The real estate landscape has changed a lot for women over the past 20 years. The rise and proliferation of digital marketing has been a complete game changer for one. Some agents were slow to embrace new technology and fell quickly by the wayside. Other women found a way to leverage the new opportunities and became female real estate influencers. But one thing never changes: And that is that the best way to achieve success is to model the habits and behaviors of women who are already succeeding.
Top women in real estate learn from top women in real estate
Whether you’re an aspiring broker, manager, or the CEO of a large firm, mentorship can nurture your personal growth and career success. Women who have been where you are, who have faced and overcome the same obstacles, can give you valuable insights to guide you on your career path. From paving the way with new marketing strategies to charting emerging blockchain technologies (yes, this is coming to real estate by the way!), these female real estate influencers are nothing short of remarkable.
Important Disclaimer: Doing what the top women in real estate are doing today may not be a recipe to get where they are. However, doing what they did when they started out, may be. Follow these women for insights, inspiration, and most importantly, mindset! With that in mind, here are the top 10 female real estate influencers inspiring women to new heights in 2023.
Top 10 Female Real Estate Influencers of 2023
1. Samantha DeBianchi
We’re starting our list off with one of the most impressive women in real estate. She is a Realtor, an investor, a serial entrepreneur, an educator, and a marketing mastermind. By the time she was in her thirties, Sam had already founded two companies, become a television personality on “Million Dollar Listing,” and established a name for herself as the go-to realtor for luxury homes in Florida. In fact, her firm DeBianchi Real Estate, is one of the leading brokerages for investors, professional athletes, and celebrities alike.
But, she didn’t start out playing among the stars. Her ambitions for business date back to first grade when she honed her negotiating skills selling toys to her classmates. By 20, she was a graduate of Florida Atlantic University. By 22, she held a Masters of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University. At age 25, was already giving back by sharing her insights through a course she developed for Florida International University. Three years into her career, this powerhouse of a woman already had $25 million in sales under her belt.
Sam ascribes her success to her “obsession with perfection” and her “over the top, out-of-the-box thinking.” And, she shares her wisdom at every chance she gets! You can hear from her through her frequent contributions to Fox Business, CNBC, Bloomberg, Forbes, and more. But better yet, you can follow her on social media and track her journey.
Twitter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samdebianchi/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samdebianchi/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samdebianchi/
2. Danielle Garofalo
Every marketing professional who is old enough, remembers a time when business people scoffed at the concept of “social media.” Then, by the 2010s, we all remember them kicking themselves and scrambling to catch up. As both an expert marketing professional and technology enthusiast who has taken an interest in the emerging Web3 technology, Danielle Garofalo is probably experiencing a case of deja vu. She is a seasoned and successful real estate professional in the real world. And, she has become “The Blockchain Broker,” dabbling with the virtual world as well. Her latest venture: The Metaverse Institute.
Co-founded with her business partner Jason Haber in 2022, The Metaverse Institute is an education platform that prepares agents for doing blockchain business. Danielle had taught digital marketing strategies for the real estate industry for over 10 years. Among her many impressive accomplishments, she is also the Chief Business Development Officer for CORE NYC and a partner at REALM Global. As an experienced strategist, she has certainly made a name for herself by staying ahead of the curve.
Well, today, she’s advising that we pay closer attention to blockchain technology and the many ways it is likely to take the real estate industry by storm. We don’t claim to know what the future holds. But, if we have to bet on something, it’s that this woman is worthy of your attention.
Danielle is not your typical female real estate influencer. But this is also what really sets her apart.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniellegarofalo/
3. Caroline Pinal
Watching real estate magnates enjoy their private jets and holiday mansions can be entertaining. But sometimes the most powerful influencers are those who are helping others.
Caroline is the leader of multiple charitable home building projects around the world. Most notably, she co-founded an organization called “GiveBack Homes”, which is shifting the real estate spotlight on social change. GiveBack Homes allows real estate professionals to help those in need. At the same time, they take their transaction of capital or time and turn that into a marketing asset for the realtor. Do good and grow your business… It’s a winning strategy.
Caroline thinks outside of the box, cultivating success. Plus she helps others along the way. She is a true inspiration to us. You should definitely give her a follow on your platform of choice.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carofreakinline/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carofreakinline/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepinal/
4. Dottie Herman
Next up is one of “America’s Richest Self-Made Women” according to Forbes Magazine. Dottie is the CEO of Douglas Elliman Real Estate in New York City. Douglas Elliman is one of the most well-known brokerage firms in the world. In fact, they have over $27 billion in annual sales and more than 7,000 agents working under the brand.
Impressive, right? Dottie doesn’t stop there. Additionally, she is a leader in philanthropy, supporting a long list of organizations. This includes hospitals, performing arts centers, and the American Heart Foundation. She even won the “Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Award” for the work she completed with the United Nations.
She began her real estate career in 1978, after attending Adelphi University. Working as a broker for Merrill Lynch in Long Island, she quickly learned the ins and outs of the business. When Merril Lynch sold their business to Prudential in 1989, she was confident she could run the firm by herself. So, in 1990, she took a big risk, borrowed $7M, and purchased Prudential Long Island Realty. By 2003, she had expanded into the Hamptons, and together with her business partner Howard Lorber, purchased Douglas Elliman.
Dottie is the wonder-woman of real estate and should be followed closely by every realtor trying to expand their mindset. Keep up with her good work and keep your eye on the bigger picture.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DottieHerman/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dottieherman/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dottieherman/
5. Kala Laos
Switching gears to someone who is innovative with new media, this real estate professional is breaking grounds, kicking butts, and taking names. Kala Laos is the co-founder of an independent brokerage called JK Realty, based out of Gilbert, Arizona. They’ve set themselves apart by fostering a positive, kid-friendly environment, with a big emphasis on family. Unlike many other brokerage firms, they offer comprehensive coaching resources to their agents. And it seems to be working for them. In just two years, they went from having 30 agents to more than 250.
They are rebellious. They are adventurous. And they seem to be having more fun than the rest of us. If you’re looking for a little motivation, do yourself a favor. Add some Kala Laos to your newsfeed.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kalalaos
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kalalaos/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalalaos/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kalalaos
6. Raluca Monet
Raluca Monet works with this little company you might have heard of called Google. If you are searching for an influencer that has her pulse on large-scale tech trends, watch for Raluca in the media. She is less active on social media than the rest of the female real estate influencers on this list but has so much to offer as the real estate lead for Google Marketing.
Raluca constantly seeks out new strategies and avenues for real estate partners who have online ambitions. Additionally, Raluca is the CFO of the organization “Woman in Technology” and a professor at the Kogod School of Business. Her thoughts on the real estate market are profound and will compel anyone on the importance of having an online presence.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ralucamonet
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralucamonet/
Watch Raluca Monet share some insights here on an episode of Tom Ferry:
7. Barbara Corcoran
Aptly called the NYC Real Estate Queen, Barbara Corcoran needs to be on your radar. She is an absolute real estate powerhouse. And even that might even be a bit of an understatement. She is best known for being one of the shark-investors on ABC’s Shark Tank.
Widely regarded as an extremely intelligent entrepreneur, Barbara built her real estate empire from a single $1,000 loan. Her past successes also include:
- Selling her company, NRT Inc, for $66 million
- Becoming the host of her own real estate show on CNBC
- Authoring multiple best selling books
Also, if you could only choose to follow a single female real estate influencer… you might want to pick the one who has Mark Cuban on speed dial.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbaraCorcoran/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbaracorcoran/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbaracorcoran/
8. Dolly Lenz
Dolly Lenz. (PRNewsFoto/Delos LLC)
Dolly has built an absolute empire, selling more than $10 billion dollars in properties through her firm, “Dolly Lenz Real Estate”. She has been featured in almost every real estate publication out there. Dolly is also a CNBC contributor and always has valuable insights on the latest trends in real estate.
Online, Dolly places an emphasis on her family. Following in her mother’s footsteps, her daughter, Jenny Lenz, is already making waves in the market.
Follow Dolly and Jenny on social media for daily doses of wisdom, motivation, and a billion-dollar mindset.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/idollylenz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dollylenzrealestate/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dolly-lenz-real-estate-llc/
9. Amy Youngren
Amy Youngren is quickly making a name for herself in Toronto, Canada. She is the founder of North Group Real Estate and the first Canadian partner of GiveBack Homes (Caroline Pinal’s organization, mentioned above). After receiving a prestigious Inman nomination as one of real estate’s most innovative teams, it’s clear that Amy is a female real estate influencer you should be following.
Amy understands where the future of real estate is headed, heavily investing in video marketing and new media. She’s a savvy marketing madame who brings style and confidence to her communication channels. If we had to guess, Amy is going to be one of the most entertaining female real estate professionals on Instagram TV in the coming months. She’s a clear industry leader and only has room to grow.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyyoungren_/
10. Amy Bohutinsky
On this list of 10 female real estate influencers, the last is definitely not the least. Amy is the Board Director of the Zillow Group, which is a collection of the world’s largest real estate and home-related brands. Zillow completely changed the real estate game and continues to innovate the industry every single day.
If you’re looking to hone your marketing skills and if growth gets you excited, Amy is the female real estate influencer for you. In the first three days after Zillow’s launch, Amy helped obtain over 1 million visitors, followed up by over 5 million visitors in the first month. What’s more, Amy breezes through PR and has a passion for the industry that is contagious.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybo/
Who are the next female real estate influencers?
Interested in becoming one of the top women in real estate?
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Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article reported that Danielle Garofalo has children. We have corrected this error, and we sincerely apologize for the misinformation.