Houwzer is excited to announce that Bennett Andelman has joined the company’s executive team in the role of Chief People Officer as of November 29. Andelman is a 22-year marketing veteran with extensive experience in employee engagement strategies and communications.
In his role, Andelman will focus on building strategies to scale and retain the workforce talent that is necessary for Houwzer’s long-term sustainability. In addition to talent acquisition, employee engagement, and intentional culture-building strategies, Andelman will also be a key player in leadership development, career growth mapping, and succession planning.
It’s clear that Bennett has the right background for leading the rapidly growing brokerage. Before coming to Houwzer, Andelman worked on national branding for Power Home Remodeling. During Andelmans’ stint, Power became the nation’s largest full-service residential remodeler and was named FORTUNE Magazine’s #1 company for millennials to work for. Prior to Power, Andelman served as Senior Vice President and Partner at Allebach Communications, a national advertising agency where he was responsible for accounts including Stetson Cologne, L’Oreal Paris, Univest National Bank, and Sabra Foods.
“Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work alongside incredibly gifted people who bring their whole self to work, unafraid to showcase who they are, have fun, and create lasting relationships while building something special together,” says Andelman.
“What they have taught me is that great companies are the sum of all of their parts, led by a diverse portfolio of amazing individual stories that when unleashed can impact the world around them, including their customers,” he continues. “Houwzer’s values are perfectly aligned with that same philosophy and I am excited to work with them to build on their mission by finding talent and defining a culture that delivers joy both at work and home.”
His hiring comes at a pivotal time for the Philadelphia-based startup as it expands into additional territories around the country. Not only will the Inc. 5000-ranked company have to compete against other brokerages and national companies for top talent, but supporting those employees will be critical to the brand’s future success.
Houwzer is a next-gen brokerage that has re-imagined real estate to better serve clients and agents. Rather than working as independent contractors, agents are employees and are paid a full salary with benefits – ensuring that they can focus on client goals, rather than commissions. So far, Houwzer has made good on its promise to take care of agents – in 2021 it once again earned a place on the list of Best Places to Work in Philadelphia (Philadelphia Business Journal).
“We believe in investing in our employees. It’s no secret that Houwzer’s success is borne out of our culture. Employee experience drives customer experience, and it all starts with our people. But scaling people and culture is really hard — especially in the environment we live in today. By adding Bennett Andelman as our Chief People Officer, we’re getting a proven leader with a track record of scaling culture, employee growth, and a talent brand. His experience is incredibly relevant, and he sees a massive opportunity to make Houwzer the best place to work in the country. He’s also laser-focused on building the most robust real estate agent development program in the industry. Most importantly, he’s kind, empathetic, and the consummate professional,” says Houwzer CEO Mike Maher.
Raised in New York and San Francisco, Andelman is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. He currently resides in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania with his wife, Mindy, three sons, Michael, Harrison, and Logan, and mini Goldendoodle, Jojo.