2025 Newsmakers: The Influencers Defining the Industry’s Future

Every industry needs voices that challenge, inspire and push progress forward. RISMedia’s 2025 Newsmakers in the Influencers category are thought leaders sparking conversations that drive change. Through education, media, speaking engagements and strategic insights, these professionals are helping shape the way real estate pros think and operate. Their expertise and leadership are paving the way for a more informed and innovative industry, empowering others to succeed in an ever-changing market. 

RISMedia’s eighth annual class of Real Estate Newsmakers demonstrated a wide array of accomplishments in 2024. We applaud their widespread efforts to educate, lead and restore confidence in the invaluable role of the real estate professional.

Let’s take a look at some of the Thought Leaders, and their contributions to the industry in 2024. 

Loveleen Ghiman
Marketing Director, Realty ONE Group Canada
Dhiman is an innovative leader known for driving Realty ONE Group’s rapid expansion in 2024, including securing franchising rights in Western Canada and helping launch a refreshed franchise model, while inspiring change and empowering others in the often resistant real estate industry. See full profile.

Sharran Srivatsaa
President, The Real Brokerage
As agents faced uncertainty throughout 2024, Srivatsaa served as a calm hand, continuing to boost the company’s agent count and delivering new tools and education to those agents to ensure they knew how to succeed in the current market. See full profile. 

Mickey Neuberger
Chief Marketing Officer, Realtor.com®
Neuberger played a key role in a 2024 marketing campaign centered around buyer-agency value and the role agents play in helping buyers realize their homeownership dreams, combatting public misinformation in the wake of the commission lawsuits. See full profile.

Thad Wong
Co-CEO, @properties Christie’s International Real Estate 
Growth is almost always good, and in 2024, Wong grew his already titanic company by opening new offices and acquiring new affiliates in the United States and abroad, leading to the firm’s $444M acquisition by Compass in December. See full profile.

Jill Vaccaro
Chief People Officer & Real Estate Broker, REAL New York
Vaccaro’s leadership and education strategies have helped the brokerage excel in recruitment, training and retention, netting trained agents a 23% increase in commissions year-over-year and making the company ranked as one of America’s fastest growing during 2024. See full profile.

Lindsay Kovach
Director of Communications, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services
Driving real estate communications with visionary strategies that inspire trust, empower agents and transform challenges into opportunities, Kovach successfully managed corporate communications during the NAR settlement, while orchestrating record-breaking engagement at HannaCon 2024. See full profile.

Todd Tucker
Executive Vice President of Real Estate Operations & Qualified Broker, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties 
Steering the company toward sustained success, Tucker launched a new video podcast last year, designed to keep agents in the loop, and is reshaping the experience of agents throughout the firm with the introduction of new educational sessions and redesigned office layouts. See full profile. 

Kyle Basila
Director, Communications & PR, Realty Executives Associates
A seasoned communications strategist, Basila drove marketing, branding and event initiatives at REA in 2024, including a pro-REALTOR® campaign, scaling marketing systems and executing large-scale events, all while fostering community and connections for the company’s agents. See full profile.

Gabriella Chiera
Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Anywhere Real Estate Inc.
Chiera has led impactful communication strategies, driving key business objectives through initiatives like a new employee newsletter, social media strategy and employee events, all while emphasizing the importance of storytelling in connecting people and inspiring change. See full profile.

Kathleen Wilks
Chief Marketing Officer, The Long & Foster Companies
The leader behind “It’s the One” marketing campaign, Wilks synthesized the company’s brand DNA into acclaimed marketing materials and ensured agents stayed up to date with a monthly webinar series hosted by company leaders. See full profile.

RISMedia’s 2025 Real Estate Newsmakers showcase is sponsored by:

Gold Sponsor
Real Estate Webmasters 

Bronze Sponsors
American Home Shield 
HouseAmp 
Lofty 
RPR®

Stay tuned to RISMedia.com for ongoing coverage and close-up interviews with our 2025 Real Estate Newsmakers.