The real estate leadership landscape is shifting as eXp Realty announces two major executive promotions and Howard Hanna celebrates the election of its longtime COO to a key regulatory role. The moves signal strengthened strategy and oversight across the industry.
eXp Realty unveiled two high-level promotions as the cloud brokerage positions itself for future expansion. Carrie Lysenko, formerly CEO of Zoocasa, has stepped into the chief technology officer role at eXp. She succeeds Sumanth Kamath, who exited in 2024 for another leadership opportunity. Lysenko, known for spearheading Zoocasa’s North American platform integration, will now lead eXp’s innovation roadmap designed to boost agent efficiency and productivity.
Joining her in the C-suite is Holly Mabery, previously senior vice president of brokerage operations. Mabery becomes eXp’s first chief brokerage officer after seven years of growth within the company. Her mission focuses on strengthening brokerage operations in safety, compliance, and agent support.
“Growth isn’t just learned, it’s lived,” said eXp Realty CEO Leo Pareja. He praised Lysenko’s agent-focused technology and Mabery’s operational leadership, noting their promotions underscore eXp’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and its people.
The wave of real estate leadership appointments continued at Howard Hanna Real Estate. Annie Hanna Cestra, the company’s COO for nearly four decades, has been elected chair of the Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission. Cestra previously served on the commission from 2003 to 2018, including a past term as chair in 2007. Her responsibilities include guiding regulatory initiatives and ensuring proper implementation of licensing and education standards.
Cestra expressed gratitude for the role, emphasizing Pennsylvania’s strong housing market and the importance of high industry standards. She noted her eagerness to work with commissioners and stakeholders to support sellers, buyers, and real estate professionals statewide.
