Anthony DeGrotta is out at Keller Williams NYC after less than two years, sources told The Real Deal. DeGrotta joined Keller Williams as COO after leaving the embattled Coldwell Banker Bellmarc Group, where he was a principal.
DeGrotta did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the company confirmed his departure, saying DeGrotta was “pursuing an opportunity on Long Island where he currently lives with his wife and two children.”
Sources told TRD that Keller Williams had been in discussions with former Town Residential president Jeff Appel to head its operations. While Appel confirmed discussions had taken place, he denied he was moving to the company from his current post at Bank of America, where he works as a vice president and mortgage loan officer.
Along with another Citi Habitats alum Larry Friedman, DeGrotta founded rental brokerage A.C. Lawrence in 2006. The firm was acquired by Neil Binder’s Bellmarc Realty in 2012, and DeGrotta and Friedman became principals of the new joint venture, Coldwell Banker Bellmarc Group. But after a period of bitter litigation, DeGrotta and Friedman reached a settlement with Binder and left to Keller Williams. Bellmarc, as TRD has reported, is in serious financial trouble and has issued IOUs to agents demanding commission payments.
Friedman remains with Keller Williams, a spokesperson for the firm said.
Keller Williams NYC, a franchise of Texas-based Keller Williams Realty, was founded by Ilan Bracha and Haim Binstock in 2011. Last September, Eric Barron stepped down from his CEO position at the brokerage and became an independent consultant. In January, he joined startup brokerage TripleMint as chief revenue officer, according to his LinkedIn profile.