The Agency to launch Miami franchise led by Arana, Umansky

Global luxury boutique firm The Agency is launching its first franchise in Miami, Florida, the company announced on Wednesday.

The office, which will be located in the Bal Harbour neighborhood, will mark the brokerage’s 34th franchise globally and will be co-led by principal Santiago Arana and CEO and founder Mauricio Umansky.

Santiago Arana | Photo courtesy of The Agency

Forty agents will operate out of The Agency Bal Harbour and will assist buyers and sellers across Miami, Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Coral Gables, according to a statement. Previously, the brokerage had a corporate office located in Boca Raton.

“I am so excited to launch The Agency’s first franchise in Miami in Bal Harbour and lead the brokerage’s South Florida expansion while collaborating with the area’s many talented brokers,” Santiago Arana, principal at The Agency, said in a statement.

“No other brokerage offers the unmatched marketing power, tools, and technology that The Agency brings to the market. I look forward to forging new relationships and leveraging our global Rolodex as we continue to showcase the power of The Agency brand across one of the country’s most sought after markets.”

The Agency has swiftly added nearly one dozen franchise offices to its ranks over the course of the last year or so, expanding its reach across the East Coast as well as in the Caribbean. The brokerage currently has a Florida office in Naples, and said that more expansion throughout the southern part of the state will be forthcoming.

Jim Ramsay | Photo credit: The Agency

“We’re delighted Santiago Arana and Mauricio Umansky will be at the helm of our Miami franchise and further our presence throughout South Florida,” Jim Ramsay, executive vice president of franchise sales at The Agency, said in a statement. “Miami, Boca Raton and Palm Beach are key markets for The Agency and with their combined record-breaking career success and experience, Santiago and Mauricio are the perfect duo to take our Miami franchise to new heights.”

Arana, a native of Sucre, Bolivia, joined The Agency in 2014 as a principal and partner in Los Angeles specializing in luxury residential and new construction properties. He played an instrumental role in the brokerage’s expansion across the westside of Los Angeles with its Brentwood and Pacific Palisades offices, and, to date, has closed over $4 billion in sales. In 2021, he received an Inman News Golden I award for No. 1 luxury real estate agent and received an award from the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) for being the the No.1 Latino agent nationally by sales volume. In 2020, he was ranked No. 6 in the country and No. 3 in California by the annual Real Trends Inc. rankings in The Wall Street Journal.

Mauricio Umansky | Photo credit: The Agency

Arana’s clients have included high-profile celebrities like Lady Gaga, LeBron James, Larry David and Anthony Hopkins, among others.

“No one encapsulates The Agency’s unique brand and culture better than Santiago and I am honored to join him in helping lead our Miami franchise as we continue to bring The Agency brand to markets across the U.S. and abroad,” Umansky said in a statement.

Umansky has achieved nearly $4 billion in sales to date and has sold the greatest number of homes in the country priced above $20 million, according to a statement from The Agency. He’s represented such noteworthy properties as the Playboy Mansion, the first home in Los Angeles to sell above $100 million and the Walt Disney estate.

The Agency now has over 50 corporately owned and franchise offices globally. The Bal Harbour office will be located at 9564 Harding Ave., Surfside.

Email Lillian Dickerson