Through Time
Our Journey To An Extraordinary Brand
Sotheby's Auction House
A legacy of quality and a tradition of selling the boundlessly unique. Founded in London in 1744 as an auction bookseller - today Sotheby's has earned the distinguished reputation in the marketing, sales and auction of the world's most valuable and fine possessions. The distinguished Sotheby's brand is known for the extraordinary service it offers its clients that pass through Sotheby's offices around the world. The Sotheby's International Realty® brand continues this rich tradition today.
Damianos Realty Co. Ltd. is Established
by Nicholas G. Damianos (1914-1995), and has remained a Bahamas industry leader for over 66 years. The company was founded on the principles of integrity, knowledge and a genuine commitment to excellence. Over the decades, we have endeavored to build an elite team of dedicated real estate professionals who pride themselves on delivering exceptional service through unparalleled knowledge and dedication. We are proud of our heritage and celebrate being a third generation Bahamian family business that continues today.
Independence: The Commonwealth of the Bahamas
Based on the twin pillars of tourism and offshore finance, the Bahamian economy has prospered since the 1950s. After self-government was established in 1964, the Bahamas became a fully independent country on July 10, 1973, after nearly 250 years of British rule. Today the Bahamas offers attractive features to potential investors; a stable democratic environment, relief from personal and corporate income taxes, no inheritance tax, timely repatriation of corporate profits, proximity to the U.S. with extensive daily international air and telecommunications links. The Government of the Bahamas welcomes foreign investment.
Click here to learn more about Investment and Banking in the Bahamas and to download a copy of The Bahamas Investor's Resource Guide & Bahamas Investment Authority.
The Launch of an Extraordinary Brand
Established on the same commitment to exceptional service that exemplified the Sotheby's Auction House for more than 200 years, in 1976 the Sotheby's International Realty® brand is introduced and becomes known around the world as a leading representative of luxury real estate.
Strategic Alliance. Building on the Extraordinary.
The Sotheby's auction house enters into a long-term strategic alliance with Realogy Corporation, a global provider and world leader in luxury real estate brokerage franchises. The agreement provides for the licensing of the Sotheby's International Realty® name and the development of a full franchise system granted only to brokerages and individuals meeting strict qualifications and supports its affiliates with a host of operational, marketing, recruiting, educational and business development resources. Franchise affiliates also benefit from the association with the venerable Sotheby's auction house established in 1744.
Global Expansion - Worldwide Presence
The Sotheby's International Realty® brand surpasses the 100-office milestone in the United States in less than ten months. It also introduces its successful "Portraits" advertising campaign and its website, sothebysrealty.com. The Jackson Hole, Wyo., office reports a significant ranch sale estimated at $90 million. Today the network boasts over 12,000 sales associates located in over 560 offices in 44 countries and territories. The Sotheby's brand strength connects the finest real estate companies to the most prestigious clientele in the world, sharing many thousand referrals.
Our Journey to joining the Distinguished Sotheby's Brand
After 60 years representing buyers and sellers and serving the Bahamian market, Damianos Sotheby's International Realty and Lyford Cay Sotheby's International Realty were selected above any other real estate company in the Bahamas to be awarded the Sotheby's International Realty® master franchise for the Bahamas. The worldwide brand recognition has brought a level of capability and professional service to our clients that is unmatched in the market. Our firm offers unparalleled customer experience, at no extra cost and our affiliation with the Sotheby's brand opens an extraordinary resource of homebuyers for our clients.
Search our listings: Nassau Lyford Cay Old Fort Bay Abaco Eleuthera Exuma Private Islands All Bahamas
Contact our Head Office.
Lyford Cay - Sotheby's International Realty
Under the umbrella of its mother company, Damianos Realty Co., Lyford Cay Sales & Rentals is selected above any other real estate company in the Bahamas to be awarded the Sotheby's International Realty® master franchise, becoming Lyford Cay Sotheby's International Realty, the only real estate agency within the gates of the exclusive community of Lyford Cay, Bahamas.
Contact our Lyford Cay office and search our Lyford Cay listings
Exceptional Properties for the Connoisseur of Life
The Frick Estate in Alpine, N.J., for $58 million.
The brand also broadened its worldwide reach with the additions of New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty®, de Rham Sotheby's International Realty in Switzerland and Kristina Szekely Sotheby's International Realty in Spain.
Brand Expansion Continues
The Sotheby's International Realty® brand opens its 100th U.S. corporation owned office, Nestler Poletto Sotheby's International Realty in Boca Raton, and welcomes Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty in Georgia to its network.
Sotheby's International Realty® reports the record-setting sale of Rancho El Cojo and Jalama Ranch estimated at $155 million in Santa Barbara, California. Sotheby's International Realty® launches RESIDE™ magazine.
Setting the Mark for Excellence
The Sotheby's International Realty® network grows to approximately 9,000 sales associates located in more than 470 offices around the world. The brand receives the Franchise Business Review's 2008 Best in Category for Real Estate Franchisee Satisfaction award. Franchise Business Review also lists Sotheby's International Realty® in the top 50 for client satisfaction and number five for all franchise categories with more than 200 locations. The Sotheby's International Realty® brand is rated the most prestigious real estate company by high-net worth consumers in the Luxury Institute's 2008 Luxury Brand Status Index survey.
Award Winning Recognition
The Sotheby's International Realty® brand is named #1 in its category and #7 of the more than 400 franchises surveyed for Franchise Business Review's 2009 Franchisee Satisfaction Award. It makes the Franchise Times Fast 55 list, and RESIDE™ magazine is awarded the coveted Hermes Platinum Award, which recognizes outstanding design and editorial creative excellence. RESIDE™ magazine is distributed with the Sotheby's At Auction magazine granting us exclusive reach to the clandestine Sotheby's Auction House client base.
Like No Other. This is our world.
For the third year in a row, Sotheby's International Realty® wins the Franchise Business Review's Best in Category for Real Estate Franchisee Satisfaction award. Peaks Real Estate Sotheby's International Realty also sells Boot Jack Ranch for approximately $48 million, this transaction is believed to be the highest amount paid for a property within the United States in the last 12 months.
In 2010 the Sotheby's International Realty® network’s office count grew by more than 11 percent, ending 2010 with 11,700 sales associates located in more than 550 offices in 44 countries and territories worldwide.
Old Fort Bay - Sotheby's International Realty
In January 2010 we expand our Bahamas brand and opened Old Fort Bay Sotheby's International Realty located next to the existing Lyford Cay Sotheby's International Realty operation. This western New Providence, Bahamas office offers concentrated focus to the growing western communities of Nassau including Old Fort Bay, Islands at Old Fort Bay and Albany. Also in January 2010 Damianos Sotheby's International Realty opens a new office in Treasure Cay, Abaco, and in April 2010 a new office is opened in Guana Cay, Abaco for a total of five offices in the Abacos, including two in Hope Town and one in Marsh Harbour. Today we operate 11 offices throughout the Bahamas including Nassau, Lyford Cay, Old Fort Bay, Abaco (5), Eleuthera (2) and Exuma, representing extraordinary properties throughout the Bahamas.
Search Old Fort Bay listings
Integrated Online Marketing Strategy
We proudly introduced our newly redesigned website, SIRbahamas.com, which utilizes technologies to enhance the user experience including search capabilities employing the most advance and versatile search options. SIRbahamas.com has been designed to serve as an integrated marketing solution, providing a consistent, high-quality experience for our clients. The site takes advantage of our brand website's economies of scale and technologies, providing a rich consumer experience. All global network listings are showcased; exponentially increasing the worldwide exposure each listing receives.
The homepage displays a rotation featuring some of the Bahamas most striking homes, accompanied by unique property slideshow video that allows viewers to listen to narration in their preferred language including simplified Chinese, English, Canadian and European French, German, Italian, Brazilian and European Portuguese, American and European Spanish, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean and Russian, with more to come. Property list price also is displayed in dozens of currencies, all updated daily with latest exchange rates.
This is our world. We welcome you to SIRbahamas.com
Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.