This fall, Inman will honor the inaugural class of inductees into the Inman Golden I Club. The class will be announced live at Luxury Connect, Oct. 16-17 in Beverly Hills.
What is the Inman Golden I (pronounced “eye”) Club? It’s nothing less than the highest honor in luxury real estate. We’ll be awarding Golden I awards in nine categories:
- Top Luxury Agent 2019
- Top Luxury Team 2019
- Top Luxury Brokerage 2019
- Best City Sale 2019
- Best Mountain Sale 2019
- Best Beach Sale 2019
- Best Sales and Marketing Campaign for a Luxury Property 2019
- Best Sales and Marketing Campaign by a Luxury Development 2019
- Golden I Hall of Fame
The following are the finalists in the best city sale category. Best sales and marketing campaign, best mountain and beach sales, top agent and team, and top luxury brokerage finalists have been announced.
Best City Sale 2019
Penthouse at 212 5th Ave., New York CIty (Sotheby’s International Realty)
The sale of the penthouse at 212 5th Ave. was the highest sale in downtown New York City in 2019. Nikki Field, Kevin Brown, Mara Flash Blum and Brad Ingalls of Sotheby’s International Realty led sales for Madison Equities’ new development project. John Burger of Brown Harris Stevens brought the buyer. Originally constructed as a manufacturing building in 1912, 212 5th Ave. was reimagined as 48 residences, including one full-floor residence and a penthouse.
Spelling Manor (Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage)
Built by entertainment moguls Aaron and Candy Spelling, the sale of the Spelling Manor by Jade Mills of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage marked the highest priced home to sell in Los Angeles and the fourth-highest sale in the country in the past year. The 56,000-square-foot mansion in Holmby Hills sold for $119.750 million and was the fourth-highest sale in Los Angeles to reach $100 million or more.
Merrywood Estate, Washington, D.C. (TTR Sotheby’s International Realty)
The sale of the Merrywood Estate for $43 million by Mark Lowham of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty represents the highest sale on record in the Washington, D.C., area. As the childhood home of Jacqueline Kennedy, the property captured extraordinary history. The marketing strategy required both global outreach coupled with sensitivity to the personal privacy objectives of the clients, Steve and Jean Case (sellers) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (buyers).
822 Sarbonne Road, Los Angeles, California (The Williams Group)
When the property was listed, the Los Angeles market was at a standstill and no mansions at this price point were moving, but 822 Sarbonne Road fetched $75 million, making it one of 2019’s highest sales. Rayni and Branden Williams guided developer Ardie Tavangarian of The Arya Group to pivot on his design and react to the current design trends they were seeing sell (and not sell) in the marketplace. The result was an organic, modern design that changed the conversation and breathed new design trends into the spec boom in LA.
140 Sea Cliff Ave., San Francisco, California (City Real Estate)
In July, City Real Estate sold 140 Sea Cliff Ave. in San Francisco for $18 million. Perched above the Pacific Ocean with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, this exceptional property is one of the best locations in the Bay Area. Built in 1920, the home has all the modern amenities but still maintains its original charm. Side partner David Cohen, founder of City Real Estate, and Janet Feinberg Schindler of Sotheby’s International Realty – San Francisco brokered the deal.
