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Inman on Thursday unveiled the winners of the 2023 “Inman Innovator” awards, with the chief executive of the rapidly rising Real Brokerage, the company’s president and its chief technology officer all taking top honors.
Real Brokerage CEO Tamir Poleg, Chief Technology Officer Pritesh Damani and President Sharran Srivatsaa snagged the “Innovator of the Year” award Thursday for their roles in guiding the company through choppy economic waters this year. Inside Real Estate walked away with a “Company of the Year” award and Jorden Cohen of RE/MAX celebrated his “Top Agent” win during a ceremony at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
During his latest Inman Connect CEO appearance on Wednesday, the Poleg said Real was “on fire” as it rapidly grows agent count, draws top-performing agents and readies itself for several major tech rollouts and updates.
Poleg, Damani, Srivatsaa and the other honorees were speechless as they accepted their awards on the last day of Inman Connect Las Vegas.
Read the full list of this year’s winners below:
Innovator of the Year: Tamir Poleg, Pritesh Damani and Sharran Srivatsaa
The Real Brokerage’s c-suite took home the top honors for the Inman Innovator Awards. Despite a challenging 2022, Poleg, Damani and Srivatsaa have pulled off an enviable 2023 performance with the company more than doubling its revenues and agent count in the second quarter of the year. Poleg said his company proves the value of a low-fee virtual brokerage, and he looks forward to growing the brand’s tech footprint with supercharged agent and consumer-facing applications.
Company of the Year: Inside Real Estate
Inside Real Estate is a real estate technology company behind kvCORE, an award-winning platform that enables agents to manage their websites, leads, customer relationships, listings, marketing and transactions. The platform also gives agents access to invaluable business intelligence and analytics and vetted add-ons for things like additional lead generation, premium website enhancements and expert coaching. Inside Real Estate has won several other awards, including RISMedia Newsmaker Awards and G2 Top 100 Software Companies.
Top Agent or Team: Jordan Cohen, RE/MAX
Jordan Cohen is the No.1 RE/MAX agent worldwide, with an annual sales volume average of $314,000,000. Cohen only works with two assistants, Kristi Dougherty and Madison Adams, and has become one of the go-to agents for California’s leading professional athletes, actors, entertainers, and Hollywood executives. Cohen recently published “The Agent’s Edge,” which outlines what agents must do to create the real estate career of their dreams.
Top Brokerage: William Raveis
William Raveis is the top-performing family-owned brokerage in the Northeast and Florida. Its founder, Bill Raveis, started the company in 1974 with a $2,000 loan, a desk, a phone, and an MLS book. Bill still serves as the company’s Chairman and CEO, and his sons Chris and Ryan serve as co-presidents.
Top Technology: Restb.ai
Restb.ai is leading the way in artificial intelligence, with the company leveraging advanced AI models to process billions of property images and help agents tag images with more than 500 details, like room types and architectural styles, property condition, visual similarities, image captions, photo compliance and five other key tasks. Restb.ai counts legacy real estate companies like CoreLogic, Black Knight, Blackstone and Midwest Real Estate Data as some of its top partners.
The 2023 Inman Innovator Award winners | Credit: AJ Canaria Creative Services
Top Video or Podcast: Glitter and Gay, Tyler Whitman and Glennda Baker
Real estate experts Glennda Baker and Tyler Whitman have taken the podcasting world by storm with their show, Glitter and Gay. Baker and Whitman share how they’ve built their dream lives and discuss their sobriety journeys with humor and grace. They currently have five-star reviews on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Top MLS, Association, or Industry Organization: REcolorado
REColorado is Colorado’s largest multiple listing service (MLS) with 26,000 agents. REColorado has spent much of 2023 making tech strides through the launch of a consumer-facing site, Nestfully, and a partnership with SkySlope.
Top Marketing or Branding Campaign: Engel & Völkers Refinement
Noted luxury brand Engel & Völkers unveiled a brand refresh during its EVX Conference in March. Engel & Völkers Americas CEO Anthony Hitt said the branding campaign — named Refinement — elevates the brokerage’s classic look with a new proprietary font, an expanded color palette, an updated villa graphic that features the motto “Dum Spiro Spero,” which translates to “While I breathe, I hope.” Beyond providing a fresher look, Hitt said it reflects the brokerage’s goal of cutting out unnecessary things and holding true to business basics.
The Nate Ellis Award: Greg Robertson, Vendor Alley
Industry veteran Greg Robertson took home the Nate Ellis Award, which honors people who are giving back to the real estate community. Robertson is the man behind several landmark tech brands IRIS and W+R Studios, the latter of which was acquired by Lone Wolf Technologies in 2020. He’s also the founder of Vendor Alley, a trusted platform for real estate news and other industry-related musings.
