09/07/2026
A few days ago, CITY SPHERE crossed $100M in closed and in-contract volume for 2026. We’re currently at around $101.6M, and there are still a few months left in the year.
It made me think back to 2015, when I had just graduated college and started in real estate. I was young, an immigrant, didn’t know many people in NYC, and had a lot of figuring out to do.
At my first brokerage, you’d have to earn $180k in order to cap and earn more. At that time, the idea of getting to that number felt like all the money in the world.
Now, 11 years later, we’ve built CITY SPHERE alongside a great group of people and crossed over the $100M mark as a boutique brokerage while the year is still not over. How it started and where we are now are very different places, with a lot of history in between.
One of the best parts is that it’s not just me anymore compared to a few years back. I get to build this alongside a great group of people. In a lonely business, and in the most competitive city in the world, true community makes a huge difference and a real impact.
We share insights, hang out together, discuss the wins and the downfalls, do fitness challenges, and lift each other up. We grow together.
One of the parts that I’m most proud of is that the company is starting to outgrow its founders. It feels like CITY SPHERE is slowly taking on a life of its own.
So I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has stuck around, trusted us, and continued building with us. $100M is a wonderful milestone, and we can do so much more together.
CITY SPHERE
Julia Afanasyev (Zaynulina)
