Business dev exec joins Howard Hanna NYC; a new CEO at Zumper 

Editor's note: As an industry with millions of agents and over 100,000 brokerage companies, new leaders rise to the top every day. Here we highlight executives and other notable leaders who've recently taken on, or stepped away from, roles that influence the residential real estate landscape.

Veteran brokerage leader joins Howard Hanna NYC

Howard Hanna NYC has appointed Hal D. Gavzie to serve as its new executive director of business development.

The "strategic" move demonstrates a commitment to "thoughtful and disciplined growth" in New York City in the wake of Howard Hanna's acquisition of Manhattan-based Elegran Real Estate last fall, Howard Hanna NYC CEO Michael Rossi said in a news release.

Gavzie is a seasoned real estate professional who has overseen more than 10,000 transactions during his 25-plus years of brokerage leadership experience, according to Howard Hanna. He most recently led strategic growth and operations for the leasing division at Douglas Elliman, and previously served as managing director of the NYC luxury real estate firm Town Residential and senior managing director at Corcoran.

A respected leader in the NYC market, Gavzie has established relationships with landlords, developers and agents alike. At Howard Hanna NYC, he will work with Rossi and other members of the leadership team to recruit agents, expand listing inventory and support the brokerage's growth strategy.

"My greatest takeaway from the past 25 years in real estate is that positive culture and agility are the ultimate differentiators," Gavzie said. "Howard Hanna NYC is the only firm that has true agent-first culture and institutional-level stability without the bureaucratic friction of a publicly traded firm."

Zumper announces C-suite promotion

Zumper has promoted Shawn Mullahy to lead the company as CEO. Mullahy, who joined the rental marketplace and apartment marketing platform in 2019 and began serving as chief revenue officer in late 2024, succeeds Co-founder Anthemos Georgiades as CEO.

Georgiades, who will transition to a chairman role after spending the past 14 years at the helm, described Mullahy as "the ideal leader to guide the company forward in this new customer-centric, AI first world."

Mullahy "brings deep operational expertise, a strong understanding of our customers, and a clear vision for the future of the rental marketplace," Georgiades said in a news release. "I'm excited to continue supporting Zumper as Chairman while Shawn leads this next chapter."

In his time at Zumper, Mullahy has focused on growth and support by working with the company's product and sales teams. Moving forward, Mullahy said he is excited by the opportunity he sees for continued growth.

"Our team is building solutions that go far beyond a traditional marketplace, helping property operators simplify marketing, reach renters more effectively, and turn digital discovery into real leasing outcomes," Mullahy said. "I'm honored to step into this role and continue building alongside the team that's driving this next chapter for Zumper."

Editor's note: AI was used in the initial drafting of this content, which was then thoroughly reviewed, fact-checked and revised by a Real Estate News editor.