The Homebase Real Estate team at eXp Realty is looking to make a big push in Southern California.
The group tapped Roddy de la Garza for the position of market leader in Los Angeles as well as the Palm Springs side of Coachella Valley, where he’ll focus on agent recruitment and boosting brand awareness locally.
The company hopes De la Garza’s previous successes as a former eXp Realty Texas managing broker and regional director of growth can be duplicated in Southern California. While de la Garza held those positions, more than 1,200 agents joined the brokerage.
He has sold more than 750 homes, equating to $350 million in career sales volume across Texas and California.
Homebase wasn’t the only outfit to recruit over the past month in Los Angeles and Orange counties:
➤ Eric Lavey joined the Beverly Hills Estates bringing with him a diverse business focus.
That includes Beverly Hills and the broader Westside, and he also has expertise in the Coachella Valley, including Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert.
Lavey was previously with Sotheby’s International Realty and had on-market sales volume in excess of $60 million over the past 12 months. He counted about the same amount of volume in off-market transactions during that same period.
➤ Compass continues to bolster its offices, with the most recent additions padding its Orange County roster.
That includes bringing over Diane Kutinsky and Chrissy Reilly from Seven Gables to the brokerage’s Huntington Beach office.
The duo notched more than $49 million in sales volume over the past 12 months and come to Compass with more than 25 years of combined experience.
They specialize in Huntington Beach’s Seacliff, Seacliff on the Greens and Edward Hill Estates communities, though the two have sold homes from Santa Monica to San Clemente.
➤ Elsewhere in Orange County, Compass brought the Robinett Team to its Dana Point office.
Doug, Soosan and Serena Robinett joined Compass after a 25-year run with First Team. The Robinetts have sold $15.6 million in sales volume year to date and focus their business on south OC’s residential market.
➤ Andy Hairabedien is now with Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California, bringing to the brokerage his specialty in the San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys.
Hairabedien, who comes from a family of developers and previously ran his own brokerage, counts his wife Lillian as part of his team, along with Sophia Kelley and Nareg Khatchadourian.
➤ In Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California’s Beverly Hills office, the brokerage added Mary Hollis.
Hollis works in luxury residential real estate, in addition to new construction. She focuses on Beverly Hills and the greater Los Angeles area.
➤ Nourmand & Associates nabbed Realtor Nita Bakhda to focus on the Beverly Hills market. Before entering real estate, Bakhda was involved in residential leasing.
The brokerage also added agent Sami Housman, who specializes in Hancock Park, Brookside, West Hollywood, Windsor Square, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz and Mid City.
Housman, who was previously with Carolwood Estates, has a background in the entertainment industry, where she was a manager and producer.
