Roberto “Rob” Vannucchi
On the heels of Douglas Elliman Real Estate’s successful foray into Connecticut with the opening of its first office in Greenwich — Roberto “Rob” Vannucchi has been promoted to executive vice president, Connecticut and Westchester County.
Vannucchi, a 22-year veteran of the real estate industry, is charged with leading DE’s strategic growth into premier markets throughout the State of Connecticut and Westchester County. In this role, Vannucchi will oversee all sales and operations at Elliman’s seven offices, totaling 226 agents, throughout both regions, where Elliman is making significant strides.
Under his leadership, a new team dedicated to the regions of Connecticut and Westchester County has also been announced, including two new recent additions to the firm — Robin Friedman as Regional Director of Sales, Westchester County and Suzanne Bijou as Regional Director of Marketing, Westchester County and Connecticut — both seasoned professionals from Houlihan Lawrence.
“Douglas Elliman’s domination of the New York City market provides us with the opportunity to also dominate the Westchester County and Greenwich markets, which are financially influenced by NYC,” said Howard M. Lorber, Chairman of Douglas Elliman. “In support of this expansion, we’ve assembled a powerhouse leadership team to support and strengthen Elliman’s presence in both regions, and we look forward to our continued growth.”
The firm’s first Connecticut office is located at 88 Field Point Road, directly across the street from Greenwich Town Hall and is the flagship office for the region. The newly constructed Douglas Elliman Greenwich office occupies the entire first floor of a classic, brick Colonial building.
Joining Vannucchi in opening the Greenwich office are several of the most prominent names in Greenwich real estate including Jean Ruggiero, Jennifer Leahy, Mark Pruner, Alison Farn-Leigh, and JoAnn McCarthy. Most recently, The Fieldstone Group, which includes Lyn Stevens, Scott Elwell, Robin Kencel and Beverley Toepke have also joined the firm in Greenwich.
“We’re eager to continue our expansion into new markets, and are thrilled to have opened our first office in Connecticut where we’ve already seen some great success due to the strength of our vast network,” said Dottie Herman, President and CEO, Douglas Elliman. “These are markets that we really believe in, and I have utmost confidence in Rob and our talented agents to bring continued success and recognition of our brand in these regions.”
Douglas Elliman made its mark in Connecticut last year with a number of significant sales, including a $9 million waterfront estate in Old Greenwich and the record-breaking $27.5 million sale of the former Ron Howard estate in Conyers Farm, on the border of Greenwich and Armonk, NY. Agents from Douglas Elliman offices in both Westchester and Greenwich participated in the sale.
“We’re excited to be open in Connecticut and to continue making strong gains in Westchester County. We look forward to establishing Douglas Elliman as the most sought-after brokerage for these regions, which are both in close proximity to New York City,” said Vannucchi. “The early success of our Greenwich office and the creation of our new regional team are major steps in Elliman’s strategic growth into key markets and we are fortunate to work with the power of a tremendous local, regional and global network and some of the industry’s best resources.”
Since its launch in Westchester County in 2011, Douglas Elliman’s presence in the region continues to grow with offices in Armonk, Bedford, Chappaqua, Katonah, Pleasantville and Scarsdale. Additionally, the firm currently represents some of the top properties in Purchase, Larchmont and the Rivertowns. The firm is planning additional office expansion in both Westchester County and Fairfield County, Connecticut.
Douglas Elliman has also set its sights out west — expanding into Los Angeles in January 2014 and Aspen in December 2014. The firm is opening a new Beverly Hills headquarters this fall with an 11,000 square foot office. Douglas Elliman’s presence in South Florida also continues to grow with the recent opening of an office in Fort Lauderdale and additional locations opening soon. Douglas Elliman expanded internationally in late 2014 via a strategic alliance with Knight Frank Residential. The largest connected network of luxury properties worldwide, the Douglas Elliman Fine Homes | Knight Frank Residential spans 17,000 agents, 441 offices, 55 countries and six continents.
About Douglas Elliman Real Estate
Established in 1911, Douglas Elliman Real Estate is the largest brokerage in the New York Metropolitan area with more than 80 offices in New York City, Long Island, the Hamptons, Westchester/Putnam and Connecticut across a network of more than 5,700 agents. Consistently ranked among the top four residential real estate companies nationwide since 2007, Douglas Elliman has a significant presence in South Florida, Beverly Hills, and Aspen. Moreover, Douglas Elliman has a strategic international global alliance with London-based Knight Frank Residential for business in the worldwide luxury markets spanning 55 countries and six continents. The company also controls a portfolio of real estate services, including Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, Manhattan’s largest residential property manager, Douglas Elliman Property Management, DE Commercial, and DE Title. For more information on Douglas Elliman as well as expert commentary on emerging trends in the real estate industry, visit elliman.com.