Hanna is a third-generation leader who has run the family-owned Howard Hanna Real Estate since 2023. The company is the largest independent, privately held brokerage in the US with more than 13,000 agents who do over $38 billion in annual sales. Its company-owned and franchised offices operate in 14 states largely located in the Midwest and in the South.

Since taking the reins of the company that his grandparents founded in 1957, Hanna has overseen a steady clip of acquisitions, which have helped the brokerage hold its place as the seventh largest in the US.

In 2025, Hanna continued his leadership by doing the following:

• Entering New York City with the acquisition of two brokerages
• Continuing an innovative exclusive listing strategy in Cleveland centering on restricting the distribution of listings to VOW feeds
• Introducing a new brokerage brand identity and unifying more subsidiaries under it — including Allen Tate Realtors in the Carolinas

Hanna, who previously held other leadership positions while working with his father and aunt, further demonstrated his long-term growth mindset by unveiling Howard Hanna’s first major rebrand in over four decades. Under his leadership, the company also settled in the Gibson commissions lawsuit in May 2025, which should help his stated goal of fiscal responsibility and agility.

Hanna and his company clearly understand the stakes and importance of scaling. Howard Hanna faces a daunting task — but with the stable, clear-headed guidance of leaders like Hanna, the company has shown that it is up for the fight.

As an executive who continues taking proactive measures to adapt to industry shifts while balancing scale and local service, Hanna remains firmly among the 10 most powerful leaders in residential real estate.