The Most Successful Real Estate Agents Of The Year

The burst of the housing bubble caused a major shift in the real estate market, but one niche segment has remained fairly strong through it all—the ultraluxury segment.

Multimillion-dollar mansion sales were up 25 percent through the fall, and in New York City, prices on some ultraluxury apartments have recently doubled.

Of course, there's a particular segment of the realty industry that caters to buyers of mega-mansions.

We wanted to know more about these savvy and successful realtors, so we combed the MLS listings, reached out to real estate industry professionals, and spoke to the brokers themselves to compile a list of realtors who made the biggest single-home sales in the past year.

This isn't a definitive list. Sales at high price points are often conducted privately, and information on those deals is not made public. In other cases, sales are only listed by brokerage firm.

But we wanted to meet the individuals behind major sales, so we focused only on those realtors whom we could identify, and spoke to many of them about why they were so successful (we've also got their best insider tips here).

They're presented here in alphabetical order.

 

Carrie Chiang handled a $23 million Park Avenue apartment sale

Sold: The five-bedroom, 7,700 square foot-apartment of Nautica founder David Chu. The duplex boasts a private rooftop terrace, formal dining room, and solarium.

Chiang, who has been dubbed "the preeminent power broker in New York, and in the nation," serves as senior vice president and associate broker for the Corcoran Group, the company's website says.

The Shanghai native emigrated to Brazil before coming to the U.S., according to her biography.

 

Gary DePersia handled the sale of a $36 million property in the Hamptons

Sold: A 55-acre compound on Ferry Road in North Haven. The property boasts three separate residences, a private lagoon, orchards, and walking trails.

When it comes to the Hamptons, it's all about who you know. Or rather, who knows you.

"I'm one of the more prolific advertisers in the Hamptons," said DePersia, who represented both the buyer and the seller.

"My listings are the core of my business I would say," he said. "It [the house] got a lot of exposure in the three years I had it."

DePersia got his start in the business after watching a friend sell real estate.

"And I said 'I could do that,"' he recalled.

DePersia began selling Hamptons' real estate in 1995 when he got a job with prominent brokerage firm Allan Schneider.

"And then I discovered soon after the power of advertising," he said.