Schneider Named Real Estate's Most Powerful and Influential Person
Jan. 9, 2024, Ladera Ranch, Calif. – The Swanepoel Power 200 (SP 200), the definitive ranking of the residential real estate industry's executives and leaders, today named Ryan Schneider, president and CEO of Anywhere Real Estate, as the nation's most powerful and influential person for 2024. Six years into leading the U.S.’s largest real estate enterprise, Schneider has continued to strengthen the foundation of the formidable company, landing him in the top spot for the first time.
The 11th annual report is the industry's most respected analysis of the scope, reach and leadership of real estate executives running the nation's largest companies. Created and published by real estate consulting firm T3 Sixty, the list represents the culmination of extensive research, entailing hundreds of hours analyzing company performance metrics, individual biographies, organization charts and in in-depth discussions with industry leaders.
Securing the second spot is Gary Keller, the founder and executive chairman of Keller Williams Realty. Keller is the only leader to have been named one of the top four most powerful people in residential real estate brokerage every year for the past decade.
Being recognized as the third most powerful real estate executive is Gino Blefari, the leader of real estate giant HomeServices of America (HSA). He kept this real estate conglomerate on a steady track amid a challenging real estate environment in 2023.
Rounding out the top ten executives and leaders are:
No. 4 - Glenn Sanford, founder and CEO, eXp World Holdings
No. 5 - Richard Barton, co-founder and CEO, Zillow Group
No. 6 - Robert Reffkin, co-founder and CEO, Compass
No. 7 - Susan Yannaccone, president and CEO, Anywhere Brands
No. 8 - Andy Florance, founder and CEO, CoStar Group
No. 9 - Helen Hanna Casey and Howard “Hoby” Hanna IV, company leaders, Hanna Holdings
No. 10 - Nick Bailey, president and CEO, Re/Max
“Exploring, researching and analyzing the industry’s leaders and executives is always one of the most excruciating yet most thrilling parts of my year. Witnessing industry shifts, particularly the steady growth of women in leadership, is truly gratifying," shared Stefan Swanepoel, executive chairman of T3 Sixty.
Women Leaders Make Big Strides
This year, a noticeable surge in women's representation in the highest echelons of real estate leadership marked a substantial increase from 47 to 53 influential women in 2023. In addition, on this year’s Watchlist, which spotlights emerging and upcoming leaders, a striking 64 percent were women.
Women leaders are top four biggest movers:
Stephanie Anton, president of Corcoran Group, climbs 75 spots to No. 76 from her previous position at No. 151.
DeAnn Golden, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties (a subsidiary of HSA), affirms she is a new force at No. 148 after her appearance on the Watchlist in 2023.
Laura O'Connor, president and chief operating officer of JPAR Affiliated Network, is included at No. 155, also transitioning from the Watchlist in 2023.
Carrie Wheeler, the new CEO of Opendoor, climbs 107 spots to secure No. 85 from her previous position at No. 192.
MLS Executives’ Growing Importance Recognized
Some of the largest and most noteworthy moves were in organized real estate, specifically among the leadership of regional multiple listing services and includes:
Art Carter, CEO of California Regional MLS, comes in at No. 21 and becomes the first-ever MLS executive to also be acknowledged as the most powerful and influential organized real estate leader. Among his 2023 achievements, he coordinated a data-share agreement with two other large MLSs: Bright MLS and BeachesMLS.
Jeremy Crawford, CEO of First MLS, climbs to No. 54. A proponent of MLS collaboration, he spearheaded data sharing with Florida’s Stellar MLS, Alabama’s Gulf Coast MLS and Miami Association of Realtors in 2023.
Tim Dain, CEO of NorthstarMLS, climbs 58 spots to No. 130. In 2023, NorthstarMLS announced an agreement to use SSO technology developed by the nation’s largest MLS.
Brian Donnellan, CEO of Bright MLS, moves up seven to No. 22. Donnellan leads the nation's second largest MLS and helped launch a new MLS-powered national portal in Nestfully.
Stuart White, president and CEO of Realtracs, jumps 56 spots to No. 120. due to his persistent efforts in advancing MLS technology, ownership structures and regional alliances. In 2023, White spearheaded the launch of a Southeast MLS alliance integrating data from the largest MLSs in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
Highlights and Notable Moves
Entering his second year as president and CEO of Re/Max, Bailey enters the top 10 of the SP 200 for the first time in 2024.
In late 2023, Keller brought back Mark Willis as Keller Williams’ CEO and he returned to the list at No. 11 based on his stature in the industry. Willis was previously recognized on the SP 200 for his pivotal role in the company's exponential growth from 2005 to 2015, and was regularly acknowledged as a top 10 leader in the industry.
This year's SP 200 list recognizes 45 newcomers, underscoring the industry's transition from baby boomers and company founders to Gen X and corporate executives.
Reflecting the breadth of residential real estate, the rankings encompass leaders and executives from various segments. 110 positions represent brokerages, 31 are from organized real estate, 33 represent technology companies and 10 are from other sectors of the industry such as networks and educational entities.
Among brokerage leaders, 66 positions are affiliated with national brands, with Anywhere, HSA and Keller Williams leading the pack.
"The leaders featured in the SP 200 really showed what it takes to be a strong and dynamic leader in 2023. Despite facing some of the toughest challenges in their careers, they refused to pull back or back down. Instead, they embraced action, laying the foundation for innovation, expansion and growth. These are precisely the qualities we acknowledge in the SP 200," remarked Jack Miller, president and CEO of T3 Sixty.
Visit sp200.com for the full list and an overview of each leader.
Methodology
The rigorous and detailed process of determining the most powerful and influential leaders takes the T3 Sixty team more than three months, during which they assess more than 2,000 industry leaders against eight distinctive criteria:
1. Current office held and decision-making power of the office held 2. Tenure in the company and in the industry 3. Size and reach of organization 4. Revenue and financial resources of the organization 5. Significance and impact of organization in the industry 6. Involvement in previous year's top activities, acquisitions, etc. 7. Individual's other industry activities or affiliations 8. Individual's power and influence outside his or her organization
About the SP 200 and the Real Estate Almanac
The SP 200 represents the first of five annual, data-backed, researched lists and rankings from T3 Sixty's Data division; together, these components make up the Real Estate Almanac — the most wide-ranging compendium of its kind in the residential real estate brokerage industry.
The Almanac’s components are:
SP 200: A ranking of the nation's 200 most powerful residential real estate brokerage leaders
ORE 200: A ranking of the nation's largest MLSs and Realtor associations
Tech 500: A list of the industry's leading technology products
Corporations: A ranking of the nation's largest holding companies and franchise brands
Mega 1000: A ranking of the nation's 1,000 largest brokerage companies
Read more about the Almanac at realestatealmanac.com.
About T3 Sixty
T3 Sixty is a management consultancy in the residential real estate industry with business units in brokerage, technology, mergers and acquisitions, and organized real estate. The group also provides software and data, extensive research and reports, executive search and event management services. For more information, visit t360.com.