Christie’s International Real Estate is expanding into Belgium and has partnered with a local luxury-focused firm, Hillewaere. As the exclusive affiliate of Christie’s, Hillewaere will gain access to the brand’s tech and marketing resources, but also a connection to the iconic Christie’s auction house, for the referral of art and luxury goods.
Established in 2002 by Roel Druyts, Hillewaere has grown from a one-man real estate brokerage to a multidisciplinary company with divisions for real estate, insurance and mortgage lending. Druyts now serves as CEO of Hillewaere Group, while Bart Van Delm oversees the firm’s real estate business as managing director. In 2021, the firm received an investment from merchant banking powerhouse Rothschild & Co. and its Five Arrows Principal Investments (FAPI) arm, setting up further expansion.
Hillewaere maintains a presence in Antwerp and other Flemish provinces, and is planning to expand under the Christie’s brand into the capital city of Brussels, the French-speaking Wallonia region, Knokke and other upscale resort towns along the Belgian coast.
“Hillewaere and Christie’s International Real Estate complement each other perfectly in terms of our expertise, the way we serve buyers and sellers and our credibility in the market,” explained Druyts. “Around the world, Christie’s International Real Estate has a wide client base and unique target audience, especially given their close relationship with Christie’s auction house. And we built our strong reputation and systematically expanded our existing portfolio in the luxury housing market in Belgium over the past few years.”
“Our focus on luxury real estate, our client-centric approach and our staff’s expertise, combined with the deep international network that Christie’s International Real Estate provides, ensures clients know they are in the right place to buy or sell their luxury property with confidence. This partnership will undoubtedly strengthen our position in the Belgian luxury real estate market,” added Van Delm.
“Roel and Bart have built an exceptional real estate brokerage focused on relationships, innovation and unmatched service, all values shared by Christie’s International Real Estate,” said Helena de Forton, managing director, head of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia-Pacific (APAC) for Christie’s International Real Estate. “We are pleased to have them on board as our exclusive Belgium affiliate, and we look forward to supporting their growth as we continue our expansion throughout Europe.”
For more information, visit https://www.christiesrealestate.com/.
