Independent residential real estate brokerage Douglas Elliman Realty is expanding into three new locations around the beltway, including Washington, D.C., Arlington, Virginia, and Bethesda, Maryland, the company announced on Thursday.
This is in addition to Douglas Elliman’s expansion into Nevada, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Texas, California and Colorado in 2022.
“Establishing this new home in our nation’s capital has both symbolic and strategic importance for our mission to be a truly international brokerage,” said Howard M. Lorber, executive chairman of Douglas Elliman.
The brokerage has appointed top brokers Ruth Boyer O’Dea and Evan Lacopo from TTR Sotheby’s International Realty as co-presidents of Douglas Elliman of Metro DC and to lead a team of agents in these areas. They have a combined work experience of 40 years in the real estate industry.
Rick Moeser, chief executive officer of business development at Douglas Elliman, said in a statement that only a few brokers understand the D.C. metropolitan region like Boyer O’Dea and Lacopo.
The company is aiming to focus on providing international property sales, purchases and investments, and networking opportunities for clients and agents through a partnership with Knight Frank Residential, based in London.
“Our longstanding relationship with Knight Frank effectively makes Douglas Elliman the largest privately-owned global real estate network, giving us deep insights on the properties, investments and ultra-high-net-worth individuals that drive the market,” Scott Durkin, chief executive officer of Douglas Elliman, said in a release.
Boyer O’Dea began her real estate career in Arlington in 2003. She holds an undergraduate and a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University.
Prior to Douglas Elliman, Boyer O’Dea was the principal, an associate broker and a licensed real estate agent at the Boyer O’Dea Group. Before that, she served as the vice president, senior vice president and the director of professional development and operations at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty.
Lacopo has worked as a Realtor in D.C., Virginia and Maryland since 2003. Before Douglas Elliman, he was a managing broker at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty and at Wydler Brothers Real Estate.
“As a native Washingtonian, I am thrilled to be able to help Douglas Elliman put roots down in my hometown” he said. “Our shared vision will raise the bar on how real estate is conducted in the D.C. market.”
Lacopo serves on the Professional Standards Committee for the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors and was recently appointed as the vice chair of the organization.
Earlier this month, Douglas Elliman launched Elliman Productions, a content creation app powered by Infinite Creator, for real estate agents. The app allows agents to capture videos and photos to market their property listings.
