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More women than ever earn spots in real estate power ranking 
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More women than ever earn spots in real estate power ranking 

01/11/2024

For the second year in a row, the Swanepoel Power 200 designated Sue Yannaccone, Anywhere Brands president and CEO, as the most powerful female leader.

Stephanie Reid-Simons

January 10, 2024

3 minutes

 

Key points:

  • There are 53 female leaders on the 2024 SP 200, up from 47 last year, the previous high.
  • Women were also the biggest movers on the list overall, with Opendoor CEO Carrie Wheeler rising 107 spots.
  • This year’s Watchlist, which highlights up-and-coming leaders, is 64% women — a ratio more aligned with the industry as a whole.

The number of women in residential real estate’s top leadership positions continues to increase, with 53 female leaders landing on the 2024 Swanepoel Power 200 — up from 47 last year and the most in the 11-year history of the rankings.

Sue Yannaccone, president and CEO of Anywhere Brands, is the most influential female executive for the second year in a row, coming in at No. 7 overall.

Rounding out the top 10 most powerful women:

  • Helen Hanna Casey, longtime leader of Howard Hanna, the nation’s largest independent real estate company (No. 9 on the SP 200)
  • Jill Wood, co-president of Windermere Real Estate, the largest regional real estate company in the western U.S. (No. 14)
  • Pam Liebman, president and CEO of The Corcoran Group (No. 23)
  • Susan Daimler, president of Zillow Group (No. 24)
  • Christy Budnick, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices (No. 25)
  • Liz Gehringer, president and CEO of Anywhere Franchise Brands (No. 30)
  • Tracy Kasper, former president of NAR (No. 42). Note that the list is a reflection of 2023 — when Kasper led the association through a particularly tumultuous time — and was compiled prior to her unexpected departure this month.
  • Bess Freedman, CEO of Brown Harris Stevens, the nation’s 29th largest brokerage (No. 43)
  • Kamini Lane, who was named president and CEO of Coldwell Banker Realty last March (No. 44)

Women also were the biggest movers on the list overall: Corcoran Group President Stephanie Anton jumped 75 spots to No. 76, and Carrie Wheeler, who stepped into the CEO role at Opendoor in late 2022, came in at No. 85, up 107 spots.

It’s a welcome development in an industry where more than 60% of agents are female, and a reflection of years of effort, says Jack Miller, president and CEO of T3 Sixty.

“The wheels in any human endeavor, especially one as big as real estate, turn slowly. It’s just the nature of change,” Miller said. “We want to recognize specific companies and individuals who have made efforts to search high and low for qualified executive candidates for senior leadership positions.”

This includes What Moves Her, an organization founded by Yannaccone to help women in real estate achieve their professional goals, as well as industry events such as the California Association of Realtors’ Woman Up and Genuine Hustle, founded by Stacie Staub, co-founder and CEO of West + Main Homes. Staub is making her first appearance on the SP 200 this year (at No. 199) after her previous selection for the Watchlist of up-and-coming industry leaders. This year’s Watchlist is 64% women.

Other notables graduating from the Watchlist this year include DeAnn Golden, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties (at No. 148) and Laura O’Connor, president and chief operating officer of JPAR Affiliated Network (at No. 155).