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Stefan Swanepoel

Articles and News

A selection of articles, interviews and media coverage featuring Stefan Swanepoel over the past decade.

North Shore Give Charity Auction Returns, Raising Funds for Essential Kauaʻi Programs

May 30, 2026
North Shore Give President Stefan Swanepoel said the annual auction and fundraiser provides another opportunity for neighbors to uplift and support one another. “Over the past few years, the North Shore community has grown stronger as many of the essential threads — health care, education, emergency response, water, and animal services—have been woven into a more connected and resilient community,” Swanepoel said

Stefan Swanepoel Achieves Prominent Placement in The Wall Street Journal

April 3, 2026
As a prolific writer and a prominent voice in the residential real estate market, Mr. Swanepoel is known for his central role in shaping the industry for more than four decades. He founded T3 Sixty in 1998 to provide research-driven guidance to the industry. Mr. Swanepoel served as chief executive officer and president for 25 years before stepping down to become the executive chairman in 2022.

Stefan Swanepoel: Guiding Professionals in the Real Estate Sector

January 17, 2026
Over the course of his career, Swanepoel has authored more than 55 books and research reports, establishing him as one of the most widely published voices in U.S. residential real estate. His work has received multiple distinctions, including the Robert Bruss Real Estate Book Gold Award and several AXIOM Business Book Awards.

Marquis Who’s Who Honors Stefan Swanepoel for Distinguished Leadership in Shaping Research-Driven Strategy Across Residential Real Estate

January 7, 2026

Widely regarded as a steward of industry insight, Mr. Swanepoel has produced an extensive body of research and publications. Over his career, Mr. Swanepoel has written more than 55 books and reports, establishing him as one of the most published voices in U.S. residential real estate.

Stefan Swanepoel on Why Leaders Must Verify in the Age of AI

November 19, 2025

For more than 40 years, Stefan Swanepoel, founder and Executive Chairman of T3 Sixty, has built companies, guided strategy, authored multiple books, and studied leadership patterns across global markets. In an era of information abundance and with AI’s growing dominance, he urges leaders to retain an instinct for verification. “Accepting content without questioning it is […]

California Visionary Builds Real Estate News Powerhouse

October 7, 2025

In an era when nearly 60% of Americans say they regularly see misinformation in online news, one individual has prioritized journalistic integrity over sensationalism, offering the residential real estate brokerage industry a fact-based and trusted source of information. Stefan Swanepoel, an immigrant from South Africa who moved to San Diego in 1994, has spent the […]

Swanepoel Recognized for Visionary Leadership and Expertise in Real Estate

October 1, 2025

Throughout his career, Mr. Swanepoel has authored more than 55 books and reports, making him one of the most published real estate authors in United States history.

The Rock of Real Estate: Stefan Swanepoel’s Journey Across Continents to Reshape an Industry

September 30, 2025

The American residential real estate industry is vast, worth trillions, employing millions, and shaping the daily lives of families nationwide. Yet for decades, it lacked something fundamental: reliable clarity. Into that void stepped Stefan Swanepoel

The Real Estate Almanac Solidifies Its Role as Residential Real Estate’s Definitive Benchmarking Resource

August 29, 2025

His influence has not gone unnoticed. Inman News once called him real estate’s most influential “guru,” while his bestseller “Surviving Your Serengeti” reached multiple bestseller lists, such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Yet, awards are not what define him. What colleagues most often say is simpler: he is the “integrity […]

The Business of Real Estate Intelligence

July 23, 2025

The lasting influence of the Swanepoel Trends Report is due in large part to its creator, Stefan Swanepoel, one of the most influential minds in residential real estate. With over 50 books and reports to his name, Swanepoel has helped industry leaders interpret change and anticipate disruption for more than four decades.

The architect of Opportunity on the ‘positive potential’ ahead

January 1, 2025

Real estate visionary Stefan Swanepoel says the fragmented industry must pull together despite differences over issues like Clear Cooperation. Here’s how.

From Dire Predictions to Opportunities: A Decade After the DANGER Report

October 24, 2024

Well, it’s out. About a decade after the D.A.N.G.E.R. Report made 10 predictions about the real estate industry, we now have the Real Estate Opportunity Report.

A Danger foretold: NARʻs Warning dominance

October 21, 2024

The DANGER Report spelled out risks for MLSs, state and local Realtor associations, and NAR — which has weathered unprecedented challenges to its authority.

Upcoming Opportunities in Real Estate with Stefan Swanepoel

August 8, 2024

If you’ve been in the real estate industry long enough, you should be familiar with the Trend Reports and at least heard of the Danger Report.

Danger Report follow-up to have new focus: Opportunity

June 24, 2024

A sequel to the industry-challenging assessment is being developed and will focus on the future. “The time is now for the industry to transform itself.”

Over $100,000 raised by North Shore Give Charity Auction and Gala

March 1, 2024

Hosted by North Shore Give, the d/b/a for the charitable nonprofit Kauaʻi North Shore Community Foundation founded in 2012, the North Shore Give Charity Auction and Gala held on Feb. 21 raised over $100,000.

North Shore nonprofit creates new brand, hires first full-time executive director

November 4, 2023

The Kauaʻi North Shore Community Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 2012, has made significant changes to its name, officers and staff. The Foundation’s board unanimously elected Stefan Swanepoel as its new president, Louis LaFratta as vice president, April McGinnis as treasurer and Mary Paterson as secretary.

2023ʻs Most Powerful, Influential Names in Real Estate Industry

January 10, 2023

T3 Sixty releases its annual Swanepoel Power 200 list, revealing the movers and shakers in the industry.

Real estate guru to launch industry news site

September 30, 2022

Swanepoel, founder and executive chairman of the T3 Sixty real estate consultancy, announced plans this week to launch Real Estate News this fall, promising a “factual, objective, relevant, concise, to-the-point” news source for the residential real estate brokerage industry, as he explained during a webcast about the site.

20 Real Estate Companies Have 60% of Market Share

April 6, 2022

Real estate giants are getting even bigger. In 2021, the nation’s largest real estate firms accounted for 61.2% of the total sales for the year, representing the largest year-over-year jump on record, according to the newly released 2022 Real Estate Almanac by T3 Sixty, a real estate consulting firm.

The Biggest Flaw in NARʻs Defense of Commissions

March 26, 2021

This problem of incompetence has been a plague on the industry since long before I even got started in it. In fact, it is NAR itself that commissioned Swanepoel to publish the DANGER Report in 2015 with this as the A-1 threat.

T3 Sixty release massive, 450-page real estate report

June 22, 2020

The Real Estate Almanac is a hard copy compendium of the company’s research reports

NAREE Announces 12th Bruss Real Estate Book Award Winners

June 29, 2019

Authors Stefan Swanepoel and Paul Hagey, who wrote, “2019 Swanepoel Trends Report,” published by T3 Sixty, won the top honors, NAREE’s Gold Award.

Tables turning on real estate

May 1, 2018

The ascendance of Redfin and Compass in the new Swanepoel Mega 1000 rankings shows how once again, upstarts are beating incumbents at their own game.

T3 has become the industry’s bedrock through objective and in-depth research and analysis

January 1, 2018

T3 Sixty LLC is the leading strategic information company in the residential real estate brokerage industry and leverages over 20 years of exhaustive analysis resulting in more reports and studies published than any other consulting company in the industry.

3 Simple Things You Must Do to Create a Rock-Solid Business Plan

September 27, 2017

Many people dream of becoming an entrepreneur — and making the millions that can come with owning a business. The only problem: There’s a huge gap between dreams and what it takes to make them a reality.

How to Create a Pay Structure That Promotes Team and Company Growth

September 27, 2017

No matter which compensation structure you use, match it to the needs of your employees, their efforts and successes, to incentivize business growth.

3 Tips for Balancing the Needs of Your Investors and Customers

August 25, 2017

Juggling all of the elements required to keep a company moving in a fiscally responsible direction can be daunting, even for executives with considerable experience. Focusing on these three goals will help maintain the balance.

5 Ways to Budget Your Time to Ensure Long-Term Success

August 8, 2017

Knowing how to budget your time wisely can mean the difference between a streak of short-term wins versus long-term successes.

3 Lessons in Communication From 2017 PR Gaffes

July 10, 2017

In a time when even the most ordinary post can go viral, leaders can no longer afford to ask their PR departments to craft a crisis-specific response. Nor do they have the luxury of “sleeping” on it. Messages are now demanded on the spot before you ever have a chance to think.

It’s Never Too Early to Plan Your Business’s Succession Strategy

June 13, 2017

The previous 12 months and the next 12 months will bring more significant shifts in leadership in the residential real estate brokerage industry than ever before. The CEO posts — at high-profile places like Coldwell Banker, RE/MAX, and Keller Williams, to name a few — are being vacated mostly by Baby Boomers and executives with […]

5 Strategies To Help Legacy Industries Avoid Technological Growing Pains

May 15, 2017

Although real estate struggles with fragmentation, its biggest issue is the same one many legacy industries grapple with: applying and updating long-entrenched processes. Implementing the needed technology can be a challenge, especially as independent agents and workers in general play bigger roles in these legacy industries.

How To Manage Expectations with a Growing Team

May 4, 2017

Startups must let go of the management reins as they accelerate toward their desired destination by building specially designed teams with smaller-than-normal numbers. The result yields less frazzled managers and staff members who are focused on carrying out the tasks at hand. Here are some thoughts on how teams differ, what makes them tick, and […]

5 Ways To Use Dual Strategies And Plans To Keep Every Piece In Play

February 23, 2017

Life and business are both like a game of chess. They require identifying hurdles, evaluating options, organizing priorities, and deciding on execution. Playing chess without planning or a strategy is reckless; the same applies to running a business without a blueprint.

5 Steps to Communicate More Successfully Across Cultures

February 21, 2017

There are many cultures, tribes, nations, and languages across the world. As someone who has lived in four countries and visited more than 40, I can tell you we’re all very different people. Obviously, we speak distinctively different languages, pray to different gods, and eat dissimilar foods, but those are the obvious, surface-level differences we […]

Three factors that will affect the Real Estate Industry under a Trump Presidency

February 14, 2017

2016 has come and gone — but not without its share of surprises. First, the Brexit vote shocked the world as the European Union suffered an unexpected loss, and then Donald Trump flouted every poll by winning the presidency over frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

Inman Real Estate Influencers of 2017

January 1, 2017

The most influential real estate industry guru, Stefan Swanepoel is the CEO and chairman of the Swanepoel T3 Group, the publisher of industry benchmarkers like the Swanepoel Trends Report, SP200 and T3 Tech Guide. As editor-in-chief of many of his reports, he analyzes hundreds of the real estate industry’s most innovative businesses, individuals and market […]

I’ve given over 1,000 presentations in the past 30 years — here are my 5 best public speaking tips

January 1, 2017

Glossophobia — better known as a fear of public speaking — affects 74% of people, according to a National Institute of Mental Health survey. So it’s no surprise the very thought of addressing large crowds causes so much stress, angst, and discomfort.

4 Ways Storytelling Can Make Your Personal Brand Pop

November 9, 2016

There were many reasons for the company’s success throughout the years, but one important factor was the use of storytelling to elevate the personal brand behind it. Storytelling isn’t the cornerstone of leadership, but it often enables leaders to connect with an audience in ways normal forms of communication fall short. CEOs like Kelleher, Richard […]

The Amazon Effect: 3 Strategies to Start Killing it in Your Category

October 19, 2016

The retail landscape is changing, and it all can be traced back to a phenomenon dubbed the Amazon effect. This trend, in which online retailers are cutting into the market shares of even the biggest of big-box chains, has small business owners asking one question: What do we do?

The Lead-Generation Technique You Probably Haven’t Thought Of

October 18, 2016

Creating helpful and relevant gated content can give your business a boost in terms of sales. Pieces of gated content like white papers or case studies can be antidotes to this problem. These documents not only provide valuable information, but they’re also cost-effective marketing vehicles that attract new customers.

Machine Learning Is Redefining Real Estate Search

August 8, 2016

By teaching computers how to interpret the visual world, MLS photos are starting to unlock an enormous treasure trove of listing data that was previously unavailable. Read more about Computer Vision and how it is going to change the home buying process.

How Executives Can Navigate the ‘Old Meets New’ Mindset of Tech Disruption

July 26, 2016

Technology’s forward movement is nothing new. It’s simply a question of whether you will allow it to disrupt you or whether you can ride the wave and make it work for your company.

Language Barrier: How Words May Impede Problem-Solving

July 21, 2016

Positive words can’t completely solve a problem. They certainly can, however, help a message be better received. Let your words be confident, energetic, committed, focused, and positive. Here are some guidelines.

Real Estate Search Redefined

July 7, 2016

By teaching computers how to interpret the visual world, MLS photos are starting to unlock an enormous treasure trove of listing data that was previously unavailable. Read more about Computer Vision and how it is going to change the home buying process.

How VC Funding Is Transforming the Real Estate Industry

May 31, 2016

The real estate brokerage business is one of America’s last cottage-type industries. In 2015, the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) estimated the United States had roughly 2 million individual licensees active.

How Entrepreneurs Can Use Predictive Analytics to Ride the House-Surfing Wave

May 16, 2016

When Zillow launched its website and Zestimate system a decade ago, home-buying veered onto a new track: Consumers felt empowered with the abundance of information they were gaining about the value of their homes, and about what it means to own one.

3 Standards Necessary for Increased Smart Home Security

April 23, 2016

The world is getting smarter, and houses are no exception. With nearly 80 per cent of Millennials rallying around smart home technology, the industry is projected to be a $58 billion business by 2020.

Marketing to Millennials Comes Down to 3 Simple Practices

April 8, 2016

Millennials are on the minds of almost everyone these days. Employers are trying to attract and retain them, political candidates are trying to win their votes, and marketers are, of course, trying to determine the best means of reaching them.

“Humility is the difference between confidence and arrogance.”

— Stefan Swanepoel