Taiwan Sotheby’s International Realty, the newest member of the global luxury housing brokerage network, yesterday inaugurated its second office in Taipei to tap further into the local market.

“The opening of a new office reflects our confidence in the real-estate market,” David Tran (陳智亮), founder of Taiwan Sotheby’s, told a media briefing.

Taiwan is a critical part of Sotheby’s International Realty’s growth plans across Asia because of its close connections with China, Tran said.

The two offices, with 30 experienced real-estate brokers, will focus on serving luxury residential clients in Taiwan, he said.

Taiwan Sotheby’s, like other affiliates in 40 different countries, aim to put local luxury homes on its global sales platform and help local investors purchase luxury housing from abroad.

Tran voiced confidence that luxury housing prices in Taiwan would catch up with the markets in Hong Kong and other international cities, although they are currently in a dormant state following government measures to stem short-term speculation.

Taiwan Sotheby’s seeks to differentiate itself from rivals in Taiwan by specializing in brokering landmark products in prime locations, general manager Kyle Wang (王嘉豪) said.

“Lifestyle and uniqueness guide our search for potential products for sale,” Wang said.