The
HousingWire
award
spotlight
series
highlights
the
individuals
and
organizations
that
have
been
recognized
through
our
Editors’
Choice
Awards.
Nominations
for
HousingWire’s

2025
Finance
Leaders
Award
are
open
now
through
January
31,
2025. Click
here to
nominate
a
tech
organization.

Nominations
are
still
open
for
the
2025
Finance
Leaders
award.
To
celebrate
this
prestigious
recognition,
HousingWire
reached
out
to
2023
Finance
Leader

Kevin
Thompson,
Head
of
Finance
at

PURE
Property
Management
to
discuss
his
approach
to
navigating
challenges
in
today’s
real
estate
market.

With
an
eye
toward
the
future,
Thompson
shared
his
insights
on
economic
trends,
budgeting
strategies,
and
the
pivotal
role
of
data
and
technology
in
shaping
the

housing
landscape.
Thompson
earned
his
Finance
Leader
recognition
as
a
result
of
his
financial
leadership
throughout
his
tenure
as
Head
of
Finance
which
has
led
PURE
to
operate
profitably
as
it
maintains
its

high-tech,
high-growth,
and
high-profit
focus.

As
we
gear
up
for
the
2025
Finance
Leader
awards,
his
forward-thinking
perspective
offers
a
glimpse
into
the
evolving
role
of
finance
leaders
in

real
estate.

HousingWire:
Looking
ahead
to
2025,
what
are
the
primary
economic
and
market
trends
you
anticipate
impacting
mortgage
and
real
estate,
and
how
are
you
adjusting
your
organization’s
financial
strategy
to
navigate
these
changes?

Kevin
Thompson:
Cost
of
capital
and
supply
—
there’s
increasing
consensus
within
the
entire
housing
ecosystem,
including
government
and
media,
that
supply
solves
many
of
the
problems
that
investors
and
consumers
face
while
delivering
a
robust
and
healthy

housing
economy.
Supply,
supply,
supply.
If
there’s
a
silver
lining
to
the
recent

natural
disasters,
it’s
that
we
may
collectively
align
faster
and
act
even
more
aggressively
to
focus
on
housing
supply
solutions.

HousingWire:
As
a
finance
exec,
how
do
you
approach
budgeting
in
a
market
where
cost
pressures,
compliance
demands,
and
technology
investments
are
all
increasing?

Kevin
Thompson:
Like
any
finance
executive,
it’s
finding
a
balance
between
growing
profit
and
margins
while
investing
in
the
company’s
people
and
programs
that
grow
topline
revenue,
enhance
customer
experience
and
brand
awareness,
and
create
a
unique
or
lasting
competitive
advantage.
It’s
never
easy,
sometimes
emotional,
and
always
involves
many
meetings
to
create
collaboration
among
the
team,
not
conflict.

HousingWire:
What
role
do
data
and
technology
play
in
your
financial
planning
and
forecasting
for
2025,
and
how
are
you
leveraging
these
tools
to
enhance
decision-making?

Kevin
Thompson:
It’s
all
data
and
AI-supported
analytical
technology,
especially
regarding
establishing
core
assumptions
and
forecasts.
Nothing
is
ever
done
by
feeling
or
opinion.
We
have
a
culture
of
two-factor
authentication
of
any
assumption
or
forecast
with
data.
AI
is
undoubtedly
making
this
faster
and
easier,
and
we’re
investing
heavily
into
collecting
even
more
experience
data
to
support
decisions
around
customer
experience
investments.

HousingWire:
What
are
you
most
excited
for
in
the
industry
in
2025?

Kevin
Thompson:
I
feel
a
lot
of
excitement
about
the
stars
aligning
sooner
than
later
in
2025,
and
we
will
see
the
return
of
growth
capital,
and
much
less
onerously
so.

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