Steve Halpern and Udi Eliasi, formerly of Citi Habitats, are among a dozen new agents to join much-hyped Manhattan startup Urban Compass.
Halpern represents the rental building 214 Lafayette Street, which, among other things, served as a backdrop for music videos by Beyoncé and John Mayer, according to the firm.
The jump in agents coincides with a shift in the company’s business model toward a more traditional brokerage concept, senior executive Gordon Golub told The Real Deal.
The company, which initially combined a StreetEasy-style listings website with a team of salaried “neighborhood specialists” who functioned much like rental brokers, is now paying some of its agents solely on commission, Golub said.
Urban Compass also ditched the “neighborhood specialist” moniker, after receiving feedback from both landlords and consumers that the title was confusing. The changes allow more experienced brokers to join the ranks. In addition to Halpern and Eliasi, the team includes agents from firms like Brown Harris Stevens, Town Residential, Corcoran Group, Halstead Property, and Nest Seekers International.