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Three top agents from Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty have left the luxury brand and moved to The Agency Seattle, as agents continue to reevaluate their brokerage affiliations heading into the new year, Seattle Agent Magazine reported on Friday.
Sandra Hines and Blake Waggoner of The Hines Group, as well as Dave Janssens, are now affiliated with the Seattle branch of the Beverly Hills-based brokerage led by CEO and founder Mauricio Umansky.
Jen Cameron | The Agency
“I have never been more excited about the momentum we are building at The Agency Seattle with our team and brand,” Jen Cameron, The Agency Seattle’s managing partner, said in a statement.
“As a company, we have always focused on who we are growing with, as it is key to our culture,” she continued. “Having Sandra Hines and the Hines Group, along with Dave Janssens, join our team is a testament to that. Not only are they icons of our industry with incredible reputations of integrity, I know first-hand that they share our philosophy of all for one and one for all. I began my career 25 years ago in the same office as Dave. He was a mentor to me as I began my career and now we have come full circle again.”
Hines will be a senior broker, Waggoner a broker and Janssens a managing broker at The Agency Seattle.
Sandra Hines | The Agency
Hines has gained recognition in Seattle after her more than 20 years in the industry. She is consistently recognized as one of Seattle Magazine’s 5-Star Real Estate Agents, has been named to Forbes Market Leader — Top 500 List and was Sotheby’s No. 1 broker by sales volume in West Seattle in 2018-19. Additionally, Hines was the top producing agent for West Seattle, according to NWMLS data, in 2022 and 2023.
In 2023, the Hines Group, including Waggoner, was also recognized by the Seattle Times as Gold Winner for Best Luxury Real Estate Company in the Pacific Northwest. Waggoner launched his real estate career in 2020 at Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty and, in 2022, was named a Seattle Rising Star Real Estate Agent by Five Star Professional.
Blake Waggoner | The Agency
“My clients are my everything and giving them my very best has always been at the forefront of my career decisions,” Hines said in a statement.
“This last year, I came to the realization that I needed to align with a brand that truly shares my passion for people and delivers excellence at every level,” Hines added. “I’m thrilled to have accepted the invitation to join The Agency Seattle and bring their cutting-edge creative and bold business philosophy to my Seattle clientele and beyond. My business is personal and I’m proud to call The Agency home.”
Janssens is another industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience in real estate. In 2016, he was the No. 1 selling agent in the Houghton neighborhood of Kirkland by total number of homes sold, according to the NWMLS. While at Windermere from 1997 to 2017, he was the No. 1 agent during multiple years of his affiliation with the firm.
Dave Janssens | The Agency
“I am excited to make a bold and significant move in my real estate career by accepting a personal invitation to join The Agency’s Seattle office,” Janssens said in a statement.
“It’s important to note that this move is only my second move in my 27-year real estate career, so it is something I take very seriously,” Janssens continued. “The idea started as I began to see The Agency doing bold and creative things, and the more I looked into what they were doing and what they were about, the more I knew it was the right move at the right time for me, as it is what’s best for my clients, which in the end is all that matters in real estate. I believe that there has never been a more important time to be bold and surround yourself with people and organizations who are interested and willing to stand out!”
The Agency launched its Seattle franchise in the spring of 2022 with Jason Binab and Jen Cameron leading the office as managing partners. Binab is also a managing partner of the firm’s Victoria office in Canada.
Update: This story was updated on Jan. 9, 2024 to add Sandra Hines’ sales volume rankings in 2022 and 2023.
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