Engel & Völkers announced the opening of its first Scottsdale shop and entrance into the Arizona real estate market, breaking new ground as the luxury brand continues to expand throughout the U.S. and around the world.

Sandra Wilken, of Sandra Wilken Luxury Properties, has become the first Engel & Völkers license partner  in Arizona, converting her 18-year, Scottsdale-based company to Engel & Völkers Scottsdale, Sandra Wilken Partners. The company, with a team of 17 agents that closed $58 million in transactions in 2012, now becomes one of 491 shops worldwide in more than 36 countries.

“Engel & Völkers brings the highest standards of real estate service to the most sought-after markets throughout the world,” said Anthony Hitt, Chief Operating Officer of Engel & Völkers North America. “We are excited to introduce our distinctive brand in Scottsdale and to debut with the leadership of Sandra Wilken, the most successful and highly respected name in the area’s luxury market.”

As an already well known and respected name in luxury real estate, Sandra Wilken has been among the top producing Scottsdale brokers for the past 38 years. Wilken specializes in luxury real estate purchases and sales of properties ranging from luxury condominiums to multimillion-dollar estates in the Valley’s most prominent, high-end communities such as Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, the Arcadia and Biltmore areas of Phoenix, Fountain Hills and Gainey Ranch.

“It is an extreme honor to be selected by such a prestigious, international real estate company,” said Sandra Wilken. “With the success that my company has experienced over the past 18 years, it seems to be a natural step in catapulting us to an international level. This affiliation not only raises the awareness of our clients’ listings to the broader Engel & Völkers global network, but it allows the firm to expand our client base, the number of agents we employ and our total number of listings and transactions. The timing couldn’t be better with Arizona’s housing market seeing significant gains month over month. I see it as an opportunity to bring the world to Scottsdale and Scottsdale to the world.”

“Engel & Völkers’ global expansion strategy has always been based on being where our clients want to be, whether it is to reside, to vacation or to have a second or third home,” said Hitt.  “We’ve selected to open in Scottsdale’s because of its popularity among international home buyers, the leadership and established reputation of Sandra Wilken in the market and the area’s exceptional luxury properties. It’s the perfect home for our brand which is known internationally for of high end, white glove service. Sandra and her team became leaders in the market because of their higher standards of service, which they’ve succeeded in providing for the past 18 years. They have attracted the best agents in the area, and will continue to do so. They were the obvious choice to represent the Engel & Völkers brand.”

For more information about Engel & Völkers Scottsdale, Sandra Wilken Partners visit www.scottsdale.evusa.com or call 480-596-0001.