Weeks after asserting a nationwide growth, Serhant and his companions are going through a $10 million lawsuit and allegations of concocting a scheme to “loot” a Pennsylvania brokerage in an effort to increase.
In these occasions, double down — in your abilities, in your information, on you. Be a part of us Aug. 8-10 at Inman Join Las Vegas to lean into the shift and study from the very best. Get your ticket now for the very best worth.
Weeks after asserting a nationwide brokerage growth, Ryan Serhant and his enterprise companions are going through a lawsuit and allegations of concocting a scheme to “loot” a Philadelphia-based brokerage of their efforts to increase into Pennsylvania, in accordance with The Actual Deal.
Ryan Serhant | Credit score: SERHANT. Studios
The grievance filed in Philadelphia Commerce Courtroom by Keller Williams Black Label and guardian firm the Apartment Store LLC accuses Serhant and his new Philadelphia workforce lead, Andrea Desy Edrei, of “plundering its shoppers, mental property, confidential info and personnel, whereas crippling its skill to function.”
SERHANT. representatives declined to touch upon the matter to Inman.
The businesses are searching for greater than $10 million in damages, plus punitive damages from Desy Edrei’s departure from Black Label with a view to lead SERHANT.’s growth within the state. As well as, plaintiffs are searching for a preliminary injunction barring Serhant and Desy Edrei from utilizing proprietary info the brokerages declare was taken along with her departure, and a return of Black Label social media accounts that the corporations say had been “sabotaged.”
The grievance additionally names Michael Skokowski, Jr. and Kailey Bondiskey, Black Label’s former director of promoting and advertising and marketing coordinator, respectively, within the lawsuit, noting that Desy Edrei recruited the advertising and marketing workers to “be a part of the scheme.”
A number of defendants used Black Label’s proprietary advertising and marketing supplies to create supplies for Serhant months earlier than formally becoming a member of SERHANT., in accordance with the grievance, and “intentionally sabotaged Black Label’s social media accounts whereas claiming these accounts had been ‘hacked.’”
Andrea Desy Edrei | Credit score: LinkedIn
When it was introduced that Serhant can be partnering with the Societe Choose luxurious workforce led by Edrei to launch in Pennsylvania, a number of brokers resigned, the grievance states, as others put forth funding to assist the brand new workforce at SERHANT.
Plaintiffs additionally allege that when the workforce was off the bottom at SERHANT., brokers took down quite a lot of Black Label listings after which re-listed them with SERHANT. As well as, plaintiffs declare the defendants restored Black Label social media accounts as Societe Choose accounts, then locked Black Label out of the accounts.
Black Label additionally claims that defendants stole consumer contact and different info from databases, then wiped databases of that info.
Plaintiffs additionally spotlight within the grievance a advertising and marketing presentation ready in November 2022 for a brand new workforce at SERHANT. referred to as “Societe + Serhant.” Compiled when Desy Edrei, Bondiskey and Skokowski had been nonetheless affiliated with Black Label, the grievance says the presentation names Black Label shoppers as “Choose VIP Shoppers” for the brand new workforce, and makes use of info from Black Label’s advertising and marketing supplies.
The presentation particulars a timeline through which Desy Edrei, Bondiskey and Skokowski had been to finalize dealer and agent agreements with Serhant between November to December, in addition to open financial institution accounts and file LLCs and enterprise licenses. The presentation included a start-up contribution of $600,000 to SERHANT., in addition to the launch of a brand new workplace in January, and launch get together with “Associate Ryan Serhant.”
Get Inman’s Luxurious Lens Publication delivered proper to your inbox. A weekly deep dive into the most important information on the planet of high-end actual property delivered each Friday. Click on right here to subscribe.
E-mail Lillian Dickerson
