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By Sotheby’s International Realty |
14-12-2025
What has 2025 taught you? For many, the end of the year gives us pause to reflect on which lessons will serve us well during the next 12 months.
Looking to learn from others is key, and who better to share their experience than members of the Top 100 Sotheby’s International Realty advisors worldwide.
Sotheby’s International Realty’s Top 100 celebrated at a dinner in New York City last month showcase peak performance within the brand.
“Our Top 100 Dinner is always a highlight of the year, a moment to recognize extraordinary individual performance,” says Philip White, president and CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty. “This year was exceptional, with a combined US$18B in sales volume and agents from seven countries joining us. Honoring the agents who make our brand a global leader remains one of the greatest privileges of my career.”
Here, five of the Top 100 offer up their wisdom, insight and advice.
Forge Creative Partnerships
“Three deliberate choices” fueled an outstanding year for Ashwin Chadha, CEO at India Sotheby’s International Realty.
“First, building the right tie-ups with pan-country wealth outfits. Those partnerships created introductions we simply couldn’t have accessed otherwise,” Delhi-based Chadha explains. “Second, thinking out of the box to create a marquee family business awards event with India’s top business channel, CNBC TV18. This opened doors to well-known family offices in the country. And finally, our commitment to ultra-luxury. We didn’t dilute the strategy to ‘anything and everything.’ We focused on the right opportunities, the right assets, and that clarity is what delivered results.”
Build Transactions on Trust
“Building deep, authentic relationships with clients has been paramount,” says Kumara Wilcoxon, global real estate advisor at Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty in Austin, Texas.
“I prioritize understanding their unique needs and life goals beyond just property specifications. Combining this personal approach with the global network of Sotheby’s International Realty and targeted digital marketing has enabled me to connect exceptional properties with the right buyers consistently”, she says.
“Never underestimate the power of genuine relationship-building. Success isn’t just about transactions—it’s about becoming a trusted advisor. Listen more than you speak, anticipate client needs, and always deliver beyond expectations. The luxury market rewards agents who treat every client relationship as a long-term partnership worth nurturing.”
Demonstrate Quiet Competence
London-based Marcus O’Brien, head of The Family Office at United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty, is crystal-clear about what’s behind his exceptional performance. “I solely focus on the price brackets I want to dominate and turn down instructions and opportunities that do not align with that strategy,” he says.
“My average sale value was £37.5M (US$50M) in 2025. In an era of constant social media showcasing, maintaining true discretion on legacy sales helps set me apart. Ultra-high-net-worth clients value quiet competence, not noise—and that approach helped drive a strong year.”
For O’Brien, these values are in the DNA of Sotheby’s International Realty. “We operate with the standard of a heritage brand trusted by ulltra-high-net-worth families worldwide. For me, being a Sotheby’s International Realty agent means embodying excellence daily and delivering outcomes that justify that continued trust.”
Philip White, president and CEO of Sotheby’s International Relaty and the team. Credit: SIR
Do Your Homework
“It is imperative to establish yourself as an expert in your market,” states Leslie McElwreath, senior global real estate advisor at Sotheby’s International Realty – Greenwich Brokerage, in Connecticut. “Knowledge is power and will make you the ‘go to’ resource.
“You must study the deal flow in your market, regardless of whether it involves your own transactions or whether the transactions are on the Multiple Listings Service or private sales. A comprehensive knowledge of current and past sales in your market will help you better serve both your buyers and sellers and to become their trusted advisor. If your market is vast, start with a specific neighborhood or property type. Your expertise is what will set you apart from other agents and lead to your future success.”
Her final piece of advice? “Never get complacent about past success.”
Don’t Do It Alone
“Get help,” says Michael Dreyfus, when asked what one piece of advice he’d give to other Sotheby’s International Realty agents seeking success in 2026.
“Today’s 24/7 real estate market needs a strong team to handle the complexity and pace,” explains the founding owner of Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, Menlo Park, California. “Define roles and get the best people in the right place in your transactions.”
Upping his team’s communications game also boosted this year’s results, he adds. “By making sure our clients were well informed at all times during the sales process, we were able to get to crucial decisions quicker and with a higher success rate.”
For further market insight, sign up to receive the Sotheby’s International Realty 2026 Luxury Outlook® report at luxuryoutlook.com
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