand from Christie's Great Estates to Christie's International Real EstateStrategyBackground
The earlier name linked the brokerage to its history as Great Estates but did not express the full geographical scope of its network.
Action taken
Christie's renamed the business Christie's International Real Estate, placing international reach at the center of the brand identity.
Aftermath
The new identity became the platform for the brand's continued international office and agent expansion.
Recent events
- 2025
Compass completes acquisition of @properties Christie's International Real Estate[1]
M&A
Compass completed its acquisition of the @properties Christie's International Real Estate business, bringing the luxury brokerage network into the Compass group.
- 2024
Compass agrees to acquire @properties Christie's International Real Estate[1]
M&A
Compass announced an agreement to acquire the @properties Christie's International Real Estate business for $444 million.
- 2021
Christie's sells its international real estate business to a venture led by @properties founders[1]
M&A
A venture led by Mike Golden and Thad Wong acquired Christie's International Real Estate from Christie's and entered into a long-term global licensing agreement for the Christie's name.
- 2016
Playboy Mansion sale exceeds $100 million[1]
Other
Christie's International Real Estate was associated with the brokerage of the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles, a transaction reported to have exceeded $100 million.
Sources3 sources
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