The stars have aligned for L.A. real estate, quite literally: Beverly Hills-based real estate powerhouse Stacy Gottula has come back home to the Coldwell Banker® network and the award-winning Joyce Rey Team after four years.
Gottula and Rey were known for repeatedly shattering global records during their 11-year partnership. The pair listed the $195 million Palazzo di Amore in 2015, which was hailed as America’s most expensive listing at the time, and they sold Le Belvedere twice — once in 2010 for $50 million and again in 2018 for $56 million. They also sold Le Palais, a record for the Beverly Hills flats with a list price of $58 million, and represented Kimberly and Hugh Hefner on the $18 million sale of the Holmby Hills sister property to The Playboy Mansion.
Despite Gottula’s departure in 2017, the duo remained in close contact and frequently collaborated on major luxury real estate transactions. After completing several deals together in 2020, Gottula was reminded how well they worked together. “I can’t replicate the synergy we have with anyone else,” she says.
Rey, a highly respected real estate legend with a legacy that spans over four decades and nearly $5 billion in career sales, adds: “We’re just dynamite together.”
According to Craig Hogan, vice president of luxury for Coldwell Banker Real Estate, LLC, the two created a top-producing team with a magical quality that most managers envy. “Chemistry with several high performers together is not by accident,” he says. The Southern California executive leadership team is also thrilled by the move. Jamie Duran, president of Coldwell Banker Realty, Southern California comments: “I have no doubt that they will continue to raise the bar for excellence and set more sales records.” Adds Tom Dunlap, branch manager for Coldwell Banker Realty, Beverly Hills: “Stacy and Joyce have such a wonderful relationship, both personally and professionally. Their energy, style, work ethic, experience and respect for each other are truly singular in this industry.”
They each bring a set of complementary skills to the table. The detail-oriented Gottula excels at contracts and negotiations, while Rey has a reputation for being one of L.A.’s foremost luxury real estate experts with a deep personal network, negotiating prowess and industry leadership that elevates their entire team. Rey is known for relentlessly working for her clients’ best interest — even past a listing’s expiration date. “That’s how we sold Le Belvedere the second time around,” remembers Gottula. “A lot of agents might have given up after a listing has expired, but we just kept trying with the list of exclusion buyers we had. Joyce never gives up. Tenacity won the day. That is inspiring to me.”
The evolution of their partnership can be traced back to 2006. “I was Joyce’s assistant,” says Gottula. By 2007, she was ready to test her wings as Rey’s first teammate so she suggested they pair up. “Teams were not very common back then,” recalls Rey. “Within the first year, we did some record-breaking sales together and I knew the partnership was special. In fact, it was Stacy’s suggestion that I create The Joyce Rey Team! For that, I will be forever grateful to her.”
Today, The Joyce Rey Team employs 10 full-time realtors and five staff members. Gottula herself has grown to become one of the top real estate agents in Los Angeles after just 15 years in the business. Her accolades include REAL Trends’ “America’s Best,” Hollywood Reporter’s “Top 25 Real Estate Agents” and Variety’s “Showbiz Real Estate Elite” among others. Hogan has always been impressed by Gottula’s command of the marketplace, calling her “fluent in luxury.” “I’m very excited to welcome her home,” he says. “I always felt this was where she belonged.”
Gottula is excited for her return too: “I got my start with Coldwell Banker. The enthusiasm I’ve received since coming back has been really touching. The brand offers us so much support. I’m so happy to be back home where my heart is, with Joyce and Coldwell Banker.”
To that end, Gottula and Rey are looking forward to a landmark year ahead. In the first two weeks of 2021, pending sales volume in the West Los Angeles area was already up by a record percentage from the same time last year, continuing the explosive growth that began in the last two quarters of 2020.
“Our rekindled partnership promises to take our production to another level,” says Rey. She likens their teamwork to the sentiments once expressed by Helen Keller: “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”
