Real Estate Almanac 2024

Schneider jumps to No. 1 for the first time ever on the SP 200 in 2024 based on his strong leadership at the nation’s largest real estate enterprise, which has over 195,000 U.S. agents at company-owned and franchised offices who do over $636 billion in annual sales. He reorganized the firm, streamlined its leadership structure and, through the first nine months of 2023, achieved a net profit of $10 million. He also orchestrated a nationwide settlement related to the compensation-related class-action antitrust lawsuits for $83.5 million, limiting exposure for the company and providing an operational runway clear of that challenge in 2024.

As CEO of HomeServices of America, Blefari leads the nation’s third largest brokerage with an agent count of more than 44,500 who do nearly $166 billion in annual sales. He is also the chairman of the company’s large real estate brand, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. In 2023, the company faced compensation conspiracy allegations in court, in which Blefari played a strong role from the stand. Through the first nine months of 2023, the company contributed $25 million in net earnings to parent company Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

Lusink runs Toronto brokerage Right at Home Realty, which has over 6,000 agents and is one of the city’s largest brokerages. He also serves as president of RealServus, a Canadian property technology investment firm that acquired Right at Home Realty and fellow Toronto brokerage Property.ca in 2022. Lusink, who started as a CB Richard Ellis sales rep in 1987, has also served on the Toronto Real Estate Board and Ontario Real Estate Association.

Keller spent much of 2023 back at the helm of Keller Williams Realty, overseeing the nation’s largest franchise brand based on agent count (169,266), transaction sides (1.04 million) and sales volume ($439 billion). In 2023, he brought back Mark Willis, a key lieutenant who played a vital role in the company’s ascension in the mid-2000s as CEO. While the company battled the high-profile compensation lawsuits, Keller is widely viewed as having performed well on the stand at trial.

Sanford’s real estate empire, which continued to grow in 2023, posted $12.2 million in net income through the first nine months. In 2023, the firm launched eXp Exclusives, which provides eXp Realty agents exclusive access to on- and off-market properties in the U.S. and Canada and expanded its new luxury division eXp Luxury.

Davidson leads Cairn Real Estate Holdings with a portfolio that includes the large brokerage and franchise operator JP and Associates Realtors (JPAR), which operates a fee-based brokerage model and has over 4,000 agents in more than 60 offices in 28 states. In 2023, JPAR expanded into California and launched an agent health benefit program. Davidson formerly led Century 21 Real Estate as CEO from 2010 to 2017.

Duffy leads the large real estate network United Real Estate, which operates residential, country, and auctioneering divisions. Its residential division operates with a fee-based business model with both company-owned and franchised offices. In 2023, the firm introduced group healthcare and financial wellness programs as well as a Lead Boost initiative. United Real Estate, which further expanded its reach in 2023 with acquisitions of brokerages in Texas and Alabama, ranks as the nation’s 12th largest brokerage with over 14,000 agents at company-owned offices who do approximately $21 billion in annual sales.

Brothers Dan and Stuart lead Michigan’s largest real estate company. Dan manages Real Estate One’s brokerage services, while Stuart helms financial services. They are the third generation to lead the company founded by their grandfather in 1929. REO is a top-40 national brokerage with approximately 1,900 agents doing $6.1 billion in annual sales. Three fourth generation Elseas currently work at the firm as well.

As co-founder and CEO of The Real Brokerage, Poleg leads one of the fastest-growing brokerages in the U.S. The firm, launched in 2014, became the nation’s 18th largest brokerage in 2023 with more than 7,000 agents who do over $12 billion in annual sales. Real, which now has a presence in all 50 states, leverages a revenue-sharing, capped model similar to eXp Realty to achieve this growth. The company went public in 2020 and continues to scale rapidly. In 2023, it released an agent-focused financial suite, a consumer app, and an AI-powered virtual concierge.

Haase oversees strategy and operations for United Real Estate’s brokerage and franchise business, which has nearly 14,300 agents who do over $20.8 billion in annual sales. In 2023, the firm launched healthcare and wealth building programs for agents. Previously, Haase led Louisiana-based brokerage Latter & Blum from 2010 to 2018.

As president and CEO of the Midwest Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group, second generation leader Mike Prodehl helms one of the nation’s 50 largest residential real estate brokerages, which has nearly 1,500 agents who do approximately $4.4 billion in annual sales in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. In 2023, the brokerage’s parent company, Prodehl Family Investments, purchased an equity stake in mortgage company Point Mortgage, which is licensed as a lender in 28 U.S. states.

Brothers Chris and Ryan lead the firm their father, CEO William “Bill” Raveis, founded in 1974. At William Raveis Real Estate, the nation’s 14th largest brokerage, Ryan oversees strategy and operations. Chris is responsible for residential sales business and growth. The firm operates throughout the Northeast and Florida with nearly 4,400 agents who do over $18 billion in annual sales. In 2023, the brokerage expanded to South Carolina with the acquisition of Carolina Realty Group.

Swartzman runs Peerage Realty Partners, which owns a network of brokerages in the luxury real estate space across North America. Its more than 4,700 U.S. agents do approximately $28 billion in annual sales, which makes Peerage the nation’s eighth largest brokerage firm. The firm has grown quickly through acquisitions of large brokerages, many of them affiliates of Sotheby’s International Realty. He joined Peerage in 2014 from MDC Partners where he oversaw 15 partner firms and real estate activity across the company’s entire network.

Kelly has become the clear No. 2 to HomeServices of America President and CEO Gino Blefari, and the heir apparent for the nation’s fourth largest real estate enterprise and its third largest brokerage. He plays a leadership role in HSA brokerage Ebby Halliday Companies as executive chairman. Before joining the Ebby Halliday Companies in 2018, he served as senior counsel for HomeServices of America, where he supported the company’s acquisitions and technology initiatives.

Widdows runs Scottsdale, Arizona-based HomeSmart, which he founded in 2000 and operates as a fee-based brokerage model in which agents pay transaction and membership fees and keep 100% of their commissions. The company, which has 24,000 agents in 38 states at franchised and company-owned locations, does approximately $37 billion in annual sales. The company once had plans to go public but has recently been quiet on that front. In 2023, HomeSmart acquired Atlanta-based, 2,000-agent brokerage Solid Source Real Estate Cos.

As chairman and CEO, Spain leads the Alpharetta, Georgia-based brokerage he founded in 2016. The company, which employs a business generation model, does over $3.8 billion in annual sales. With offices throughout the southeastern United States and a Guaranteed Offer program widely publicized in its service areas, Mark Spain Real Estate is consistently recognized as a fast-growing company regionally and nationally. Before establishing his brokerage, Spain operated teams affiliated with Keller Williams Realty and Re/Max.

Hunt is a third-generation leader at the New York-based firm his grandfather founded in 1911 and which now has nearly 1,900 agents who do over $3.9 in annual sales. The company, which also operates in Arizona, operates a full suite of real estate services, including mortgage, title, insurance and commercial divisions and has also launched a flat-fee brokerage, Revinre. Hunt’s son Charles F. Hunt continues leadership of the company into four generations as president of residential brokerage.

Masiello leads the 600-agent New England-based brokerage The Masiello Group, which has approximately 600 agents who do approximately $1.8 billion in annual sales. The Masiello Group is a second-generation family company, which also includes title, referral, and other real estate services.

Jewgieniew founded and leads Realty One Group, the nation’s 10th largest real estate enterprise with over 18,000 agents at franchised and company-owned offices who do over $40 billion in annual sales. Founded in 2005, the firm, which has a presence in 49 states and 16 countries, operates a fee-based brokerage model and has sold over 400 franchises, 70 in 2023. The 4,800 agents at Realty One Group’s company-owned offices do over $10.3 billion in annual sales.

Gal has run Side, an innovative brokerage model he co-founded, since co-founding it in 2017. Over the past six years, the San Francisco-based company has provided key operational and back-office support for over 500 real estate companies, who reportedly do, collectively, enough volume to place Side on the Mega 1000 in 2024. In 2023, Gal brought in Stephen Capezza as president to drive growth. Gal is a long-time entrepreneur who has founded three other companies and continues to advise other tech innovators.

Woodroof runs Houston’s largest brokerage in Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene, which has over 1,000 agents who do nearly $3 billion in annual sales in 17 offices. Woodroof, who has two sons in the business, has also served in leadership roles for national, state, and local Realtor associations.

Umansky has grown the luxury firm he co-founded in 2011, The Agency, into one of the nation’s largest. The Los Angeles-based brokerage has over 850 agents doing nearly $9 billion in sales. In 2023, the company expanded to The Hamptons, Texas, and North Carolina. The company has a robust franchise wing and has grown internationally with a presence in over 10 countries. A real estate celebrity who rose to consumer fame who appeared on the Million Dollar Listing TV franchise and is currently featured on Netflix’s Buying Beverly Hills, Umansky also appeared on Dancing With the Stars in 2023.

President of Realty One Group since 2017, Tracey focuses on growing the franchise brand both in the U.S. and internationally. In 2023, the firm added five new countries to its roster. It is the nation’s 21st largest brokerage and franchise brand with more than 4,800 agents doing over $10 billion in annual sales. Tracey began his real estate career at Re/Max and presided over the franchise from 2004 to 2015.