We know Kelly Killoren Bensimon likes to jump horses, but now she is jumping out on her own in the real estate field.
Bensimon, a model and former star of the Real Housewives of New York City, has been a member of the Holly Parker Team at Douglas Elliman Real Estate since 2019. This year alone, she has sold $70 million worth of property and has $90 million in current and off-market listings in New York City, the Hamptons, Florida and Paris, where she serves as a marketing advisor.
“Kelly is a smart, talented and very accomplished agent with an abundant network and strong work ethic,” Scott Durkin, CEO of Douglas Elliman, said in a statement. “Since joining Douglas Elliman in 2019, she has made a name for herself in Manhattan, Palm Beach and the Hamptons. I look forward to continuing to watch her grow as an individual agent with our firm.”
Bensimon explained that she her friends and colleagues encouraged her to strike out on her own. “My first deal with Douglas Elliman after two days of signing was $8 million and by March of 2021, I had sold over $50 million. It was a natural progression for me to go on my own.”
She is licensed in New York City, the Hamptons and Florida and even has global listings, including in Paris, France, where she is a marketing advisor for a spectacular apartment in the 6th Arrondissment, listed for $10,565,997. The fifth-floor apartment, which has been featured in Architectural Digest, is located in an Art Deco building, with only seven floors, that was built in 1925. The two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath pad boasts 180-degree views of the Montmartre, Sacre Coeur, Luxembourg gardens and Eiffel Tower.
Bensimon, a New York City resident who is also an author and worked as the editor of Elle Accessories, has always had a passion for real estate, but in recent years she has taken a deep dive, getting her license in 2017.
“I love architecture, design, the aesthetics. Homes are people. I’ve come to realize, I’m in the people business,” she said.
Though she is not living full-time in the Hamptons now (she has been a past resident), she continues to spend a few months of the years out east, she said, adding she especially loves the winters. But, she doesn’t take a break from real estate when she is on the East End.
A longtime horsewoman, she said, “One of my favorite off market listings is my incredible 40-acre horse farm. It’s unique because of its agricultural land, buildable lots, and home with barn. Ping me for more information.” Meanwhile, check out what she told Behind The Hedges about equestrian properties in the Hamptons for our September magazine.
Asked if she will be working alone or building her own team, she simply said, “Stay tuned.”
We will!
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