Real estate is a business of timing, trust and judgment, where the right call can build lasting wealth and the wrong one can cost a client years. The professionals who endure are those who pair deep market knowledge with genuine care for the people they serve, turning complex decisions into clear opportunities. Across investment, valuation, lending, development and residential sales, a few stand apart for the results they deliver and the relationships they keep. Some build portfolios, others guide families into their first home, and the best treat every transaction as a responsibility rather than a deal. The High Impact Awards recognize five of them: Richard Kenny, Rebecca Norris DiNapoli, Saen Higgins, Seatrice Foster and Brian T. Swan, each representing the top of the field.
#1 Richard Kenny, founder and managing partner of Falcon Capital Real Estate and Keystone Valuations
A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy who served seven years on active duty and continues as a Lt. Col. in the Air Force Reserves, Richard Kenny brings a disciplined, mission-driven approach to real estate investment and valuation. As founder and managing partner of Falcon Capital Real Estate, he turns complex challenges into profitable opportunities through strategic insight and accurate analysis. An MAI-designated appraiser, he and his brother grew their family’s appraisal business, Keystone Valuations, from a three-person firm into one of the five largest commercial appraisal firms in Atlanta, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. As an extension of Keystone’s valuation expertise, he also helped develop proprietary software designed to reduce the commercial valuation cycle from days to hours. Falcon Capital now manages an active portfolio of approximately $100 million in assets, offering boutique investment opportunities grounded in due diligence and strong investor relationships. He built the firm on principles of integrity, transparency, accountability and excellence, drawing on a decade of experience across military service, business and leadership. Beyond the office, he serves on the board of the Alpharetta Rotary Club, supporting charitable and philanthropic efforts across his community.
#2 Rebecca Norris DiNapoli, Realtor with Compass Tennessee
A 30-year Nashville resident, real estate investor and trusted advisor, Rebecca Norris DiNapoli has built a strong reputation across residential and commercial real estate in the Nashville market. After earning recognition as a top-producing agent, she joined Compass for its marketing, technology and collaborative approach, giving clients a competitive edge in one of the nation’s fastest-growing markets. Having invested in and managed properties throughout her career, she offers clients insight from both an investor’s and a Realtor’s perspective, and her discretion has made her a preferred agent for many notable clients. She also serves as the Nashville host for a nationally syndicated real estate television program, showcasing the neighborhoods, businesses and stories that make Music City one of America’s most sought-after places to live and invest.
#3 Saen Higgins, CEO of Tax Lien Method
For more than three decades Saen Higgins has focused on showing everyday people how to build financial independence through tax lien certificate and tax deed investing. What began as a personal discovery in the mid-1990s grew into a career devoted to teaching practical, government-backed strategies that anyone can learn. As founder and chief executive of Tax Lien Method, he has guided students through conferences, masterminds and personalized coaching, helping many turn unpaid tax liens into interest income and, in some cases, property ownership. An author, speaker, entrepreneur and philanthropist, as well as a landscape photographer and avid traveler, his single passion is mentoring entrepreneurs in the deliberate building and transfer of generational wealth.
#4 Seatrice Foster, founder and chief investment officer of Avālia Capital Partners
Seatrice Foster is a real estate investor, developer, lender and capital strategist with more than 25 years of experience across residential and commercial real estate. She began in mortgage lending in 2001 and expanded into commercial finance, brokerage, development, private lending, acquisitions and principal investing. As founder and chief investment officer of Avālia Capital Partners, she leads a fund focused on opportunistic and distressed commercial real estate, including hospitality and office assets. Over her career she has helped facilitate substantial real estate transaction volume while working to expand access to ownership, capital and investment education. Through a family office she co-leads, she also manages long-term real estate holdings. Her work centers on creating opportunity, building lasting value and strengthening the communities her investments reach.
#5 Brian T. Swan,
Brian T. Swan is a global real estate entrepreneur and investor whose career began in San Diego in 2000. Over more than two decades he has built value across international markets through property investment, dealmaking and relationships. For over a decade he has lived in Bali, Indonesia, gaining firsthand knowledge of one of the world’s most dynamic real estate destinations. Through one of the top developers in Bali, he is advancing the tokenization of real estate, combining the tangible value of property with blockchain technology to broaden investor access and make ownership more accessible. As co-founder of a global branding agency, he also helps real estate leaders build trusted, authoritative brands. From San Diego to Bali, he is shaping a more connected future for real estate.
Whether structuring an investment, valuing a complex asset, teaching the next generation of investors or guiding a first-time buyer, these five leaders share a commitment to integrity and lasting results. Their careers span different corners of the market, yet each reflects the same standard the High Impact Awards were created to recognize: measurable impact, earned trust and a lasting mark on the communities they serve. The work featured here represents only part of what these professionals continue to build. Real estate professionals making a comparable mark in their own markets can apply to be considered for the 2027 High Impact Awards.
HIGH IMPACT AWARDS
The High Impact Awards recognize the top industry leaders creating extraordinary impact across today’s most influential categories. Honorees are featured in themed articles that reach a national audience, with specialty award winners earning a full solo feature spotlighting their work, alongside promotional assets and recognition at the annual High Impact Awards gala. Apply for the 2027 High Impact Awards here.
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