New RSIR Brokerage Office Opens On Old Main Street In Bellevue

Premier Retail Space to Include the B-Bar – a Café and Cocktail Lounge Operated by Joe Vilardi of iconic Bellevue restaurant, Bis on Main

Executives of Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty have opened a new regional branch office on Old Main Street in downtown Bellevue. The two-story building, located at 10237 Main Street, will commence with interim operations on the lower level during which time the café and cocktail lounge, real estate showroom, events center, co-working lounge, and executive offices now under construction on the Main Street level come to life. The expansion is timed with an economic boom on the Eastside as downtown Bellevue evolves into a global city on the rise.

“Bellevue is one of the fastest-growing markets in the region and the area has experienced a number of exciting changes that will appeal to those looking for culture, style, outdoor adventure, and world-class living,” said Dean Jones, President and Chief Executive Officer of Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty. “We’ve assembled a world-class team to create a dynamic retail experience upon entry and we look forward to serving the greater Eastside from this unique venue on Old Main Street. I also want to congratulate our existing and newly welcomed brokers and employees who eagerly awaited the opportunity to establish business operations in the heart of Bellevue.”

The company’s brokerage operation in Bellevue will consist of 30 Founding Members, whom will be licensed in the new location. Jones recently appointed real estate veteran Robyn Kimura Hsu to Executive Director of Business Development in support of growing the broker roster in Bellevue as well as other branch offices, including those in Belltown and Madison Park, which were recently expanded to welcome new broker appointments.

“The residential real estate market in Bellevue has experienced an influx of global companies, new attractions, hotels, and restaurants that now call the area home,” said Julie Leonhardt LaTorre, chief operating officer of Sotheby’s International Real Estate Affiliates, LLC. “The area is undergoing tremendous growth and we are delighted to have Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty continue to develop this key market and elevate the client experience with its innovative new office space.”

The new regional branch office is proximate to the City of Bellevue’s Grand Connection, a pedestrian and bike lane corridor linking Meydenbauer Bay Park, Old Bellevue, the Downtown Park, the Pedestrian Corridor, the Bellevue Transit Center, the Civic Center District, the Wilburton Commercial Area, and the Eastside Rail Corridor.

A land use exemption (LUX Agreement) and construction permits have been secured for 3,200 square feet of premier retail space that will include the B-Bar, a café and cocktail lounge; a real estate showroom; an events center; a co-working lounge; and executive offices for both Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty and preferred lender, Caliber Home Loans. The tenant improvements are expected to be completed by March 2020. Meanwhile the daylight lower level, accessed by a private Main Street address or via a private lane with valet parking, includes private offices and co-working spaces for brokers and marketing support services.

Operated by Joe Vilardi of the Zagat-rated Bis on Main restaurant next door, the B-Bar will be comprised of a daytime café with convenient grab-and-go food and coffee bar, and evolve into a cocktail lounge and piano bar with a full menu for dining each evening. Patrons will enjoy a host of libations including access to Bis on Main’s robust wine cellar, artisanal bites, and entertainment to augment Old Main Street’s already vibrant retail environment.

“Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty has presented me with an exciting opportunity to build out a shared vision for a contemporary café and lounge as an extension of Bis on Main’s success,” adds Vilardi. “The B-Bar will help expand our popular happy hour scene with live music and cater to the rising demand for private dining and events. Old Main Street has been waiting for a concept like this.”

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty on February 23, 2010, and first commenced brokerage operations with a branch office in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. A second branch office opened on Bainbridge Island in 2011 and Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty expanded to the Eastside opening its third and fourth branch offices in downtown Kirkland and Issaquah in 2014 and 2015, respectively. A fifth branch office was opened in Madison Park in 2016. In 2018, the Belltown branch office moved to a new location allowing Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty to expand its headquarters, which now includes a robust in-house marketing agency, a new construction project marketing division, and a New Developments Preview Center.

Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty garners among the highest percentage of producing agents, the greatest production per broker, and the highest average listing prices compared with its peers in the top ten largest brands in the region, according to Trendgraphix research. The Puget Sound Business Journal has annually recognized Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty as one of “Washington’s 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies” and among the “Largest Residential Real Estate Firms”.

“I credit our growth to associating with the finest brokers, employees, and executives in the industry—we keep good company,” said Stacy Jones, Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty co-owner and Chief People Officer. “We have also curated unique retail experiences knowing that real estate opportunities happen within environments where brokers and clients want to gather.”

Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty is a noted vanguard as brokerage offices are designed to incorporate dynamic retail hybrid operations in prime locations. For example, the Kirkland branch features Maison DeLille, a wine tasting lounge operated by DeLille Cellars; and the Bainbridge Island branch repurposed the historic Hardware Store Building into a joint retail operation shared by the brokerage and Bruciato restaurant, which is operated by James Beard Award-finalist chef Brendan McGill. Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty branch offices routinely host special events, such as monthly Art Walks, to create central attractions for the neighborhood.