‘I love the area’: Mauricio Umansky on Halifax, bringing his global brand to the East Coast

The Agency CEO Mauricio Umansky is pictured at the launch party for the firm's Halifax office on June 22, 2025. (CTV Atlantic / Melanie Price)

Halifax and Beverly Hills might be worlds apart, but that’s not stopping American real estate mogul and “Real Housewives” celebrity Mauricio Umansky from bringing his global brand to the East Coast city.

“We’ve been expanding all over Canada and you guys have a great market here and it’s beautiful and so it just made a lot of sense,” he told CTV News Sunday afternoon. “And, here, I am, proving that we can bring boutique real estate to the world.”

Umansky first rose to fame through appearances on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” which premiered in 2010.

As CEO of The Agency – a global, boutique real estate brokerage that has 130 offices in 13 countries – Umansky’s brand has also been featured on Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles” and Netflix’s “Buying Beverly Hills.”

The Agency added a Halifax location to its firm in February 2024 and Umansky was on hand for the official launch party and ribbon-cutting Sunday afternoon.

“I love it, I love the area. I like the people that I’ve met so far, they’ve been really nice,” he said. “Everyone is just so friendly and happy.”

This was Umansky’s first trip to Halifax and his first time trying its official food – the donair.

“I just had a donair and it was absolutely delicious,” said Umansky at The Agency Halifax launch party Sunday afternoon. “Loved it.”

That’s not the only quintessential Halifax experience he’s had while in the city – he also spent some time on a waterfront patio, in the bar district, and at a popular Irish pub.

“I had a great night last night, we had a great day. I went to Water Polo for dinner and then we went to go make a little bit of a mess of Argyle Street and we went over to Durty Nelly’s,” he said.

“I ended up there and that was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the people and the music and all of it.”

The Agency decided to open the Halifax office after local agents reached out to the company. Umansky says the people and the culture are some of the key factors when deciding on a new location.

“We always decide what location we open up depending on people,” he said. “So, it’s more about growing the culture, growing the people, and we believe that we can bring luxury and a boutique feel to global real estate.”

While Halifax might be a smaller market than what he’s used to, Umansky says marketing and real estate are the same everywhere, as you have to be creative and innovative no matter where you are trying to sell.

He also says his global brand is focused on service – not price point.

“Everybody deserves to have great service and great luxury no matter what price point you’re at. That’s the belief that we believe in,” he said.

“When you’re in a bigger market … you have more to play with, so you’re able to get a little bit more creative with your type of marketing. So, to be able to then bring that to a place like Halifax, because we’re learning it in Beverly Hills or Hollywood, or New York, and then to be able to bring it here just elevates the level of service for the community here and for all of our clients here.”

As for why someone should choose The Agency, Umansky says his company is very selective about who it hires, and he has a unique No. 1 rule for his agents.

“No a--holes. So, if you’re one of those you’ll get kicked out fast,” he said. “We have a zero-tolerance rule and I think that’s what separates us.”

In addition to the Nova Scotia office, The Agency also has brokerages in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec.

As for whether The Agency will expand to other parts of Atlantic Canada, Umansky says it’s a possibility.

“I think that now that we are here we’ll continue to have that conversation. It’s my first time in Atlantic Canada, but I think that now that we’re here we might as well keep going. Why stop here?”

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