CNN: The $725m ranch bigger than New York and Los Angeles combined

(CNN)The final countdown to the real estate sale of the century has begun.

Bigger than New York City and Los Angeles combined, Waggoner Ranch in Texas spans half-a-million acres, boasts more than 100 properties within its boundaries and oil reserves.

The ultimate equestrian estate is yours — for $725 million. But be quick — any potential buyers have until October 20 to raise the funds and submit an offer.

Bernard Uechtritz, an Australian realtor living in Texas, has been tasked with the sale of the equestrian estate that has stayed in one family for its entire 165-year existence. He’s getting used to turning down the advances of some of the world’s richest people in the sale.

“I can tell you it’s not often you can dismiss out of hand an offer for several hundred million dollars — you’re not even getting on the dance floor with several hundred million dollars,” he told CNN.

The realtor behind the sale of the property, Bernard Uechtritz.

Uechtritz, of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty, has a history of selling unusual properties. He was in charge of the sale of Jose and Kitty Menendez’s Beverly Hills mansion after the couple were killed by their two sons in 1989, and evaluated both OJ Simpson’s Brentwood mansion and his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson’s apartment in Santa Monica where she was killed with her friend Ronald Goldman

“I’ve done this for 30 years and I’ve been involved in some interesting and hairy deals, and I’ve seen money arrive in suitcases at the court house,” he said.

Waggoner Ranch, though, is different and is by no means a hard sell. Although Uechtritz has invested nearly two years of his life in the project, there have been 600 inquiries and he stands to make millions himself if the asking price is met.

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New and Notable Luxury Properties For Sale | July 2015

Beginning with the majestic Stone Mansion in New Jersey to an iconic estate in Brazil, this month’s collection of exceptional properties for sale features homes in some of the world’s most sought after destinations.

$48,880,000 USD | Alpine, New Jersey | Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty

New Jersey – This gated estate sprawls over approximately 30,000 square feet. Built of solid granite and steel, the Stone Mansion boasts twelve bedrooms, nineteen bathrooms, indoor basketball court, movie theatre, 4000-bottle wine cellar, fitness center and three exquisite bars for entertaining. There is a ballroom, formal dining room, great room, library, den, master suite including 2 spa bathrooms with dressing suites and the estate has a fully equipped staff apartment and separate pool house.

£25,000,000 GBP | London, England | London Sotheby’s International Realty

London – This striking home is both inviting and elegant. With an enduring brickwork exterior and large windows looking out over the garden, this private residence offers sophisticated living in close proximity to the city. Seven bedrooms and bathrooms, conservatory bar and two rooftop terraces are among the vast amenities offered.

$280,000,000 HKD | Hong Kong | Hong Kong Sotheby’s International Realty

Hong Kong – Offering views of the surrounding greenery and the harbor, this home showcases its abundance of outdoor space including an 8,000 square-foot private garden and swimming pool. The immaculately appointed interior features high ceilings and boasts bright floor-to-ceiling windows.

R$ 80.000.000 BRL | Sao Palo, Brazil | Bossa Nova Sotheby’s International Realty

Brazil – This iconic mansion features a Social area with several lounges, dining room for eighteen people, great library and a winter garden. The meticulously manicured outdoor area showcases the spacious garden, swimming pool and fitness areas.

Price Upon Request | Cannes, France | Côte d’Azur Sotheby’s International Realty

France – Showcasing exquisite panoramic and sea views, this Belle Epoque mansion is located in the heights of Cannes. The villa’s lush gardens, indoor pool, electrically-operated glazed roof and oversized Winter Garden with lounge are just a taste of the elegant amenities offered.

View Newly Listed Luxury Properties for Sale >

Sotheby’s International Realty | Significant Sales, Volume 4

Click On Image To View Significant Sales

Significant Sales Volume II, 2015

The latest issue of Significant Sales features top sales from around the world beginning with a captivating penthouse in New York. Also featured are ocean views in Florida, an inviting estate in Colorado and more than twenty other properties from around the globe.

$55,559,392 USD | New York, USA | Sotheby’s International Realty-East Side Manhattan Brokerage

New York – This home is located on a full floor in the tower of Manhattan’s tallest residential building high over Central Park. It has exceptional personal service from Park Hyatt’s new five-star flagship hotel available to all owners. One57 is surrounded by the city’s best restaurants, shopping, entertainment and cultural offerings of Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and Broadway.

$19,000,000 USD | Florida, USA | Nestler Poletto Sotheby’s International Realty

Florida – This property is ideally located in the renowned Estate Section of Delray Beach, just seconds to the famed Atlantic Avenue, north of Boca Raton’s Mizner Park and south of Palm Beach Island’s Worth Avenue. The home sits on one of South Florida’s best land parcels with incredible privacy, great elevation, stunning ocean views and one of the deepest oceanfront parcels the South Florida coastline has to offer. It features six full bedrooms, seven full and three half baths and 16,000 square feet. It was designed by Affiniti Architects with Marc Michaels interiors and built by Mark Timothy Homes.

$15,100,000 USD | Colorado, USA | Aspen Snowmass Sotheby’s International Realty

Colorado – A truly unique offering, this spectacular home is just a few blocks from Aspen’s core, yet it is situated with end of the road privacy and peaceful outdoor space. The combination of size, luxury and location are rarely seen in this market. There are six en suite bedrooms, plus an office, gym and media room.

$15,000,000 | California, USA | Sotheby’s International Realty-Montecito-Upper Village Road Brokerage

California – One of Montecito’s premier properties is perfectly situated on prestigious Picacho Lane. South facing terraces look over lush gardens to ocean and island views. This architectural masterpiece is unparalleled for its luxury, amenities and attention to detail. The approximately 3.5-acre estate is graced with two private water wells, a two-bedroom guest house, pool house, staff quarters and a north south tennis court.

$14,750,000 | Bermuda | Rego Sotheby’s International Realty

Bermuda – This expansive estate was beautifully designed and built in 1992 for the enjoyment of a large family. Every detail of the property has been carefully crafted with high end materials and work- manship designed with a fine sensitivity to traditional Bermuda features. The main house includes four spacious bedrooms all en-suite, a large formal living room, informal living room/movie room with wet bar, dining room and library all with fireplaces, an office wing, a conservatory, two wine cellars, elevators and a two-bedroom staff apartment. The grounds are magnificent with a beach pavilion, two-bedroom guest cottage, separate gym, pool, tennis court and putting green, as well as access to Grape Bay Beach.

Significant Sales Volume 02 >

Sotheby’s International Realty Launches New Website!

Immerse yourself in the NEW sir.com

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Lindsey Scharf

Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC today announced the launch of its newly redesigned website, sir.com, which was built to showcase its network’s listings in an immersive and visual way that is unique to the industry.

“The new sir.com was created to tell the story of a home in a more editorial way, not the commoditized approach that can often be found in our industry,” said Wendy Purvey, chief marketing officer, Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. “We believe the art of marketing a home is based on showcasing its soul, so every aspect of the new site works toward this goal.”

The design changes include an increased focus on full-screen, high-definition video throughout the site, from the homepage to property detail pages, to allow for a more immersive consumer experience. High-resolution photography also plays a more prominent role. The property detail pages feature: slideshows that tell a home’s story via the captions, custom video, location overviews that provide insight into the local area via video and text, and a seller or expert quote that offers a personal view of the property.

Consumers still can search for a home based on lifestyle and amenity but now have the ability to sort their results by various home features including pools, kitchens and views, and compare visual images of that feature among their search results.

“At the foundation of the Sotheby’s International Realty brand is our focus on lifestyle,” said John Passerini, vice president of interactive marketing for the brand. “Our lifestyle search is more visual, and our focus on video and photography allows our affiliates to showcase the various lifestyles a home offers that cannot be properly articulated in words only. Our fully responsive site works on any mobile device and allows our network members to do what we believe they do best: uniquely showcase extraordinary homes around the world anytime, anywhere and in any language.”

Discover how searching for your new home is redefined on the NEW sir.com

Sotheby’s International Realty Significant Sales, Volume 11

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Erik Weinbrecht

The latest issue of Significant Sales features top sales from around the world beginning with an exquisite $450 million (HKD) property in Hong Kong. Also featured is a private ocean view home in California, a state-of-the-art escape in Colorado and more than twenty other properties from around the globe.

$450,000,000 (HKD) | Hong Kong | Hong Kong Sotheby’s International Realty

Hong Kong – This luxuriously presented, free-standing detached house is located in a prestigious area surrounded by rolling hills and overlooking the city. The home has a well-appointed contemporary interior and amazing outdoor space on the rooftop terrace. It also has a huge private garden with attached swimming pool. This spacious, light-filled home features high ceilings to accentuate the elegant overall design. The house is also refurbished in white marble walls and flooring throughout, with every level in the home constructed with a separate open staircase and a private elevator with access to every level. There is a dome-shaped skylight window ceiling which completes the overall luxurious design.

$15,995,000 (USD) | California, USA | Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty

California – From the Sandy Shores of Del Mar, California, this family compound sits behind private gates in a small beach enclave known as Sandy Lane. It offers a unique opportunity to refresh or rebuild an original Russell Forester built in 1950 and yet still relevant for today’s beach front living. Rarely seen at the ocean front, this home features a large beach side patio, three bedroom main residence, pool, cabana/guest house, private green courtyards and ample guest parking all from just a few steps to the sand.

$15,800,000 (USD) | Colorado, USA | Aspen Snowmass Sotheby’s International Realty

Colorado – Enlisting the talents of architects Ike Kligerman Barkley, the design team of the Muse Building left no detail to chance. Adorned with exquisite finishes and furnishings, the practical and inviting floor plan flows from opulent living spaces to an inviting roof top deck and back again, all while solely focused on enhancing the sublime living experience through meticulous attention to detail. The Muse Penthouse features 5,053 livable heated square feet with four bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths, as well as 4,451 square feet of decks and patios. There is a rooftop deck with heated pool and unobstructed views of Aspen Mountain, private patio and deck on the main level capturing the sights and sounds of downtown. The latest Savant technology controls security, climate, window coverings, lights, audio and video. There is 5,235 square feet of commercial space on the second level.

$15,250,000 (USD) | Florida, USA | One Sotheby’s International Realty

Florida – This private compound is ideal for the end user, investor or developer planning to build a new, large luxury waterfront estate on prestigious upper North Bay Road in Miami Beach. This one- of-a-kind opportunity offers 37,895 square feet, 191 linear feet of water frontage, with incredible unobstructed panoramic views of the Downtown Miami skyline amidst breathtaking sunsets.

Significant Sales Volume 11 >

Sotheby’s International Realty’s New and Notable Luxury Properties for Sale | January 2015

From a stunning beachfront home in the Cayman Islands to an exclusive penthouse apartment in Tel Aviv, this month’s collection of exceptional properties for sale showcases exquisite lifestyles from around the globe.

$35,000,000 USD | Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands | Cayman Islands Sotheby’s International Realty

Cayman Islands— Castillo Caribe is a stunning beachfront home offering every luxury for modern day life with all the lifestyle options one would expect from the Cayman Islands and the Caribbean. This eight bedroom home sits on the water with amenities including an outdoor pool, grotto, spa facilities, home gym, media room and wine cellar.

$35,000,000 USD | New York, New York | Sotheby’s International Realty-East Side Manhattan Brokerage

New York—This superb residence presents a rare opportunity to have a private Fifth Avenue address (888 Fifth Avenue) and dedicated entry along with an entrance from the lobby of one of New York’s finest Rosario Candela cooperatives (2 East 70th Street). This unique duplex home offers townhouse living, impeccable service and extraordinary views of Central Park and the Frick Gardens from all rooms. Meticulously restored by renowned architect Peter Pennoyer, the highest quality workmanship and custom detail make this home a true masterpiece.

$28,000,000 USD | Las Vegas, Nevada | Synergy Sotheby’s International Realty

Nevada— The Rameses Estate at The Enclave sits on the most prestigious street in Las Vegas. This exquisite neoclassical home took more than five years to remodel and to rebuild. The ceilings, walls, doors, fixtures, chandeliers, fabrics, windows, fireplaces, lighting and electronics were hand-selected and crafted to complement the design. Built to the most exacting standards and exemplifying graceful and symmetrical design, this singular estate comprises a main residence of over 13,000-square-foot with six bedroom suites and nine bathrooms, as well as a private office, screening room, billiard room, art room and four car garage.

Price Upon Request | Tel Aviv, Israel | Israel Sotheby’s International Realty

Israel—Soaring 492 feet above the White City, Tel Aviv, the Rothschild Summit Penthouse is a 6,520 square foot exclusive duplex apartment located on the 41st and 42nd floors in one of the most luxurious and unpretentious luxury towers in Israel, created by the legendary Prizker-winning architect, Richard Meier. This exquisite three bedroom penthouse provides its residents with breathtaking urban and sea views and represents Richard Meier’s timeless classical designs. The buildings amenities include a private elevator, 24/7 concierge services, spa facilities, a gym, lavish lounge, and a semi Olympic swimming pool.

View Newly Listed Luxury Properties for Sale >

“Times Video” – the new collaboration between The New York Times and Sotheby’s International Realty launches with video featuring an extraordinary Telluride kitchen

Click image to view video – A featured property of Bill Fandel, of Telluride Sotheby’s International Realty, is 427 Benchmark Drive – featured in Sotheby’s International Realty’s “Extraordinary Angles” video series and premiering now on the New York Times’ “Times Video”.

Realogy Reports Financial Results for Second Quarter 2013

MADISON, NJ — (Marketwired) — 07/24/13 — Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in residential real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation, and title and settlement services, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2013, including the following:

Realogy’s net revenue for second quarter 2013 was $1.53 billion, a 17% increase compared to the same period in 2012.
The Company’s Adjusted EBITDA1 was $278 million in the second quarter, an increase of 27% year-over-year.
Net income attributable to the Company in the second quarter was $84 million, an improvement of $109 million compared to the second quarter of 2012. Net income includes $67 million of interest expense, $44 million of depreciation and amortization, $43 million of debt extinguishment charges and$26 million of compensation expense relating to the April 2013 issuance of common stock under the phantom value plan.
Basic earnings per share for the quarter was $0.58, or, excluding the loss on early extinguishment of debt and phantom value plan compensation expense, would have been $1.05.
The Company also retired $330 million of high cost debt and refinanced $492 million of 11.5% debt with $500 million of 3.375% debt, reducing its annual cash interest run rate to approximately $255 million per year.

“The material improvement in our second quarter financial results is largely attributable to the strength of our business model, the strong performance of management, a dramatically improved balance sheet with a corresponding material reduction in interest expense, and a housing market recovery that is showing resiliency,” said Richard A. Smith, Realogy’s chairman, chief executive officer and president.

The Company’s combined transaction volume increased 21% during the second quarter of 2013 compared to the same period last year. The Realogy Franchise Group (RFG), our franchise segment, and NRT, the operator of our company-owned brokerage offices, reported closed homesale transaction side gains of 10% and 12%, respectively. Average homesale price improved 10% at RFG and 7% at NRT compared with the second quarter of 2012. NRT’s average home price is generally twice the national average.

In our relocation business, while second quarter revenue was essentially flat, Cartus experienced a 19% increase in broker referrals and a 5% year-over-year increase in initiations compared with 2012. In our title and settlement services segment, Title Resource Group (TRG) experienced a 14% increase in purchase title and closing units compared to the second quarter of 2012 and a 30% increase in refinance title and closing units.

“Recently, there has been renewed focus on rising mortgage rates and what impact they will have on the housing market,” continued Smith. “While rising rates have had an effect on refinancing volume, thus far we have seen no near-term impact on existing home sales. We view rising rates as a reflection of a healthier economy, and while mortgage rates may put near-term pressure on certain homebuyers, this needs to be viewed in the broader context of overall affordability, which remains at historically high levels. We believe the recovery is, and will continue to be, a long-term process.”

“Looking ahead, we expect continued growth in transaction volume, with 17% to 19% increases in the third quarter compared to the third quarter of 2012,” said Anthony E. Hull, Realogy’s executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer. “On a combined basis, RFG and NRT transaction sides are anticipated to increase 9% to 10% and average sale price is expected to increase 8% to 9% year-over-year in the third quarter. This business growth trend will drive continued strength in our revenue and EBITDA results for the third quarter.”