Southampton - Nest Seekers International, one of the largest real estate firms in New York City, announced the appointment of Joseph DeCristofaro as Executive Vice President and Managing Partner of its new Southampton office.

Nest Seekers International recently acquired the Hamptons branch of global real estate firm Engel & Volkers, with offices at 20 Main Street in Southampton and 26 Montauk Highway in East Hampton.

Joseph DeCristofaro has been named as Executive Vice President and Managing Partner of the new Southampton office. (Courtesy Photo: NSI)

"We are very excited to have Joseph join our company," said Eddie Shapiro, President and CEO of Nest Seekers International. "As a lifelong Hamptons resident and one of the East End's top brokers, his vast market knowledge and exponential resources will enable the firm to continue to expand its presence and transform the real estate landscape in the Hamptons."

DeCristofaro was named The Corcoran Group's Top New Agent in 2007, in addition to winning the firm's award for Rookie of the Year and being selected as a member of the Corcoran Multimillion Dollar Club. He also has extensive experience in advertising, marketing, and publishing for a variety of high-end lifestyle publications including Hamptons, Hamptons Cottages & Gardens, Avenue, Hamptons Country and Aspen Country, as well as developing Plum TV in the Hamptons.

"Hamptons real estate has long been due for a change, and Nest Seekers is bringing a fresh approach to the market," DeCristofaro said. "I look forward to continuing to expand the company's operations and grow its business through opportunities in the Hamptons as well as internationally."

Also recently joining the firm are Dolores Kessler, previously a broker at First Hampton International Realty and Alfredo Merat, founder and president of Villasoftheworld.com. A resident of East Hampton, Merat will merge Villasoftheworld.com into Nest Seekers and help further expand the company's international division.

Amadeus Ehrhardt, manager of the former Engel & Volkers Southampton office, has been named Managing Director of the new Nest Seekers office in Southampton. Barbara Feldman, previously of Engel & Volkers, has been appointed Managing Director of the East Hampton office.

The new Nest Seekers offices at 20 Main Street and 26 Montauk Highway will focus primarily on the Hamptons and anticipate expanding to open new offices during the summer. The existing Nest Seekers location at 2415 Montauk Highway will continue to cover Bridgehampton and the surrounding areas. Nest Seekers also has offices in Manhattan on the Eastside, Midtown and Downtown as well as Long Island City and Miami.

About Nest Seekers International
Nest Seekers International is a global sales and marketing firm that specializes in promoting properties to an international audience in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and the emerging markets of Asia and South America. The company has seven offices with a staff of more than 150 professionals. Additionally, the Nest Seekers network includes hundreds of satellite affiliates worldwide. Always at the forefront of performance and technology, Nest Seekers is one of the 10 largest real estate firms in New York City with several billion dollars in gross sales. It is on the cutting edge of ideas, concepts, marketing and technology, constantly reinventing the standard of service and delivering superior performance as a fully integrated marketing and management firm.