The ability to inspire, educate and engage with your peers is something that many have tried, but few have conquered. Whether they are agents showcasing and sharing their creativity or executives taking steps to make the industry a more diverse and inclusive space, “Influencers” in real estate are constantly finding new ways to impact the industry.
For the seventh year in a row, we are searching for Newsmakers from across the U.S. who are making headlines for their commitment and contributions to the residential real estate industry, as well as going the extra mile to positively impact their peers, colleagues, clients and the communities they serve.
RISMedia’s Real Estate Newsmakers fall into one of six categories: Achievers, Crusaders, Futurists, Influencers, Luminaries and Trailblazers. Each year, RISMedia celebrates the “thought leaders” in the industry through the “Influencers” category.
In this category, we shine the spotlight on those who do the noble work of leading and inspiring innovation, creativity, strong leadership and success in business.
Take a look at some of our Influencers from the 2023 Class of Real Estate Newsmakers below!
Kara Nicholls
Education Manager | Colibri Real Estate
As an education manager for Colibri Real Estate, Kara Nicholls is forever exploring creative and insightful ways to develop qualifying education courses for continued agent success. Throughout 2022, she spearheaded improvements to the company’s sales pre-licensing textbook and pre-licensing question bank. With a focus on strong agent education, she also implemented individualized student education plans to push their success even further. Constantly working to empower the future of property management professionals, Nicholls also developed a new property management continuing education curriculum, as well as a real estate continuing education curriculum.
Jason Abrams
Head of Industry and Learning | Keller Williams Realty International
Jason Abrams has fostered growth by fostering conversation. Each week on a company-wide, growth-themed webinar, Abrams joins Keller Williams President Marc King and leaders of more than 800 U.S.-based KW franchises. Abrams leads conversations on how they can use KW models and systems to continue to grow a business. During Q3 2022, Abrams launched a new real estate business web series named for Keller Williams’ brand tagline: “Where Entrepreneurs Thrive.” The series features interviews with top agents and business leaders across the U.S. discussing best practices for real estate businesses to thrive in the current housing market shift. Episodes are released weekly on YouTube.
Jessica Edgerton
Executive Vice President of Operations, Corporate Council | Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®
As the driving force behind the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) learning initiatives, Jessica Edgerton has an uncommon ability to educate, inform, engage and inspire. In 2022, she launched LeadingRE’s new podcast, Million Dollar Question, which features global conversations intended to take real estate professionals to the next level of leadership and success. Edgerton has spearheaded the redesign of LeadingRE’s award-winning online learning platform, Institute, which offers hundreds of on-demand classes. She also designed and hosted the 2022 Webinar Week, which featured an impressive line-up of industry advisors, speakers and luminaries and attracted thousands of attendees.
Michael Altneu
Vice President of Coldwell Banker Luxury | Coldwell Banker Real Estate
Under Michael Altneu’s leadership, the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury (CBGL) division hosted the 2022 Engage Summit. This first-of-its-kind event for CBGL hosted property specialists from 10 countries and 30 U.S. states to network and share knowledge from the industry’s best and most successful. Altneu also facilitated the launch of “The Report: 2022 Global Luxury Market Insights,” an in-depth analysis of worldwide luxury real estate market trends, growth opportunities and global wealth. The report garnered more than 775 million views and served as a reliable guide to high-end international real estate.
Do you or someone you know have what it takes to be a 2024 Real Estate Newsmaker? If the answer is yes, click here to nominate a real estate professional today! To see the full list of 2023 Real Estate Newsmakers, click here.
