Pacific Union GMAC Attends Christie’s Great Estates Global Conference

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SAN FRANCISCO – (Oct. 24, 2007) – Pacific Union GMAC Real Estate, an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates, recently joined other specialists in luxury real estate from around the world at the Christie’s Great Estates Global Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. The two-day event is held each year as an ongoing educational effort to share marketplace information and promote the high-end value and benefits available to brokerages and their clients thanks to the exclusive affiliation with Christie’s.“Christie’s is the largest international network of real estate brokers dedicated to the marketing and sale of high-value properties and at Pacific Union GMAC we are proud to be an exclusive affiliate of this organization,” said Avram Goldman, president and CEO of Pacific Union GMAC. “As the only luxury real estate program that is a subsidiary of a fine art auction house, we recognize the inherent value and marketing opportunities this presents our managers and agents in serving clients in the luxury property niche.”The Global Annual Conference was attended by representatives from more than 15 countries and it celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Christie’s Great Estates. The business program included panel discussions with industry experts who shared their insights on further understanding consumers of luxury goods, how to better market real estate to these qualified buyers and sellers, and how to unleash the power of the Web to sell high-end real estate.“The Christie’s name is synonymous with quality, integrity, and customer satisfaction,” said Kay Coughlin, president and CEO of Christie’s Great Estates. “The marketing efforts of Christie’s and Christie’s Great Estates provide far-reaching global exposure to a qualified audience of proven luxury consumers. Only brokers with a leading market share in luxury sales who meet strict standards of service excellence are invited to join our network and utilize the internationally recognized Christie’s brand.”The conference attracted power-players from across the country from various areas of expertise. Speakers included Carol Brodie, chief luxury officer of CurtCo Media; Adriano de Cardenas, head of strategic marketing, Christie’s USA; Hannah Shaw Grove, co-author of The New Jet Set: A Psychographic Analysis of Luxury Spending; Milton Pedraza, CEO of Luxury Institute; Dr. Danielle Babb, author of Commissions at Risk: A Real Estate Professional’s Guide to Beating Online Competition; James Cahill, chief information & technology officer for Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales; Elizabeth Nunan, global business development for Houlihan Lawrence Real Estate; and Ira Silberstein, product development classifieds, NYTimes.com. Debra Schiff, a former U.S. presidential protocol officer, spoke on cross-cultural business etiquette.“The Christie’s conference was very helpful to keep us abreast of the latest tools available to Pacific Union to best serve our clients,” said Claudia Coury, estates division manager at Pacific Union GMAC who attended the conference. “The knowledge and expertise we gained enhance our ability to maintain our role as the premiere brokerage and market leader serving the high-end luxury client.”For additional information, visit www.pacunion.com.Pacific Union GMAC Real Estate – PresidioAs global headquarters with more than 200 sales associates and employees, Pacific Union GMAC Real Estate Presidio office is located at Letterman Digital Arts Center in the San Francisco Presidio. Since 1975, Pacific Union GMAC has thoughtfully matched generations of buyers and sellers throughout the Bay Area. As a leading, locally managed real estate company with knowledgeable, experienced real estate professionals, Pacific Union focuses on a global vision, using technology and superior service to deliver a quality experience to a full spectrum of sophisticated clients. Pacific Union is a member of the Christie’s Great Estates network and is a GMAC Home Services company. For information, call 415.929.7100 or visit www.pacunion.com/presidio.