The Swanepoel Power 200 ranks the most powerful leaders in the residential real estate brokerage industry as 2025 kicks off. Criteria used to rank leaders include the scope and power of leaders’ positions, the financial resources they have at their disposal, whether they have equity stake in their company, their trajectory and much more. For a detailed description of the careful methodology T3 Sixty used to determine the rankings, please see the methodology here.
The SP 200 reflects the relative power of leaders in the industry and is not a company ranking. Size and sales volume listed in bios provide framing and, while used to determine ranking, were just part of the data considered. Note that the numbers used in many of the bios reflect full-year 2024 data, as those are the only available across the board for all companies. Most companies have not completed their 2024 financials. When they do this spring, T3 Sixty will publish its annual ranking of the industry’s largest brokerages, brands and enterprises.
21
White Jr. oversees the day-to-day operation of the more than 1,100 company-owned and franchised offices within Anywhere Real Estate’s highly regarded luxury brand, Sotheby’s International Realty, which ranks as the nation’s fourth largest real estate brand by annual sales volume (approximately $143 billion). White became CEO of the affiliate network in 2013 and added the company-owned stores to his leadership portfolio in 2019.
22
Carlson joined the nation’s third largest franchise brand, Re/Max Holdings, as CEO in November 2023. He has led the company to a return to profitability in 2024 (after seeing a net loss in 2023). In his role, the 28-year veteran of the DISH Network Corporation oversees Re/Max’s global franchise network and its mortgage brokerages within the U.S. under the Motto Mortgage brand. Carlson is also on the Re/Max Holdings board of directors.
23
As the leaders of At World, a holding company that owns the brokerages @property and Ansley Real Estate, and the global real estate franchise brand Christie’s International Real Estate, Golden and Wong grew a dynamic company. In late 2024, Compass announced an agreement to acquire the firm with an expected close in 2025 with Golden and Wong continuing to lead the Christie’s affiliate network when the deal closes.
24
Dwiggins leads NextHome, a fast-growing real estate franchise, with more than 600 active offices across the U.S. He has emerged as an influential industry voice with his popular podcast “Real Estate Unfiltered” that digests important industry topics, most notably in 2024 addressing the changing compensation landscape. A third-generation real estate professional with over 20 years in the industry, he founded NextHome in 2014. He also co-founded a tech platform for agents, Rayse, in 2020.
25
Widdows runs Scottsdale, Arizona-based HomeSmart, which he founded in 2000 with a fee-based brokerage model in which agents pay transaction and membership fees in lieu of splitting commissions with the brokerage. The company has approximately 25,000 agents at company-owned and franchised offices who do over $34 billion in annual sales. In 2024, Widdows helped orchestrate his firm’s settling in the Gibson-Umpa case.
26
Siblings OB Jacobi and Jill Jacobi Wood and Wood’s husband Geoff run this over five-decade-old, family-owned company. Based in Seattle, the company operates brokerages and a franchise brand in nine western states and Mexico. Its more than 6,000 agents do over $33 billion in annual sales. In 2024, Lyon Real Estate, the large Sacramento-based brokerage the company acquired in 2021, rebranded to Windermere Real Estate, bringing over 700 agents to the firm’s franchise network.
27
Jewgieniew founded and leads Realty One Group, the nation’s 10th largest real estate enterprise with more than 19,000 agents doing nearly $34 billion in annual sales. The firm, which settled in the Sitzer-Burnett compensation suit in April, opened 14 new American markets in 2024. In 2024, Jewgieniew also helped develop a new subsidiary to allow Phoenix-area agents to disassociate with NAR in favor of the local MLS Choice program. In addition, the firm launched a proprietary agent coaching platform and announced a new Canadian franchise model in 2024.
28
Now in his second year at the helm of Move, which operates Realtor.com, Eales is working to achieve the same success he saw turning REA Group’s realestate.com.au into Australia’s dominant real estate portal. He has proven a fierce competitor and savvy leader, as he works to solidify his portal’s position amid the entrance of a dynamic and well-resourced competitor in Homes.com. In 2024, Eales increased Realtor.com’s marketing spending, which included a successful campaign highlighting the value of buyer’s agents by listing all they do. Eales also deepened his industry presence and his influence at events and in interviews in 2024.
29
Gal and Saunders co-founded Side with its innovative brokerage model in 2017 and have grown it into the nation’s ninth largest brokerage by sales volume. Gal serves as CEO and Saunders as chief broker officer. The San Francisco-based company serves as the broker of record and provides key operational and back-office support for over 500 real estate teams, who do, collectively, $22 billion in sales volume. The firm, which powers real estate teams and agents with a white-label model, launched a revenue-share program in 2024 to reward partners who refer and mentor agents to start companies on Side’s platform.
30
In one of the biggest jumps on this list, Srivatsaa moves up from No. 117 reflecting the agent-centered tech platform’s continued remarkable growth, and his growing presence and influence in the industry. A dynamic leader with a respected voice in the industry, he has helped Real expand its operations to operate in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C. and Canada, since joining the firm as president in 2022. Real is a top 20 brokerage nationally with over $21 billion in sales volume. Srivatsaa is also chair of real estate private equity company ARC Multifamily Group.
31
Gehringer plays a key role in the growth and operation of Anywhere Real Estate’s franchise wing. Appointed president and CEO in 2023, she oversees Coldwell Banker Affiliates, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Century 21 and ERA Real Estate. She previously led Coldwell Banker Affiliates as president after serving as its chief operating officer. Coming from a legal background with a focus in ethics and compliance, Gehringer remains vocal on issues of diversity and homeownership equality.
32
The third-generation leader of the brokerage his grandfather founded in 1931, Scott has overseen the Pacific Northwest-based firm since 1980. The company’s more than 2,700 agents at company-owned and franchised offices in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Northern California, do over $12.5 billion in annual sales. In 2024, the firm settled in Gibson-Umpa for an undisclosed amount. Scott is actively involved in fair housing and diversity initiatives both independently, through the development of his firm’s Partner-up Program to attract individuals of diversity to the industry and through his work with NAR’s Board of Directors.
33
Umansky’s luxury real estate firm, The Agency, has grown into one of the nation’s largest since its launch in 2011. The Los Angeles-based brokerage has more than 1,700 agents doing over $7 billion in sales. In 2024, the company continued its expansion in New York, Florida and Arkansas. Umanksy also launched an alternative to NAR in the American Real Estate Association (with Jason Haber) and started a real estate coaching network. A real estate celebrity who rose to consumer fame via reality television, Umansky also suggested in 2024 he might renew a lawsuit he filed in 2019 against NAR alleging the association’s Clear Cooperation policy, which effectively ended his PLS.com, violated antitrust law.
34
Appointed permanent CEO in August 2024, Wright joined NAR from the Chicago Sun-Times in November 2023. She went from leading the noted newspaper through a digital transformation to overseeing the settlement in the antitrust suits and implementing changes (including hiring NAR’s first chief human resources officer) to counter allegations of an internal culture toxicity. The organization seeks to rebuild its reputation as it continues to face Department of Justice scrutiny while working to address changes in compensation rules, the housing affordability crisis and pressure regarding its Clear Cooperation Policy and association spending practices.
35
Lane has entered her second year in the top spot at Anywhere Real Estate’s company-owned offices affiliated with its Coldwell Banker Realty brand. Before joining Coldwell Banker, Lane was a president at Sotheby’s International Realty and various Compass regions. The Harvard Business School grad also has experience in marketing, communications, and fashion and remains involved in advising startup companies.
36
A multidimensional leader who owns a variety of real estate brokerages, technology and training platforms, Kinney made a huge leap into real estate teams by co-launching Place in 2020. The platform, which provides back-office and other key support to teams across 49 U.S. states and Canada, in 2024 added the team servicing platform Livian to its all-in-one technology, business, and consumer services platform. Kinney also runs the Built How event and podcast series, which highlights real estate leaders sharing how they achieved their success.
37
Liebman, a four-decade veteran of the industry, leads Anywhere Real Estate’s Corcoran Group franchise brand and company-owned offices branded to Corcoran Group. The brand, designed to serve megacities and leisure markets in the U.S. and around the world, has grown into a network of over 4,400 U.S. agents who do over $22 billion in annual sales. With Liebman at the helm, Corcoran added several new offices in 2024, including a first Massachusetts franchise in Boston and opening new markets in the Washington, D.C. area, Canada and Mexico.
38
Hale was first hired as Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) legal counsel in 1973 and became association president in 1988. HAR has grown to over 45,000 members across Texas, making it the nation’s second largest local Realtor association. He has grown its real estate portal HAR.com, which displays listings throughout Texas, into one of the nation’s most trafficked portals. In 2024, HAR partnered with RentSpree to provide rental tools to portal subscribers. He has announced his plans to retire in 2026.
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As president and CEO of Century 21 Real Estate, Miedler oversees the nation’s sixth largest real estate brand. The brand has nearly 46,000 U.S. affiliate agents who do over $80 billion in annual sales. In 2024, the firm continued its growth with new franchisees in Las Vegas, Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Baltimore and more (noticeably partnering with minority- and female-owned brokerages). Miedler formerly served as the company’s global chief growth officer leading the franchise sales team to capture share in emerging and diverse markets.
40
Boomsma runs Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE), one of the nation’s most influential brokerage networks with more than 550 firms and some 134,000 agents in over 70 countries. The invitation-only organization counts many of the nation’s largest brokerages as members. They network and share best practices and referrals with each other. Boomsma started at LeadingRE in 2005, creating its Luxury Property International, which he led until becoming brokerage network CEO in 2018.
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