Annual ranking recognizes most influential leaders in real estate
RE/MAX leaders have been named among North America’s most powerful and influential figures in real estate, as part of the prestigious 12th annual Swanepoel Power 200 (SP200) list released by real estate management consulting firm T3 Sixty. Among them are Erik Carlson, CEO of RE/MAX Holdings, the parent company of RE/MAX, LLC, Motto Mortgage and wemlo, and Christopher Alexander, President of RE/MAX Canada.
They are joined by James O’Bryon, Chad Ochsner, Brenda Tushaus and Keith Myers, who head up the network’s largest multi-office, multi-state brokerage groups in the U.S.
Two more RE/MAX leaders were also honoured on the “Watchlist” of rising stars: Debra Beagle, Co-Owner and CEO, The Ashton Real Estate Group of RE/MAX Advantage and Suzanne Bushard, President, RE/MAX Results.
“Congratulations to those who earned a spot in this year’s ranking. I’m honoured and humbled to be named once again, among so many incredible leaders including our very own from the RE/MAX network, who are making an important impact on their companies, communities and the broader industry. I look forward to seeing the ways in which we can grow our business and change lives in the year ahead.”
Christopher Alexander, President, RE/MAX Canada
RE/MAX on the 2025 SP200 List
W. Erik Carlson
2025 Ranking: #22
Role: CEO RE/MAX Holdings
What T3 Sixty said… Carlson joined the nation’s third largest franchise brand, RE/MAX Holdings, as CEO in November 2023. He has led the company to a return to profitability in 2024 (after seeing a net loss in 2023). In his role, the 28-year veteran of the DISH Network Corporation oversees RE/MAX’s global franchise network and its mortgage brokerages within the U.S. under the Motto Mortgage brand. Carlson is also on the RE/MAX Holdings board of directors.
Christopher Alexander
2025 Ranking: #55
Role: President, RE/MAX Canada
What T3 Sixty said… Alexander has helmed Canada’s largest real estate franchise brand since 2021. As president of RE/MAX Canada, he oversees operations in all Canadian provinces but Quebec, which remains independent, although he works closely with their leaders to build comprehensive brand strategy. Alexander, who began his career as a RE/MAX sales associate in 2010, is the grandson of Frank J. Polzler, who co-founded the first RE/MAX region in Atlantic Canada in 1980.
James O’Bryon
2025 Ranking: #41
Role: CEO RE/MAX Gold Nation
What T3 Sixty said… O’Bryon has been at RE/MAX Gold Nation as CEO for more than 25 years. In that time, he has grown the company immensely from its Northern California base. The brokerage is part of Gold Nation, for which O’Bryon oversees over 2,400 agents, who do over $12 billion in annual sales, operating in California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, and Washington. In 2024, the company launched Gold Capital Partners, allowing agents and staff to own a part of Gold Nation.
Chad Ochsner
2025 Ranking: #49
Role: Broker-Owner, RE/MAX Alliance
What T3 Sixty said… Since 1999, Ochsner has owned Denver-based brokerage RE/MAX Alliance, which has nearly 700 agents who do approximately $3 billion in annual sales. He is a second-generation Realtor who has also served as a director of the Colorado Association of Realtors and has been on the board of the Denver Metro Association of Realtors and REcolorado (Denver’s MLS), as well as the advisory boards of Realtor.com, Zillow and Trulia. Ochsner also owns mortgage and insurance companies and is active in land development.
Brenda Tushaus
2025 Ranking: #62
Role: CEO, RE/MAX Results
What T3 Sixty said… Tushaus manages RE/MAX Results whose agents in Minnesota and western Wisconsin do nearly $6 billion in annual sales. In 2024, the firm’s founder John Collopy retired and promoted his daughter Suzanne Bushard to the new role of president to work in tandem with Tushaus. Prior to becoming CEO in 2018, Tushaus held a variety of positions over 16 years with the company, most recently as chief operating officer.
Keith Myers
2025 Ranking: #136
Role: President, RE/MAX One (a RE/MAX Gold Nation company)
What T3 Sixty said… A real estate broker since 1984, Myers is President of the Southern California-based RE/MAX One. He oversees 450 agents at a firm he has led since 2018. In 2018, the firm joined RE/MAX Gold Nation to expand its reach in California and Nevada. Myers, a four-decade industry veteran, has also co-owned and been a managing partner of Landmark Escrow Inc. since 1998.
Landing on the list is not easy. The T3 leadership team evaluates contenders based on four key criteria: their power within their own company; their reputation and influence among industry peers; their relative power among their industry subgroup (e.g. brokerage, MLS, etc.); and their anticipated impact in the foreseeable future.
Swanepoel Power 200 Archives
2024 Swanepoel Power 200
The full list of RE/MAX leaders featured in the 2024 Swanepoel Power 200 includes (listed in SP200 rank order):
- #10 Nick Bailey – RE/MAX, LLC
- #38 James O’Bryon – RE/MAX Gold
- #47 Chad Ochsner – RE/MAX Alliance & RE/MAX Equity Group
- #48 Christopher Alexander – RE/MAX Canada
- #64 Brenda Tushaus – RE/MAX Results
- #151 Amy Lessinger – RE/MAX, LLC
2023 Swanepoel Power 200
The full list of RE/MAX leaders featured in the 2023 Swanepoel Power 200 includes (listed in SP200 rank order):
- #11 Nick Bailey – RE/MAX, LLC
- #39 James O’Bryon – RE/MAX Gold
- #46 Chad Ochsner – RE/MAX Alliance & RE/MAX Equity Group
- #58 Brenda Tushaus – RE/MAX Results
- #67 Christopher Alexander – RE/MAX Canada
- #154 Sandra Sanders – RE/MAX Estate Properties
- #161 Elton Ash – RE/MAX Canada
- #118 Pierre Titley – RE/MAX Quebec
2022 Swanepoel Power 200
The full list of RE/MAX leaders featured in the 2022 Swanepoel Power 200 includes (listed in SP200 rank order):
- #9 – Adam Contos, RE/MAX Holdings, Inc.
- #23 – Nick Bailey, RE/MAX, LLC
- #42 – James O’Bryon, RE/MAX Gold
- #48 – Chad Ochsner, RE/MAX Alliance and RE/MAX Equity Group
- #66 – Brenda Tushaus, RE/MAX Results
- #92 – Christopher Alexander, RE/MAX Canada
- #126 – Pierre Titley, RE/MAX Quebec
- #154 – Sandra Sanders, RE/MAX Estate Properties
- #177 – Elton Ash, RE/MAX Canada
2021 Swanepoel Power 200
The full list of RE/MAX leaders featured in the 2021 Swanepoel Power 200 includes (listed in SP200 rank order):
- #9 Adam Contos, CEO of RE/MAX Holdings
- #32 Walter Schneider, Co-Founder and President, RE/MAX INTEGRA
- #36 Nick Bailey, RE/MAX Chief Customer Officer
- #44 James O’Bryon, Co-Owner and CEO of RE/MAX Gold
- #49 Chad Ochsner, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Alliance
- #83 Brenda Tushaus, CEO of RE/MAX Results
- #95 Elton Ash, Regional Executive Vice President, RE/MAX of Western Canada
- #112 Pierre Titley, Co-Founder and President, RE/MAX Quebec
- #149 Sandra Sanders, Founder and President, RE/MAX Estate Properties
- # 191 Luis Padilla, 2021 President, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP); and CEO of The Padilla Team at RE/MAX Advance Realty
2020 Swanepoel Power 200
The full list of RE/MAX Leaders featured in the 2020 Swanepoel Power 200 include (listed in SP200 rank order):
- #6 Adam Contos, RE/MAX CEO
- #34 Walter Schneider, RE/MAX Integra
- #34 Pamela Alexander, RE/MAX Integra
- #46 Chad Ochsner, RE/MAX Alliance
- #66 James O’Bryon, RE/MAX Gold
- #74 Elton Ash, RE/MAX of Western Canada
- #82 Nick Bailey, RE/MAX Chief Customer Officer
- #84 Brenda Tushaus, RE/MAX Results
- #116 Pierre Titley, RE/MAX Quebec
- #127 Sandra Sanders, RE/MAX Estate Properties
- #189 Serene Smith, RE/MAX Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff
