BOSTON — Fifteen prominent real estate leaders have been recognized among the 150 Most Influential Bostonians of 2025, an annual honor curated by Boston Magazine that highlights the individuals shaping the future of the city across business, politics, culture, and beyond.
“Power moves fast in this town—unstoppable and undeniable,” the magazine notes. “In curating this list each year, we’re always faced with a challenging question: How do you define something as elusive as influence? It emerges in boardrooms and on Instagram Reels, through quiet policy shifts and resounding cultural moments.”
These 15 honorees have not only helped reshape Boston’s skyline but also its economic landscape and community development initiatives. Their inclusion reflects the growing impact of the real estate sector—and of Indian American leadership—in driving the city’s transformation.
Scroll below to view the individual profiles and rankings of these distinguished real estate executives, as featured in Boston Magazine.
# 11.
John Fish
Chair and CEO, Suffolk Construction Company
→ 41 million square feet of healthcare and K-12 academic construction
→ 14 offices across the country
In December, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce named Fish a Distinguished Bostonian, and he fits the phrase perfectly. The construction king’s company keeps growing, as does his fortune (reportedly north of $2 billion), and he remains one of the first calls for anyone looking to get something major done in Boston. And his philanthropy keeps expanding: He and his wife, Cynthia, recently pledged $10 million to his alma mater, Tabor Academy, following their $25 million donation to Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
# 12.
Jonathan Kraft
President, the Kraft group and New England Patriots
→ $550 million in total improvements to Gillette Stadium
→ 9,500 employees
Jonathan has emerged as the true local powerhouse of his famous family—and depending on what happens this coming November, could add “mayor’s big brother” to his résumé should Josh pull off an upset win against Michelle Wu. And just look at how close he’s coming to finally getting a Boston-metro stadium for his New England Revolution. As for the Patriots, Jonathan’s been making most of the decisions since the end of the Belichick era, and fans are sure hoping for an exciting turnaround season this fall.
# 19.
Jeremy Sclar
Chair and CEO, WS Development
→ 7.6 million square feet developed in the Seaport
→ 100+ properties in 13 states
Mayor Michelle Wu called his 400 Summer Street building a “transformational project” at its opening last year. Governor Maura Healey joined other dignitaries at the opening of Sclar’s One Boston Wharf Road, praising his use of a new, low-carbon cement. Sclar’s investments and philanthropy, meanwhile, have earned him a powerful network around the city, but it’s his life’s work making Boston buildings come alive that most people see and appreciate.
# 22.
Thomas O’Brien
Managing partner and CEO, HYM Investment Group
→ 20 million+ square feet developed in Greater Boston
→ $12 billion in investments
O’Brien, who is currently steering a half dozen enormous development projects, apparently will not go through with a teased run for mayor. It wouldn’t have been all that surprising, though, if he had: As the former director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority and former chair of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, the politically wired developer has received appointments from governors Deval Patrick and Maura Healey and mayors Tom Menino and Marty Walsh.
# 42.
Peter Palandjian
Chair and CEO, Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation
→ $11.5 billion in properties managed
→ $7.5 million donation to Brigham and Women’s Hospital
The developer and his celebrity wife, actress Eliza Dushku Palandjian, have been dipping their toes into politics lately, publicly advocating for a Massachusetts ballot measure last year that sought to legalize some psychedelic drugs while also launching “A Day for Democracy” in Boston to get workers time off to vote. Though the ballot initiative failed, their work supporting mental health treatment continues. And that real estate empire keeps growing.
# 43.
Jonathan and Stephen Davis
Founder and CEO, the Davis Companies, and president, the Davis Companies
→ 14,000 residential units
The father-and-son duo’s buildings can be found all over Boston, Cambridge, and beyond, making them one of the city’s most important landlords. While Jonathan founded the real estate company, his son Stephen has increasingly taken charge of its operations. The company has expanded into scientific lab space, but it’s the residential high-rises, including 1515 Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton, that impress housing-hungry pols, who lean on Stephen these days for advice.
# 76.
Darryl Settles
President and managing partner, Catalyst Ventures Development
→ 1,000+ residential units developed/invested in
The number of people Settles has helped and mentored over more than 25 years in hospitality, real estate, and development provides him with a veritable army of allies who support his every move (see: the sold-out James Brown tribute concert he executive-produced at the Strand last year). Certainly, every significant diversity and equity initiative over the past quarter-century has borne his imprint, including, most recently, the Boston Real Estate Inclusion Fund.
# 78.
Kevin Phelan
Boston office cochair, Colliers International
→ 130+ employees in the Colliers Boston office
→ $1 billion+ serviced by capital markets group
Phelan is so well known for gathering and mentoring local professionals—in part via his famous breakfast gatherings—that it’s easy to forget how much he gets done at his day job. He helped pull together $19 million to rescue the iconic S.S. Pierce Building that anchors Brookline’s Coolidge Corner. He also helped arrange a $62 million refinancing deal for the Addison apartments in East Boston and has been generous with local organizations such as Catholic Charities Boston and the Boston Foundation.
# 85.
Maggie Gold Seelig
Founder, MGS Group Real Estate
→ $4.5 billion+ in firm sales
→ 3 offices in Massachusetts
Seelig specializes in connecting exceptional luxury properties with buyers who contribute significantly to our local economy. Peep the $19.8 million Hyannis Port manse next to the Kennedy compound, or the $7.5 million three-bedroom on Beacon Hill. Sure, they pale beside the $80 million Manhattan property that won Seelig last year’s “Stratospheric Sale” Power Broker award, but the Cambridge-based agent and her firm are certainly keeping the local scene hot.
# 89.
Steven Samuels
Founder, chair, and principal, Samuels & Associates
→ 8 million square feet of total development
→ 400,000 square feet of Lyrik Back Bay
Lyrik Back Bay, rising above the Mass. Pike and home to CarGurus and Lego, marks another milestone in Samuels’s portfolio. The property’s website calls it “the most significant project of its kind in Boston in over 40 years,” and the Boston Globe celebrated how Samuels “built a slice of the city out of thin air.” It’s a fitting achievement for the developer this magazine dubbed “Fenway’s man with the golden charm” a decade ago.
# 90.
Elizabeth Lowrey
Principal, Elkus Manfredi Architects
→ 980,000+ square feet designed at 401 Park
→ 1.4 million+ square feet of LEED Gold–certified buildings built
The Fenway Alliance had never given its Spirit Award to an architect or a designer—until this year, when it picked David Manfredi and Lowrey for the work they’ve done throughout the Fenway Cultural District. Lowrey’s work can be seen in buildings all over Boston and far beyond; she has also been making an impact locally with her involvement in the Civic Action Project and other programs aiming to lift up the next generation of talent.
# 91.
Tracy Campion
Principal and owner, Campion and Company
→ $9.3 billion+ in residential sales since firm’s founding
A perennial top home seller, Campion keeps getting the most fabulous listings, such as the $16 million Four Seasons penthouse overlooking the Public Garden, or the 23-bedroom Ayer Mansion on Massachusetts Avenue. Her connections make that possible, while also making her a premier mover and shaker among Boston’s elites.
# 121.
David Nagahiro
Principal and president, CBT Architects
→ $56 million+ in-state billing in 2023
→ $250,000 committed to the Boston Society for Architecture’s Equity and Climate Innovation Pilot
Nagahiro is the brains behind much of Boston’s public appearance, while improving the city in ways you can’t as easily see. His firm’s 121 Seaport tower, for example, is not only visually striking—its design has led the way in Boston’s climate-resiliency push for energy and materials efficiency. Nagahiro has also been active in equity and diversity efforts within the local architecture profession.
# 137.
Reetika Vijay
Managing principal, IA Interior Architects
→ 150,000-square-foot average project size
→ 2021 HiP “For Greater Good” award recipient
When CarGurus moved its headquarters to 225,000 square feet on 10 floors in the Back Bay, it hired Vijay’s firm to design it all. It was right up Vijay’s alley, given that she specializes in hybrid workspaces that encourage collaboration and flexibility. Her firm is a top-10 Interior Design “Giant” of the industry, working on projects everywhere, and Vijay’s local impact includes serving on the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children advisory board.
# 148.
Ricardo Rodriguez
Realtor, Ricardo Rodriguez & Associates
→ $4 billion+ in career sales
→ #1 Coldwell Banker Large Team in New England
The local economy depends, in large part, on keeping the beautiful homes in Boston and the surrounding suburbs filled with residents. Rodriguez plays a crucial role in ensuring this happens; his office is one of the top luxury property-selling teams in the entire Boston area. Beyond his professional success in real estate, this powerhouse agent maintains an active presence in the city’s vibrant social scene, demonstrating his community involvement through activities such as cochairing the prestigious Shakespeare Under the Stars gala last year.
To read the full list of the Boston Magazine, please click here.
