Our team
Every member of the Real Estate News team operates with a commitment to journalistic principles of objectivity, transparency and fairness.
Stefan Swanepoel
Founder and Executive Chairman
Stefan is a strategic leader, best-selling author and innovator who has shaped residential real estate as an executive and trusted advisor for four decades. He established T3 Sixty, the industry's leading consultancy, and built it on a foundation of data, analysis and objectivity. The Swanepoel Trends Report is the most widely read and respected publication of its kind, and leaders consider a spot on the Swanepoel Power 200 ranking of top executives to be a coveted honor. Stefan lives in Hawaii, was born in Kenya and completed schooling in Hong Kong, South Africa and the U.S., giving him a global perspective on his "beloved industry."
Mitch Robinson
President
Mitch is a longtime real estate and tech industry leader who is known for his entrepreneurial ability to build businesses, grow audiences and create strong teams. Before leading Real Estate News, Mitch was a senior executive at fintech startup Tomo, CMO at eXp World Holdings, and an early employee at Expedia and Zillow. Mitch loves to share stories about his early career in broadcast television, where he was smart enough to rarely be on the air. He says the best move he ever made was to marry a journalist.
Stephanie Reid-Simons
Senior Vice President
Stephanie followed her grandpa's path into journalism, reporting and editing her way into leadership roles with news teams covering everything from courts and crime to entertainment, sports and business. At Amazon and Zillow, she used her strategic storytelling skills to earn the attention of millions of people, establish a content marketing practice and help build a creative agency. She enjoys spending time with her family and tackling overly ambitious home-improvement projects.
Amie Fisher
Director, News Editing
Amie is a Seattle-based real estate editor and writer with experience covering agent news, consumer housing, rentals and the luxury market. She has led content and editorial teams, most recently at Pacaso, and previously worked as the managing editor for a regional lifestyle magazine. A Pacific Northwest native, she grew up in rural Southern Oregon among tall trees, baby goats and a territorial rooster.
Dave Gallagher
Director, News Reporting
Dave's journalism career spans 24 years covering business, the economy and real estate in Northwest Washington. He's also a numbers nerd, examining data to spot emerging trends in industries. Having started his career as a sports writer, he's a lifelong baseball and soccer fan and recently discovered pickleball. He grew up in Yosemite National Park and earned his journalism degree at Humboldt State University in northern California.
AJ LaTrace
Director, News Reporting
AJ has covered real estate for the last decade as a reporter and editor for publications including Vox Media's Curbed, Chicago magazine and Business Insider. At Business Insider, AJ led the brand's coverage of how everyday people invest in real estate as a means of gaining financial independence, and he reported on big-picture trends and pain points in the broader U.S. real estate market. AJ is based in Chicago, where he also moonlights as a small-time landlord.
Christine Labozan
Director, Advertising and Subscriptions
Christine began her career in advertising at a small television station in South Dakota. She's forever grateful to have been lured by friends to the mountains of Colorado and has spent the last 30 years working with business owners, connecting them to their customers through newspaper and digital advertising. Christine and her husband travel as often as their schedules allow and spend lots of time with their family, including their new grandson George.
Lanette Behiry
Graphic Designer
Lanette is a visual storyteller and brand designer whose background includes real estate and news. She also has spearheaded international marketing campaigns across digital and print. At eXp, she played a key role in updating the logo and brand identity. Hearst Television was all about motion, from graphics to the agility of delivering results on deadline. Lanette is an avid traveler and proud Floridian who loves to spend time with her family and her dog Rocco.
Jordan Elkins
Manager, Social Media
Jordan is a dynamic social media marketer who excels at telling brand stories through a creative and curated lens. She previously managed global accounts for Keller Williams Realty International. Both of Jordan's parents are former journalists, so joining a news organization was a natural fit. Jordan is a native Austinite who loves to travel the world, make pottery, and hang out with her rescue dogs Ringo and Stevie.