SERHANT. launches in five California luxury markets

SERHANT. is expanding into California, opening across Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, San Francisco and Tahoe with agents who closed more than $2 billion in sales over the past 12 months, the brokerage announced Tuesday.

The firm said this move marks its largest market launch by sales volume. The company will base its California operations in Beverly Hills.

The California launch follows SERHANT.’s entry into Massachusetts in January and brings the firm’s footprint to 16 states and Washington, D.C. since it began expanding outside New York in 2023. The company now operates in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C., with more than 2,000 agents and 200 full-time team members.

SERHANT. said it focuses on building around local principals rather than acquiring existing brokerages, emphasizing an “agent-first” model.

“The demand for SERHANT. in California made this move a natural next step,” Ryan Serhant, the company’s founder and CEO, said in the announcement. “Agents today want to stand out, build their brand and plug into a technology platform that drives real growth. That is what we have created. We’re not expanding for the sake of it, we’re expanding because the market is demanding it.”

The firm’s California operations will be led by managing director and principal broker Ezra Leyton, based out of Beverly Hills. Leyton is a 23-year industry veteran with a background in luxury residential and commercial real estate, capital markets and alternative investments. He previously served as executive director and COO of MARQUIS Commercial Properties and executive director, head of North America operations for MARQUIS Capital Management, overseeing multi-billion-dollar portfolios. Over his career, Leyton has sold more than $2.5 billion in residential and commercial properties, recruited and trained more than 300 agents and brokers, and advised institutional clients including Credit Suisse, Pretium Partners, Angelo Gordon, RBS, UBS and Goldman Sachs.

“There is only one brokerage that embodies an experienced-based approach to real estate, which is SERHANT. Our vision and goals align in bringing the very best in residential and commercial real estate investments to our clients across the globe,” Leyton said in a statement.

In Los Angeles, SERHANT. is recruiting a roster of high-volume agents with strong media and luxury credentials. The agents include Ben Belack, who is joining from The Agency and will serve as executive vice president, California; Courtney Poulos, the founder of ACME Real Estate, is joining as a founding member and broker associate and coming to SERHANT. with more than 21 years of experience in the industry; and Patrick Michael, a luxury focused team leader, who is joining as a broker associate and founding member.

In Orange County, SERHANT. is welcoming former Compass-agent and leader of The Annie Clougherty Team, Annie Clougherty, who brings more than 20 years of experience and nearly $1 billion in career sales. Other agents joining the Orange County operation include Todd Davis, Jorge Anzaldi and Greyson Benson who are also joining SERHANT. from Compass under Team Todd; and Brooks Bailey, a former eXp Realty agent who is joining as a founding member.

Malena Boetel and Amber Welch, who are based in San Diego, are also joining SERHANT. from eXp. They are joining as founding members and co-leaders of Exclusive Group. Also based out of San Diego are Manuel Sanchez, who is coming from The Agency, Robyn Flint, who is making the move from The Real Brokerage and is the leader of Dwell Group.

In the San Francisco Bay area, SERHANT. is welcoming Lisa Smith the leader of Smith & Co. from Engel & Völkers; Milana Ostroy, who serves as president of the Women’s Council of Realtors and has over 25 years of experience; Viviana Cherman, a Pleasanton-based agent, who specializing in the Tri-Valley; and Amie Quirarte, who is coming from Chase International Real Estate and join as a founding member and founder of Q Group Tahoe, a boutique team focused on luxury lakefront and high-value residential sales across North Lake Tahoe in California and Nevada.

In 2025, SERHANT. closed $7.13 billion in sales volume, good enough for the N0. 22 rank in the nation in the 2026 RealTrends Verified Rankings.

This article was written by Brooklee Han and generated with the assistance of HousingWire Automation. It was reviewed by a HousingWire editor before publication. The system helps convert company announcements and industry data into HousingWire-style news coverage.