Following the acquisition of Christie’s International Real Estate in December 2021, Helena de Forton, the brand’s managing director for EMEA and APAC, has spearheaded significant growth of the network. She inked new deals with broker affiliates in more than a half-dozen countries. de Forton’s background in high-end fashion, and in London’s ultra-exclusive private member clubs, prepped her for a career in luxury real estate. She has taken the new ownership’s directive to make Christie’s International Real Estate the number one luxury property brand in the world and run with it. 

de Forton oversees Christie’s International Real Estate’s global business-development strategy in EMEA and APAC, and she manages the brand’s partnership with the separately-owned, but closely aligned, Christie’s auction house in those regions. de Forton is also responsible for managing Christie’s International Real Estate’s international events schedule, promoting the brand and its broker affiliates to high-net-worth audiences through Christie’s auctions and sales. In the past year, de Forton’s team has coordinated over 80 successful events in her regions. de Forton personifies the qualities of the Christie’s International Real Estate brand: sophisticated, discrete, firmly entrenched, yet boldly innovative. As a thirty-something who speaks four languages and is equally at ease among agents, brokerage owners, auction house patrons and buyers and sellers across the globe. de Forton is a unique business talent who is helping write the new playbook for international luxury real estate brokerage.

What is one habit that has helped you succeed?

Positive affirmations to yourself are very important; no one else will do it for you. They will give you the confidence to fight for what you want or believe in.

Name:

Helena de Forton

Age:

40

Title:

Managing director, head of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia-Pacific (APAC)

Company Name:

Christie's International Real Estate

Industry

Real Estate