The overall 2020 Leadership Rankings, the Power 200, ranks the most powerful leaders in the residential real estate brokerage industry as at December 31, 2020. To rank the leaders eight (8) different criteria were reviewed and can be seen here.
These rankings (SP200) are of the leaders in our industry and is not a company ranking. Size and sales volume listed are shared for framing of the person listed. Note that 2019 numbers are used as those are the only available across the board for all companies. Most companies have not completed their 2019 financials and our official company and brokerage rankings (MEGA 1000) will be published in May 2020 after financial and audits have been completed.
1
Co-Founder and CEO
,
Zillow Group
Rich Barton co-founded Zillow (Nasdaq: Z) in 2005 and has played an integral role in growing it into one of the industry’s most powerful companies. In 2019, Barton returned as CEO to lead the company on its aggressive, ambitious move into the real estate transaction with Zillow Offers. In 2020, the company announced that it would service its iBuyer customers with in-house real estate agents as a brokerage.
2
Co-Founder and Executive Chairman
,
Keller Williams Realty & KWx
Keller, who had stepped back into the role of Keller Williams CEO in 2019, established a new holding company in 2020, KWx, and hired Carl Liebert, a senior executive from outside the real estate industry to lead it. However, there is no doubt that Keller has been and remains involved in every important decision within the company since co-founding it in 1983. Keller has been one of the five most powerful leaders in residential real estate every year since the SP 200 was first published in 2014. Keller Williams is the nation’s largest franchise brand based on agent count (159,000), transaction sides (1.07 million) and sales volume ($337 billion).
3
President and CEO
,
Realogy Holdings Corp.
Three years in at the helm of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), the residential real estate brokerage industry’s largest company, Schneider has made great strides in streamlining the company and improving its performance in the face of a changing industry and competition from new business models. The company’s ancillary business performance has also improved and the company continues to release innovative products and services for both company-owned and affiliated offices.
4
CEO / Chairman
,
HomeServices of America / Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
Since assuming the role in early 2019, Blefari has settled into his role as CEO of HomeServices of America (HSA), the nation’s second largest real estate company. HSA is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK). Blefari is also chairman of BHHS, HSF and Real Living and is the operational head of over 79,000 agents who do approximately $206 billion in annual sales.
5
Founder and Chairman
,
eXp World Holdings
Sanford continues his rapid rise in the SP 200 on the back of his company’s exceptional growth. In 2020, EXP (NASDAQ: EXPI) acquired Showcase IDX and Success Enterprise and grew its agent count by approximate 50 percent to over 35,000 while expanding to several countries. The company’s agents do over $36 billion in annual sales, making eXp Realty the nation’s fourth largest brokerage company based on 2019 sales volume, according to the Mega 1000.
6
President and CEO
,
Redfin
A passionate outspoken leader who has served as Redfin’s CEO since 2005, Kelman manned the Redfin (NASDAQ: RDFN) ship in 2020 amid turbulent Covid-19 seas. The company maintained its performance with the help of a $110 million stock sale and ended the blazing hot third quarter up significantly year-over-year in almost every key metric: gross profit, gross margin, brokerage revenue. Redfin agents do over $30 billion in annual sales, making Redfin the nation’s fifth largest brokerage based on 2019 sales volume, according to the Mega 1000.
7
Co-Founders
,
Compass
Reffkin (right) and Allon (left) had a relatively quiet year, by their standards, but have solidified Compass as a fixture among the nation’s largest companies. The company continued its branding initiatives and continues to position itself to go public; whether via IPO or through a SPAC, many expect the public move to take place in early 2021. After years of rapid growth and acquisitions, the company now spends much of its effort streamlining operations and building management infrastructure. The company has over 15,000 agents who do over $91 billion in annual sales, making it the nation’s third largest brokerage based on 2019 sales volume, according to the Mega 1000.
8
Chief Executive Officer
,
National Association of Realtors
In a challenging year, Goldberg helped activate NAR into an effective policy organization that helped ensure that independent contractor agents could participate in the nation’s Paycheck Protection Program implemented in response to Covid-19. He also oversaw the implementation of NAR’s MLS Clear Cooperation Policy, which stipulates that MLS participants may market a property for sale for at most one day before listing it in the MLS
9
Chief Executive Officer
,
RE/MAX
Contos maintained a steady leadership over one of real estate’s most iconic brands in 2020. RE/MAX (NYSE: RMAX) rolled out a new consumer real estate search app and revamped its website, continued to grow its mortgage franchise Motto Mortgage — it sold nearly as many mortgage franchises in the first three quarters of 2020 as it did in all of 2019. The brand’s over 63,000 U.S. agents did over $270 billion in annual sales in 2019.
10
Co-Founder and CEO
,
Opendoor
Wu helms Opendoor, which pioneered the iBuying brokerage model when it launched in Phoenix in 2014. In December 2020, the company went public (Nasdaq: OPEN) via a special purchase acquisition company (SPAC) with over a $12 billion valuation. The company’s financial disclosures reveal profit challenges with the new business model, but with billions more in its war chest and an ambitious vision, they are ready to attempt to digitize the transaction and transform the residential real estate brokerage business.
11
Chairman & CEO
,
Hanna Holdings & Howard Hanna Real Estate Services
Second-generation leaders Hanna and Casey continue to guide Howard Hanna with strong, competent hands as the nation’s largest family-owned company. The brokerage firm continued its growth in 2020, with the acquisition of 1,100-agent Rand Realty, which further solidified its Northeast presence. Howard Hanna is the nation’s seventh-largest brokerage based on a 2019 sales volume of over $23 billion
12
President and CEO
,
Bridgemarq Real Estate Services
Soper has run Canada’s largest real estate company, Bridgemarq Real Estate Services, as CEO since 2003 (the company rebranded from Brookfield Real Estate Services in early 2019 when it listed on the Toronto stock exchange under the ticker BRE.to). The company owns and operates the brands Royal LePage, Via Capitale and Johnston & Daniel totaling nearly 19,000 agents at approximately 670 at company-owned and franchised offices.
13
President and CEO
,
Realogy Brokerage Group
Gorman represents the new streamlined, transparent era of Realogy championed by Ryan Schneider. In 2019, the company consolidated management of company-owned and franchised Coldwell Banker offices under his leadership. Gorman is responsible for the day-to-day management of Realogy’s brokerage wing, Realogy Brokerage Group, which has over 50,000 agents who do over $170 billion in annual sales and the Coldwell Banker brand whose over 87,000 U.S. agents do over $240 billion in annual sales.
14
President
,
Zillow Group
As president of the powerful Zillow brand, Wacksman oversees Zillow Group’s agent lead generation service Premier Agent, its rentals division and its iBuying effort Zillow Offers, which is ramping up in late 2020 after a Covid-19 freeze. Formerly, he served as the company’s chief marketing officer and vice president of product management and marketing.
15
President and CEO
,
Realogy Franchise Group
As the new president and CEO of Realogy Franchise Group, Yannaccone oversees the company’s following brands ERA Real Estate, Sotheby’s International Realty, Century 21, ERA Real Estate, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate and Corcoran Group. Since joining Realogy in 2015, she has held a variety of leadership positions within the company’s franchised and company-owned divisions and is the first women to hold the title of president of Realogy Franchise Group. She replaces John Peyton, who became CEO of global food company Dine Brands Global in November 2020.
16
Founder and CEO
,
Realty One Group
Jewgieniew has led Realty One Group, the nation’s ninth-largest franchise brand, into one of the fastest growing companies on the back of its agent flat-fee brokerage model. In 2020, the company sold over 80 franchises rapidly closing the gap with long-time industry stalwarts Windermere Real Estate and Weichert Realtors. Collectively, the company has over 12,000 agents who do approximately $28 billion in annual sales, according to 2019 numbers.
17
Managing Partners
,
Windermere Real Estate
Siblings OB Jacobi and Jill Jacobi Wood and Wood’s husband Geoff run this nearly five-decade-old, family-owned company. Based in Seattle, the company operates brokerages and a franchise brand in 10 western U.S. states. At the firm’s company-owned and franchised offices, nearly 6,400 agents do nearly $37 billion in annual sales.
18
Chief Executive Officer
,
HSF Affiliates
As head of HSF Affiliates, Stuart leads prominent brands Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Intero Real Estate and Real Living, which, combined, have over 53,000 affiliated agents who do over $134 billion in annual sales. After joining HSF in 2015, Stuart rose to the chief operating role by 2018 and then CEO in 2019.
19
Founder and CEO
,
HomeSmart
Since founding Arizona-based HomeSmart in 2000, Widdows has grown the company into the nation’s 12th largest franchise brand with its streamlined agent flat-fee brokerage model and a vision to centralize services for its network of agents. In 2020, the company expanded into three new states as part of a focus on growing in the Midwest and east coast. HomeSmart’s network of over 16,000 agents do approximately $23 billion in annual sales.
20
President, Homes Division
,
Zillow Group
Prawer serves as president of Zillow Group’s Homes Division, which includes the company’s aggressive, new entry into the transaction and closing services with Zillow Offers and Zillow Home Loans. His mandate grew in 2020 with the company announcing brokerage operations. He oversees the buying, renovating and selling of homes through Zillow’s iBuying service Zillow Offers. Prior to joining Zillow Group in 2018, he served as chief integration officer at Invitation Homes, the U.S.’s largest single-family home real estate investment trust.
21
Executive Chairman
,
Douglas Elliman Real Estate
One of New York City’s real estate heavyweights, Lorber acquired a controlling interest in Douglas Elliman in 2003 with partner Dottie Herman. Lorber serves as chairman and CEO of the brokerage’s parent company Vector Group and guides Douglas Elliman, the nation’s sixth largest brokerage, which has over 7,000 agents who do nearly $29 billion in annual sales, as executive chairman.
22
President
,
Keller Williams Realty
With the creation of Keller Williams Realty’s new holding company KWx and Gary Keller’s transition from CEO to executive chairman in late 2020, Team takes day-to-day control of the nation’s largest franchise brand. He has become Keller’s trusted right-hand man in running the company. Previously, Team oversaw Keller Williams’ tech division, KW Labs, and oversees the development of KW’s in-house technology platform.
23
President and CEO
,
Realogy Expansion Brands
After building the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand from the ground up, Chris became CEO and president of the new Realogy Expansion Brands division, adding ERA Real Estate under her wing, and the total number of agents she oversees to over 26,000 who do nearly $52 billion in annual sales. A well-connected icon in residential real estate, Chris maintains a commanding industry presence.
24
Chairman and CEO
,
John L. Scott Real Estate
The third-generation leader of the brokerage his grandfather founded in 1931. Scott oversees over 3,000 agents in over 110 franchised and company-owned offices in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California. The company’s franchised and company-owned offices do over $14 billion in annual sales. Scott is very involved with NAR as past chair of the Large Residential Firms Advisory Group and the NAR Research Committee.
25
President and CEO
,
Sotheby’s International Realty
White Jr. oversees the day-to-day operation of the company-owned and franchised offices within Realogy’s high-regarded luxury Sotheby’s International Realty brand, which ranks as the nation’s fifth largest brand with an annual sales volume of over $102 billion. White became an executive at Realogy in 1992, when he sold his brokerage Philip White Properties to Realogy.
26
President and CEO
,
Corcoran Group
Liebman’s power has expanded at Realogy’s Corcoran Group – the New York City-based brokerage she has led since 2000 – with the launch of its franchise operations. The brand signed its first affiliates in 2020 with goals to serve megacities and leisure markets throughout the U.S. and the world. With its company-owned affiliates, Corcoran Group agents do nearly $16 billion in annual sales, making it the nation’s 15th largest franchise brand.
27
Co-Presidents
,
Weichert Realtors
Since founding his firm in Chatham, New Jersey, in 1969, Jim Weichert has grown his company to over 500 company-owned and franchised offices in 40 states and the nation’s eighth largest brokerage and eighth largest franchisor. Son James serves as co-president of the holding company, which oversees over 13,000 agents who do over $34 billion in annual sales.
28
President and CEO
,
Century 21 Real Estate
As president and CEO of Century 21 Real Estate, Miedler leads the day-to-day operations of the nation’s sixth largest franchise brand. The brand’s over 52,000 affiliated U.S. agents do over $93 billion in annual sales. Before assuming the lead of Century 21, Miedler served as global chief growth officer for the brand where he led the franchise sales team on capturing share in emerging and diverse markets.
29
President and CEO
,
Houston Association of Realtors
The long-time charismatic leader of the nation’s second largest local Realtor association, Hale leads over 38,000 members as head of the Houston Association of Realtors. With members across Texas, Hale runs his association and its popular MLS with a market-driven, member-centric focus that has made it a cutting-edge leader and model for others.
30
Chief Industry Development Officer
,
Zillow Group
Samuelson’s significantly expanded role at Zillow Group now includes heading up the new national brokerage operations launched in 2020. He also continues as chief industry development officer and manages the company’s business-to-business agent software including Bridge Interactive and dotloop, new construction, media and advertising.
31
Co-Presidents
,
William Raveis Real Estate
Brothers Chris and Ryan lead William Raveis Real Estate, the company their father William Raveis founded in 1974, as co-presidents. Ryan runs the company’s strategy and headquarters, while Chris manages its residential sales division. The firm’s brokerage operates across nine Northeast states with nearly 4,300 agents who do over $12 billion in annual sales.
32
Co-Founder and President
,
RE/MAX Integra
As RE/MAX Integra co-founder and president, Walter manages the world’s largest real estate franchisee and subfranchisor. North American operations consist of more than 18,500 sales associates and 900 offices while, globally, the company’s reach expands to 47,000 agents in 3,200 offices in over 36 countries.
33
Co-CEO & Founders
,
@properties
In 2020, Golden and Wong with the announcement of a new multipronged franchise division, led by @properties, the company they co-founded in 2000 and have grown into the nation’s 11th largest brokerage. Their new holding company, At World, will operate the firm’s company-owned offices, ancillary services, and its new franchise division, which includes @properties, the southern brand it acquired in 2020, Nest Realty, and Ansley Real Estate.
34
Chief Executive Officer
,
California Regional Multiple Listing Services (CRMLS)
Carter has led the nation’s largest MLS in CRMLS, which has over 101,000 members, since 2005. As such, he is the country’s most powerful and influential MLS executive. He serves as a board member of RESO, the industry nonprofit working to streamline MLS data access and management, is a member of the MLS think tank MLS Roundtable and serves as a strategic manager on the board of large Chicago MLS Midwest Real Estate Data.
35
President and CEO
,
Long & Foster Companies (a HomeServices of America company)
Detwiler manages the Long & Foster Companies, the large Mid-Atlantic brokerage that HomeServices of America acquired in 2017 but still operates as a separate brand. The company operates in seven states with over 11,000 agents, 230 locations and $30 billion in annual sales. He serves on the MoxiWorks board of directors and the UpStreamRE board of managers and is a graduate from Princeton University.
36
Chief Customer Officer
,
RE/MAX
Bailey rejoined the RE/MAX’s leadership team in 2019 in the newly created position of chief customer officer; he is widely considered the No. 2 behind CEO Adam Contos. Bailey spearheads the company’s recruiting and broker- and agent-relation efforts for this massive brand, whose over 63,000 agents do over $270 billion in annual sales. Bailey worked through the ranks in RE/MAX between 2001 and 2012 before working at Market Leader and Zillow as an executive and Century 21 as CEO.
37
Chief Advocacy Officer
,
National Association of Realtors
In 2020, McGahn succeeded NAR head lobbyist Bill Malkasian as chief advocacy officer. In this role, she leads NAR’s significant advocacy efforts. In addition to ensuring that independent contractor agents could participate in the Paycheck Protection Program, she helped get the National Flood Insurance Program extended for another year. Before joining NAR in 2018, McGahn served as counselor to the U.S. Treasury Secretary and staff director for House Financial Services Committee.
38
Chief Executive Officer
,
California Association of Realtors
As the long-time leader of the California Association of Realtors, the nation’s largest state Realtor association with over 200,000 members. Singer developed CAR’s for-profit subsidiary Real Estate Business Services, which managed popular forms software company zipLogix, before Lone Wolf Technologies acquired it in 2019.
39
Chief Executive Officer
,
Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE)
Boomsma runs one of the nation’s most influential brokerage networks in Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE), which has over 565 firms and over 130,000 agents in its worldwide network. The organization counts many of the nation’s largest independent brokerages as members, who network and share best practices and referrals with each other. Before becoming CEO in 2018, he ran the LeadingRE’s Luxury Portfolio International division.
40
President
,
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services
A third-generation executive at the mega family-owned dynasty Howard Hanna. He is currently running the firm’s real estate brokerage operations, which spans 10 states, but is widely considered the heir apparent for the top job. With the 2020 acquisition of Rand Realty, the Howard Hanna brokerage now has nearly 10,000 agents who do over $25 billion in annual sales.
41
President and CEO
,
EXIT Realty Corp. International
Bonnell has led U.S. operations of the North American franchisor since 2001 and serves as its president, CEO and spokesperson. The EXIT Realty network includes over 22,000 U.S. and Canadian agents who do over $21 billion in annual sales. Bonnell also plays a prominent role in empowering women leaders in the real estate industry.
42
Chief Executive Officer
,
Sierra & Summit, LIV Sotheby’s International Realty
Webber has built three different Sotheby’s International Realty companies through a series of acquisitions with LIV as his largest firm, and Summit and Sierra as smaller components. He has over four decades of real estate experience including time as a senior vice president at the nation’s largest brokerage Realogy Brokerage Group. Combined, the companies rank as the nation’s 16th largest brokerage with over 800 agents who do over $8.0 billion in annual sales.
43
Chief Executive Officer
,
eXp Realty
Gesing, who joined eXp Realty a year after its founding in 2010, became the brokerage’s CEO in 2019. He has played a large role in the company’s stratospheric growth in recent years in which the agent count exploded to 35,000 doing more than $36 billion in sales. In 2020, eXp stands comfortably as the nation’s fourth largest brokerage.
44
Co-Owner and CEO
,
RE/MAX Gold
O’Bryon heads up the second largest RE/MAX franchise in the world. 2020 was an explosive year for O’Bryon and Gold Nation as the company added 25 locations and grew to over 100 offices and more than 2,200 agents. The brokerage surpassed $10 billion in annual sales in 2020.
45
SVP and General Counsel
,
National Association of Realtors
As NAR’s general counsel and chief member experience officer, Johnson ensures NAR’s programs, policies and activities comply with the law. She has had an active 2020, which will continue in 2021 and beyond as she helps NAR respond to and deal with the class-action antitrust commission lawsuits that name NAR as a defendant. Johnson helped settle an antitrust lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice related to buyer’s agent commission policies NAR set for affiliated MLSs. Johnson joined NAR in 2007 and became general counsel in 2014.
46
President and CEO
,
Crye-Leike Realtors
Since co-founding Crye-Leike in Memphis over four decades ago with Dick Leike, Crye has built his firm into a Mid-South powerhouse. Its company-owned brokerage division ranks as the nation’s 24th largest brokerage with nearly 3,000 agents who do over $5.8 billion in annual sales. Crye also serves on the board of LeadingRE.
47
Chief Executive Officer
,
Brown Harris Stevens
Freedman rockets up the SP 200 this year following Brown Harris Stevens’ June 2020 absorption of Halstead Property, which grows her day-to-day oversight to over 4,200 agents who do over $9 billion in annual sales. With the consolidation, BHS operates as the single brokerage wing under parent company Terra Holdings. Before joining BHS in 2013, Freedman served as a senior managing director of the Corcoran Group’s East Side headquarters.
48
Chief Executive Officer
,
NextHome
Dwiggins, a third-generation real estate professional, is CEO of NextHome, a 500-office, 4,100-agent-member franchise network. Franchise Business Review named NextHome as one of its top franchise brands for culture in 2020. Dwiggins ran both NextHome and Realty World Northern California and Nevada for the past five years, until Realty World International acquired the region back earlier this year.
49
Broker/Owner
,
RE/MAX Alliance (Colorado)
Ochsner oversees Colorado’s largest privately-owned real estate company in RE/MAX Alliance in addition to large Oregon company RE/MAX Equity Group. Combined, the companies have over 1,300 agents across Colorado and Oregon who do over $6.7 billion in annual sales.
50
Founder and Publisher
,
Inman
An influential voice in real estate through his leading industry news service Inman News, Inman plays a significant role in presenting the latest industry news. In addition, Inman’s biannual Connect conferences, now over two decades old, have become big networking events for thousands of industry brokers and agents.
51
2021 President
,
National Association of Realtors
CEO of New Jersey-based Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, Oppler succeeds Vince Malta as NAR’s president in 2021. He has held multiple roles with NAR since 2003 including as a vice president in 2015, and many leadership roles at various association levels, including as president of the New Jersey Association of Realtors. Oppler has also previously served as chair of the Realtor Party Coordinating Committee and RPAC Trustees Committee.
52
Regional Owner
,
Keller Williams Realty North Texas
One of Keller Williams Realty’s most invested owners, Osborn serves as a regional partner and investor in five Keller Williams Realty regions and nine market centers with 14 offices and 4,500 agents who do over $10 billion in annual sales. Osborn is a member of the Keller Williams Master Faculty and co-author of “Wealth Can’t Wait.”
53
Co-Presidents
,
Real Estate One
The Elsea brothers, Dan and Stuart, serve as co-presidents of Real Estate One, the country’s 26th largest brokerage. Founded by their grandfather, Staunton Elsea, in 1929, the firm has become Michigan’s largest real estate brokerage with nearly 2,000 agents who do over $5.6 billion in annual sales. A fourth generation of Elseas are now making their debut within the company, starting at the bottom just like the Dan and Elsea did in the early 1980s.
54
President
,
Realty One Group
Since becoming president of Realty One Group in 2017, Tracey has helped the brand add franchisees, grow to over add over 300 new franchisees and grow the company to over 12,000 agents and become the nation’s 12th largest real estate brand. Tracey previously had a successful career with RE/MAX for 38 years, culminating as its president in 2015.
55
Founder and Chairman
,
EXIT Realty Corp. International
As founder and chairman, Morris provides strategic guidance to EXIT Realty that now exceeds 22,000 agents in the U.S. and Canada. Over and above developing the firm’s residual bonus-based model that now accounts for $21 billion in annual sales, he also delivers purpose to the network, which has a focus on supporting its agents in a well-rounded fashion.
56
President and CEO
,
Engel & Völkers Americas
Hitt heads up U.S. operations for Germany-based luxury real estate franchisor Engel & Völkers, which first entered the U.S. in 2006 and rolled out an aggressive expansion in 2019. The franchisor’s over 3,100 affiliated U.S. agents do over $8.5 billion in annual sales. The company continued to expand into new markets in 2020.
57
CEO and Owner
,
Coldwell Banker Bain
Riss owns and runs Coldwell Banker Bain, the nation’s 19th largest brokerage, located in the Pacific Northwest. The firm’s nearly 1,500 agents do over $6.2 billion in annual sales. A Seattle native with a background in mortgage and commercial banking, Riss has established himself as a long-standing industry leader.
58
Chief Executive Officer
,
Bright MLS
With his appointment in September 2019, Donnellan became CEO of the nation’s second largest MLS in Bright MLS, which serves over 90,000 members in the Mid-Atlantic region. Donnellan spearheaded the launch of the Bright MLS Bright Steps, a 360-degree suite of solutions aimed at supporting every aspect of Bright subscribers’ businesses. He is also a member of the MLS think tank MLS Roundtable.
59
General Manager
,
CoreLogic
Bennett heads up CoreLogic’s Real Estate Solutions division, provider of Matrix, the nation’s most widely used MLS software platform used by more than 120 MLSs and over 800,000 agents. The division also offers popular real estate data management system Trestle, which CoreLogic plans to use to administer Project Upstream, the broker data-management effort that UpstreamRE contracted with CoreLogic to operate in 2019.
60
President and CEO
,
Baird & Warner
Baird leads the large Chicago brokerage his great-great-grandfather Lyman Baird founded in 1855, which makes the company one of the nation’s two oldest surviving brokerages. The company has over 2,200 agents who do nearly $5.6 billion in annual sales, making it the nation’s 27th largest brokerage.
61
Vice Chairman and CEO
,
Century 21 Canada
Since taking over from his father as CEO in 2014, Charlwood has helped maintain Century 21 Canada as one of the world’s largest Century 21 master franchisors. Charlwood holds several other executive roles in the ventures in the Charlwood Pacific Group, including president and chief operating officer of the UNIGLOBE Travel International LP.
62
Chief Executive Officer
,
Move, Inc.
Doctorow took the helm at realtor.com operator Move Inc. in February 2020, replacing interim CEO Tracey Fellows, News Corp’s president of global digital real estate. Doctorow came from eBay, where he served as head of global growth. Previously, he was chief marketing and strategy officer at Expedia. Realtor.com remains a popular real estate search site; in 2020, it refined its lead-generation platform to include a more referral-based model, adapted from its 2018 acquisition of lead-qualification system Opcity.
63
President
,
Redfin
As president of Redfin’s real estate operations, Nagel helps oversee over 1,500 agents who do over $30 billion in annual sales at the nation’s fifth largest brokerage, widely considered one of the industry’s most innovative and technologically advanced brokerages. He led brokerage operations through a turbulent 2020, which brought furloughs and layoffs but also a resurgent third quarter in which net income increased approximately 6X from the year before. Before joining Redfin at his current role in 2007, Nagel served as managing director at LexisNexis.
64
Founder and CEO
,
Tom Ferry International
The energetic Ferry is one of the nation’s leading coaches and has over 150 coaches who guide agents in the sales principles he preaches in numerous videos, speeches, blog posts and podcasts. In 2020, he hired former Zillow and eXp Realty exec RJ Jones as chief operating officer. Both his books, “Life! By Design” and “Mindset, Model and Marketing!,” are New York Times bestsellers.
65
Founder & CEO
,
Buffini & Company
A powerful motivator, Brian Buffini founded his coaching company in 1996 and has become one of the nation’s leading coaches. An Irish-American immigrant, Buffini became a New York Times bestseller in 2017 with his book, The Emigrant Edge: How to Make It Big in America. Brother Dermot runs the business as CEO. The company has coached over 3 million real estate professionals in 37 countries.
66
President and CEO
,
Edina Realty Home Services (a HomeServices of America company)
As president and CEO of Edina Realty Home Services, Mason oversees 75 offices and nearly 2,500 agents who do approximately $9 billion in annual sales. He also leads the company’s family of businesses, which include title, mortgage, home warranty, insurance and relocation. Mason has a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law.
67
President
,
BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors (a HomeServices of America company)
As president of Pennsylvania-based Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach Realtors, Docktor leads the third largest brokerage in the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network, overseeing some $12 billion in annual sales. In 2020, the company added 23 offices and over 700 agents with the merger of fellow HomeServices of America subsidiary Gloria Nilson & Co. Docktor is vice chairperson of Bright MLS and vice chairperson of NAR’s 2020 Real Estate Services Advisory Group.
68
Regional EVP
,
Realogy Brokerage Group
As leader of the eastern region of Coldwell Banker-branded offices owned by Realogy, Rossi oversees nearly 19,000 agents in over 250 offices along the Eastern Seaboard. The company-owned brokerages under her leadership account for more than $35 billion in annual sales.
69
Regional EVP
,
Realogy Brokerage Group
As leader of the western region of Coldwell Banker-branded offices owned by Realogy, Macres oversees more than 12,000 agents in 153 offices throughout California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Hawaii who do over $35 billion in annual sales. Macres became regional executive vice president at Realogy Brokerage Group in 2017 after serving as senior vice president of Move.com.
70
Regional Owner
,
Keller Williams Realty Western
A multidimensional leader, Kinney operates a diverse real estate empire through his company Ben Kinney Companies, which includes a real estate team, brokerage, coaching and technology firm. His brokerage wing, which operates under the Keller Williams Realty brand, has over 1,400 agents who do more than $4.3 billion in annual sales. In 2019, he launched a new coaching company, Forward Coaching, and acquired two tech startups, Gabbi.ai and Redman Tech.
71
President and CEO
,
BHHS New England, NY and Westchester Properties (a HomeServices of America company)
Adams serves as president and CEO of the HomeServices of America-owned brokerage Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties, whose 1,800 agents in 52 offices do over $3.7 billion in annual sales. With over two decades at HomeServices of America, Adams has helped grow the footprint of offices under her direction and has led the BHHS brand’s first entre into New York City.
72
President and CEO
,
BHHS Georgia Properties (a HomeServices of America company)
Under Forsman’s leadership, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties has become metro Atlanta’s market leader. Forsman earned his accounting degree from the University of Georgia in Athens and stared as CPA with KPMG Peat Marwick and later Merrill Lynch as Controller. He previously held positions as CFO, EVP and COO before becoming President of Prudential Georgia Realty in 1999. Atlanta Business Chronicle voted him Most Admired CEO in Residential Real Estate in 2014.
73
Regional Owner
,
Keller Williams Realty Forward Management
Morris owns and runs Keller Williams Realty Forward Management, one of the largest market centers in Keller Williams’ network with 11 offices and nearly 3,000 agents who do nearly $5.5 billion in annual sales. Morris also serves as director of three other Keller Williams Realty regions in California, who do annual sales of approximately $1.6 billion.
74
Chief Executive Officer
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Miami Association of Realtors
King Kinney heads up the nation’s largest local Realtor association in the 46,000-member Miami Association of Realtors. In this position, she also manages the nation’s fourth largest MLS in Miami Realtors. She is a savvy, effective leader who has grown the association greatly since becoming CEO in 1993, when it had just 5,000 members.
75
Chief Executive Officer
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MoxiWorks
Baur runs the popular real estate brokerage platform MoxiWorks, which provides CRMs, websites, intranets, an advertising tool and more into one tool for brokers and agents. The company, owned by private equity firm Vector Capital and large brokerage companies Windermere Real Estate, Long & Foster and Howard Hanna, has over 260 brokerage clients and over 340,000 agents using its platform. MoxiWorks acquired automated real estate marketing firm Imprev in 2019.
76
Chief Executive Officer
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United Real Estate Group
Duffy leads the large real estate network United Real Estate Group, which operates residential, country and auctioneering divisions. Its residential division operates with an agent flat-fee business model with both company-owned and franchised offices. With its acquisition of Nashville, Tennessee-based brokerage Benchmark Realty in 2020, the United brand now has over 12,000 agents in 24 states who do over $15 billion in annual sales.
77
President and CEO
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BHHS California Properties (a HomeServices of America company)
Blaylock oversees Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, which has more than 3,000 agents in 60 offices as well Prosperity Home Mortgage, Pickford Escrow, The Escrow Firm, California Title, and HomeServices Insurance Agency. Blaylock began her career with Edina Realty in 1993 and in 2004 she became president of HomeServices Relocation, a startup she grew into a global relocation business.
78
President and CEO
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Latter & Blum Realtors
Conway continues to strengthen her influence in the industry as she settles into her role as president and CEO of Louisiana-based Latter & Blum Realtors, which her father purchased in 1986 and ran for three decades. The company operates under a variety of brands in Louisiana and Texas, including Latter & Blum, CJ Brown, Noles-Frye, Van Eaton & Romero and Realty Associates. Collectively, the group does almost $4 billion in annual sales.
79
President, Data and Analytics
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Black Knight Inc.
As head of the data and analytics for Black Knight Inc. (NYSE:BKI), Graboske oversees the technology development for real estate professionals, the mortgage industry and secondary markets, including the company’s popular MLS software Paragon used by over 200 MLSs across the nation. Graboske earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of California, Berkeley.
80
Chief Executive Officer
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Fathom Realty
Harley leads Fathom Realty, which raised over $14 million as it went public in 2020 on the Nasdaq stock exchange under FTHM. The brokerage operates a cloud-based, agent flat-fee business model and ranks as the nation’s 39th largest brokerage with over 4,000 agents who do more than $4.4 billion in annual sales.
81
Chief Executive Officer
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Toronto Regional Real Estate Board
DiMichele manages the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TTREB), the world’s largest local Realtor board with over 56,000 members. 2020 marked TTREB’s centennial milestone. In 2020, John DiMichele was appointed to the CMLS Board of Directors, served as chair of the Ontario Real Estate Association’s Association Executive Committee and is a member of both the MLS Roundtable.
82
Chief Executive Officer
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The Realty Alliance
As CEO of The Realty Alliance (TRA), Cheatham coordinates an influential and highly respected network of 70 of the nation’s largest real estate brokerages, which represent over 100,000 agents in 2,700 offices. TRA members collectively do more than $340 billion in annual sales.
83
Chief Executive Officer
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RE/MAX Results
Tushaus manages Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based RE/MAX Results, the nation’s 20th largest brokerage with over 1,100 agents who do over $6 billion in annual sales. In 2020, the company completed its 15th acquisition with the purchase of Wisconsin-based RE/MAX First Choice. Prior to becoming CEO, Tushaus held a variety of positions over 16 years with the company, most recently as chief operating officer.
84
President and CEO
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Shorewest Family of Companies
The third-generation leader of the 75-year-old family-owned brokerage Shorewest Realtors, Horning heads a company of over 900 agents in Wisconsin who do nearly $2.7 billion in annual sales. He is former Chairman of Leading RE and of The Realty Alliance as well as Chairman of the MLS Policy Forum for the National Association of Realtors.
85
Co-Founder and CEO
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Knock
Black leads Knock, which launched in 2015 with a twist on the iBuying business model in which the company made all-cash offers on behalf of sellers’ next home. In 2020, the company, which raised $400 million in debt and equity in January 2019, pivoted to a financing, bridge loan and concierge service that agents from any brokerage could offer to their seller clients. Black previously served as Trulia’s vice president of sales.
86
Chief Executive Officer
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First Team Real Estate
After founding California-based First Team Real Estate in 1976, Merage has grown the company into the nation’s 22nd largest brokerage and continues to lead it as CEO. The brokerage’s over 2,100 agents do nearly $6 billion in annual sales. The Orange County Register named the firm its “Best Real Estate Company” for the 11th year in a row in 2020.
87
Managing Partner
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Sutton WestCoast Realty
Hackett heads up West Coast Realty, one of Canada’s largest brokerages and the largest franchisee of Canada-based Sutton Group. The brokerage has 24 offices and over 1,400 agents who do over 22,000 annual transactions and over $19 billion in annual sales.
88
Chief Executive Officer
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Inside Real Estate
Stringham leads Inside Real Estate, maker of a popular platform and products such as kvCORE, dashCMA and Marketplace. The company provides an end-to-end marketing tool featuring an integrated website, CRM and marketing system used by over 600 MLSs and 4,000 brokerages and teams. A Harvard MBA, Stringham also serves as a managing partner at venture capital firm 42 Ventures.
89
Co-Founder and CEO
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OJO Labs
Berkowitz has led Ojo Labs through a busy and productive 2020. The company he co-founded in 2015 raised $62.5 million and acquired national real estate portal Movoto and the personal finance platform Digs in the past year. The Austin, Texas-based company, which has partnerships with numerous large companies, including Realogy and Royal LePage, offers CRMs, websites and a lead-incubation tool.
90
Founder and CEO
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Michael Saunders & Co.
Michael and son Drayton Saunders lead the firm Michael founded in 1976. Her son Drayton joined the company in 2003 and has helped grow the company into one of Florida’s largest brokerages with over 20 offices and nearly 700 agents who do nearly $2.7 billion in annual sales. LeadingRE presented Michael a Hall of Fame Award in 2017 for her contributions to the network.
91
Chief Executive Officer
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Vesuvius Holdings
Piccinini is the CEO of Vesuvius Holdings, the parent company for brokerage and franchisor JP and Associates Realtors (JPAR), which operates an agent flat-fee model from its north Texas headquarters. The company’s brokerage wing has over 1,800 agents who do nearly $3.4 billion in annual sales from 18 states. Before founding JPAR in 2011, Piccinini worked as a broker at an EXIT Realty office in the Dallas area.
92
CEO and Owner
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BHHS Nevada Properties
As president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties, Stark oversees the vision for one of the Southwest’s largest real estate companies. Stark manages 21 offices across Nevada, Arizona, and California and nearly 3,200 agents who do over $5.5 billion in annual sales. He acquired the company in October 2004 and has led it ever since.
93
President and CEO
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FBS
Since 1997, Wurzer has run FBS, which offers the popular MLS software Flexmls used by over 150 MLSs and 270,000+ agents. In addition, he serves as vice-chair for the board of directors of the Real Estate Standards Organization.
94
President and CEO
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Premier Sotheby’s International Realty
After retiring as CEO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate in 2016, Huskey joined Naples, Florida-based real estate firm Premier Sotheby’s Realty, as president. He became CEO of the company, the nation’s 29th largest brokerage, in late 2019. A recognized brokerage and franchising leader, he now oversees more than 1,100 sales associates in Florida and North Carolina.
95
Regional EVP
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RE/MAX Western Canada
Ash manages regional operations for RE/MAX Western Canada, which commands approximately one-third of Western Canada’s real estate market share. The region’s nearly 7,000 agents do approximately $75 billion in annual sales. Ash joined RE/MAX in 1984 as an agent and assumed his current position in 2005.
96
Chief Executive Officer
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Stellar MLS
With over three decades in the industry, Cowen leads the nation’s third largest MLS in Stellar MLS (formerly My Florida Regional MLS), which serves over 58,000 subscribers in central and southwest Florida. Cowen also serves on MLS think tank The MLS Roundtable.
97
President and CEO
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William Pitt / Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s
In his 30 years as president and owner of William Pitt/Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty, Breunich has built the company into a market leader in Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts. Ranked as the nation’s 44th largest brokerage, the firm has approximately 1,100 agents who do nearly $4 billion in annual sales.