NEWPORT, RI - Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty announced the opening of a new brokerage office on Providence’s East Side. The new office, located at 182 Butler Avenue, will provide sales and home buying expertise, specializing in unique, historic and luxury properties. This new location joins Gustave White’s Newport and Westerly offices to serve clients throughout Rhode Island and Sotheby’s elite international clientele.
While many believe the overall real estate market is shrinking — and there certainly is empirical data to support that opinion — Gustave White is seemingly bucking the trend. Paul A. Leys, co-owner of Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty, explains why expansion makes sense at this time. “Though much has been made of a soft real estate market in the past year, we have in fact seen an increase in our sales. Our sales in dollar volume rose 18% from 2006 to 2007, and the number of sold listings increased by 12%. I think we continue to do well because we have a track record for selling high value properties — our average sales price is just under a million dollars per property, one of the highest in the state — and because of the Sotheby’s name, a name synonymous with quality.” Leys went on to state, “Geographically, it also made a lot of sense for us to add Providence to our base, giving us total coverage in Rhode Island, and the only Sotheby’s affiliate state wide.”
Gustave White has retained Liz Taber to manage the Providence office. Leys stated, “We were delighted that Liz agreed to run the new office in a part of the state where the market is still expanding. She has great experience in both real estate and in corporate environments, so we think she is ideally suited for the Providence market.” Ms. Taber has worked on the Realtors’ Political Action Committee, the Women’s Council of Realtors, and served on the MLS Board
of Directors.
Established in 1925, and the first Sotheby’s affiliate in 1980, Gustave White has consistently been associated with fine real estate, auctions and appraisals. While specializing in the luxury residential market, they represent properties of all kinds and in all price ranges with integrity and confidence. Owners Chris West and Paul Leys have also extended the firm’s expertise to the commercial market, residential land sales, and both seasonal and long-term rentals. |