Like Genghis Khan of old, Keller Williams is rapidly expanding across central Asia.
Arthur Yugai
In a statement on Tuesday, the company announced that it has awarded a new master franchise in Uzbekistan. For those unfamiliar, Uzbekistan is a land-locked country north of Turkmenistan and south of Kazakhstan. It shares shorter borders with Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Regional Operating Principal Arthur Yugai will lead the franchise, which is expected to begin operations this quarter.
Here’s what Keller Williams had to say about the move in the statement:
“We couldn’t be more excited to have Arthur and his team join us,” said [Keller Williams Worldwide President William E.] Soteroff. “He is an exceptional steward of our brand in Uzbekistan, and his strong vision will also elevate our momentum and impact across Asia.”
A business leader with 15 years of experience spanning real estate and government reform, Yugai operated a franchise associated with Etagi, a full-service real estate company, before affiliating with KW. He grew the firm to more than 100 professionals while introducing innovative “single window” services that modernized Uzbekistan’s property market.
Before Etagi, Yugai held key government roles advancing major capital-market and investment reforms. He is also the author and host of “Kind of Smart,” a podcast exploring business, economics, and culture in Uzbekistan.
“Through KW’s systems and education, we aim to help agents think and act like entrepreneurs,” said Yugai. “Over time, this will continue to raise service standards, strengthen client trust, and shape a more professional real estate industry.”
Keller Williams also shared the following stats Tuesday regarding its international growth:
- KWW has more than 17,600 international agents.
- KWW agents closed over 70,000 units, up 4.6 percent over the previous year.
- KWW agents closed 17.2 billion in sales volume, up 24.2 percent over 2024.
- KW has expanded into seven international regions in 2025, including the Cayman Islands, El Salvador, Hungary, North Macedonia, Singapore, Uzbekistan and Qatar.
