H G Christie Ltd Real Estate

H.G. Christie Ltd. is the oldest and largest real estate firm in The Bahamas. Founded in 1922 by the legendary Sir Harold Christie, K.T., C.B.E., the company is the exclusive Bahamas affiliate of the prestigious Christie’s International Real Estate Network, and has an incomparable selection of property listings throughout the country, including luxury homes and condos, vacation homes, beachfront properties, real estate for development, and private islands. H.G. Christie Ltd. is headquartered in historic Millar’s Court in downtown Nassau, and has offices in Freeport, Abaco, Eleuthera, Long Island and Exuma. From the beginning, HG Christie has been known as a pioneering force in its field. Sir Harold, along with his brother Frank Holmes Christie, C.B.E., were instrumental in the creation of many of the most celebrated real estate developments in The Bahamas, including Lyford Cay on New Providence, Windermere Island on Eleuthera, Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands, and Hawk’s Nest Cay and Pigeon Cay in Cat Island. In 1935, Sir Harold played a central role in creating Bahamas Airways, with the aim of facilitating travel and communications between Nassau and his beloved Out Islands. Until his death in 1973, Sir Harold, whose work was recognised with a C.B.E. in 1949 and Knighthood in 1964, was a tireless promoter of the many islands that made up his native country.

Sir Harold Christie and Frank Christie at 309 Bay Street

Following Frank Christie’s death in 1978, his nephew, William McP. (Peter) Christie, J.P., a prominent member of the Bahamas Bar became President of the company. Peter had been the firm’s principal real estate attorney since 1951, assisting in the purchase of all of its major properties. His area of expertise was researching and establishing titles for land – no easy feat in the many places where, for many years, record keeping was poor or non-existent. Peter’s work required spending prolonged periods in the Out Islands, especially in Eleuthera and Cat Island, where the family firm owned more than 2,000 acres. In 1991, Peter chose to retire from the prestigious law firm of Higgs & Johnson to manage H.G. Christie Ltd. full time. Two years later, his son, John who had spent much of his childhood travelling with his father throughout the Family Islands, joined the firm as Vice President. In 1997, Peter’s daughter, Cara, also joined the company, heading the Rental Department.

John’s first order of business was to computerise the office and update all of the technology being used by its staff. An early believer in the power of the Internet, he set out to create a real estate website for the company and, in 1995, HG Christie became the first local real estate firm to go online. For several years, its site was the only one of its kind to be interactive – offering an accessible database of listings.

Today, www.hgchristie.com has thousands of listings and is updated daily. It has become a crucial component of the company’s business, and is Web 2.0 oriented, featuring Google Maps, downloadable brochures, and virtual property tours, social media, virtual tours, responsive design and more.

Peter, John, and Cara are proud to be continuing the company’s traditions of innovation and integrity into the 21st century. Their current focus is providing professional real estate service including appraisals and property management, high-quality marketing materials, and interactive and innovative ways to promote exclusive listings.

For more information about Bahamas Real Estate please contact HG Christie.