Painting the Town Red

The Agency Northwest Florida Beaches, a boutique luxury real estate brokerage, officially stepped into a glamorous new era September 25 with an exclusive launch party at Hotel Effie, where guests celebrated its debut with a night of collaboration and culture.

Founded in Beverly Hills, California by entrepreneur Mauricio Umansky in 2011, The Agency is an international real estate brokerage with over 145 offices across 14 countries. Spearheaded by Managing Partner Sara Becnel and Managing Director Glenn Stegemann, The Agency Northwest Florida Beaches rebranded Sandestin Real Estate in June, as territory expanded from as far west as Perdido Key to the communities of 30A.

“This is a boutique brand with a global reach,” Melissa Watson, executive director of marketing for Sandestin Investment, says. “That may sound like a contradiction, but The Agency has redefined what luxury service means in real estate through its collaborative philosophy, and that culture is something we want to grow as we expand our offices, and something we wanted to really showcase at the launch party.”

For that reason, Watson was inspired to incorporate the mission of The Agency Art House, an initiative within the company that aspires to foster relationships with local artists and creative advisors to further elevate listings.

Invite-only guests, who were encouraged to arrive dressed to the nines in the signature shades of the organization’s bold, red, black, and white brand, were treated to the unveiling of Miramar Beach-based resin artist Brendan Parker’s latest creation. Using a donated BOTE paddleboard as a base, Parker utilized The Agency’s color scheme to customize it into a stunning symbol of their devotion to marrying luxury services with community talent.

The soiree also collaborated with the Bal Harbour Shops, where pop-up racks of high-end, designer pieces revealed the premium Miami shopping mall’s fall fashion collection.

Watson says they succeeded in creating an elegant arrival experience that was on-brand with beautiful red florals and artsy aesthetics, while guests sipped cocktails and noshed on offerings by the Sandestin Catering and Events team.

“Then, the party kicked into a higher gear when Shoebox Moses, a talented DJ flown in from Los Angeles, began playing, and it became a total vibe,” Watson says. The lights dimmed and bathed the dance floor in neon ambience as special performances by sensual shadowbox dancers, human disco balls, and artists on stilts wove their way through the crowd.

“I don’t think people were expecting it, but that’s The Agency: a little sexy, a little edgy, but a suitable new model for Northwest Florida,” Watson says.

In attendance was founder and CEO Mauricio Umansky, whom people may also know as a TV personality from his Netflix series Buying Beverly Hills. “Mauricio has always said he doesn’t choose locations, he chooses people,” Watson says. “He’s incredibly tuned-in, and when something important is happening at one of his brokerages, he shows up. He made it a top priority to be here.”

The prestigious evening was made possible by presenting sponsor SouthState Bank, along with the generous support of Dixielectricar, Russell Landscape, and The Henry Haus, who Watson said helped achieve their goal of making a bold introduction and spreading awareness of The Agency’s ethos.

A major part of that, Watson says, is The Agency’s 10-rule philosophy.

“The first rule, pardon my French, is no A-holes,” she laughs. “The second, is to have fun. As we grow into new markets, we’re looking for like-minded people who want to be a part of something different, have fun with us and know it’s all about building lasting community relationships.”