The Agency, a luxury brokerage founded by Mauricio Umansky in 2011, is expanding to the Canadian city of Vancouver.
The new office, which will be led by real estate agents and managing partners Kit Matkaluk and Hugh Cooper, is the company’s twentieth franchise in North America. It is also the seventh in Canada, joining cities including Toronto, Victoria, Oakville, Calgary, Kitchener and Cowichan.
Vancouver, which, like many West Coast locales, has seen its real estate prices skyrocket in the past decade, is home to some of the most expensive real estate in North America, with both Canadian and foreign buyers drawn to its ocean and mountain views.
“Vancouver is a natural and strategic fit for The Agency to establish a presence as we have a strong existing network within British Columbia and global feeder markets that will benefit from the shared synergy,” Agency President Rainy Hake Austin told Inman. “As with all of our franchise partners, we seek like-minded individuals who will be great collaborators and seek to do business in the same spirit that we subscribe to at The Agency.”
The new office will be located in North Vancouver, a suburb just outside the city known for its nature and hiking trails. Matkaluk and Cooper, who are known in the area as the “Kit and Coop” duo, have been working in real estate over the past 15 years. In their new role with The Agency, they will oversee the LA-based brokerage’s Vancouver presence and work to build its network of high-end and luxury buyers.
The Vancouver franchise is part of the brokerage’s goal to expand its presence to more northern cities; future plans include a Montreal office in the fall.
Matkaluk and Cooper told Inman they plan to build out a team of both personal and investor clients as they spread The Agency’s presence across well-known luxury real estate hotspots like West Vancouver.
“We are already the #1 agents in Lower Lonsdale in North Vancouver (have been since 2016 every year) and this is a great feeder pool for downsizers, excellent spot for investors and great starting point for first time buyers and young families, and through this we have been able to spread our wings across the North Shore into different sectors,” Cooper said.
“We plan to shift more focus and attention to West Vancouver and the fine estates and homes located there,” Cooper added. “Both Kit & myself grew up there and know the area like the back of our hands — and although these pockets are dominated by a few high end luxury brokers — we plan on breaking in and making waves in this segment for years to come.”
