2019 SPRESMAG

ASK THE CEO
GREAT REAL ESTATE,
GREAT GUITARS
Dan Conn Discusses Strategic Moves by Special Properties,
and the David Gilmour Guitar Collection
PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY TAV JINIVIZIAN,
POLLY SAMSON AND CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2018
2018 wasavery exciting year at
Christie’s–can you please comment
on some of the highlights
both for the auction house and our
real estate business?
Yes, 2018 was asensational year for
Christie’s with record-setting sales of
$7 billion led by the historic sale of the
David & Peggy Rockefeller Collection,
which was the most significant
collection benefiting philanthropic
organizations ever sold at auction.
Christie’s International Real Estate,
with Special Properties, was aglobal
sponsor of this sale, underscoring the
integration of art and real estate under
the Christie’s brand.
Inside of the real estate world at
Christie’s, we launched our New York
City brokerage at the start of 2018,
making Christie’s International Real
Estate’s New York brokerage the only
brokerage owned by and operated within
a global art auction house – directly
serving those clients whose passions
range from the collection of jewelry,
watches, handbags and wine, great
works of art, to the ownership of the
world’s most extraordinary real estate.
We opened our real estate gallery in a
central space in Christie’s Rockefeller
Center auction house in New York. In
2018, we also expanded with our Boca
Raton Affiliate into Palm Beach, Florida,
and opened a new brokerage in Aspen
under the Christie’s International Real
Estate brand.
Our global network continues to
expand. Last year, we invited qualified
brokerages in Vancouver, Thailand,
Dan Conn, CEO,
Christie’s International Real Estate
Taiwan and La Baule, France, to join.
Existing Affiliates also expanded into
new markets, including Ilija Pavlovic,
who agreed to expand into the wonderful
Balkan countries of Serbia, Croatia,
Slovenia, Montenegro, and Macedonia;
and other Affiliates into Antigua and
Barbuda in the Caribbean; Tampa
Bay in Florida; and Queensland and
Victoria in Australia. We also put the
finishing touches on Ilija’s expansion
into Westchester, Rockland and Orange
counties in New York State, which we
have just announced and which provides
us with significantly enhanced coverage
of the most important communities
surrounding New York City.
Another highlight of 2018 of which
I am extremely proud is our network’s
philanthropic efforts. Last year, our
first-ever Children’s Activity Book was
created to raise money for All Hands
and Hearts’ Resilient Roofing Project in
Puerto Rico. This first edition funded
permanent roofs for four families
still recovering from 2017’s Hurricane
Maria. The Children’s Book is available
at Christie’s offices and salerooms
throughout the world as a thoughtful
amenity to offer clients visiting with
children, as well as at children’s events
hosted by Christie’s internationally.
Special Properties fully supported this
initiative as they do other charities in
their local markets.
What are some exciting events and
initiatives at Christie’s real estate
coming in the first half of 2019?
Among the most exciting upcoming
initiatives is that Ilija Pavlovic has
opened a brokerage operation to serve
the important New York tri-state
markets of Hudson Valley counties of
Rockland and Orange in addition to
Westchester County under the Christie’s
International Real Estate brand. He
also continues to expand throughout
important strategic markets in New
Jersey. His impressive expansion plan
has seen recent office acquisitions
and openings in Ramsey, Summit and
Montclair in New Jersey with more new
offices coming soon.
Ilija has an incredible eye for
architecture and design, which is
evident, obvious in fact, from his
masterful renovation of Mahwah’s
Darlington Mansion. This love of
architecture certainly contributes to his
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