James Whelan is president of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), the City’s leading real estate trade association which represents commercial, residential, and institutional property owners, builders, managers, investors, brokers, salespeople, and other corporations and individuals professionally interested in New York City real estate.

In this role, Whelan oversees all REBNY activities which include advocating for effective public and industry policy, supporting the association’s 17,000 members with technical resources and educational opportunities, and connecting industry leaders with other business and community leaders to foster constructive civic partnerships and impactful results.

Sandhya Espitia is a Colombian-American business transformation executive with experience in five continents. She joined REBNY in 2017 and became its first Chief Operating Officer in 2020, leading organization-wide strategy and operations for programs, products and services affecting the organization’s 15,000 members. She has played a pivotal role in democratizing listing data in New York City and is now heavily involved in the upcoming launch of Citysnap, the first New York