The Agency, a residential real estate brokerage led by Mauricio Umansky, has entered the Houston market. The firm, based in Los Angeles and known for its celebrity connections through Netflix’s “Buying Beverly Hills” and Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” has opened its first Houston office at 14140 Southwest Freeway.
This expansion comes after The Agency partnered with The Sansone Group, a Sugar Land-based team that previously operated under the Re/Max Fine Properties brand. Chris and Lizz Sansone, who founded their group in 2000, will now lead The Agency’s Houston office. Their nine-agent team was ranked No. 10 among small residential teams in the Houston Business Journal’s 2025 Residential Real Estate Awards with $78.2 million in sales across Greater Houston.
Lizz Sansone described the transition as a significant step for their business: “Legacy is very important to us. After more than two decades with one company, we found that our values aligned closely with The Agency when it comes to culture, service and branding.”
Umansky stated that Texas has been a priority for the company due to its strong real estate fundamentals and growth potential. He explained that Sugar Land was chosen as an entry point because of its schools and quality of life rather than opting for an inner-city location.
The move brings another personality-driven brokerage into Houston’s competitive market landscape. Other firms such as White House Global Properties—led by Washington Ho of HBO Max’s “House of Ho”—are also present in this space.
The Agency operates more than 150 offices across 14 countries and launched 27 new locations in 2025 alone.
While Umansky is known for high-profile deals, he emphasized that The Agency is not solely focused on luxury listings; instead, it aims to serve a broad range of clients throughout the city.
