Justin Agnello, Hara Kang and James Keogh met at Douglas Elliman Real Estate in the Hamptons when they were in their early 20s. Hailing from disparate regions of New York State – Agnello from upstate, Kang from Queens and Keogh from East Hampton – the trio had all graduated from upstate colleges and were looking to launch real estate careers. They became fast friends and decided that, rather than compete with each other, they would team up.
That was 2005. Over the last 20 years, the Atlantic Team has grown exponentially. With over $1 billion in career sales and more than 600 transactions to date, the Atlantic Team consistently ranks in the top 1% of Douglas Elliman teams nationwide and has developed into the go-to team for marketing the region’s most exquisite properties.
The Atlantic Team has proudly held a #1 ranking as a top real estate team at Douglas Elliman in the Hamptons for multiple categories in recent years, consistently leading in sales volume and transaction count.
After launching their careers marketing Hamptons properties in the $1 million range, Agnello, Kang and Keogh quickly grew their business by working seven days a week and always doing right by their clients.
Over the years, they focused on elevating their brand, and they saw their annual median sale price steadily climb. The team posted record-breaking sales for neighborhoods that other brokers weren’t concentrating on, and their reputation grew. Soon, the team was representing some of the most discerning clients from around the world, succeeding with a winning formula of cohesive teamwork, innovative marketing and sales strategies and cumulative market knowledge. Over the years, the trio has built a long list of happy clients, who have been thrilled to refer friends and family members to the Atlantic Team. Some clients have returned to buy and sell several properties, and then referred their adult children to the team when they were ready to buy their first Hamptons home. Agnello, Kang and Keogh have also built their referral business by developing a solid reputation with other brokers, both within Douglas Elliman and outside, and in markets from New York City to Florida, California and others.
“I developed strong relationships with some agents, James got to know other agents well and Hara built his own relationships, and these combined relationships helped the Atlantic Team brand grow more quickly than we could have done on our own,” Agnello says.
As business flourished, the team welcomed additional licensed real estate salespeople. For the last dozen years, Sarah Keogh (James’s sister) has made indelible contributions to the team’s success. About eight years ago, Will Gold came aboard, and Julie Gauger followed a couple of years later, allowing the team to better serve the needs of its rapidly expanding client roster.
A focus on new property development has been a major pillar of the team’s success. “We have been passionate about new development from the beginning, and we have built strong relationships with builders and developers,” Kang, noting the team has partnered on several dozen new constructions throughout the region and has worked directly with eight to 10 builders and developers.
Currently, the team is marketing 25 Fresh Pond Road on North Haven, a beautiful 8,000-square-foot new construction with a timeless design and bay views on 2.5 acres, a short distance from Sag Harbor Village. Offered for $12.495 million, the exquisite property represented the first collaboration between the Atlantic Team and builder Michael Streit and his company, Home Enterprises. “We are proud to be representing this incredible property, which is a perfect example of what people envision when they picture a home in the Hamptons,” Kang says.
The Atlantic Team is also marketing 30 School Street, a one-of-a-kind net-zero home developed by Modern NetZero that redefines sustainable luxury. Located on an acre in East Hampton, the sleek, modern home is offered for $3.995 million.
Another new construction, 278 Hampton Street, offers an exquisite blend of traditional Hamptons elegance and modern craftsmanship in Sag Harbor Village. Also on the market for $3.999 million, the custom home was built by Alexis Builders. From the beginning, Agnello, Kang and Keogh have been equal partners, an arrangement that is unusual in Hamptons real estate.
“With a lot of teams, you have one lead person, and there’s a hierarchy. A client may never hear directly from the team leader again after the initial meeting,” Keogh says. “With us, there are three team leaders – the client has the ability to talk to all three of us and benefit from our combined 60 years of experience.”
The team leaders work seamlessly together. “There’s a lot of mutual respect. We’re constantly collaborating – we’re in the office together seven days a week – and we share accountability,” Kang says. “I’ve known Justin and James since I moved out here, and I trust them a hundred-thousand percent – and that’s extremely rare out here.”
A particular client may naturally gravitate toward one of the three based on compatible personalities or similar interests. When that’s the case, that partner may manage the client relationship more closely, but all three team leaders work closely together on all phases of the buying or selling process. In particular, clients benefit from the trio’s combined strengths at the negotiation table. Because of their deep experience and market expertise, “we’re able to get the best price for our buyers or sellers, and for our sellers, we’re able to make sure the right buyer is in place to get the deal done,” Keogh says.
The Atlantic Team’s 20-year history with Douglas Elliman is also a strength.
“There tends to be a revolving door out here, and in real estate in general, so it’s hard to find that kind of consistency,” Kang says. With the longevity of its members, the team enjoys strong support from management and long-standing relationships with other agents and staff members companywide. “We have fostered a lot of great relationships, which allows us to better serve our clients,” Agnello says. “We get great support from people like Barbara Mattson, who has been our manager since day one, and Todd Bourgard, who leads the Hamptons region for Douglas Elliman – we talk to him every week – and Michael Liebowitz, who came aboard as CEO recently but who has already made some real contributions to help us evolve and stay competitive. Sarah Arancio, the head of marketing for the Hamptons, has helped us transform our marketing and advertising, and Nancy Raia who leads PR has been instrumental in elevating our public relations and media presence.” The team recently launched a TV commercial, which ran in Manhattan earlier this year and is now running in the Hamptons.
When clients work with the Atlantic Team, “we lay out a customized marketing plan from day one,” Keogh says. “We provide the most thoughtful, most diversified marketing plan out there, blending online platforms, social media and traditional marketing and taking a tailored approach for each client based on the property, price point, client’s goals and the time of year the listing comes on the market.”
According to Kang, as buyer behavior has changed, the team’s service has evolved over the years. “We’re doing a lot more digital advertising and geotargeting and experimenting with AI tools,” he says. “We’re doing everything we can to stay ahead of the curve so our clients can continue to depend on us to the best we can for them.”
PARTNER CONTENT
This article appears on the cover story of the July Fourth 2025 issue of Behind The Hedges in Dan’s Papers. Click here to read the full digital edition.
