Abel chairs Berkshire Hathaway Energy, parent of HomeServices of America (HSA). In 2024, Abel helped spearhead HSA’s $250 million Sitzer-Burnett settlement (the last defendant to settle) and its $4.7 million sell-side Gibson-Umpa settlement (although BHE remains a defendant in that case). Abel, who started out as an accountant in Canada, has overseen subsidiaries since 2018 as vice-chair of Berkshire Hathaway’s non-insurance operations. Although charged with many responsibilities, the anticipated successor to Warren Buffet meets routinely with Gino Blefari, CEO of HSA, the nation’s fourth largest real estate enterprise.

Ferguson is President-Elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Most recently an FTC commissioner, Ferguson replaces Democrat Lina Khan and does not need to be confirmed by the Senate to become chair. Meador is a partner at Kressin Meador Powers LLC, and former solicitor general of the Commonwealth of Virginia, who has worked in antitrust for the FTC and the U.S. Department of Justice. In his role, the Republican lawyer will oversee and regulate the residential real estate sector to ensure fair competition and protect consumers.

Reporting on real estate for “The New York Times,” Kamin leads coverage on the newspaper’s compensation lawsuit and impact coverage. As part of her industry coverage, she also broke various exposés about NAR including the stories of lavish spending by NAR leadership, spending by the association’s American Property Ownership Alliance and the scandal that led to the resignation of former NAR president Kenny Purcell. Her report on racism in home appraisals also prompted a national task force to address bias in home valuations. Kamin’s ongoing coverage of real estate and the association for one of the nation’s most popular newspapers plays a significant role in shaping consumer perception of the industry.

As lead counsel for the plaintiffs in the landmark Sitzer-Burnett trial, Ketchmark secured a landmark $1.8 billion jury verdict against NAR and major brokerages. His firm continues to pursue the Gibson case, which he filed immediately after the jury returned its Sitzer-Burnett verdict. Many defendants have settled, but several remain and litigation continues. The NAR settlement has also been appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals Eighth Circuit. In 2025, Ketchmark will continue to have a role to play in the industry’s legal battles.

Known for her critical analysis of real estate contracts, Monestier has filed formal objections to the NAR settlement and regularly collaborates with the U.S. Department of Justice on antitrust matters. In 2024, she authored a harsh critique of the California Association of Realtors’ buyer’s representation and seller listing agreements, evaluated the Real Estate Board of New York’s buyer broker checklist and published her own three-page buyer representation agreement along with guides for consumers. She has taken an active role in challenging the industry leveraging her academic and legal experience for credibility.

As head of the Fed since 2018, Powell’s actions and decisions have a big impact on the residential real estate industry. His decisions for the Fed have a direct impact on the real estate industry by shaping mortgage rates, influencing borrowing costs and impacting consumer confidence. President-elect Donald Trump and his Treasury secretary pick, Scott Bessent, were both critical of Powell but stated they intended to leave him in charge of the U.S. central back for the duration of his term (which ends in May 2026).

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the DOJ’s antitrust division is a seasoned attorney who served on the White House’s National Economic Council in 2018. An economic adviser for vice president-elect JD Vance, she was expected to crack down on Big Tech in particular. Otherwise, Slater, who also served as a regulator with the Federal Trade Commission in the George W. Bush and Obama administrations, was anticipated to relax regulations around mergers and acquisitions, which could favor larger real estate enterprises.

In February 2024, Tebbit and Mueller-Borja were appointed to the top real estate post at BlackRock. Tebbit, who joined the firm in 2011, had been overseeing the asset manager’s global core equity platform. Mueller-Borja, who joined in 2014, most recently oversaw a consolidation of real estate investment approaches across the U.S., Europe and Asia for value-add real estate. BlackRock is an institutional investor in many real estate brokerages. In November 2024, its holdings included stakes in Anywhere Real Estate, CoStar Group, Compass, eXp World Holdings, Realogy, Redfin and The Real Brokerage.

The FHFA Director oversees key aspects of the housing finance system, including the regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks. As of December 2024, Sandra L. Thompson, a Biden appointee, was in the top spot. However, a new leader and fresh direction were widely anticipated with the transition of power. One expectation is that during his second term, President-elect Donald Trump will work to achieve his first-term goal of privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

President-elect Trump, who first gained fame as a real estate developer, is anticipated to bring significant changes to the real estate market in his second term. A business-friendly politician who favors tax cuts and deregulation, the returning president regained Washington on the promise of lowering interest rates, providing cheaper homes and cutting regulations for homebuilders. He has also called for opening up federal land, most of it in the West, to home construction. Nevertheless, costs could rise if his planned deportations cut the construction workforce and import tariffs increase materials costs.