Real Estate Almanac 2025

Soper serves as president of Canada’s largest real estate brokerage enterprise, Bridgemarq Real Estate Services, which owns and operates the brands Royal LePage, Via Capitale, Johnston & Daniel and Proprio Direct in Quebec, which it formally integrated in early 2024. The company, which serves more than 20,000 agents through its brokerage and franchise operations, launched an investment platform targeting individual real estate investors in 2024. The top executive at the largest Canadian real estate company since 2004, after he oversaw the restructure of Royal LePage into a publicly traded company under the Bridgemarq name, Soper remains among the most powerful leaders in real estate.

Reffkin makes his debut as the most powerful leader in real estate based on Compass’s sustained brokerage dominance, which deepened significantly in 2024 with a late-year announcement of a pending acquisition of At World Properties, owner of the U.S.’s ninth largest brokerage in @properties and the global luxury real estate franchise brand Christie’s International Real Estate. Also in 2024, Compass, already the U.S.’s largest brokerage by annual sales volume, acquired large brokerages including Louisiana-based Latter and Blum and Tennessee-based Parks Realty. A proven, resilient and savvy industry leader, Reffkin also led Compass closer to profitability in 2024, and is playing a larger role in lending his voice to industry issues, such as the Clear Cooperation Policy.

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 more than 4,200 agents who do over $7 billion in annual sales. In 2024, JPAR revamped its agent revenue model — dropping its cap fees from 23 to 16 sides — and hired Agently for agent training to further support brokerage growth. Davidson, a more than 35-year industry veteran, formerly led Century 21 Real Estate as CEO from 2010 to 2017.

Haase oversees strategy and operations for United Real Estate’s brokerage and franchise business. His efforts have seen rewarding growth. United Real Estate is now the nation’s 14th largest brokerage with more than 15,000 agents doing nearly $17 billion in annual sales. In 2024, the firm acquired two New Orleans-area firms as well brokerages in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, Naples, Florida and Huntsville, Alabama. Haase previously led Louisiana-based brokerage Latter & Blum from 2010 to 2018.

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.

Schneider’s tenure at Anywhere Real Estate has been marked by a steady competence. This continued in 2024 with his ongoing refinement of Anywhere, the U.S.’s largest real estate company by sales volume, transaction sides and agent count, which produced profitable second and third quarters amid a down year in real estate. Entering his eighth year at the helm of Anywhere, he also used his voice this year to support the Clear Cooperation Policy, shared his company’s buyer agent forms for wide industry use and deepened his focus on his agents, franchisees and consumers.

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.

Brothers Dan and Stuart lead Michigan’s largest real estate company, which continued to expand in the state in 2024. 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 over $5 billion in annual sales. Three fourth generation Elsea’s currently work at the firm as well managing branch offices.

Webber oversees Majestic Realty Collective, a brokerage company built of several Sotheby’s International Realty brokerages. LIV Sotheby’s International Realty is the collective’s largest firm with 57 offices in five western states. Majestic Realty Collective ranks as the U.S.’s 18th largest brokerage with more than $11 billion in annual sales. Webber has over four decades of real estate experience including time as a senior vice president at Anywhere Real Estate.

As head of the US’s largest family-owned brokerage, third-generation company leader Hanna maintains a large, respected industry voice as the lead of a firm that harkens back to a previous industry era – when family-owned brokerages had more prominence among the industry’s largest firms. Howard Hanna, which operates in 13 states, ranks as the nation’s 13th largest firm by sales volume, with more than 10,000 agents doing $24.2 billion in annual sales. In 2024, the company continued its expansion with acquisitions of brokerages in Ohio and South Carolina.

As president of Group Financial Partners, Flanagan helps oversee the large Fort Collins, Colorado-based brokerage The Group Real Estate, its ancillary businesses, and the popular sphere-focused real estate coaching program Ninja Selling in the firm’s portfolio. Previously, the 20-year-industry-veteran served as chief innovation officer at The Group Real Estate, which has nearly 300 agents who do over $2 billion in annual sales.

Woodroof runs Houston’s largest brokerage in Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene. First founded in 1963, and purchased by BHGRE in 2012, the firm has more than 950 agents who do more than $2 billion in annual sales. It is one of the top 100 firms in the nation. Woodroof has also served in leadership roles for national, state, and local real estate associations.

Serhant founded his fast-growing eponymous firm in 2020. It has become a multidimensional real estate brokerage with agents across eight east coast states, an extensive social audience and a YouTube network, “Listed,” dedicated to lifestyle and real estate shows featuring its agents. Serhant starred in two Bravo shows (e.g., “Million Dollar Listing New York”) and executive produced Netflix’s “Owning Manhattan.” He is also a published author and podcast host who an investor in Major League Pickleball.

As chair and CEO, Spain leads the Alpharetta, Georgia-based brokerage he founded in 2016. The company, which employs a business generation model, does nearly $3 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 has become one of the top 100 brokerages in the nation. Before establishing his brokerage, this second-generation agent worked for Keller Williams Realty and Re/Max.

Hunt is a third-generation leader at the New York-based firm his grandfather founded in 1911. The firm now has nearly 1,800 agents who do over $3 billion in annual sales. The company operates a full suite of real estate services, including mortgage, title, insurance and commercial divisions. In 2024, the company’s flat-fee brokerage, Revinre, purchased the Hunt Real Estate branch offices in Arizona. Hunt’s son Charles F. Hunt serves as firm president, continuing the family’s leadership into the fourth generation.

Swartzman runs Peerage Realty Partners, which owns a network of brokerages in the luxury real estate space across North America, and, collectively, operates the U.S.’s eighth largest brokerage. The firm — which does approximately $23 billion in annual sales — has grown through acquisitions of large brokerages, many of them affiliates of Sotheby’s International Realty. Before joining Peerage in 2014, Swartzman oversaw 15 partner firms and real estate activity across MDC Partners’ entire network.

Kelman is entering his 20th year leading Redfin, the nation’s 13th largest brokerage and the most popular real estate portal operated by a brokerage. Always a smart, thoughtful industry voice, he continued sharing his impassioned positions in opinion pieces through his company’s influential news and research division. In 2024, Kelman expanded a revamped agent-compensation plan, Redfin Next, aimed at attracting and retaining top agent talent with commission splits in lieu of just salaries. The company followed up in December with the nationwide launch of Redfin Teams, which extended the Next compensation model to a flexible platform for teams.

Scavone leads Weichert Realtors, which operates the nation’s 13th largest brokerage with approximately 7,000 agents who do about $18 billion in annual sales. The 20-year veteran at Weichert took the helm of the brokerage side of the business in July 2022 after leading the franchise side, Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, as president since 2016. The company also operates the U.S.’s 10th largest franchise brand.

As CEO of HomeServices of America, Blefari leads the nation’s fourth largest brokerage with an agent count of more than 69,000 who did over $196 billion in 2023 annual sales. In June 2024, he also stepped into the CEO role for HSA’s franchise wing HSF Affiliates, which predominately oversees the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices franchise brand. In spring 2024, the company — the last remaining defendant in the Sitzer-Burnett antitrust compensation case — settled for $250 million over the next four years.

Fair serves as the regional owner for Keller Williams Realty Pinnacle Partners Group in the New York tri-state area. He oversees more than 4,000 agents who do nearly $6 billion in annual sales, making the brokerage one of the nation’s 30 largest. His domain also includes four Atlanta-based real estate offices.

With Golod as a leader focused on Compass’s growth, the company made big moves in 2024. After acquiring Louisiana-based Latter and Blum and Tennessee-based Parks Realty, the enterprise announced a fourth quarter deal with real estate giant At World Properties. Expected to close in early 2025, the agreement will help Compass retain its place as the U.S.’s largest brokerage by sales volume. Golod, who took on his growth and communications role in 2023, has been with Compass since 2014. He has held various roles across the company including chief of staff to founder and CEO Robert Reffkin.

Cantrell is executive vice president of strategy for United Real Estate, which is the nation’s 14th largest brokerage with more than 15,000 agents doing nearly $17 billion in annual sales. In 2024, Cantrell spearheaded the launch of United’s Financial Wellness Program. He also continues to lead the Franklin, Tennessee-based Benchmark Realty he founded in 2006 which has offices throughout middle Tennessee, southern Kentucky and northern Alabama.

In 2024, Masiello took the role of chair at the New England-based brokerage his father founded in 1966. The Masiello Group is a second-generation family company with close to 600 agents who do approximately $1.6 billion in annual sales. In 2024, the firm launched a website to share listing compensation percentages. The Masiello Group also includes title, referral and other real estate services.

In his two years as executive vice president, Kelly has emerged as the clear No. 2 to the firm’s president and CEO Gino Blefari and the heir apparent for the nation’s fourth largest real estate enterprise by sales volume ($196 billion). He also plays a leadership role in HomeServices of America (HSA) brokerage Ebby Halliday Companies as executive chair. Before joining Ebby Halliday in 2018, he served as HSA’s senior counsel supporting acquisitions and technology initiatives.

Keller oversees the nation’s largest franchise brand, and second largest brokerage, based on 2023 agent count (157,642), transaction sides (850,462) and sales volume ($357.6 billion). In 2024, the company reached a profit-sharing milestone of distributing over $2 billion to agents. Keller Williams in February settled in the Sitzer-Burnett commissions case, leaving it free to focus on developing technology such as its chatbot for agents, which it released mid-year. With KW icon Mark Willis back as his CEO, Keller has more time to focus on where he has excelled for decades: devising and deploying strategies to grow his legendary company.