Just four weeks after Tomer Fridman departed Compass for Hilton & Hyland—setting up shop in the Beverly Hills-based firm’s Canon Road office previously occupied by power brokers Branden and Rayni Williams, and even opting to keep the couple’s Kelly Wearstler wallpaper rather than redecorate—industry sources tell Dirt that the veteran luxury real estate agent has bounced back to his longtime home at Compass.
“We are thrilled to welcome Tomer Fridman back to the Compass family,” says Compass founder and CEO Robert Reffkin. “From his knowledge and expertise to his authenticity and integrity, Tomer encompasses all of the characteristics of a Compass agent.”
The main task that held up the transition back to Compass: moving Fridman’s large-scale portfolio—in essence, the size of a small brokerage—which proved to be a difficult and time-consuming process. The two agencies were said to be having major issues transferring Tomer’s volume of business, according to sources.
It’s no secret that Softbank-backed, rapidly-expanding Compass is known for courting real estate stars (like top producers Tyrone McKillen and Chris Cortazzo, just to name a couple), and Fridman is one of the brokerage’s biggest players. All elements show that Compass simply offered the prominent agent a compelling opportunity, rather than let go of Fridman and his billion-dollar portfolio that includes a roster of high-profile clients.
Case in point: Fridman spearheaded about $539 million in transactions during 2020. Highlights include the sale of the historic Owlwood estate in Holmby Hills for $88 million, the record-breaking sale of Khloe Kardashian’s Calabasas mansion for $15 million and a $60 million transfer of a Bel Air compound, with his current listings ranging from Eva Chow’s South Mapleton Drive estate at $65 million to an architectural Hollywood Hills mansion for $28.5 million.
A representative for Fridman said the choice to return to Compass was a “very arduous and complex business decision for the agent. Tomer has an incredible level of respect and admiration for Hilton & Hyland, its founders, staff, and agents.”
Sounds like this battle is not over yet, according to Hilton & Hyland co-founder Jeff Hyland, who says “We wish Tomer the absolute best … and we’ll see him shortly.”
Fridman first joined Compass in April 2017 and will continue to be based out of their Beverly Hills offices at 9454 Wilshire Blvd.
