R E A L E S TAT E
This page: Saunders & Associates debuted its East Hampton office in Summer 2015—the firm’s third post, complementing its Bridgehampton and Southampton locations (above); Andrew Saunders (president of Saunders & Associates) meets, weekly, with the agents of his three offices—a ritual that supports the company’s culture.
WHEN ANDREW SAUNDERS joined Sotheby’s International Realty as a sales agent in 2001, the firm’s manager shook his hand and said, “Congratulations and welcome to the seduction business.” Her point was that to be successful in the highly
102 QUEST
competitive world of Hamptons real estate, you have to provide a compelling narrative about why a customer should purchase a particular property or a client should select you as his or her listing agent. In a way, Saunders says, she was right: “It is essential to provide a constructive framework for all of your constituencies if you’re going to be successful as an agent or a brokerage firm.” That idea has come to define Saunders & Associates, a firm built to empower agents to better serve their clients and customers. “Our model is, ultimately, about the brokers,” explains Saunders. “We mobilize our resources behind our agents and treat the firm like a profit center, not a cost center.” Saunders & Associates was established in October 2008, in the midst of the global financial crisis. In eight years, Saunders & Associates has grown from one agent with one office in Bridgehampton to 180 agents with three offices in Bridgehampton, East Hampton, and Southampton Village. To foster a sense of teamwork, agents convene weekly to connect as a company and discuss
CO U RTE S Y O F S AU N D E R S . CO M
THE SUN SHINES ON SAUNDERS