Douglas Elliman ordered that its staff preserve all documents, texts, WhatsApp messages and other communications with its former top producers, Oren and Tal Alexander, according to a copy of a memo obtained by The Real Deal.
The brothers, along with their brother Alon, who is not in real estate, were arrested last week by the FBI and charged with sex trafficking in a federal indictment that alleges the brothers raped and drugged women over the course of more than a decade.
Oren and Tal rose to prominence over a decade at Douglas Elliman, where they built a track record of luxury real estate deals in Miami and New York. The two brothers left the brokerage in 2022 to start Official, a Side-backed firm.
Elliman, in a memo sent to staff, said that preserving these documents doesn’t indicate “anything improper.” It cites examples of the types of records employees should retain, including: documents related to travel by the Alexander brothers, including itineraries, flight manifests and records, hotel records, travelers’ identification documents.
Staff should also keep and not destroy documents related to allegations of wrongdoing by the brothers, including alleged drug use, sexual harassment or misconduct, threats, intimidation, physical violence and non-disclosure agreements, the memo states.
“This obligation supersedes the company’s standard email and document retention policy,” it reads.
Representatives for U.S. Attorney Damian Williams declined a request for comment.
Bloomberg reported Monday the brokerage was under pressure from the Department of Justice, which is seeking information and preparing to collect records from the company, including findings from internal reviews conducted alongside lawsuits against the former top producers.
A spokesperson for Elliman said the company is “committed to cooperating in any government investigation of improper conduct.”
We are appalled by the Alexander brothers’ alleged shocking and disturbing conduct, and we express the utmost sympathy for anyone who may have been victimized by them,” the spokesperson told TRD in a statement.
An indictment filed in the Southern District of New York alleges Oren, his twin Alon and older brother Tal operated a “long-running sex trafficking scheme” in New York and Miami that included multiple men along with the brothers.
Seven women provided accounts to the New York Times this summer that described allegations they were drugged after encounters with one or two of the brothers at the time. Tracy Tutor, a top Douglas Elliman agent who has appeared on “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles,” said she shared a drink with Oren after an event in 2014 and then blacked out.
A former Elliman agent told the Times it was understood longtime chairman and CEO Howard Lorber was aware of “at least one incident,” involving the brothers. Lorber resigned suddenly in October, months before his planned retirement. Later, Bloomberg reported that Lorber admitted during an internal inquiry to having intimate relationships with two of the company’s brokers.
The brokerage has previously denied leadership had any knowledge of allegations against the brothers.
Read more
Residential
National
Tracking the rise, relationships and allegations around the Alexander brothers
Residential
National
What we know about Elliman’s abrupt transition of power and new CEO
Residential
National
Elliman's board pushed Howard Lorber to resign over culture concerns
The U.S. Attorney’s office claimed in the indictment Oren and Tal used their position in the real estate industry to persuade women to attend events and parties and also met women at those events, whom one or more of the brothers later sexually assaulted.
The three brothers are being held at detention centers in Miami. Oren and Alon are still in state custody, while Tal is at a federal facility and will be transferred to New York. Oren and Alon are expected to go before a federal judge next.
Sheridan Wall contributed reporting.
This article has been updated with a statement from a spokesperson for Douglas Elliman.