Bob Knakal, founder and principal of BK Real Estate Advisors, was ranked the top LinkedIn influencer in commercial real estate this year as measured by Commercial Real Estate Influencers, or CREi.
Knakal, a 40-year veteran of Manhattan real estate who's sold more than 2,300 properties, has leveraged social channels, especially LinkedIn and X, formerly Twitter, to help build his business. He also topped the 2024 CREi Linkedin List.
Ken Ashley, an executive director at Cushman & Wakefield in Atlanta, launched CREi in 2020 as a forum for brokers and other industry professionals to network and learn from their peers how to best use social media to help their careers.
While interacting on social media is important, Knakal told CoStar News last year after leaving JLL that face-to-face meetings are critical to his success. He said he has a goal to attend 261 networking events, or one per working day, each year.
This year’s CREi LinkedIn influencers rankings, were calculated based on data indicating social influence and impact by a team led by Ashley and sales coach Nicholas Luczyszyn.
Brokers were ranked in order of influence on Microsoft-owned LinkedIn. The CREi Top 10 LinkedIn influencers in commercial real estate for 2025 are:
- 1. Bob Knakal, principal, BK Real Estate Advisors;
- 2. Gabe Marans, vice chairman, Savills;
- 3. Kyle Matthews, chairman and CEO; Matthews Real Estate Investment Services;
- 4. Tyler Bindi, vice president of investments; Marcus & Millichap;
- 5. Faraz Cheema, managing director of Manhattan office capital markets, BK Real Estate Advisors;
- 6A. Adam Dunn, managing director, Berkadia;
- 6B. Dan Lewkowicz, senior director, Encore Real Estate Investment Services;
- 7. Beth Azor, CEO, Azor Advisory Services;
- 8. Don Gregor, executive vice president, Aurora Realty Consultants;
- 9. Herky Pollock, president and CEO, Legacy Realty Partners; and
- 10. Julia Silva, president, Lee & Associates Tampa Bay, 8,219 followers
The LinkedIn list also included an alphabetical list of allies, or commercial real estate professionals who are not at brokerages. Michelle Rumore, CoStar’s senior director of market analytics in Tampa, made the allies list.