Christie’s Real Estate Returns to New Jersey

The dust has finally settled on Christie’s International Real Estate’s musical chairs in New Jersey and New York.

Christie’s International Real Estate is launching an owned brokerage covering a number of major markets across New Jersey, which will be joined by a Bergen County-based franchise operation.

The brokerage launches reflect Christie’s effort to keep the brand intact in New Jersey after a tumultuous summer that saw the brand terminate its franchise agreement in June with Christie’s International Real Estate Group LLC, the arm that had previously served as the exclusive affiliate of the Christie’s brand across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

The firm didn’t specify a reason for the split. Agents later told TRD that payment issues had been pervasive at the franchise in recent years, despite complaints to leadership. Christie’s has not commented specifically on those allegations.

The former Christie’s International Real Estate Group, which counted around 30 offices and over 100 agents at the time of its separation, quickly joined The Agency as The Agency One Rock.

The moves left Christie’s without a notable real estate presence across New York and New Jersey heading into July. Christie’s International Real Estate president Gavin Swartzman said that upon the previous franchise’s termination, he was inundated with “hundreds of — literally — texts and phone calls and emails” from agents asking about the future of the brand in their region.

“These are very important markets to us,” he said.

New brokerages, same brand

Christie’s re-launched in New York City in September, with roughly 120 agents from Coldwell Banker Warburg and several agents from the former Christie’s International Real Estate Group.

The brand switch kept the firm under the umbrella of Compass International Holdings, which purchased Coldwell Banker’s owned brokerage and franchise operations as part of its $1.6 billion deal for Anywhere Real Estate. Compass separately added Christie’s real estate operation in December 2024 as part of a roughly $450 million deal that also included Chicago-based @properties.

Former Coldwell Banker Warburg regional vice president Kevelyn Guzman, who took over at the brokerage in 2023, stayed on to lead the new Christie’s International Real Estate branch.

In October, the brokerage brought back two major luxury teams from The Agency One Rock, the Daniel Kramp Team and the Morrel Hirsch & Advisors Team.

Christie’s Ivy & Oak franchise will be launched by Christina Gibbons and her husband Brian Gibbons, who will serve as chief executive officer following a 30-year Wall Street Career.

Christina Gibbons will bring over her 20-person team, the Christina Gibbons Group, which ranked fifth in large teams across New Jersey with $240 million in sales volume in 2025, according to RealTrends. Gibbons had spent nearly a decade with Christie’s before briefly being affiliated with The Agency after the franchise termination.

Gibbons said she immediately started looking at how to reconnect with the brokerage because her clients were “looking for the Christie’s brand.”

Jeannette Seijas-Gisonna will lead the company-owned brokerage, Christie’s International Real Estate New Jersey, which will serve Hudson, Essex, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Warren, and Union counties, as well as Monmouth County on the Jersey Shore.

The brokerage is launching with 30 agents and will announce founding agents and office locations in the coming weeks. The brokerage will also be managing sales for Stillman Developments International’s luxury condo on the Jersey Shore, The Atlantic Club Residences.