Elliman taps brokerage COO to strengthen ‘operational muscle’ 

Editor's note: As an industry with millions of agents and over 100,000 brokerage companies, new leaders rise to the top every day. Here we highlight executives and other notable leaders who've recently taken on, or stepped away from, roles that influence the residential real estate landscape.

Jamie Gagliano returns to Douglas Elliman as brokerage COO

Douglas Elliman has announced that Jamie Gagliano is rejoining the firm in New York City after a year-long departure. Gagliano, who brings over two decades of real estate experience to the role, will serve as chief operations officer, brokerage.

Gagliano was most recently partner and chief operating officer for Noble Black & Partners, a team that moved from Douglas Elliman to the Corcoran Group a year ago, and previously served as chief operating officer for Elliman's Holly Parker Team for more than a decade.

In her new role, Gagliano will oversee national operations with a focus on streamlining systems, strengthening support for agents and staff, and building infrastructure intended to support a more scalable brokerage, according to a news release. She will also seek to align operations with Douglas Elliman's technology strategy, including the rollout of Elius, the AI intelligence platform that the firm introduced earlier this summer.

In the announcement, Gagliano said she is "delighted" to return to the luxury brokerage, describing Douglas Elliman as a company "built on entrepreneurship" that has developed "real operational muscle" since President and CEO Michael Liebowitz took the reins nearly two years ago. 

"I'm here to make sure our infrastructure is as ambitious as our agents, and I couldn't be more excited to help build that future," Gagliano added.

Vesta Home bolsters leadership team with new sales VP

Vesta Home announced this week that it has appointed Michael El-Saleh to serve as vice president of national sales, adding a senior sales leader as the luxury home staging and furnishing company expands its national platform.

El-Saleh previously spent more than a decade in senior leadership positions at Angi and HomeAdvisor. In his new role, he will spearhead the company's national sales organization with an eye toward market growth, and he will be responsible for establishing and strengthening relationships with brokers, developers and homeowners. He will also oversee efforts to buttress client experience consistency while maintaining the company's personalized service model, according to a news release.

In a post this week on LinkedIn, El-Saleh expressed excitement at joining Vesta Home, a company that he said "has built an incredible brand and operation to deliver exceptional luxury staging and design that helps agents and developers sell luxury homes faster."

"There's amazing opportunity in this space, but what ultimately sold me were the incredible people I met along the way. Just two weeks in, I continue to be impressed and inspired by the team at Vesta," he wrote, adding that he is "excited for what is ahead!"

Editor's note: AI was used in the initial drafting of this content, which was then thoroughly reviewed, fact-checked and revised by a Real Estate News editor.