From left to right: Adrien Bryant, Alex Howland, Sajag Patel, Angeline Vuong
Every industry has pioneers for a better way, and that is no different in real estate. From exploring new technology and resources to elevating industry standards, these “Trailblazers” are working hard to navigate complex challenges, identify opportunities and provide solutions to help move the industry forward.
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 and/or commercial real estate sectors, 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 amazing categories: Achievers, Crusaders, Futurists, Influencers, Luminaries and Trailblazers. Each year, RISMedia celebrates the “agents of change” in the industry through the Real Estate Newsmakers recognition program in our “Trailblazers” category.
In this category, we spotlight those who are not only keeping pace with innovation, new technologies, data innovations and more, but their contributions to moving the industry forward and improving agent-client relationships on every level.
Take a look at some of our Trailblazers from the 2023 Class of Real Estate Newsmakers below!
Adrien Bryant
GA State Broker | Vylla Home, a Carrington Company
As a military veteran and a power broker, Adrien Bryant’s commitment to excellence can be best exemplified by Vylla’s REALTOR® code: Duties to Client Customers, Duties to the Public, Duties to REALTORS®. In 2022, she successfully transitioned her focus from a top sales agent to management and team production–maintaining her status as top branch manager in the brokerage in both sales and agent growth. Bryant was also credited for organizing and facilitating the brokerage’s first Annual Southeast Summit in Atlanta, which included nine leadership executives and training for 50 agents from nine states.
Alex Howland
President & Co-Founder | Virbela
You might feel like you are living in an online world, with all the Zoom meetings and social media time required in today’s society, but it is unlikely you are as plugged in as Alex Howland is. As more and more companies have searched for ways to connect people remotely, Howland is already there. In 2022, Howland led Virbela in building entirely online, metaverse campuses for major companies including Deloitte, Fujitsu and PwC. These types of platforms have evolved from novelties to must-haves, with Howland playing no small part in that transformation, as Virbela’s flagship platform powered eXp to incredible growth over the last couple years. Despite the focus on tech, Howland’s background is in organizational psychology, which means all the world-building he did in 2022 is built around people—who they are, and what they need.
Sajag Patel
COO | Keller Williams Realty International
Sajag Patel did more than almost anyone in 2022 to help real estate agents build empowering and productive relationships with each other, driving a major expansion of Keller Williams’ community-based business alignment and formation efforts in support of recognized and emerging real estate market segments. With more than a decade of experience at KW, Patel understands how expertise and specialized knowledge can be shared to create tremendous success for everyone. From more traditional focuses like luxury to new frontiers like sports or style, Patel was the right person in 2022 to guide thousands of agents toward communities that fit their skills.
Angeline Vuong
Head of Buyer Product | Opendoor
Some people say you can’t have everything. Angeline Vuong is not one of those people. In 2022, she decided that Opendoor’s customers really would have it all, launching a product that brings simplicity, comfort and power to the entire buying and selling experience. Opendoor Buy+Sell, as it is aptly named, is a manifestation of Vuong’s commitment to advancing a seamless, fast and even enjoyable real estate experience. The pursuit of that is what excites her and drives her, Vuong says, as she continues to forge ahead toward that holy grail of excellence.
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.
