Leading Executives in Real Estate
Rich Barton
Co‑Executive Chairman, Zillow Group
Co-founded Zillow and popularized consumer access to housing data (including the Zestimate); twice served as CEO and, effective August 7, 2024, became co‑executive chair alongside Lloyd Frink.
Company bio | X/Twitter | LinkedIn
Jeff T. Blau
Chief Executive Officer, Related Companies
Longtime CEO of Related, stewarding marquee mixed‑use developments (Hudson Yards) and, in 2025, accelerating a $45B U.S./Canada data‑center pipeline via Related Digital.
Debra A. Cafaro
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Ventas, Inc.
Among the real estate industry’s most decorated leaders, she transformed Ventas from roughly $0.2–0.3B to the tens of billions in market cap since 1999 while building a 1,400‑property healthcare/life‑science portfolio.
Ken Caplan
Global Co‑Chief Investment Officer, Blackstone
Veteran dealmaker who helped lead landmark transactions (EOP, Hilton, Logicor); in January 2024 was elevated to firm‑level Global Co‑Chief Investment Officer after serving as Global Co‑Head of Blackstone Real Estate.
Company bio | Media contacts (Blackstone)
Andy Florance
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, CoStar Group
Founder-CEO who built CoStar into an S&P 500/Nasdaq‑100 real estate data and marketplace leader spanning brands like CoStar, LoopNet, Apartments.com and Homes.com.
Conor Flynn
Chief Executive Officer, Kimco Realty
CEO since 2016 leading the largest U.S. open‑air, grocery‑anchored shopping‑center REIT; under his leadership Kimco has executed growth and M&A (e.g., RPT) and delivered resilient necessity‑retail performance.
Investor relations/press | Company site
Jay S. Hennick
Global Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Colliers
Global chairman, CEO and controlling shareholder who has led Colliers’ multi‑year transformation into a diversified services and investment‑management platform with rising recurring earnings; contract extended through 2029.
Company bio | Press release (contract extension)
Marc Holliday
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, SL Green Realty Corp.
Chairman-CEO credited with building New York City’s largest office landlord and delivering signature developments like One Vanderbilt in Midtown Manhattan.
Glenn Kelman
Chief Executive Officer, Redfin
Consumer‑first brokerage CEO known for radical transparency and tech‑enabled services; a frequent public voice on U.S. housing.
Company bio / press | X/Twitter
Angela L. Kleiman
President & Chief Executive Officer, Essex Property Trust
Multifamily REIT leader overseeing a West Coast–focused, S&P 500 portfolio; advanced ESG progress and SBTi‑approved targets during her tenure as President & CEO.
Essex IR news (CEO) | Company site
Michelle M. MacKay
Chief Executive Officer, Cushman & Wakefield
Became CEO in 2023 after serving as President & COO; leads one of the world’s largest real estate services firms spanning GOS, facilities, investors and brokerage.
Kathleen McCarthy
Global Co‑Head of Real Estate, Blackstone
Global co‑head of Blackstone Real Estate, the world’s largest real estate platform, with leadership across opportunistic, core‑plus and debt strategies and industry policy engagement (Real Estate Roundtable chair).
Company bio | External profile
Hamid R. Moghadam
Co‑Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Prologis
Co‑founded AMB (1983) and created today’s Prologis, the global logistics REIT leader; will transition from CEO to executive chairman on January 1, 2026.
Company bio | Leadership transition (news)
Robert Reffkin
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Compass, Inc.
Founder‑CEO who scaled Compass to the nation’s largest residential brokerage by sales volume, marrying agent networks with a proprietary tech platform.
Sumit Roy
President & Chief Executive Officer, Realty Income
Leads “The Monthly Dividend Company,” a global net‑lease REIT; became CEO in 2018 after roles as President, COO and CIO, guiding expansion and major M&A.
Company press room | Company profile
Benjamin W. Schall
Chief Executive Officer & President, AvalonBay Communities
CEO since January 3, 2022, steering one of the largest U.S. multifamily REITs with a focus on coastal markets and platform innovation.
David Simon
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer & President, Simon Property Group
Chairman, CEO (since 1995) and President (since 2019) who built SPG into an S&P 100 retail REIT powerhouse and continues to lead through an active capital‑allocation playbook.
Rob Speyer
Chief Executive Officer, Tishman Speyer
CEO since 2008, diversified the platform (residential, industrial, life science) and doubled AUM to $65B+, while expanding globally across 30–40 markets.
Bob Sulentic
Chair & Chief Executive Officer, CBRE Group, Inc.
Chair & CEO (since 2012 as CEO; added Chair in 2023) of the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm by revenue and footprint.
Company bio | Investor relations (media contact)
Christian Ulbrich
Global Chief Executive Officer & President, JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle)
Global CEO & President since 2016, leading more than 100,000 employees across 80+ countries and driving technology‑ and sustainability‑led services growth.
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