Agency + Rennie Launch: NYC Panel Event Recap

Lucía Torres · 2026-05-21

### A Bold East Coast Debut The Agency + rennie made its East Coast debut in New York City with a panel discussion led by some serious visionaries. Right after an intimate kick-off at The Agency's Beverly Hills office, Mauricio Umansky (Founder and CEO of The Agency) and Greg Zayadi (President of rennie) were joined by Bob Rennie (Founder of rennie) and Rainy Hake Austin (President of The Agency) on the 63rd floor of Hudson Yards. You can't beat that view for a launch. ### What This Partnership Really Means This launch brings together market intelligence, award-winning marketing and sales execution, and five decades of new development expertise into one seamless platform. It's a cohesive system of tools for developers, all under one roof. No more juggling different vendors or hoping things align. "With all of the consolidation going on in the industry, we really believe that now is the time for innovation in the new development space," said Mauricio Umansky. "There is an opportunity to change and collaborate—to reach loftier goals and usher in better resources for this sector of our industry."  ### Key Takeaways from the Panel The panel, moderated by Lucy Blatter (Editorial Director of Dow Jones), explored the future of new development with three industry leaders: - **Bob Rennie** – Vancouver-based founder of rennie with 50 years of experience redefining real estate through data-driven intelligence and risk management. - **Jaime Fasja** – CEO of Thor Urbana and LIFE Properties International, reshaping luxury residential development through purpose-driven lifestyle communities in destinations like Riviera Nayarit and Belize. - **Young Woo** – Founder of Youngwoo & Associates, a pioneering force in urban innovation with landmark projects across the New York metro area and beyond. Together, they tackled some of the most pressing questions facing the industry today. How should developers rethink risk and leverage real-time market intelligence? How is luxury shifting among the next generation of ultra-high-net-worth buyers? And which signals point to the next wave of urban transformation?  ### A Candid Look at the Future "What we have found is that, amidst turmoil, there is opportunity. If we are going to stay in business, we have to find these alliances. Now is not the time to retreat—it's the time to reset," said Bob Rennie. Discussions ranged from the rise of membership-based residential models to the evolving art of placemaking in cities like New York. The conversation offered a timely, candid look at where new development is headed—and what developers must do differently to keep pace with a rapidly changing world. The panel, hosted and sponsored by Wells Fargo, was followed by light hors d'oeuvres and cocktails as speakers, guests, and press mingled. ### Notable Attendees and What's Next Also in attendance were Tony Chen and Rick Stack, the developers behind one of The Agency x rennie's first projects, Kali'u Ala Moana in Honolulu. This boutique condominium developed by ProsPac Holdings comprises 285 residences designed by Olson Kundig, plus a health and wellness club and commercial space. After the kickoff event, guests gathered to clink glasses and toast the launch at Zou Zou's inside the iconic Hudson Yards in Midtown Manhattan. The Agency + rennie partnership is built for the ambitious. And if last night was any indication, the best is still ahead. To learn more about The Agency + rennie, please visit TheAgencyrennie.com (nofollow).