The

HousingWire
Rising
Stars
award
recognizes
emerging
leaders
40
and
under
who
are
driving
measurable
progress
across
mortgage,
real
estate
and
homebuilding.
These
professionals
aren’t
just
advancing
their
own
careers
—
they’re
influencing
how
teams
operate,
how
technology
is
deployed
and
how
the
housing
ecosystem
evolves.

With
nominations
for
the

2026
HousingWire
Rising
Stars
Award
open
through
Feb.
28,
we’re
revisiting
conversations
with
recent
honorees
to
illustrate
the
real-world
impact
of
this
recognition.

In
the
Q&A
below,

Daniel
Butbul,
vice
president
of
technology
at

Systato,
shares
how
his
role
has
expanded,
the
initiatives
that
are
energizing
his
team
and
the
leadership
traits
he
believes
will
define
the
industry’s
next
generation.

HousingWire:

Since
being
named
a
Rising
Star,
how
has
your
role
or
career
evolved?

Daniel
Butbul:
Since
being
named
a
Rising
Star,
my
role
as
vice
president
at
Systato
has
continued
to
expand
alongside
the
company’s
growth.
Over
the
past
year,
we’ve
nearly
doubled
our
company
roster
and
tripled
the
size
of
our
technology
and
software
development
organization.
My
focus,
alongside
growing
a
world-class
group
of
technical
real
estate
specialists,
has
increasingly
centered
on
building
scalable
platforms,
leading
cross-functional
teams,
and
helping
organizations
translate
automation
and
data
into
real
operational
and
financial
outcomes.

HousingWire:
What
project,
initiative
or
achievement
are
you
most
excited
about
right
now?

DB:
I’m
most
excited
about
the
work
we’re
doing
to
help
brokerages
and
mortgage
companies
strengthen
joint
venture
and
MSA
performance.
By
unifying
data
from
both
sides
into
a
shared
data
layer,
we’re
giving
leaders
a
clearer
understanding
of
where
engagements
truly
stand
at
the
agent,
office,
manager
and
lender
level.
That
visibility
allows
teams
to
intervene
earlier,
improve
adoption,
and
ultimately
create
more
profitable
and
sustainable
mortgage-brokerage
partnerships.

HousingWire:
What
skills
or
experiences
have
been
most
critical
to
your
growth
in
the
housing
industry?

DB:
Hands-on
experience
has
been
foundational
to
my
growth.
My
philosophy
has
always
been
to
learn
before
you
delegate.
Raising
your
hand
for
new
challenges,
learning
how
a
task
actually
works,
even
if
you’re
not
perfect
at
it,
then
delegating
it
effectively
has
helped
me
connect
dots
across
operations,
technology
and
leadership.
In
the
age
of
LLMs,
it’s
easier
than
ever
to
quickly
pick
up
new
skills
with
a
chatbot
acting
as
a
tutor
and
research
partner,
which
makes
resourcefulness
an
even
more
valuable
trait.

HousingWire:
What
advice
would
you
give
to
professionals
early
in
their
careers
who
aspire
to
make
an
impact
in
mortgage,
real
estate
or
homebuilding?

DB:
Stay
curious
and
don’t
shy
away
from
complexity.
The
biggest
opportunities
come
from
understanding
how
the
business
really
operates,
not
just
your
individual
role.
Learn
the
fundamentals,
take
ownership
and
focus
on
solving
real
problems.
Impact
follows
those
who
are
willing
to
do
the
work
and
continuously
improve
how
it
gets
done.

HousingWire:

When
you
think
about
the
next
generation
of
Rising
Stars,
what
qualities
or
traits
do
you
think
set
future
leaders
apart?

DB:
The
next
generation
of
leaders
will
stand
out
through
adaptability,
systems
thinking
and
strong
judgment.
Comfort
with
data
and
emerging
tools
like
AI
will
matter,
but
it
won’t
replace
the
need
for
critical
thinking,
empathy
and
operational
understanding.
Those
who
can
balance
innovation
with
execution,
and
lead
people
through
change
rather
than
just
talking
about
it,
will
define
the
future
of
the
industry.

Click
here
to
submit
a
2026
Rising
Star.