Luxury real estate agency Ivester Jackson, a North Carolina affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, has opened an office in Wrightsville Beach.

The move marks the sixth expansion for Ivester Jackson, a firm that has three offices in Charlotte, two in Asheville and a seventh coming to the Highlands area.

The Wrightsville Beach location, at 527 Causeway Drive in the former home of MegaCorp and then PlayerSpace, already has 10 brokers on board, said Britt Allen, managing broker in charge of Ivester Jackson Coastal.

Allen said the Wrightsville Beach office is not expected to grow beyond 30 agents.

“We are a boutique luxury niche brokerage,” Allen said, adding that an affiliation with Christie's is by invitation only.

Reed Jackson, managing partner of Ivester Jackson, said in a news release, “Our market-leading partnership with Christie’s International Real Estate led to over 70 estate home closings in excess of $2 million in value statewide last year, placing us at the top of North Carolina’s luxury brokerages. Coastal inquiries from both Christie’s and Christie’s International Real Estate clients and our own network of luxury brokerages, along with Wilmington’s dynamic growth, led us to select this new location for our next collaboration.”

Christie's International Real Estate is owned by Christie’s Auction House, Allen said.

“As the real estate arm of the world’s leading art auction house, we continue to identify and expand into emerging luxury enclaves to assist top brokers and their clients,” said Rick Moeser, executive director of Christie’s International Real Estate, in the release.

Sales have been on the rise for the past two years in the Wilmington-area luxury market. Since July 1 last year, 680 properties valued over $1 million have been purchased in coastal communities from Sunset Beach through the Wilmington barrier islands, and up to Atlantic Beach, according to the Christie’s news release. That compares to 280 properties closing in the same range the year before.

“We really see Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach and these areas along the coast as being a true emerging luxury market,” Allen said.