CHICAGO and PUNTA BALLENA, Uruguay, Dec. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Christie’s International Real Estate announces the launch of Christie’s International Real Estate Uruguay, in partnership with a team of top Uruguayan brokers.
Under the leadership of managing partners Sven Jurgan and Brian Jones, the new brokerage firm will specialize in the curation, listing and sale of premier estates, luxury developments, and large working ranches and farms, known as estancias, in the South American nation. The company will serve both domestic and international clientele in the country’s high-end coastal regions of Punta del Este and José Ignacio, the nation’s capital of Montevideo, as well as the country’s rural areas across all 19 departments.
With more than 35 years of combined experience in real estate sales and development in Uruguay, Jurgan and Jones are well-established in the region. They join the Christie’s International Real Estate network with a portfolio of property listings valued at more than US$600 million, from luxury homes to boutique hotels to estancias spanning thousands of acres.
The company’s agents and clients will benefit from national and international exposure for luxury properties through the Christie’s International Real Estate global network, which includes more than 100 brokerage firms in more than 50 countries and territories. They will also enjoy exclusive marketing partnerships and a connection to the iconic Christie’s auction house for the referral and the sale of art and luxury goods.
In recent years, Uruguay has gained prominence among high-net-worth individuals around the world for its natural beauty, temperate climate and economic stability.
“With Uruguay now firmly in the sights of luxury homebuyers around the world, people are looking for a real estate brand they know and trust, and there is no real estate brand more associated with luxury and service than Christie’s International Real Estate,” said Jones. “We look forward to offering the brand’s marketing power, global reach and trusted reputation to our clients in Uruguay and abroad.”
“Brian and Sven represent the very best of what we look for in our affiliates: deep local knowledge, a strong track record in luxury, and a shared commitment to exceptional client service,” said Gavin Swartzman, president of Christie’s International Real Estate. “Their arrival in our network underscores our ongoing commitment to expanding in the world’s most dynamic luxury real estate markets.”
Much of Uruguay’s uber-luxury real estate sits in the coastal resort region of Punta del Este, known as the “Monaco of South America.” Historically a second-home market for high-net-worth Brazilians and Argentinians, “Punta” – as it’s known to locals – has experienced a swell of wealthy Americans and Europeans, spurring an influx of new development and branded residences, as well as infrastructure investments in healthcare, energy and transportation.
Uruguay has also become known as one of the world’s premier destinations for the sport of polo, drawing comparisons to Palm Beach.
Complementing the coastal offerings are Uruguay’s expansive estancias—large working ranches that span up to 25,000 acres where beef cattle or sheep are typically raised. The team is currently marketing several of these estates, many of which are located inland along the Río de la Plata. While agricultural, these properties can be exceptionally luxurious, Jones notes, with some featuring private airstrips and helipads.
“It’s exciting to see so many international buyers discovering what I have called the world’s best kept secret,” said Jones. “These buyers want the best, and they know they can find amazing properties here with limited restrictions, making it one of the most enticing locales for luxury living around the world.”
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About Christie’s International Real Estate
Christie’s International Real Estate has successfully marketed high-value real estate around the world for more than 30 years. Through its invitation-only Affiliate network spanning nearly 50 countries and territories, Christie’s International Real Estate offers incomparable services to a global clientele at the luxury end of the residential property market. Christie’s International Real Estate operates as a distinct luxury brand under the ownership of Compass (NYSE: COMP), the largest residential real estate brokerage in the United States by sales volume. Founded in 2012 and based in New York City, Compass provides an end-to-end platform that empowers residential real estate agents to deliver exceptional service to seller and buyer clients.
- Sven Jurgan and Brian Jones