Call it a brokerage within a brokerage, but one of Compass’ largest teams — Frontgate Real Estate — is back.
The 27-person team has returned to Compass larger than ever as it looks to solidify its footprint in the tony submarkets of Hidden Hills, Calabasas, Malibu, Topanga Canyon and beyond.
Frontgate, which is named after its ranch-style headquarters office at the entrance into Hidden Hills, is led by founders Dana Olmes and Jeffery Biebuyck. The group counts sales since inception of $2 billion.
“It was a sense of comfort going back to something you know,” Olmes said in reference to rejoining Compass. “They welcomed us, and we welcomed them. The ability to expand however we choose will be much simpler with the Compass name.”
The two also cited Compass’ technology as one reason for coming back as the team looks to diversify the markets and price points where Frontgate does business.
Olmes and Biebuyck joined Compass in 2017 when there were 300 agents in a San Francisco warehouse.
“People [passing by] thought it was a boutique clothing store. That’s how small we were,” Biebuyck said.
Frontgate went on to scale just as the Compass organization itself was growing and barreling toward a path of going public. The Frontgate team made the decision to leave for Side in 2020, with Compass making its debut on the New York Stock Exchange the following year.
“Compass [at the time] was more agent-centric versus trying to build a team and we created a business model where we were getting an overflow of clients wanting to work with us,” Biebuyck said. “So, it was either pull back a little or go forward, and we decided to go forward at the time and joined another brokerage that was more in that team-type of model.”
A call from Compass wooed Frontgate back as they saw a revived interest in that model at the brokerage.
Compass will allow for growth of the business and team without sacrificing what made Frontgate successful from the start in its boutique service, Biebuyck said.
“It’s so much easier to grow exponentially if we want to,” he added.
➤ Heather Boyd, along with team member Mayu Shiroishi, joined Carolwood from The Agency. Boyd, who played Jan Spears on “Days of Our Lives” between 2004 to 2022, brings career sales of more than $200 million. That includes representing “Rambo” producer Mario Kassar in his $4.3 million purchase of an Encino property and actor Matthew Morrison’s sale of his Hollywood Hills home for $4.3 million. Boyd specializes in the Hollywood Hills, Encino, Studio City and Sherman Oaks submarkets.
➤ Mary Golding left Coldwell Banker to join the Aaron Kirman Group at Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California to bolster its Orange County presence. Golding has $610 million in career residential sales for a total of $1.1 billion when factoring in multifamily and commercial transactions. She specializes in Corona del Mar, Newport Beach and La Quinta.
➤ Dana and Charlie Coronado of the Coronado Real Estate Group are now part of the Compass Sherman Oaks office. The team was previously at Equity Union and counted $31.9 million in sales over the past 12 months. The group handles both commercial and residential listings.
➤ Rodeo Realty has grown its team with a mix of new hires and agents returning to the brokerage. They include Darlene Hutton, Jaisa Bishop, Sana Saleh, Eric Domeyer, husband-and-wife duo Lisa and Scott Sorrentino of Team Sorrentino and former Harcourt’s Beverly Hills franchisee Glen Coutinho. Joe Babajian, who left for a brief stint at AKG | Christie’s, has returned to Rodeo.
➤ Compass bolstered its Dana Point office with the addition of Heather Hill, who was previously with HomeSmart. Hill had $76 million in sales last year and works throughout Orange County. Patrick Perry also joined the Dana Point office from Watts Real Estate.
➤ Don Heller was named executive director of Christie’s New Homes Division. During his development career he has completed $1.6 billion in luxury homes and multifamily sales. Heller is currently in the midst of three developments, with each worth in excess of $100 million.
➤ Daniel Giventer, with past sales totaling more than $70 million, has joined AKG | Christie’s from Compass. Giventer’s areas of focus are Beverly Hills, Hollywood Hills and the Westside.
➤ Melinda Moore, previously of Nourmand & Associates, has joined Douglas Elliman’s Brentwood office. She focuses on Cheviot Hills, Culver City, Mar Vista, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica among other West Los Angeles neighborhoods.
➤ Connie Blankenship left Douglas Elliman for Carolwood, bringing her expertise in the markets of Beverly Hills, Bel-Air and Beverly Park. During her career she has closed in excess of $250 million in sales. Among her career highlights was representing Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi in the royal’s $17 million purchase of a Beverly Hills mansion owned by Kylie Jenner.
➤ Elliman recently added May Nachum to its Malibu office, where she brings expertise in the markets of Malibu, Hidden Hills and Calabasas. Nachum was previously with The Agency.
➤ Edan Amar has jumped to AKG | Christie’s from Keller Williams Realty, bringing $34 million worth of inventory to the brokerage. That includes the Brentwood home at 388 Homewood Road, which is listed at $13.5 million.
➤ Spiro Salim has joined Elliman’s Beverly Hills office from Keller Williams with a focus on the Beverly Hills market.
➤ Jefferson Fara is starting his real estate career at Douglas Elliman after joining the firm’s Beverly Hills office. Fara is part of the Kevin DaSilva Group and focuses on Redondo Beach, The Hollywood Riviera, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach.
Read more
- Movers: Marcus Skenderian returns to Compass
- Jamie Duran leaves Christie’s AKG after three-month tenure
- Carolwood Estates recruits luxe agents James Harris and David Parnes
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