Last month, RISMedia honored more than 230 real estate professionals as RISMedia's 2019 Real Estate Newsmakers. Each of these individuals—separated into eight categories—was either nominated by you, the RISMedia reader, or chosen by the publication’s editors.
These folks made newsworthy contributions within their own communities and/or the housing industry as a whole. Here, we highlight several honorees who were chosen as Newsmakers in the Futurists category:
Zvi Band
CEO, Contactually
As CEO of Contactually, Zvi Band has supported entrepreneurs throughout the Washington, D.C., region. He also travels across the U.S. sharing his insights to help brokerages and real estate groups strengthen relationships and become more successful.
"It's a very exciting time to be in the real estate industry," says Band. "We are thankful to be working with some of the most innovative brokerages in the country who are investing in technology and strategy to help them remain at the top of their game."
Katie Clancy
Team Lead, REALTOR®, Speaker and Trainer, The Cape House Team/William Raveis
Katie Clancy, team lead for The Cape House Team at William Raveis Real Estate, started from nothing in an industry that was suffering during the housing collapse. She's since grown her business with a "Be a blessing" philosophy, which has helped her yield bountiful financial success.
"In our lifetime...agents will recognize a home sale as the sacred event that it is and clients will hold their agents in the same space as their wedding officiant or midwife," says Clancy. "I know it is possible because it's already true in my own business."
Jessica Edgerton
EVP of Operations, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®
As EVP of Operations at LeadingRE, one of Jessica Edgerton's areas of focus is cybersecurity, as data leaks, malware and ransomware can affect professionals in any industry. She has even launched a "Risky Business" video series to educate her members about best practices.
"I am continually inspired by the talent in our industry—people who are passionate about real estate and all it entails," says Edgerton. "Being recognized among so many of these accomplished leaders as one of RISMedia's Newsmakers is a real honor."
Vince Leisey
CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate
Vince Leisey is the founder and a broker advisor of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices millennial think tank, The REthink Council—a group of 15 top-producing young agents from BHHS brokerages around the country. Last year, the company was recognized as No. 2 in the U.S. in Entrepreneur's Top Company Cultures—the only brokerage on the list.
"My goal in life is to enrich the lives of others," says Leisey. "Helping people live with intention is my passion. This upcoming year I will continue to focus on maintaining and continuing to build an incredible company culture."
Alex Wang
Principal/Founder, Alex Wang Group & ProntoWorks
Alex Wang has worked in Silicon Valley real estate for the past two decades and has helped agents change the way they approach their practice. Additionally, he has grown his Alex Wang Group team to one of the top 250 in the U.S., with a sales volume of $134 million in 2017.
