the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Christie’s International Real Estate, the real estate arm of Christie’s, the world’s leading art auction house, welcomed over 700 brokers from 24 countries, including 26 U.S. states, to the network’s annual invitation-only Luxury Specialist Conference. This year’s event was held virtually November 17 and 18, attracting the largest number of participants in the history of the forum. At the conclusion of the conference, attendees were designated as a “Christie’s International Real Estate Luxury Specialist” by Christie’s Education.
Dan Conn, CEO of Christie’s International Real Estate, said: “Our agents are experts in their local markets, the reason their companies were invited to join our exclusive network. This conference, offering continuing education in the luxury sector, allows them to build on their local reputations with an appreciation for the full scope of the interests of high-end clients: art collectibles, home design, wellness and philanthropy. The global flow of real estate transactions is unprecedented in the current climate, as people continue to work remotely. Understanding the worldwide economy, best practices for digital marketing and leveraging the Christie’s International Real Estate suite of services will grow their businesses and deepen relationships with buyers and sellers.”
In addition to representation from across the United States, attendees joined from Europe, Canada, the Caribbean, Latin and South America, Asia and Australia.
Speakers included Elliot Eisenberg, internationally acclaimed economist renowned for making the science of global monetary policies clear and logical; Michael S. Smith, the interior designer appointed by President Barack Obama to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House and responsible for the 2010 makeover of the Oval Office; and Antoine Hodge, the bar and spirits director of the world-renowned Baccarat Hotel New York who led viewers through a mixology demonstration using a list of ingredients circulated prior.
Participants also heard from Christie’s International Real Estate executives and their industry-leading peers who provided insights into managing their businesses in a volatile environment, digital approaches for buying and selling homes, managing client relations and leveraging PR and social media to build personal brands. A series of group networking discussions explored target and feeder markets in order to increase referral business and luxury lifestyle trends. Christie’s executives gave an overview of the current art market and strategies for collecting of art and luxury goods including, jewelry, wine, and handbags.
Rounding out the conference were three presentations, the first on professional wardrobes for the current reality by experts in the luxury apparel and accessory world. Mindful Junkie Outreach, a not-for-profit organization that empowers first responders with strategies to be safe, healthy and emotionally regulated, provided strategies to manage stress in one’s home and business lives, while Studio in a School, an organization devoted to enriching young lives through visual arts programs in inner city schools that have lost their funding for arts education, stressed the importance of supporting children through these unprecedented times.
“Our agents were proud to represent our market area, showcasing our properties and networking with their fellow Christie’s agents from across the country and the world,” said Sonja Cullaro, Executive Vice President of Christie’s International Real Estate Northern New Jersey, Westchester | Hudson Valley.
