PHILADELPHIA, PA.- Freeman’s announced the creation and expansion of Client Advisory Services, a department dedicated to bespoke service for Freeman’s clients throughout the buying and selling process.

“Freeman’s has had its clients at the core of its focus for generations,” says Freeman’s Chief Executive Officer Fraser Niven. “We are delighted to embody this ethos in Client Advisory Services, and both Tom and Grace will bring significant experience and care for our clients to bear on their new roles. We have ambitions to expand the team in the future to ensure exemplary service for our many consignors.”

CLIENT ADVISORY SERVICES

Freeman’s understands that consigning beloved objects at auction is personal, and matches consignors’ trust in our services with tailored, specific strategies to meet individual goals and maximize results at auction. Whether clients are consigning a few objects or an entire estate, Freeman’s Client Advisory Services provides start-to-finish guidance and expertise, helping to navigate the intricacies of the art market and demystify what can seem a closed or niche industry.

Headed by Thomas McCabe, Chief Client Officer, and Grace Fitts, Director of Client Advisory Services and Private and Corporate Collections, the department works on behalf of clients to realize their visions and provide a trusted point of contact throughout the buying and selling process.

Freeman’s team boasts extensive experience in handling single-owner collections across categories, working alongside Freeman’s specialists, support staff, and marketing team to highlight the unique narrative behind each collection or estate. Freeman’s excellent track record in sales of single-owner collections speak for themselves: most recently, the white-glove sale of the Collection of Virginia and Stuart Peltz achieved $1.4M; a selection of sculpture by François-Xavier Lalanne from a prominent Washington, D.C. family sold for $2.1M; the 2019 sale of the Collection of Robert J. Morrison achieved $1.5M.

THOMAS MCCABE

As a senior member of the team, Thomas McCabe serves as Freeman’s Chief Client Officer, which places the emphasis of our services firmly on our clients and allows Tom to be their champion in the business.

Tom’s focus is the development and refinement of company processes to enhance the overall experience of our clients’ journey with the buying and selling of art, objects, and jewelry. He is also responsible for overseeing the team’s handling of an estate or collection and achieving the optimum results for these clients.

Tom continually develops Freeman’s programs and partnerships with companies, museums, institutions, and nonprofit organizations using his extensive experience gained cultivating relationships in the art community over 15 years in the greater Philadelphia region.

Following his graduation from Trinity College, Hartford, where he majored in Art History, Tom earned a Masters in Art Business from the Sotheby’s Institute (2006). He is an active member of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Barnes Foundation, and The Franklin Institute, and is also a board member of The Lankenau Medical Foundation and Peter’s Place.

GRACE FITTS

Grace Fitts is Director of Client Advisory Services and Private and Corporate Collections at Freeman’s, where she manages and develops a portfolio of Freeman’s top clients across all department categories and works with specialists to identify and connect with clients to best represent their auction and buying needs. Grace assists with managing single-owner and corporate collections, creating seamless, straightforward processes for our consignors.

Grace understands Freeman’s strengths as a premier boutique East Coast auction house, and strives to create a welcoming, warm environment where clients can have open discussions about their goals and visions.

Grace began her career with Freeman’s as an intern in the American Furniture, Folk and Decorative Arts department, which then led to a Registrar position in the Decorative and Asian Arts departments. In 2019 she moved into a cataloguing position for the British & European department, where she managed the extensive single-owner collection Across Continents: Property from the Collection of Ambassador & Mrs. Alexander Weddell. Prior to joining Freeman’s, Grace worked as an intern for the Decorative Arts Trust, and attended the University of Alabama, where she majored in Art History and received her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude.