The Agency, featured in Netflix’s ‘Buying Beverly Hills,’ opens Santa Fe office

A real estate brokerage with a global presence has chosen Santa Fe as the home of its 150th office.

The Agency, a California-headquartered brokerage with offices across 14 countries, opened its Santa Fe office last week. The Agency Santa Fe is the brokerage’s first New Mexico office, marking a key milestone in the company’s expansion throughout the Southwest, officials said in a news release.

“With its unique blend of cultural heritage, thriving arts scene, and stunning natural beauty, Santa Fe is one of the most distinctive and desirable places to live in the Southwest, making it a natural choice for The Agency’s continued expansion in the region,” Mauricio Umansky, The Agency CEO and founder, said in a statement.

The Agency is regarded as one of America’s fastest-growing brokerages, with more than 20 new offices launched this year and more than $88 billion in real estate transactions closed since the company’s founding in 2011.

But real estate isn’t all The Agency is known for. Umansky and the brokerage were subjects of the Netflix series “Buying Beverly Hills,” which ran for two seasons before Netflix discontinued it last year. 

Umansky is also married to, though currently separated from, reality television figure Kyle Richards, both of whom star in the Bravo TV series “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”

While the celebrity buzz has excited some of The Agency Santa Fe’s younger brokers, Beth Caldarello said the company’s mission and values were the bigger draw. 

“What the company stands for is really what I think is important,” said Caldarello, veteran broker and managing partner with the local office.

The Agency’s No. 1 rule, as listed on its website, is what won her over: No jerks.

“I was like, ‘I love that rule.’ People are tough, and you really want to enjoy what you’re doing,” Caldarello said.

Before stepping into real estate, Caldarello, originally from Arizona, worked on film festivals and in an art gallery in Los Angeles. She moved to Santa Fe in 2014, looking for a more relaxed lifestyle, and decided to make a living out of something she once vowed she would never do: real estate.

“When I lived in Los Angeles, I remember saying out loud, ‘I will never be a Realtor,’” Caldarello said with a laugh. “But I love design, I love art and I love helping people and creating relationships. So I started doing it and I just really enjoyed it.”

Caldarello came to be the top producer at Coldwell Banker in Santa Fe over the last several years, prompting The Agency to reach out to her last year.

The opportunity came right as Caldarello was curating a team of like-minded brokers looking to collaborate and take their work to the next level, making for what Caldarello described as a good fit. 

“I think it feels really good to be the first one here. It’s exciting; it’s (an) opportunity,” Caldarello said. “I’m excited to build this and really help other brokers build their business.”

The Agency Santa Fe currently employs a five-broker team, which Caldarello is looking to expand to no more than 30 people to service other regions throughout the state.

There are also future opportunities to tap into development and commercial work, but providing local expertise and boutique-style concierge services to a wide variety of buyers and sellers in residential real estate is the priority for now, Caldarello said.

“I just really want to create a group of Realtors that are known to be good, smart, ethical and concerned about the community,” Caldarello said.

As for whether a “Selling Santa Fe” series could ever be a possibility for the future, the answer is never say never.

“I’ve worked on a couple reality shows, and they’re pretty brutal,” Caldarello said. “It wouldn’t even be good television. It would be good if you’re into spirituality and saging houses before you list them.”