Official, the two-year-old brokerage thrown into chaos after claims of rape and sexual assault against two of its co-founders, has lost the last agents from its Los Angeles and broader Southern California footprint.
The Watson Salari Group is decamping for The Beverly Hills Estates, brokers Brent Watson and Marco Salari confirmed to The Real Deal. They bring managing director Serena Gibb with them, along with 12 listings.
Watson and Salari joined Official in January as founding agents in Los Angeles, and have since executed some 20 deals totaling between $40 million to $50 million on behalf of the brokerage.
Watson said the team began plotting its next moves after allegations emerged against Tal and Oren Alexander, who founded the firm in 2022 after 10 years at Douglas Elliman.
“About half a dozen agencies reached out to us when the shit hit the fan and tried to recruit us,” Watson said. “We decided [Beverly Hills Estates] was the best fit for us and they really showed a desire to want us, which is obviously very motivational.”
But the duo landed on Beverly Hills Estates, run by Branden Williams and his wife Rayni Williams. Watson has known Branden for 20 years.
“For us, they bring elegance and taste and wonderful ethics,” Rayni Williams said. “They are going to be really well received at The Beverly Hills Estates and fit in perfectly.”
The team was the last of Official’s Southern California presence after fellow founding broker Tyrone McKillen left with his eight-person team. McKillen’s exit took his Plus Real Estate Group direct with Side, the white-label firm that also backs Official.
“We deeply value the relationships forged with each agent during their time with Official and wish Marco and Brent all the best,” Official co-founder and outgoing chief growth officer Nicole Oge said in a statement provided to TRD.
TRD first reported allegations of rape and sexual assault against Oren Alexander and his twin brother Alon Alexander, weeks before a separate lawsuit accused co-founder Tal of raping her in a coordinated attack witnessed by Oren. Tal and Oren stepped back from the firm in the wake of the allegations, and have denied the claims.
The firm has since sought to distance itself from the Alexanders while losing agents in New York, Miami, Newport Beach and Los Angeles.
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Official exodus: Miami, New York agents depart brokerage tainted by allegations against co-founders
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Alexander brothers left as sole owners of Official after failed exit negotiations
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What is Official without the Alexanders?
Executives and co-founders Richard Jordan, Oge and Andrew Wachtfogel announced this week they are dropping their ownership stakes effective Aug. 15, leaving Oren and Tal as the firm’s remaining owners.
The team is joining one of Los Angeles’ largest boutiques. The Beverly Hills Estates ranked 11th in a recent TRD analysis of local firms’ share of on-market deals recorded between May 2023 and May 2024.