Stephen Kotler

Stephen Kotler brings more than 30 years of real estate leadership experience to Corcoran, defined by strategic growth, operational excellence, and national expansion.

Before joining Corcoran, Stephen served as Chief Executive Officer of Brokerage for Douglas Elliman’s Western Region, overseeing operations across California and Colorado. A widely respected industry leader, he played a central role in building Elliman’s West Coast presence, including strategic expansions into Los Angeles and Aspen. Earlier, he oversaw Douglas Elliman’s businesses across California, Las Vegas, Aspen, and Texas, leading major growth initiatives such as the acquisition of Teles Properties—a 650-agent firm spanning Carmel to Coronado—and the firm’s expansion into Houston, Austin, and Dallas.

A New Jersey native, Stephen studied at Ithaca College before launching his real estate career in 1985 at J.I. Sopher & Company, Manhattan’s largest rental firm, where he rose to General Manager. He joined Douglas Elliman in 1991 and founded The Kotler Group, one of New York’s first agent teams. Under his leadership, the team consistently ranked among Elliman’s Top Ten producers and became the first rental-focused group to exceed $1 million in gross commissions.

Stephen later transitioned into senior leadership roles, including Managing Director of Elliman’s flagship 485 Madison Avenue office and ultimately Chief Operating Officer. During this time, he expanded the firm’s corporate relocation and destination services platform, working with clients such as Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, American Express, Pfizer, and ING. Career highlights include overseeing the $158 million sale of 40 East 66th Street to Vornado and helping establish Elliman’s 2014 Global Alliance with Knight Frank Residential.

Since its founding, The Kotler Team has closed more than $2 billion in transaction volume and assisted over 5,000 relocating clients. Today, under the leadership of Max Kotler and Andrew Katzenberg, the team remains an industry leader. Stephen has returned to brokerage at Corcoran to focus on client relationships, complex transitions, and delivering highly personalized service.