Brown Harris Stevens is an American real estate service company headquartered in New York City with offices across the East Coast serving Connecticut, New Jersey, the Hudson Valley, the Hamptons, Palm Beach, and Miami.
It is primarily known for its real estate brokerage and management divisions that have catered to wealthy buyers and sellers.
After graduating from college, Charles Stelle Brown went into the real estate business in New York City in 1873.
[2] In 1901, Brown formed a partnership with the prominent New York real estate broker Douglas Robinson.
[4] While Robinson and Brown increasingly handled many high-profile transactions in the city, another broker was making his mark in the field.
When the new titles were announced, it was noted that Wheelock had participated in the sale of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and the assemblage of the land for the Pennsylvania Railroad Station.
[5] Seven top agents and executives from rival Douglas Elliman moved to Brown Harris Stevens in 1988.
After serving nineteen months in prison and dealing with her husband's declining health, Mrs. Helmsley put the company on the market in 1992.
[15] In 1994, more than 80 individual New York real estate property managers and companies pled guilty to charges of bribery by Manhattan District Attorney's office.
A total of fourteen real estate management companies were found to have employees involved in the schemes.
[17] In March 1995, Helmsley sold the company to a partnership led by brothers Arthur and William Lie Zeckendorf and Kent Swig.
On the brokerage side of the business, the number of agents grew to a total of 160 from 58 and closed sales went from $250–300 million to $1.3 billion.
In the previous two years, Brown Harris Stevens purchased one of the city's largest rental brokerage firms, Feathered Nest.
[21] Edward Lee Cave Inc., a 28 year old firm noted for its high-end sales, was taken over by Brown Harris Stevens in 2009.
[22] For the year ended on February 29, 2016, Brown Harris Steven had closed 789 sales totaling $2.02 billion.
[23] In 2017, the company was the exclusive agent for the sale of David Rockefeller’s upper east side town house.
[27] The move created one of the largest privately held real estate services companies with more than 2,500 agents and 55 offices across New York City, Connecticut, New Jersey, the Hudson Valley, the Hamptons, Palm Beach and Miami.