Centurion Partners assumed exclusive sales control of the Mandarin Oriental Residences Beverly Hills this month, marking the second developer handoff for a project that broke ground in 2021 with 52 units priced from $4.9M to above $20M. The Los Angeles-based firm replaces the original sales team after fewer than 12 closings in 18 months, according to public records and MLS data through Q1 2025. The building at 9200 Wilshire Boulevard is 70% complete with target delivery in late 2025.
The restart comes as branded residential absorption in Los Angeles posts its slowest quarter since 2019. Beverly Hills luxury inventory rose 22% year-over-year to 487 active listings above $5M, while days-on-market for penthouses stretched past 310 days in Q4 2024. Mandarin Oriental Residences competed directly with the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills—delivered in 2017 with 12 units still unsold—and the Aman Beverly Hills scheduled for 2027. Centurion's mandate includes repricing the remaining 40+ units, renegotiating buyer deposits on stalled contracts, and accelerating closings before the Four Seasons Private Residences Los Angeles opens 118 units six blocks east in Q3 2026.
The Beverly Hills reset matters beyond one tower. Branded residential delivered $18.2B globally in 2023, but $4.1B of that inventory remains unsold 24+ months post-delivery, concentrated in gateway cities where buyers now demand 8-12% cap rates on pied-à-terre purchases instead of the 4-6% underwritten in 2021. Mandarin Oriental operates 11 branded residential projects worldwide with 947 units; Beverly Hills represents the brand's second U.S. standalone tower after Honolulu, where sales took six years to reach 80% absorption. Centurion's prior rescues include the Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki, where the firm cut $42M in aggregate pricing and closed 31 units in 14 months after a three-year stall.
Allocators tracking branded residential should watch three specific markers. First, whether Centurion files amended offering plans in California by June 2025, signaling formal price reductions above 12% on upper floors. Second, if Mandarin Oriental renegotiates its licensing agreement to reduce per-unit fees—currently estimated at $85K-$140K annually depending on square footage—to preserve developer margins below recast pricing. Third, whether Aman Beverly Hills or Four Seasons Los Angeles adjust pre-sale pricing ahead of their launches; both projects underwrote at $3,800-$4,200 per square foot, now 18-22% above closed comps in the 90210 corridor.
The Beverly Hills handoff is the seventh branded residential sales restart in North American gateway markets since January 2024, following similar transitions at St. Regis Residences Miami, Edition Residences Tampa, and Rosewood Residences Fort Lauderdale. Mandarin Oriental's parent company, Jardine Matheson, reported $310M in hospitality segment losses for fiscal 2024, with residential licensing revenue down $47M year-over-year as developers defer or cancel pipeline projects. Centurion targets first closings in Q3 2025.