The impact of the annual reveal of both the Inman Influencer List and the Swanepoel Power 200 is like a social media cannon shot: you can hear the buzz everywhere. The fact that this year, these leadership lists were released nearly simultaneously makes the buzz near deafening.
The rush you get seeing your name on either – and in some cases, both – of these prestigious lists never gets old. And nor does the surprise of discovering those who are “missing” – exceptionally worthy influencers and incredibly powerful leaders who didn’t make either list. For many, it must be a personal downer because you can almost feel the entire real estate industry all at once clamoring to click-through these lists to discover who is and is not being recognized this year.
Most importantly to the WAV Group – and our sister company RE Technology – are the leaders of companies we work with who have been honored by inclusion on these lists. We are deeply humbled to be included as well. Once again, WAV Group Founder Victor Lund and Marilyn Wilson are recognized by inclusion on the Swanepoel Power 200 as two of the most powerful and influential people in real estate. Victor also lands again on the 2017 Inman Influencers list, and for the first time, Kevin Hawkins, a 30-year communications and marketing veteran who heads up WAV Group Communications division, also is a 2017 Inman Influencer.
But our enthusiastic congratulations go to the change-makers we are proud to represent, both current and past clients. For the 2017 Inman Influencers, these industry stalwarts include Mark McLaughlin (Pacific Union), Bob Hale (HAR), Pam O’Connor, Paul Boomsma and Stephanie Pfeffer Anton (Leading RE), Chris Bennett (CoreLogic), Joseph Rand (Rand Realty), Keith Krach and Glenn Shimkus (DocuSign), Ryan O’Hara, Marci James, Luke Glass and Brandi Friedland (Move), Art Carter (Chair of RESO and head of CRMLS), Jeremy Crawford (RESO), Joel Singer and Leslie Appleton-Young (CAR), Guy Wolcott (Homesnap), Susan McHan (Opes Advisors), Ben Caballero (HomesUSA.com), Spencer Rascoff, Amy Bohutinsky, Greg Schwartz, Jay Thompson, Errol Samuelson and Alissa Harper (Zillow Group), Laura Monroe (RealSatisfied), Jim Harrison (MLSListings), John “OB” Jacobi, Anne Jones and Marguerite Giguere (Windermere Real Estate), York Baur (Moxi Works), Jed Carlson (Adwerx), John Aaroe (John Aaroe Group), Marty Frame (RPR), Cindy Ariosa (Long and Foster and MRIS), David Charron (MRIS), Seth Price and Frederick Townes (Placester), Pace Davis (Bridge Interactive), Austin Allison (dotloop), Jim Walberg (Bay Area Team/Pacific Union), Dale Stinton, Chad Curry, Bill Brown and Bob Goldberg (NAR), Bridget Fey (Redfin), Rebecca Jensen (MRED), David Friedman (Boston Logic), Anthony Hitt (Engel and Volkers) Gino Belfari (HSF Affiliates) and Greg Robertson (W&R Studios).
The SP200
On the Swanepoel Power 200 – and its new accompanying lists of Trendsetters, Emerging Leaders, Social Influencers and Outside Powers – there are so many WAV Group and RE Technology clients – past and present – we fear we are likely to miss congratulating someone.
Included on the SP200 are more than 70 leaders whom we have had the honor and privilege of working with and we loudly applaud each on these remarkable folks, including:
Spencer Rascoff (Zillow), Ron Peltier (Home Services of America), Ryan O’Hara (Move), Amy Bohutinsky (Zillow), Robert Moline (Home Services of America), Howard Hanna (Howard Hanna), Jim Weichert (Weichert Realtors), OB Jacobi (Windermere), Matt Widows (HomeSmart International), Pam O’Connor (Leading Real Estate Companies of the World), Bob Goldberg (NAR), Glenn Kelman (Redfin), Joel Singer (California Association of Realtors), Lennox Scott (John L. Scott), Robert Hale (Houston Association of Realtors), Dale Ross (Realtors Property Resource), Pat Riley (Allen Tate), Harold Crye (Crye-Leike), Gerald Giovaniello (NAR), Chris Bennett (CoreLogic), Mark McLaughlin (Pacific Union), David Mele (Homes.com), Gary Simonsen (Canada Real Estate Association), William Brown (NAR), Greg Schwartz (Zillow), Errol Samuelson (Zillow), David Charron (MRIS), Joan Docktor (BHHS Fox and Roach), Art Carter (CRMLS), Lawrence Yun (NAR), Walt Witek (NAR), Stan Humphries (Zillow), James O’Bryon (RE/MAX Gold), Michael Saunders (Michael Saunders), Paul Levine (Trulia), Howard Hanna (Howard Hanna), Mark Lesswing (NAR), Craig Cheatham (Realty Alliance), Grier Allen (BoomTown), Marty Frame (Realtors Property Resource), Robert Merrick (Latter and Blum ERA), Thomas Phillips (TREND MLS), Jim Harrison (MLSListings), Matthew Barba (Placester), John DiMichele (Toronto Board of REALTORS), Pat Shea (Lyon Real Estate), Merri Jo Cowen (My Florida Regional MLS), John Mosey (Northstar MLS), Nate Johnson (Move), Gregg Larson (Clareity Security), Jeremy Wacksman (Zillow), Janet Branton (NAR), Rebecac Jensen (Midwest Real Estate Data), Travis Kessler (Texas Association of Realtors), Anthony Hitt (Engel and Volkers), Kathy Condon (MLS Propoerty Information Network), Georg Gerstenfeld (DocuSign), Peter Hunt (Hunt Real Estate ERA), Bill Brown (Matterport), Austin Allison (dotloop), Guy Wolcott (Homesnap), Alex Lange (UpstreamRE), Denee Evans (CMLS), Michael Wurzer (FBS), Greg Robertson (W&R Studios), Paul Boomsma (Leading Real Estate Companies of the World), York Baur (Moxi Works), Jeff Turner (RealSatisfied), Joel Macintosh (Wolfnet Technologies), Matthew Consalvo (ARMLS), Renwick Congdon (Imprev), and Marty Reed (Black Knight Financial Services). Ben Caballero (HomesUSA.com) was featured on the Trendsetters list.
The 2017 Swanepoel Power 200 list is truly designed to recognize the most powerful and influential in our business. According to Swanepoel T3, it is culled from over 3 million real estate professionals, with less than 0.01% selected to be included. The firm spends over 400 hours in researching and analyzing the rankings. Leaders from all residential real estate brands, brokerages, technology companies, MLSs, associations, economists, authors, consultant, coaches and media members are all considered.
Swanepoel T3 Group Chairman and CEO Stefan Swanepoel explains, “With the SP200, we aim to hold a mirror up to the industry, reflecting residential real estate back to itself by noting who wields the most power and influence, whether by position, personal power, employee count, reputation and trajectory.”
The “cool” factor
The truth is when Inman — perennial leader of real estate news and information — names someone as “one of the real estate industry’s most influential leaders for 2017,” it’s a big deal. Just 24-hours after the release of the list, there were thousands of Facebook shares, and tens of thousands of comments of congratulations from family, friends, business colleagues and even competitors. Likewise, the SP200 was tracking nearly 20,000 social shares of this writing.
But what makes the Inman list so interesting is how Inman describes what the list recognizes. It writes that the 2017 Inman Influencers list “salutes a mix of industry professionals who shape, change and influence the industry. They bring a mix of credentials, viewpoints and backgrounds from all walks of the real estate business. Some are creative, intuitive and gifted. Some have power, reach and charisma. And some are controversial, rabble-rousers and disrupters.”
Kudos for Inman for including in its recognition, the “rabble-rousers and disrupters,” as they can have tremendous influence on our industry, regardless if you agree or disagree with their point of view or business models. This gives an added “cool” factor to the Inman list and helps differentiate it from others.
It’s also very balanced listing, as Inman notes, “both (the) young and hardened, made up of connectors, power brokers, high earners, CEOs, hackers, troublemakers and startup founders.” It’s a list of entrepreneurs, big and small; the “old school” and the new; controversial and quiet plodders.
As Brad Inman, who originated this list, says, “They are not cut from the same cloth, they do not speak the same language and they do not always necessarily share the same values. But they influence the industry by their work, through their followers and by expressing their opinions.” It’s hard to disagree with that.
Who’s missing?
You could create a second list of “2017 Top Influencers Missing from the Inman Influencer and SP 200 List” that is as large – if not larger – than the Inman list. There’s a laundry list of leaders from companies that are arguably as well deserving, if not more, because of their real influence on the real estate industry in 2017.
But no list like these is perfect, nor do they claim to be. And clearly, art and science are used to create these lists and our hats go off to both T3 and Inman for the heavy lifting that goes into this annual process. As Inman notes, it’s not an easy task: “In selecting this year’s Inman Influencers, Inman considered recommendations from readers, editorial staff and outside suggestions. Thousands of real estate professionals make a difference in the real estate industry every day, but (those) … on this year’s list are some we believe stood out.”
For all who lead so many firms we are so blessed to work with, we share the same thrill to be on these lists and honored and proud to be advocates of moving our real estate industry forward.
