The HousingWire award spotlight series highlights the individuals and organizations that have been recognized through our Editors’ Choice Awards. Nominations for HousingWire’s 2025 Rising Stars Award are open now through February 28, 2025. Click here to nominate.
Sean Soderstrom, co-founder and CEO of Courted, was named a 2024 Rising Star for his work in transforming real estate recruitment, retention, and market intelligence with data-driven solutions. The Courted platform allows brokerages of all sizes to better compete in the competitive market for attracting and supporting real estate agents.
Each year, the Rising Stars award recognizes young professionals who are shaping the future of housing through innovation, leadership, and impact. HousingWire spotlights standout individuals aged 40 and under who are driving meaningful change in mortgage and real estate.
HousingWire connected with Soderstrom as he shared the key moments that shaped his career, advice for industry newcomers, and his vision for the future of real estate technology. His journey—from strategic consulting at McKinsey to leading one of the industry’s fastest-growing startups at Courted—offers a wealth of insights for the next generation of leaders.
HousingWire: Looking back at your career, what key moments or decisions helped you rise as a leader in the housing industry?
Sean Soderstrom: My career has been defined by a combination of structured learning and real-world execution. Starting at McKinsey gave me a foundation in problem-solving and strategic thinking, but it was when I transitioned into the fast-paced world of real estate technology that I truly found my calling. Helping to build one of the fastest-growing startups in the industry taught me the importance of agility, customer obsession, and scaling with purpose.
A key turning point was founding Courted. We saw a gap in the way real estate executives and professionals leverage data to make smarter, faster decisions. By committing to solving this challenge, I was able to shape a company that not only provides valuable technology but also empowers agents to thrive in a competitive market. Leadership, to me, has always been about identifying opportunities where others see challenges and building the right team to execute on a bold vision.
HousingWire: The Rising Stars award recognizes young professionals making a major impact. What advice would you give to the next generation of industry leaders who are looking to stand out and drive meaningful change?
Sean Soderstrom: Be relentlessly curious. The housing industry is one of the most dynamic and complex markets, and those who succeed are the ones who ask the right questions and challenge the status quo. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, build relationships with mentors, and never stop learning.
At the same time, execution is everything. Vision without action is just an idea. The leaders who make the biggest impact are those who move quickly, take calculated risks, and stay deeply connected to the needs of their customers. Lastly, the ability to listen—really listen—will set you apart. Whether it’s your team, your customers, or the market itself, understanding and responding to signals is what drives real innovation.
HousingWire: How has being named a HousingWire Rising Star influenced your career or opened new opportunities for you?
Sean Soderstrom: Recognition like this validates the work we’re doing at Courted and amplifies the importance of modernizing real estate’s recruiting, retention, and market intelligence capabilities. It has provided an incredible platform to engage with other industry leaders, investors, and potential partners who are equally passionate about transforming the space.
More than anything, it reinforces the responsibility I feel to continue pushing boundaries. Being a Rising Star isn’t just about what we’ve accomplished so far—it’s about what we’re building next. It’s a call to keep innovating, keep challenging conventional thinking, and keep delivering value to the professionals who make this industry move.
HousingWire: The mortgage and real estate industries are constantly evolving — what innovations or trends are you most excited about, and how do you see them shaping the future?
We’re entering an era where the intersection of AI, predictive analytics, and personalized insights will fundamentally reshape how real estate professionals operate. The industry has historically been data-rich but insight-poor. Now, we have the tools to not only aggregate information but to deliver it in a way that enhances decision-making in real-time.
I’m especially excited about advancements in agent productivity and market intelligence. At Courted, we’re laser-focused on helping brokerages and agents optimize recruiting, retention, and performance with technology that makes their jobs easier—not harder. The next decade will belong to those who can harness these innovations to drive efficiency and effectiveness at scale.
At the macro level, the way people buy, sell, and finance homes is shifting. Consumer expectations are higher than ever, and the companies that meet them with transparency, speed, and personalization will define the future of the housing market. Those who embrace change will thrive; those who resist it will be left behind.
