It has been nearly four decades since Gary Keller co-founded Keller Williams. But in all those years as a real estate firebrand his influence remains so strong that, on Tuesday morning, he managed to nab the top spot on the latest Swanepoel Power 200 ranking of industry leaders.
The rankings, shared exclusively in advance with Inman, are an annual tradition from consulting firm T3 Sixty and are named for the firm’s chairman and CEO Stefan Swanepoel. A statement notes that while there is some subjectivity inherent in the rankings, they aim to reflect “an assessment of who in the industry wields the most power — not just by the size of the company, but their connections within the industry, the resources they have to bring to bear on efforts, their track record with extra weight given to the past year and their perceived prospects for the following year.”
T3 Sixty ultimately spent about 500 hours considering thousands of executives as it compiled the list. This year’s rankings are meant to reflect the real estate industry as it existed on Dec. 31, 2021.
This is not the first time Keller has taken the crown and in fact he has remained in the top five every year since the rankings debuted in 2014. However, last year Zillow co-founder and CEO Rich Barton scored the number one spot in the rankings. Barton fell to sixth place this year.
Despite Barton’s fall, Zillow President Susan Daimler made her debut in the rankings this year and ultimately nabbed the 28th spot. Other new additions include Side co-founder and CEO Guy Gal, at 47, REX Real Estate CEO Jack Ryan, at 75, HomeLight founder and CEO Drew Uher, at 85, and Rocket Homes Real Estate CEO Doug Seabolt, at 100.
Several leaders also made significant jumps in the rankings. Most notable among them was CoStar CEO Andy Florance, who rose from the 100th spot last year to number 15 this time around. T3 Sixty’s statement notes that Florance rose thanks to “his company’s continued big industry moves, most notably its acquisition of Homes.com in 2021.” The fact that Florance repeatedly fanned the flames of a rivalry with Zillow also probably didn’t hurt his standing, given that it generally raised his profile and earned him many new fans in the agent community.
Other leaders who rose in the rankings include eXp Realty CEO Jason Gesing, who climbed from 43 to 31, and Carl Liebert, CEO of Keller Williams holding company kwx, who rose from 154 to 103.
Speaking of the rankings, Swanepoel noted in Tuesday’s statement that this is “certainly one of the most dynamic and exciting times to be a leader in residential real estate.”
The rankings are a mark of prestige for those who land on the list, but are also a gauge of both what has happened in the industry and what might come in the future. It’s likely no coincidence that Barton dropped several slots, for example, shortly after his company abandoned its iBuying efforts. And Liebert’s star rose, according to the statement, as his company prepares “for a possible public offering” — something that happens to be among the most watched stories in the industry.
In the statement, T3 Sixty executive editor Paul Hagey ultimately concluded that the rankings provide “a valuable mirror for the industry by identifying the leaders most significantly guiding it.”
Here are the full rankings:
1. Gary Keller, Keller Williams
Keller co-founded Keller Williams in the early 1980s and both his work and his writing has at this point influenced several generations of real estate agents. More recently he has also pivoted to turn Keller Williams into a technology company, among other things. Neither he nor other executives at Keller Willams have confirmed that an initial public offering is coming, though many outside observers anticipate that it is. Keller has also recently taken stands on a variety of other topics, including urging agents to get vaccinated for the coronavirus pandemic.
T3 Sixty’s statement notes that Keller regained the top spot this year thanks to his “steadfast leadership amid a turbulent year.”
In a statement Tuesday, Keller described his win as “a clear win-win for our entire Keller Williams family.”
“I’m extremely proud to be in business with each of our team members and market center and agent partners,” Keller said. “No one succeeds alone, and this is truly a shared moment in recognition of our continued achievements together.”
Keller currently serves as the executive chairman of kwx.
2. Glenn Sanford, eXp World Holdings
Glenn Sanford founded eXp more than 12 years ago after a period at Keller Williams, where he was a mega agent and team leader. At eXp, however, Sanford didn’t just replicate his old company’s business model. Instead, he created something entirely new that includes a virtual world, a lack of brick-and-mortar infrastructure, and innovative stock-based compensation. The result has so far been one of real estate’s most remarkable success stories, with the company recently passing 65,000 agents.
Sanford expects that number to keep rising, and T3 Sixty’s statement notes that eXp “exploded in 2020 and 2021,” adding that very few companies have pulled off similar growth.
Sanford currently serves as the CEO of eXp Realty parent company eXp World Holdings.
3. Ryan Schneider, Realogy
Ryan Schneider joined Realogy as CEO more than four years ago, and has consequently been at the helm during major moments such as the reorganization and rebranding of Realogy-owned Coldwell Banker. Over the last year, as many publicly traded real estate companies’ stock prices were withering, Realogy managed to buck the trend and saw its price rise.
Realogy nabbed fewer headlines than some other companies in 2021, but T3 Sixty’s statement notes that the company’s “stabilization is one of the underreported and under-appreciated stories in real estate over the past year and Schneider, who took the helm of the company in 2018, is largely responsible for turning the company around from near disaster.”
4. Gino Blefari, HomeServices of America
Gino Blefari founded California’s Intero Real Estate Services twenty years ago, then ended up at HomeServices of America when it acquired his firm in 2014. He has held a variety of roles since, but for the last three years has served as CEO of HomeServices of America. Blefari’s appointment to the top spot came at a time when HomeServices of America — which is the own-side brokerage subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway — was undergoing immense growth.
In March, HomeServices of America nabbed the top spot on the RealTrends 500 list, which ranks companies according to transaction sides. It was the third straight year the company topped that ranking.
5. Robert Reffkin, Compass
Robert Reffkin is one of the best-known leaders in real estate today, thanks largely to the rapid growth of his company Compass. He serves as the company’s CEO. The brokerage has focused on creating a tech ecosystem, and has aggressively pursued top-performing agents and teams — a practice that has incited the ire of many rivals.
Compass went public in 2021, though it has also been among a group of companies that experienced stock price declines over the past several months. Still, Reffkin has remained the face of the company and a vocal champion for its vision of real estate.
6. Rich Barton, Zillow
Rich Barton co-founded Zillow back in 2004 and served as the company’s CEO for several years before departing to work on other ventures. He returned in 2019 and over the ensuing years steered the company during its Zillow 2.0 project — which among other things included a prominent experiment with iBuying. That experiment failed, though 2021 wasn’t a total wash; earlier in the year Zillow bought showing management company ShowingTime, which was one of the biggest stories of the last 12 months.
Barton’s most recent tenure at Zillow hasn’t progressed without bumps, but he has made it clear that the portal will evolve.
7. Eric Wu, Opendoor
Eric Wu started iBuyer Opendoor back in 2014, and he remains its CEO today. The company has since grown to become the largest dedicated iBuyer in the market, and it remains vastly larger than rivals such as Offerpad and Redfin. Up until late 2021, Opendoor’s biggest rival was Zillow, and the demise of the portal’s iBuying program meant that for the time being Wu’s company won the battle for supremacy.
Opendoor is still chasing profitability, and in the wake of Zillow’s stumble it has been at the center of a debate about iBuying’s viability. But the company insists that it is on firm footing and its recent earnings reports show growing revenues.
8. Glenn Kelman, Redfin
Glenn Kelman joined Redfin at the company’s president and CEO in 2005, and he remains in that position today. Over the years, Redfin has become known for taking a slower and more conservative approach to growth than rivals such as Zillow. That means the company generates fewer headlines and fireworks than some other companies, but also that it has managed to avoid pitfalls akin to what happened to Zillow’s iBuying.
In 2021, Redfin acquired RentPath for $608 million. Kelman himself has also become one of the most outspoken advocates for change in the real estate industry to address lingering problems such as discrimination and unequal access to housing.
9. Adam Contos, RE/MAX
Adam Contos began his career with RE/MAX in 2004. He initially served in a regional role and gradually worked his way up into senior management. He became the company’s sole CEO in early 2018.
RE/MAX has long been known for its franchise-based business model, and for its relative stability compared to other big names in the industry. Last summer, RE/MAX made its largest acquisition ever when it bought RE/MAX Integra. That deal quickly paid off, with RE/MAX’s 2021 third quarter earnings hitting all-time record highs.
On Tuesday, Contos announced he was departing RE/MAX at the end of March.
10. Hoddy, Helen and Hoby Hanna, Howard Hanna Real Estate
Three family members and leaders of Howard Hanna Real Estate share the final spot on the Swanepoel Power 200: Chairman Hoddy Hanna, CEO Helen Hanna Casey, and President Hoby Hanna. Together, the trio steers what their website describes as the “largest private real estate company in the United States.”
In 2021, Howard Hanna expanded its reach by buying a stake in one of Indiana’s biggest brokerages, and it picked a bone with Compass over recruiting tactics. The company, and the three executives, also weathered tragedy when company founder Howard Hanna Jr. — father to Hoddy and Helen and grandfather to Hoby — died at 101.
Here’s the full Swanepoel Power 200 ranking:
Rank | Name | Title | Company Name |
1 | Gary Keller | Co-Founder and Executive Chairman | kwx |
2 | Glenn Sanford | Founder and CEO | eXp World Holdings |
3 | Ryan Schneider | President and CEO | Realogy Holdings Corp. |
4 | Gino Blefari | President and CEO | HomeServices of America |
5 | Robert Reffkin | Co-Founder and CEO | Compass |
6 | Richard Barton | Co-Founder and CEO | Zillow Group |
7 | Eric Wu | Co-Founder and CEO | Opendoor |
8 | Glenn Kelman | President and CEO | Redfin |
9 | Adam Contos | CEO | RE/MAX |
10 | Howard “Hoddy” Hanna III, Helen Hanna Casey & Howard “Hoby” Hanna IV | Company Leaders | Howard Hanna Real Estate |
11 | Bob Goldberg | CEO | National Association of Realtors |
12 | M. Ryan Gorman | President and CEO | Coldwell Banker |
13 | Philip “Phil” Soper | President and CEO | Bridgemarq Real Estate Services |
14 | Susan “SueÓ”annaccone | President and CEO | Realogy Franchise Group |
15 | Andrew “Andy” Florance | Founder and CEO | CoStar Group |
16 | OB Jacobi, Jill & Geoff Wood | Managing Partners | Windermere Real Estate |
17 | Jeremy Wacksman | Chief Operating Officer | Zillow Group |
18 | Kuba Jewgieniew | Founder and CEO | Realty One Group |
19 | Howard Lorber | Executive Chairman | Douglas Elliman |
20 | Matt Widdows | Founder and Chairman | HomeSmart |
21 | Christy Budnick | President and CEO | HSF Affiliates (a HomeServices of America company) |
22 | Michael Golden & Thaddeus “Thad” Wong | Co-Founders and Co-CEOs | At World |
23 | Nick Bailey | President | RE/MAX |
24 | Philip White, Jr. | President and CEO | Sotheby’s International Realty |
25 | Pamela Liebman | President and CEO | Corcoran Group |
26 | Sherry Chris | President and CEO | Realogy Expansion Brands |
27 | Michael Miedler | President and CEO | Century 21 Real Estate |
28 | Susan Daimler | President | Zillow Group |
29 | J. Lennox Scott | Chairman and CEO | John L. Scott Real Estate |
30 | Arthur “Art” Carter | CEO | California Regional Multiple Listing Services |
31 | Jason Gesing | CEO | eXp Realty |
32 | C. Robert “Bob” Hale III | President and CEO | Houston Association of Realtors |
33 | Jeffrey “Jeff” Detwiler | President and CEO | Long & Foster Companies (a HomeServices of America company) |
34 | Chris & Ryan Raveis | Co-Presidents | William Raveis Real Estate |
35 | Jim M. Weichert & James Weichert, Jr. | Co-Presidents | Weichert Realtors |
36 | David Doctorow | CEO | Move (a News Corp company) |
37 | Errol Samuelson | Chief Industry Development Officer | Zillow Group |
38 | Paul Boomsma | CEO | Leading Real Estate Companies of the World |
39 | Tami Bonnell | Co-chair | EXIT Realty Corp. International |
40 | James Dwiggins | Co-Founder and CEO | NextHome |
41 | Ben Kinney | Owner | Ben Kinney Companies |
42 | James O’Bryon | CEO | RE/MAX Gold |
43 | Scott Webber | CEO | Sierra & Summit, LIV Sotheby’s International Realty |
44 | Katherine “Katie” Johnson | General Counsel and Chief Member Experience Officer | National Association of Realtors |
45 | Anthony Hitt | President and CEO | Engel & Volkers Americas |
46 | Bess Freedman | CEO | Brown Harris Stevens |
47 | Guy Gal | Co-Founder and CEO | Side |
48 | Chad Ochsner | Broker-Owner | RE/MAX Alliance and RE/MAX Equity Group |
49 | Vinnie Tracey | President | Realty One Group |
50 | Dan Duffy | CEO | United Real Estate Group |
51 | Leslie Rouda Smith | 2022 President | National Association of Realtors |
52 | Brian Donnellan | CEO | Bright MLS |
53 | Shannon McGahn | Chief Advocacy Officer | National Association of Realtors |
54 | Dan & Stuart Elsea | Co-Presidents | Real Estate One |
55 | Harold Crye | Owner and CEO | Crye-Leike Realtors |
56 | York Baur | CEO | MoxiWorks |
57 | Brian Bair | Co-Founder and CEO | Offerpad |
58 | Jimmy Kelly | CEO | Lone Wolf Real Estate Technologies |
59 | Stephen “Steve” Baird | President and CEO | Baird & Warner |
60 | Martin Charlwood | President and CEO | Century 21 Canada |
61 | Scott Durkin | CEO | Douglas Elliman |
62 | Katherine “Kate” Rossi | Regional EVP | Realogy Brokerage Group |
63 | Greg Macres | Regional EVP | Realogy Brokerage Group |
64 | Tom Ferry | Founder and CEO | Tom Ferry International |
65 | Brian Buffini & Dermot Buffini | Founder & CEO | Buffini & Company |
66 | Brenda Tushaus | CEO | RE/MAX Results |
67 | Lawrence “Larry” Flick, V | CEO | BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors (a HomeServices of America Company) |
68 | Lacey Conway | President and CEO | Latter & Blum |
69 | Teresa King Kinney | CEO | Miami Association of Realtors |
70 | Greg Mason | President and CEO | Edina Realty Home Services (a HomeServices of America company) |
71 | Paul Morris | Regional Owner | Keller Williams Realty Forward Management |
72 | Joshua Harley | Founder and CEO | Fathom Holdings |
73 | Bill Scavone | President and COO | Weichert Real Estate Affiliates |
74 | Rob Lehman | Chief Business Officer | Compass |
75 | Jack Ryan | Co-Founder and CEO | REX Real Estate |
76 | Sean Black | Co-Founder and CEO | Knock |
77 | Candace Adams | President and CEO | BHHS New England, NY and Westchester Properties (a HomeServices of America company) |
78 | John DiMichele | CEO | Toronto Regional Real Estate Board |
79 | Joan Docktor | President | BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors (a HomeServices of America company) |
80 | David Osborn | Regional Owner | Keller Williams Realty North Texas |
81 | Ned Stringham | CEO | Inside Real Estate |
82 | Dan Forsman | President and CEO | BHHS Georgia Properties (a HomeServices of America company) |
83 | Mark Stark | CEO | BHHS Arizona, Nevada, California Properties (a HomeServices of America company) |
84 | Budge Huskey | President and CEO | Premier Sotheby’s International Realty |
85 | Drew Uher | Founder and CEO | HomeLight |
86 | Craig Cheatham | President and CEO | The Realty Alliance |
87 | Merri Jo Cowen | CEO | Stellar MLS |
88 | John Mazur | President | Homesnap |
89 | Scott Smith | President and General Manager | Constellation Software |
90 | Rick Haase | President | United Real Estate |
91 | Mauricio Umansky | Founder and CEO | The Agency |
92 | Christopher Alexander | President | RE/MAX Canada |
93 | Mike Pappas & Christina Pappas | CEO & VP | The Keyes Company |
94 | Rick Davidson | Chairman and CEO | Cairn Real Estate Holdings |
95 | Carolyn Cheng | COO | Royal LePage |
96 | Tamir Poleg | Co-Founder and CEO | The Real Brokerage |
97 | Rebecca Jensen | President and CEO | Midwest Real Estate Data |
98 | Mark Woodroof | Managing Partner | Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene |
99 | Robin Sheakley | CEO | Sibcy Cline |
100 | Doug Seabolt | CEO | Rocket Homes Real Estate |
101 | Michael Bourque | CEO | The Canadian Real Estate Association |
102 | Michael Saunders & Drayton Saunders | CEO & President | Michael Saunders & Co. |
103 | Carl Liebert | CEO | kwx |
104 | Lawrence Yun | SVP and Chief Economist | National Association of Realtors |
105 | Tyler Smith | Founder and CEO | SkySlope |
106 | Paul Breunich | President and Owner | William Pitt/Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s |
107 | Prem Luthra | President and CEO | Elm Street Technology |
108 | Vince Leisey | President | BHHS Ambassador Real Estate (a HomeServices of America company) |
109 | Merrily Hackett | Managing Partner | Sutton WestCoast Realty |
110 | John Berkowitz | Co-Founder and CEO | OJO Labs |
111 | Jeremy Crawford | CEO | First Multiple Listing Service |
112 | Ben Graboske | President | Data and Analytics, Black Knight |
113 | Cameron Merage | CEO | First Team Real Estate |
114 | Kevin Wiles | President | BHHS PenFed Realty |
115 | Howard Tager | Founder and CEO | Ylopo |
116 | Joe Horning | President and CEO | Shorewest Family of Companies |
117 | Bryan Fair | Regional Owner | Keller Williams Pinnacle Partners |
118 | Mark Birschbach | SVP | National Association of Realtors |
119 | Chris Kelly | President and CEO | Ebby Halliday Companies (a HomeServices of America company) |
120 | Matthew “Matt” Consalvo | CEO | Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service |
121 | Gavin Swartzman | CEO | Peerage Realty Partners |
122 | Michael Wurzer | President and CEO | FBS |
123 | Adam Wiener | President of Real Estate Operations | Redfin |
124 | Dan Kruse | President and CEO | Century 21 Affiliated |
125 | Dionna Hall | CEO | Broward, Palm Beaches and St Lucie Realtors and BeachesMLS |
126 | Pierre Titley | Co-Founder and President | RE/MAX Quebec |
127 | Travis Kessler | CEO | Texas Association of Realtors |
128 | Grier Allen | Founder and CEO | BoomTown |
129 | Bradley “Brad” Inman | Founder and Publisher | Inman |
130 | Greg Rand | Executive Vice President | Central Region, Realogy Brokerage Group |
131 | Michael Mahon | CEO | Corcoran Global Living |
132 | Larry “Boomer” Foster | President of General Brokerage | Long & Foster Companies (a HomeServices of America company) |
133 | Sydney “Syd” Leibovitch | Founder and CEO | Rodeo Realty |
134 | James “Jim” Speer | CEO | OneKey MLS |
135 | Martha Mosier | President | BHHS California Properties (a HomeServices of America company) |
136 | Deems Dickinson | President | Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty |
137 | Mary Lee Blaylock | SVP | HomeServices of America |
138 | Deidre O’Connell | CEO | Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty |
139 | Clayton Collins | Founder and CEO | HW Media |
140 | Jonathan & Yvette Boatwright | Co-Owners | Realty Austin |
141 | Tom Hosack | President and CEO | BHHS The Preferred Realty |
142 | Todd Hetherington | CEO | Century 21 New Millennium |
143 | Margy Grant | CEO | Florida Realtors |
144 | Tim Hudak | CEO | Ontario Real Estate Association |
145 | Marc King | President | Keller Williams Realty |
146 | Morgan Carey | Founder and CEO | Real Estate Webmasters |
147 | John Featherston | Founder and Publisher | RISMedia |
148 | Mike Prodehl | President and CEO | Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group |
149 | Kristine “Kris” Burdick | President Midwest | Howard Hanna Real Estate |
150 | Jed Carlson | CEO | Adwerx |
151 | Mike Grady | President and COO | Coldwell Banker Bain |
152 | Ashley Farrugia | CEO and Co-Founder | ActivePipe |
153 | Pat Riley | President and CEO | Allen Tate Companies (a Hanna Holdings company) |
154 | Sandra Sanders | Founder and Broker/Owner | RE/MAX Estate Properties |
155 | Emily Chenevert | CEO | Austin Board of Realtors |
156 | Steve Brown | President of Residential Sales | Crye-Leike Realtors |
157 | Mark Lowham | CEO | TTR Sotheby’s International Realty |
158 | Alvaro Erize | CEO | CINC |
159 | Jeff Hyland | Co-Founder and President | Hilton & Hyland |
160 | Sam DeBord | CEO | Real Estate Standards Organization |
161 | Andrew Flachner | President and Co-Founder | RealScout |
162 | Liz Gehringer | President | Coldwell Banker Affiliates |
163 | Rod Messick | CEO | BHHS Homesale Realty |
164 | Pat Shea | President and CEO | Lyon Real Estate |
165 | Brian Arrington | Founding Partner and CEO | Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty |
166 | Court Cunningham | CEO | Orchard |
167 | Stephanie Anton | SVP | Corcoran Group |
168 | Lori Muller | President US Division | EXIT Realty Corp International |
169 | Simon Chen | EVP of Product and Innovation | Realogy Holding Corp. |
170 | Tom Hurdelbrink | President and CEO | Northwest Multiple Listing Service |
171 | Matthew Crumbaugh | President and CEO | Allison James Estates and Homes |
172 | Ken Schmidt & Mike Schmidt | CEO & President | Schmidt Family of Companies |
173 | Erik Cooley | CEO | Equity Real Estate |
174 | Gary Scott | President | Allen Tate Companies (a Hanna Holdings company) |
175 | Lori Arnold | Owner and Broker | Coldwell Banker Apex |
176 | Gretchen Pearson | President and Owner | BHHS Drysdale Properties |
177 | Elton Ash | Regional EVP | RE/MAX Canada |
178 | Brad Bjelke | CEO | UtahRealEstate.com |
179 | Denee Evans | CEO | Council of MLS |
180 | Natalia Karayaneva | Founder and CEO | Propy |
181 | Mark Spain | Chairman and CEO | Mark Spain Real Estate |
182 | Chris Carrillo | CEO | Metro MLS |
183 | Peter Hunt | Chairman and CEO | Hunt Real Estate Corp |
184 | Charles Drouin | Founder and CEO | Prospects Software |
185 | Rei Mesa | President and CEO | BHHS Florida Realty (a HomeServices of America company) |
186 | Tushar Garg | Co-Founder and CEO | Flyhomes |
187 | Michael Scarafile | President and CEO | Carolina One Real Estate |
188 | AnneMarie DeCatsye | CEO | Canopy MLS |
189 | Brian Crane | Co-Founder and CEO | Intero Real Estate (a HomeServices of America company) |
190 | Rosey Koberlein | Chair | Long Companies (a HomeServices of America company) |
191 | Kent Hanley | President | Broker Resource Network |
192 | Leslie Turner, Mary Lou Wertz & Olga Page | Co-Founders | Maison Real Estate |
193 | Christopher Masiello | President and CEO | Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate The Masiello Group |
194 | Jennifer Warden | Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President | Baird & Warner |
195 | Rob Barber | CEO | Attom Data Solutions |
196 | Ben Mizes | Co-Founder and CEO | Clever Real Estate |
197 | Ashley Bowers | President | HomeSmart |
198 | Matt Rand | President New York and New Jersey | Howard Hanna Real Estate |
199 | John Lusink | President | Right at Home Realty |
200 | Jared James | Founder and CEO | Jared James Enterprises |
Update: This post was updated after publication with a statement from Gary Keller, and with the news that Adam Contos is leaving RE/MAX. Inman also updated the titles of two Douglas Elliman executives.