Founded by Heidi Barnes and directed by its President Thibault de Saint Vincent for over 25 years, BARNES is a leading international firm in luxury residential real estate, with 1300 employees/agents and 130 offices in 20 countries, including major international cities (such as Paris, Geneva, London, Dubai, Madrid, and Barcelona), as well as top holiday destinations (such as Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Monaco, Marrakesh, St. Barths, Courchevel, and Gstaad).

Thibault explains, “Like Compass’ Entrepreneurship Principles, BARNES has built our leading business and impeccable reputation upon our own tenets of entrepreneurship, including passion, optimism, bespoke personalization and flexibility for reinvention. BARNES understands that buying and selling luxury and ultra-luxury properties are not purely business transactions but a complete experience through which the trusted relationship between agent and client is built.”

BARNES’ motto is “Art de Vivre” (or “Art of Living”), and as such the relationship between BARNES and their luxury clients extends beyond the boundaries of real estate. BARNES serves as an ambassador to a wide array of luxury asset classes and lifestyles, including equestrian properties, vineyards, yachts, vacation property rental management, interior design, even private aviation. “Through careful research, BARNES has discovered 70 percent of all ultra-high-net-worth individuals are entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs have a uniquely visionary spirit and approach, and BARNES prioritizes this by guiding our buyers on ways to optimize their luxury property purchases, from commissioning the finest architects to facilitating seasonal rentals to investment in artworks. The sky's the limit.”

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Barnes became acquainted with Compass agents Sebastien Courret, Daniel Brewer, and Suzanne DesMarais at an event at the French Embassy in Washington DC, during a presentation about Compass and our success in the luxury space. Thibault and his Barnes colleagues were so impressed by Compass’ technologies and philosophies, they initiated next steps to align their flourishing business with ours. Many thanks to Sebastien, Daniel and Suzanne for making this pivotal introduction!

Through Compass’ affiliate referral program with BARNES, our agents now have direct access to their international ultra-high-net worth clientele. This means when an international BARNES client would like to purchase a home in the United States, they will be directly referred to a Compass agent. The same holds true when Compass’ luxury clients wish to purchase a home overseas: the buyer and their Compass agent will be directly referred to a BARNES agent. This concierge-style networking tool is especially advantageous for American citizens buying abroad, where luxury and ultra-luxury properties are often exclusively shown by a single brokerage or simply off-market. Since BARNES is the #1 brokerage in France and a top brokerage in the most coveted luxury international markets, BARNES represents a high proportion of luxury inventory, giving Compass agents direct access to the most exclusive properties.

Compass’ affiliate referral program with BARNES extends beyond access to exclusive properties, and will work closely with one another to educate and advocate for our clients. We hope you will join us in celebrating and integrating this milestone for Compass and The Luxury Division!

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The properties page on luxuryatcompass.com is regularly shared with our contacts at BARNES, who then circulate the properties with their network of luxury agents and clients worldwide.

Outside of our affiliate referral program with BARNES, agents are encouraged to reach an international audience by taking advantage of offerings like ListGlobally or the China Concierge Program.