Engel & Völkers recently announced three new office openings and held its grand opening celebrations for several more shops that opened earlier this year.
Playground Real Estate Mont-Tremblant, an Intrawest Company, is the latest addition. The brokerage has been the sales arm of Intrawest since it started developing the Mont-Tremblant, Que. resort. It has 12 advisors.
Steve Lafave, left, and Richard Brinkley
Steve Lafave, managing director of Playground, says they chose the brand because of the company’s international network, systems and brand positioning. “We know that Mont-Tremblant attracts many international buyers and our sellers will also benefit from their properties being exposed to the network,” says Lafave.
Intrawest was also the major developer in Whistler, B.C. and Blue Mountain, Ont.
“We are happy to have Steve and his team as part of our growing network in Canada,” says Richard Brinkley, SVP, Engel & Völkers Canada. “With their reputation and commitment to quality service, they are the perfect fit for our brand.”
In Toronto, Ron Amendola is the owner of Engel & Völkers Toronto Uptown, which will provide real estate services for premier properties in neighbourhoods including Bedford Park, Ledbury Park, Hoggs Hollow, Lawrence Park, Forest Hill, Lytton Park, Davisville and Rosedale.
Amendola and his team, along with Anthony Hitt, CEO of Engel & Völkers North America, hosted an open house at the office at 1804 Avenue Rd. and a grand opening event at Trump Tower to celebrate. The office space was renovated and designed in the style of Engel & Völkers shops around the world.
“Engel & Völkers has been growing steadily in new Canadian markets,” said Hitt. “Ron is a perfect fit for Engel & Völkers because of his market leadership and strong reputation as a provider of high-quality real estate services.”
The shop opened with 20 sales reps.
“An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 affluent new Canadians come to Toronto each year and positively contribute to our economy,” says Amendola. “International buyers come to Canada from many countries including the United States, Iran, China, Singapore, Russia, India, Abu Dhabi, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.”
Helen Hermanns and Jorg Hermanns
In King City, Ont. Jorg Hermanns is the owner of Engel & Völkers York and Julie Thompson is the managing broker.
The grand opening event was held at the former historic St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Eversley stone church. Built in 1848, the church has been converted to the Engel & Völkers York shop.
Hermanns says, “We have many buyers that are arriving from abroad from the Americas, Europe, Russia and Asia.”
Engel & Völkers York represents areas in Aurora, Newmarket, King Township and Caledon. The shop’s advisors focus on properties ranging from single detached homes and condominiums to equestrian properties and rural estates. The shop is a platinum sponsor of the Southlake Regional Health Center’s Black Tie Ball and the Country Day School Auction, and has recently announced a new partnership with the King Township Food Bank.
Additional shops recently opened in Collingwood, Montreal, Victoria, Nanaimo and Calgary. The company says it is planning more Canadian openings in several new markets.
