A real estate agent known for selling homes to ultra wealthy buyers on Long Island in New York has switched brokerages.
Agnes Wanielista left Compass to join Douglas Elliman, the company announced in a statement. Wanielista will be based in Sag Harbor, New York, along with fellow ex-Compass agent Chelsea Redick.
Wanielista's move marks the latest in a fury of Big Apple real estate agents jumping ship to different brokerages in the same market. Nationwide, the number of agents switching jobs fell nearly 13% in March compared to a year prior, according to Relitix, a Wisconsin-based software company that uses artificial intelligence to track real estate agent movement.
"Although March typically brings peak recruiting momentum, the subdued numbers indicate many agents are still opting for stability amidst ongoing market uncertainties," Relitix founder Rob Keefe said in a recent analysis of how many agents have changed employers.
Earlier this month, Jessica Cohen left Elliman to join Brown Harris Stevens, taking Elia Clemente and Joseph Polivy with her. Kirsten "K.J." Jordan, the first woman to join the cast of Bravo network's "Million Dollar Listing New York," also left Elliman this month to join Corcoran Group — bringing along Lindsay Coleman, Isabella Oledzka, Amy Solomon, and Thomas Malloy.
Redick and Wanielista have been two of the most successful real estate agents on Long Island in recent years, Elliman said. The duo orchestrated nearly $60 million in real estate transactions last year, according to Elliman.
Redick and Wanielista most recently teamed up as the buyer and seller agents for the purchase of 19 Sagg Pond Court in Sagaponack, New York — which sold for $20.1 million.
Wanielista has spent a decade selling homes in the luxury market — which are properties the real estate industry defines as priced above $1 million or in the top 5% of prices within a given housing market. Luxury homes are also defined as properties with premium amenities, such as an in-ground pool or a home theater, or homes that sit in exclusive sections of a city such as Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts or the Hamptons in New York.
Before joining Compass, Wanielista was an agent for Corcoran Group — where she eventually became the second-highest selling agent in Sag Harbor, Elliman said. Her career continued with Compass, where she sold homes in the Hamptons.
Elliman hired Wanielista, in part, because she "has built a remarkable track record in the Hamptons," Todd Bourgard, CEO of Elliman's Long Island, Hamptons and North regions, said in the statement.
"Her recent success, including the standout $20 million transaction in Sagaponack, reflects the caliber of professionalism and expertise she brings to our Sag Harbor office," Bourgard said.