The Future Leaders in Real Estate Award spotlights emerging leaders who have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a commitment to pushing the envelope in the real estate industry. For the first time, Inman celebrates the next generation of visionaries who are forging new paths, introducing transformative ideas, and making significant contributions to the evolution of real estate practices.
The 2024 Inman Future Leaders in Real Estate
Agents, Teams, and Brokers
Bianca D’Alessio
Managing Director, Nest Seekers, and Founder of the Masters Division
Frequently ranked among the top brokers in the nation, as well as in her hometown New York, D’Alessio, 31, currently manages a $10 billion real estate portfolio and serves as managing director for Nest Seekers Development Marketing, the brokerage’s branding arm for new home construction. In addition to her appearances on “Selling the Hamptons,” D’Alessio is an author, speaker and advocate for women who frequently hosts workshops in New York on topics such as household management and financial planning.
Ariana Gaffoglio
Founding agent of OFFICIAL, Orange County
With a portfolio of trophy properties across Southern California, such as the $22 million oceanfront home in Dana Point so nice she sold it twice, veteran global adviser Gaffoglio, 36, has applied her knowledge of luxury markets out west to her role as a global adviser at OFFICIAL. With a secondary specialty in Las Vegas, where she’s carved out a desert oasis of seven-figure homes, the 14-year veteran now sits on more than $1 billion in career transactions.
Brandon Coppel
Realtor, RE/MAX ONE
Since leaping from the realm of commercial real estate only a few years ago, Coppel, 28, has made a name across the northwestern climes of Los Angeles, particularly in lush Thousand Oaks, where palatial homes command in excess of $5 million. However, as a native of the area, specifically in picturesque Oak Park, his mission transcends sales. “He is not just in the business of closing deals,” he writes on Linkedin. “He is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for his neighbors.”
Jenna Rozenblat
Chief Operating Officer, The Real Brokerage
Since settling into her title as COO of The Real Brokerage last summer, Rozenblat, 39, has been integral in scaling the fast-growing brokerage as it navigates upheaval in the industry at large. In 2024 alone, the brokerage announced the acquisition of a North Carolina-based mega-team from eXp Realty, among other notable recruitment efforts, while also signaling settlements in major commission lawsuits that threaten to change the course of the industry.
Lauren Bowen
Chief Operating Officer, Robert Slack
A former healthcare worker with time logged in operating rooms, Bowen, 36, joined Orlando, Florida-based real estate brokerage Robert Slack in 2014 before being named COO last year. As a leader of the brokerage’s Ocala team early in her real estate career, she exceeded expectations and was later called on to oversee all of the company’s leaders. Besides being licensed across the South, she also manages, develops and acquires investment properties.
Quintavius Burdette
Real Estate Associate, RE/MAX Experts
Q, as Burdette is known, is a former football and track star with a Master’s degree in accounting and finance from the University of Mississippi. A current agent at RE/MAX Experts of Germantown, Tennessee, the 30-year-old is no stranger to competition, having been a multi-challenge winner on CBS’s Survivor Season 46. One of 17 children, the Senatobia, Mississippi-born self-starter is also an award-winning RE/MAX agent and Hall of Fame member.
Kathryn Arrand
Sales Agent, Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty
Recognized as Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty's 2014 Rookie of the Year and a Diamond Society, President’s Elite and President’s Premier honoree, Arrand, 37, serves Idaho’s Panhandle and Eastern Washington as half of the Arrand + Arrand Team along with her husband, Cory, at Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty. Her background in sales, customer service, advertising and marketing helps the Idaho native stay ahead in the ever-evolving real estate landscape.
Rachel Scheid
Vice President of Brokerage Services, Designated Managing Broker, @properties Christie’s International Real Estate
As a managing broker, the top priority of Scheid, 33, is providing personalized attention to each of her agents through tools like coaching and superior marketing support. In addition to the 10-year-plus industry vet’s work with @properties Christie’s International Real Estate agents, Scheid is also a member of the Chicago Association of Realtors’ Board of Directors, Foundation Board of Trustees and political action committee. She is also active in Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity and in the past, served as president of the organization’s Young Professionals board.
Christopher Miller
Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, Epique Realty
Miller, 36, co-founded Houston-based Epique Realty with Joshua Miller and Janice Delcid in July 2020. The trio has grown the brokerage to more than 2,000 agents across 30 states through an impressive roster of benefits, including free healthcare, low agent fees and access to a proprietary technology platform powered by Eriq, Epique’s artificial intelligence chatbot. The company launched its annual conference, Epique PowerCON, in April.
Kasey Barnes
Realtor, Latter & Blum
Barnes entered the real estate industry after earning a marketing degree from Louisiana State University, and today touts roughly a decade of experience in the Baton Rouge metro. The 38-year-old Latter and Blum agent focuses on strategizing with clients, as well as working with new construction properties. Barnes and her husband are also parents of a toddler and enjoy spending time outdoors.
Kenny Truong
Founder, Fast Real Estate brokered by eXp Realty
Bay Area native Truong, 39, started making his mark on San Francisco real estate more than 10 years ago when he joined the industry as an agent. The Fast Real Estate team leader aims to use the latest technology and marketing to help clients get the best results as quickly as possible. Truong practices what he preaches on his own social media pages where he’s often generating new content to promote the team, which closed more than $590 million in sales volume in 2023.
Dennis Cestra Jr.
President, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services
As president of Howard Hanna's Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland Regions, and a third-generation member of the Hanna real estate family, Cestra Jr., 36, has driven growth and strategy across multiple divisions. After earning a Master’s degree in real estate from Georgetown University, he oversaw remarkable growth during his tenure as president of the Southeast region, including a 70 percent increase in sales and an expansion into the Charlottesville, Virginia, market.
Gali Sapir
Founding Partner, Perennial Real Estate
Named to Washingtonian Magazine’s elite list of Washington, D.C.’s best agents and with $30 million in volume during her first three years in the industry, Sapir’s expertise, enthusiasm and responsiveness have made her a standout among her peers in the competitive DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) marketplace. As a founding partner in Perennial Real Estate, Sapir, 39, prides herself on superior client service, both during and after the sale, and a commitment to streamlined transaction processes.
Tiffany Pantozzi
Founder, Align Real Estate
As the founder of Central Florida’s Align Real Estate, Pantozzi’s marketing expertise has not only earned her awards; it has earned her recognition as one of the region’s most elite luxury professionals. Pantozzi, 39, represented the area’s most famous property (other than Cinderella’s Castle) — the Giffin Court mansion owned by Shaquille O’Neal. Her visionary leadership has been recognized by Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, People, the LA Times, Fox Business and Variety, and she's listed as one of Yahoo Finance’s Top 5 Female Realtors to follow.
You can read the article on Inman here.