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While several other high-powered teams have left Douglas Elliman this year, Fredrik Eklund, John Gomes and Julia Spillman have decided to stay with the New York City-based firm for another five years.
Frederik Eklund | Douglas Elliman
“The story of the Eklund | Gomes Team at Douglas Elliman is a case study in how a top team can thrive when it has the dedicated support of a global powerhouse brokerage,” Eklund said in a written statement on Tuesday. “With its resources in marketing, public relations and technology, Elliman is a formidable platform for exponential growth and is largely responsible for our tremendous success nationwide.”
“It has been a thrilling ride for us, and Douglas Elliman has been there every step of the way, propelling our growth and amplifying our successes,” Gomes added. “We’re proud to remain part of the Elliman family.”
The trio has been with Douglas Elliman for 12 years, expanding its reach from New York City to 13 markets across New York, California, Florida, Texas and Nevada. Despite a rough-and-tumble market, the 90-agent team has earned more than $4 billion in transaction volume this year — $500 million away from its 2021 performance.
“The Eklund | Gomes Team is truly the gold standard for real estate teams,” Douglas Elliman Executive Chairman Howard M. Lorber said of the team’s contributions. “In the 12 years they have been part of Douglas Elliman, Fredrik, John and Julia have conducted a master class in how to build and scale an incomparable brand.”
The team has also consistently led in gross commission income, the announcement reads, which The Real Deal estimated is between $120 to $240 million dollars per year — if rumors of a 90 percent commission split are true.
“A former top-producing Elliman agent speculated that Eklund-Gomes are getting well above a 90 percent commission split,” TRD published on Wednesday. “That puts its gross commission income at $120 million-$240 million depending on whether it did one or both sides of each deal. A 90 percent split means Elliman would take roughly $12 million to $24 million.”
The firm said the Eklund | Gomes Team has set the stage for a stellar 2023, with the launch of a new 10,000-square-foot flagship location in New York City’s West Village and a bevy of new development deals, which include exclusive national and international marketing rights for Four Seasons Private Residences Lake Austin.
“When it comes to cultivating and supporting teams, Douglas Elliman is in a class of its own,” Spillman said. “The Eklund | Gomes Team is very much at home here.”
This year has been a mixed bag for Douglas Elliman, which has faced intensifying recruiting pressure from its contemporaries.
Tal and Oren Alexander left to create their own firm under Side, former executives Brad Loe and Steven James have been steadily recruiting top-producing brokers to their new home at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, and Eklund | Gomes also lost one of its best development experts to Corcoran.
On the other hand, Douglas Elliman has been able to pull talent from competitors, including Brown Harris Stevens and Christie’s International Real Estate and successfully launch operations in Boston, Washington, D.C.; Arlington, Virginia; and Bethesda, Maryland, even as it dealt with declining revenue during the third quarter.
“There is a reason why Eklund | Gomes is one of the most visible real estate teams in the world,” CEO Scott Durkin said of the buoy this announcement gives to the Douglas Elliman brand heading into 2023. “Their understanding of media and marketing and their ability to leverage new technologies and platforms to lead the conversation are unrivaled.”
“Truly, the light that shines on them reflects on the entire Elliman community.”
