Business Insider Names Its 2026 Rising Stars of Real Estate

Business Insider has named 20 professionals aged 35 and under to its 2026 rising stars of real estate list — a class that has collectively closed billions in transactions while the industry absorbs commission lawsuits, listing-site shake-ups, new tax rules in New York and California, and the spread of AI.

"Real estate is built for a world that no longer exists," said Selin Sonmez, 32, cofounder of the subletting startup Snag and one of the honorees. "Its biggest challenge is adapting to the new economic reality of the rising generation."

The list spans agents, brokers, fintech founders, capital markets specialists, a lawyer, and a lobbyist-turned-trade-association chief.

Who closed the biggest deals?

Jack Harris and Michael Fahimian, both 28, anchor The Beverly Hills Estates' luxury practice. They closed more than $800 million in sales in 2025, earned RealTrends' top small real estate team ranking, and represented the buyer on the $55 million O'Malley estate in Malibu's Paradise Cove. They hold the exclusive listing on the $400 million Chalon Estate and have closed more than $2 billion in career sales while overseeing roughly $1 billion in listings.

At Blue Owl Capital, Jared Sheiker, 33, helped execute a $2.4 billion take-private acquisition of the REIT Sila Realty Trust in 2026. His career turned at 24, when he ran a $1.3 billion portfolio sale at Oak Street Real Estate Capital. "The process was far from smooth," Sheiker said. "I made plenty of mistakes, came close to quitting more than once."

Joey Ben-Zvi, 30, of Netflix's "Buying Beverly Hills," founded the Ben-Zvi Group in 2021. It has totaled over $200 million in transactions in the last two years. "Every property has its own story, challenges, and opportunities," he said, adding that "the underlying process of preparation, positioning, and execution can be replicated."

What is happening in capital markets and offices?

Michael Dillon, 31, a vice president at Prime Finance, has traded a $3.1 billion portfolio of investment-grade and lower-rated CMBS, launched the firm's first separately managed account with a sovereign wealth fund, and grown portfolio management to over 350 bond positions backed by 4,000-plus loans and 8,000 properties.

Kate Mooney, 30, a senior associate at Alterra IOS, supports more than $2 billion in debt financing. Her past year includes a $400 million refinancing led by Truist and KeyBank, a $244 million Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies loan, a $103 million PGIM facility, and Blue Owl's inaugural $150 million industrial outdoor storage loan.

Alex Dobosh, 28, of HKS Real Estate Advisors, has executed over $2 billion in transactions, including $350 million in the past year. Tim Donovan, 30, cofounded Midloch at 23; the firm has overseen $1 billion in transactions. "Relationships are paramount," Donovan said.

On the office side, Paige Engeldrum, 35, executive director at Cushman & Wakefield, advised Moody's on its move from the World Trade Center to 200 Liberty Street — over 400,000 square feet and one of New York's largest office signings of 2025, with an estimated annual cost of $28.1 million per CoStar. Cordelia Meserow, 35, vice president at Harbor Group International, helped lease 51W52, the $760 million former CBS headquarters.

Jameson Hartman, 32, moved from Goldman Sachs real estate banking to RET Ventures in 2020 and has helped underwrite billion-dollar-plus mergers.

Which founders are reshaping the market?

Landy Liu, 32, spent his downpayment to launch Foyer, a "401(k) for homeownership" offering FDIC-insured accounts at 3.58% APY. Foyer has drawn over 20,000 users, supported nearly $100 million in home sales, and signed its first Fortune 500 partner this year.

Dominic Parikh, 35, launched Real Wallet Capital, which has provided over $25 million in funding to 1,700-plus agents by underwriting business performance instead of credit scores. Sonmez's Snag raised a $4 million seed round in September.

Ruben Marin, 27, closed over $6 million in volume with a 411% jump in closed units at CENTURY 21 Circle. Steven Rivera, 35, built an AI-powered back office for his Long Island team. Saharsh Chordia, 33, built RevenX, Cortland's AI revenue management platform.

In policy, Kenny Burgos, 32, leads the New York Apartment Association, representing owners of about half a million rent-stabilized apartments. Katherine McGrath, 27, directs land use at Kasirer, including a downtown Brooklyn rezoning with over 1,200 housing units. James Williams Jr., 35, a Gunster shareholder, is leading entitlements including up to 896 multifamily units at the Miami International Mall site and a 3.65 million-square-foot industrial hub.

Julia Callahan, 32, rose from entry level to senior director at PR firm M18.

The list signals where the industry is heading: AI-driven pricing, agent-focused fintech, and entitlement work in Sun Belt markets are the growth channels this generation is betting on.