Douglas Elliman Inc

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

There are no material changes from the risk factors set forth in Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of our 2024 Annual Report.

, except as set forth below:

Our international expansion and launch of Elliman International may subject us to different or greater risks from those associated with our operations in the United States.

In June 2025, we launched Elliman International after the end of our formal strategic alliance with Knight Frank Residential. Elliman International is intended to enable us to directly serve our agents, clients, and developers international real estate needs, with an initial focus on luxury destinations in Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, Asia Pacific, and other emerging wealth centers outside the United States. While we continue to develop and refine our approach to international operations, there can be no assurance that these efforts will be successful. Entering foreign markets independently presents significant risks and operational challenges that may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results. Our international operations may face risks that are different from those that affect domestic operations. These risks include:

Exposure to economic conditions and federal, state and local as well as potential international laws and regulations, including those relating to our agents;

Potential adverse changes in the political stability of foreign countries or in their diplomatic relations with the United States;

The effect of enacted and proposed tariffs and other trade policies, and related uncertainties in the global economy resulting from such policies; Economic instability, and related uncertainties in the global economy, from pressured banking systems, inflation and currency risk, lack of capital, and changing or inconsistent economic policies:

Costs and incremental expenses associated with complying with a wide variety of foreign laws including laws with respect to real estate brokerage arrangements, agents, employment, corporate governance, operations, taxes, and litigation;

Difficulties in managing international operations, including difficulties that arise from ambiguities in contracts written in foreign languages and difficulties that arise in enforcing such contracts;

Aligning international operations with our existing corporate infrastructure and the need to adapt and localize our business platform(s) for specific countries;

The geographic, time zone, language and cultural differences among personnel in different areas of the world;

Tax uncertainty, including tax law changes, limited tax guidance and difficulty determining tax exposure or planning tax-efficient structures;

Restrictions on the ability to obtain or retain licenses, permits and other regulatory approvals required for operation;

Establishing brand recognition in new markets; and

Difficulties with managing international operations, including costs and staffing.

We may expand our footprint in such markets by pursuing acquisitions, joint ventures, or other strategic arrangements with local or regional operators in those markets. These partners may have economic or other business interests or goals which are inconsistent with our business interests and goals. Disputes between us and our partners may result in litigation or arbitration that would increase our expenses, affect our brand, and prevent our officers and directors from focusing their time and effort on our business. If we fail to identify, establish, and maintain such relationships or successfully identify and acquire businesses, we may be unable to execute our expansion plans. We expect that our international activities may grow in the future as we pursue opportunities in international markets, which may require significant dedication of management attention and may require significant upfront investment.

In the event that we expand into new international markets, we may have only limited experience in marketing and conducting business in those markets. Such expansion requires significant management attention and financial resources and may require us to attract, retain and manage local agents or personnel in such markets. It could also require us to adapt our marketing and services to local market needs. These factors and risks may negatively affect the success of our international expansion.

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