Compass Co-Founder Robert Reffkin and eXp Realty Founder Glenn Sanford Named Real Estate’s Most Powerful Leaders for 2025
JAN. 8, 2025 – LADERA RANCH, CA – T3 Sixty’s Swanepoel Power 200, the definitive ranking of the top executives and leaders in residential real estate, has named Robert Reffkin, co-founder and CEO of Compass, as the No. 1 most powerful leader for 2025. Glenn Sanford, founder and CEO of eXp World Holdings, the parent company of eXp Realty, claimed the No. 2 position.
The 12th-annual SP 200 reflects the changing industry landscape, with newer brands like Compass and eXp Realty having grown exponentially in the last decade to now dominate in agent count, transaction sides and sales volume. This year’s ranking recognizes leaders not only driving innovation and growth but also reshaping the industry.
Robert Reffkin: A Visionary at the Helm of Compass
In his first appearance as the most powerful leader in residential real estate in the nation, Reffkin has guided Compass to maintain its position as the United States’ largest brokerage by annual sales volume for its third consecutive year, while narrowing net losses and continuing significant sales and agent growth. In 2024, Reffkin led his company through an extraordinary year of acquisitions, including a pending acquisition of At World Properties, owner of one of the nation’s largest brokerages in @properties and the international real estate brand Christie’s International Real Estate, along with acquisitions of large and notable brokerages Latter & Blum and Parks Realty.
“Robert’s vision, resilience and strategic leadership has positioned him as a significant leader and Compass’ enormous impact on the industry cannot be overstated,” remarks Jack Miller, president and CEO of T3 Sixty.
Glenn Sanford: Redefining the Brokerage Model
Sanford retains his position near the top of the SP 200 as eXp Realty continues to dominate as the largest brokerage by transaction sides and agent count. Sanford’s first-to-market, cloud-based brokerage and innovative revenue-sharing model continue to inspire competitors and fuel eXp Realty’s exceptional growth.
In 2024, eXp Realty introduced updates to its agent programs, including instant earnings for closed transactions and attraction bonuses for sponsoring new agents and strategic technology partnerships with popular tools such as Canva, further enhancing its appeal to top-performing agents and teams. Furthermore, the company has led the industry in response to the NAR class-action lawsuit settlement by publishing their buyer representation and listing agreements for use by other brokers and conducting one of the largest education campaigns on the new way of doing business.
“For more than a decade, Glenn has redefined what is possible with an online brokerage model, driving growth and profitability while fostering innovation and collaboration,” says Miller.
Other Power Players
Last year was tough for most real estate companies with the huge settlements of the various class action lawsuits. Rounding out the top ten leaders are:
No. 3 - Ryan Schneider, president and CEO, Anywhere Real Estate: At the helm of Anywhere Real Estate for seven years, Schneider has refined the U.S.'s largest real estate company, delivering profitability in a challenging market while championing industry collaboration to support the Clear Cooperation Policy.
No. 4 - Gary Keller, co-founder and executive chair, Keller Williams Realty: Keller continues to direct the nation’s largest franchise brand, focusing on agent growth and technology innovation while reaching a milestone of distributing more than $2 billion ($148 million between January 2023 and July 2024) in profit-sharing to agents.
No. 5 - Gino Blefari, president and CEO, HomeServices of America: Blefari oversees the fourth largest U.S. brokerage with more than 69,000 agents. In 2024, he also added the CEO role at HSA’s franchise wing, HSF Affiliates.
No. 6 - Richard "Rich" Barton, co-founder and co-executive chair, Zillow Group: Barton handed over the CEO reins in late 2024, but remains the strategic force behind Zillow Group. He drove innovation across its Premier Agent and referral businesses while overseeing the platform’s leadership in audience reach and revenue growth.
No. 7 - Andrew “Andy” Florance, founder and CEO, CoStar Group: Florance is dramatically expanding CoStar Group’s residential real estate presence, investing heavily in Homes.com and acquiring Matterport to deepen property data capabilities.
No. 8 - Susan “Sue” Yannaccone, president and CEO, Anywhere Brands: Yannaccone oversees the world’s largest collection of brokerage brands at Anywhere Brands with more than 186,000 agents and focusing on strategic growth and industry leadership.
No. 9 - Howard "Hoby" Hanna IV, CEO, Hanna Holdings: Hanna leads the largest family-owned brokerage in the United States, driving growth through strategic acquisitions and maintaining a strong industry voice.
No. 10 - Mark Willis, president and CEO, Keller Williams Realty: Completing his first year as returning CEO and president of Keller Williams, Willis focuses on sustaining the franchise’s dominance through innovative strategies and agent-first initiatives.
As the industry’s most respected analysis of leadership across residential real estate, the SP 200 includes 126 brokerage leaders, 31 organized real estate leaders and 31 technology company executives. Rankings also identify 57 women in the highest echelons of residential real estate, up from 54 in 2024.
The Changing Face of Real Estate Leadership
The SP 200 is a reflection of the industry and as the industry changes and evolves the SP 200 does as well. Illustrating the strong shifts currently taking place, the 2025 ranking introduces 40 newcomers, including the following notable additions:
Kevin Sears (No. 17): As the president of the National Association of Realtors, Sears is recognized for steadying the organization during a turbulent year and leading the association amid significant structural and leadership changes.
W. Erik Carlson (No. 22): After taking the helm as CEO of Re/Max Holdings in November 2023, Carlson spearheaded the company’s return to profitability in 2024, cementing its position as one of the nation’s leading franchise networks.
Joseph Burks (No. 93): Burks completed a controversial acquisition of REColorado, Colorado’s largest MLS, promising innovative solutions for more than 26,000 subscribers.
Janice Myers (No. 161): Myers became the CEO of the Canadian Real Estate Association at the end of 2023 and during 2024 successfully led a membership initiative to spin out realtor.ca as a for-profit, fully association-owned company.
“The 2025 SP 200 highlights the evolving leadership necessary to navigate the shifting landscape of the residential real estate industry,” says Stefan Swanepoel, executive chairman of T3 Sixty, which he founded two decades ago to analyze the industry’s top executives and leaders. “Leaders like Robert and Glenn as well as many other newer brands and their leaders affirm this broader trend of innovation and change.”
Swanepoel highlighted leaders such as No. 71 Marco Fregenal, CEO, Fathom Holdings; No. 42 Gavin Swartzman, CEO, Peerage Realty Partners; No. 20 Tamir Poleg, co-founder and CEO, and No. 30 Sharran Srivatsaa, president, The Real Brokerage; No. 11 Glenn Kelman, president and CEO, Redfin; No. 14 Dan Duffy, CEO, No. 61 Rick Haase, president, and No. 163 Phillip Cantrell, EVP of strategy, United Real Estate.
About the Swanepoel Power 200
Created and published by T3 Sixty, the Swanepoel Power 200 represents hundreds of hours of research, analyzing company performance metrics, individual biographies and discussions with industry leaders. The rankings offer a definitive look at the scope, reach and leadership of residential real estate executives. The T3 Sixty leadership team ranks leaders, primarily, by four criteria weighted equally: their power within their own company; their reputation and influence among industry peers; their relative power among their industry subgroup (e.g. brokerage, MLS, etc.); and their anticipated impact in the foreseeable future.
For the complete rankings and analysis, visit sp200.com.