RISMedia

What RISMedia does

RISMedia is a privately held U.S. media company that has covered the residential real estate and home services industries for approximately 38 years (the annual Power Broker Report is in its 38th edition as of 2026). The company operates a horizontal content platform targeting brokerage leaders, real estate agents, and real estate teams through multiple channels: a digital news website (rismedia.com), an email newsletter, a quarterly Real Estate Magazine, podcasts, and live events. Its flagship products are the annual Power Broker Report (ranking the Top 1,000 U.S. residential brokerages by closed sales volume via an online survey), the Real Estate Newsmakers awards program (recognizing 300+ professionals per year across categories such as Luminaries, Trailblazers, Influencers, and Futurists, since 2019), and a Premier Membership subscription offering ad-free access, exclusive reports, webinars, and expert panels.

The underlying technology is a digital publishing platform with content management, an online survey infrastructure powering the Power Broker Report, and a membership/subscription system that gates premium content. The company also runs ACE Marketing Technologies LLC as a separate advertising/sponsorship sales arm and an Education Platform offering REALTOR licensing courses, continuing education, and luxury property designations. Partnerships with industry players (e.g., the February 2026 joint home inspection research with Pillar To Post and the October 2025 'Growth Through Acquisitions' event with Lamacchia Realty) support research products and educational events.

RISMedia generates revenue through three streams: recurring Premier subscriptions (30-day free trial, no credit card required for trial, full pricing not publicly disclosed); advertising and sponsorships sold through ACE Marketing Technologies to brands targeting real estate professionals; and paid events and conferences. The go-to-market is hybrid: a freemium content funnel drives Premier subscriptions via self-serve sign-up, while events and recognition programs (Power Broker Report, Newsmakers) function as sales-led and event-driven touchpoints for engaging brokerage leadership and converting sponsorships. Headcount is in the 11-50 range and the company is led by CEO John E. Featherston; it operates primarily as an independent, privately held media business with no disclosed funding rounds or parent company.

Name

RISMedia

Legal name

RISMedia

Website

https://rismedia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Industry Media

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

Keywords

• Real estate news
• Brokerage rankings
• Industry media
• Professional education
• Real estate events

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwalk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Premier Subscription: Premium subscription service providing unlimited ad-free content, exclusive reports, research, industry insights, educational webinars, and expert panels. 30-day free trial available with no credit card required.
2. Advertising and Sponsorship: Advertising and sponsorship opportunities for brands targeting real estate professionals. Contact [email protected] for opportunities.
3. Event Revenue: Paid events and conferences including educational events and award ceremonies. Events feature industry leaders and provide networking opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RISMedia publishes daily real estate industry news and operates as the publisher of the RISMedia Real Estate Magazine. The company produces the annual Power Broker Report ranking the nation's largest residential brokerages, runs the Real Estate Newsmakers awards recognition program, and sells RISMedia Premier membership to industry professionals. It also delivers real estate education, conferences, and podcasts, and provides advertising services to industry vendors through ACE Marketing Technologies.

Product overview

RISMedia is a real estate industry news publication and media company offering a suite of content, research, and educational products. The core offering is RISMedia.com, a news portal delivering real estate industry coverage. Premium offerings include an ad-free Premier Membership with exclusive reports and webinars. Research products include the annual Power Broker Report ranking the Top 1,000 brokerages. The company also operates a recognition program through the Real Estate Newsmakers Awards, publishes a Real Estate Magazine, provides education and licensing courses, hosts industry events, and offers podcast content. ACE Marketing Technologies provides advertising services. The portfolio operates primarily as content and media services rather than a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RISMedia Daily News & Digital Publication RISMedia.com daily news platform covering residential real estate industry news, trends, and editorial content for real estate professionals including brokers, agents, and industry executives.
• RISMedia Real Estate Magazine Print magazine publishing industry news, features, and analysis for real estate brokerage professionals.
• RISMedia Power Broker Report Proprietary annual ranking and research report of the largest U.S. residential real estate brokerages by transaction sides and sales volume, produced from a proprietary survey of brokerages and published each year.
• RISMedia Real Estate Newsmakers Annual recognition awards program recognizing standout residential real estate brokers, agents, executives, and teams for industry contribution, leadership, and innovation.
• RISMedia Premier Membership Paid subscription membership for real estate industry professionals providing premium access to industry content, research, tools, and other member resources.
• RISMedia Real Estate Education Educational content and training offerings for real estate brokers, agents, and industry professionals on topics relevant to running, growing, and marketing a real estate business.
• RISMedia Industry Events & Conferences Live conferences, events, and awards ceremonies for residential real estate brokerage professionals providing networking, education, and industry recognition.
• RISMedia Podcasts Industry podcast series delivering interviews, analysis, and commentary on residential real estate topics for brokers and industry professionals.
• ACE Marketing Technologies LLC Advertising services company (related to RISMedia) providing targeted digital advertising solutions to vendors serving the residential real estate industry audience.
• RISMedia Real Estate Hall of Fame Special recognition program within the Newsmakers franchise that honors individuals making an enduring contribution to the residential real estate industry, distinct from the annual Newsmakers class.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91.9% of real estate agents value online reports accessible after closing as a way to maintain client relationships (from RISMedia-Pillar To Post survey)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pillar To PostcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026RISMedia and Pillar To Post conducted a joint home inspection survey released in February 2026. The partnership produced industry research on real estate agent preferences for inspection partners, identifying must-haves including high-quality reports, calm communication, and seamless convenience.
• Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California PropertiescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2026Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties agents were recognized in RISMedia's 2026 Real Estate Newsmakers awards. Five agents received national recognition across Trailblazers, Influencers, Futurists, and Achievers categories.
• United Real EstatecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2026United Real Estate leaders were named 2026 RISMedia Real Estate Newsmakers for the sixth consecutive year. RISMedia recognition highlights the company's growth initiatives and strategic partnerships including affiliation of MORE Realty.
• RechatminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2026Rechat executives were recognized by RISMedia's Real Estate Newsmakers awards. RISMedia coverage highlights Rechat's industry recognitions including Swanepoel Power 200 ranking and HousingWire Tech100 honor.
• Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices NE, NY & Hudson ValleycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices NE, NY & Hudson Valley participates in RISMedia's Real Estate Newsmakers program. President Brenda Maher was named a 2026 RISMedia Luminary. The partnership provides recognition for brokerage leadership through the Newsmakers awards program.
• Lamacchia RealtycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025RISMedia partnered with Anthony Lamacchia of Lamacchia Realty to host 'Growth Through Acquisitions' event. Lamacchia shared his playbook for acquiring 11 companies in 26 months. The event positioned RISMedia as an educational resource for broker growth strategies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HousingWire: HousingWire is a U.S. residential real estate and mortgage industry news publication, directly comparable to RISMedia in audience (brokers, lenders, real estate professionals) and product mix (daily news, rankings like the HW Top 100, events, research). It competes head-to-head for the same advertising and sponsorship dollars.
• Inman: Inman is a long-standing real estate news and education publisher serving agents, brokers, and technology vendors. Like RISMedia, it combines editorial coverage with industry events (Inman Connect), awards, and premium content tiers, competing for the same professional audience and sponsorship budgets.
• The Real Deal: The Real Deal is a real estate industry news outlet with both digital and print publications covering residential and commercial real estate. It overlaps RISMedia's editorial coverage of brokerages and luxury market segments and competes for real estate advertising.
• T3 Sixty: T3 Sixty is a real estate industry consulting, research, and media firm (including the Swanepoel Power 200 rankings). It is directly comparable to RISMedia in producing industry rankings, research reports, and leadership events, and serves the same brokerage executive audience.

Broad incumbents

• Realtor Magazine (National Association of REALTORS): Realtor Magazine is the official publication of the National Association of REALTORS, reaching over 1 million NAR members. As a broad incumbent in the same trade-publication category, it overlaps with RISMedia's monthly/quarterly magazine and digital content targeted at the same REALTOR audience, though with much larger distribution.
• GlobeSt.com / ALM Real Estate Media: GlobeSt.com (part of ALM) covers commercial and residential real estate news and events for industry professionals. It is an adjacent incumbent with overlapping editorial content and event business, though with a stronger commercial real estate tilt than RISMedia's residential focus.

Emerging players

• Real Estate Business Institute / REBI: REBI focuses on real estate education and designations for agents and brokers. It is comparable to RISMedia's Education Platform product line, offering online courses and designations to overlapping professional segments, though with a narrower education-only focus.

Regional players

• Real Estate Trends (Florida Realtors): State-level Realtor associations (e.g., Florida Realtors) publish regional industry magazines and digital news for their members. They compete with RISMedia in regional real estate trade publishing, but with a state-only geographic scope rather than RISMedia's national U.S. coverage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/rismedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rismedia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RISMedia