The Hollywood Reporter raised a glass to Los Angeles’ top real estate agents on Wednesday night, taking over a stunning property in Bel-Air for the sixth annual L.A. Power Broker Awards.
The event, presented by The Society Group and also celebrating Sotheby’s International Realty’s 50th year, was timed to THR‘s recent 37 Top L.A. Real Estate Brokers of 2026 list. The awards were sponsored this year Sotheby’s International Realty, The Rider Residences Miami and Provenance Record and are chosen by THR editors based on overall sales year-over-year and the prestige of properties listed/sold.
The Antelo View Estate — a 5.5-acre Bel-Air property that is listed off-market by Sotheby’s International Realty — hosted dozens of top sellers for the evening, as attendees mingled around the guest house and its terrace with drinks and gelato in hand. A harpist soundtracked the cocktail hour while agents made the rounds and popped into a portrait studio for photos. The group then headed out into the yard for the awards ceremony, featuring an intro from The Society Group’s Alexander Ali and words from Cristian David, senior vp and brokerage manager at Sotheby’s International Realty.
Guests heading toward the garden of The Antelo View Estate for the awards ceremony.
Jake Fosmire/ Society Group
David reflected on Sotheby’s International Realty’s five decades and noted how “while the world of real estate continues to evolve, the true luxury has never been defined by a price point alone. It is defined by discretion, perspective and the ability to create meaningful connections across the cultures, markets and generations.” He continued that ” as we look forward to the next 50 years, our focus remains clear: to honor our legacy without being limited by it, to embrace innovation while preserving the distinctly human qualities that make this business so special. Tonight’s honorees embody that future; they are setting new standards, shaping the culture of our industry and proving that the most enduring form of influence is excellence.”
Cristian David of Sotheby’s International Realty
Kevin Scanlon/ Society Group
Tomer Fridman of The Beverly Hills Estates, Cindy Ambuehl of Cindy Ambuehl of Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California, Chris Cortazzo of Compass and Jon Grauman of Resident Group.
Jake Fosmire / Society Group
Eight awards were handed out during the celebration, including Cindy Ambuehl of Christie’s winning the Philanthropic Impact Award — who spoke of supporting “our beautiful Palisades community; we have all been out there doing everything we can to provide comfort to that community, give them hope, reassurance that we’re there for them and that all surrounds community” — and Ernie Carswell of Sotheby’s winning for Celebrity Property Portfolio for his sale of the Raquel Welch estate and listings for the former Cary Grant estate and Cecil B. DeMille estate (for Angelina Jolie).
“This is the greatest city in America to work in real estate for the reasons we all know, and it’s a privilege. I don’t think there’s any city in the world I would work in,” Carswell told the group. “Look at what we get to see and sell. And this is the only city I’ve been to around the world that has so much diversity of property styles, topography, the oceans here, the mountains here. We all know it, and it’s just a real great privilege to work among all of you.”
Shauna Walters of Sothbey’s International Realty, Nicole Plaxen of Sotheby’s International Realty, Dennis DeWalt of The Beverly Hills Estates, Aaron Kirman of Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California and Alex Howe of Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California.
Jake Fosmire / Society Group
The last honor of the night was the biggest, with Team of Year going to Branden and Rayni Williams of The Beverly Hills Estates, who had $1.6 billion in sales in 2025. Accepting the award, Rayni quoted Nourmand & Associates’ Saeed Nourmand, who told the pair at the beginning of their career, “‘There’s a buyer’s market, there’s a seller’s market and there’s a salesperson’s market, and it’s always a salesperson’s market.’ So for everything we’ve been through, with all the trials and tribulations of Los Angeles and personal times, hardships — you just keep selling, and I think that’s the key.”
Branden added, “Let’s keep working together as a team, let’s keep closing deals and let’s keep fighting the good fight. To my most beautiful team member [Rayni] that inspires me every single day, man, I never want this ride to end.”
Branden and Rayni Williams of The Beverly Hills Estates.
Jake Fosmire/ Society Group
See the complete list of this year’s Los Angeles Power Broker Awards winners below.
Team of the Year
Branden and Rayni Williams (The Beverly Hills Estates)
Philanthropic Impact Award
Cindy Ambuehl (Christie’s)
Agent of Historic Architecture
Lea Porter (The Beverly Hills Estates)
Condo Sale of the Year
Linda May (Carolwood) and Blair Chang (The Agency)
Media Maverick
James Harris (Carolwood)
Stratospheric Sale of the Year
Chris Cortazzo (Compass)
Celebrity Property Portfolio
Ernie Carswell (Sotheby’s)
Rising Star
Amir Ensani (then Christie’s, currently The Beverly Hills Estates)
Alexis Lopez, Alexander Ali, and Danielle Kamlet of The Society Group.
Jake Fosmire / Society Group
Dennis DeWalt of The Beverly Hills Estates, Marci Kays of Carolwood Estates, Brandon Meneses of The Beverly Hills Estates, Jonathan Mogharrabi of Carolwood Estates, Neyshia Go of Sotheby’s International Realty and Sally Forster Jones of Compass.
Jake Fosmire/ Society Group
Sally Forster Jones of Compass, Myra Nourmand of Nourmand & Associates, Joyce Rey of Coldwell Banker and Rochelle Atlas Maize of Nourmand & Associates.
Jake Fosmire / Society Group
