After six years in the role, Don Kottick has resigned as President and CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, effective April 23.
An internal memo shared with STOREYS says that Sotheby’s International Realty Canada will be managed by an “interim leadership team” consisting of Evan Shandler — who is currently Vice-President Operations Sotheby’s International Realty Canada and be promoted to the new role of Chief Operating Officer — Elaine Hung — who will remain the Chief Marketing Officer — and Effi Barak — who is a Peerage Realty Partners consultant and will serve as interim President.
For his part, Barak was recently Chief Financial Officer at McCarthy Tétrault, and spent three years as Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of RE/MAX Integra’s North American operations.
“We have started the search process for a new CEO to champion Sotheby’s International Realty Canada’s ongoing growth, building on the positive momentum of last year and the first quarter of this year,” the memo says.
Kottick joined Sotheby’s in May 2019, prior to which he was Director At Large for the Canadian Real Estate Association, President of Right at Home Realty, and Executive Vice President, Corporate Development for Peerage Realty Partners. While with Peerage, the organization expanded its holdings to include Baker Real Estate, Fifth Ave Sales & Marketing, StreetCity Realty, Chestnut Park Real Estate, and Madison & Company Properties, LLC.
“I started this journey with Peerage 11 years ago as one of three founding members of Peerage Realty Partners, and then six years ago I took over the helm of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada,” said Kottick in a written statement to STOREYS. “We assembled an amazing management team, wonderful staff, and great realtors. Over the course of six years, we built a great company and a wonderful culture, I have been honoured to lead this great group. I have decided it was time now for me to explore new opportunities after these six years of success.”
Kottick’s departure from Sotheby’s comes on the heels of Gavin Swartzman’s retirement from Peerage Realty Partners on March 31, after over a decade spent as the company’s CEO. In early April, Tara Brown was announced as Swartzman’s replacement, at which time it was revealed that she will retain the title of President of Peerage Group Sotheby’s International Realty, as well as her place on the Executive Committee of Peerage Realty Partners. She has held both positions since June 2024.