Christie’s International Real Estate Expands into Florida’s Emerald Coast, Partnering with Local Top-Producing Firm and Agents

/EIN News/ -- CHICAGO, March 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Two of the leading brokerage owners on Florida’s Emerald Coast, Beau Blankenship and Jacob Watkins, who have sold a combined $3 billion in their relatively young careers, are teaming up under the Christie’s International Real Estate brand.  

Blankenship, who leads the No. 1 team in Walton County and sits near the top of the RealTrends state and national rankings, is rebranding his former Engel & Volkers offices, known as 30A Beaches, to Christie’s International Real Estate Emerald Coast. He launched his brokerage in 2018, when he was just 27 years old, and has personally amassed over $2 billion in career sales.  

Joining Blankenship as a partner is Jacob Watkins, a former Ernst & Young finance consultant who got into brokerage a decade ago, building a small local shop that eventually merged with Corcoran Reverie in 2020. Under his leadership, that firm brokered $4 billion in sales in less than five years, with Watkins accounting for over $1 billion of the volume.  

Together, they will lead Christie’s International Real Estate’s exclusive affiliate for the 30A region, home to a 24-mile stretch of upscale beach communities from Destin to Panama City, including Santa Rosa Beach, Rosemary Beach, Seaside and Alys Beach.  

The two partners have also formed Blankenship | Watkins Advisory Group, a large team within Christie’s International Real Estate Emerald Coast that will feature a portfolio of over $265 million in listings upon launch. Their combined team has also closed 21 transactions above $10 million and is currently marketing the highest-priced listing in northwest Florida at $26.5 million.  

Christie’s International Real Estate Emerald Coast launches with 130 agents in all. Through the new affiliation, they will enjoy exclusive access to pl@tform™, the brand’s proprietary tech solution that enables digital management of all aspects of the real estate transaction and client relationship. The software includes fully integrated CRM, transaction management, market-analysis, and marketing modules. Agents and clients will also be able to take advantage of exclusive advertising and marketing partnerships, increased national and international exposure for luxury listings, and special programs that leverage the firm’s connection to Christie’s venerable auction house. 

"Our luxury market has grown tremendously over the past decade, not only in terms of home prices and transaction volumes but also in terms of the geographic profile of our clientele and their expectations for a greater breadth and depth of services. Christie’s International Real Estate gives us the brand, the network and the technology to serve this market better than we ever have and to do so well into the future,” said Blankenship.  

Watkins noted that the Emerald Coast is comparatively under the radar in relation to other Florida vacation destinations like Miami, Palm Beach and Naples, but is every bit as luxurious. The median home price in certain communities exceeds $2 million, and sales at the top end of the market can surpass $20 million. Much of the market is comprised of second-home buyers, with many hailing from southern cities like Dallas, Atlanta, Houston and New Orleans, but a growing contingent from the Midwest, Northeast, mountain states and California. Christie’s International Real Estate’s strong presence in these markets helped draw Blankenship and Watkins to the brand.  

The Emerald Coast is also one of the top markets in the United States for short-term rental investors, with two communities – Destin and Miramar Beach – ranked in the top 10 nationally, according to data firm Airbtics, LLC.   

The region offers an attractive combination of natural beauty and laid-back luxury. Beaches feature sugar-white sand, and the Gulf water is warm and clear with a green hue that gives the area its name. The Emerald Coast is also one of the only places in the world with coastal dune lakes, naturally occurring lakes located just a few hundred feet from the Gulf of Mexico. Buildings are predominantly low-rise and many communities are designed in a neo-traditional style with architectural variety and pedestrian friendly streetscapes.  

“As the top performers in the market, Beau and Jacob are combining their expertise, networks and leadership to create an unmatched force in luxury real estate, and as the Emerald Coast market continues to grow, our network and brand will offer some truly unique benefits for local buyers, sellers and agents,” said Thad Wong, Co-CEO of Christie’s International Real Estate.   

The invitation-only Christie’s International Real Estate network was born out of the iconic Christie’s auction house, which has captivated a global audience of art collectors and luxury consumers since 1766. Christie’s International Real Estate maintains a close partnership with the auction house, creating unique synergies between the worlds of high-end real estate, art, and luxury goods. In addition to its Florida affiliates in Miami, Palm Beach, Naples and the Florida Keys, the network has a presence in nearly 50 countries and territories around the world.   

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• Beau Blankenship and Jacob Watkins

Bella Paredes
                    Christie's International Real Estate
                    2197657682
                    bellaparedes@atproperties.com