“Why are we doing this the same way we have for the last 100 years?” This question haunted Andrés Leal during his early days as a civil engineer, watching crews lay bricks and raise buildings using methods that hadn’t changed in a century. Today, as one of Commercial Observer’s top 30 PropTech leaders worldwide and ...
“Housing is a day-to-day problem and an existential threat to the ability of so many residents to stay in the community they love,” says Jess Coleman, a City Council candidate for Lower Manhattan. “This district is dead last in affordable housing production, and at the same time first place in pedestrian deaths and vacant storefronts.” ...
Jeff Quintin remembers exactly what sparked his interest in real estate: watching successful agents visit his bank window in the early 1990s. “I would look at my check from working 40 hours a week, and then I would look at their commission checks I’m cashing and depositing for our customers,” Quintin recalls. “There were a ...
“Nobody knows what’s happening in Florida real estate better than Florida’s Realtors®,” states Tim Weisheyer, the 2025 president of Florida Realtors®, the nation’s largest state Realtor® association. His statement reflects both the confidence and responsibility that comes with leading an organization representing nearly 240,000 members in one of the world’s most dynamic real estate markets. ...
A chance conversation with a neighbor about their not-for-sale home sparked an idea that would lead Katie Hill to reimagine how the real estate industry approaches off-market properties. As the founder and CEO of Unlisted, Hill has created a platform that’s opening up access to the 95% of homes that aren’t actively listed for sale ...
I had the privilege of interviewing Marie Ffolkes, a highly successful CEO who has developed a keen eye for market inefficiencies and growth. Marie’s extensive career included serving as the CEO of private equity sponsored TriMark, the largest commercial kitchen provider nationally with over $2.4 billion in revenue and #1 in its sector, and leading ...
After years of volatility in the short-term rental (STR) market, 2024 marked a significant turning point toward stabilization, with emerging opportunities in unexpected markets across the United States, according to AirDNA’s 2025 Best Places to Invest report. The report, now in its tenth year, reveals a continuing shift away from traditional coastal and mountain destinations ...
Tracy Markie, founder and CEO of Engenuity Systems, has shaped building automation technology since the early days of ethernet connectivity. As his company marks its 30th anniversary, Markie’s influence on smart building systems continues to grow. After beginning his career at Intel, Markie’s path to entrepreneurship started modestly with a $200 joint business checking account ...
Despite technological advancements simplifying everything from ordering groceries to managing global supply chains, real estate professionals still face a surprisingly analog problem: entering property listings across multiple MLS systems. For an industry that handles millions of transactions annually, this legacy challenge creates significant friction in what should be a streamlined process. Multiple Listing Services (MLSs) ...
In today’s dynamic real estate landscape, a fundamental transformation is reshaping how property managers serve their clients. Leading this change is Blanket, a technology company founded by Lior Abramovich, whose journey from naval commander to real estate innovator offers unique insights into the industry’s future. The Silent Killer: Understanding Property Management Churn The property management ...
When Mana Mohammadkhani left Tehran 16 years ago to pursue graduate studies at USC, she couldn’t have predicted the journey that would lead her to establish one of Brooklyn’s innovative architectural design firms. Today, as founder of MMO Studio, she’s helping reshape how real estate professionals approach property renovation and sales, bringing over a decade ...
In a city known for its transient nature, Sari Shapiro stands out as a rare Miami Beach native who has transformed her lifelong connection to the area into a flourishing career in luxury pre-construction real estate. As she prepares to launch her own brand under “Sari Real Estate” in early 2025, Shapiro reflects on how ...
“There’s no time like the present,” says Matthew Baron, founder and president of Baron Property Group (BPG), when asked about his advice for aspiring real estate investors. “You’re never going to find the most perfect time or the most perfect opportunity. The best thing to do is just jump in and figure it out as ...
“We’re approaching problems like a tech company that just happens to be better at mortgage than everyone else, not as a mortgage company trying to be a tech company,” says Sam Lanfear, SVP at Tomo. This insight explains how the startup achieved 1,300% year-over-year revenue growth in 2024 while the broader industry contracted by nearly ...
With nearly two decades at NAI Capital Commercial, Tim Steuernol has witnessed multiple market cycles in Los Angeles real estate. While his portfolio includes industrial, retail, and office properties, he’s found his primary focus in multi-family investment sales, which now represents about 90% of his business. The current market presents a complex picture, particularly in ...
